//------------------------------// // Let There Be Love // Story: Out of This World // by Mouse-Deer //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle sat on the bed next to Sunset, currently shifting in her sleep with a pained expression upon her face. She gently brushed the ill girl’s hair out of her face and readjusted the blanket to make sure it covered her completely. “What do we do now?” she asked. “Well,” said the Principal, standing in front of the bedside, “we hope she gets better by the time Friday rolls around.” “It was that wound she got last week,” Twilight cursed herself, “I only changed the bandages once. I should have reminded her that it would get infected.” “I can bring some medical supplies from my house. She needs the mental rest, too. I don’t know the full story between her and the Princess, but their resolution got snubbed by Chrysalis. The poor girl’s probably under a lot of stress.” Sunset’s face contorted into a frown, and she whimpered slightly. “I’ll need those supplies ASAP,” Twilight said, shifting a damp towel on Sunset’s forehead. “I’ll use up what she’s got at home here, first.” Twilight sat down on the bed and put her hand to her chin in thought. “So they took Princess Celestia to the Everfree?” “It seems like it,” responded the Principal. “We were unable to even get near her. Chrysalis had every changeling guarding her like precious cargo.” “Well, she is,” Twilight said. “They’re probably at Camp Everfree by now.” “There’s no way we could catch up in time, much less do anything to stop them even if we did,” agreed the Principal. “They’ve got the Princess for good,” she added halfheartedly. Twilight’s eyes sunk in as she pondered on her next move. “Did she use every Changeling to transport Celestia?” The Principal furrowed her eyebrows. “Well, I didn’t count, but Sunset killed five, and there were over ten there, so probably.” Twilight jumped up and headed for the door. “Then what are we waiting for?” “What?” the Principal asked. “If every Changeling is making their way over to the Everfree, then we’ve got a good half an hour left to take down the tree in front of CHS!” The Principal started up behind her. “You’re . . . you’re right! Even if there are one or two guarding it, we can take them down! I’ll drive.” Just before Twilight opened the side door to get in Celestia’s car, she stopped and turned back to the apartment. “I’m not comfortable leaving Sunset, though.” The Principal gave her a soft look. “There’s nothing we can do for her at this point. She just needs to heal. We’ll grab the supplies from my house after we take out the tree.” “Okay,” said Twilight reluctantly as she sat down in the car. “Let’s try to be fast. I don’t want to leave her here alone for too long.” The two started down the road, back out into the early morning air. Although no sunrise was yet to be found, the sky looked a tad lighter, and the chirps of a few birds floated through the air. “So why did Sunset go see Celestia? She just ran off,” asked Twilight. The Principal shrugged. “I was in bed when it started. From what I gleaned, the Princess’s letter had something to do with abdication. I think she’s stepping down to show how sorry she is.” “Abdication?!” exclaimed Twilight. “That’s impossible! Princess Celestia wouldn’t step down from the throne out of nowhere! The power struggle it might cause would be historic!” The Principal sighed. “Look, I don’t know the finer details, but I think if there’s anybody who can figure out a smooth transition of power, it’s the Princess. Either way, Sunset came to Celestia with the hope of making up their differences.” “And then she lost Celestia immediately afterward. Oh, Sunset,” worried Twilight, “I can’t even imagine how that felt.” “I’m worried for her. I’ve seen how Sunset’s been struggling for the past year now, and its only gotten worse these past few days. If we can’t reel her back in, I don’t know if her anger can be contained.” “She seemed rough,” added Twilight. The Principal sighed. “I already told you, she . . . killed about five of the Changelings. I know that’s how it is in war, but . . . Sunset never deals in half-measures. If she continues, I’m not sure she’ll care about restraint. I don’t want her legacy to be known as the girl who won through brute force. She’s better than that.” Twilight closed her eyes in thought. “I’ll take the blame for her. For every Changeling she kills, I will take the blame,” she declared—and reassured to herself. The Principal did a double-take. “What? Why?” “Sunset’s been through enough. She doesn’t need another blemish on her history. I’m already a hero of Equestria. If I kill a Changeling, no one will have the gall to challenge my legacy. And, really, if Chrysalis has so few Changelings left to guide her, taking out all of her support may not be the worst idea.” “Twilight!” The Principal exclaimed, “I thought Equestria was a nation of peace!” Twilight’s gaze hardened. “I’m a magician, Principal. I study the magic of friendship and its practical application in Equestria. But . . . my horn is gone, and my friends are gone. Chrysalis has turned both of them against me, leaving me with nothing. Until I can get my best weapons back, then the peace will stay disrupted no matter what. Perhaps it’s Sunset’s nature rubbing off on me, but with my whole country on the brink of death, I have no choice but to loosen up the moral high ground, my own legacy be damned. And Sunset knows that, too.” The Principal nodded. “I suppose I’m just worried Sunset will regret her actions later on.” They pulled up to Canterlot High School. The courtyard was void of any figures, and there was no sound of buzzing to be heard. “It looks like we’re good to go. How should we take the tree down, then?” The Principal asked. Twilight stepped out of the car and walked over to wicked tree. “We could always cut it down with an axe. Or if you have some matches, a fire would do the trick, as long as you think you school won’t get harmed. Of course, we could just find the eggs directly and—oof!” A few meters away from the tree, she abruptly fell to the ground, clutching her head. The Principal rushed over to her. “What’s the matter?” “I just ran into something!” Twilight groaned. The Principal glanced at the direction Twilight was headed: there was nothing directly in front of her but air. “Are you sure?” Twilight opened her eyes and looked ahead. “But . . . I swear I slammed into something!” She hopped back up onto her feet and slowly paced forward. Just as she reached the same spot that she fell at, she stuck out her hands. They didn’t push through; whatever was holding them back refused to budge. “There’s an invisible wall here,” she observed. “But why?” asked the Principal. “Would it not be more alarming to the students if they suddenly could not get within meters of the tree?” “This is an illusion spell,” said Twilight. “Most students are being subconsciously swayed away from the tree in the first place. We weren’t affected because our only goal was to get to the tree.” “Then how do we break out of it?” Twilight began walking alongside the wall, following it with her hands. “We try and confirm to our minds that it is real. It will be easier if we know what substance the wall is made out of. It doesn’t feel like a magical barrier. . . Gah! I’m used to feeling things with hooves! How should I know what material this is?” The Principal placed her hands on the wall and rubbed it up and down. “Twilight, this is . . . tree bark.” Suddenly, the illusion wore off. In front of them appeared a tree of gargantuan size, towering up to the gargoyles on the school building. What was once Celestia’s small tree had grown into a tumor of a Changeling hive, full of entrance holes spiking throughout the tower. The two stumbled backward. “This isn’t possible . . .” Twilight uttered. “There’s no way they already have the magic to make this.” The Principal looked for the top. “It’s almost as tall as my school!” “We need to get out of here Principal! Right away!” Twilight raced over to the car. “Wait, Twilight! Why?” The