//------------------------------// // Chapter 36 - To Discover // Story: Finding a Place // by Battlecat //------------------------------// Twilight and I spun around the floor, oblivious to the ghost-like memories of the other students. We were in the fourth hour of dance lessons. Twilight’s total discomfort and lack of coordination in her human body was a distant memory, as was the pain in my feet from her early missteps. Spark and I had switched between Sunset and Twilight several times as part of the dance. Even though we were theoretically one person, we didn’t want to play favorites and the excuse to switch was one we took. “Oh!” Sunset suddenly gasped as Spark’s hand abruptly phased right through her torso. She began to waver and fade away like a mirage. “I guess that’s all for now,” She continued, briefly becoming solid as she leaned into place a ghostly kiss on Spark’s lips. “Until tomorrow my dear Spark.” “Until tomorrow,” Spark replied quietly. He had a smile on his face, though it seemed forced. Sunset smiled at him before as she faded away. In mere moments there was only a small red and gold ball of light where she had been standing. Spark shimmered, returning to his normal Thestral form. He trotted over to Twilight and me and leaned his head against her hip briefly. “I’m sure you’re not far behind Twilight. Enjoy your adventure today and thank you for the dance.” Twilight crouched down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and running her hand over his shoulder. “It was my pleasure Spark.” “Don’t forget about that crate when you wake up,” he replied. While they said their goodbyes I looked over at my mother. She had stopped dancing with Memory and was watching me instead. Without thinking, I lifted my hand and waved at her. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle when she waved back at me, revealing a bracelet around her wrist made of a black material of some sort. Before I could approach her to examine this odd item, I felt a phantom pressure on my torso. Everything around us started to shimmer like a mirage. “You ok there Silver?” Spark asked, looking around at the collapsing dreamscape. “Not sure,” I said as the entire scene around us began to fade away. “I think I’m-“ Sunday, December 11, 2016 “-waking up?!” I gasped. My eyes flew open, revealing nothing but a riot of red and gold. I could feel the weight of something on top of me. Then Warm lips pressed against mine and I responded once I managed to put two and two together. Sunset had straddled me and was leaning over me so her hair draped over my head while she kissed me. She pulled away slightly revealing disheveled hair, a face bereft of makeup and her aquamarine eyes glittering with mischief. “Mornin’ Silver,” She said with a small grin on her face. “Did you sleep well?” “Yeah, but I think waking up was better,” I said, smiling back at her. “What a glorious sight to wake up to.” Sunset blushed and shook her head. “It’s nice of you to say that but be honest. We both know Rarity would have a fit if she saw me right now.” “She’d just be jealous of how good you look when you wake up.” “Flatterer,” Sunset said in an amused voice. “How did I sneak up on you? I thought you were more aware of what’s going on in the waking world.” “I'm still working on that, to be honest. Though I think my equine brother might have been flustered by your attention before you woke up. I don’t think he would have noticed a jet engine.” HEY! Sunset chuckled quietly and gave me another kiss on my chin. “In all fairness to Spark, I was always pretty good at sneaking around. Actually, it's easier as a human since these bodies have evolved for hunting. It was used for gathering information to control the school. At least I can use the skill for a good cause now.” “Mmm,” I said in agreement while kissing her again. “I think I approve of this application of your skill. It was certainly a nice way to wake up.” Sunset sat up, still pinning me to the couch and looked over the back of the couch towards the stairs. “Good morning!” Sunset said as Twilight leaned over the couch with a small smile on her face. “So this is why the dream ended so abruptly is it?” Twilight asked in an amused voice. “Yeah, pretty much. I hope that didn't cause you any discomfort,” I said in a worried voice. “I usually try to end the dream with a modicum of control.” Twilight waved her hand dismissing my concern. “When you woke up I did as well. No discomfort that I noticed; in fact, I’d say waking up was easier than normal. So are you finally going to share our plans for today Silver?” I slowly sat up, making Sunset grumble as she was forced to relinquish her perch. She slid onto the couch next to me while I wiped the last of the sleep out of my eyes. Before answering I reached over to brush Twilight's cheek with my hand. She leaned into my hand with a small smile on her face while I gave her an answer. “Patience, you’ll find out soon. We’re not going anywhere fancy so dress comfortably. I'll get breakfast put together while you two get dressed.” The two of them nodded and headed back upstairs, Sunset in her purple pajamas, Twilight in the yellow set on permanent loan from Pinkie. I watched them start walking up the stairs. When Sunset looked over her shoulder I just winked at her. She grinned and then whispered something in Twilight's ear making her laugh nervously. Twilight glanced over her shoulder and smiled shyly before hurrying up the stairs. So how exactly did we get this lucky again? I’m never going to figure it out, Silver. However, I just had an idea. What kind of idea Spark? A brilliant one! Let me explain . . . After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, we piled into my car and pulled out onto the road. At my insistence, Twilight and Sunset sat in the back together. The conversation had been fleeting over breakfast and during the first part of the drive. That changed when we reached the on ramp to the highway. “How fast can these cars go?” Twilight asked nervously as I accelerated on to the interstate highway. “Moving this quickly without my wings is a bit unnerving.” “Theoretically?” I asked, glancing at the speedometer “This car could almost reach one hundred seventy miles per hour. I doubt I’d be able to control it at that speed though. I’m impressed you can fly as fast as this car.” “I can’t fly this speed normally but when I had the magic from Cadance, Celestia and Luna, I was hard-pressed to go slow when I did fly. I still couldn’t quite manage a sonic rainboom though. Rainbow Dash still gets the fastest flier title.” Sunset blinked a couple times. “Right, that was during the Tirek incident. I'm surprised you couldn't accomplish what Rainbow Dash actually pulled off.” Twilight