//------------------------------// // It's been a nice day, until... // Story: Two worlds colliding // by TalkingToMyself //------------------------------// Sunset ran as fast as she could towards Canterlot High. Despite just having passed noon, the streets were dark, all the light almost completely locked out by the black storm clouds that swirled over the town in an angry raging storm. The closer she got, she realized the center of the storm was in fact exactly over Canterlot high. She flinched as three massive lightning bolts hit the ground close to the school building in quick succession. She wasn't really afraid of lightnings or storms, but the feeling this particular storm gave her sent cold shivers down her body. Fear, anger, pain and, most concerning of all, magic. Equestrian magic to be exact. She knew that familiar tingle under her skin, she felt it before when being with Twilight and her friends and even more so during their eventful stay at Camp Everfree. But she never felt it as powerful and dark as today. It didn't make any sense, equestrian magic was usually based on harmony. This raging storm was anything but harmonious, it was only destructive and chaotic, at best. Sunset frowned as she followed this train of thought. And it's been a nice day, until... Sunset had been at Lyra's home just a couple of hours earlier, working on a school project they had been asigned too. She was surprised how quickly the invitation from Lyra had come with a genuine smile from her fellow student. She'd happily agreed, smiling herself and to be honest feeling very relieved and to some part accepted. Sure, she had a couple of friends now and worked hard to leave the troubling events that dictated her past behind her. Up until the Fall Formal and her failed attempt to take over the school with magic from Equestria, she'd never spoke with any student more than was absolutely necessary, and even then it had been mostly threats or snarky remarks. Up to the Battle of the Bands and her helping defeat the sirens, only Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash talked to her. After that, the other students lost some of their hesitation to approach her, but again it was barely more than absolutely necessary. The other students slowly warmed up to her after seeing her compete and help out during the Friendship Games and even saving the human Twilight from the power rush of barely controlled magic. By the time they traveled to Camp Everfree, she was more comfortable around school as were the other students with her. She even managed to patch up some of her relationship with Flash Sentry who had been among those she hurt the most in her bullying days. But being assigned to Lyra and seeing her classmate happy about that, without any second thoughts, that had never happened before. While they were working on their project in Lyra's room, the two girls quickly lost themselves in some friendly chatter, sharing laughs and feeling at ease. Lyra had even invited her to stay for dinner that night. Sunset smiled and was about to accept, when her phone gave of the sound of a new text message. Glancing down, she saw it had been from Rainbow Dash and only held one word: Emergency! Sunset had rolled her eyes, since she'd gotten a few of those before: One time, Raindow needed a new string for her guitar. The other time was about a flat tyre on her bike. She would have given no more thought on it, but then the phone dinged again five times with messages from her other friends: Rarity: Trouble at Canterlot High! Please come quick! Applejack: Emergency! Something weird is going on at school, we need you all there! Fluttershy: Please come to school quickly!. Pinkie: I'll be right there! I'll bring snacks! Twilight: I'm on my way! Please be safe! Sunset felt a chill running down her spine and stood up. She looked at Lyra, trying to make up an excuse for leaving, but the other girl didn't even notice. She'd been looking out of the windows, frowning herself „Gee, it's suddenly all dark and gloomy. So much for a sunny weekend. Seriously, how can there be so many clouds just out of nothing?“ That's when Sunset felt it, almost sizzling in the air. Magic. Undeniably Equestrian magic, and lots of it. Concern grew to fear and quickly to panic as she just turned around and ran out of the house. She heard Lyra call after her and follow her out, but she didn't stop running down the street towards school. Something was seriously wrong and her friends needed her help! She only turned around to quickly tell Lyra she'd be back later, but she saw her staring at the sky with her mouth hanging open. Bon-Bon, her best friend who lived just across the street, had joined her, worried about the screams she heard but now frightened as she saw the sky. Sunset couldn't blame them. Thick dark clouds had filled the sky, blocking out the sun. They were constanly moving in an angry swirl, the center hovering over Canterlot High, not too far away from their homes. There was no rain but loud thunder could be heard and lightning strikes flashed through the air, far more frequent than any normal storm could send them. That and the violent wind that shook the