//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 // Story: Twilight's Twinlight // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 24 ___________________________________________________________ “I’m never going to figure out where I’m going is in this castle!” Starlight Glimmer groaned as Twilight led her back out into the hallway. Starlight had been trying, for what felt like the umpteenth time, to find the dining area for lunch, but had somehow found herself in the bathroom… twelve times today alone. Twilight gave a light laugh. “You’ll get the layout in time, Starlight. No need to worry. Even I had trouble getting used to this place after moving in.” “Avoiding the castle for over a week didn’t help,” Spike snickered, earning him a whap up the head by a wing. Starlight just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but it’s been three weeks now and I’m still getting lost, Twilight. I’m honestly amazed I found the map room when I came here. If I hadn’t clearly fluked into finding that room, I’m pretty sure I’d have been wandering around this place for days before you or Spike even knew I was here!” “Ken was the same,” Spike nodded, folding his arms. “Took her a bit to get used the castle, but she spent a good amount of time exploring once she’d settled in. I honestly think she knows her way around the castle better than Twilight.” “I’ve been meaning to ask about that?” Starlight cocked an eyebrow at the lavender mare. “Why hasn’t Ken been back since we returned to our time? Where’s she been these last three weeks?” Twilight’s face paled slightly and she gave a loud cough. “I… um… well…” The universe apparently hated Twilight at this moment, as she was interrupted by a flash of lavender light appearing in front of them. When the light faded, Ken was there, but she wasn’t the only Alicorn. The double of Twilight was flanked on either side by the two Alicorn sisters, with Luna on her left and Celestia on the right. Twilight froze in place. “Hi, Mom!” Princess Celestia smiled, waving. “Can I have a raise on my allowance?” There was a long silence, in which Twilight just stared at the white mare, her eyes pin pricks… before they rolled into the back of her head and Twilight collapsed to the floor, unconscious. “Tia!” Ken said angrily, followed by Celestia yipping as she was smacked across the flank by a magical hand. “I told you not to play that joke!” “What?” Celestia gave a pleading, innocent look, wilting from the smaller mare’s glare. “How could I resist?” Starlight just stared, her brain not fully able to process the image of Princess Celestia cowering next to a pony less than half her size before her. The sight did not compute and was confusing the hay out of her. “Indeed,” Princess Luna said disapprovingly, before pouting and muttering under her breath, “I didn’t get my chance to join in before she fainted.” Starlight’s brain was threatening to shut down as she watched Ken do the same to Princess Luna as she had Princess Celestia, getting the exact same response. What in the wide world of Equestria was going on here?! Ken sighed, rubbing her forehead with a wing. “I had hoped three weeks had been long enough for her to acclimatize. I see she still needed more time. I’m going to have my hooves full when she wakes.” “Can somepony or dragon please explain what in the hay just happened?!” Starlight yelled, waving a hoof in the direction of the unconscious princess. Ken gave her an odd look. “Wait. In three weeks, neither Twilight or Spike told you?” “Hey, in my defence, it never really came up whenever Twilight wasn’t around,” the dragon said, holding his claws up defensively. “I tried to explain, but the chance never really appeared.” “Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that was planned by her?” Ken sighed, shaking her head, before turning around to face the two taller Alicorns. “See you two, later, okay?” The two mares nodded eagerly, before nearly causing Starlight’s brain to really shut down as the three shared a tender nuzzle as if they were mother and daughters. There was a pair of flashes and the two Alicorns were gone. Ken sighed, before turning around, lighting her horn. Twilight was encased in the glow and lifted upwards, before being rested on Ken’s back. “Let’s get her to bed, then Spike and I can fill you in on everything, Starlight. Though,” Ken gave a sheepish smile, “you’ll probably wanna sit down for it.” ___________________________________________________________ “Going somewhere, Mom?” I start, turning