Principal followed behind, suddenly nervous at Twilight’s terrified reaction. “What does this mean?” Twilight jumped in the seat and slammed the door behind her, the Principal following close behind. “Start the car, and get ready to move as soon as I say so.” “What is it, Twilight?” Twilight’s gaze never left the giant hive. “If Chrysalis has enough magic to construct something of that size . . . she has way more Changelings at her disposal than we thought.” At the end of Twilight’s sentence, the Wondercolt statue flashed, and out flew a single wasp, aiming directly for the top of the hive. “Drive! If it sees us we’re done for!” The Principal punched on the gas and sped away as fast as possible. “That was another Changeling! I thought she only had thirteen left!” Twilight scowled. “I should have known Chrysalis would play dirty. She’s got more changelings than she has been letting on.” The Principal clutched the steering wheel tight. “But . . . what about our plan? Will it still work?” Twilight gravely shook her head. “She wanted us to think that she was underpowered this whole time. Then, when we would confront her at the Fall Formal, she would mop the floor with us. She was tricking us into thinking we had the upper hand, but now she’s got an actual army, and Celestia.” “What about hatching the eggs, then? If she has more Changelings, why does she need the boost of love from the Fall Formal in the first place?” Twilight paused in thought. “I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, Chrysalis has probably caught on to the magic laying dormant in this world. Maybe when she realized that there was actual potential magic to wield, she decided that it would be smarter to invade quickly instead of a typical slow invasion. Chrysalis isn’t just planning to take over the world; she wants to do it fast.” “And the more Changelings she has at her disposal, the more she can influence the positive emotions of the children in the school. She’s going to try and get them entranced for her boost of love, Anon-A-Miss be damned.” Twilight put her face in her hands. “We were so close . . .” “Don’t give up yet,” said the Principal. “After we get some supplies for Sunset, let’s call up these friends of yours and see if they know what to do. Would Sunset give up this easily?” Twilight lifted her head back up. “She wouldn’t give up yet. You’re right, Principal. I have to do something. For Sunset. She’s the only friend I have left.” “That’s the spirit,” said the Principal. Despite their attempts to cheer one another up, a dull melancholy settled over the car. Twilight went over the night’s events in her head. The Princess, Sunset, all of my friends . . . how did we get here? She rolled down a window and stuck her head outside, hoping the fresh air would cleanse the bitter taste of defeat in her mouth. What fate has doomed us so? Three knocks rang out on the front door, and Twilight rushed over to open it. On the other side were the Dazzlings, clearly annoyed. “It is five o’clock in the morning,” said Adagio, “and I’ve already been here once tonight. You better have a good reason for this.” “Chrysalis took Princess Celestia, and she’s got a lot more changelings than we thought.” Adagio’s eyes widened. “What the hell did Sunset do?” She pushed past Twilight and entered the apartment, giving a quick glance to the Principal at the counter as she beelined for Sunset’s room. “Hold on Adagio, she’s not—” Adagio swung open the door and saw Sunset curled up on the bed, completely passed out. She strolled up to the girl and placed her hand on her forehead. “What a dumbass,” she murmured. “Sunset passed out,” said Twilight. “We think she’s got an infection. The Principal gave some medicine to her, but she still doesn’t want to wake up.” Adagio turned around and walked into the living room. Twilight followed behind her and stood next to the Principal, facing the glares of three irate sirens. “So what the hell happened?” The Principal met their gazes with a hollow stare. “Sunset came to see the Princess, but the Changelings used that opportunity to attack. While Sunset was fending off the Changelings, they snuck out the Princess. They’re bringing her to the Everfree now. I should have seen what was coming, but . . .” “You’re a bunch of fucking morons,” Aria snarled. “All you had to do was lay low until Friday, and you could have sailed to victory. But no, you just had to hand the Changelings the one pony that holds more magic than all of us combined.” “You’re wrong,” said Twilight. “We just went to the school to see if we could take down the Changelings’ nest while they were focused with the Princess. They’ve been using an illusion spell. It’s far larger than it looks like.” Adagio furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you saying they have the excess magic to build up their fortifications? But that means . . .” “Right as we left, a Changeling flew out of the portal. Chrysalis has more Changelings than we both accounted for.” “Shit,” Adagio said, running her hands through her hair. “She’s been trying to pull one over on us. I bet she’s got a system set up where only one or two cross over to check on her at a time. But once they arrive, she keeps them here, and builds her army. If we let her get that boost of magic from the Formal, her invasion won’t just start rolling. She’ll already have the momentum to take down the city.” That’s quite an astute observation, Twilight thought suspiciously. “Now our plan’s really fucked,” said Aria. “If there was just a small group of Changelings, we could have brought out the anger of the children to disrupt their energy source. If Chrysalis is able to create a larger nest and handle supporting her reinforcements, she must have tapped into the magic of this world. She can probably just cast a spell over the school counter to ours and just cancel out the sway of emotion. We may take a few Changelings out of the picture, but she’ll have so many on standby we’ll get swarmed either way.” Twilight crossed her arms. “So what can we do?” Sonata approached the other two sirens. “I’ve got an idea!” The three sirens shared a few glances at one another for a minute, as if Twilight and the Principal were not in the room. Eventually, a grin appeared on Adagio’s face to match Sonata’s, but Aria looked slightly apprehensive. “We might still be able to salvage this,” said Adagio. Twilight straightened out. “How? We haven’t been preparing for a fight bigger fight.” “Well,” Adagio said coyly, “Given the right amount of resources, we three might be able to make up for it. It isn’t the best idea we’ve had, but it seems the most obvious to us.” “What is it?” asked the Principal. “And what do we need to do?” “Previously, all we were planning to do was to extract the hatred of the student body to overwhelm the Changelings. We would cut off their main food source, and since there were so few of them, none would be able to fight back. Now, we’ll have to take it a step further. Just to be clear, we have total control over the emotions that we’re creating.” “It’s a cycle,” Sonata chimed in. “We use some magic to manifest the people’s anger, and then bring the anger back to us to feed on. However, as long as we have enough magic left to continue casting our spell, then the excess magic can be put elsewhere.” “Right,” said Adagio. “So instead of just angering the students and taking all of their anger back to fuel us again, we’ll send some of the hatred straight into the Changelings around us. Our spells don’t work on Changelings themselves, but since they are creatures that eat emotions, we can place someone else’s bad feelings right into their stomachs.” Twilight nodded. “I see. And placing anger and hatred into the Changelings is the exact opposite of what they want to eat!” “Right,” Adagio continued. “They’ll be forced to clean out their system so they have room to absorb love again. It’s like magically throwing up. And if they really do have a source of magic making them stronger, the natural instinct of a worker when in that scenario is to tap