Sunset was in the library with the book she used to communicate with Twilight open. She was in the process of writing a message for Twilight when she heard something. She turned to her left and saw along one of the library’s wall a portal open. She walked towards it and just before she was in the range of being hit by anyone or anything coming through it. Applejack came through with the full body mirror she brought with her. Followed by Fluttershy, who flew off to make sure she didn’t collide with anyone. Then came Pinkie who hoped over Applejack and landed behind Sunset. Then Rarity came through who took a step to her left so that she didn’t hit anyone and was not hit by anyone. Finally, Rainbow Dash flew through, “I can’t believe none of you like Daring Do.” She huffed.
Rarity shook her head, “I never said I didn’t like the series, Dashie. Only that it’s stagnated with Daring’s character development after the second book and that I find another series better. You should try reading something other than a Daring Do book.”
Applejack then turned to Rainbow, with a look of other confusion on her face as she tilted her head to her right and squirted her left eye, “How are yah shocked? Ah’m a paladin, Daring Do steals, yah have to know how tah make four tah make it tah the Wonderbolt Reserves, Sugarcube.”
Rainbow then turned to Fluttershy with pleading eyes and an agape mouth. Fluttershy shook her head, “Sorry Dashie, but those temples that end up destroyed by the end of each book are homes of many animals, and she did threaten Ahuizotl’s little kitten to get out of several situations.”
Sunset elected to walk over to Pinkie, “Are they debating Daring Do?” Sunset asked. Pinkie nodded with a sigh.
Rainbow Dash then turned to Sunset, “Please tell me that you know Daring Do is the best series ever written.”
Sunset gave a smile, “Of course, A.K. Yearling has done so much more with the character then Twilight Velvet ever could.” Rainbow Dash then started to fly around cheering. Sunset then turned to the others, “She needed someone to agree with her.” Everyone took a second to think about that and had to agree; Rainbow needed someone to agree with her. Sunset then turned her attention to the mirror, “It’s great to see you all but what brings you all here?” she asked.
Applejack put the mirror over the portal as it was still open, “Hold on a second, wah need to align this here mirror with..” Before Applejack could finish her sentence Sunset conjured a ring of fire around her and was gone in a second. They all waited for a couple of minutes until Sunset reappeared in another ring of fire with a scroll. The cloth that was around the scroll hand a metal ‘seal’ with a rendering of a star and a swirl. “Is that?” Applejack started to ask.
Sunset gave a nervous chuckle, “Yeah when I left I took a few things so I could use the portal on this side, and I kind of wanted no one else to know how the use the portal.” Sunset then opened the scroll and kept it in her left hand as her focus gem, eyes and right hand glowed a light brilliant opal as she placed it on the glass of the mirror. After about a minute the glass appeared to be replaced by the spirals magic of the portal. Sunset stepped aside, “So does anyone want to make sure?”
Pinkie hopped in through the portal then came back with the CMC, “Sunset Shimmer, this is Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s little sister,” Pinkie said as she pointed to Sweetie Belle. She then pointed to Apple Bloom, “This is Apple Bloom, Applejack’s little sister.” She then pointed to Scootaloo, “and this is Scootaloo.”
Sunset offered her hand to Scootaloo first, “Let me guess, you’re Rainbow Dash’s little sister.”
Scootaloo sighed, “No, we are only honorary sisters.” Scootaloo then took a long hard look at Sunset, as if she remembered a description of someone. Then it clicked, “But I think my brother might have written about you before.”
Sunset blinked a couple of times at that remark, “Your brother?” After two seconds, her eyes widened in realization as there was only one guy she had a relationship with anywhere near worthy enough to write someone about, “Oh my gosh! You’re related to…” Sunset coughed in an attempt to collect herself. After a cough, she cleared her throat, “What did he say about me?” she asked with a nervous smile.
Scootaloo thought for a second as she tried to recall what Flash wrote. Once she recalled the gist of it, “That you’re kind of an entitled brat.” If true words could cut, Sunset knew she would have been diced into small pieces then and there. However, Scootaloo continued, yet her tone was slightly apologetic like she realized that she might have stepped on a topic she shouldn’t have, “but that he believes you’re actually a good person if you dig deep enough.”
Pinkie pulled a shovel out of her hair and was in a cotton candy pink church choir robes, “You gotta dig a little deeper
Don't have far to go
You gotta dig a little deeper
Tell the people Mama told you so
Can't tell you what you'll find
Maybe love or grant you a piece of mind
Dig a little deeper and you'll know.” Pinkie sang as she handed the shovel to Sunset, clapping her hands all the while.
