“How much further do you think it is?”
Revan glanced back at Carrot Top, who had an exhausted Diamond Tiara draped across her back, one leg bound in a crude splint, “A few more hours, I think, we’ll rest once we get to the caves. How are you two holding up?” she added, turning to look back at Ditzy and Dinky.
“We can make it,” the gray peagsus replied firmly, wrapping a protective wing around her remaining daughter.
The Jedi only nodded and then turned back as they resume trudging through the forest, ‘We’ve lost Sparkler, Filthy Rich and Minuet, and I haven’t the foggiest idea where we’ll go after the caves, the last word was that Equestria and the Crystal Empire had fallen, and that was weeks ago … No! We’ll think of something! We’ll survive this!’
A loud thump, that shook the very ground, interrupted her thoughts, and sent the twi’lek spinning around, her lightsaber flaring to life in her hand, to stare up at Tirek.
“Ah, more ponies, excellent,” the centaur rumbled, “And a … hmm … well, whatever you are, you have no magic, so I don’t really care,” with a contemptuous wave he opened his mouth and the ponies screamed and collapsed as the giant sucked away their magic and strength.
Revan gave a despairing cry as she flung out her hand and unleashed a massive bolt of lightning that caused Tirek to flinch and step back, only for the wound to evaporate away, “That actually hurt, little gnat,” he chuckled, “A pity for you that you’ll never do any more than that,” the centaur opened his mouth again, and flames filled the Jedi’s vision.
Revan’s eye shot open to stare blankly into the darkness, as her wife’s faint snores filled their bedroom. Inhaling raggedly, the twi’lek rolled over to snuggle up against the mare and try to forget, at least momentarily, the broken recollections that had been haunting her for the last few months.
Unfortunately, her movements, slight as they were, woke Twilight, who twisted in her arms to face her, “Is everything alright, Revan?” the alicorn asked, blinking drowsily.
Revan bit her lip for a moment and actually considered telling her wife a comforting lie, ‘No, I don’t hide anything from Twi’ anymore.’ “It’s just more memories, pika, I’ll deal with it.”
Seeing Twilight’s worried look, the Jedi laughed silently and gave the mare a kiss on the muzzle, “Really, Twi’, I’ll be okay, I know I’m messed up right now, chaos, I have the memories of seven other versions of me rattling around in my head! But you, me, the younglings and the girls, we’ll get through it like we always do.”
“Yes,” Twilight agreed, wrapping her wings around the twi’lek, after a few minutes of cuddling, the alicorn decided to broach a subject that had been bothering her for a while, “Revan, honey, about Starlight ….”
“… Yes?” her wife’s response was almost a growl.
The alicorn flinched slightly at the sudden hardness in Revan’s voice, but she forged ahead determinedly, “Don’t you think you might be being a bit harsh with her? She didn’t realize what she was doing, and she is trying to be a better pony ….”
“Tell that to all of her victims,” Revan snarled, before she flushed and nuzzled Twilight apologetically, “I’m sorry, Twi’eso, you didn’t deserve that.”
Twilight pulled the twi’lek closer, “I know you have good reasons to be suspicious of Starlight, Revan, but all this antagonism isn’t good for either of you, or for our household. And I think letting go of all this anger your carrying might help you with all of these extra memories.” Laying her head on her wife’s shoulder, she continued quietly, “I don’t want to be a downer right before we go on our vacation, but when we get back, could you think about it, please?”
“Let’s see how Starlight does without you watching over her, and then, maybe, we’ll see.”
Later that morning the entire household gathered in a small hall to see the Royal Family off; Starlight Glimmer was talking with Twilight next to the magic mirror that would send them to the “human world” as Twilight had dubbed it, while Spike joked with the four ponies of Twilight’s guard, and Mission bounced eagerly on her hooves, Smarty Pants clutched in her forelegs, while Frolicking Rhyme and Radiance, the palace’s entire staff, watched the little pegasus filly’s eagerness with amusement.
“Is everyone ready?” Revan asked as she walked in, a suitcase in each hand and a backpack over her shoulders, sparking a round of cheers from the two youngsters.
“Actually, aren’t you forgetting something, dear?” asked the alicorn archly, nodding at the twi’lek’s waist.
“Huh?” the Jedi replied eloquently.
“You’re saber, Revan,” explained Twilight patiently.
“Oh, yeah,” dropping the suitcases, Revan ran a hand over her lekku with a rueful grin while several of the others chuckled and Twilight pulled out a checklist and marked it off, “Let me lock it up and then we can be off, Starlight, a word if you don’t mind?”
The unicorn raised a brow in confusion, but followed the Jedi as she quickly walked back to her bedroom and pulled a battered spacer’s chest from beneath the bed, coding open the lock Revan put her lightsaber inside and re-sealed the chest, before turning to look at her companion. As the moments stretched out, Starlight began to shift uneasily under that silent, one-eyed, appraisal, “I don’t like you, Starlight, and I sure as chaos don’t trust you,” the twi’lek finally said, her bluntness drawing an indignant frown from the mare, “Twilight insists that you’ve turned over a new leaf, but we both know she has an almost pathological need to see the best in others. Her and my other vod all say that you’re trying to be a better pony, a good pony, and that I should let the past go, and both Spike and Missi’ think the world of you, the Force knows why. But the thing is, I’ve seen the legions of ghosts that follow your shadow, I lived through everything that you caused with your little scheme, and that makes it damn hard to forgive, never mind forgetting. Oh, and mind controlling my vod’ika? Not a good way to get me to think you’ve changed your ways. So, while we’re off on this trip you have a decision to make, who are you going to prove right … them or me?”
