Sunset Shimmer rose before the sunrise. She took the chance to get showered and dressed before almost anybody else even stirred. The night hadn’t been long enough, but a little caffeine would help offset the jetlag. She couldn’t help but be jittery. Excited. Today was what Starlight and Dr. Sparkle had called the “Awakening.” The time when new students would discover their connection to magic in a real way for the first time.
It wasn’t something Sunset remembered experiencing. Her first memories were of learning simple spells with her grandparents. Too soon after, the memories morphed into those made while wandering the streets of Fillydelphia, an urchin with no guardians to speak of. Stealing to survive. She’d never learned the names of her parents or grandparents. She’d never even learned her birth name. Celestia found her and gave her a home and identity.
Both of which she cast aside in the throes of pride and rebellion.
She breathed in the cool morning air, closing her eyes in the first light of dawn. “Don’t worry, Sunny. You’ll never have to know that sort of pain.”
The breath ended in a surprise yawn covered by a hasty hand. When she lowered her arm, she caught sight of the doctor mirroring her movements. The Twilight from the Reflection stumbled her way towards the dining hall, rubbing her glowing eyes with a curled hand. Sunset took the opportunity to catch up to her.
“Good morning, Doctor.”
“Good morning, Sunset. Just Twilight is fine.” Dr. Sparkle glanced at her newfound companion. Sunset could see prominent bags beneath her eyes. “Even the students don’t bother with the title most of the time.”
Sunset nodded, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Is that a full MagD degree?”
“From Sombra’s School for Extraordinary Foals, yes.” The doctor was dressed in a simple button-up shirt and jeans combo, much like Sunset’s Twilight Sparkle would wear. The resemblance was, now more than ever, extremely uncanny. “That school was my life… for most of my life.”
“Same here.” Sunset gave her a lopsided grin. “Short night?”
“Unfortunately… sleep doesn’t come easy to me.” Dr. Twilight chuffed. She waved a hand vaguely towards the food counter. “A bottle of OJ and I’ll be right as rain.”
“Twilight! Sunset!” Starlight Glimmer waved from her seat beside Double Diamond. “Bring your food over here! We’ve got a big day ahead of us!”
“I’d recommend a lot of protein for the day,” Dr. Sparkle said. “Especially if somebody’s Awakening is powerful enough to require teacher intervention. We have vegetarian options if you need them.”
“Not especially.” Sunset felt a touch of heat warm her cheeks. “I fell in love with cheeseburgers about a month after coming here.”
“Fair’s fair for an omnivore.” The doctor passed her a tray, loading her own with a bowl of fruity oatmeal. “In that case, Sugar Belle’s making sausage skillets today. She tells me they come highly recommended.”
“I’ll look into it.” Sunset did just that, greeting the sunny-dispositioned Sugar Belle and receiving a hefty helping of sausage and eggs. She caught up with the doctor soon after, whose own disposition was brightening visibly with each sip of her orange juice.
Once she’d taken her seat, Starlight leaned in over her plate of eggs. “We’ve only got three students Awakening today. Celestia, Truffle Shuffle, and—” She pulled a face. “—Dulcimer. Sombra’s agreed to assist Celestia, and he’s got the chops to pull it off. I’d appreciate it, Twilight, if you would handle Dulcimer’s, if only so I don’t get the urge to twist his ears off. That leaves you with Truffle, Double Dee.”
Dr. Sparkle swallowed a bite of her oatmeal before replying. “Have you perfected the failsafe spell? If not, then you’ll want me observing.”
“I think I’ve got a good handle on it.”
“Failsafe?” Sunset Shimmer gave Dr. Twilight a wide-eyed stare. “That’s a really high-level spell. You got it to work in this world?”
“It takes a lot of concentration.” The doctor rolled her spoon between her fingers, her eyes turning upward in thought. “The emotion required is just short of sheer panic. We’ve only needed to use it a couple of times during Awakenings. Sometimes, the event acts much like a magic spike you see in developing foals. The dam breaks, and magic rushes forth. People usually don’t have enough magic that it’s a problem—”
“But you shoulda seen Sombra’s Awakening,” Double Diamond chuckled. “Crystals everywhere. It took a week to get the school opened back up.”
Sunset frowned as she turned to Starlight. “Um, there’s something you might wanna know about Celestia…”
“I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Dr. Twilight gave Sunset a small, if confident, smile. “In your world and mine, she is certainly an alicorn. But in this world, she is an unremarkable schoolmarm. Middle-aged and appearing to lack in any sort of magic talent.”
