Sunset put down her homework and pulled the buzzing book out of her bag. Finally an excuse to take a break—she had been waiting for Twilight’s message for what felt like hours!
I’m practically ready; I should be there in ten minutes. Are you picking me up? ❤
Can’t wait, I’ll meet you there. I’m bringing the girls too, can’t wait! xoxo
She stuffed the book in her bag. The bag was pretty packed already with the two pairs of skates she had gotten for little money from a thrift store in town—her plan for their date. It would be a new experience for Twilight to go ice-skating on human legs—and it would be a great opportunity for a lot of holding hands and steadying one another, Sunset hoped. When she was done, she sent a quick text to Rarity, just like they had agreed to do.
Are you still at Donut Joe’s? Twilight will arrive in ten minutes, I could just meet you there?
She hurried to get dressed; winter was definitely coming with freezing temperatures and even the first bit of snow. Right when she left her apartment she received a reply from Rarity.
Yes, that’d be perfect. We’ll try to be ready by then.
When she arrived at Donut Joe’s a few minutes later, the waiter was just giving her friends the check. Applejack picked up the check. “Wait a second,” she said and squinted at the check, “that ain’t right, we only had five cups o’ tea, not seven! He done screwed up!”
“Um, it’s probably just a mistake…” Fluttershy said.
“We could just chug the other two cups!” Pinkie suggested.
“We’re still not payin’ that.” Applejack got up and marched up to the counter, the check in her hand.
Sunset rolled her eyes, impatient to get going so she’d be at the portal in time. She didn’t want to waste any more time before seeing Twilight. “Girls, I could go ahead, and meet you when this is sorted out?”
“Nonsense, dear,” Rarity said. “We’re coming with. This is only going to take a minute.”
“Besides, we know you need some private time,” Rainbow Dash chimed in, waggling her eyebrows, “but you can’t hog her all the time, if you know what I mean.”
“You really shouldn’t be assuming things just because you don’t have that kind of stamina, Rainbow,” Sunset replied with a smug grin. “And I’m not hogging her. I’m happy that you’re coming along.” She suppressed a sigh and wrote quick addendum to Twilight.
We might actually be running a bit late, some mix-up with the check. Just wait for us there.
***
There had been a few false alarms, just as Twilight Sparkle had expected. Sunset Shimmer getting up for a glass of water, or leaving the apartment for groceries, or heading to the bathroom… Twilight estimated that it would only be a few days before she’d succumb to the urge to put her motion detection software on silent mode.
But as stressful as it might be, it was her best shot at uncovering the mystery. She would gladly cycle to Canterlot High another dozen times just to learn that Sunset Shimmer had gone to the convenience store to get tissues, if that meant she would get to witness an actual transgression.
So when she saw Sunset Shimmer getting ready to leave on this Saturday afternoon, she again dropped what she was doing—a rather unengaging essay on modern poetry—and got dressed herself.
“Wait here for me, Spike, this isn’t going to be long,” she told her best friend. He raised an ear, looked outside the window, and curled up on her bed. Twilight smiled. As much as the little guy enjoyed coming along, he disliked the cold winter weather outside even more.
She picked up her bag—always at the ready with her detection equipment—and went downstairs. Both her parents were sitting in the living room, reading books. “Dad, can I get the car? I need to get something.”
“Does it have to be now, dear?” her father asked, putting down his book. “I’m not too happy about the weather today.”
“But I need some special parts for a science project,” Twilight said. The lie came easy—she had prepared for this exact situation. She had seven more responses set up for further requests for the car. And she was also prepared for her father reacting this way. “I can’t believe you’re still punishing me for the bump, dad,” she said dejectedly.
“Twily, that’s not—“ her father said, and for a second Twilight felt bad for playing her parents like this. But how else was she going to get on with her mystery project? “Fine, take the car, but please be careful, and be home before dark, understood?”
“Of course!” she beamed. She rushed over to her dad and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best!”
“And don’t you forget that,” he mumbled, smiling.
Picking up the keys Twilight rushed outside. Hopefully this was the time!