Sunset blinked in terror as she turned to the rest, as she was about to speak, “Please don’t ask. It’s Pinkie Pie. You’re better off not questioning it.” Rarity answered cutting Sunset off.
Pinkie then took off the choir robes and the shovel from Sunset and then put them back into her hair, she then picked up the CMC, not unlike when she picked up Fluttershy to hop along Steve Magnus’ back. “Okay girls, time for you to go back, I’m sure Big Mac and Granny could use some help on the farm,” Apple Bloom groaned in response. “I’m sure someone needs to look after Rarity’s boutique.” Sweetie Belle then groaned. “And…” Pinkie trailed off as she tried to come up with a reason why Scootaloo had to go back.
Scootaloo sighed, “Well, Flash did plan to spend the next couple days with me and First Base, it is his leave after all.” The young monk gave the perplexed jester a way out of her state.
Pinkie’s contemplation ended, “Okay, works for me.” Pinkie then proceeded through the portal with the CMC. After a minute Pinkie returned without the CMC. “Okay, the portal works.” Pinkie said with her right thumb up, and one second later the portal closed and the stars and swirls started to move locking the portal for the present time.
Applejack shook her head with a small smile on her face, “Pinkie, never change.” She then turned to Sunset. “Right, why we’re here…” Applejack was not sure how to explain it.
Rainbow groaned, “Okay after we got back from beatin’ the Sirens, we sat down on our thrones at Twilight’s new castle…” Rainbow started and was speaking at almost the speed of light.
Sunset placed on her hand on Rainbow’s mouth, “I know about the castle, the Aura map and that it has been sending you all on what you’ve called ‘Friendship Missions’, which Twilight did write about. Twilight and I write each other through the linked books.” she explained.
“Well, that’s narratively convenient, Foxhelm, you cheat.” Pinkie said as she turned to her left.
Everyone walked to where Pinkie was looking and only saw a bookcase. “Who are… you know what nevermind.” Rainbow said as she shook her head, “Okay with that out of the way, the Aura Map sent us here for a Friendship Mission.” Before Sunset could ask about the absence of Twilight, “No, it only called us five. Besides, Twilight is guest lecturing at Celestia's School for The Gifted on Aura Marks of all things.”
Sunset gave a hum of understanding, it would make sense that Celestia would want Twilight to branch out and give her (Twilight) academic mindset development. Teaching would have been the next step. “Okay, so you’re here because you think there is a friendship problem here?” Sunset asked for clarification.
The others nodded mostly in silence before Pinkie jumped right next to Sunset with a deerskin hat and smoking-pipe, “So did you or anyone else here notice anything wrong with people’s friendships?” Pinkie huffed out of the pipe only it produced bubbles and not smoke.
Sunset looked at the others then back to Pinkie, “Not that I’m aware off, but perhaps I can help you find what you’re looking for.” Sunset said as she went to get her book, “But first we might want to let Cinch know you’re here, this is like the third time you came unannounced.” The five all shared a nervous laugh at that. As Sunset returned with her book, “and at least let Sunny know about the mirror and the location of the portal.” Sunset the started out of the library as she opened the door a familiar looking young woman bumped into her. The other woman had violet eyes with a pair of glasses over them, dark sapphire hair with two streaks, one was rose and the other was violet done in a bun in the back of her head, and a set of metallic wings purple and gold in color which seemed to float behind her and yet also come from her back with two amethyst six-pointed stars functioning for the wings like her arm's shoulder balls. She wore a dark purple sleeveless vest over a teal long sleeve shirt and long purple plaid skirt. “Sorry about…” Sunset trailed off as she looked at the young woman.
As Sunset was still processing what she saw, “TWILIGHT?” Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy asked and exclaimed at the same time in utter shock at the sight of Twilight being there.
The young woman blinked, “Yes…” she said with a slight hint of nervousness. As she looked at each other women, “Do I know you?” she asked as she didn’t recognize the women.
Everyone blinked a couple of times before Pinkie started to laugh a few times. After a few laughs, “Good one, Twilight,” Pinkie said as she wiped a tear from her eye, “but you’re going to have to do better than that to pull one over on me.” The recently identified Twilight only blinked in confusion a few times. It was hard to tell if this was lost on Pinkie or not as the jester continued, “Come on.” she said. “Did you really expect me to believe that you would just suddenly forget your best friends?” she asked as she placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulders.