sighed. “Even after all this time with wings, the Pegasus and Earth pony magic is still difficult. As far as I've observed it requires an instinct for the air that I just don't have. Just shows that pure power isn't everything.” “Wow. The actual rainboom must look amazing.” While I gaped at the idea of a living creature breaking the sound barrier, Twilight continued. “It does. The magical rainbow wave she releases when she pulls it off is unbelievable. She can perform a rainboom on command now.” “That is an insane speed without a vehicle,” I finally said. “Humans need multi-million dollar jet aircraft to fly that fast. I can’t even imagine flying that fast. Sixty miles an hour in a car is plenty fast for me.” “Except when you’re trying to evade our nosy friends that is,” Sunset said cheerfully. “I remember how fast you tore down those streets to get away from AJ and Dash. We should take you to a real race someday Twilight! Oh! We could go to a motocross event! They’re so much fun to watch!” “Motocross? Wait, you mean like that thing you drive around on?” Twilight asked. “Have you ever been in a race?” Sunset glanced at me. “I’ve only watched them on TV but I had a chance to drive on a track once. There is a private facility near Canterlot that I’ve driven on for fun.” I glanced back at Sunset. “How did you afford your bike on your budget anyhow?” “I got lucky during one of my first odd jobs. An older gentleman hired me to clean out his storage locker. The bike was covered in an inch of dust in the back corner behind a mattress. When I asked him, he told me he hadn’t ridden it in ages. He offered it to me in lieu of payment for the day’s work since the engine would need quite a bit of work. It was risky but I took it and used the school shop on weekends to fix it up to running condition myself.” “That’s why you offered to look over my truck before I bought it?” “Yeah. Everything I know is self-taught but it was more than enough to help assess the condition of your truck. Driving on that track is a treat, I can’t let loose on surface streets. Getting pulled over would be a disaster since I don’t have a license.” “Right, that would be awful,” I murmured. “Hey, this gives me an idea to pass the time while we drive. A couple months ago, I took Sunset out for dinner. We exchanged questions to break the ice and get to know each other. It was before we were dating but it really helped. Want to do the same thing Twilight?” “You mean like Truth or Dare?” she asked nervously. "I'm not so sure about that." I shrugged glancing in the rear view mirror. “Never played that game, to be honest. Don’t feel obligated to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable or that you’d rather keep private. This is just a way to pass the time.” Sunset grinned in the back. “I suppose we should each answer Twilight’s questions separately since she’s missed out on time with us. We’ll take turns asking you Twi but you get to go first.” “Ok. Let me think,” she muttered. Then she chuckled. “What's your favorite fruit?” “Apples,” Sunset replied. “I might be slightly addicted Sweet Apple Acres cider but I'll deny it if you tell AJ.” “Same here and I also blame Applejack and her family,” I said. “I used to prefer oranges when I lived back east. That changed the day after the formal. I had breakfast with her family when I discovered they were my neighbors. Homemade pork and apple sausages are an experience.” “Oh wow, that does sound good,” Sunset said. “You can ask the first question, Silver.” “Ok! What's your favorite food Twilight?” Twilight giggled. “Hayburgers. The least royal food imaginable but they’re just deliciously sinful.” “I miss those sometimes,” Sunset said. “Just a warning Twilight, humans can't digest hay. I kind of found that out the hard way. The best you can get here that isn’t made from meat is a veggie burger. They’re good but they're not the same.” Twilight looked thoughtful as she considered that. “Good to know. I had a hayburger before I came here yesterday but I haven't suffered any ill effects. Do you think the portal adapts our bodies for those changes?” “Wow, I didn't think of that,” Sunset replied tapping on her chin thoughtfully. “I wonder how that works. Does it change our biology or does it alter the food in our stomach?” “We could design an experiment to test it. I’d hypothesize it’s our bodies that are adapting. I can’t imagine an enchantment that would change the food in our digestive system to fit our altered biology.” “Travelling back and forth is easy now but how would we get the evidence for the hypothesis?” “I suppose we could get a doctor to pump out our stomachs after traveling through the portal.” “Ummm, eww?” I interjected before the conversation took an even weirder turn. “Sorry!” Twilight squeaked. “Don't worry about it; you're both seriously cute when you start to go all science crazy.” “I don't go science crazy,” Sunset said defensively. I smirked at her in the mirror. “Are you kidding? Did you forget about the magic research lab you're setting up at school? I heard you cackling like Doctor Frankenstein in there the other day. ” Twilight giggled while Sunset blushed. “Oh, you heard that . . . Hey, it's your turn Twilight! Still laughing, Twilight eyed Sunset. “Trying to change the subject? “Yes!” Sunset replied sharply. Then her shoulders slumped over. “Sorry, I just don't need the reputation that goes with that laugh. Don't get me wrong, things are better but a fair number of students still act like I'm going to snap. Especially with the Dazzlings hanging out.” Twilight nodded and took Sunset's hand. “I understand. Ever since the Smarty Pants disaster, I have to be careful about my behavior.” “Smarty Pants?” Sunset asked. “Do I dare ask?” Twilight sighed. “I suppose I should tell you before you hear it from somepony else. Long before I became an Alicorn, Princess Celestia told me to study the magic of friendship and report back my findings. I sent her a letter every week until shortly after Discord escaped. After that, everything went perfectly for days and days. On the day I usually sent her my lesson, I realized I had nothing new to share and I was going to be tardy. I kind of . . . snapped.” “What do you mean, snapped?” I asked, glancing at her in the mirror. She stared at the floor of the car. “I decided to create a friendship problem to solve. There may have been ear twitches and insane laughter involved though I can't quite remember the details. I enchanted an old doll with a powerful Want it-Need it spell and forced the Crusaders to fight over it. Of course, I lost control of the situation, resulting in nearly everypony in town seeing it which caused a city wide brawl that Princess Celestia had to disenchant. Needless