trees all around them, bending them in all directions and even sending smaller items flying through the air. Lyra and Bon-Bon looked at each other, then after Sunset who ran down the streets, right to the eye of the storm. She didn't see Lyra and Bonny exchange glances. With only a moment of hesitation, both girls ran after her. Another lighting strike pulled Sunset back into the present. This one had been close, too close for comfort. A tree had been struck down, luckily there was no fire and nobody else was on the streets as the tree fell over. Sunset shivered more and ran even faster. She had felt it and was certain now: The lightning was not an ordinary one, but a bolt of magic. Coming from a storm that couldn't be natural either. By now, the wind was even stronger than before, only increasing as she got closer to school. She could see cars being blown over and windows breaking from the force. She wondered for a second how she could even manage to get forward in such a storm, but another lighting as well as a familiar cry made her push that thought aside. She was now running towards the main entrance of Canterlot High and the statue in front of it, only that it wasn't there anymore. In its place was a strange glowing orb about the size of the former pedestal. The pedestal that had also been a portal between two similar, but completely different worlds. As Sunset had expected, the portal was in the very center of the storm and she could feel raw and uncontrolled magic pouring out of it, no spell to guide it and therefore causing a chaotic rage, manifested in this unnatural storm. The scream she heard belonged to Rarity. She and four of her friends stood in the storm, about twenty yards away from the portal, clinging on each other to not be blown away. Like Sunset, they managed to withstand the fury of the storm, but apparently they were unable to get any closer to the portal. Sunset could see other students in the building, watching the scene with fear as constant lighting strikes illuminated the darkness and the wind sent all kinds of objects flying around, some even hitting the building and breaking down part of the roof. Sunset hoped they would be safe inside Canterlot High for now and hurried to her friends. That's when she saw Twilight, trying to get to the other five as well. She came from another direction and was fighting for every step closer, desperately trying to not have her glasses blown away. Sunset quickly changed directions and headed straight for her. Within a few moments, she reached her friend and took her hand „Twilight! We need to get to the others!“ The purple haired girl looked up, relieved for a moment before concern and fear returned to her features „Sunset! It's magic! It's everywhere, such much magic, more than I ever felt before!“ Twilight shuddered, clearly remembering the time she had been overwhelmed by a burst of magic before, just like Sunset had. The latter one nodded, her red and yellow hair blown in all directions by the wind „We need to find a way to stop it!“ „Then hurry up already and get here!“ That came from Rainbow who had noticed them while holding onto the other friends. „We can compare notes later, we need to do something now!“ Sunset nodded and made her way towards them, pulling Twilight along. To both girls' surprise, now Twilight didn't struggle anymore to get forward. Pinkie and Rainbow reached out and pulled her into the huddle, and immediately they all started glowing in a familiar way. Larger ears sprouted out at the sides of their heads and their hair elongated to full manes. Soft wings sprouted out of Fluttershy and Rainbow's back and started to flutter to withstand the wind. Twilight had her own larger pair of wings and now also a glowing horn on her forehead as the friends did what they'd call „pony up“. Sunset watched amazed as always when this happened. The six friends represented the Elements of Harmony in this world, and when they were working together, they were capable of wielding an incredible power. She hesitated to take the last step towards her friends. She was not a wielder of an Element, but she was definitely the most adapt in Equestrian magic of them. After all, she'd visited the school of gifted unicorns back in Equestria and had even been Princess Celestia's personal student. Before the usual turmoil of feelings those memories brought with them could take any hold of her, now Applejack and Rarity reached out to pull Sunset in as well. She felt that surge of magic pass through her body as well and soon, her own pony ears and mane manifested. The other girls smiled at her and she smiled back for a moment. Those were her friends and it did feel right to be here with them, working together to fix this mess. With a nod of determination, they turned and looked at the glowing portal orb. After her transformation, Sunset could now see the magic flooding out of the edges, ripping them open to some degree, which sent even more magic to flow out. The magic seemed to be following paths at certain points but not far enough to really make out a clear pattern. Twilight seemed to see them as well and frowned, then glanced at the sky. „Whatever send this magic here, it's not guided in from of spell. That's why it just discharges in lighting and storm.