Sunset Shimmer, former personal student of Princess Celestia, former queen bitch of Canterlot High School, and reformed demon, leaned against Applejack’s truck in Canterlot High’s parking lot, the early-spring breeze blowing her hair about and causing the bespectacled girl beside her to shiver slightly. “Here,” she said, draping her leather jacket around the other girl, “Wouldn’t want my little bookworm to catch cold.”
“Thank you, Sunset,” replied Twilight, a shy smile on her lips as she snuggled into the jacket’s warmth.
“Heh, look at ya two, getting’ all lovey-dovey,” Applejack teased from her seat on the truck’s tailgate, “So, what’s this here surprise that tha Princess is bringin’ anyway, Sunset?”
“I guess I can give you girls a hint … she’s bringing some of her family along on this visit.” ‘Let’s see how Sparky and AJ handle it before we spring everything on the others.’
“Really? Who is it?” asked Twilight eagerly, “Oh, oh, is it Shining and Caddy?”
“Simmer down there, Twi’,” laughed the farmgirl, “If’n she tells us everythin’ it won’t be a surprise! Still, now Ah can see why ya wanted ta borrow my truck, what with Fluttershy’s van bein’ in tha shop, an’ all,” she added to Sunset.
Sunset nodded to her friend, before she turned a raised eyebrow on the studious girl beside her, “First you have a minor freak-out over your brother dating Principal Cadance, and now you’re hoping the Princess brings their alternates through?”
“It was a happy freak-out,” protested Twilight defensively, “And besides, we already know that things are not always exactly equivalent between the dimensions, so the Princess’ Caddy and Shining could be engaged or, or, even married!”
Applejack and Sunset exchanged amused head shakes at their friend’s enthusiasm, “So, how are we goin’ ta do this anyway? I mean we got Princess-Twilight an’ Science-Twilight, we can’t be callin’ tha both of ‘em ‘Twi’’ or it’ll get all confusin’, especially for Rainbow Dash.”
“We’ve already thought of that,” Sunset replied, grinning slightly at the farmgirl’s dig at their athletic friend, “For the duration of their visit, Sparky will be ‘Twilight’ and the Princess will go by ‘Twi’'.” The other two girls nodded their understanding, before a flicker on the pedestal of the nearby statue of a rearing horse drew the eyes of all three, a moment later, the pedestal’s side seemed to ripple and two figures stumbled out.
“Hello, girls,” Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria greeted her friends, as she put a steadying hand on the shoulder of a little girl with tousled, black-streaked, purple hair who was gawking about in wide-eyed wonder, “It’s good to see you again.”
“Welcome back,” the three teens replied cheerfully, “An’ who’s tha young’un?” Applejack added curiously.
Hearing the distinctive drawl, the little girl spun around and charged the farmgirl with a massive grin and a cry of “Auntie Applejack!” as she threw herself at the teenager in a hug that Pinkie would have been proud of.
Applejack stared bewilderedly at the child happily clinging to her leg, “Say what now?”
Sunset facepalmed, ‘So much for breaking it to them gently ….’
“Eh he he,” Twi’ laughed nervously, a blush spreading across her cheeks, “Applejack, Sunset, Twilight … I’d like you to meet my daughter, Mission.”
“Hi!” Mission waved enthusiastically to the gathered teens, before her eyes narrowed as she looked over Twilight, “Mommy!” she spun about to face her mother, one hand pointed back at the bemused scientist, “Wook! Wook at Miss Twiwight! I towd you that gwasses were neat!”
Sunset and Twilight shared a light giggle at the child’s behavior, while Applejack was busying staring back and forth between the little girl and her mother in slowly growing concern, “Twi’, Sugarcube, is everythin’ a’right? Some varmint didn’t … hurt ya none, did he?”
“What?” the transformed alicorn’s mouth dropped open as she realized what the farmgirl was suggesting, “No! No, nothing like that. Time … flows differently in Equestria, is all. I’m … umh … older than I look here, in this world.”
“Rrreally …” Twilight turned her bespectacled gaze on the flame-haired girl beside her, “So just how old are you anyway, Sunset?”
“Heheohlookatthetimeweshouldtalkaboutthismuchlater,” the former unicorn sputtered as she desperately looked around for a distraction, “So, where’s Spike and your other half?”
A second flicker at the statue answered her question as a purple and green dog and black-haired, blue-skinned young woman in her mid-twenties stumbled out. Mission immediately squealed “Spikey’s been turned into a puppy!” as she scooped up the dog and began cuddling him, while Twi’ reached out to steady the older woman.
“Are you alright, honey?”
“That hurt!” the woman groaned, running a hand through her hair, and then feeling her face, “A human, huh? Or near enough, anyway. It could be worse, I guess, I was half expecting that damn mirror to turn me into a horse or something.”
Sunset and Applejack exchanged confused glances as Twilight tore her gaze away from the newcomer’s eyepatch and scared cheek and reached for the pen and pad she always kept with her, “Why would you think that the portal would change you into a horse, Miss?”
“Because magic likes to think it has a sense of humor,” the one-eyed woman replied grumpily as she stretched her back, “It’s mistaken.”
“Oh, stop that,” Twi’ chided her, before turning back to the others, “Girls, this is Revan Vao … my wife.”