to say, she wasn't happy.” “Want it-Need it? Why does that sound important?” Sunset muttered to herself before turning to Twilight again. “Well, what happened next? Everything must have worked out in the end.” “It turns out Spike had sent her a message to come help when he realized I was having a meltdown. My friends defended me and begged her not to punish me. Celestia later told me she feared something like this would happen after Discord's mind games. It all worked out in the end but it was a humiliating experience. The other ponies in town were skittish around me for months.” “Wow Twilight,” Sunset murmured. “Is this why you forgave me?” Twilight stared at the floor. “It's not the only reason but yes. I abused mind magic, causing a riot and was forgiven. Why would you deserve less?” Sunset reached over and took Twilight's hand in hers. “I would dispute that considering I spent years destroying relationships at CHS to lay the groundwork for what happened at the formal. Your mistakes are a far cry from mine but I suppose it's a bit of a relief that you aren't perfect.” “I'd challenge you to find anyone who is,” I added when I noticed Twilight's sad expression. “You've both worked past those mistakes and grown into stronger women from it.” Twilight smiled at me and I turned my attention back to the highway. It wasn't insanely busy since it was Sunday morning but there were still a fair number of cars around us. “So, I suppose we owe you an extra question now, don't we?” Sunset replied. “I suppose that's true,” she said quietly. “Ok, here's one. What's your favorite smell and why?” “Interesting question,” Sunset said. “I have to go with the smell of fresh baked pastries and donuts. It reminds me of Donut Joe's in Canterlot. Princess Celestia took me there in disguise a couple times a week. I think Joe is one of the few ponies I went out of my way to avoid offending before running away.” “I love that place,” Twilight said. “Why were you nice to Joe back then?” “Never piss off the ponies that make your food!” Sunset said. “I was a bitch but not an idiot. Besides, his donuts were amazing, so he never left me room to complain on his worst days! Anyhow, that's why I like the smell of baking." “I love the smell of heated metal when I'm running the forge,” I said, though my voice slightly wistful. “It reminds me of the time I spent with Dad in the workshop before . . . well yeah, it's a nice smell for me.” “I’m sorry,” Twilight groaned. “I didn’t mean to bring back painful memories.” I smiled and shook my head. “You didn’t do anything wrong Twilight. My parents were incredibly important in my life and so their loss impacts nearly every memory I have. Remembering the good makes me happy and sharing it honestly helps. If I abandon everything that happened before my parent's death just to avoid the pain, the gang that attacked us would win." “Same goes for me Twilight,” Sunset added. “Though I can't say I have experienced anything nearly as traumatic as Silver anyhow. It’s your turn again.” “Ok, I’ll try not to,” She said before pausing. “Can you tell me about some of the books you like to read?” Even with our assurances, Twilight seemed to be doing her best to avoid difficult topics as we drove up the highway. We talked about fairly innocent likes, dislikes and some about hobbies. A couple times I just sat back and listened while Sunset and Twilight went full throttle talking science and magic though as far as I could tell, there was no difference in Equestria. I couldn’t believe how much math was involved in the conversation. My turn came around again as we approached Portland and our destination. “So, what’s a food you absolutely can’t stand to eat?” “Quesadillas,” Twilight replied after a brief pause. “They scare me. They’re so . . . so – cheesy.” I resisted the urge to laugh when I saw the panic stricken look in her eyes. “There has to more to it than that. You’ve had cheesy foods with our friends on a couple occasions without any problems. Why quesadillas?” “There is,” she said with a sigh. “It was back in . . . oh wow.” The highway had been lined with trees for most of our drive into the city which hid away most of the buildings. The trench had just ended, revealing a handful of glass lined residential towers, and a couple cranes in the middle of sites where more were going up. There was even a gondola crossing the highway as we drove into the urban core of Portland. We were surrounded by cars on every side but traffic was flowing smoothly as we wound our way through a complex highway interchange and on to a bridge. Twilight found her voice as we drove over the river. “How many people live in this city?” “It’s around half a million,” Sunset replied. “Actually, it’s probably even more. Even crazier, Portland isn't even in the top ten population in this country, let alone the planet.” “That’s insane,” Twilight said, gesturing at the sprawling city. “The buildings are so spread out and if what you’ve been telling me is true we’ve been driving through the city for a long time already! Manehatten has a handful of buildings between thirty and fifty floors like those towers but at least they’re close together mostly on the Long Island. Does every human use one of these cars to get around?” “That or mass transit. Every major city has a bus service at the very least,” I replied. “There's even one in Canterlot. Do you seriously have a city called Manehatten in Equestria? I moved here from Manhattan. Granted it’s just one borough of New York City but that is still an odd coincidence.” “Oh that doesn’t even begin to cover the weirdness,” Sunset said in an amused tone. “It drove me nuts when I started learning about this world. Equestria has cities call Las Pegasus, Vanhoover, and Fillydelphia among other familiar names.” I laughed out loud at the names which were clearly puns. “It would only really be weird if they had similar industries. I mean you’d need a desert tourist trap like Las Vegas, a major west coast fishing port like Vancouver and . . . hmmm, I’m not sure what Philadelphia specializes in but I know it's a port city near Manhattan.” “Actually, the first two are pretty accurate,” Twilight said in surprise. “Fillydelphia is where our steam trains were originally invented. It’s still a major industrial center. I don't know if that is meaningful” I looked up at the sky. “Ok, that’s a bit too weird. And I say that knowing I have a split personality that allows me to sprout wings at will. I guess we add it to the list of weird things we have to investigate.” I noticed Twilight and Sunset exchanged a glance in the rear view mirror. “Speaking of mysteries, Sunset and I both feel like we forgot something important we wanted to investigate. It came up when we