The Twilight there blinked twice as she looked at the pink-clad jester, “My best friends?” she asked in confusion as she looked at the others.
Pinkie started to laugh again for a solid second before she stopped again, “Okay that was a good one, but seriously.” Pinkie’s tone then started to become serious, “Cut that out. It’s not funny anymore.” she finished as she patted Twilight on her back. Twilight could only blink thrice in utter confusion.
Applejack pulled Pinkie aside and after she took a good long look at Twilight. The paladin then turned to the jester, “Umm, Sugarcube, Ah think she’s serious.”
Pinkie then manifested to be right in Twilight’s face, making her lean back. “You mean, you really don’t know who we are?!” Pinkie asked, Twilight only shook her head in response. Pinkie gasped in horror as she leaned back to a point that the most skilled contortionists would have conceded was not possible and maintained normal balance. Pinkie then jumped up and had the detective gear she had on earlier, “There’s only one logical explanation for this.” She paused which seemed meant for the purpose of building up dramatic tension. After the pause, “Someone’s used magic to steal your memories and make you forget us.” Pinkie declared as if she solved a mystery. Everyone stared at Pinkie for a solid three seconds as they tried to process how Pinkie came to that conclusion.
Rainbow Dash spoke first with an eye roll, “Yeah, I don’t think that’s it.”
Fluttershy turned to Twilight, “How did you even get here so fast?” she asked. Twilight only squinted one of her eyes in confusion. Fluttershy simply continued, “You’re supposed to be on route to Chantalot for that guest lecture you’re going to give at Princess Celestia’s school…”, Fluttershy trailed off as she tried to recall the date when Twilight was to give the lecture. But she recalled that Princess Celestia knew Twilight the best so that meant Princess Celestia would have planned to grant Twilight a day to get the lecture down. “The day after tomorrow,” she said as she recalled that fact.
The Twilight that was present looked at Fluttershy and tilted her head to her left, “I am?”
Pinkie whistled at first, “Wow, that’s one doozy of a memory problem you’ve got there.” Pinkie then was dressed in a long white cloak like the ones medical doctors wear with a stethoscope and notepad. “We saw you get on the train to Chantalot with Spike like not even three hours ago.” Pinkie said as she was examining Twilight, not unlike a medical examination.
Twilight had a blank expression on her face as Pinkie finished and was recording her findings. As Pinkie was writing, Twilight asked, “Who’s Spike?” Everyone just stared at her in what could be described as horror at that question.
Rarity gave a cough, “Will you excuse us for a minute, darling?” Twilight nodded in response before Rarity pulled Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash into a huddle. “Something strange is going on here.” Rarity whispered to the others.
Applejack was the first to reply as she took a glance at the Twilight there, “Ah’ll say. It’s not like Twilight to forget us. It’s even more unlike her not to know who Spike is.” Applejack lifted her head out of the huddle and looked back at Twilight before realizing that a certain dragon familiar was missing. She then lowered her head to rejoin the huddle and whispered, “Where is Spike anyway?” Everyone had to nod in agreement. “And how did she get here so fast?” Applejack asked pointing out the presence of Twilight and what it took to get the five to be here.
Fluttershy then gasped as she had a thought, “You don’t think she could be a changeling or a doppelganger, do you?” she asked as she turned to Applejack.
Applejack closed her right hand and closed her eyes as well, she took a breath and a light appeared in her hand and then washed the room for a second. Once the light vanished, Applejack took a look at Twilight and then back into the group, “Well, she’s definitely not a doppelganger. There’s no evil in her.”
Rarity covered her mouth for a second, “Oh my, you don’t think this has anything to do with why the Map called us here, do you?” she asked.
While the rest seemed to be locked in their debate, Sunset turned to Twilight, “You don’t remember us at all?” she asked.
Twilight shook her head, “Baroness Cinch said I might have suffered amnesia from what I went through, I was in a medical bath unconscious for almost two years.”
Before Twilight continued, Sunset placed both her hands on both of Twilight’s shoulder, “Wait, Baroness Cinch told you that?” Twilight nodded. Sunset ended her hold and looked past Twilight, “That’s very interesting…” Sunset trailed off. She then took Twilight by the hand, “Come along, we need to have a chat with the baroness.” Unbeknownst to Sunset, Twilight face took on a few shades of red in her cheeks. Twilight, however, noticed that for a second she was without breath and her heart stopped.