“Unremarkable?” Sunset snorted. “You clearly don’t know Celestia.”
“Be that as it may—” Dr. Sparkle tapped her spoon against her bowl, her eyes taking on the faintest hint of a glower. “—I have a talent for reading other peoples’ magical giftings. She does not have the depths of potential our brightest students have, nor does she seem to have much connection to this world’s faint ambient magic. I suspect she will be one of the slower-progressing students, if she attempts to pursue the field at all.”
“Oh, come on, Twilight.” Sunset noted herself taking on a slightly harsher tone than intended. With her next words, she forcibly put a little more effort into politeness. “You of all people should know that talent isn’t worth much without perseverance. Celestia’s not the type to give up.”
Starlight clapped her hands once in an effort to put a period on their digression. “Well, in the end, it’s up to her to decide. Sunset, I would like you to observe as well. This is…” Her smile grew bright and contagious, genuine excitement building in her voice. “This is without a doubt one of the most exciting things we accomplish here at the magic school. To give people their first taste of real magic is such a gift, to us as well as the students. Real, tangible power. This is what helps remind people of what living really feels like, absent from the idiocy and fear of what people call the ‘real world.’ This is the realest real world, Sunset.”
Sunset kept her face neutral, though she thought Starlight’s words seemed a bit… much. Magic wasn’t a denial of reality, it was simply part of it. “An escape?”
“A rescue.” Starlight grinned at Sunset, wagging an index finger. “I see the doubt in your eyes, but I truly feel that we can change the world for the better here. One person at a time.”
Dr. Sparkle laughed lightly. “She’s right, you know. Starlight can be a little extreme—”
Sunset nearly choked on her eggs.
“—but sometimes it takes someone extreme to make real change.” She stirred her oatmeal, a faint spark in her eye. “I just want a world where people don’t have to trudge through the murk. I want a world where they can stand with their heads held high. Where life isn’t just a series of painful accidents.”
Sunset stewed on that thought for a while. Her life had been one long string of accidents and bad choices. It seemed she couldn’t even commentate on what this Twilight Sparkle said without knowing her situation. Aside from that, how could she say anything without completely understanding her own situation? She could definitely relate. Abandoning Equestria, causing her foster sister Scootaloo to be bullied, briefly becoming a demonic human-alicorn, nearly losing her son to an insane siren…
Sunny.
For some reason, Sunny stood out in her mind. The child she and Shining hadn’t planned on. The one who had changed their lives. “Not all accidents are painful.”
Dr. Twilight Sparkle looked up from her oatmeal. “Beg pardon?”
“Nothing, sorry. Just musing to myself.” Sunset finished chewing a chunk of sausage before continuing. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my time. Most of them terrible.” She shrugged. “But not all of them.”
Double Diamond raised an inquisitive, doubtful eyebrow. “Never heard of a positive mistake before.”
“You’ve never met my friends.”
Starlight Glimmer folded her napkin and stood, lifting her tray in the process. “As tantalizing as that hinted backstory was, we’ve got a school to run. I’ll get to work setting up the courtyard. Double Dee, you know what to do. Twilight, help Sunset get settled in.”
Dr. Twilight’s fingernails shone with magic. Her tray and Sunset’s glided across the room, first dumping their garbage, then finding their way to a sink. “By your leave, my liege.”
“Don’t get cute.” Starlight’s smile and wrinkled nose said that her true thoughts were very different from her spoken words. With a wink at Sunset, she said “Today’s gonna be amazing. Trust me.”
Sunset walked side-by-side with the doctor. Bit by bit, more students entered the mess hall as the teachers made their way out. Sunset greeted familiar faces with a hello, and unfamiliar faces with a smile.
“So…” Sunset leaned her head close to the doctor’s. “You gonna teach me how the failsafe spell works?”
“I can show you how it works.” With a raised hand, Dr. Twilight summoned a series of floating, luminous symbols without breaking stride. “The idea of the spell is the same as it is in Equestria. Designed to break apart other spells to their individual components, rendering them harmless. The process is similar, though the charge-up time is longer, due to the lack of ambient magic. It’s the emotion that was the most difficult part of the breakthrough.” Dr. Sparkle furrowed her brow, rubbing her chin with a cupped hand. “You have to push past the intense concern of Equestria to something much more frantic. It only truly goes off correctly if you manipulate yourself into a very desperate mental state.”
