I am just... happy, that things are normal.
After the events that spiraled yesterday, I got my well-deserved sleep, back in my own comfortable bed.
The next day, after showering and bringing my hair back to its style, I went down to the cutie-map room to start my day. Chrysalis and Tirek were already there, chatting away.
I sat down in one of the seats across from them.
"Good morning..." I yawned.
"Leo, we're glad you're up," said Tirek. "We've wanted to discuss something with you now that things are back to normal."
"I'm all ears!"
"Well..." Chrysalis held up a phone.
"Alright... that's a clone of my phone," I said.
"Yes," Tirek nods. "And we were thinking... you said that some of the things in this phone were inaccessible due to certain aspects. Correct?"
"Yup."
"So... Tirek and I have been thinking, and... we've decided to begin phase 2 of our business," Chrysalis explained. "And make everything here accessible."
I rubbed my hoof on my chin. "Hmmm... alright, let's think about this. You're telling me that you're going to make every app able to be used, by making internet and data... correct?"
Chrysalis and Tirek nodded.
"Well, this is a pretty big step," I continue. "Not as big as releasing these phones in general... but it's big. Now, I'm all for this idea. There are things I can't do on this device that I miss. But I'm not the main one to ask about this. I have an idea on how it works, but who knows if the items we need are scattered around the world? I may be wrong, but we may need a giant antenna, and a box."
"I think we should do research on how it works," suggested Tirek. "If we're able to do it, we'll need to know how it functions, first, or else it will be a waste of time."
"But how can we research it?." Chrysalis pondered.
"No need. I think I know of a way we can pull this off. We'll need the Princess' permission for this."
"So what's the idea that we'll need the Princess here for?" asked Tirek.
"Well..." I begin. "You know that... thing, that we were told not to touch? The thing under the tarp in the library?"
"Yeah?" Chrysalis listened intently. Tirek, too.
"Well... as long as we get the Princess' permission to use it... we're about to use something that will be out of this world, if you know what I mean..."
Tirek and Chrysalis exchanged glances.
...
Intro
...
"What could be under there?" Cozy asked, while we all sat near the hidden structure in the library.
"You'll see..." Leo patted her shoulder.
Just then, the doors to the library opened. Princess Twilight, along with Spike, entered.
"Hey, Princess," Cozy waved. "Hey, Spike."
"What's up?" Spike greeted.
"So, I got your letter," said the Princess. "You wanted me to see something?"
"Yes," Chrysalis nods. "We were wondering if we could have permission to use whatever's under that tarp."
"Oh, that thing? Let me show you..."
Princess Twilight went over to the concealed structure, and pulled off the tarp, revealing a mirror connected to a bunch of mechanisms. Only I recognized it, even before the tarp was removed.
"That's it?" Tirek said. "A mirror?"
"Not just any mirror... a portal," Spike pointed out.
"I suggested that they could use it, because they wanted to put the next phase of their business in motion," Leo explained. "But since they don't know much on what to do, I figured we could go over there and have them try it out, learn about it, all that. Heck, there may even be an item or two we can bring back to help with that."
"Hmmm..." Twilight tapped her chin. "I would let you through, though there's just one problem... the last time someone tried to go through the portal, it wasn't working. We tried to fix it, but it never turned out to be a success. So we eventually gave up and decided to keep it here in case-"
ZZZZZzzzzz
Everyone turned their heads, and saw the mirror glass replaced with a swirling pink vortex.
"Um... how did you do that?" Spike asked.
"I just put the book sitting nearby in," Leo said. "Isn't that what I have to do?"
"It is, but it wasn't working the last time the steps were followed. Someone must have did something in order to get it to work!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Maybe someone worked on it when nobody noticed?" Chrysalis suggested.
"I'm going to talk to Starlight about this..."
"Wait!" Leo piped before Twilight left. "Since it's very likely that it works, can we please go through to do what needs to be done?"
"Yes," Twilight nodded. "You may. Spike, would you be fine with looking after the portal?"
