//------------------------------//
// The Prodigal Daughter is Really Hot 
// Story: The Prodigal Daughter 
// by Sixes_And_Sevens 
//------------------------------//

Trixie blinked awake to find herself surrounded by what appeared to be colorful monkeys. “Get your paws off Trixie, apes,” she growled.
One, who had hair striated in bright rainbow colors, snorted. “Same old Trixie alright,” she sighed.
Trixie frowned. “Rainbow Dash? Why are you an ape?” She glanced around, then looked down at herself. “Oh. Oh, this is the other side of the mirror, is it not?”
Rarity smirked. “Told you, darlings! She is the pony one!”
Applejack slapped a very nauseous-looking male with blue hair on the back. “Try not ta fall in love with this one too, alrigh’?”
The male grimaced. “I do not have a weird pony fetish!”
“Pfft, that’s what they all say,” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes.
Trixie nodded slowly. “Trixie is not sure what is going on. She is only keeping her cool because she does not know if she first wants to vomit, freak out over the changes to her body, or go insane because she is surrounded by ape versions of her friends,” she noted.
“Understandable,” Twilight nodded. “I don’t know what was happening, but it looked… well. Kinda Lovecraftian, honestly.”
“Yeah, like you got put together by someone who loves crafts but is really bad at them,” Dash agreed.
“That’s not— nevermind. Can you stand?”
With some assistance from Applejack and Pinkie, Trixie struggled to her feet. “Whoa. This is… surreal,” she said, looking down at herself. She wore a wisteria jacket covered with a pattern of stars and moons. Under that, she wore a white shirt and blue jeans. But something was missing. “Hat,” she said, turning around, scanning the pavement. “Where is Trixie’s haWAH!”
She leapt back. “Is that human Sunset? Is she dead? What kind of Tartarus dimension—”
Fluttershy shrugged. “She, um, kind of fainted,” she admitted. “It was kind of terrifying watching you stuck in there. Actually, I may need to go see Nurse Redheart for some smelling salts.”
“What happened to y’all, anyway?” Applejack asked.
Trixie shuddered. “Trixie does not want to go there. Sunset has turned megalomaniacal, and somehow she got Twilight on her side and… well, Trixie isn’t sure what happened. But it was not good.”
Flash’s eyes went wide. “Megalomaniacal?”
“Totally off her rocker.”
“I thought she was over that,” Dash groaned. “Are we going to have to whammy her with friendship powers again?”
Trixie looked around thoughtfully. Friendship whammy? Hm... “Actually,” she began slowly. “Trixie may have the beginnings of a plan…”


***


Midnight Sparkle had rounded on the others now. “YOU WILL NOT STAND IN THE WAY OF SCIENCE!” she bellowed, charging up her horn once more.
The ponies dodged frantically out of the way as beams of bright blue light shook the building. Meanwhile, Discord dodged away from Sunset’s attacks as she herded them away from the mirror. “Shake-a-shake!” Pinkie squealed, narrowly dodging a falling shelving unit.
Midnight glared. “PINKIE SENSE IS UNSCIENTIFIC!” she roared, attempting to blast the pink pony.
Pinkie leapt out of the way once more, her mind hurtling along like a little red wagon down a cliff. Her eyes flickered from Twilight to Discord, still frantically dodging blasts of energy, still wearing those silly glasses they’d conjured. Glasses. Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Her glasses!” she cried. “That’s what’s making Twilight such a meany-pants! Get her glasses off!”
This, of course, only served to put Midnight on her guard. She watched warily for anything that might get to her face. “You won’t get rid of me,” she growled. “I built myself from your ‘magic’.”
While she was talking, however, Spike had trotted up behind the mare and, with a silent prayer that Twilight would forgive him, took a big bite out of the fleshy part of her leg. The corrupted alicorn reared back in surprise and pain, just the opening Fluttershy needed. With a faint battle cry (or possibly a squeal of utter terror), she dove right at the mare’s face, knocking the strange mask off her face. There was a brief scream of rage and a sound not totally unlike the air being let out of a balloon, except backwards.
Twilight blinked awake. “Right. Back to not being able to see. Great,” she sighed. “Fluttershy?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Thank you. I need your help a little bit longer, now. I need you to be my eyes to knock out Sunset. Also, I need you to not sit on my wing, it’s beginning to hurt.”
“Oh! Yes, sorry. Um, angle up just a few degrees… No, a little less… Yes, now just a tad left… Oh! No, she moved… No, Spike, don’t lick her face now, we’re aiming...”
While Fluttershy tried to aim her friend’s head, the others were fighting a losing battle. Discord had removed their glasses and was pouring a brandy into them for medicinal purposes. Rarity was trying to control every loose piece of kitsch that Twilight kept in this room, aiming to knock Sunset out, but her attempts were thwarted by the angry unicorn’s beams of fire. Pinkie, meanwhile, was doing her best to anticipate and block every shot Sunset took, but even she could only keep up for so long. It was only a matter of time before a bolt hit true. Spike was the only one not doing anything, as he was distracted by a strange white glow emanating from just behind the combatants. The mirror portal, though slightly strained in spots, was still functional.