“Sounds…” Sunset winced. “Traumatic.”
“High-level spells have always taken a toll on the user.” Before long, Sunset realized that Dr. Twilight was taking her to the lab where they’d first met. They climbed the stairs quickly, the doctor leading the way. “Teleportation, transmogrification, sustainable shields, mass illusions… One requires a strong body and a stronger mind to be adept with them. The climb just gets steeper in this world.” She flashed a glance over her shoulder to Sunset. “I wouldn’t even have shown you if I didn’t know you were a master wizard in your Equestria.”
Master wizard dropout, but the thought was nice. “Have you attempted any of the other high-level spells?”
They reached the top of the stairs and headed towards the rear of the building. Dr. Twilight kept a hand on the railing. “I’ve always been a prodigy when it comes to illusions. Those come pretty easy for me. Transmogrification and teleportation are way, way beyond my current expertise.” A sadness enveloped her for the briefest moment before she brushed it aside with a breath. “Powerful shields have always run in the family. My brother taught me everything I know.”
Sunset Shimmer pressed her lips tight. She thought to speak, thought better of it, then spoke anyway. How could she and Twilight grow closer if she didn’t open up as well? “Shining Armor?”
Dr. Twilight Sparkle paused before the door to the lab. She lowered her head and cupped her hands, intertwining her fingers. “Will you tell me how you know that name?”
Sunset felt her heart sink at the sight. Dr. Twilight’s face came into view as she half-turned towards Sunset, revealing something between heartbreak and resignation. A sense of being half-dead. She’d lost something, and Sunset had a good idea as to what.
“I’m his wife” came to mind. “He’s the father of my child” was also considered. Before she jumped that deep into it, she thought to start relatively small. “He’s a public figure in my Equestria. He was once Canterlot’s Captain of the Guard. Now, he’s the Prince of the Crystal Empire.”
This Twilight remained silent for a moment, apparently waiting for her to continue. When Sunset hesitated too long, she filled the silence. “Do you know any of his family?”
“You might say that.” Sunset brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Shining didn’t come to power until I’d already left, but his mom was Captain of the Guard when I was Celestia’s student. I always liked Missus Velvet. Real no-nonsense, but still warm-hearted type.”
Intelligence sparkled in Dr. Twilight’s eyes, belying her frown. “You must know what my next question is.”
“I… yeah. Yeah, I do. Twilight.” Sunset twisted the toe of her shoe against the floor, wondering if it was the right moment to be sharing this information. They were about to enter into a huge part of the school’s operation. Distraction couldn’t be good. “It shouldn’t really surprise you that after I abandoned Equestria, she became Celestia’s only personal student.”
Dr. Twilight bobbed her head. She twisted the door handle and pushed her way in. “So you have kept tabs on your home world.”
“Yes?” Sunset followed her in. Dr. Twilight went right to the desk and collected a pile of papers. Apparently notes she’d taken of the new arrivals, since she saw the names of Truffle Shuffle, Celestia, and Hammer Dulcimer at the tops of the sheets. “Every thirty moons, the walls between our worlds fall away, and we can walk through unhindered at a specific location.” Sunset spread her arms out, turning her head to the ceiling with an exasperated huff. “At least we could until somebody stole the mirror on the Equestrian side. Now it’s sealed off until the relic is recovered.”
“So you have another form of communication with them?”
Sunset’s eyes snapped to the doctor. Had she overshared? Under-shared? The topic was certainly interesting, but if she didn’t miss her guess, Twilight seemed to be zeroing in on one aspect specifically.
“You have to, in order to know what’s going on right now.” Dr. Twilight slid the pages into a manilla folder and tucked it under her arm. “Do you have a way to transfer messages? Or some other communication method?”
Sunset decided to play it cool. She crossed her arms and smiled. “You thinking you wanna visit?”
It was unnerving how much Dr. Twilight’s eyes and her mouth told very different stories about the doctor’s mood. Two different expressions; two different mindsets. The smile was friendly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It never reached her eyes.
The eyes were endlessly sad. Endlessly cloudy with anger.
“Yes, someday.” Dr. Sparkle waved for Sunset to follow her back to the ground floor. “Everything I’ve heard about your world is wonderful.”
“Oh, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.” Sunset cracked a grin she didn’t quite feel. The false congeniality in the air was almost overwhelming. “They have their fair share of problems.”