were getting dressed this morning.” “You two have that feeling as well? I've been feeling like I'm forgetting something important for days now,” I grumbled. “Drives Spark up the wall since he spends half the day just poking through our shared memories. On the bright side, we’re here!” We had pulled off the highway and straight onto a side street. There was a brick clad structure that looked like a renovated industrial building. The glass entrance had the letters OMSI boldly displayed and there was a steady stream of families walking into the building. Once the car was stopped, I stared at the dashboard and I nervously informed my marefriends where we were. “This is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It has a whole bunch of hands on exhibits and exhibitions on science and technology. I know it’s an odd choice for our first date Twilight but I hope this is ok.” There was silence in the back seat. “This is a science museum?” Twilight finally murmured in a stunned voice. “Yes, there’s also a planetarium,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry if – URK!” Twilight wrapped her arms around me and was hugging me to the car seat tightly. “Oh my gosh! A whole museum about science? This is perfect! How did you know!?” Sunset chuckled as I tried to answer while Twilight squeezed the oxygen out of me. “I’m pretty sure even a blind pony would have noticed your interest in science. Oh by the way Twilight, in case you didn’t know, a planetarium is a special theatre for displaying the stars.” Twilight let out a squeal of delight and squeezed me even tighter. If that had been the Canterlot Voice she would have shattered the windows of the car. At least it looks like we made a good choice. Yup. I didn’t know Twilight was this strong. Ouch, yeah no kidding. Twilight was a bit like a kid in a candy shop as we explored the museum and tried out the interactive exhibits. Sunset was right beside her and the two of them often left me in the dust as the dug into the detailed science behind some of the exhibits. I did my best to follow their conversation, learning a few things in the process but was a sobering reminder of how much smarter they were than me. Still, I was just pleased this was going over so well, especially the planetarium show that left Twilight speechless. Late in the afternoon, we went to our last stop: a tour of the submarine that was docked in the river out back. It was a fascinating experience although Twilight was a bit disconcerted when she realized it was built for war. “So we should consider watching The Hunt for Red October,” I commented as we walked off the dock. “Apparently this submarine was used for the film.” “Sounds like fun,” Twilight said. “Do you think they used-” “Twilight Sparkle?” an unfamiliar voice interrupted from behind us. “What are YOU doing here?” The three of us spun around to see who it was. There was a girl staring at Twilight with cold magenta eyes peeking over her orange rimmed glasses. She had pale purple-blue skin and her hair was a mixture of pale cyan and white, done up in a complex style ending in a pair of pigtails. She was wearing something that almost looked like a school uniform. “When did you start wearing contact lenses?” she continued in her bored voice. “You look weird.” “Excuse me but who are you and why do you think you know my friend?” Sunset asked sternly before Twilight could answer. She had crossed her arms and looked completely unimpressed. “Sugarcoat,” She replied, briefly glancing at Sunset before looking back at Twilight. “I attend Crystal Prep where I am acquainted with one Twilight Sparkle. I would think you’d be aware of that considering the identity of your companion. Speak of which, who are you?” Twilight straightened up a bit taller. “I’m sorry but I think you’ve mistaken me for somepo- someone else.” “Perhaps. I’ve never see her outside of school and the Sparkle I know is an anti-social shut in,” Sugarcoat observed flatly as she raised one eyebrow. “Yet your name is also Twilight Sparkle as evidenced by your reaction to the name and your mutual resemblance is striking. How strange.” She stared at us as if expecting us to offer an explanation. Her expression was unamused and the three of us shifted uncomfortably. I certainly had no idea what I could say to deflect her obvious suspicion. “Sugarcoat! Hurry up!” A small boy shouted from the dock. We’re going to miss the tour!” She looked at us one more time with that flat, unimpressed expression. Then she shook her head and walked out the dock without another word. We exchanged glances and sighed with relief. Then we started on our way back inside. “Ok, that was unnerving,” I said, shaking my head. “Running into someone who knows this world’s Twilight? What are the odds?” “One could say the odds are one hundred percent because that’s what just happened,” Sunset said, though her tone was more worried than playful. Twilight nudged Sunset with her shoulder. “Cute. Accurate too depending on your views on fate. So what is Crystal Prep?” “It's a private school on the other side of Canterlot. I don't know a whole lot about it.” “I think you’re right,” Sunset said uncertainly. “I think they might be rivals of CHS but I don't pay much attention to other schools. They weren’t important to my plans. Either way, this Sugarcoat was sure rude.” “She reminded me of some of the students at Celestia's school,” Twilight said. “I don’t think I knew anypony specifically named Sugarcoat but I didn’t exactly pay attention to names back then. Oh, I hope my counterpart is ok.” “Well, it’s quite likely this world’s Cadance knows her,” I said, trying to reassure her. “Vice Principal Luna told me she is the Dean at Crystal Prep. ” Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Well if that’s the case she’ll be ok. She is my sister in law after all. She took care of me back in Equestria and I’m sure it’s the same here.” Sunset stopped abruptly and stared off into space. After a moment she looked at Twilight with a worried expression. “Do we know that for sure Twilight? On the surface the two worlds look similar but how deep are the actual similarities? I’ve never laid eyes on my counterpart, this world's Twilight doesn't know our friends and you haven’t even found a sign of Silver’s counterpart. What else is different?” I snapped my fingers when something came to mind from earlier in the week. “I knew I was forgetting to tell you two something! Princess Luna knew Steel Rain’s counterpart before she was banished! She didn’t want to share details but he was obviously important to her.” “Why didn’t you share this sooner?” Twilight demanded, staring at me incredulously. “When did you find out?” “I've only known since you visited with Princess Luna on Thursday. I figured I'd save that news for today since you were stressed out from that whole winter problem. Oh, even weirder, Aria confirmed that independently. She told me someone named Steel Rain was involved in the founding of Equestria long before her time.” We started walking back towards the building. While we did, Sunset tapped her chin as she thought over my revelation. “I’ve never heard of anypony named Steel Rain but my knowledge of ancient Equestria history comes from stuff like the Hearth’s Warming play. Actually, it's a bit odd that we didn't go into much detail during school with Celestia now that I think about it. Did she teach you about ancient history Twilight?” Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “It wasn't ever a focus in school except when it involved magical theories like those from Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever. In fact, the book of myths and legends is the closest to ancient history I've read. She sent me that the day before Princess Luna came back as Nightmare Moon. It is odd considering all the ancient evils that are popping out of the woodwork. Do you think your counterpart lived back then as well, Silver?” I shrugged. “Steel Rain is my godfather so it's not a guarantee since we're not blood relatives. But consider this: In this world, Celestia and Luna aren’t immortal. They’re normal women as far as I know. Compare that with their counterparts who are at least a thousand years old if not more.” “It’s an interesting hypothesis,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “We need more information to confirm it though. I'm not sure what the implications of such a distorted reflection might be.” Sunset nodded. “How do we confirm it?” “Research,” Twilight said. “We need to brainstorm and build a list.” “A long list,” Sunset echoed. “You two can set up a shared document using my tablet on the drive home,” I said. “We can print a copy later. Speaking of which, we should also probably get going before Sugarcoat finishes her tour. Is there anything else you want to see before we leave?” “I just need to go freshen up and we can head out,” Sunset said. “Why don't you two meet me in the gift shop?” The two of us nodded and parted ways. I reached down and took Twilight’s hand. She sighed and twined her fingers with mine. “You know, before we met in the library I spent the morning lurking around the school trying to figure out as much as I could about this world. One thing I saw was two students walking down the hall holding hands. I honestly had no idea what was so special about it until now. There isn’t really room for an equivalent gesture when you walk on four hooves.” “I suppose that's true,” I chuckled and gave her hand a squeeze. Then I gently ran one finger over the palm of her hand while still clasping it, making her laugh softly. “For humans, hands are how we manipulate the world. They can be powerful enough to cause harm or gentle as a breath of wind. I like how it feels to have your hand pressed against mine like that. Even if you can't hold hooves, there must be some equivalent display of affection in Equestria.” “I like how this feels too,” Twilight murmured. “I think the closest equivalent is the way Pegasi walk with their partner under their wing or how Earth Pony and Unicorn couples walk with their shoulders and flanks touching.” “We'll have to try that next time we're in Equestria. Well at least if you decide you want this to be official on this side of the portal. By the way, Spark and I wanted to ask you about something Twilight,” I said quietly as we walked towards the door. “I want to get your opinion on something I want to offer Sunset.” “Sure, but why are you asking me?” “Spark's idea could change the relationship between Sunset and me. You’re part of this relationship as well so I want your honest opinion before I run it past Sunset. I don't want you left out.” “Go ahead,” Twilight said, tilting her head curiously. A smile grew on her face as I detailed Spark's idea and the reasons behind it. We picked up a book on chemistry and a little box of solar-powered devices for Twilight to take home. Just a couple items for memories but I made the mistake of mentioning we could probably order detailed university level books online. The expression on Twilight's face was almost terrifyingly excited. Fortunately, her stomach let out a roar of hunger at that moment that distracted her. It was a reminder that it was already time for dinner. We hopped in the car and made the short drive across town to the restaurant. “Cheesecake Factory?” Twilight said as we walked up to the door. “I suppose I can guess what this place serves.” I smiled as a memory slid into my mind. “My parents and I would go to the one in Manhattan as a treat after attending Taekwondo tournaments. They serve massive portions and yes their cheesecakes are great. This is the only one in Oregon so I couldn't resist bringing you two here, even if we might be taking half our meal home.” “I don't know about you two, but I probably won't be,” Twilight replied. “Using magic burns calories and it’s proportional to your inherent magic power. More power means more burning more calories.” “Is Princess Celestia still obsessed with cake?” Sunset asked. Twilight giggled. “Oh my yes. She once told me that moving the sun and the moon requires the sacrifice of many pastries. To be honest, I think she overindulges now that Princess Luna is taking care of the moon for her.” Our conversation paused while the hostess guided us to a table secluded in the corner of the restaurant. The girls sat down on opposite sides of the table from me, leaving me in between them. I settled in and started looking over the menu. While we were deciding on our meals, Sunset began idly humming to herself. I didn't recognize the tune so once we had ordered our meal, I asked her about it. “I didn't realize I was actually humming!” she said. “It's a song I've been working on for a while now.” “Do you feel up for sharing a bit of it?” Sunset looked at the two of us with a worried expression on her face. Then she began to sing softly. "Like a phoenix burning bright In the sky I'll show there's another side to me You can't deny I may not know what the future holds But hear me when I say That my past does not define me 'Cause my past is not today" Even just the acapella performance here in the restaurant was stunning. I immediately felt the pull to join in the song but I didn't join in. Twilight had no such restraint and surprisingly was humming along in harmony with Sunset even though she'd never heard the song before. I could tell this was a deeply personal song but the words spoke to me as well. It was all too easy to let my losses define my life. I