In the room of the castle that Cinch set aside for managing businesses, only she and Sunny were present. Both were looking out a window, “You know Sugarcoat is right. You are dabbling in things you have no understanding, mother-dearest.” Sunny said with a clearly angry jab with the ‘mother-dearest’. Cinch showed no signs of response. Sunny gritted her teeth and all but growled before she started to leave. As she was about to shut the door, “You know before Father confronted Longhorn, he told me something I think he tried to tell you so many times, ‘One doesn’t win the game of powers, at best you die not having lost’.” Cinch didn’t respond as Sunny left the room. After leaving she headed towards the library en route she bumped into her mother’s project and… “Lady Shimmer, what brings you by.”
Sunset gave Sunny a scowl, “I need to talk to the baroness.” Sunset stated bluntly. All the while she didn’t let go of Twilight’s hand.
Sunny only blinked once, but it was a blink and you’ll miss it, but she quickly composed herself, “What pray tell is the matter?”
Sunset paused as she looked at Twilight. She was not sure if she could have the conversation she wanted with Cinch if Sunny knew that was the reason. But she quickly recalled that Rarity, et al were here. “You remember our friends from Mystica?” Sunset asked.
Sunny shook her head with a frustrated sigh, “I’ll get a room set up for them. The least they could do is send a message to you through your book a day or two before they arrived.” Sunny then left the two, seeming to ignore that Sunset and Twilight were still hand-in-hand.
Sunset then released Twilight's hand and threw open the door, “Cinch, we need to talk!”
Cinch slowly turned, “Lady Shimmer, as always a pleasure. What pray tell brings you by?” Sunset didn’t answer verbally as she pulled Twilight into the room. “I am sorry, but Mss. Sparkle’s memory is not what it was and I fail to see that showing me to her will help her memory.”
Sunset knew Cinch was lying, but she couldn’t call Cinch out with Twilight present. “Hey Twilight, could you wait outside for a moment?” Twilight nodded reluctantly and began to leave, but she turned at the last second, with a slight frown of concern on her face, not unlike she was leaving a friend in the same room as an annoyed parent. Once the door was shut, “How did Twilight get here before her friends from Mystica?” Sunset asked as she closed the distance.
Cinch strutted to her desk and sat on the chair, “So they are back again. I wish that…”
“Sunny is already taking care of getting a room ready for them.” Sunset countered, “About Twilight?” Sunset asked with a slight growl.
Cinch took out of her desk a folder and slid it towards Sunset, “Read it.”
Sunset looked at the cover, “Operation: Midnight”, Sunset read and accepted the folder. On each of the pages in the folder were brief entries on Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Princess Twilight, Discord, Tirek, The Sirens, Applejack, Fluttershy, Flash Sentry, Pinkie Pie, Lemon Zest, Indigo Zap, Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, Sugarcoat, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and herself, “Why are…” Sunset started to ask before she looked at the last page, “You cloned us!” Sunset slammed the folder on the desk.
“Technically I only cloned Princess Twilight Sparkle as the base with augmentations based on the DNA and RNA of everyone else.” Cinch answered blankly, “Granted I was not expecting her to be the base. But beggars cannot be choosers.”
Sunset squinted in wrath, “What do you intend to do with her?”
Cinch only smirked.
Rainbow, et al had left the library and were heading to the dining hall, “So, how are we going to know for sure that this Twilight is the reason why we’re here?” Applejack asked. “Clearly she ain't our Twi.”
Pinkie popped right in front of the paladin, “How about we call her something else, to avoid confusion?” Pinkie asked. She then paused and took a second to think, “How about Sci-Twi?” Everyone looked at Pinkie with blank expressions. “She’s got glasses and seems more science-y than Twilight.” Everyone just continued to stare at her blankly.
“It could be because she’s a clone.” came a familiar female voice. The five turned to see four other women, the Shadowbolts sans Sunny Flare. Sugarcoat was the one that spoke.
Rarity spoke first as they tried to recover from that statement, “You mean to say that Cinch managed to clone Twilight? That she managed to develop and perfect cloning to such a degree?”
Lemon took off her headset, “And more because Sci-Twi also has our DNA, Sunset’s and a few others,” the music lover said. Every one of the Shadowbolts rolled their eyes at their half-sister’s action. “What?” Lemon asked.
Sugarcoat then spoke up, “I take it you arrived recently.” Applejack nodded. “Just to let you know, the Sirens are still MIA.”
“We’re not here for them.” Rainbow commented, “Since you overheard Pinkie come up with that name, we’re here for…” Rainbow trailed as she turned to Rarity, “I’m with AJ, are you sure that’s the reason we’re here, Rares?”