“You should tell me about it sometime.” Dr. Twilight nodded—half to Sunset, half to herself. “When we’re not tied down with schoolwork.”
When they reached the ground floor once again, most of the students had already turned out and were seated or standing along the edges of the indoor courtyard. Sunset waved to Celestia, who had been given a chair in the center of the room alongside Viscount Dulcimer and a newcomer Sunset had briefly seen on the boat ride to the island. Starlight motioned for the teachers, Sunset included, to gather near the entrance doors of the old warehouse.
Starlight took a single step forward and addressed the assembly. “Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come once more to invite new students into the school. These three people are about to experience the most amazing, wonderful thing any of us have ever known for the first time. Because of the awesome power soon to be unleashed, I would like to remind our students to please stay back while the newcomers come to grips with their newfound magic. Trust the teachers to take care of it.”
She smiled at Celestia and Truffle, while pointedly ignoring Dulcimer. “The three of you are about to embark on a journey into mystery. To find your own sense of purpose where society has failed to grant you one. To be more than you ever thought possible. Prepare for your Awakening.”
As Dr. Sombra, Double Diamond, and Dr. Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, Sunset couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that it all felt a little ostentatious for something that she saw as a completely natural, borderline mundane thing. Well, as mundane as magic could ever actually be. Listening to Starlight talk was basically broadcasting Sunset’s internal thoughts about magic… But hearing them spoken out loud, Sunset felt just a little silly.
It was probably just nerves, she told herself. With nothing else for it, she decided to stop overanalyzing things and just enjoy the show.
***
Sombra sat across from Celestia, his face like a statue carved from stone, reeking seriousness. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Celestia laughed nervously. She swiveled her bracelet around her wrist, cutting off a little blood flow as she tightened her grip. “W—well, I thought so. Is there something I don’t know?”
“Just that once you know your own magic, there’s no going back. You’ll never be the same again.” He reached over and took her hands in his. “It’s not a bad thing, no, but it is a vast change. An immediate difference. Are you ready?”
Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath. She tried to force her limbs to stop trembling, but soon found it to be a fool’s errand. “Yeah. I think so.”
***
Hammer Dulcimer’s eyes brightened when Dr. Twilight took the seat across from him. “Well, well, well, the doctor herself. I almost expected Professor Glimmer to be saddled with my Awakening. You’re looking lovely as always.”
Dr. Twilight sighed through her nose, lightly enough that most people couldn’t see it. However, she figured Dulcimer was just perceptive enough to catch it. “Very few people have an understanding of what you’re about to experience. You’re about to touch upon a part of yourself that has been locked away by this world. Hidden from all but the most astute. It is not something to be taken lightly.”
“I assure you, Doctor,” Dulcimer said, leaning in, “I understand the weight of the situation. It has long been a dream of mine to wield magic, just as it has long been a dream of mine to meet you.”
Dr. Sparkle’s mouth lowered at the corners. “Yes, your clandestine inside information. I’ll admit to being curious about that.”
“It’s more than a job, Doctor.” Dulcimer smiled with a shrug. “It’s a… passion. You’re about to change my life for the better.”
With the feeling that she was about to uncage a tiger, Dr. Twilight Sparkle glanced at Sombra and Double Diamond. Celestia’s Awakening was already underway, and Truffle was full of questions for Diamond. No time like the present. “The first thing you need to do is focus very closely on your heartbeat.”
“Take my pulse?”
“If it helps.” As Dulcimer put his fingers to his wrist, Dr. Twilight sent magic running through her fingertips. “You’ve been here a day, now. You’ve seen some of the classes, you observed the students. If you had never seen magic before coming here, you would now know what it looks like. What it feels like. Do you believe you know it?”
Dulcimer nodded slowly. His normally smiling face took on a more introspective look. “Yes. I believe I do.”
Both of Dr. Twilight’s hands shone with luminous purple. “I am going to charge the air around you with ambient magic. As your heart-rate picks up, I want you to feel that magic, then look within yourself. The more your heart pounds, the more your body is manufacturing its own magic. When it seems its reached it boiling point, I want you to allow it to come out.”
“Allow it?”
“If you push it, you could hurt yourself.” Dr. Twilight closed her eyes and directed her magic. It was not quite ambient, unlike what the other teachers were doing. She was searching his depths even as she guided him upwards. Judging his magic and what might come of it. “Just let it flow. To your hands, to your legs, to whatever part of yourself seems natural. We can work from there.”