***
When she got there, the square in front of Canterlot High was deserted just like after the last alarms. On a hunch Twilight parked the car in the side street right next to the school, where she could see the statue, but wasn’t as obviously in sight herself. Just in case. She left the engine running—also just in case.
It was really good to have the car, Twilight thought. It provided her with a place to wait, in line of sight of the statue. And it would enable her to quickly get away in case there was another encounter with Canterlot High’s plentiful bullies.
To pass the time she took a look at her energy meter. No reading. She placed the device on the passenger seat.
Again nothing?
Suddenly someone banged on the trunk of her car, and Twilight started. In the rear mirror she saw an angry face—no, rather three angry faces. The bullies!
Without thinking she hit the accelerator and turned the corner. Just away from them!
Then her energy meter on the passenger seat blinked.
***
“Chillax, we’re only like five minutes late,” Rainbow said and gave Sunset a playful shoulder bump. “It’s expected.”
Sunset sighed. Of course she knew that Rainbow was right, and that a few minutes didn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. It was just so unnecessary, and Twilight was probably now waiting for them in the cold, and—
“Stop it,” Rarity admonished her good-naturedly. “There’s no need for brooding, you know.”
Sunset laughed. What else could she do? Her friends were right, even she had to admit that, and she would rather welcome Twilight with a big smile on her face instead of a frown. “Alright, alright, I’m stopping. It was silly enough after all.”
“It’s good we were all together,” Fluttershy said. “I really don’t like complaining to wait staff.”
“Even when they messed up?” Applejack asked. She cracked her knuckles. “Glad to be of service, sugarcube.”
“How long is Twi gonna stay again? We could all watch the boys’ football match on Sunday, if you like.” Rainbow suggested. “It’s gonna be a tough one, we’re up against Crystal Prep, so they’re gonna need all the support we can get.”
“Until Monday,” Sunset said. “We were thinking about going to the game, actually.”
“Awesome! Gotta show that school spirit!”
“I’m looking forward to—“ Sunset trailed off. “That car…”
“What about it?”
Sunset growled. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me! It’s her! It’s that strange girl!” She pointed at the car parked right at the corner ahead of them. The same one she had seen all those weeks ago when she had first brought Twilight to the portal. The dent in the rear bumper from when she had hit the garbage bin was clearly visible.
“The spy?” Rainbow asked. “Let’s go get her!”
“Right behind you!” Applejack shouted, and the three of them sprinted towards the car.
***
Twilight almost lost control going around the corner and had trouble to stabilize the car’s rear end. Then she saw it and momentarily forgot about the car.
Across the usually solid surface of the statue plinth ran ripples, and it was suddenly basked in a faint blue glow. Then a figure stepped out of the side of the plinth. The other visitor. When they looked around, their attention attracted by the car closing in on her, Twilight could finally see their face—
It was hers. Looking at the intruder, the alien—Twilight looked into a lifelike mirror.
How can that be?
The shock jolted through her body. She realized that the car was still going, heading for the plinth, and for the monstrosity that had stolen her face.
In panic, she hit the break. Only that she hit the wrong break. The one that was the accelerator.
The engine roared, and the car almost leaped forward, closing the distance to the statue and the strange creature that looked exactly like herself.
***
“What the hell is she doing?” panted Applejack as the three girls ran around the corner. The car with the dented bumper was accelerating towards the statue.
“Twilight!” Sunset yelled. “Twiii!”
To her right Rainbow Dash accelerated and left her and Applejack behind, but not even she was able to match the car’s speed.
“The car, Twi, the car!” Applejack cried.
Twilight finally seemed to notice them, and she looked at Sunset, her eyes full of surprise. For a split second their eyes met. “Go back!” Sunset mouthed, slowing down now that her stamina was starting to wear out.
And as far as she could tell, Twilight stumbled back into the portal right before the car crashed into the statue plinth with a sickening crunch, followed by the stupidly bright clatter of breaking glass and the dull thud of the statue impacting on the concrete ground.
A flash of bright purple light blinded Sunset, and then a shockwave crashed into her and knocked her over. She fell backward, barely able to break the fall, as the wave of magical light washed over her. She screamed Twilight’s name, but couldn’t even hear her own voice.