“ Sunset nodded, having felt the same thing „Can you try to stop it? Form a spell to guide the magic back into the portal safely?“ Rainbow nodded at that idea „Like a lightning rod!“ Rarity looked relieved as well „That sounds like a perfect way to get rid of this awful storm“ But Twilight shivered and looked up at the dark clouds „I don't know. It's an awful lot of magic. I don't know if I can do that.“ „Well you ain't gonna find out unless you try, Twilight!“ That was Applejack and Pinkie nodded „If anyone can do it, it's you Twi!“ Fluttershy joining in „We believe in you, Twilight! And we're here to help you.“ Twilight looked to each of her friends, then back to Sunset who nodded and looked at the portal „We're in this together, Twilight!“ Twilight, now confident in her friends as well as herself, nodded and closed her eyes. The horn on her forehead began to glow and the friends were lifted up a few inches as the magic took hold of them all. Sunset could see what Twilight was doing, forming a line between the center of the storm in the sky and the portal and trying to pull the wild magic towards it, figuring that once the magic was directed it would flow back on its own. It seemed to work at first, but there was simply too much magic around them already. Twilight fought hard to keep the magic in the path she created, but with more and more magic flooding in, Sunset knew it was a fight she would eventually loose. She wished she could help more, she wished she hadn't lost the abilities to control magic and help Twilight more directly with her spell. But right now, all she could do was offer her friend all the mental support she could give, as did her other five friends. Suddenly a bolt of magic lightning struck down at the group, into Twilight’s horn. She screamed startled, as did the other girls, and lost control of her spell. The magic flowed out without control again, but this time towards Twilight and from their joint connection, to the other girls as well. Sunset closed her eyes, expecting pain from a backlash or the headache from a failed spell. To her surprise, she only felt a wave of tingles flow through her and the magic seemed to settle peacefully inside her. She opened her eyes again to noticed the perplexed expressions on her friends' faces as well. The magic felt warm inside her, eerily familiar. She blinked and noticed a strange sensation on both sides of her hips. She blinked again and realized. That's the same spot I had my cutie mark. After thinking this, another familiar sensation passed through her body. The first time she felt it had been at Camp Everfree and just like back then, she began seeing what Twilight saw. She saw the portal again, and the strange lines around it. Now she could clearly identify them as leylines, like the ones she learned about back in Equestria. But these ones were far smaller and shorter. The couldn't hold the vast amount of magic that flooded out of the portal, so the magic just unleashed without guidance. She focused on the portal itself again. She could see cracks and rips at the edges and as she focused more, her vision changed again. There was a veil of light purple energy now. It seemed to be not thicker a single layer of silk and was blown around heavily by the storm, just like Twilight had been. And to her shock, the veil was ripped open by it. There must have been a dozen of cracks and through those cracks, a light blue mist shot into her side of the veil. Sunset focused on the biggest of the cracks and suddenly, she could see the world behind it: Equestria! She could even tell exactly which part of Equestria as the Royal Castle of Canterlot stood out surrounded by other familiar building. The veil most have been separating both worlds but now the wall between the worlds seemed to be slowly collapsing. There was no storm in Canterlot going on, so it must be only this world who had to suffer the backlash of magic flowing between the worlds. Just as Sunset finished that thought, another crack was ripped open. And as it did, the buildings of Canterlot seemed to tremble. Sunset screamed in fear as one of them just crumbled under magic pressure and collapsed. She could almost hear the cries of terror from the ponies inside. Oh no... she thought. The portal... it's... „THE PORTAL IS BREAKING APART“ Breaking out of her vision, Twilight and Sunset both cried out at the same time, looking at each other „It's been used a lot more recently.“ „After laying dormant for so long, Princess Twilight visited a lot.“ „The notebook! I use it nearly every day now, it must have weakened the barrier between the worlds.“ „And the strange magic that happened in Camp Everfree! I bet it's connected to the veil weakening!“ „You saw it too! There's magic pushing through everywhere by now.“ „But why does the storm only happen here? Why is there no storm in the other world“ „I haven't seen any storm, but there was an earthquake. Maybe..“ „GIRLS! STOP!