The sunlight burst into the great atrium of the harmony thrones, the golden rays bouncing off the abundant crystals littering the ceiling and walls. The clear struck voice of the Princess of Friendship echoed throughout the circular hall as she addressed her five best friends seated on the other thrones. A few morning yawns could be heard from the rainbow pegasus as her other friends continually debated the latest issues in Equestria that needed tackling.
“So far, nothing has disrupted the peace in Ponyville since the dragon attack. And Princess Celestia has announced that she will be monitoring the dragons’ migration patterns to prevent such an attack happening again.”
“Oh! That’s a relief,” said Fluttershy, in her typical gentle tone. “My animals will be glad to hear that they won’t have to worry about another scary dragon attack.”
“I hope so too. I can’t ever find time for delay now that I have two more branches in Canterlot and Manehattan. These disasters always leave me behind on my orders.” Rarity emphasised.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and sighed at the fashionista’s predictable comment while sitting in her rather lax position on her element throne. Noting the break in conversation, the wonderbolt rookie closed her eyes and put her hooves behind her head.
“So Twilight, why'd yar friend Sunset Shimmer come visitin’?”
Princess Twilight screwed her face up at the question. She should have expected that question to arise but it hadn’t registered with her that that possibility could occur. By now, she knew that her silence was already evident to her friends and they were now all looking at her. Even Rainbow’s interest had been piqued.
“Sunset Shimmer? Isn’t she the one who you met in that alternate world who stole your crown, plotted to take over Equestria by summoning an army of zombies using your element of harmony, and has friends exactly similar to everypony here because that’s how that alternate world works, but you don’t exactly understand the magic there or how it works and keep in touch with her through that special book which sends one message in this world to that world?” Pinkie Pie squeaked, an extremely wide grin only worthy of her appearing on her face directly after.
Twilight stuttered nervously. “Uh…yes, Pinkie. Sunset came to see me in the castle.”
“Really, that’s awesome!” Rainbow suddenly cried. “Woulda been totally cool to meet her after all you’ve told us about her.”
Twilight smiled. “But…” The alicorn became anxious once more at Applejack’s continued enquiry.
“Why’d she come ta see Apple Bloom at Sweet Apple Acres? Apple Bloom made out that she knew Sunset as well. Seems mighty strange that my sis knows Sunset if ah’ve never met her. Do ya know anythang ‘bout that, Twi?”
Twilight tensed up, her equine brain begging for a decision. Should I tell them? They are my best friends after all and I know they will keep it quiet. But why make them worry more than they need to when everything is back to normal? It’s not like I’d be lying to them….much. But I did promise Sunset I would keep it between us….
“Anything wrong, Twilight?” asked Rarity.
“Huh? Oh I’m sorry, girls. I guess I am a little slow this morning. To answer your question, Applejack, Apple Bloom and her friends happened by while Sunset was visiting me at the castle. She’s like a big sister to them back at CHS. She wanted to drop by on Apple Bloom one more time before going that’s all.”
Applejack thought on that, her mouth imitating her occasional sucking on a wheat stick. “Ah suppose that would explain it, but why’d she have ta be so secretive ‘bout it?”
Twilight had an answer ready this time. “The secret of the world beyond the mirror is still very much a myth in Equestria. Sunset and I try to keep anything regarding it all hushed; even around the most trustworthy of ponies like you, Applejack.”
Applejack shrugged. “Ah guess ah can respect that. Ah feel mighty guilty that ah mighta spooked her. She was rather good lookin’ after all.”
“What did you say, dear?”
Applejack zipped her mouth shut. “Nothing.”
Twilight chuckled. “No, I don’t think Sunset would be too scared off by that encounter, AJ. She has much more to deal with on a daily basis.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” Rainbow challenged.
“Like looking after those three girls for one…”
“Ya know after all the thangs we’ve put up with at Canterlot High, ah still can’ quite get my head around this…”
Sunset wrapped her arm around Applejack’s shoulder. She sat next to her on the soft sofa cushions of Sunset’s living room couch. The apple farmer looked round at Sunset’s touch.