***
The airbag had almost knocked Twilight unconscious, and the bright flash of light had thoroughly screwed with her sense of orientation. I crashed dad’s car, she thought incoherently as she tried to wiggle free of the white rubber hull that was about to bury her, as if it was willed to trap her in the car.
I’m in so much trouble.
And then: Thank goodness I didn’t bring Spike.
Flailing her arms like a mad person she was finally able to push the airbag down and free her field of vision. She knew she needed to get out of the car. But when she pulled the door lever the door wouldn’t budge.
“Hey!” somebody shouted. “Are you alright?”
“We have to get her out!”
“Arrumph! Door’s stuck!”
“The window, AJ!” Twilight looked to her left and saw two vaguely familiar faces, one orange and one blue. Two pairs of arms reached through the window—broken, she realized—and seized her arms.
“Twilight?” one of them asked. The CHS bullies.
They pulled, and Twilight felt herself being lifted up from her seat and through the car’s window. Then they sat her down on the concrete.
“Twilight, are you alright?” the one with orange skin and blonde hair asked.
“AJ,” the blue one said. “How is that—“
“Please don’t hit me,” Twilight finally said.
***
Sunset sat up, and immediately the world started spinning. The back of her head hurt; she must have hit it when she fell over. In the distance she saw the car standing where the statue plinth had used to be. The plinth itself, and the statue along with it, lay toppled over on the square.
“Twilight,” she mumbled. She tried to get to her feet and almost fell over again, but someone seized her shoulders and steadied her.
“Take it slow,” Fluttershy said, “you bumped your head pretty badly.”
“Twilight,” Sunset repeated.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash reached the car; apparently they had weathered the magic flash better than she had. She saw them reach into the car and pull her out. But what was she doing in the car anyway? And why was her coat different, and the glasses, and her hair…
“It’s not her,” she whispered with growing terror. “It’s not Twilight!”
“Sunset, please, you need to take it slow—“
She pushed Fluttershy’s hand away and carefully got to her feet. She felt like vomiting, but there was no time for that now. She needed to find Twilight—the right Twilight, not the one that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were gently sitting down on the ground.
What I need is to find her.
She stumbled towards the car and the plinth and the statue and the girl that wasn’t Twilight. Her vision was unsteady; one second the strange girl and her friends were close enough to touch them, the next they were about a quarter mile off.
She staggered and felt someone’s arm around her waist steadying her. With a grunt she brushed them off.
Not what I need.
What I need is to find her.
Sunset slowly shuffled past the three girls sitting on the floor, not even sparing the other girl another glance. She didn’t care about this world’s version of Twilight. She needed to find her Twilight.
The car stood where the plinth had been, with an almost rectangular dent in the hood from the corner it had crashed into. It was steaming softly, and one of the turn signals was blinking. The plinth lay a few feet off, and as Sunset came closer she saw that it was cracked right through the middle. The statue behind it was broken in half.
What if Twilight was under the plinth?
No.
What I need is to find her.
She had to hold onto the plinth because of her dizziness. She wondered which side of the plinth the portal was on, if it was the one she was looking at or the one it was laying on, but deep down she knew already that it didn’t matter.
Steadying herself with the plinth she slowly moved around it, careful to not stumble over the debris. But on the far side there was no trace of her Twilight either.
Because she has gone back right before the crash.
That’s why I won’t find her.
The truth of that thought hit her like a sledgehammer. She slowly crouched down next to the plinth, then sat and leaned against it as all her strength left her. I won’t find her.
“Sunset, please, just take it slow, help is on the way, you’ll be fine.”
But I won’t find her.
Numb from the shock, she fumbled open her bag which she was miraculously still carrying. At least she needed to check in on Twilight, make sure she was alright, that she had made it back home safely despite the portal being shattered. Together, they would find a way to cross the dimensions, portal or no portal. Even if it had to take a week.
Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out the book. The book was hot to the touch when she picked it up, and she dropped it on the ground. Only then she noticed that the book’s cover, emblazoned with her cutie mark, was scorched and covered in soot.
In panic she opened the book—and recoiled as several of the blackened pages almost crumbled between her fingers. She shrieked when she realized that almost all the pages were at least partially burnt.