into that to regain their magic—like a magic glass of water to clear their throat. But if every single one of them tap into it at the same time, they’ll start taking out more than they can put back in.” Sonata stood proudly. “And just like that, we can take back control. Problem solved!” “Hold on just a second,” said Aria. “What these two clucks failed to mention is that it costs a lot of energy to simultaneously work on the student body and then send the only source keeping our spell running to the Changelings. We’ll be using more magic and getting less back. If we don’t have enough magic in our reserves, we’ll run out, and everything will fall apart.” “How do we stop that from happening?” asked the Principal. “We’ll need more people, plain and simple,” said Aria. “If we’ve got more students to pull magic from, then we’ll have more magic to use. For this plan to work, you need to pack that gym as tight as possible.” The Principal scratched her chin in thought. “There are a few things I could do. I suppose I could waive the admission fee, and allow students to bring as many out-of-school friends as they want.” “Still won’t be enough,” Adagio said curtly. “I’ll need about your whole school plus half if you want us to actually put up a fight.” “Alright, alright,” said the Principal. “I’ll see if I can convince a merger with another school or something. I’ll get it ready for you by Friday for sure.” “Good,” said Adagio. “Now, I think that at least puts on the right track. You better hope Sunset gets better fast, otherwise we’re down another player.” “Okay,” said Twilight. “I feel a little more confident now. Not too much, but there might still be a chance.” Adagio laughed coldly. “You keep thinking that. This is the last resort option here.” She turned to the Principal. “I suggest you go home and try to enjoy your last moments on this planet. We’ll check in with both of you at least once every day until the Formal. Say goodbye to your family and all that. You’ve been given a gift of foresight; you know that this isn’t going to go well for you. Don’t waste it by thinking you’ve got the better odds.” “That’s not true,” said the Principal. “We can still do this.” Adagio shrugged. “Hope doesn’t exist when you’re stuffed in a changeling pod.” She sauntered to the door, the other two following behind. “The world owes you no legacy.” They left, slamming the door shut behind them. The Principal turned to Twilight with a look of defeat. “Go home, Principal,” said Twilight. “I can take care of Sunset from here.” The Principal nodded. “I’ll come back with more medicine tomorrow. You know where to find me.” “Yeah,” said Twilight. The Principal put her coat on and walked out the door. As silence settled over the apartment, Twilight could almost make out Sunset whimpering in the bedroom. “They came up with that plan awfully fast,” she commented to herself. Principal Celestia stood in front of the last building she wanted to be at in town. Well, second last, if we count my own school. Tuesday had come and gone, and most students had already left Crystal Preparatory Academy. With the incoming dread of having to interact with her again, she wanted to make sure as few students were around as possible. “It is for the greater good,” she reassured herself. “You have fought bug shapeshifters. Surely you can handle a terrible principal.” With one last sigh, she started forward through the sterilized halls of the academy, beelining for the head office. It was quite a ways away, and in the meantime, the Principal went over the goodbye letters she had been forming in her head. Taking the Dazzlings’ advice to heart, she had spent the day at home drafting emails and farewells to people she knew. She prided herself on her ability to sound sentimental without making anyone worry, but she wasn’t too embarrassed about any repercussions she might face. I didn’t write ‘the world’s ending, bye!’ or anything, but it was nice for a little closure. It was such a shame that one of the last people she may be interacting with in person had to be the woman ahead. She reached the top floor and found the door she was looking for. She did not bother to knock; the person inside knew she was coming. “Ah, Celestia! How wonderful it is to see you today,” said Principal Cinch, standing up from her desk to meet Celestia halfway. “What brings you to my school on such sudden notice?” Celestia shook her hand. “It is a pleasure to see you are doing well, Abacus. As for why the sudden appearance, I am afraid I have had a very pressing issue spread like wildfire through my school.” Cinch returned to her desk and grinned. “Oh? It wouldn’t happen to be this Anon-A-Miss now, would it?” The Principal took a seat across from her. “So you’ve heard,” she said. “Someone from CHS has been airing the secrets of all my students for a little over a day now, and they do not plan on stopping. From what Luna tells me, the place has gone a bit mad.” “I hate to sound offensive, but this is the sort of thing expected to happen in a school that allows such unsavory types. Perhaps you need to purge out the students who have started this and those who participated.” The Principal nodded. “It’s a possibility, but I want to try and find another remedy first. I am here to request your help in the matter.” Principal Cinch looked almost taken aback by the suggestion. “Are you sure you’re Celestia? You would like me to fix your school?” “Yes I would,” she said begrudgingly. “Oh, I have been waiting for this moment my entire career,” Cinch exclaimed. “What ideas do you have? I know how to get those kids in line.” “Well, I want to escalate as little as necessary, so I don’t need your direct action yet. You’re aware that this Friday is our school’s Fall Formal, correct?” “I am,” said Cinch, “Although I can’t see why you would still hold it in the midst of such a blemish on your school.” “I’m hoping that it can be the solution, actually,” said Celestia. “My students need to be reminded of what orderly, competent, and friendly students should act like. If you would be willing to send a group of your students to our dance, just to show my kids how to behave, we might be able to set them back on the right track.” Cinch grinned maniacally. “So you admit that we are the school that you want to model after?” Ugh. “I’m afraid I have no choice left to hold a rivalry at the moment.” With a laugh, Cinch readjusted her glasses and leaned toward Celestia. “Well, Principal, if you wish to show your students how to act correctly, and hopefully become decent contributors to society, I suppose I could not refuse to hand out such a charity. How many students would you like me to send?” “As many as possible,” said Principal Celestia. “Admission is free of course, and if all goes well, your students will have had a fun night.” “I will attempt to send any students that are willing. I cannot promise you too many, but I can scrounge up enough to surely set the example,” said Cinch. Celestia got out of her chair and shook Cinch’s hand. “I have no doubt you can.” After clearing up how the students would arrive to CHS, and Celestia reassuring Cinch that the Crystal Prep students would not become indoctrinated by the uncouth nature of her own kids, Celestia stepped out of the dimly lit room with a sigh. That was terrible. I just sold out my whole school’s dignity. She started off back the way she came, still gloomy over her interaction. I’ll have to let the Dazzlings know I still can’t confirm whether they’ll have enough kids on Friday. Just as she turned the corner, she bumped into a girl, sending both of them falling to the ground. “Ouch!” Celestia said as got back to her feet. “Are you okay, Miss . . .” Oh, that’s not good. The lavender girl in front of Celestia placed her glasses back on her head. “I’m sorry, excuse me,” she murmured, clutching her bag as she stepped back up and attempted to dart past Celestia. “Wait! Twilight!” The girl turned around. “Umm . . . how do you know my name?” “I, um, am a good friend of Dean Cadance. I met you when you were a child.” Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of Dean Cadence, but Celestia continued before she could get a word in. “Twilight, I don’t have much time, but I need you to listen to me for a second.” “. . . Sure, I guess.” “Principal Cinch is going to try and get some students to come to Canterlot High for our Fall Formal. You should find an excuse if she asks you to go. It won’t be your type of night.” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “Um . . . why? What’s wrong with it?” “Consider it social interaction taken to the extreme.” The other Twilight shivered at the Principal’s words and, without further comment, quickly sped away. Celestia turned to head out the building. It’s a small world, she chuckled to herself. ”Well, Sunset? What’s the answer?” Sunset’s eyes drifted down at the table in front of her. A beautiful glass table, centered in a cast-off side of the Canterlot Gardens, was a unique place to hold one of Princess Celestia and Sunset’s lessons. The Princess generally preferred privacy between the two of them. Sunset clinked her tea onto her saucer as Princess Celestia tapped her hoof in frustration. It was a weekend, and a few ponies were strolling through the gardens, leaving the mentor and student alone for the time being. “This is not a difficult question, Sunset. You should have been able to answer it months ago. I will rephrase it again for you: what common spell simultaneously vitalizes the constitution of its caster, improves the caster’s skill in the botanical sciences, and strengthens the natural bond between the caster and animals?” Sunset floated a book of spells in front of her, scanning each page meticulously. “This is a trick question, Princess! I could give you a name for any one of the three abilities, but all three together? It’s just not possible for a common spell to have three such specific enchantments.” The Princess took a sip of her tea. “It actually has more uses than that, if you would believe it.” Sunset snapped the book shut and placed it on the table. “Fine. I give up. You win. Enlighten me with your clever answer.” The Princess smirked behind her teacup. “Well, I admit, this was a bit of a trick question. There is no name for the spell in that book; however, many grade school students would have the answer immediately. This spell is so common that one-third of Equestrians use it every second of the day. It is simply Earth pony biology.” “What?!” Sunset exclaimed. “That’s not a spell, Princess! That’s just . . . how they are!” “Incorrect, Sunset,” said the Princess. “The magic circulating through the system of both Earth ponies and pegasi are always casting a spell. Even when a pony is sleeping, they are casting one long, never-ending spell, if just barely.” Sunset frowned and looked at the table, her cheeks slightly red. “Don’t be embarrassed, Sunset. I expected you to fail. I hope that this will give you some more perspective for our future studies; you cannot think of magic as centered around unicorns any longer. Plenty of magical fields have no separation between race—most of them have been discovered and led by unicorns simply because of their ease of access through a horn. Earth pony and pegasi magic are just two examples of non-unicorn magic. We will not be studying those, however. Instead, I hope we can look into the intangible magics, such as Friendship and Love. They will be the continuation of your studies for the upcoming months.” Sunset’s stomach dropped. “Friendship? What is this, kindergarten? Give me a break,” she said, pushing out of her chair. “Why bother with something that doesn’t need a horn when I’ve got one to use?” “Now now, Sunset,” said the Princess, “You spent a whole year with your horn locked. Surely you can see the potential for magic outside of only one channeling path.” “Well I’ve got it now, and I don’t plan on getting rid of it,” she snapped. “And what if your horn is removed?” Sunset turned back to her. “What? Do you think I’ll let anypony get close enough to remove my horn?” The Princess took a sip of her tea. “I cannot say, however many powerful magicians have found themselves without access to their horn in the past. If you want a complete education, you cannot let your horn become a crutch. If necessary, we may have to inhibit it to build your strength.” Sunset’s eyes widened. “Inhibit it . . . again?” Her heart started thumping out of her chest. “No, Princess, I can’t . . . you can’t do that!” She yelled. The Princess stood up from her chair and worriedly glanced around the garden. “Now, Sunset, there’s no need to cause a scene—” “Are you going to take my horn? Is this what you’re trying to tell me?” She advanced up to the Princess, propelled by her terror. “Calm down Sunset, that is not what I meant. Take a deep breath—” “You can’t do it, Princess,” she said, slumping onto her hind legs, “I’m nothing without my horn, Princess. You can’t . . .” The Princess stood solemnly in front of her. “This is not the time for a public outburst, Sunset.” “You can’t . . . please, Princess . . .” she murmured. A pair of arms wrapped around Sunset’s body. “Shh,” someone whispered. “It’s okay. You’re safe. No one can hurt you.” Sunset’s eyes blinked open as she took in her surroundings. She was in her bed, wrapped up in a warm blanket. Twilight dug her head into the crook of Sunset’s neck, continuing to whisper consoling words that woke Sunset from her dream. Her body was burning up. Although she could see and hear her surroundings, a degree of separation was still between her and the rest of the world. Her body would not respond to any attempts at movement without a long delay, and she could barely whisper out a sentence to tell Twilight she was okay. Twilight squeezed her tighter, almost suffocating. When was the last time I was held like this? She wondered. Twilight’s warmth radiated into her side, and the pain diminished slightly. Was I ever held like this? Sunset limply lifted her arms and placed them on Twilight’s back. She gasped and turned her head to look at Sunset. Unable to respond, Sunset pressed her hands against Twilight. “It’s okay, Sunset,” she said, words that felt like the best medicine she’d been given yet, “You’ll be fine. I promise.” Sunset smiled wanly before her eyes lost their battle with gravity, and she drifted back into sleep. Principal Celestia strolled into the school office on Wednesday morning and was immediately rushed into a separate room by her secretary, Raven. “Celestia, something has gone very wrong in the past two days. You need to do something.” “Okay, okay, Miss Inkwell,” said Celestia, putting up her hands. “Let me hang up my coat first.” “My apologies,” said Raven, letting Celestia pass. “I mean no offense, but those past two days were not good ones to take off. I have tried to get Luna to act but she won’t even bother looking in the hallway. This Anon-A-Miss is tearing the school apart!” “Is it, now?” She took off her coat and purse. “Yes, there were five fights yesterday! If it keeps growing, we might as well hire a full-time police officer!” “Surely it can’t be that bad,” Celestia said as she went over to the hallway door. “I saw the first batch of posts on Tuesday morning, but have not checked since then. What caused such an uproar?” “Well, supposedly, Anon-A-Miss is taking submissions from the students and posting them online as well. Everyone is on edge because they think someone is going to sell them out at any second.” Celestia grabbed the handle and swung it open. “Just how troubled are these students?” The main hallways were filling up with kids as the buses dropped more off for the morning. Noticeably, far more students were walking alone, or with their head down. There were a few small groups, but none got even close to smiling. After a while of observation, Celestia began to see hidden glares between students, and often larger groups would single out one kid off to the side. “It’s only this tame because you’re standing right here,” said Raven softly. “I see,” responded Celestia. “Who do you think this Anon-A-Miss is?” Raven