around to see Spike standing by the door. I’m standing on the balcony of the castle. It’s night now, Luna’s moon high in the sky. “Well…” I say, looking from my son to the night sky. “I just wanted to go for a flight around town. It’s such a nice evening and I don’t feel like going to bed yet.” “I’m coming with,” he says confidently, arms folded. I frown. “No, you’re going to bed, mister.” He shrugs. “I’m not tired. Plus,” he sighs, looking back, “I kinda wanna get out of the castle. Ya know, get a feel for flying before my molt kicks in.” I open my mouth to argue, but blink, frown as I think it over, before sighing. “Fine, but you’re going to do as you’re told, got it?” “Yes, Ma’am,” he salutes, before cringing as I wince. “Oh, right. Sorry.” I sigh. “It’s alright, Spike. I’m still adjusting to my memories and everything else we’ve been through. It’s not your fault.” He jogs over, hopping up onto my back and I take off. We soar over the peaceful town, myself having to wipe tears from my eyes. “I’d never thought I’d see this place so peaceful again.” “Yeah,” Spike says quietly, leaning a little to look down too. “It is a bit odd, huh, after everything we went through in that Sombraverse?” I blink, glancing back at him, an eyebrow raised. “Sombraverse?” He shrugs. “Dash and I agreed it was the best way to quickly explain it. I mean it’s a lot faster and easier to explain by saying Sombraverse than that altered timeline with the war against King Sombra.” I think for a moment, before nodding. “I guess you have a point. What do you call the one where my Luna took over Equestria as Nightmare Moon?” He shrugs. “Nightmareverse.” I deadpan. “Really creative.” He rolls his eyes. “At least I didn’t drop the whole “You’re Celestia and Luna’s Mom and Twilight’s marefriend/wife-to-be all at once.” “That… probably could’ve gone better,” I blush, trying to look anywhere but at him, a thankfully easy task when you’re flying and have to keep facing ahead. “So, when’re you both going to be officially married?” he asks, no doubt chuckling at the obvious blush I’m wearing. I cough. “Well… all things considered, we still need to inform Equestria about it first. I’d say we’ll try… maybe a month or two before Cadance has her baby?” “Hmm. Makes sense,” Spike muses. “You both may have had time to get romantic with each other in those altered timelines, but it’s not even been a month since we— WHOA!” Spike yells, cutting himself off as I frantically try to backpedal my flight path as what I can best describe as a portal has suddenly opened up right in front of us. I’m too close to stop, however and we fall right through, myself barely getting a glance of a bunch of multi coloured humans before my body feels like it’s all pins and needles, my wings barely working probably. Spike and I both cry out as I can’t get my bearings and we fly, head first into something hard, sliding down and slumping to the ground. “KEN!” six familiar voices yell in worry, the sound of running footsteps coming our way. ___________________________________________________________ The girls all stared, wide eyed at the hole in the sky, through which, despite it being the middle of the day, they could see the night sky with a full moon. “It also causes these corresponding rifts to appear!” Their universe’s Twilight said frantically. “I don’t know how that works either.” Sunset Shimmer had been struggling to keep her cool, and her grip on her anger was waning fast. “Is there anything you do know?! Like how to get our magic back?! Or how to fix the portal to Equestria?!” The glasses wearing girl’s expression of anxiety mixed with confusion. “Equestria?” “You’re supposed to be so smart,” Sunset snarled, pointing at the purple girl, “but did you ever think you shouldn’t be messing with things you don’t understand?” She punctured her words by grabbing the pendant and slamming it shut angrily. However, before anyone could say anything else something shot out of the portal right before it closed, two very familiar cries coming from it. The group watched, shocked as Ken flew out the portal, Spike riding on her back. Or, at least, it looked like it. Somehow, the girl was already Ponied Up, though it looked like she was struggling to move her wings properly at all, so whether it actually was Spike on her back or not was hard to tell with how much she was flailing around. The girl tumbled through the sky, careening through the air and slamming into the wall of the school. “KEN!” the girls all cried, hurrying over where