How was she supposed to get in touch with Twilight again? How could she know if Twilight was alright? How could she help Twilight find back to the human world? Back to her?
What I need is Twilight back!
She can’t just be gone…
Dumbfounded, she stared at the scorched book in her hand and tried to grasp what was really happening. That Twilight was not here anymore, and that the portal was destroyed, and that her only remaining means of getting in touch with Twilight was probably broken.
That she had lost her.
No! It can’t be! It can’t be!
That other Twilight! She had caused the accident, had destroyed the portal! She would have to fix it! It was her fault after all!
Still dizzy Sunset got to her feet again, almost falling over when she straightened up. For a second her vision became black. When she could see again and was sure she wouldn’t faint, she turned around and slowly made her way towards the sitting girl. This world’s version of Twilight, who had caused everything to go wrong.
You’ll bring me my Twilight back!
Someone grabbed her arm and held her back. Sunset tried to tear free of the attacker, but the other’s hold was too strong. “Let go of me!” she grunted.
“Sunset, darling, I know you must be upset, but please don’t do anything rash. The police will be here very soon, and if you do what I know you’re planning to do you’ll be in a world of trouble.”
You think you know how I feel, Rares? You know nothing.
“Please, Sunset!” Rarity urged. “It’s not going to bring her back, you know.”
Maybe it is.
“And what would she think about you hurting that girl?”
An image flashed before Sunset’s mind’s eye. Twilight’s face, looking at her. Not angry, but disappointed. Frowning. But Twilight was probably never going to frown at her again. Or look at her again. Or be with her again.
Sunset hung her head. Her tears were flowing. She felt Rarity hugging her from behind, but all she could think of was that image of Twilight frowning at her.
“Twilight…”
***
When the police car turned around a corner and pulled over next to the broken remains of the statue lying on the street and the sidewalk Sunset couldn’t stand being here any longer; leave it to the others to deal with the police and the other Twilight.
But that girl is not Twilight, regardless what she looks like.
Besides, there was one bit of hope still left. Not all the pages of the book had been burned in the magic eruption when the portal had been destroyed. Maybe, just maybe, she could still get in touch with Twilight. Make sure she was alright. And then figure out a way to fix this.
It had to work. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the alternative.
Maybe that was why she didn’t want to make her attempt right there, at the crash site, with her friends and all kinds of strangers, including the girl that was not Twilight, looking at her. She needed to be alone for this. Alone with Twilight, if—when she replied.
Sunset had thought to return to the safe confines of her apartment before she wrote, but she couldn’t stand waiting that long. The uncertainty was gnawing at her. The only thing she was able to think of was the blessed moment when the book would light up once more, and in Twilight’s impeccable hornwriting she would read the words I’m okay, I’m working on a way, I love you.
She needed to read those words, maybe even more than she needed air to breathe.
So she only walked down the street in which they had first encountered the other girl’s sedan. Unbelievable that that had only been a few minutes ago. A few minutes ago when the world hadn’t turned into a complete nightmare.
When I was on my way to meet my love.
Sunset walked into the street and sat down against a fence, just on the ground. She didn’t care about the cold street she was sitting on; it was only mildly uncomfortable in comparison to—
Enough sulking. Let’s do this!
With great care she pulled the disfigured book from her bag, trying not to look at the skates she had gotten for their date. Just as she had seen earlier, some of the pages were only partly burned, with a precious few almost completely unharmed. Still, she was afraid of damaging the book even more, so she turned the pages extra slowly.
That was when one of the almost unburned pages caught her eye.
I’m so sorry; I completely misunderstood you, Sunset Shimmer! Of course I’d like to chat!
It was like a buck to her stomach. She uttered a soft whimper as unwanted tears shot into her eyes. Twilight had written her this line during that fateful night they had first started texting back and forth. It had been one of the first things Twilight had sent her, and Sunset clearly remembered how endearing she had found this reply. After the short disappointment when Twilight had seemingly just ended the conversation with the suggestion of hot milk, Sunset had been delighted at the prospect of exchanging some more messages.