***

Rarity looked at the statue, dubious. “You’re quite sure about this, darling?”
Trixie considered this. “Trixie does not think you want to know the answer to that question.”
Fluttershy squeaked, and the others looked at the portal with varying degrees of concern. Trixie sighed. “Look, either we try to talk Sunset—”
“Other Sunset!” the human Sunset put in.
The girls all stared at her. “Not t’ put ya down or nothin’, sugarcube, but you're still kinda th’ Other Sunset t’ us.”
The purple girl rested a hand on the other’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m still Science Twilight,” she said kindly.
“Regardless! Either we try to talk her down, or we stand aside and allow her to conquer both of our worlds. Trixie believes the choice is clear.”
Twilight gazed at the portal, uncertain. Then, gritting her teeth, she nodded. “Right,” she said. “Let’s do this.”
Suddenly, Pinkie gasped and pulled Twilight back from the portal. “Wait! What if, while we’re in there, all our genetic material gets all mixed up, and we come out on the other side with fly heads?”
Fluttershy looked to be considering this, but the others all paused. “Is that… possible?” Rarity wondered.
Trixie shrugged. “Twilight and Spike went through simultaneously without issue, so Trixie doubts it will be a problem. If it makes you feel better, though, we can do this single file. Just stay close and listen for the cue. Now, if you will excuse Trixie, she has a show to do.” The blue magician knelt and dove back through the portal.