frowned, a nervous expression on her face. “All of the evidence points to . . . Sunset, Celestia. I know you’ve taken a shine to her, but . . . is it really out of character at all?” The Principal nodded. “I can’t completely disagree,” she said, hiding a smirk. It’s working. Almost at the mention of her name, Sunset appeared in the hallway, strolling down with a few of her ‘friends’ surrounding her. At Sunset’s arrival, the small glares that the students passed between each other all focused onto her. Chrysalis, committed to her part as ever, did not even blink at being the center of attention—the center of hatred, more accurately. When she passed Celestia, her group stopped, and she turned to face the Principal. The two met eye to eye, Sunset establishing a smug grin on her face. Raven stood anxiously next to Celestia, waiting for either one of them to make a move. After an unblinking minute, Celestia gave up. “We start preparing the gym for the Fall Formal right at the start of the day tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you there, Sunset!” Chrysalis snorted, a wicked grin crossing her face as she turned around and continued down the hallway. “See how suspicious that was?” asked Raven as they headed back to the front office. “She’s not even doing a good job at hiding herself.” “No . . . no she is not.” Celestia went back to her office, but first she peeked into Luna’s. As she cracked open the door, she saw what should have been her sister sitting at the desk, vacantly gazing forward. I’ll get the real you back, Luna. “It’s almost time for announcements,” Raven called. Celestia quickly shut the door without the Luna inside noticing. “Thank you!” she called back as she made her way into the office. Just as she was about to shut her door, she stopped and left it open a crack. Just in case. She sat down at her desk and waited for the morning bell to ring. After it finished pealing throughout the school, she pulled up the intercom and began to speak. “Good morning students of Canterlot High School! It is a beautiful sunny Wednesday morning. I have just a few short announcements today. First, the Fall Formal is now completely free for admission. We hope that those of you who thought about staying home might decide to show, now! I hope you all decide to come, as we have been working very hard this year to make it the best we can. We are aiming for record turnout! Now, I’ll hand it over to Miss Inkwell to hear how great our soccer team has been playing . . .” “Please, come in,” Twilight said, ushering three sirens to the kitchen table. “What brings you here today?” Adagio walked over to the small fridge and glanced inside. “You got anything good in here? I’m starving.” “Hey,” Twilight huffed, “That’s Sunset’s food. I think she needs it more than you right now.” Adagio shut the fridge and shrugged. “Whatever. Human food isn’t much of a step up than horse food anyways.” Sonata sat down at the counter. “We came to check on Sunset.” “Oh,” said Twilight, “She’s still bedridden. We’ve kept giving her the Principal’s medicine, which seems to be helping slightly. I’ve studied medicine quite a bit, and I still can’t say with certainty that she’ll be alert for the Fall Formal. You can go check on her if you want.” “I’ve seen types like Sunset before,” said Adagio. “If she’s pissed off, she’ll be up and kicking for the Formal. You might need to help her out a little bit to get there, and Chrysalis is probably going to aim for her first, but she won’t miss an ass-kicking for the world. I’ll let the girl have some of her dignity left, and won’t check in on her right now.” Adagio walked back over to the other sirens, intending to leave. Twilight bit her lip. “About helping her out . . . could I ask you three a few questions?” she said, crossing her fingers. Adagio shared a glance with Aria. “It depends on what you want to know.” Twilight nodded. “I want to know how you three are able to perform magic so easily.” “That’s a bit personal,” Aria said. “Why do you want to know?” butted in Sonata. Twilight eagerly jumped up as she picked up a notebook on the counter. “This is a set of notes from Starswirl the Bearded—” the Sirens flinched at the mention of said name, but Twilight was too absorbed to notice, “—and it says that magic is able to be harnessed in this world. I really want to try and find a way to learn any amount of magic I can for the Formal.” Adagio ignored Aria’s protest. “Oh, fine. It’s not like you can do anything about it if we tell you.” “Oh, thank you!” Twilight exclaimed. She pulled out a notepad and stuck a pencil in her mouth, ready to write. “You know you use your hands, right?” asked Aria. She took the pencil out. “Yes, but it’s easier this way. I don’t have time to learn deft coordination when the world’s at stake.” Adagio shrugged. “Whatever makes it work for you, I guess. Now, from what we know, there are a few conditions necessary for magic to be cast in this world. First, there needs to be artifact to channel the magic through.” She lifted up the sanguine necklace from her neck. “This channels our magic through us.” Twilight stood up and got got close to the pendant as she scribbled a rough picture. “Itsh beautiful.” “Don’t get any ideas. It’s far less fragile than it looks,” Aria butted in. “Yes, we have it enchanted directly onto our bodies. It channels our magic, but we still need a way to activate the magic in the first place. For us, we do so through music.” “Muthic? Why that?” Twilight said as she scribbled down her notes. “I’ll put it into pony for you. The necklace is like the horn, but the song we sing is the spell. I can’t say this is the only way to cast magic in this world, but it has worked for us so far. We don’t mess with pony magic, or anything that needs a horn at all.” Twilight took the pen out of her mouth. “So how do I find my own necklace?” Adagio laughed. “These are for sirens, Twilight. Like I said, you really won’t be able to do anything with this information. You don’t have anything to channel magic through, and you don’t know how to channel your magic in the first place. If you think you can take on Chrysalis by learning magic in this world, you’re sorely mistaken.” Twilight put the notepad down. “I can still try. Just . . . can you promise me something?” “What?” Twilight’s gaze hardened. “If we actually make it through this, you’re not going to use your magic to try anything, are you? We’ll just have everypony go their separate ways. I’m sure the Princess would even be willing to let you live in Equestria if she found out you helped.” Behind Adagio, Aria and Sonata sneered. Adagio, however, kept her features calm. “What makes you think we’re going to keep a promise, even if we make one?” “Because there is no other option for you.” Adagio smirked. “I promise we won’t harm the people in this world. That would go against our nature, anyway. We don’t want to spoil any meat. However,” her smirk turned downward in a cold glare, “make sure you treat us with respect. Keep up that kind of attitude and our deal’s off.” Twilight nodded and backed away. “Okay. Thank you for teaching me.” “Well now you know,” said Aria, “so I don’t think there is anything left for us here.” “If there’s nothing else, then.” Twilight sat down on the couch put the notepad away. The Sirens made their way to the door. “We’ll see you soon,” Adagio commented. “Good luck with your girlfriend.” “Hey,” Twilight said, a blush rising on her face, “She’s not my girlfriend.” A chuckled, a humorous expression crossing her features. “How hard is it for stupid ponies to throw caution to the wind? Even when the end of their civilization is approaching, they still won’t cut out the useless fanfare? Every second you wait is a second you waste. There’s not much time left.” With a wave goodbye, the three sirens left Twilight alone with her thoughts in the apartment. She ran to the sink and splashed some water on her face. “There’s no need to freak out, Twilight,” she muttered to herself. “There’s no need to . . . oh, who am I kidding?” Principal Celestia found