gazed down at the scars on my wrist and just let the music flow over me. There was a flicker of light around both their heads like they were about to pony up. Fortunately, the single verse wasn't nearly long enough to trigger the full transformation. Still, I could feel the gentle caress of magic being released with the music. When Sunset finished singing, Twilight grinned at her. “I can't wait to hear the rest of that Sunset,” Twilight said. “It suits you perfectly.” “I agree,” I added quietly. “I'm looking forward to hearing the whole song when it's done. I just remembered something important about magic I wanted to ask though.” Sunset nodded and the two of them leaned in to look at me; their expressions curious. For a moment I felt like I was under a microscope but I pushed that feeling aside. “I have to admit that am a terrible singer and I've never been able to even hold a steady note for more than a moment. Still, when we confronted the Dazzlings, I joined in the song for better or worse. It was hard to believe but it almost seemed like I was singing absolutely perfectly along to a song I didn't even know the words to. I dismissed it as my imagination at the time. Just now, I had an urge to join in, just like Twilight did a moment ago. What is going on?” “It was the beginnings of a heart song,” Twilight said in a matter of fact tone. “A small one but there's no doubt about it. Surely you've experienced one before.” I stared at Twilight blankly, leading Sunset to chuckle. “Heart songs aren't a thing in this world Twilight. Pretty sure they require magic.” “Right, I guess that explains why the other students just danced along to the school spirit song in the cafeteria before the fall formal,” She said sheepishly. “In Equestria, it isn't uncommon for ponies to break out into song during emotional moments or during large events. Sometimes the song can expand to span an entire town though that is a rare event. Mostly it involves a handful of individuals or even one pony. It never interferes with day to day life; the magic just weaves around our activities.” “So the magic guides the music then,” I said, not quite believing what I was hearing. “How do you know you're experiencing one?” Twilight smiled. “You'll feel a slight compulsion to join the song and when you do the words will just come to you. Scholars have spent years trying to explain the cause but there isn't sufficient evidence to support any of their theories.” Sunset sighed and put her head in her hands. “That just confirms it. I unleashed magic on this world because of my carelessness.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “Honestly, this heart song business doesn't sound harmful. If it means I can sing in tune when our lives depend on it, that's actually kind of cool. That's assuming you're not overreacting. You and the Dazzlings threw a lot of magic around. It might have been an exception.” “Fair enough,” she replied, brightening up. “Hey Twilight, we might be able to actually test Starswirl's Thaumic Density Theorem. If we can confirm heart songs are occurring in this world now and their frequency . . .” “We could confirm the amount of magic in a world is correlated with ambient magic,” Twilight said in an excited voice. “If there truly isn't evidence of heart songs occurring in this world before the formal and they're happening on occasion since magic appeared in this world, it might be solid proof that ambient magic density and heart song frequency are correlated.” “We’ll keep an eye out at school for any potential heart songs and document the scale,” Sunset replied, giving me a sidelong glance. “Enough of obscure magic theory for now though, we don’t want to leave Silver in the dust.” I smiled. “Don’t worry about it; I did ask after all. You call it magic but it's just as much a science as physics or biology from the sounds of it. Don't stop on my account.” “Still, we don’t want to exclude you,” Twilight said. “What was your favorite part of the museum trip Silver?” “Visiting it with two beautiful ladies,” I replied playfully. Twilight blushed while Sunset punched me gently on the shoulder. “Come on, be serious!” “I am serious! You two are drop dead gorgeous and your personalities shine even brighter. Seriously, spending the day with two brilliant girls was awesome. I learned a lot listening while you two discussed the exhibits.” “What is with you today?” Sunset asked. “Not that we don’t appreciate it but you’re being quite the flatterer today.” I looked at the faces of the two girls and sighed. “Sorry, I’ll try to dial it back.” “Please don’t,” Twilight replied quickly. “It’s really quite sweet and I like seeing you so confident.” “You’re right,” Sunset added. Her expression had become curious. “You have been more confident lately. What’s changed Silver?” I looked down into my drink. “Ever since the Battle of the Bands, life has just been really good. Nothing has gone really wrong, the Dazzlings are fitting in. There haven’t been any serious incidents at CHS for weeks. I’m suddenly surrounded by friends instead of being alone. I think I’m afraid.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Wait, that doesn't fit. Why does all that nice stuff make you frightened?” I sighed. “I’m worried the other shoe is going to drop and everything will fall apart or worse. The events of the past months remind me that life is short. I don’t want to waste a single precious moment being coy or shy about how I feel about you or any of our friends for that matter. What’s the use in hiding what I see in you two when every moment spent with you makes me happy?” Sunset squeezed my hand. “I suppose that's fair. I'll do my best to stay modest while you shower us with compliments.” “We'll always be here for you Silver,” Twilight added. “Even when I'm a universe away.” The rest of dinner went without any major drama or surprises. Our meal was delicious and as I predicted, Sunset and I each brought home a box of leftovers. And as she predicted, Twilight had consumed her massive seafood pasta dish and a slice of cheesecake. We had purchased two extra slices of dessert for Twilight to take home to Spike in the morning to thank him for taking care of things. During the drive, I only half listened as Sunset and Twilight began brainstorming ways to measure the balance and symmetry between the two worlds. More importantly from what I understood, they wanted to determine if the concept of balance and symmetry was even important. They both trailed off as we neared home and just as I was pulling into my driveway Sunset's phone went off. She jumped at the sudden ringing and grumbled while fumbling in her purse looking for her phone. Her brow furrowed with confusion when she looked at the screen