Rarity rolled her eyes, “Fine,” she then turned to the Shadowbolts, “Have you noticed any friendships that are not faring well?” Rarity asked her friends, with the absence of Pinkie going unnoticed by everyone. The four Shadowbolts only shook their heads. “See?” Rarity asked as turned back to her friends. Applejack and Rainbow just sighed.
Indigo shrugged her shoulders with her eyes closed and hands up. “Whatever.” Indigo and the rest of Shadowbolts started to head off. “Best luck. Ask us if you need any help.”
They all turned to continue their respective routes, the Shadowbolts to where ever they were heading and the Rainbooms to the dining hall, “So how do see that ‘Sci-Twi’ is the one we need to help?” Applejack asked.
Just then Pinkie seemed to manifest on Applejack’s shoulders, as she jumped to the floor, “I know a perfect way,” the jester said to be followed by what sounded like one of Pinkie Pie’s Party Cannons going off blasting confetti. “We throw a party!!!”
Everyone looked at Pinkie slightly confused with blank stares for a good minute with only the chirping of crickets to answer Pinkie. Rainbow was the first to respond, “Yeah, umm, how exactly is a party gonna help us figure out what Sci-Twi’s friendship problem let alone solve it?”
Pinkie closed her eyes and shook her head with a grin on her face, “Elementary, my dear Dashie.”
Rarity rolled her eyes, “The ‘quote’ that is a paraphrase of is not even real.” she pointed out.
Pinkie brushed it aside and continued as if was not interrupted, “If we throw a party, then everyone in Midnight Castle is going to have to come, then we can watch if she mingles, and if she has trouble mingling, then that means that she doesn’t have any friends, and if she doesn’t have any friends, then she has to be our Friendship Problem, duh.” As everyone continued to stare at Pinkie with blank confusion. “Besides, if she isn’t the Friendship Problem, then we just watch everyone else and look for people who either aren’t having any fun or are acting like they’re avoiding each other.”
There was another solid minute of silence from the other four as they tried to understand how Pinkie reached the conclusion she made. Applejack was the first to recover and after a few seconds of thought, “That actually makes a surprising amount of sense.”
Rarity was next, “But Pinkie, we’re only guests, and last minute at that, here in Midnight Castle. It’s rude enough we came unannounced, but we most definitely cannot just throw a party without the baroness’s permission.” As they all were talking, they were all walking and had arrived at the dining hall within the castle. As they neared the door, they heard party music playing.
Rainbow Dash turned to look solely at Pinkie with a deadpan expression, “You already threw one while we were talking, didn’t you?” she asked as everyone else also looked at Pinkie with deadpans.
Pinkie giggled, “You silly fillies, this is just the warm-up.” Applejack facepalmed and Rainbow Dash groaned. Pinkie just shrugged and skipped into the dining hall and went to the disc jockey stand and took the mic, “HEY MIDNIGHT CASTLE! ARE YOU READY TO PAR-TAY!!!” everyone cheered.
Rainbow flew up to the microphone and cut the music, bringing the party to a screeching halt, “As awesome as a Pinkie Pie Party is, but she doesn’t have a party planning permit for now.” As everyone groaned as they started to leave, “Maybe tomorrow.” Rainbow added with a slightly apologetic tone. Everyone muttered in ire as they left the hall, leaving it looking like a rave just took place. Rainbow then turned to Pinkie. “I love you, Pinkie, but you didn’t think that through. What if Cinch arrived and saw that?”
“I did.” came Cinch’s voice, next to her, were the other Twilight and Sunset. Cinch looked to Sunset, “Your guest, your mess.” she then turned and headed out.
Sunset looked at the room and sighed. She went over to the hall’s cleaning supply closet and started to take some out. Rainbow flew to her side and took a broom and the started passing stuff to the others, “It’s our fault. We’ll clean it.”
“Glad to know you’ll stand by me,” Sunset said with a smile.
Rainbow chuckled and slapped Sunset on the back, “I’m too awesome to leave any of my girls hangin’.” She said as she flew to start cleaning an area. As she flew she passed the Twilight she and the rest of the Rainbooms have called Sci-Twi, she suddenly dropped to the ground. “Woah, I must be spent.” But after a second she shook it off and went back to cleaning. Unbeknownst to her, and almost everyone else, a small ball of cyran magic flew from her chest and into Sci-Twi’s.
Sci-Twi was shocked at what happened. She ducked away not wanting to be seen. “What was that?" she asked in horror.