the girl lay slumped against the wall, Spike lying next to her, looking very dazed. “Uh…” the girl groaned and Rarity and Sunset leaned down to help her sit up, resting her back against the wall, Fluttershy picking up the prone purple dog. “Ken, are you alright?” Sunset asked anxiously. “Hmm,” she groaned, rubbing her head. “That was not a fun evening flight at all.” She looked up at them, blinking, her expression weary. “What happened? Last thing I remember is a portal opening up and falling through it, then everything went nuts.” “Our world’s Twilight somehow opened a portal to Equestria and you must’ve been right where it was,” Dash said, pointing behind her with a thumb. The lavender girl blinked, frowning slightly. “Your world’s Twilight?” “How is there another version of me and my dog?!” a frantic voiced called from behind. The girls all turned to see the glasses wearing girl staring, wide eyed, pointing frantically at the girl lying prone against the wall. There was a pause as Ken just stared blankly at the double of her sister. “What?” ___________________________________________________________ I just stare blankly at the girl who looks so much like myself and my marefriend. My head is pounding and I don’t understand what’s going on at all. The girl starts anxiously walking towards us, before Applejack hurries forward, putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders, stopping her. “Whoa, there, Sugarcube. Let’s wait a minute.” “I… but… what?” this world’s Twilight says, looking like she’s about to shut down from an overload. “That there gizmo absorbed magic whenever we were Ponied Up,” the farmer says, her words confusing me. “Let’s just wait til she returns t’ normal afore you get too close.” This world’s Twilight looks from Applejack to me, her expression worried and hurt, before a sad look of resignation comes over her and she slowly nods. Sunset and Rarity help me stand up, my head starting to clear a little. I blink, looking around at them, then their world’s Twilight. She’s staring at me, her eyes filled with so many questions, probably more than I could even answer. “You can’t possibly call that a fair race,” an angry voice says. I look past the girls to see a woman who looks kinda familiar talking to Celestia, Luna and someone who remains me of Cadance standing behind her. “Principal Cinch, we all saw what happened. You can’t think CHS had some kind of advantage,” the white woman says. Wait. Cinch? If my brain weren’t still realigning itself, I’d probably know why that name seems familiar to me. Geez, sudden dimensional travel without warning really is hard on the noggin. “Can’t I?” this Cinch woman says firmly. “Even without your trained attack plants, your students have wings!” Attack plants? What? “Well, the race certainly had some...” Celestia looks a little uncertain, “extenuating circumstances. Perhaps we should end the games now and declare a tie.” The other woman apparently really doesn’t like that. “A tie? Was this your strategy all along? To force us into accepting you as equals? I think not. The games will continue and Crystal Prep will prevail despite your antics and whatever performance-enhancing regimen your students are on.” She then turns around, her expression firm. “Come, Twilight.” At the girl’s anxious expression, I feel a need to defend rising up. Cinch keeps looking to this world’s Twilight, before scowling. “I said come along!” This world’s Twilight gives a scared squeak. That snaps me out of it. Altered universe version or not, no one speaks like that to Twilight, or a child. Not while I’m around. I shake my head, before glaring and step in front of the girl. “She’s not going anywhere!” Cinch blinks, her eyes darting between Twilight and myself, the confusion evident. The others seem to catch on and gathered around their Twilight. That seems to make Cinch decide to put the fact Twilight and I look alike aside, her eyes narrowing. “And why you do think that, child? She is my student. She will do as her principal tells her!” “Yes, she’s your student,” I say, pointing at the woman, “but that does not give you the right to tell her what to do outside of anything to do with school.” She gives me a slightly confused look, before it turns condescending. “Since Crystal Prep is taking part in the Friendship Games and Twilight is competing, it does fall under anything to do with school, as you put it.” Wait. The Friendship Games? But, by my estimate, shouldn’t those have finished before I returned to Ponyville? Never