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted.
"All right!" Leo cheered, before entering the portal.
"Well, I guess we should follow him," Cozy shrugged. She then followed Leo into the portal.
Chrysalis went next.
"Wait!" Tirek shrieked. "How am I even going to-"
Chrysalis vanished into the portal.
Tirek sighed and went over. He expected to not fit, but once his claw touched, he was sucked in.
"Huh... so that's what it does to big creatures..." Spike mumbled.
Canterlot High...
My mind felt like it was spinning as soon as all the whirling, twirling, and body-stretching stopped. When my vision blurred, I groaned, and looked at my hands.
Wait... Hands!
I stood up on my feet and looked over my body. Most of what it was like the last time I was human was the same... I was wearing the same clothes I had on the day I first went to Equestria. Although my skin was green, my hair was still long, and I was a cartoon, those are the only differences I found.
I sighed. "It's good to be back..."
My attention was brought to the sound of groaning from the other three. I turned and saw them shakily get up on their feet.
"It's a good thing you three briefly had experience being humans," I said. "Otherwise I would have had to..."
Cozy lost her balance and fell on her hands and knees.
"... teach you."
"I got it..." Cozy assured.
"Hey. There's no one here," said Chrysalis.
I looked around. Chrysalis was right... the area was empty.
"Should we be worried?" Cozy asked.
"I don't think so," Tirek replied. "Things look pretty normal, here. It looks like we're at a school, and today's supposed to be a Saturday... unless days are different back at Equestria."
"I think we'll be fine," I shrug. "We just need to find someone to talk to. It's not that hard."
"But wouldn't it be weird if we just approached a random stranger?" Cozy pointed out.
"Hmm... fair point. We should probably think this through a little..."
"There should be someone who's a bit more close to the world of Equestria than others," Tirek said. "If that was the case, then it's a shame the Princess didn't tell us..."
"Actually..." I begin. "There is someone that's like that. "
"Really? Who?" Cozy asked.
All of a sudden, we heard the doors open. We all looked.
A female human with amber-colored skin and hair that was red and yellow stepped out. She didn't see us as she stepped out (she had her head turned to look behind her), but the moment she did see us, she slightly jumped, and paused.
"Um..." I raised a hand. "Hi?"
The woman, who found that first meeting a bit awkward, also raised her hand to have. "...hi. Can I... help you with something?"
"Um... yeah," Chrysalis said. "You see, we're from Equestria-"
"Hold on..." the woman squinted her eyes. "I recognize you... wait a minute... Twilight told me about you three..."
"Uh-oh..." Cozy gulped.
"Listen, before you come to any conclusions, we're-"
"-reformed," the woman cut off Tirek, and gave a slight smile. "I know. Twilight told me about that too." She pointed at me. "And you as well. Why don't we all go to my office?"
Office?
"Um... sure, why not?" I reply.
And so, we all followed Sunset Shimmer as we entered Canterlot High.
...
...
We were all led into Sunset's office, which turned out to be the Principle's office. So at least I now know where Sunset wound up in life... as the new Principal. Honestly, I'm surprised and not surprised at the same time. But now I'm left wondering about what happened to Twilight's human counterpart...
Anyway, Cozy and I took our seats in the two chairs, while Chrysalis and Tirek stood behind us.
"So... you're the Headmare of this school?" Tirek asked.
"Here, we call it 'Principal', and we don't refer to one another as mares," Sunset politely replied. "Ever since Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna retired."
"So Celestia and Luna's alternate versions were 'Principals' here..." Cozy mumbled. "If being a Principal is a high-figure, then I'd expect Twilight's counterpart to be in charge instead."
"Cozy, be polite," Chrysalis reprimanded.
"No worries," assured Sunset. "I kind of felt the same way. But I suppose the position of Vice-Principal is close enough, isn't it?"
"I suppose so... another question... it's Saturday, isn't it? How come you're here?"
"I always come here on Saturdays. Usually to take a trip down memory lane, since some of my fondest memories are here."