Sunset sniffled and wiped her eye with an abrupt and angry motion. Not now. There would be more than enough time for reminiscing—painfully so, probably. But first she needed to make sure Twilight was alright.
She gently touched the line written in the book before she carefully turned more pages, finally reaching the empty pages in the later part of the book. Several of those remained, thankfully. She lowered her ball-pen to the paper, but hesitated. What if there wasn’t a reply? Then she’d know that… know what?
That nothing will be alright…
Another tear rolled down her cheek, and she resolutely pressed the ball-pen on the paper.
Twi, please tell me that you made it back home! The portal is destroyed, and so is most of my book. Please be okay. I love you. SS
The book glowed in its familiar way, and Sunset exhaled sharply, not even remembering that she had held her breath. At least it was still working! Now all she had to do was wait…
Sunset knew herself well enough to know that if she just remained seated here and stared at the paper, she would probably drive herself insane. Biting her lip—please don’t take too long—she got up again. Besides, she really wanted to be alone right now. While she was waiting for the reply she could just as well start heading home.
***
Home wasn’t all that much better. Well, honestly, until she at least heard from Twilight, nothing would be good. And probably not until she’d see her again and would be able to hug her and never let her go again.
Whenever that might be.
She was sitting on her bed, staring at the candles on the windowsill. It was all she had been doing for almost two hours. She had no idea how she had come home, or what had become of the crash site, or the other girl—the girl that wasn’t Twilight despite the way she looked. The book lay in front of her, closed, silent. There was still no reply.
So she stared at the candles which she had bought a few weeks back, thinking it would be nice to have them for when Twilight came over. That she might like them. That she might like it enough at Sunset’s apartment that she would come back. And now, even though she fought this thought with every ounce of willpower she possessed—and now, maybe Twilight was never coming back, and she might never light those candles for her again.
No! She’s fine, she’ll write back when she can, and she’ll find a way back here!
Someone knocked on her door, and she jumped, startled. But of course it couldn’t be Twilight.
She reluctantly got up and opened the door, only to be greeted by a gentle hug by Rarity. “Sunset! How are you holding up, dear?” Sunset wriggled free of the hug—nice and soft and comforting, but not the hug she was craving right now—and let Rarity come inside.
She was accompanied by Rainbow Dash who gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Hey Sunset, how’s it going?”
“Guys, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked as she led them into the kitchen.
“We came to make sure that you are alright,” Rarity said and sat down. “We would have been earlier, but the police officer insisted on taking our statements at the precinct. It was so—anyway, that’s not important right now. How are you doing, Sunset?”
“Well, thanks, I guess, but… no.” Sunset also pulled out a chair and settled down. “Can’t say that I am alright.”
“You didn’t get injured in the accident though, did you?” Rarity asked.
“No,” Sunset replied. “At least not physically, I guess.”
“You seemed a bit conked out,” Rainbow remarked, leaning against the door frame.
“Yeah, that magical eruption or whatever it was knocked me down. When… when it happened. But it doesn’t seem to have any long term effects, I think.” At least not on her. The book, now that was a whole different story…
“Well, that’s something, right?” Rainbow said. It was almost painful to hear how hard she tried to put on an optimistic façade. Painful and a little bit demeaning—Sunset wasn’t a foal after all!
“Yeah,” Sunset agreed sarcastically. “Super awesome.”
“Ahh,” Rarity chimed in, “um… yes. I take it that means you haven’t found a way to contact Twilight?”
“I have texted her through the book. I think the message got sent, but she hasn’t replied,” Sunset said with a hoarse voice. “The book got damaged by that eruption, and maybe hers is worse…” She choked on her own words and exhaled in one long painful sob. The horrible truth she had been skirting around all afternoon was finally sinking in. Twilight was perhaps not going to reply.
Rarity was at her side immediately and put her arms around her. Sunset buried her face in her own arms on the table as more sobs shook her. All she could see before her mind’s eye was Twilight’s face, her beautiful eyes, her warm smile… and all she could think about was how much she longed for Twilight to be with her, and that she wasn’t, she couldn’t, and that she didn’t even know if her Twilight was alright…
She didn’t know how long she cried in Rarity’s arms, with Rainbow watching. Eventually she ceased, not because it had stopped hurting, but because she didn’t seem to have any tears left, at least for the time being. She felt like after a thorough beating; everything hurt. Rarity wordlessly handed her a handkerchief with embroidered initial, and Sunset wiped her eyes.