“ Both Sunset and Twilight blinked and looked at their friends „If you keep ramblin', it ain't gonna fix that storm,“ Applejack spoke out again, taking them back into the present situation „Twilight, your spell worked at first, can you try that again?“ Rarity asked, flinching as the lightning bolts started again to strike down around them once more. „I... I'm not sure. It worked, but it wasn't enough. The portal and the barrier between worlds are completely out balance.“ Balance Sunset thought, and the spot where her cutie mark was supposed to be tingled again. Balance between the worlds. Cutie marks. Equestrian magic in this world. But balance works in both ways. Maybe this world's energy is getting to Equestria as well? If that's true, then... „We need to fix this mess from both sides!“ All eyes where on her again, but only Twilight seemed to understand „Of course! Equestrian magic causes the storm here, but over there, our energy works differently and causes earthquakes instead. But that means...“ Twillight trailed off and looked at the portal and Sunset nodded „We need to get through, and fast! There's no time to loose. Maybe we can even get more help on the other side.“ All the other girls looked at her with a certain worry „Sunset...“ „We tried to reach to it, but this is as far as we could get.“ „The wind is way to strong to around the portal. It keeps pushing us away.“ „We can barely hold our ground right here as it is.“ Sunset frowned at their words. She wasn't feeling any struggle standing where she was right now. Yes, the wind had been strong, but nothing she couldn't work through. Twilight made it through as well, didn't see? She looked at her friend only to notice the purple haired girl staring at her „I'm sure Sunset could get through if she tried.“ „What? Why her but not us?“ Rainbow asked out loud what everyone else including Sunset was thinking. Twilight explained „When I was trying to reach you, I barely made and progress. But as soon as she touched me, it was easy. In fact, it's easier standing here since she's around for you as well, am I right?“ Sunset blinked again and watched her friends nodding one by one. Now that Twilight said it, the girls weren't clinging on each other anymore like they had before. And even the pegasus wings of Fluttershy and Rainbow had slowed down to an easy flutter. Twilight looked at Sunset again „It makes sense! You're originally from there, that's why the wind won't affect you like anyone else.“ Before Sunset could answer, all girls flinched as more lighting bolts rained down from the sky. Whatever effect Twilight’s spell had, it apparently wore off rather quickly. Rainbow Dash, always the heads-on type, was the first to say it. „Look we don't have time to discuss this any longer! Sunset, you're on! You're going through and work on the other side! Find pony princess Twilight and do the same thing our Twillight does here.“ Applejack nodded „As rarely as it happens, Dash's right this time. You go Sunset an' we're gonna help Twilight do that spell again.“ „What do you mean, I'm right this time?“ „No way!“ Sunset shook her head in frustration „Even if what Twilight said is true, I might be the only thing keeping you safe from the storm right now! If I leave, you might... I won't leave!“ I can't leave you guys, just like I left them before. And I can't just return and ask for help. Even if they would listen to me... I can't run away from my friends again! „Sunset.“ She looked up and turned to Fluttershy. „This is not letting us down. This is doing what must be done. And as much as we'd all like to have you around right now, it's not just about us! Everybody in town would suffer from this storm, every tree and every animal as well. If that's the way to help everyone, we must do it!“ Sunset sobbed suddenly „But what if I can't? What if I fail? What if there's nothing we can do to help once I'm through?“ What if I don't make it back in time to keep you all safe? „Darling, we're all connected! We've been through so much together, you're always here with us and we're with you, no matter which world you or we are in!“ Rarity smiled as she spoke those words and reached out to hold Sunset's hand reassuringly. Despite her worries and fears, Sunset felt herself smiling back. „Besides, it's not like you're gone forever, right? You go do your thing and we do ours, and when you're back we're having the biggest 'Welcome back from pony world' cake you've ever seen!“ Pinkie beamed and bounced at that thought. It would have been hilarious if the storm around then hadn't been raging at full force. Sunset felt something new, something that was bigger than any of her fears or worries. She could feel the full power and depth of their friendship right now and she knew she'd do anything for them as would they for her and nothing could ever stop them being friends. Even if I fail, they'll still be my friends. But I won't fail! Not now, not ever! I can do anything for my friends! Twilight watched Sunset and gave her a knowing smile. Sunset nodded and hugged all of them thightly, „Be safe everyone! I'll be back as soon as this is fixed!“ With words of encouragement from her friends, her best friends in all the worlds, ringing in her ear Sunset quickly made the distance to the portal and dived right in.