mind, I’ll worry about that later. I cock an eyebrow. “Is she competing at this exact moment?” Cinch blinks, before cocking an eyebrow, looking bored. “No. Your point?” “Last I checked, it is not the principal’s decision how a student lives her social life!” I step forward, my eyes narrowing. “Until the next round is about to start, Twilight is free to do as she wishes.” Cinch blinks, before she scowls. “What am I supposed to care about her social life? What Twilight does in her free time is of little interest to me. While here, I —” she folds her arms, “all of Crystal Prep require her complete focus.” I fold my arms. “So, even if she needs the bathroom, she has to forgo that to focus on the games?” Cinch looks confused for a moment, before scoffing. “Of course not. Her free time is hers to use as she sees fit —” “Then we’re done here,” I interrupt her, waving a hand. “Now, shoo. Buzz off and let the kids talk amongst themselves.” That seems to touch a nerve as she snarls, stomping towards me. “You insolent child! You dare to —” She reaches out to grab me and my hand shoots up, I whirl around and pin her to the ground, her arm behind her back. There’s a stunned silence as I remain holding her down, my eyes narrowed in a harsh glare. “You dare try to assault a child?!” I snarl, breathing heavily. “You dare to insult the Cinch of my universe by trying to bring harm to someone younger than you?! How the two of you are the same being I cannot understand. If she were here, she’d flay the flesh from you bones for daring to lay even a finger on a child!” “Ken!” I blink, glancing up to see Spike looking at me from Fluttershy’s arms, his expression worried. Blinking again, I growl, releasing the woman forcefully. She quickly gets up, her expression saying she’s about to scold me, when her face falls upon seeing my own. “Leave!” I hiss. “Twilight does not belong to you. If she wants to hang around with students of CHS for any reason, you can’t stop her. Now go!” I think I somehow managed to slip a little of the Royal Canterlot Voice in there, because, while she continues to glare, something in her expression tells me she realizes she can’t win her. She stomps off in a huff as the three other woman hurry over to us. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop all this from happening,” Sunset says as the three reach us. Celestia shakes her head. “It’s not your fault, Sunset.” Sunset’s expression becomes pained. “Isn’t it? I should know how to control the magic I brought here. But I don’t. I let everyone down. And now Principal Cinch thinks we’re cheating.” Celestia shakes her head again. “It doesn’t matter what Principal Cinch thinks.” Sunset clenches her fists. “But it does. The students here at CHS don’t just wanna win. They wanna beat Crystal Prep. It isn’t gonna count if the other side doesn’t really think they lost. Crystal Prep is never gonna believe we won fair and square if there’s magic around. And that magic is only around... because of me.” “We can worry about the magic later,” Luna says, looking to me. “Princess Ken, are you sure that was the wisest decision?” I scowl, folding my arms. “I was acting in self-defence. Plus, if she tries to claim I assaulted her, who’s she gonna be able to put that claim to? I live in another world. I highly doubt the courts would accept “A double of my student from a parallel world assaulted me, arrest this girl who does not exist in any school record” as a viable defence.” There’s a long pause as what I said sinks in, before everyone looks around at each other, unsure how to react. “Anyway,” I say, looking to Twilight, “the more pressing matter is why a portal to Equestria opened up in the middle of the sky, being the whole reason my son and I ended up here in the first place.” “Son?” I blink, glancing around at all of them, before blinking and facepalm. “Right. You all wouldn’t know it. I’ll explain later, but, first, can someone explain how that portal opened to begin with? And what was that about absorbing magic?” “Okay, but, well, no biggie, but CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THERE’S ANOTHER ME AND MY DOG?!” this universe’s Twilight yells, warning signs of a Twilighting coming. I sigh, shaking my head, before clearing my throat. This is going to take a while. ___________________________________________________________ “Well… wow,” is all Rainbow Dash can say as we all sit by the Wondercolts statue. We have all been spending the last half hour or so exchanging information. Unfortunately, it