“I can imagine. I’m still adjusting to it myself actually. It must have been a pretty big shock when Apple Bloom told you what was really going on.”
Applejack shrugged, gesturing it with her hands. “Ah mean, ah guess ah could live with the fact that fer a week ma sis was a pony from Equestria. That’s how we came to know Princess Twilight in the first place. But it’s a whole other thang ta thank that ma actual sis was in another dimension, gallivanting like she knew what she were doin’ – it’s the kinda thang ah’d worry over.”
Applejack continued. “Ah mean, ah can trust maself ta look after her but ah’ve never met this other Applejack an’ since ah fear summin’ might happen ta her then maybe ah don’t trust maself. But perhaps that’s only here…or…” She trailed off.
Sunset chuckled, tightening her grip around Applejack’s shoulder ever so slightly to get her attention again. “It’s best not to think about it that way, AJ. No one got hurt and everything is fine now. Well, things are a little less normal than they were before but that should almost becoming routine for us now.”
Applejack chuckled, her apprehension defeated. “Yeah, it should be.” She edged closer to Sunset. “At least some thangs have changed fer the better…”
Sunset cringed and blushed furiously, the implied flirt taking her a bit by surprise. But she soon smiled. “And I am incredibly thankful for that.” She scooched closer to the sweet smelling teenager.
A semi-long moment of amorous staring followed. Eventually, the gap between them began to diminish and pretty soon both of them understood what would happen next. Each of them moved in for the kill, their target edging ever closer…closer and…
Sunset spotted in the corner of her eye, a face smirking up at her. Twisting her head round with lips still puckered, the Equestrian now saw the twelve eyes watching the scene being portrayed in front of them. By now, Applejack had noticed the direction of which Sunset’s head was now facing and turned her head accordingly only to grimace at the smirking faces of all six crusaders.
“Uh…hey!” Applejack blurted, attempting to hide her evident embarrassment. “Y’all know its not polite to stare!”
The crusaders said nothing but just looked coyly at each other and then back at the duo. “AJ AND SUNSET SITTING IN A TREE, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Sunset chortled slightly. “If you lot keep that up, I might just shorten your playtime…”
They all went silent and backed away from them. Applejack smiled at Sunset. “Ya sure have a way with words.”
“Yeah.” She immediately kissed the apple farmer on the cheek. “But I’m skilled at other things too.”
Applejack blushed and relaxed back onto the sofa with her girlfriend.
“Did ya get a load o’ them kissing like that?” asked Apple Bloom once they were out of sight.
“Yeah, totally gross!” replied Scootaloo.
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” said her twin.
“So what exactly happened between them while we were away?” Sweetie Belle asked herself.
“I’m not sure. I was more worried about learning about how to do stuff with hands instead of my magic. I almost got the hang of writing but it’s really tricky.”
“Yeah, you unicorns have got it easy,” stated Scootaloo. “It was cool watching Sweetie Belle do all those awesome levitating spells when we were in Equestria. We have to do everything by hand as humans and we don’t get to fly either which kinda sucks.”
“But you have all this cool stuff, like mobile phones and…texting!” Her clone added. “I love being able to chat with Rainbow Dash all the time from anywhere in the world!”
“Huh, that’s probably why I have a few texts from her saying “Hey, I know you like me and all Scoots but could you please stop texting me every single minute?”. And the proper term for stuff like this is ‘technology’.”
“Uh huh…” Scootaloo nodded her head in comprehension.
“Ya know summin’? Ah’d take livin’ in the human world any day to workin’ on the farm in Equestria.”
Everyone looked round to Apple Bloom in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah. These things are amazing!” She flexed her thumbs vigourously. “Ah mean, ah can do thangs mighty fine with ma hooves. But thumbs make it even easier!”