“Better?” Rarity asked. Sunset just shook her head. “I see.” She exchanged an uneasy look with Rainbow Dash, who looked confused and shrugged. “Sunset, darling, I don’t know how to tell you this…”
“Just spill it,” Sunset said. How bad could it be after all?
“The person who caused the accident—“ Rarity began.
“Twilight,” Rainbow chimed in.
“She’s not,” Sunset said softly. “She’s not Twilight. She may be her local lookalike, but that person isn’t any more Twilight than you and me.”
“Right. You saw her.”
“Yes. What about her?”
“She was taken to the hospital after AJ and I pulled her out of the car,” Rainbow reluctantly said. “Probably nothing serious.”
“Fluttershy went to the hospital to see how she’s doing,” Rainbow Dash explained. “She hasn’t sent news yet, but she will.”
“Why bother?” Sunset asked incredulously. How was that chick, the one who’d caused the accident, of any interest?
—for all I care she can die of a brain aneurysm it’s all her fault after all—
The hateful voice inside her—this time she welcomed it. It spoke the truth.
Rarity shot Rainbow Dash a warning glance. “Ehehe, you know Fluttershy,” Rainbow tried to play it down. “She cares for everyone…”
“Aren’t you interested in… what exactly happened?” Rarity asked.
“No,” Sunset said flatly. “I know what happened, and I sure don’t need her explanations. If I never have to see her face again that’ll be too soon.” That face that looked so much like Twilight’s, but wasn’t.
Suddenly she felt exhausted. She didn’t want to have to deal with all of this, with that girl that wasn’t Twilight, and with her friends’ care, and without Twilight… Abruptly she stood up. “I need to lie down for a bit.”
“Sure,” Rainbow said and moved out of the way.
“Um, Sunset, dear?” Rarity called after her. “Would you mind if we stuck around? You know, in case you need us later, when you wake up?”
“Knock yourselves out,” Sunset said, “just leave me alone for a bit.” Without waiting for another response she retreated to the bedroom where she flopped on the bed—not without a wistful glance at the book that was still lying on top. No buzz, no message, no Twilight. She grabbed the second pillow—Twilight’s pillow—and hugged it tight, curling up on the duvet. With closed eyes she tried to imagine she was once more holding on to Twilight.
But it remained just a stupid old pillow.
***
“We can’t leave her alone like this,” Rarity said an hour later after taking a quick look into the bedroom where Sunset Shimmer was still resting.
“Duh.” Rainbow Dash stretched her legs. “So if you can hold the fort for an hour or so, I can quickly pick up some stuff from home and crash here.”
“Why, of course, dear. Can you really stay the night? Won’t your parents—?”
Rainbow waved it off. “My folks are cool, they won’t mind. ‘sides, as you said, we can’t leave her alone like this.” Her phone beeped, and Rainbow read the new message. “Flutters. She’s on her way here now. She says they’re keeping Twilight… the other one, that is, in the hospital for the night, but nothing serious.”
“The other Twilight,” Rarity repeated.
“I wonder what her story is. You still think we should check up on her once she’s out of hospital?”
“Yes, only… maybe we shouldn’t tell Sunset Shimmer. She seemed less than excited by the prospect.”
“No kidding,” Rainbow deadpanned. “I got the vibe that she’d bash that girl’s face in if she ever met her.”
“Yes, I too sensed something along those lines.” She cleared her throat. “Not that I can blame her, really.”
“Yeah.” Rainbow uncomfortably scratched the back of her head. “Man, I really hope our Twilight is alright. I mean, it looked like she got back through the portal just in time, but…” She trailed off.
“We just have to assume the best,” Rarity said. Her slightly shaky voice betrayed her worry.
“Yeah.”
For another minute the two girls sat in silence. Then Rainbow stood up. “I’ll bail and pick up my stuff. Be right back. Just text me if anything is up.”