herself hanging up black and green streamers in the gym, much to her annoyance. The Changelings can fly! Why can’t we just drop the act so I can get off of this ladder? The Fall Formal Planning Committee was given one day in advance to get the gym turned into a party area. Setting up the events throughout the year was always the one thing the Committee did during the school day. Celestia tied another balloon onto the wall, constantly checking her stability on the latter to make sure none of her members would have an “accident” that knocked her off-balance. She glanced down to see Sunset Shimmer—or quite the impersonation, at least—standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her. “Is there something you need, Sunset?” she asked. The changeling queen snorted. “Just checking in to see how we’re doing, Miss Celestia.” “Well, I think we are almost done here. You all might even be able to catch the end of second hour if we wrap up quickly.” “Good,” Sunset said, turning around to continue on the final touches of the gym. The speed at which Sunset and her “friends” had completed setting up the gym was nothing short of amazing. Each year the small group took at least two-thirds of the day to build the dancefloor, stage, and get all the equipment in. Some years they even needed the day of the Formal to add any finishing touches. However, Sunset’s command over the rest of the students resulted in such a coordinated response that Celestia, typically the fastest one there, was left in the dust. She turned her head around on the ladder and scanned the area below. In previous years, the Fall Formal always had a distingué atmosphere, an attempt to provide at least one annual dance where the theme was continuous. Once Pinkie Pie joined the ranks last year, that atmosphere shifted into a chaotic mess; perhaps it was what a young child would have considered formal, but it just made Celestia roll her eyes. Still, she was one to prefer the hands-off approach, so she let the party planner have full reign on creating her next masterpiece. This year, despite Pinkie’s ‘presence’ on the Committee, the tone shifted once again. The Changelings took the green and black color scheme and ran; balloons, streamers, strobe lights, confetti, and near everything that could be colored had a dark hue to it. The result was, in Celestia’s opinion, effectively claustrophobic. It was a sunny day out, but inside the gym she felt like she needed a flashlight. The dance floor, typically an inviting, jovial centerpiece to the Formal, was basked in a violet glow, and the disco ball near the top was almost nonreflective. It may just have been Celestia’s imagination, because everything still worked—something just felt off, like it was shrouded in a gloomy haze. She climbed down the ladder and made her way over to the stage. Once she reached the top, she cleared her throat and called out to the Committee. “Okay, everyone! Let’s gather around for one second.” The students simultaneously turned to her and moved to the stage. She let out a nervous chuckle before continuing. “You’ve all done a fantastic job today. I am certain that we have broken a record on how fast we completed everything! Tomorrow night is going to be one for every student to remember.” They continued to bore a hole into the Principal with their eyes. Sunset smirked. “I know all of you heard my announcement yesterday that tuition is free for the Formal. I think everyone in school should be able to see the amazing work you’ve done. In addition, I have decided upon one more thing. Some students from Crystal Preparatory Academy will be participating in the night’s activities as well. I hope you tell the students to welcome them, as well as for our kids to invite anyone they would like as well.” Celestia noticed Sunset’s eyebrows furrow slightly. Perfect. “Well, that’s all for now. Let’s wrap this up. Thank you.” After the students dispersed, Celestia hopped down from the top of the stage. Waiting at the bottom for her was Sunset, a peculiar look upon the girl’s face. She peered at Celestia with a mixture of distaste and intrigue. “Oh!” Celestia exclaimed. “Just one more thing, students. I have not informed you of the change in performances this year. Now, I know we generally like to give the stage to aspiring musicians within the school system, and that will still be the case this year, but I also have invited a wonderful group to perform live for us.” Sunset took a step closer to the Principal, still completing her examination. Or intimidation. “They are a wonderful trio of talented young girls who offered to perform for free,” Celestia said innocently, a smile forming on her lips. “They call themselves The Dazzlings.” Sunset flinched, her face contorting into a scowl. “Who?” she snarled. “Do you know them, Sunset? I’m sure they would love to meet a fan.” Chrysalis rushed up to the Principal, leaning in close. “Just what do you think you’re planning?” she growled. Celestia refused to back down. “Just a school dance, Sunset. There is no need to cause a scene.” Chrysalis/Sunset snorted before turning around and heading to the exit. Her drones quickly fell in line behind her. With one last glance of disgust at the Principal, they exited from view. Celestia wiped a bead of sweat off of her brow. After a few seconds to make sure they were gone, she let out a long sigh. “Phew,” she said aloud. “I’m not cut out for this.” She glanced around the gym and noticed a few unfinished projects laying on the floor. “Ah,” she said. “I suppose I should have waited until after they finished their jobs.” It was eight o’clock at night, and Crystal Preparatory Academy was completely empty. Three Sirens peered into the dark windows, checking to make sure they would not set off any alarm. “So this is Crystal Prep,” Sonata said. “Fancy!” “Yes . . .” said Adagio. “I can see why the Principal got them to join the Formal. The only time it’s worth mingling with the commoners is to lord your superiority over them.” “Are you sure our presence in the building won’t set off their snooty-detectors?” Aria asked dryly. “I don’t think that will be an issue.” Adagio started forward into Crystal Prep. “Although, you do tempt me to trash up the place. If we do set off an alarm, I say they need a little scare to the institution. We’ll even smash a window on the way out.” Aria snickered as they examined the insides of the spotless building. “How can we tell the difference between the windows and any other wall when every single one reflects better than a bathroom mirror?” “Why don’t you give ‘em a whack and find out,” Adagio said, aiming for the staircase. They made their way through the building, and soon enough were right in front of Principal Cinch’s door. Without a moment’s hesitation, Adagio opened it up and entered. Principal Cinch glanced up from a document and her face contorted in disgust. “Just who do you think you are, coming her so late at night?” she uttered. “I’ll have you know we’re only a few blocks from the police station, and I have them on hot dial.” Adagio smiled and offered her hand for a shake. “I’m Adagio. We’re closing up some loose ends on business. Celestia sent us, if you wanted to know.” Cinch backed down, but still averted her eyes from the gaudy trio. “These are the miscreants that she chooses to send? No wonder her school is down in the dumps. Just what exactly does Miss Celestia need me for?” “It’s about you sending some students to the Fall Formal tomorrow.” “Ah,” she said, “I have about twenty students that have committed to going. I hope that is good enough for her, as I cannot force any more to go.” “Yes you can,” Aria said. Cinch straightened out in her chair, taken aback. “Excuse me? Do you think I’m going to listen to what three hoodlums have to say?” “Maybe not,” said Adagio, “but our hoodlum sides aren’t doing the talking.” Before Cinch could react, Adagio began humming a low tune. The two sirens behind her quickly joined in, surrounding the old principal in a wall of sound. Cinch slumped forward, her eyes taking on a crimson hue. A