has been bad news more so than good. The portal that Spike, currently resting on my lap, and I fell through was caused by this world’s Twilight somehow accidently stole the portal’s magic and, not quite knowing how to control it yet, when the device holding it had remained open after stealing Dash’s magic, had opened the portal. Along with explaining the alternate timelines and why I see Spike as my son now, we’ve been trying to theorize how to get the magic out of Twilight’s device and back into both the portal and the girls. So far… we’ve come up with nothing. “This is so weird,” Twilight says as her Spike sniffs me and my son. “You… you really do look and sound like me.” “She gets that a lot,” my Spike smirks. “So, your world’s Spike talks because he accidentally got exposed to Fluttershy’s magic as Twilight was draining it?” I ask, looking around the group. The glasses wearing girl nods, looking down in shame. “I didn’t mean to steal it, it just…” I shake my head, smiling as Sunset puts a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Twilight, it isn’t your fault. I mean, once you realized what it was doing, it is kinda your fault for not putting it away or locking it or something, or even asking for help, but, having met this world’s Cinch, I can understand why.” “I’m glad I don’t go to Crystal Prep,” Fluttershy says, looking away. “Why do you even stay there, Twilight?” Sunset asks, looking to her. “If that’s really what being at Crystal Prep is like, you’ll never be able to enjoy yourself.” “She could come to CHS?” Pinkie Pie suggests, hugging the purple girl from behind. I frown, folding my arms. “Transferring schools isn’t that easy, but, Cinch wouldn’t legally be allowed to stop you either. If you want to transfer schools, it’s your right as a student. Not that we should pressure you, or anything,” I add, holding up my hands. “Us making you come to CHS would be no different than Cinch forcing you to. It has to be your choice, Twilight.” The glasses wearing girl takes her compact in her hands, looking down at it for several long moments, before sighing. “I… I honestly never really looked at it that way, but… I’ve never been happy at Crystal Prep. I just don’t fit in there.” “Not t’ mention how messed up it is Cinch threatened yer future education to force ya ta compete in the games,” Applejack scowls. I snarl, digging my nails into my arms. “She doesn’t deserve she share the name of Equestria’s Cinch. What she did is illegal!” “I wish I didn’t have to keep competing against you all in the next round,” Twilight looks to us all. “I never really wanted to be in these games and now I want to even less. I just want them to end.” We all sit quietly for a bit. “So… I guess you should thank me then,’ Dash says suddenly, smirking, putting her hands behind her head. “Huh?” we all look to her, confused. She looks at me, a sly grin on her face. “If not for my dare at the sleepover, you and Twilight might never have hooked up.” I blush heavily, Twilight joining me, even if she’s not the Twilight to whom Dash is referring. “At least your Twilight isn’t going to be freaking out about learning she’s gonna be the mother to Celestia and Luna,” my Spike chuckles. There’s a pause. “Um… come again?” Applejack cocks an eyebrow. He nods, grinning. “With Ken being Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s mother, when she and Twilight get married, Twilight will be their mom too.” He cocks an eyebrow, glancing back at me. “Though, I can’t help wondering why she hasn’t figured out you both technically need to get married, first before she’s their mother too.” There’s another pause. “Married?!” the girls all shout. “Twilight!” a firm voice I don’t recognize says and we all turn to see a group of five students walking towards us, their uniforms indicating they’re from Crystal Prep, just like Twilight. A quick look to each lets me recognize them as Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, Indigo Zap and Sour Sweet, the expression on the last one definitely making that a fitting name and all intentions to talk about my relationship with my world’s Twilight are halted. At once, the named girl wilts, both Spikes hopping over to stand in front of her defensively, growling. The Crystal Prep girls all pause, though whether it’s because of the two angry dogs or the fact they’ve just spotted me is hard to say. “What do you want?” Dash demands, getting up, fists clenched. “Principal Cinch said we should come and get you,” Sour Sweet says