"You're sure that it's fine?"
Sunset nodded with a broad smile, and swept me up into a big hug, actually lifting me off of my feet slightly.
Perk of the human form, I guess!
"Cozy, thank you so, so much..."
I rolled my eyes into her shoulder and snickered. "It was no big deal, really! It was the least I could do after everything you've done for me."
Sunset laughed and shuddered, trying to restrain her emotions. "It's a big deal to me, Cozy. I never thought she'd actually... I mean, wow. We're family now!"
I laughed again as we disengaged and gave her side-eye. "I've thought of you as family for a while now, this just makes it official."
She gave me a noogie and spoke as I tried in vain to swat her hand away. "I know that! You little goofball."
I eventually wrestled her off of me and grinned up at her. "S-sto~op, heh... I'm just glad you're fine with combining the adoption party with Mom's birthday. I know she'd want to, but I thought you might want your own day for it."
Sunset waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, I like it! I mean, what better way to join the family, right? She's my aunt now, wow. How does that even work? I'm still wrapping my head around the whole 'mom' thing, but now I've got an aunt, a cousin, and I guess a second cousin with Cadance? Oh, wow, that means Twilight and I are distantly related, too." She boggled at that for a second.
I just gave her a swat on the shoulder. "Just keep doing what you've been doing! We all love you already."
Sunset sniffled, caught herself, and rolled her eyes while wiping them off with her sleeve. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Ahem. Sorry, it's just... I'd wanted it for so long, I thought it was just a fantasy."
Wait why is she sad?!
People can cry when they're happy, too, remember?
Oh, right.
I shrugged as we resumed our walk across the soccer field towards the school gym. "Yeah, I've been there."
We continued in companionable silence for a few moments, Sunset still sniffling slightly and drying her eyes, when suddenly a loud, familiar voice from behind us startled us out of our wits.
"Hey, Sunset, Cozy! You two are late! What kept—whoa, Sunset, are you crying?"
Sunset grumbled and wiped her eyes again with a grin. "No, you're crying, Dash."
Dash reeled back in confusion, but I cut her off just as she tried to speak. "Celestia finally adopted her!"
Dash froze, staring at us both like we grew extra heads. Then, like a gear had suddenly come unstuck in her head, she relaxed and rolled her eyes "Oh, duh, you mean Princess Celestia. I keep forgetting that's a thing."
"Did I hear someone say my name?"
Principal Celestia rounded the bleachers, a perplexed expression on her face. All of us stopped and looked at each other awkwardly for a moment.
Oh no! Social awkwardness! KILL IT WITH FIRE!
I bounced up and pointed at Celestia. "You're her not-Mom!"
Celestia looked at me like I'd gone crazy, and Sunset swatted me on the shoulder as she laughed. "Cozy! What are you doing?"
I just brushed my shoulder off and folded my arms. "What? Are you trying to keep it a secret? 'Cuz we are throwing a giant celebration party thing about it in a few days, so that might not work out."
Dash suddenly leaned in. "Whoa, really?! Sweet! Can I come?"
Sunset cleared her throat, grin plastered on her face. "Yeah, definitely! I'd like all of my friends to be there, if that's okay with Princess – err, Aunt Luna."
I waved a hand dismissively at that. "Oh, sure! I don't think she'd mind at all!"
All three of us were distracted by a stern throat-clearing 'AHEM', to see Principal Celestia tapping her foot impatiently with her arms folded.
"Would any of you care to fill me in on what's going on?"
I snorted. "The other you adopted Sunset! Isn't that great?!"
Principal Celestia reeled slightly at that, her mouth hanging open in surprise for a moment. "Uh, oh! That's wonderful! Erm, congratulations, Sunset!"
Sunset smiled sheepishly, her cheeks flushing red as she folded her arms more tightly and cast her eyes down. "Thank you, Principal."
Celestia laughed awkwardly and and rested a hand on her face. "I have to admit, I'm not quite certain how to react! But I am glad you found a place where you belong."
Just as we were all considering that, another voice caught our attention, and we looked over to see Pinkie Pie poking her head out at us between the bleachers on our left. "Ooo, what's this? A party celebrating something?" She eyed all of us. "Let's see... Sunset got adopted! Ooo!"
Sunset started. "Wait, how did you—"
Nope!
Seconded!
I cut her off with a wave of my hand. "No! Party's in four days, Pinkie. We all just ran into each other here."
"Four days, you say? IiIiInteresting..."
And with that she slowly leaned back and away, eyes wide and fixated on us, and disappeared into the shadows under the bleachers.
Dash coughed awkwardly. Celestia shook her head and said, "Right! I should get back to work. Congratulations again, Sunset!"
Sunset nodded gratefully to the principal, and we parted ways there. Dash, Sunset and I went to the gym, where we went through our usual martial-arts training, though the mood was significantly giddier than usual with the good news. By the time we wrapped up and finished showering, the sun had set and night had fallen. The air was crisp and cool as we walked back towards the portal with Dash, who clapped me on the back after we had left the gym.
"Seriously, Cozy, you've gotten a lot tougher. It feels like I'm hitting a brick wall whenever we spar now!"
Uh oh.
Yeah, awkward...
I laughed and shrugged, raising my hands helplessly. "Yeah, I've noticed that too. I've had to learn to be a lot more gentle – stuff breaks a lot more easily when I bump into it."
Sunset looked at me with plain concern on her face. "That's not because of your wings, is it?"
Of course she figured it out immediately.
What did you expect? It's Sunset!
"Y-yeah, it is..."
