A few days later, Roseluck idly waited on Ponyville’s train platform. It was evening, going onto night. Soon enough the sun would slip under the horizon and the moon would take its place in the sky. Roseluck didn’t mind though and waited on, a newspaper waiting at her hooves.
Eventually a train came chugging into the station, screeching to a stop with a hiss of steam billowing from its stack. The doors swung open and ponies began to file out. It was a small and scattered group, mostly a few travelers coming to Ponyville for their own reasons. A little while after that though, seven ponies and one dragon came shuffling out from one of the tracks.
Fatigue was evident on all of them. Twilight was wobbling as she stepped onto the platform, Rarity’s mane was frizzled and unbrushed, Rainbow Dash was practically leaning on Applejack, Fluttershy looked ready to fall asleep on her hooves, while Spike was curled up on her back. But perhaps the oddest sight was Skitch-Sketch, who had a white shock right through her mane where her normal green stripe was.
“Welcome home everypony,” she said, before nodding to Skitch-Sketch. “What happened to your mane?”
Skitch glowered at her before answering succinctly. “Fucking mummies.”
Rarity’s head snapped towards her friend, as if she was ready to reprimand her for language. But then she sighed and hung her head. “What she said darling. It was quite a harrowing adventure.”
“Clearly,” Roseluck said, picking up the newspaper. “‘Exalted Eight Vanquish Ancient Mummy Lord’. You’ve made all the newspapers. I do have to wonder about the name though…”
Twilight snorted. “Don’t blame us. We didn’t come up with it.”
“Well, we had a bit of an adventure ourselves while you were gone. We got visited by a Mane Six from another world.”
Skitch-Sketch visibly drooped at that news. “Aww.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. “Who were they?”
“Trixie Lulamoon, Lyra Heartstrings, Ditzy Doo, Raindrops, Cheerilee and Carrot Top.”
“Awwww!” Skitch-Sketch groaned. “I missed a chance to meet the Lunaverse Six? I repeat, ‘Fucking mummies.’!”
“You know those ponies?” Applejack asked.
“...Kinda. I read a bunch of their stories about the same time I was watching yours. They’re from a universe where Princess Celestia went crazy instead of Luna, and she’s been ruling Equestria for a thousand years.”
“What?” Twilight exclaimed. “How was that supposed to have happened? It makes no sense!”
“Yeah, Skitch. That sounds really crazy,” Rainbow said.
Skitch-Sketch shrugged. “It’s...complicated. Come on. Let’s go to Berry’s. We can relax a bit and I’ll tell you the story of the world that hates the sun.”