//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Facing The Portal // Story: Facing Your Fears... Literally // by NoPonE //------------------------------// Beep. Beep. Beep. Sci-Twi groaned as she opened her eyes, then shut them tight again as the blinding sunlight shone into them. She then attempted to open her eyes again, letting them slowly adjust to the light, then observed her surroundings. Beep. She was in a hospital room. To her right was a small window with the curtains drawn. To her left, she noticed various medical instruments, some of which were hooked up to her. Sci-Twi looked down at her upper extremities. They were legs that ended in hooves, indicating that she was still a pony. She then stared in front of her and saw a purple alicorn sitting on a chair, sleeping peacefully. Sci-Twi attempted to get up, but after her sore body refused to do so, she decided to lie back down. Beep. "T-Twilight?" groaned Sci-Twi. "Is that you?" Twilight yawned and stretched before opening her eyes to address the source of the question. After a few seconds of staring sleepily at Sci-Twi, she gasped and her eyes widened. "Twilight! You're okay!" cheered the alicorn, rushing over to Sci-Twi's right side. "Oh, I'm so happy you're awake!" Sci-Twi smiled, but her mind was still a little foggy; she couldn't recall the reason why she was currently in a hospital room. Beep. "Wha- What happened?" asked Sci-Twi. "Well, after we defeated Midnight Sparkle," explained Twilight, "you suddenly fell unconscious. I grabbed you in midair, then flew you here, the Canterlot General Hospital. Right now, everypony is either outside helping with repairs or tending to the wounded." Beep. "Hey, can you turn that darn thing off?" requested Sci-Twi. "It's kinda driving me nuts." "Well, I don't think I should turn it off, but..." Twilight cast a sound barrier around the heart monitor, muting the beeping. "Finally," thanked Sci-Twi. As her mind cleared and her memories returned to her, she sighed. "How many casualties were there?" questioned Sci-Twi, speaking with a grim and serious tone. "There were a few injuries, but that was about it," answered Twilight. Sci-Twi was surprised. "Really? All that damage, and not one pers- pony died?" "Nope." "Huh." Sci-Twi was relieved that nopony had lost their lives, but she felt remorseful. "Still, Midnight Sparkle ended up causing more pain," said Sci-Twi with regret. "And since I was the one who created her-" Before she could finish her sentence, the door leading out into the main hallway swung open. Standing just outside the room was Princess Luna, whose left wing was completely wrapped up with white bandages. A sling that wrapped around her body held the wing firmly against her side, preventing it from moving around too much. "P-Princess Luna!" exclaimed Sci-Twi, her eyes filled with horror as she gazed upon Luna's injury. "I-I'm so sorry about all this! I-" She was interrupted once again as Luna walked up to her and placed her hoof on Sci-Twi's mouth. "Midnight Sparkle may have been a manifestation of your darkest fears, but it was not as if you intended to create her in the first place," countered the injured alicorn. "Besides, she separated herself from you, did she not? Therefore, the destruction was a result of her actions and desires, not yours." Sci-Twi nodded, then stared down at her bedsheets. "I wish there was something I could do to help though," offered Sci-Twi. "Regardless of whose fault all this was, I still want to contribute to the repairs or help the injured ponies." "Well, considering that you and I are, in a way, the same pony, you can literally be in two places at once!" reminded Twilight. "I'll take care of the relief efforts. Besides, you have to return to your own world, don't you?" Sci-Twi's eyes widened. "That's right! I have to go back to school!" exclaimed Sci-Twi. "Wait, how long have I been asleep?" "Do not worry, it has only been a few hours since you defeated Midnight Sparkle," assured Luna. "The doctors told me earlier that you should be cleared to leave this afternoon," explained Twilight. "Since you arrived here last evening, by the time you go back through the portal, only a day should've passed since you first left your world." "Wait," thought Sci-Twi. "When I first entered the portal, it was daytime in my world, but when I arrived here, it was evening already. Why is that?" "I'm not sure..." wondered Twilight, puzzled. "Maybe our worlds aren't temporally synced with each other. Or maybe it has something to do with the portals? Perhaps