Sunset leaned in and put a hand on my shoulder. "Cozy, how bad has it gotten?"
I chewed my lip over as I wondered how best to keep her from worrying. "W-well, it doesn't hurt or anything! But, um... I can't open my wings anymore."
Dash let out a 'Gah' at that, and Sunset flinched as well before saying, "Wait, you can't open them at all?!"
I waved a hand at her frantically, hoping to calm her down. "No, I can! Er, sometimes... It just sorta happens sometimes, and I don't even notice. But when I actually try to open and close them, I usually just... can't."
It was Dash's turn to lean in with obvious concern. Dangit, why can't they just stop caring so much?! "Cozy, that sounds like nerve damage. That's serious, you really need to get something done about those crystals."
I sighed. "We've tried. Aunt Celestia tried removing them with magic, but the crystals just repair themselves as fast as they can be removed, and after a while, it starts to hurt... like, a lot. I can actually feel stuff through the crystal now, like it's part of me. Most impacts and having some of it chipped off doesn't hurt, but when a lot of damage happens at once, it... yeah, it really, really hurts."
Sunset and Dash shared a concerned look at that, and I just stomped my foot angrily. "Will you two quit worrying about it?! Look, there's not much we can do right now, but it's a good day today! Sunset got adopted, we're planning a party, and Mom and Celestia still think it's going to work itself out, so... so can we just not worry about this stuff today?"
Sunset relented, holding her hands up placatingly. "Okay, okay! I understand, we just care about you is all."
Dash nodded. "No need to blow a fuse, Cozy, we're just trying to make sure you're alright."
I caught myself, and rubbed my face for a second.
That was stupid.
Story of my life, right there.
"Sorry, you two. I guess I'm still full of adrenaline from the sparring."
Dash just gave a shrug and a smile. "Hey, no problem. Just make sure you're taking care of yourself, alright? And you should talk to the other me, she knows more about wing stuff than I do."
I nodded at that absently, then I suddenly looked over at her in realization. "Wait, how did you know I'm back on speaking terms with the other Dash?"
Rainbow just rolled her eyes. "Duh, secret friendship plan, remember? I went and had a talk with her."
I tilted my head. "Waaaiiit... so that stuff about, 'befriend Dash in one world, befriend them all', was that... you?"
Dash just shrugged. "It was kind of a group effort. I mean, we both had the same feelings on it, it was just awkward for her. So I told her to, y'know, pony up and get over it. Eheh."
Sunset and I just gave her flat stares, and she threw her hands up in response. "What? Pff, tough crowd."
I rolled my eyes, but I smiled at her. "Thanks, Dash. I appreciate it. And I actually did get her help with my wings, at first, but... well, she doesn't know what's going on, either. And now that I can't fly, I can't really do that any more. I'm actually glad I can come over here to stretch and train, because it's kinda tiring carrying all of that crystal around all the time. I feel like a turtle or something."
Dash laughed at that. "Hey, turtles are totally cool! And with how tough you are, you're really giving Tank a run for his money."
I groaned while Sunset laughed. "The other Dash already made that joke, too."
Rainbow just snapped a finger in frustration. "Yeah, that figures. Oh, this is where we split up – I promised AJ I'd help her family load some furniture today, so I'll see you two in a few days."
Sunset and I nodded and waved as she took off. After Dash had disappeared into the school, we resumed our walk in silence towards the front parking lot. As soon as the portal came into view, I froze in my tracks, as a horrible, icy sensation ran up my back.
"Uhh... Sunset?"
Sunset glanced at me in surprise, noting my expression and looking around. "What is it, Cozy? Is something wrong?"
"I'm... not sure? I feel weird, like... remember how I told you I could feel something was wrong when Ocellus was hiding from us?"
Sunset nodded, putting a hand to her chin. "Is that what's happening now? Do you think someone's in pain around here?"
I shook my head, shivering slightly. "No, no, this is something else. It's like... the same kind of sense, but a different thing. Like hearing a different sound. I don't know what this is, but it feels cold and... dark."
Sunset seemed lost for words, and both continued looking around the parking lot as we made our way across it. We stopped in front of the statue, and I shuddered like I'd just been dunked into an ice bath.
"I think it's coming from the portal."
Sunset grimaced. "I was afraid you'd say that. Do you think someone's in trouble on the other side? Here, let me contact Starlight, I can try to make sure."
I nodded, and she pulled a journal with Starlight's cutie mark on it out of her bag. Just as she began writing, I felt a wrenching sensation, and I actually jumped in fright.
"Sunset, I think something's really wrong! I don't think we can wait!"
Sunset hesitated, but then quickly wrote something down and snapped the book shut with a nod. "Okay. Alright, if you think so, let's go – but be careful, okay?"
I nodded and took her hand, and together we passed into the portal. As we flew through the rainbow tunnel towards the other world, though, I felt that terrible cold washing over us, and gave a reflexive beat of my wings. The universe flipped sideways, and suddenly we both fell, screaming, out into a blasted, grey landscape, the portal snapping closed behind us.
We both landed with grunts, and as I was rubbing my tailbone and looking around, I realized that Sunset was still in her human form.
I wasn't, though. I was back in my pony form, useless crystal-clad wings and all.
Sunset looked around in a panic. "Wait, where are we...? This isn't Equestria, is it?"
I looked up at the sky, which was covered in stormclouds as far as the eye could see. Out to the horizon, I only saw grey dirt, tinted slightly green by the stormclouds overhead. On a distant outcropping I saw a single, dead tree.
"I... really hope not."