sweetly, before she scowls. “Not that we wanted to.” “Why’re you hanging with these Canterlot kids, anyway?” Indigo Zap asks, her eyes coming back to me. “And since when did you have a twin sister who went to their school?” “Last I checked, being a student of Crystal Prep doesn’t come with a rule that you can’t be friends with students from other schools,” Sunset stands up, a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Friends?” Sugarcoat asks, cocking an eyebrow. “Why would you wanna be friends with CHS students?” “At least CHS students treat her like a friend!” I snap, walking to the front of our group. They all look confused. I glare to each girl in turn. “Tell me, when was the last time any of you did something nice for Twilight? A compliment? Lend a hand when she needed help? From what I hear, friendship is a foreign concept to you Crystal Prep brats, Twilight’s only friends in that school being her Sister In Law and her dog! Have any of you ever even thought of Twilight without thinking negatively about her without her even doing anything to warrant it?!” Their expressions turn firm, before confused, then anxious, then shocked. I snort. “I thought so.” I turn around to re-join my friends, before scowling over my shoulder. “You can tell that bitch of a principal of yours that if she can’t accept the fact Twilight isn’t her puppet to do with as she wishes, she can go fucked herself!” The stunned looks on the Crystal Prep girls is only slightly mirrored by my friends as I return to the group. ___________________________________________________________ “Since the score’s tied, the final event will determine the winner of the Friendship Games,” Dean Cadance calls over the mic as everyone is gathered outside the front of the school. Vice Principal Luna takes the mic and holds up two small flags, each with either the Crystal Prep or CHS logo and in their respective colours. “Somewhere on campus, a pennant from each school has been hidden. The first team to find their school’s flag and bring it back wins. “And as soon as our teams are ready, we’ll begin,” Dean Cadance follows up. “Why are you here?!” Cinch snarls as I stand next to Twilight. Said girl backs behind me, while both Spikes stand in front, growling at the woman. “Because I’m making sure you don’t abuse your student,” I snap back. “I’m not a member of CHS and there’s no rule stating I can’t stay with Twilight.” “Yes, there is!” Cinch says, her voice rising. “My rule. I demand you leave, at once!” “So you can blackmail Twilight into using magic she doesn’t know how to control?” I ask, waving a hand at the compact, before pointing firmly at Cinch. “Not on your life, your heartless cow!” Cinch seems to calm down, a smirk forming on her lips. “Since our opponents have already used it to stay competitive, I see no reason why we shouldn’t do the same.” She looks pointedly at the girl behind me. “Unless, of course, you have no interest in Everton—” “Shut your fucking mouth right this second!” I yell, the whole area going silent. I’m clenching my fists, breathing heavily. “I’ve spoken with both Twilight and many others who witnessed the second round! In case you missed it, when Rainbow sprouted her wings, she stopped being in the race. Sunset is the one who crossed the finish line, not Dash. Why? Because she was saving your students! Hell, it was one of your students who unleashed those plants on the field, if accidentally, not ours! If anyone had the unfair advantage, it was your school, Cinch!” There’s silence as my words sink in, the members of Twilight’s team seeming to only now realize this and don’t meet her eyes, their expressions full of guilt… while Cinch is just giving me a cold stare. “How does that mean they did not cheat?” she asks. I feel my right eye twitch. “Uh, Mom?” Spike asks anxiously. “Mom?” several Crystal Prep students asks, looking confused. I feel something welling up in me. My magic is manifesting. “You treat your students like they’re tools for you to use however you wish! You act like they only exist to serve you, and, when they don’t do as you order, you blackmail them!” “I… I would never do something so illegal!” Cinch says, it seeming to hit her that everyone is watching and listening. “You literally just did!” My wings flare out, my hair extends back and my ears turn into pony ears. “You just told Twilight she’d better use the magic she’s accidentally stolen to cheat unless she has no interest in going to an educational program outside of your school! You threatened her