There was a strange shape to his magic. Unlike any of the other students. Most of them she could categorize into having the basic abilities of an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. Some variation was seen, such as Chrysalis, who very much had the abilities of a changeling. No surprise there. His, though… He had the power of a unicorn, but a talent for something only the most powerful mages and wizards could even attempt.
She opened her eyes. He was breathing heavily. A faint shimmer of magic twinkled from his eyes. His hands trembled as he pressed his fingers against his wrist far harder than was necessary.
“Magic is power incarnate. It is the soul given form.” Dr. Sparkle touched his hand. He nearly flinched away, but all that came of it was a wince. “Do you have the self-control to hold yourself back?”
There, on his fingernails… a spark. As green and brilliant as his eyes. Like flaking snow, first a few, then a flurry danced from his hands. He stared at the miniscule motes of magic with his mouth agape. Dr. Sparkle allowed herself a sense of satisfaction; the Awakening was nearly complete.
In the next moment, though, something changed.
Lightning arced between his fingers. He was attempting to cast a spell before even understanding the mechanics. Anger flashed through Dr. Twilight. “No,” she said. “You have to let the magic flow for now. If you try to push it, you could hurt yourself and those around you.”
She sent a glance to Starlight, who rolled her eyes and began to conjure up the required components to cast the failsafe spell. She wouldn’t actually unleash it until the situation got out of hand, but Dr. Twilight didn’t want to take a chance.
Still, Dulcimer poured magic into his spell. Power flashed between his fingertips as the last of his confidence drained from his face. “T-Twilight…”
“You have to gain control, Dulcimer.” Dr. Twilight grabbed his hands at the wrists. The magic of his spell ran up and down her arms, but didn’t hurt her. It was evidently not a damaging spell, but without knowing exactly what it would do, she didn’t know how to counter it. “Slow your heartbeat. Resist the urge to push it. You have years ahead to learn how to understand magic. Take a breath, and—”
“Stop.” The space between Dulcimer’s hands flashed, and all was still.
Dr. Twilight released him. He slumped over in the chair, but retained the strength to stay seated.
His heavy breathing continued. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I couldn’t… I couldn’t stop.” Tears poured down his cheeks. “It was everything I ever wanted.”
It didn’t make sense to Dr. Twilight. The flash hadn’t been the failsafe spell; that would have enveloped the whole room in Starlight’s magic. She glanced at Starlight to see her still in the middle of casting.
Starlight was barely moving.
Dr. Twilight watched for a moment, only to find that Starlight’s actions had moved to a crawl, her embers of magic nearly frozen in midair. The doctor looked around, her head on a swivel. Celestia and Sombra were much the same, their ambient magic a hazy cloud surrounding them. The other students appeared almost completely frozen, including one man who was in mid-stride.
Only the slightest of movements were visible.
She knew that Hammer Dulcimer’s specialty lay with time magic, but to see it used to this effect, this soon after his Awakening?
“I couldn’t stop,” he whispered. “I had to know.”
Dr. Twilight glared at him, her fist clenched. “How did you do this? This is a spell even my teacher wouldn’t have been able to cast. How do you know it?”
Dulcimer shook his head. He smiled to himself. “My grandmother wrote it. Dozens of years ago. She met a strange, elderly traveler who taught her magic before passing away. She could never figure out how to unlock her own magic… but she understood the science of it.” He rubbed his face before gazing wide-eyed around the courtyard. “I had to know… that she wasn’t crazy.”
“Are you crazy?” she snapped. “You could have killed everybody with that stunt!”
Dulcimer pointed at Starlight. “I thought that’s what she was here for.”
“She’s backup!” Dr. Twilight stood up, pushing her chair back with the force. The chair’s fall slowed to a crawl the instant she was no longer in contact with it. “You were literally playing with forces you didn’t understand.”
“If I didn’t understand them,” he said, “how could I have cast the spell?”
She sneered. “Dumb luck?”
He grinned. He unbuttoned his collar and flapped his shirt to cool himself down. “I was prepared, Twilight Sparkle. I had spent years studying that spell. Attempting it myself. When I heard about your school, I thought it might be my chance. My chance to see that life is more than all this.” He waved his hands along the length of his body. “Politics, underhanded dealings, none of it matters because magic is real. I don’t care who sits on the throne, or what the Prime Minister is spewing this week, or any of it.”