this world's portal is slowly drifting through time?" Sci-Twi shrugged. "In any case, once I have some free time, I'll check on the mirror and see if I can fix that problem," decided Twilight. "Alright, sounds good," grinned Sci-Twi. The rest of the day passed without much drama. The two princesses had to leave to attend to the repairs in Canterlot, leaving Sci-Twi alone in her room. However, a few doctors occasionally came in to make sure she was doing alright. Thankfully, none of them questioned why Sci-Twi looked identical to the Princess of Friendship. Apparently, Twilight had convinced them that Sci-Twi was her twin sister who lived in a remote town near the edge of Equestria and that they rarely visited each other. It was a rather silly story, but if it worked, then perhaps it wasn't that silly. Later, in the middle of the afternoon, two doctors came in to talk to her. "Congratulations, ma'am, you're cleared to leave the hospital," they reported. They then unhooked the various machines that were connected to Sci-Twi's body and helped her get up on her hooves. As she walked towards the door, she saw Twilight and Luna standing in the hallway, waiting to escort her outside. "Try not to strain yourself during the next few days, and be sure to drink lots of water, Miss, err..." the doctor squinted down at the clipboard he was holding. "Sunset Sparkle." "Yeah, thanks," replied Sci-Twi, embarrassed by the name Twilight had made up for her. She and the two princesses trotted outside, then walked down the path that led to downtown Canterlot. As the trio made their way towards the train station, the sun set slowly in the sky, though they were confused as to why the sun seemed to wobble and teeter as if it were drunk. They got on board the train headed to Ponyville, and once they arrived at their destination, walked down the road that led to Twilight's castle. Spike opened the door and greeted them cheerfully as they arrived, clearly overjoyed that everypony was alright. They then proceeded to the room containing the magic portal that led back to Sci-Twi's world. The mirror glistened as it reflected the light in the room, its smooth and crystal-clear surface inviting Sci-Twi to jump through it. Sci-Twi smiled, looking forward to returning to her world, then turned to face the others. "Thank you again, princesses, for helping me face my fears and gain a new perspective on life," said Twilight as she bowed towards Twilight and Luna. "And thank you, Spike, for making such a wonderful dinner last night!" "Hehe, it was nothing," laughed Spike, scratching the back of his head with a claw. "Oh! That reminds me! I better check on that cake!" The baby dragon quickly dashed out of the room and ran towards the kitchen, his footsteps echoing throughout the hallways. "I-I don't know what I would've done without you," continued Sci-Twi. Twilight then walked up to her and gave her a big, warm hug. "We may have given you advice, but ultimately, you were the one who stopped Midnight Sparkle, both in your dreams and in the real world," encouraged Twilight. "Technically, Luna was keeping her occupied when I attacked her in the dream world," clarified Sci-Twi, "and the final beam that destroyed her was a combination of our magic." "Perhaps, but do not let that distract you from the fact that you stood up to your worst fears and conquered them thanks to your own confidence," stated Luna. "I know, I know," chuckled Sci-Twi. She then turned around to stare at the magic mirror. "Guess the only thing left for me to do now is talk things over with my friends," sighed the young unicorn. "Though, if I can take down an evil manifestation of darkness and despair, I think I can handle a friendship problem." Twilight and Sci-Twi giggled together at the latter's comment. Even Luna let out a small laugh. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," said Sci-Twi with a bit of sadness in her voice. "Yeah," replied Twilight, "but be sure to visit us again soon!" "You will always be welcomed here, Twilight," assured Luna. "I will, and thank you!" responded Sci-Twi. She then galloped towards the mirror. "Bye, everypony!" called Sci-Twi, turning her head back a bit. "Bye!" cheered Twilight. "Farewell," Luna chimed. Sci-Twi leapt through the glossy surface of the portal and entered into the dimensional rift that connected her world with Equestria. A multitude of colors twisted and twirled around her, and Sci-Twi could feel her own body starting to stretch. Then, everything got brighter and brighter until...