"Oh."
"You appeared to have heard about us," Tirek said. "How?"
"Through contact with Twilight, of course. I've never spent my whole life here. I lived in Equestria once. But that changed. I used to be like you once. The three of you. I too, was a villain. I wanted Twilight's crown. I stole it and escaped to this world, where I bullied plenty of others who didn't deserve it. One transformation and defeat later, Twilight helped me see the light."
"How was it?..." Cozy asked. "Looking for forgiveness?"
"It was... something," Sunset chuckled. "But... I'm here now, aren't I? If anything, I'm right where the three of you stand. A former enemy turned into someone living a more normal life... though I've had my share of saving the world. The first occasion was what gave me my confidence around the time."
"Us too," Chrysalis said.
"How is it that we're similar to nearly every reformed villain?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Because that's how it goes in your world, and here too, I suppose. It's like a sequence of stages... when you reform, you feel unsure and doubtful. And then, you change and gain confidence from one thing. That stage doesn't happen to everyone... but it can happen even after your guilt goes away. And then, you go and live a normal life like you're supposed to."
"Or it's just coincidence," I pointed out.
"That too. Anyways... what brings you three here?"
"Well, thanks to our friend Leo here, something new and advanced was brought to Equestria, and Tirek and I decided to collaborate on it," Chrysalis explained. "They're these glowing bricks called-"
"-phones."
"Phones. Yes. And since they're limited in ability, we learned that this would be a good place to go to to unlock the rest of their abilities."
"Weird way to word it," I said.
"We were hoping that we could figure out how to complete our business, and maybe even get some of the supplies," Tirek clarified.
"Well, it's not easy," said Sunset. "If you want to have access to things requiring internet and service... the things you need... it's a bit of a process. Although one of the things you need qualifies as a simple household item, there's also tall towers, and even satellites... structures you put into space."
"Seems complicated," Chrysalis muttered. "How do you... acquire those?"
"It's a long process. First, you need the materials, and then you need to build what's needed, and finally, launch the satellite. I wish I could do more, but unfortunately, I don't have any access to blueprints."
"Well..." Tirek tapped his chin. "I think that's all we need to know."
"I also told them that data isn't an option because... you know," I chime in.
"Well, I'm sorry that I can't help much, but at least you now know what to do. In time, we may think of something."
"Honestly..." Chrysalis began. "With how new they are to Equestria, I think we'll be fine. It just means that all the excitement the residents have will linger on until further notice."
"Yeah. Anyways, it was nice to finally meet you."
"You as well," Tirek replied. "Well, I suppose we should head back?"
"Not now," Cozy said. "Can we just stick around for a little bit longer?"
Chrysalis and Tirek exchanged looks.
"I suppose so..." said Chrysalis. "But what would we do?"
"We could just get ice cream or something," I shrugged.
"Alright."
"I'll come with you." Sunset stood up.
"Really?" Cozy tilted her head. "Why?"
"Because... why not? Besides, there's so much out here in this world that I would love to tell you about. And maybe we can even share some stories."
"You have our interest," Tirek said.
With Sunset right behind us, we all proceeded to leave.
...
...
"So you actually managed to defeat the Sirens?!" Cozy beamed. "That's amazing!"
"It sure is," said Sunset. "But I'm not the one that confronted and defeated the actual Father of Monsters."
"I guess we all have something in common," Chrysalis said.
"Well, not me..." I point out.
"You said that there's been moments of reoccurring magic in this world..." Tirek started. "What kinds of magic?"
"Well for starters, the most obvious one, the portal to and from Equestria. And then throughout my first years here, I figured out that a special kind of magic would be unlocked when you show the trust part of yourself. Then there's the discovery of these geodes with magic originally from Equestria itself. I could go on, as every so often, I'd always discover something new."
"Wow. I didn't expect a place like this to have that much magic," Cozy said.
"There's more, too... I have a little 'special ability'. Through physical touch, I would be able to see your thoughts, memories, and feelings."