few seconds later, the girls ceased their dark vocal trio. Adagio leaned forward, slamming her hands down on the desk. “Now you listen to me,” she growled. “I better see every damn student in this school with an ounce of sociability at the Fall Formal tomorrow. I don’t care how you get them there. Lie to them. Tell them we’re handing out free money, or that it’s a massive orgy. Make sure these kids all decide that the Fall Formal is going to be the greatest night they’ll ever attend. Hell, I would give a speech to the kids myself, but time’s a little short on our end. I don’t give a shit if it ruins your appearance, or your dignity, or whatever dumb shit entitled assholes pride themselves on nowadays. If you don’t get us those kids tomorrow, you won’t have any dignity left when we beat you to a pulp. This isn’t an order from Principal Celestia. This is an order from me. You got that?” Cinch dumbly nodded, still caught in their enchantment. “One more thing, Principal,” Adagio leaned in to Cinch’s ear. “Listen to me. You hate her. Everyone in your school hates her. I will signal you when the time comes. Be ready.” She stepped back and turned to Aria and Sonata. “We’ve gotten real good at this, haven’t we?” As they strolled out of the room, Adagio snapped her fingers. Principal Cinch startled out of her seat and quickly scanned her office, but the Sirens had already left. With a blink of confusion, she shrugged and went back to her work. The Sirens stepped out of the building. “What a good show! I can’t wait for tomorrow.” “It’s certainly going to be fun to see them all squirm,” commented Aria. “The Changelings or the Equestrians?” Adagio asked. Aria’s face twisted into a malicious grin. “Both.” The previous days and events all flowed together into a tangled mess of dreams, nightmares, brief moments of wakefulness, and a surprising amount of pain for Sunset Shimmer. Sometimes she could feel her body being moved around, or when her medication was applied—or forced down her throat—but most of her time was spent rotting in her bed, trying to grasp her surroundings. Anytime she thought she was strong enough to get up she would attempt to call for Twilight, only to weaken and fall back into fitful sleep. By today, though, her wakefulness solidified, and any time Twilight awoke her, she was able to start small conversations with the girl. Despite Sunset’s best attempts to pry, Twilight would not say anything about the plan to defeat the Changelings, claiming that Sunset needed to get better first. Twilight, ever dedicated to doing whatever she could to help, had somehow managed to pick Sunset up and drop her in the bathtub for a cleaning while she was still passed out. She regained her lucidity at said point, much to her embarrassment. “Twilight,” she croaked out, startling the girl rubbing a washcloth on her back. “Sunset!” She exclaimed. “Don’t exert yourself, please.” Sunset pushed herself up out the tub despite Twilight’s protest. “I don’t need a bath. Get me a towel.” Twilight hooked her arms under Sunset’s and lifted her up. Once Sunset braced herself on the side of the tub, Twilight grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the girl. “If you’re embarrassed about me cleaning you, you shouldn’t worry. I don’t understand human anatomy, Sunset.” Her face flushed. “No offense, of course, I’m sure you’re quite attractive for another human, and you would be in pony form too, but I just meant that there’s no need to make things awkward at all, especially because I’ve already been helping you for the past few days, and I should probably shut up now.” Sunset ignored Twilight’s outburst as she attempted to mat down her mess of hair. “Could I get a glass of water?” “Oh! Of course,” said Twilight, rushing out of the bathroom. Sunset took the time to recollect herself. Despite being soaking wet, she felt better than when she came home back from the Principal’s house. Her body ached all over, but it was a good sore feeling, like her wounds were slowly mending. She wearily lifted her hand and felt where she had been stung on the neck. The wound was closed up. Perhaps the most noticeable change was the one thing she didn’t notice: the cuts on her back barely ached at all. I guess there was a problem with it after all. The disappearance of the pain brought a small smile to her face. “Here you go,” Twilight said, handing Sunset a glass of water. Sunset drank it greedily, quenching the thirst she had felt for days. She sat the glass down and met Twilight’s gaze. “I should get back in bed.” Twilight wordlessly offered her arm to Sunset, who took hold of it and walked out of the bathroom. Once in her bedroom, Sunset sat up on her bed instead of laying back down. “How many days has it been since I passed out?” She asked. Twilight took a seat on the bed next to her, slightly fidgeting in her seat at the mention of time. “Come on, Twilight,” said Sunset. “You can’t keep me in the dark.” “It’s . . . Thursday night,” she admitted. Sunset gasped. “That means . . . the Fall Formal’s tomorrow!” Twilight refused to meet Sunset’s eyes. “I couldn’t rush you to get better. You’re still not strong enough, anyway. I can go it alone again, if I have to.” “No, Twilight,” said Sunset, placing a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “I’ll be ready by tomorrow. I promise.” “Sunset, you can’t just—” “If I don’t give this everything I’ve got then there will have been no point in conserving my energy in the first place. It’s all or nothing,” she said. Twilight slumped in her seat. “I’m just worried about you.” “I know.” The two lapsed into silence in dimly lit bedroom. Sunset clawed for something in her mind to say. “How’s the plan been going?” “Not good,” Twilight responded. “What’s gone wrong? I know we lost Celestia, but we should still be on somewhat of an even playing field.” Twilight explained the previous revelations they discovered: Chrysalis had tricked them and was funneling changelings onto the Earth, and she had far more power than they prepared for. Their new plan to move forward relied far too much on the Dazzlings to work, but it was all they had. “Shit,” said Sunset, “I messed everything up again.” “It’s a bit of a blessing, actually,” responded Twilight. “At least we aren’t walking right into a trap.” “Yeah.” She paused to think about the situation. “Who’s running Anon-A-Miss?” Twilight let out a nervous giggle. “Well, um, I am.” “You are?” Sunset exclaimed. “I can’t say I’ve done a great job on the performance aspect—nor the technology side, really—but students started sending the account their friends’ secrets to post. The Principal helped me figure out how to form posts and from then on, I had all the content we needed.” Twilight beamed with pride before remembering the context and bashfully withdrawing. “Um, not that I enjoyed it. I felt terrible. The page has been circling around all the schools in the area, and other districts are worried they might experience copycats.” Sunset made a grunt in amusement. “You scared you might enjoy being a bad girl?” Twilight flushed. “It’s not that! I can see why somepony would get a sense of schadenfreude out of it, but I know that it’s still wrong. I couldn’t do this for fun, even if I wanted to.” “At least you kept it running,” said Sunset. “We might still have a shot at this.” “The Dazzlings didn’t think so. They said we should say our goodbyes.” Twilight’s face darkened at the subject of the sirens. “I don’t trust them, Sunset. They’ve got some trick up their sleeves. I just can’t figure out what they’re planning.” “I’ve got a solution to them,” Sunset casually declared. “Really? What is it?” “We wear earplugs. They can’t do anything if we can’t hear their music,” she said, a gentle laugh escaping her lips. Twilight giggled. “That might not be a bad idea.” Sunset probed her mind for the details she remembered before passing out. “I, um, got a little bit delirious near the end there, didn’t I?” “It’s not your fault.” “Yeah it is,” said Sunset grimly. “I got too excited and fucked us all over. If I had just used my