but she answered it anyhow. “Hello?” . . . “Who?” . . . “Oh, it's you” . . . “Sorry, I didn't recognize your number.” . . . “What?! You’re sure?” . . . “Congratulations, that’s better news than we could have hoped for.” . . . “I can't believe you spent your Sunday evening on this.” . . . “Yeah, it was a long shot and I'm honestly surprised it worked.” . . . “You’ll show us on Monday?” . . . “Awesome, now get some sleep!” . . . “You too, good night!” Sunset flipped her phone shut. Even in the dark, I could see the smile on her face. “Wiz Kid is ninety-nine percent sure he just found one of the lost daggers on the Internet.” “Already?” I said in surprise. “That’s not even the best news,” Sunset added, a smirk growing on her face. “What else is there?” Twilight asked. “It’s in a display case at Harvard University,” she said with a giggle. “It was found in an archaeological site in central Europe so it hasn't been used in a long time.” Twilight smiled at the thought and looked over her shoulder at Sunset. “I think Luna will appreciate the good news. I'll let her know tomorrow night. So, can we look at some of your family stories now?” I turned off the car and pushed my door open. “Sounds good to me. Why don’t you two settle in on the couch while I put our leftovers in the fridge and get out the book?” Sunset got out and stretched. “Sure but I’m changing into my pajamas first. If I doze off I plan to be comfy.” We walked into the house and Sunset went upstairs. I put the leftover food in the fridge. When I closed the door I found Twilight waiting there. “Are you going to ask her tonight?” “I think I’ll wait until tomorrow. It’s been a nice day and I don’t want to stress her out.” Twilight nodded and smiled. “Fair enough. I really do think it’s a good idea though. I’ll be right back after I get changed.” She walked up the stairs and I went to pull the book out. I had stored it and its container in a fire proof container. A bit paranoid I suppose but it was irreplaceable. While I worked on getting it out, Spark began to chatter in my mind. That’s a terrible excuse and you know it. Spark, it’s a perfectly valid reason. No, it’s not. You’re putting this off Silver. Fine, yes I am. Happy? No. You should ask her. I’m not having this conversation right now. Tomorrow, I promise. Fine. You have one more day. Otherwise, I’m asking her in our dreams. I let out an irritated huff and didn’t respond. Sunset and Twilight were waiting for me with blankets over their knees so I settled down between them and put the book on my lap. “What story do you want to read? We can start anywhere since it’s more like a collection of short stories than anything.” Sunset grinned. “How about we buck tradition and read the newest entry then? I want to know about your grandparents.” I began flipping through the pages of the book, a pang of regret. “That's a good idea, these will be new to me as well. I never knew my grandparents and my parents never read these stories for some reason. I don’t know how interesting it will be. Here we go . . . huh, their first story is called “The Departure of Onyx and Ivory” In the far north of Scotland on one of the many islands, there is a small, isolated town simply named Lost Haven. A town of strict tradition, it quietly plodded along and minimized interaction with the outside world. In such a small town, new children were a rare occasion so when two children were born to two different families on the same day it was seen as an omen by the town elders. It was immediately decided they would be married when they came of age. The girl was named Ivory Moon and the boy was given the name Onyx Anvil. They were inseparable from an early age and spend every waking moment together as they learned their family trades. There was no doubt in the minds of all the townsfolk that they would fall in love and be married as soon as they came of age. The hearts of Onyx and Ivory had different ideas as they grew up like brother and sister. They were both bright children and were inseparable as they learned the crafts of their families. A few weeks after they turned eighteen, their parents informed them of the arranged marriage. Naturally, the two siblings in all but blood were less than thrilled by the idea. However, they were told that every marriage in town was carefully assigned by the village elders and their objections were dismissed. No amount of pleading would change the minds of their parents or the elders. A wedding date was set and the whole town began preparing for the long anticipated event even as the two children railed against it. It seemed like there was no hope or solution. However, one person felt differently. Onyx’s grandmother, Midnight Fire didn’t agree with the general refusal to accommodate the wishes of the two children. It was the first time anyone had fought the wishes of the elders and she decided it was cruel. She spoke at length with her grandson and Ivory about what they could do. The three decided that the two children would have to do the unthinkable and leave the town in defiance of tradition and their parents will. With the grandmother’s aid, Onyx and Ivory planned their escape as the date of their unwanted wedding approached. The two were watched carefully as the day approached but nobody seemed suspicious. The plan came together quickly. Every two weeks a heavy horse-drawn wagon arrived with a load of groceries and supplies for the small general store. The merchant would rest in Lost Haven for the night and head out early in the morning with various goods to catch the first ferry back to the mainland. It was the only way they would be able to get away unseen so they could build a new life. It was the dead of the night on a misty cold morning a mere week before the wedding when Onyx and Ivory made their move. Under the cover of darkness, they loaded their suitcases and at their grandmother’s insistence, two heavy wooden crates. As far as their grandmother was concerned, the crates were Onyx and Ivory’s birthrights as the eldest children in each family. The two tucked themselves in under the damp canvas cloth behind the barrels of fish and other goods the town was sending back to the mainland. After what felt like an eternity, the cart creaked as the driver climbed up and got his horses moving. It was agonizing waiting under that cloth while the cart lumbered down the roads. They shivered as the cold, salt laden breeze cut through the nearly useless canvas as the barge sailed across the strait. Once the wagon driver stabled his horses on the main island and left his wagon for the night, Onyx and Ivory scrambled out of the wagon, dragging their crates and luggage behind them. They made their way to the town of Stornoway and booked a steamship