“I just fear that this may be awhile before things get better,” Rarity said.
“No kidding,” Rainbow repeated. “It’s just gonna take as long as it takes. But we’ll get her through this, no matter what.”
***
When her parents had left her, Twilight Sparkle resisted the overwhelming urge to take the hospital pillow and press it on her face. Her head was still hurting a bit, and she didn’t think rash movements would be a good idea. So instead she just rested her hand on her face in a feeble attempt to block out as much of the world as possible. Including this absolute disaster of a day.
They wouldn’t even allow Spike to visit her! She really could have used her best friend’s company after everything that had happened. At least she would return home the next day, but she would still have to stay home and rest for an entire week. The doctor had made it very clear that even light reading such as the thermodynamics book her parents had brought to the hospital for her was forbidden. It would be a wonderful week. And after that…
She was grounded, of course—although even her dad had admitted that grounding her while she was confined to the bed was somewhat inefficient. He was making a point; Twilight understood that much. She had never been grounded before. She hoped her dad would show mercy—how was she going to keep up to speed with her science projects if she was barred from long weekends in her school laboratory?
And she wouldn’t be allowed to use the car until she got some extra lessons in with her dad. After it was repaired, of course. Her dad had used some disconcertingly high numbers when he enumerated the damage her crash had caused. And that was before even considering the damage caused to the statue and the plinth.
Twilight knew she should feel bad about this, but the one thing really troubling her was—because of her, the portal was destroyed. There was no way anyone would ever be able to figure out where it had led, and what the visitors had wanted here. The only records in existence were the readings on her energy meter and some grainy screenshots of the drone camera.
Science had taken a huge blow, only because she was too useless to drive a car! It was so frustrating that she could have cried.
She hadn’t been able to check her equipment yet. She just hoped that the energy meter had survived the crash. And, if she was really lucky, it even had recorded something. After all, the instant before the crash the visitor had come through.
The visitor that had looked just like her.
Maybe it was some sort of projection, she mused, some sort of mind control trick, and to each onlooker the visitor always just looked like the onlooker themselves. Twilight tried to cling to this theory, because somehow the idea of alien mind control seemed less frightening than having a transdimensional doppelganger.
The only downside was, it didn’t fit.
The girls who had pulled her out of the car, and had stayed with her until the ambulance and the patrol car arrived, had known her name. And they had been friends with the visitor, as her drone pictures proved. In combination, this strongly supported the idea that the visitor was in fact a doppelganger, and it was the doppelganger who those girls knew.
Maybe they had been mind-controlled too, and… Twilight groaned. Nope. She was only deluding herself. Even worse, she was being unscientific. She tried to bend the facts, the undeniable data, so that it matched the outcome she desired. It was the supreme fallacy a scientist could commit.
So. A doppelganger.
She didn’t like anything about this hypothesis. Scientifically speaking.
***
Sunset was vaguely aware that Rainbow Dash had set up camp in the kitchen, but she didn’t care too much. Sometime earlier Fluttershy had dropped by, and later she and Rarity had left again. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that her friends were doing their best to be there for her, because they cared for her. She would have liked to be grateful for their efforts, but she didn’t have it in her to give a buck. As much as she liked her friends, what could they do to ease her pain?
What she needed was Twilight.
But the book remained silent.
At least some of Twilight’s messages were still readable on the intact pages. They were hard to read because even those pages were darkened by the sheer magical energy, but Sunset anyway knew most of them by heart, and thus didn’t even need her bedside lamp.
Like this one, from their first night of texting: I won’t leave you hanging, though!
She remembered how she had smiled at the frankness of Twilight’s pledge to support her. By then she had probably been halfway asleep, and she was still pushing through to be there for Sunset—although they had hardly known each other back then. Had she liked Twilight even back then? Looking back now it seemed hard to imagine how she could have ever felt different.
Or this one, on the following page: But you don’t have to come pick me up. I think I know the way by now, and it might get late.