He stood up, rising a head taller than her. His grin faded away, replaced with seriousness. “Flattery doesn’t have much of an effect on you, does it?”
Rather than speak, Dr. Twilight crossed her arms.
“Then let me be candid. Fancy Pants wants to shut the whole operation down. Not because Starlight is an anti-monarchist, but because she has real, tangible power.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “I want this place to be open. Not because I want to spread magic and harmony, but because you need this place in order to study magic. To make it more real every day.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“Can you stop a bullet?” Dulcimer raised an eyebrow. “Or a hail of bullets? All that needs to happen is for Fancy Pants to declare this a rebellion in order to make the place a target.” He glanced around at the building. “I’m here for me, and I’m here for you. And that’s enough for me. I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Whatever she asked? He knew so much and was still so clueless. “You can’t possibly know what you’re promising.”
“What could be worse than murder?” He let out a small bark of laughter. “Think of me what you will, but I’ll always be grateful for your teaching.”
“If you want to be a help and not a hinderance, do us all a favor and stay in line.” She jabbed his chest with a firm index finger. “No more stunts. No more dangerous spells without proper conditioning. Are we clear?”
“Absolutely, Twilight.” He pressed his lips together, his brow furrowing. “May I ask how you were able to join me in the spell? It’s only built for one person.”
“End the spell. I can tell it’s draining your reserves.” Dr. Sparkle righted her chair with a glimmer of magic and sat across from him. She gestured for him to take his seat. “We’ll have time to talk later.”
***
Sunset breathed a sigh of relief when the spell building up around Dulcimer flashed and fizzled without effect, except that both his and Dr. Twilight’s chairs scraped a few inches back. Starlight allowed the failsafe spell to die down, uncast. She sent a slightly irritated look Sunset’s way before she continued to observe.
Sunset joined her. A golden glow of magic came from Celestia’s hands, coaxed forth by Sombra’s coaching. She had to admit, she was expecting more from the human equivalent to the most magical alicorn in Equestria… but she remined herself that they were different people. With different skills, aptitudes, and physiology. Princess Celestia was a thousand years old and more, while Principal Celestia was a scant fifty-odd years young. One was ruler of a nation, one was the caretaker of several generations of education.
They wouldn’t have been comparable if they didn’t share a name and voice.
Yet Sunset almost couldn’t help but compare.
She seemed to have the capacity of a young unicorn foal who had never practiced magic. It made sense, of course, but it still boggled Sunset’s mind. Even Truffle Shuffle, a pony who made his living as a secretary back in Equestria, seemed to have magic enough to completely outclass her here.
It was confusing. Enlightening, certainly. Beautiful, of course. But also confusing.
But then she saw Celestia’s face, and she felt she understood a little more. Celestia was beaming. Shimmering like the sun her counterpart raised. The meager magic she had danced between her and Sombra, guided by his hand and hers. She was laughing, and crying, and experiencing something she once thought impossible.
For someone so versed in the magic of friendship to finally see it made manifest… Yeah, Sunset thought, this was what it was all for. This was what made all the hard work and pain worth it. The simple discovery of magic, with the promise of so much more to come.
All of her doubts about the school aside; all of her misgivings about its leadership and location; all the worry surrounding her financial situation; all the fear for Twilight Sparkle’s accusations… It felt a little more manageable here in the midst of so much magic. Seeing joy alight faces, lives changed for the better, and hopes come alive. Regardless of anything else, there was magic here.
And if Sunset Shimmer knew one thing for sure, it was that magic was awesome.
“Looks like they’re wrapping up.” Starlight Glimmer smiled at Sunset, her hands on her hips. “Seems like you saw something you liked.”
“Yeah…” Sunset nodded, a weight leaving her chest. “I think I did.”
***
“Gooooal!” Starlight spun in her office chair, her arms waving in the air. “Two points for team Starlight!”
Dr. Twilight Sparkle sat in the other chair in Starlight’s office, sipping a soda pop through a straw. Her smile might have been sardonic, if there wasn’t a slight playfulness to it. “Somebody’s happy. Did Prince Blueblood put in his letter of resignation?”
“Abdication, Twi.” Starlight paused in her gyrations enough to wag a finger at the doctor. “Not as great as that would be, but close! It looks to me like Sunset Shimmer’s buying in to our ideals. I knew the Awakening would be important, and it looks like it touched her heart. Mission—” She pumped a fist. “Complete!”