head we would be doing way better right now.” Twilight stayed silent, choosing to keep her eyes on the floor. “I’m sorry for what I said to you, too. I shouldn’t have insulted your friends like that.” “It’s fine,” Twilight said, her voice lowered to a whisper. “I’m just a bit too attached to them anyway. That’s what happens when you’re an Element, I suppose.” She attempted a laugh, but deflated halfway through. “It just hurt so much because . . . I don’t think you were completely wrong. When you said they didn’t care for me.” “Oh, Twilight, I was just being angry. It wasn’t true.” “They still let me down. There were countless moments we could have banded together to stop her, but they didn’t. I . . . I was screwed over, even if I don’t want to admit it.” She sniffed. “I have a question for you.” “Yeah?” Twilight turned to Sunset and wiped her eyes. “Are my friends . . . happy, in this world? Without me? Did they ever need me in the first place?” Sunset sighed.I can’t lie to her. “. . . They’re friends with one another, yes. But that’s just it. Friends in high school that won’t last. I have a plan to break up their group already. It isn’t a fair comparison to your group. Your friends have at least half a decade on these kids. Plus, your group is bound by prophecy! I know it, because I read it.” Twilight shook her head. “That’s just it. Maybe the prophecy has been fulfilled, and I’m not needed anymore. They can cast me off, just like they did at the wedding.” Sunset placed an arm around her, bringing her into a half-hug. “There’s no use in worrying about it now. At the very least, you and your friends had something with one another. Your role in defeating them was yours; it can’t be replaced.” “Can’t it?” She asked. “What? No,” Sunset responded. “If you really fulfilled the prophecy of Nightmare Moon’s return, then that’s your victory. Nopony else’s.” “Why couldn’t it have been you?” A lightning bolt of ice shocked through Sunset’s body. She’s right. Why couldn’t it have been you? Sunset pushed the thought down immediately. “Because . . . well . . .” “When we first met, you said I took everything from you, and that I didn’t even know it. I guess you’ve had me thinking.” “That’s not . . .” she struggled, “I was just . . .” For the love of Celestia, stop being a narcissist and comfort her! “Maybe it didn’t need to be me. Maybe I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I was gifted prior to my enrollment under Celestia, but I certainly wasn’t at the level of the mare I am today. I’m sure there were other unicorns far smarter with more friends than I. But instead, I got it all, and you got thrown to the wayside. I stole your destiny,” she said, slinking out of Sunset’s arm. “It’s not true,” Sunset said. “It’s just not. It didn’t work out for me. I . . .” she swallowed. “I had my chance, and blew it. I was just angry that you got what I couldn’t have.” Sunset reached out her hand, but Twilight made no notice of it. Instead, she kept her gaze on the floor, her hair splaying downward in a mess. “I’m not sure I’ve have anything left anyways. We’re even.” This was one of those moments that, while most ponies would have little issue deciding a correct response, took Sunset a second to decide on what to do. Twilight had been nursing her back to health for days, and Sunset felt as if it was her duty to comfort her, even if she was not sure how. Since when was it my duty to comfort anyone? What happened to being on my own, doing things my way? Sunset spotted a tear drop onto Twilight’s lap. The girl hung her head as she tried muffle up the sounds of gentle crying. That incurable ache in Sunset’s heart she had been feeling ever since she met Twilight resurged within her. Sunset knew she had to say something, to comfort the girl, but her lips were sealed, too caught up in the tragic beauty she radiated. She’s like a princess. Sunset lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Twilight, startling her. She squeezed her tightly, barely giving Twilight the room to breathe. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You’ve got me.” Twilight let out a shaky breath. “Huh?” “Twilight,” she said slowly, “I think you’re the only friend I’ve ever had. I never thought I’d say this, but . . . I can’t throw that away. So if everything you say is true, if fate really has it out for us, then at least we’ll have each other.” Hugging Twilight, actively choosing to do so, filled Sunset with a warmth she hadn’t felt before. It battered away that strange feeling that spread through her stomach and her heart, and, much to her dismay, she finally realized what it was. Longing. Twilight rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “What if . . . " she trailed off. “Never mind.” “It’s okay,” Sunset said. “Say what’s on your mind.” “It’s silly.” “It’s your last chance to get anything silly out now, before tomorrow.” Twilight sighed nervously. “Okay, I just was thinking . . .” “Yeah?” “Maybe we should divert our destinies. Together.” “Huh?” Twilight smiled demurely. “I mean, if we make it through all this, wouldn’t it be smart to . . . cohabitate, might be the word? You wanted to be an Element of Harmony, and I am one, and even though I didn’t steal it from you I kind of did, which I feel bad about. And since my friendship with my other friends is sort of on the rocks right now—even if we get them out of the pods, they may not want to be my friend anymore—I just thought you were next safest option. No offense, though! I didn’t mean it like I was settling for you or anything. From your perspective, I can see why you would say no, I mean, I’m not the best person to live with—you can ask Spike about that one—and I stay up way too late and don’t leave my study enough. And now I’m rambling again, um . . .” She turned away nervously, attempting to squirm out of Sunset’s grip. “Are you saying you want to live together? I thought that was already the plan until I got resituated.” Twilight blushed, unable to meet Sunset’s eyes. “No, I was hoping for . . . more than that,” she whispered. “Oh,” said Sunset. She paused. “Oh.” Twilight deflated as she struggled out of the hug. “Oh, okay then, I understand, I thought I would just ask. I just hope we can still be friends—” “Wait, wait!” exclaimed Sunset. “That’s not what I meant. Oh gosh, that was terrible. I’m sorry.” Twilight ceased her struggle, but refused to meet Sunset’s eyes. “What is it, then?” Sunset sighed. “It’s Chrysalis.” “What about her?” “Well . . . that’s what she feeds from. If we . . . do that . . . we’re just giving her free ammunition tomorrow.” Twilight still looked heartbroken. There’s no point in hiding it, though. “Maybe . . . afterwards, once this is over?” Twilight looked up at her, hope in her eyes. “So you . . .” Sunset offered a tender smile. “Yeah. I’m not exactly sure what I feel, but . . . I’ve never felt this at all before. That must mean something.” Twilight clasped herself around Sunset tightly, pulling Sunset into her lavender aroma. She suddenly saw underneath the teary mess of the girl, so distraught about everything being taken away from her, and so defeated from already seeing one world lost, a completely genuine soul that could withstand any adversity it faced against. As she gazed into Twilight’s amethyst eyes, she finally understood why she could never wield the Element of Magic. It wouldn’t have worked for me anyway. Not when somepony like her deserves it so much more. Twilight pulled out of Sunset’s embrace slightly. “Hey Sunset?” she said, a smile crossing her face. “Yeah?” “I’m willing to put us at a bit of a disadvantage tomorrow.” “Oh?” Twilight closed her eyes and leaned forward. Sunset, for perhaps the first time in her life, didn’t bother putting up a fight. As their lips met, all thoughts of the Changelings, the Fall Formal, and the incoming struggle were lost in the impression of Twilight’s lips upon her mind. Once she came to her senses, that light feeling that had been bugging her heart felt like it opened up and rose out into the night sky. It almost feels like I’m flying.