"That's nice," I nod (even though I knew that).
"Does anyone want me to try?"
We all looked at each other, before Cozy shrugged.
"Eh. Why not?"
She reached out her arm.
Sunset went closer to Cozy, and then took Cozy's wrist. Her eyes all of a sudden began to glow white.
Sunset...
When Sunset finally regained her sense of surroundings, she took a moment to see where she was.
It was definitely different than what she expected.
She was in a house. Not big or fancy. But just a small, simple house, reminiscent of a classic Ponyville house.
Sunset proceeded to walk around, wondering just how this whole setting was related to Cozy Glow herself.
And then she turned a corner into the hallway.
There was a bunch of picture frames hung up on both hallway walls. Sunset stepped closer to the first frame and took it off the wall.
It was a picture of Cozy, along with Chrysalis and Tirek. All three standing together. Like...
"...One big happy family," Sunset murmured.
Sunset put the picture back and continued down the hall. She saw some more pictures, a few of them excluding her other friend, while others included him.
Sunset suddenly heard something call to her. But this was different.
It seemed sinister.
And it was right around the corner at the end of the hallway.
Sunset didn't want to check it out, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle with her curiosity. She finished her trek across the hallway, turned the corner, and saw nothing more than a cellar door.
Sunset immediately knew that whatever she was feeling was inside that door.
She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to enter.
But Sunset ended up taking a deep breath, opening the cellar door, and going inside.
Meanwhile...
"...How long does she do that?" Chrysalis asked.
"I dunno," I shrug.
"I really hope she doesn't find any private things in there..." Cozy grumbled. "The moment she touched me, I immediately regretted it."
"What sort of things?" Tirek asked.
"...Private things. As I said."
Suddenly, Sunset pulled her hand off of Cozy, her eyes returning to normal.
"Hey, you're back!" I said. "What did you see?"
"Oh, you know..." Sunset scratched the back of her head. "...Basic things. Nothing private."
"Really?" Cozy crossed her arms. "I don't believe you."
"I'm being honest. I know what stuff to stay out of, and what to look at... um... *ahem...* it looks like it's getting late, so I think it's time you all head back."
"Aw..." I whine.
"Don't worry, you'll be able to come back anytime," said Chrysalis. "...I think. We may have to talk with Twilight on that."
"I think you can as long as we're both fine with it," Sunset replied. "Come on. Let's go."
...
...
"Bye Sunset," Leo waved. "Thanks for the trip."
Leo entered the portal. Cozy followed. Chrysalis was ready to go next, but Sunset grabbed her arm.
"Don't tell Cozy that I'm telling you two this..." she began. "But after that little trip in her mind, I want you two to promise me something."
"What is it?"
"I wasn't telling her the truth when I was saying that I didn't see anything private. I did... but it stays between us. I saw memories of her past."
"Really?" Tirek's brows raised.
Sunset nodded. "Listen, I'm not going to tell you about what exactly happened... but could you please, please promise me, that you'll give her a happier life then what I saw?"
Chrysalis and Tirek looked at each other.
"We will," Chrysalis promised.
Sunset smiled. "Thank you."
Chrysalis and Tirek bid her goodbye and returned into the portal.
Equestria...
"Well, as much as it was nice learning new things, it's a shame that we didn't advance the phone business," Tirek said.
"Honestly... considering how new and different they are... I think it will be a long time before ponies and creatures want more. Besides... it's better to wait until the world is ready for something in order to make a difference."
"Yeah, perhaps we may have started things a bit too early..." Chrysalis chuckled.
"Don't worry... someday, changes will be made."
...
...
Hard, gusty winds blew around the apocalyptic rubble that was once Equestria. A pony dressed in all black, along with a cloak flowing in the wind, stood motionless as it kept its gaze on a fallen structure.
It made no movements or sound... all it did was breathe.
Then, it looked off into the distance, and ran away, leaving behind the fallen structure that was once Equestria's first phone tower.