ticket to the Isle of Skye. The details of the journey are unimportant but within a week they were in Glasgow, making the most difficult decision of their lives. They had considered staying in the British Isles but reminders of what they chose to leave behind kept appearing. A familiar church, a memorable drink and even the occasional turn of phrase brought the memories crashing back. That day they boarded the next ship sailing to New York City. The story continued on about their journey across the Atlantic Ocean and settling in New York City. Ivory married a soldier named Thunder Wing and Onyx Anvil wed a nurse by the name of Orchid Spice. The story glossed over the terrible events of World War II, simply promising those stories would come later but it was clear they had served in several wars. Both Ivory and Orchid were both medics, Thunder Wing was a pilot and Onyx Anvil was a naval metalsmith. According to the story, after World War II the couples each gave birth to a single child, who like their parents grew up knowing each other like brother and sister. However, this story had a different ending. “ . . . so in the greatest of ironies, the children of the two who refused to marry joined in matrimony. Thus, Swift Strike and Iron Hammer were wed, making the link between the two families official. It was a far cry from the desires of the Elders of Lost Haven desired. There are many more stories to be told but this one has reached its end.” At the bottom of the page, there was a single photograph taped in. There were six people standing together in a family portrait. My parents stood in the middle they were flanked on either side by people I assumed were my grandparents. It occurred to me I had never seen photos of them but there was no doubt they were related to my parents. I was surprised to see my four grandparents were almost a foot shorter than my parents. I stared down at the photo, trying to sort out the strange story and my first look at my grandparents. I wish we had met them. Same here Spark. What a crazy story. All veterans of the war. Incredible. Wow, I wonder if we should read another. I think another day. Check out our marefriends. Sunset and Twilight were leaning their heads on my shoulders and I wondered if they were still awake. It only took a moment for that question to be answered. “Sounds like your family would fit right in with our current weirdness,” Sunset murmured sleepily. “It's sad that your ancestors back in Scotland were so stubborn.” “Yeah,” I muttered. “I can't imagine how hard that must have been for my grandparents. To be forced to choose to run away from everything they knew rather than suffer an arranged marriage they didn't want.” “Mmmhmmm,” Twilight sighed. “Nopony should be forced to make a choice like that. How did your grandparents pass away?” A pang of regret shot through me. “I’m ashamed to say I don't know. I think one or two of them were still alive when I was born so I vaguely remember faces. They died when I was only two or three years old I think.” Sunset let out a wistful sigh and gestured at the book. “At least your family left you something to remember them by. I wonder what happened to those birthrights that were given to Onyx and Ivory.” I ran my hand over the cover of the book. “I think this might be one of them. It would explain why this was so important to my parents as well. There are so many stories I haven’t ever read. I wonder how many are about Lost Haven. It's an interesting name for a town." “But not tonight,” Twilight said sadly. “I need to get back to Equestria in the morning.” “We’ll head to school early so you can go back. I guess you two should to get to bed.” “Nope,” Sunset said snuggling in tighter. “Don’t wanna move.” Twilight didn’t say anything, she just kept leaning her head on my shoulder suggesting she had no intention of moving either. I carefully moved the book on to the table and then put one arm around each of them. “Far be it from me to make you leave,” I said gently. “Sweet dreams til we meet in the astral realm.” I felt the two girls relax beside me and I hear their breathing even out. I looked at the light switch across the room and grumbled internally So, this is nice, but the light switches are out of reach. Yeah. If it wasn’t for our magic, sleep would be a problem. We should be able to stay asleep but it won’t be as restful. So, lights we can turn off with our phone or something? Yeah, that would work. Ready to sleep? Yup. Let’s go. A moment later, the ghostly image of Spark trotted into the living room. He flared his wings wide and walked over to me. He lifted his hoof to touch Twilight’s cheek but it went right through her. He frowned and let out a sad noise before conjuring the doorway. I pushed it open, intent on comforting my brother. I appeared on the Astral Plane ready to get on with the evening but stopped short. I paused for a moment, staring off into space as my memories shifted. Then I swore loudly. After I fetched Twilight and Sunset, the four of us stood in the dreamscape staring at the simple wooden crate sitting on Astral Plane. Sunset kicked it. “This thing has officially pissed me off. How the buck does this enchantment even work?” Spark just glared at it. “I even reminded Twilight just before she woke up! It was just moments before the dream collapsed. And yet, two minutes later, nothing!” “Do you think this is one of the things your grandparents brought over from Scotland?” Twilight asked, running her hoof over the innocuous wood surface. “I mean, we’re obviously aware it exists. It’s your coffee table for Celestia’s sake.” I sighed and pinched my nose. “Maybe? They certainly mentioned a crate once in the story but how could Grandma Midnight Fire have known it was important? We're barely able to remember it even exists.” “I think Luna is our only hope now,” Spark said. “I hope you'll be able to remember when you dream in Equestria. There’s not much we can about it now.” “Agreed,” I added. “We’ve spent enough time bashing our heads against it. What do you girls want to do tonight?” Twilight shuffled her hooves nervously. “I’d really like to continue those dance lessons. I felt more comfortable on my feet today.” Sunset nodded her agreement, so Spark and I summoned the dance studio forth in the Astral Plane. In a moment of inspiration, I incorporated the doorway to our friend’s dreams into a hallway outside the studio. There was no way I was going to trespass in dreams I hadn’t been invited to unless there was some indication there was a problem but it was a comfort knowing I could keep half an eye on them to see if any changes arose. Our other friends came and went but strangely there was no sign of Fluttershy in the Astral Plane that night.