future education for your own desires! I will never let someone like you bring harm to a member of my family! Not in this world or any oth—Ah!” I’m cut off as my magic feels like it’s being drained out of me, I slump to the ground, feeling similar to back when I cast that spell back on Hearth’s Warming, my wings and ears disappearing. “Mom!” Spike cries, putting his paws on my arm as I try to push myself up. “Oh no!” Twilight cries from behind me. “No, no-no-no!” I hear some kind of snapping sound. Struggling to push myself up, I look behind me to see Twilight backing away from… my eyes widen in horror. No. No, please, don’t tell me it’s that! The ball of magic pulsates over and over, before a shockwave rings out, forcing everyone either back or to the ground. Sparks of magic shoot from the orb, flying randomly. One hits the Wondercolts statue, causing it to explode… revealing a tear that leads into Equestria. “Ken!” I look up as the rest of the girl hurry over, Sunset helping me to stand up. “I… I couldn’t control it!” Twilight cries, holding the now empty compact. “The moment Ken Ponied Up, I didn’t have time to get away and it took her magic. It must’ve been too much to hold!” “And now the magic’s destroying this world to get back to Equestria!” Sunset looks around. “In our bodies, our magic adapted to fit in this world, but Ken’s from Equestria and lives there. No longer inside her body, her magic is trying to get back, but the rest of our magic and the portal’s is confusing it, causing it to attack the fabric of reality to get back!” “But, if its Ken’s magic, why isn’t it just going back into her?” their Spike asks, looking to me. “She’s right there. If her magic wants to come back to her, why isn’t it?” “Like I said, it’s become confused because of all our magic being mixed with it,” Sunset says, bitting her lip. “Way to go, you moron!” Indigo Zap’s voice yells and we glance to see her and the rest of the Shadowbolts team glaring at Cinch. “What do we do?” Twilight yells, the winds howling around us more cracks appear. “First, help everyone out!” Sunset yells, points to a group of students as a large gaping hole opens up and students fall, struggling to hold onto the edges. We all hurry over and start helping everyone out, myself glancing down and realizing the hole leads to the skies above Ponyville, though it’s clear we can’t do it on our own. Thankfully, Crystal Prep students are also helping. “How do we stop that thing?!” Dash yells once we’ve gotten everyone up safely out of the hole. “I don’t know!” Twilight yells, hands on her head. “I already stole all your magic. You can’t fight your magic without your magic!” I notice Sunset keeps looking to Twilight and it takes me a second to realize why. She’s still holding the compact in her hand. “Twilight, let me see that!” she says, taking it before said girl can actually say anything. At once, it lights up, the rest of the girls shining their Element’s colour. Her eyes widen and she turns to face the writhing ball of magic. “I know you want to return to Ken, but this isn’t the way.” “Is she… talking to the magic?” their Spike asks mine. “I have no idea,” he replies, deadpan. Sunset holds up the compact. “True magic comes from honesty!” Applejack glows with orange light, “Loyalty!” Dash with cyan, “Laughter!” Pinkie with pink, “Generosity!” Rarity with purple, “Kindness!” Fluttershy with yellow energy. “They make most important magic of all...” “And while I’ve only known these girls for a short time, I’m not letting you hurt my friends,” Twilight steps forward, herself glowing with lavender light. This seems to catch her off guard and she looks at herself frantically, before it starts being sucked into the compact too… though, it doesn’t seem to be draining from her. It’s more like she’s lending her magic unintentionally. Sunset slams the compact to the ground, becoming encased in a similar ball of magic. When it fades, she’s wearing some kind of white, angelic-looking outfit, with flaming wings and a large white horn in the middle of her forehead. The girls all look to each other, nod and shout in unison, “The Magic of Friendship!” Sunset thrusts her hands to either side of her, white light flying out and going to every tear, closing them up, before she looks to the orb. She aims her hand at it and a beam shoots forth, slamming into it. The orb shudders, magic lashing out at Sunset, which she blocks with a shield generated from her other hand. She focuses, the beam increasing in strength. The orb flashes