“Yeah…ya could say ah struggled a lil’ without ‘em while ah was in Equestria.” The other Apple Bloom admitted. “But it was all worth it in the end!” The young apple rancher came between all her friends and attempted to grab them all in a hug.
“Alright girls, I think that’s all we have time for today.” Sunset announced.
“Awwww…”
“Come on, you’ll see each other soon, I promise. Now come on, girls.”
They all hung their heads in defeat. “Fine…”
It was advantageous that Sunset Shimmer only lived a couple of blocks away from Canterlot High as guiding six little girls, three of which were clones of the other three would no doubt have drawn some gawking eyes. Luckily, their trip went unnoticed and soon the six crusaders including Sunset and Applejack were standing opposite the portal.
“Well girls, time to go!”
Looking down the row of five girls beside her, a sneaky thought ran through Scootaloo’s mind. “Ok.” She approached the portal then stopped and turned to smirk at Sunset. “But which of us are the Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom of Equestria, I wonder?”
“Eh- I um….” Sunset stammered. Her eyes scanned the six of them, who were now all giving her similar smirks. Damm, have they got smarter over the last week too? She soon however wore a smirk of her own, causing the crusaders’ to disappear.
“Well perhaps you girls would like to tell me something that happened during this week then? Like perhaps what we were watching on the TV last night?”
The faces of the girls all grimaced in shock. Sunset chuckled.
“Gotcha! Now, come on. We’ll have a lot of other chances to hang out you know.”
Apple Bloom smiled. “Yeah, ah guess. Come on, girls!”
“Bye, Apple Bloom, Scoots and well myself.” Sweetie Belle waved.
As Apple Bloom stepped through the portal, the humanised unicorn followed her until only Scootaloo remained. “See ya, Sunset! Thanks so much for doing this!”
“My pleasure, Scootaloo. Now get out of here.”
Scootaloo smiled, walking towards the wall under the statue and materialising into liquid. Sunset turned to the crusaders remaining.
“So girls, we still have an evening together before your sisters come get you. Wanna go to the mall?”
“Count me in!” Apple Bloom agreed.
Scootaloo’s face lit up. “You know it! I could really go for a burger.”
“I’m not surprised. There wasn’t any meat back in Equestria.” Sweetie Belle joked.
Sunset smiled. “Let’s go then!”
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle hastily proceeded to follow Sunset. Sunset looked down at all their happy faces as they walked towards the city mall.
Yeah, things are going to be just alrigh-
“Hey, crusaders!”
The group of four stopped and spotted Diamond Tiara coming up to them. “Hey, Diamond Tiara. How are things?” greeted Sweetie Belle.
“Great! My mother and I were just discussing more plans for donating money to the school and how it could provide trips for all our class to enjoy!”
“Really?! That’s awesome!” Scootaloo enthused.
“And none of it would have been possible if you hadn’t shown me the good side of who I was. I just wanted to say thanks again.”
“Hey, it’s what we do.” Scootaloo typically took a boastful smile. “Wha-
“Hey! What’s going on?!” Apple Bloom found herself being lifted into the air. Soon, a sparkly aura started to envelop her.
“Girls!” Sunset cried. She watched as they all were levitated into the air by the magical aura. She recognised the glow. “Oh no…”
Sweetie Belle gasped as either side of her head were suddenly blessed with…pony ears! Her normally short hair extended further down to her lower back and she began to feel so full of positive energy. As the aura dissipated, she floated down back to the ground.
“Woah!” cried Sweetie Belle as she moved her hands up to feel her unbelievably real pony ears.
“What happened to you?!” shrieked Diamond Tiara. Sweetie Belle looked to her freaked out ex-enemy and then to her friends. Apple Bloom had grown pony ears as well as extended hair as well whereas Scootaloo had only grown pony ears.
“Wait, what’s THIS?” Scootaloo took of her sports jacket to reveal two petit wings on either side of her. “NO WAY!!”
“THIS IS SO COOL!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
Sunset face-palmed. I shoulda seen that coming…