“Step one complete,” Dr. Twilight said. “She’s still got a whole life back in Libertas. Not only that, but she’s been uprooted at least one other time in her life. She’s not ready to hop aboard the next plane to collect her family and property and bring them here.”
“Yes, but it’s an important first step.” Starlight sighed as she stretched out, balanced precariously on her chair as it inched along the floor. “Can you just imagine? Two former dwellers of magical lands as teachers in this school? It boggles the mind.”
“It’s unprecedented, I’ll give you that.” Dr. Twilight moved the straw around in her cup to get past the wall of ice to the beverage below. “I don’t know that she’s the be-all-end-all teacher, though.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She’s been out of practice for the better part of ten years. She said so herself.” Dr. Twilight frowned as the drink vanished down the straw, resulting in a brief, loud slurping sound. “Sorry. Until she gets caught up, she’ll be as much a student as she is a teacher.”
“But she understands the mechanics of it. That’s huge.” Starlight’s feet clomped against the floor as she leaned upright. “How many people come to the school with that much foreknowledge?”
“You…” The doctor stirred her ice, waiting for it to melt into something she could resume drinking “Have a point.”
A knock on the door interrupted further comment. Chrysalis poked her head in, her thin hair wafting around her face. “’Scuze me, Teach. Got a report for the doc.”
Dr. Twilight reached out and took a bundle of pages, glanced at them briefly, then tucked them away in her folder. “Thank you, Chrysalis.”
“No prob.” Chrysalis gave them a noncommittal wave before exiting the office.
Starlight glanced at the folder. “Extra-curricular project?”
“Not so much.” Dr. Sparkle briefly patted the report before continuing to stir. “Chrysalis asked for more personal instruction on spell-weaving.”
“Cool. I think she needs it.” Starlight checked the clock, found she had a few minutes before her next class, and pulled a hard candy from the jar. “I can tell she’s got potential for something, but for the life of me I’ve got no clue what. Have you seen her do anything besides basic levitation?”
“No.”
“Dang.” Starlight bit down on the candy and held another towards Dr. Twilight. “Want one?”
“No thanks.” The doctor smiled. “Don’t wanna spoil supper.”
“Fair enough.” Starlight made way for the door. She paused just before she touched the handle. “You see it too, right? Chrysalis’ potential? It’s not just me?”
“Yeah, don’t worry.” Dr. Twilight also stood, tucking her folder out of sight beneath her arm. “She’s got depths even she isn’t aware of. She just needs the proper instruction. Which we’re giving her.”
“Right, right.” Starlight gave Dr. Sparkle a brief hug, which the doctor returned with her free arm. “Honestly, Twi… I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you.”
Dr. Twilight Sparkle blinked, pulling away from Starlight and nodding. She gestured to the door. “Shall we?”
The two of them went their separate ways, each headed to a class.
***
Dr. Twilight Sparkle peered at the “report” Chrysalis had prepared. It was a list of names, coupled with a series of email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers. Information pulled from Sunset Shimmer’s phone and laptop. She skimmed the list, her breath held for what she might find.
Applejack
Apple Bloom
Granny Smith
Shining Armor
Twilight Sparkle
She sucked in a breath. The list went on, but she couldn’t see past those last two names. From the sounds of it, her world’s Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle were still in Equestria. There would be no reason for them to have phone numbers. Her memory flashed to the picture of a Twilight Sparkle embraced with a Big Mac.
It had to be this world’s Twilight Sparkle. There really was a third Twilight. But Sunset Shimmer wouldn’t mention her. Sunset wouldn’t mention any of these people.
Sunset was afraid of her. Hiding her life and loved ones. Did she suspect something?
On the next page, Chrysalis had scribbled a note: “Got a recording from SS video chat last night on my computer. It’s weird.”
She made a mental note to watch it that evening. Possibly after everyone else was asleep. She was walking a tightrope. If anybody knew what was going on behind the scenes, everything would crumble.
Everything up to and including what Starlight had spent her whole life working towards.
Dr. Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to regret. She didn’t have time to be sorry. She had to push forward and hope her plans all worked out. She was relying on Chrysalis and Neighsay to do what they did best.
But if they failed, she had only one last course of action.
She flipped to the first page of the report, memorized Twilight Sparkle’s phone number, and put the rest through Starlight Glimmer’s paper shredder.