and there’s a moment of stillness, before the orb outright explodes, eight beams of magic flying everywhere, hitting the area where the portal comes out, the other girls and myself. Oddly, when my magic returns, Twilight glows stronger, before her ears turns into Pony Ears, her bun breaks as her hair grows longer and wings sprout from her back. Sunset slowly comes down, a red orb that is clearly her own magic held in her hands. She flashes with light, returning to normal, before the orb sinks into her body. She Ponies Up like the rest of us, sighing. “That was… insane,” Applejack looks around. “Did that all really just happen?” “Yeah, I think it did,” Dash points to Twilight, who’s still frantically looking at the new limbs she’s grown. “Principal Celestia,” and angry voice calls out and I turn to see Cinch stomping up towards the Canterlot High heads. “On behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games!” She indicates towards myself and Sunset. “Clearly, CHS has had unfair advantage for quite some time! And it’s certainly obvious that your students have been using magic for their own benefit!” I just stare in disbelief. “Is she serious?” Dash asks, looking around at us and the Shadowbolts. The human version of my eldest daughter gives Cinch a very smug look, though I can tell there’s anger hidden underneath it. “I’d like to think that saving the world benefits us all.” “At least they didn’t manipulate Twilight into accidentally stealing Ken’s magic, causing the device holding said magic to no longer be able to contain it, creating a massive ball of unstable magic that tried to rip the world apart just to win a game,” Sugarcoat says, folding her arms. There’s silence for a moment. “Wow!” Pinkie says, looking shocked. “That’s a lot to take in when you say it all at once.” And coming from any version of Pinkie, that’s saying something. Cinch just glares. “That’s ridiculous!” Their Spike deapans. “Nope, that’s pretty much what happened.” Sour Sweet looks down in shame. “Actually, we’re all to blame.” Her expression immediately turns into a scowl. “Mostly it was her.” Cinch’s right eye twitches, before she turns her glare back to Celestia. “Obviously my students have been infected with your magic, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!” Celestia just smirks. “Good. I’m sure they would be very interested in hearing all about the magical students with wings who cheat by saving the lives of their opponents.” Vice Principal Luna grins. “Oh, and the portals to different dimensions.” Dean Cadance points towards us. "And don’t forget to tell them about the two identical talking dogs and girl who looks just like your own student but isn’t because she’s from another dimension too." Spike smirks from Sci-Twi’s arms “Because that would never ruin your reputation.” Cinch looks around angrily, seeing that no one, not even any one of her own students, is going to back her up, before giving a very posh huffing and walks off. Principal Celestia looks around at all gathered “Well, I know these Friendship Games haven’t been what any of us expected, but—” “Pardon the intrusion, Principal Celestia,” a voice I did not expect to hear says, Discord’s mismatched self appearing in flash of light, startling everyone, “but I’m afraid I must retrieve our princesses and prince.” “Uh, what?” is the woman’s only response. Before any of us can even do more than try to process the fact Discord is standing here in front of CHS, he snaps his talons and Spike and I are suddenly standing outside Sweet Apple Acres, pony and dragon again. “Discord, what…? Why did you just…?” my head is spinning a little, more mind trying to process the sudden change. Discord doesn’t answer. Instead, he pulls out a cuckoo-clock, which goes off seconds later. “Ah, good. Perfect timing. Now your time clocks are back in sync.” “Huh?” is our only response. “Whelp, my work here is done,” he says, ignoring our question. “Toodles.” And with that… he’s gone. “I… but… what just happened?” Spike asks, looking from where the draconequus had been to me. “I don’t… I have no clue,” I sigh, facehoofing and glancing around, frowning. “Wait. Is it almost morning?” Spike glances around, now looking just as confused. “I… think so?” I groan, shaking my head and levitate him onto my back. “Come on. We’d better write in the journal to let Sunset and the others know everything is fine. If she’s anything like our Twilight, their Twilight's gonna be flipping out, thinking something terrible’s happened to us.”