***

A blue unicorn somersaulted out of the magic mirror. This was not, surprisingly, the focus of attention. Twilight had taken to firing blindly, though ostensibly guided by Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was, in reality, hanging onto the alicorn’s neck for dear life, on the basis that Twilight was unlikely to accidentally hit her own back. Discord had transfigured themself into a cannon, ably manned by Pinkie Pie and the Doctor. It appeared to be shooting strawberry milkshakes, complete with glass and straws. A few glancing blows had stuck Sunset, and several cherries were now caught in her mane. Rarity, meanwhile, had retreated behind the shelves with Spike, and was throwing anything and everything she could at the raging inferno given body in the form of Sunset Shimmer. Trixie took in all of this slowly. She nodded thoughtfully. She had worked tougher crowds.
Sunset was preparing to shoot another burst of flame at Discord, when suddenly, the lights went out. Sunset whirled, expecting a trick. As it turned out, she wasn’t far off. A spotlight (from some unknown source) illuminated a certain blue showmare standing in front of the mirror portal. “Good evening, fillies and gentlecolts! Discord,” she added, nodding to the cannon.
“What is this? How did you escape?”
“Well,” Trixie said, stretching out the word. “In order— this is Trixie’s opening act, and she got here with just a little help from her friends. Or, well. Somepony’s friends.”
Sunset snorted. “Well,” she retorted, “They’ll not be able to get you out again.” She reached to grab Trixie in her magic, but the performer held up a hoof.
“Hold on,” she said. “As Trixie said. She was just the warm-up act.”
Sunset paused, brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Trixie said, posing dramatically in front of the mirror, hooves outstretched. “Hey jingo! Amicus necessitudines! Break the bond that divides us!”
“Fluttershy?” Twilight whispered. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” Fluttershy whispered. “But Trixie’s doing some kind of modern dance while yelling at Sunset in tongues.”
Twilight absorbed this. “Let’s see where this goes. Or, well, you see, tell me what’s happening. And try to give me a good shot at Sunset, if you can.”
“Enough of this foolishness!” Sunset cried, firing a blast which Trixie dodged with ease.
“Trixie agrees,” the showmare nodded. “But first, a question— friendship is magic, correct?”
“Of course,” Sunset agreed. “That’s why I need to get MY friends back.”
“Would you consider the converse to be true?”
The flaming unicorn hesitated. “What?”
Trixie smirked. “Abracadabra,” she intoned, gesturing toward the suddenly glowing mirror.
As Sunset and the others present watched in amazement, a bespectacled purple unicorn stepped out. “Oh,” said Twilight, looking around. “Wow. I mean… wow. This is a nice place. Kinda trashed, but nice!”
Sunset floated down to the floor. “Twi...light?”
Twilight frowned. “Fluttershy? Is she talking to me?”
The befuddled pegasus looked at the newcomer, then back at her friend.“Yes and no,” she hedged.
“Hi, Sunset,” the bespectacled unicorn said. “How are you settling in?”
Sunset didn’t quite seem to know how to respond to that. “I— I thought I’d never see you again,” she said quietly.
Twilight smiled. “C’mon. Do you really think we’d let a little thing like ‘being in a different universe’ stop us from seeing you?”
Sunset let out a strangled noise, half sob and half laugh. “Guess not,” she agreed, going to embrace her friend.
“Hey! Don’t the rest of us get a hug?” a scratchy voice called. Sunset looked up. Flash, Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Applejack all stood by the mirror portal, and Rarity was just crossing through.
“Girls!” Sunset cried in delight, running to greet them.
The new arrivals were nearly knocked to the ground by Sunset’s effusive greeting, but nevertheless, they joyfully responded in kind. “Well, darling? Are you fitting in well here?”
Sunset’s hug loosened, and she leaned away. “What… what do you mean by that?”
“Hey, Sunny. It’s cool, we get it— you didn’t wanna leave,” Dash said, leaning forward. “I mean, who’d want to be be deprived of all this awesome?” She gestured to herself.
“I— I thought you were coming to take me back,” Sunset whispered quietly.
The deep sense of tension which had been dispelled by the new arrivals returned tenfold. “Uh, I don’t think that’s really possible” Flash said awkwardly.
“Why not?” Sunset asked, her mane beginning to flicker like flame once more.
“I think,” said a familiar voice from the mirror portal, “that would be because of me.”
A second Sunset now stood just in front of the magic mirror, her face drawn with worry and confusion. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really am.”
“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said from over by Twilight. “This is going to get confusing, isn’t it?”
“Oh,” said Sunset, mane flickering angrily and eyes sparkling with the light of burning bridges. “My REPLACEMENT. I see…”
She stalked toward her doppelganger. “You. You stole my friends from me,” she snarled. “You took away everything. You stole my life!” Her horn blazed like an oxyacetylene torch. “I intend to return the favor.”
The new Sunset closed her eyes in anticipation of a blast that didn’t come. After a few moments, she opened one eye slightly. Standing in front of her was Twilight, shaking like a leaf. “I- if you w-w-want her,” she said, “You, you’ll have t-t-t-to go through me fuh, fuh, first.”
“And me,” Flash agreed, landing beside the lavender unicorn.
“Same,” Dash agreed, hovering awkwardly in the air.
“Me, too,” Applejack added, trotting over.
“Make that a party of five!” Pinkie chirped from where she suddenly had always been standing— directly behind Sunset. The unicorn jumped and opened her mouth to ask something, but Pinkie merely winked.
“Six,” Rarity corrected.
“Oh, um… seh, seven,” Fluttershy whispered. “How do I get into these situations?” she added in an even quieter murmur.
The human Sunset was flabbergasted, and not just because of Pinkie Pie. “Wh-- what? Why?”
“I’d rather like to know that, too,” her counterpart snarled, glaring fire at the small group that opposed her.
Twilight stepped forward. “Sunset. You are our friend. You know that, right?”
“Of course!” the flaming unicorn snorted. “That’s the whole point of this plot.”
Discord snickered. “She said ‘plot’,” they whispered to Pinkie and the Doctor.
“Do shut up, my good chimera, hm?” the Doctor muttered back.
Twilight stared into Sunset’s eyes, the reflection of flame twinkling in her glasses. “You saved me from becoming Midnight Sparkle before. Just think of this as me returning the favor.”
Sunset reared back. “What? No! What are you talking about? I don’t want to conquer the world, I just want my friends back!”
“Well…” Pinkie said, “much as I appreciate the thought, you are kinda trying to destroy both worlds, soooo… maybe you’ve gone a little itsy-bitsy bit evil?”
“Darling,” Rarity continued, “As Twilight said, you have been and always will be our friend. That will not change, regardless of which side of the mirror you live.”
“Yeah, and friends don’t let friends turn into power-hungry overlords,” Dash added.
“Listen, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “We ain’t sayin’ goodbye. Th’ portal’s still open, y’all can come visit us whenever ya like.”
“Or, um, maybe we can visit you,” Fluttershy supplied. “I like it here.”
“But,” Twilight continued, “you can’t just hang onto us for the rest of your life. This was your home, once. You need to make friends here. Maybe they aren’t exactly the same as us. That doesn’t mean you can’t make friends with them, though.”
"But I don't want to!" Sunset said, her mane flickering erratically. "You girls-- you're my family. I can't leave, not again. Not like this!"
Flash looked up at her sadly. "You have family here, too, right? And they miss you, as much as you already miss us. As much as we'll miss you, too. No one is saying we can never see each other again! You just--" he stopped, lost for the right words.
The other Sunset took a step forward. "I'm not taking your place, Sunset. I never thought things would turn out this way, and I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry I did, and I hope... I hope..." she took a step back. "Well, a good first step would be, I hope you don't incinerate me on the spot, but beyond that, I hope that we can both make things right. With one another, and everyone else."
Sunset looked torn. “I— but I—”
Trixie trotted out in front of the group. “Sunset. Listen to Trixie. Things change. Things always change, and sometimes that means that things fall apart. But out of those pieces, think of all the new change that can come. Sometimes, it feels like nothing will ever be the same again, and that can be true. But what the new normal is— that is up to you.”
“I— I— I— noooOOOO!” Sunset shrieked as the flames in her mane grew brighter and brighter, her eyes glowing like supernovae and her entire body lighting with an inner fire.
“Uh-oh,” Discord muttered. “I think that’s my cue…” They quickly turned into a crow and flew off into the shadows before Pinkie or the Doctor could stop them. Meanwhile, Sunset was now bright enough to be mistaken for a star. Before anypony could do anything, she disintegrated into ashes and dust, disappearing along with all the chaos she had wrought on the world.