How proud had Twilight been of her growing ability to navigate the human city all by herself! Not that Sunset would have minded one bit to pick her up—but she had sensed that Twilight wanted to do it this way. Not because she didn’t want to be picked up, but because she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. After all, Sunset had met her at the portal many times after that time. For her it had mostly been a way to see Twilight sooner when she was coming over.
Or this one: You were right—how are we going to make it through those two days? I hadn’t anticipated it to be this hard to be away from you!
Two days, Sunset thought wistfully. Not even a week ago two days of separation had seemed like an eternity, like an almost unbearable burden that they could only endure by humorous commiseration. Two days… if she could see Twilight again after no more than two days, she would rejoice. Two days! She snorted. Two days was nothing.
She absentmindedly wiped away a fresh tear. There wasn’t even going to be a “miss you”-message. She would have gladly settled for one of those.
And the last thing Twilight had ever written her: I’m practically ready, I should be there in ten minutes. Are you picking me up? ❤
Twilight had actually drawn the little heart with eyes and a unicorn horn. The Sunset Shimmer of old might have scoffed at this level of cuteness—but ever since Twilight had stepped into her life, and since her feelings for the Equestrian princess had started to grow, she had come to like those little tokens of affection. With Twilight, such cutesy-wutesy stuff wasn’t embarrassing at all. It was just nice.
Sunset retraced the little heart with the tip of her finger. Her vision grew blurry, and she sniffled, trying her best to keep it down. She didn’t want to deal with someone trying to comfort her just now, when there clearly was no comfort to be found.
The last thing she wrote me was a little heart, she thought. Just how cute is that?
She quietly cried into her pillow until she fell into an uneasy sleep.
***
Time crawled. At glacial speed. If it was passing at all.
Sunset read what remained of the messages Twilight and she had sent each other. She retraced every letter with her finger, cherished in every memory she had of writing or receiving them.
Rainbow Dash was there, then Rarity, then Fluttershy, then Rainbow Dash again. They sometimes looked into her room and tried talking to her, but Sunset only gave short replies and didn’t engage in conversation.
She appreciated that they were trying to be there for here, she really did—something she had learned from Twilight. But she wasn’t in the mood for any company other than the book. At some point Rarity silently put a bowl of ramen on her nightstand, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat.
What was Twilight eating? Was she well enough to eat at all?
She cried some more. The ramen grew cold.
Time crawled. When she slept at all her sleep was short and light, and if anything she felt even more exhausted when she woke up. She was vaguely aware that it was night—it was day—it was night again.
Rarity stood in her door again. Was she waiting for a reaction?
“What is it?” Sunset asked.
“I have to leave soon. Tomorrow is a school day. Will you be alright on your own?”
Sunset pondered the question. “No.”
“Oh darling,” Rarity said, sounding hoarse. “I know, I’m sorry, what I meant was…”
“Will I harm myself.”
Rarity swallowed hard, then nodded. “I… will you be safe?”
Sunset laughed without joy. “Don’t worry. I’m too stubborn to make it that easy for anyone.”
“Will you be in school tomorrow?”
“I don’t know,” Sunset said. School seemed like a completely meaningless concept.
“It might be good for you to get out, darling. Instead of… if you don’t mind me saying it, instead of brooding in here.”
Images of the school hallways. Class. Cafeteria food. Dealing with other students. “I don’t know if I’ll make it, Rares,” Sunset said. “Don’t count on it.”
“I’d say you’ll get a demerit, but I doubt you mind too much.”
Sunset realized that Rarity was just trying to brighten up the mood. But she didn’t have it in her to even smile at her feeble attempt. “Nope.”
“Could you at least text me tomorrow when you wake up? Just so I don’t have to worry?”
“Geez, Rarity—“ Sunset rolled her eyes. But then she recognized the hurt in Rarity’s eyes. Rarity was truly worried about her, and everything she had done all weekend long was make sure that Sunset was okay. Or at least not getting worse. Her expression softened a little. “Yeah, fine, I’ll text you.”
Rarity gave her a meek smile. Then she walked up to Sunset’s bed and gave her a quick and gentle hug. “Be safe, Sunset.”
“I’ll do my best,” Sunset said. Rarity didn’t catch on to her sarcasm and left after giving her another smile.
School. What a ridiculous idea.