//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Phoenix Magic: Equestria Girls // by Magic Kitsune Brony //------------------------------// Princess Celestia waited in worry as Luna, Cadance, and all of Twilight’s friends waited for her to return. They had become even more worried when a tied up and gagged Stormy CloudSwirl. Shining Armor was quick when he had noticed her lighting up her horn, about to escape, he zapped a magic suspender on her horn, stopping her attempt. He then went to place her in the dungeons, until Twilight told him otherwise. Finally, Twilight came through the portal. It took her a moment to reorientate herself to four legs. She noticed she still had her dress on, only it had changed to fit her new form. “Twilight!” Fluttershy quietly exclaimed. “You’re back!” Rainbow flew up to her. “You’ve got your crown!” Rarity said, seeing the crown on her friend’s head. “I knew you could do it!” Pinkie hugged her tightly. “Oh, we were so worried,” Applejack’s eyes started to water. “Did you find Sunset Shimmer?” Celestia asked stepping forward in worry. “Is she alright?” “I did and she’s just fine,” Twilight smiled up at her mentor. “She’s in very good hands.” The ponies all looked at each other in confusion. “What are hands?” Rainbow asked the question on their minds. Before Twilight could answer, Spike came tumbling out of the portal, and was ecstatic to find he had his claws back. He and Twilight shared a knowing smiled with each other. “Where did you stay?” Fluttershy asked as they walked away from the room where the portal sat. “Who made that absolutely gorgeous dress?” Rarity asked, admiring said dress. “Did ya have fun?” Pinkie asked, smiling at her. “What’d ya eat?” Applejack wondered. “Don’t forget, everypony,” Twilight pointed to her necklace. “I’ll be able to show you everything with this. But for now, I’m just so exhausted from all the dancing.” All the ponies behind her exclaimed all at once. “Dancing?” Twilight looked at her friends, not paying attention, when she walked into something. Looking up, she found a face that looked familiar, but on a guard pony. “We’ve got to stop bumping into each other like this,” the guard pony said before he walked off. “Who was that?” Twilight asked watching him go. “He’s a new member of the castle guard,” Cadance answered. “Flash Sentry, I think.” She thought for a second, before giving Twilight a knowing smirk. “Why? Do you know him?” “Not exactly,” Twilight mystery replied. “Oooh! Somepony’s got a crush on the new guy!” Applejack exclaimed as they continued to walk. “No. No, I don’t,” Twilight denied. “She does!” Rarity gasped. “She absolutely does!” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Twilight blushed. “I don’t even know him. He just…” Pinkie interrupted Twilight, bouncing around her. “Totally reminds you of a guy you met in the other world who played guitar, was in a band, and helped prove you didn’t destroy all the decorations for a big dance, so you could still run princess of the big dance, and then asked you to dance at that dance?!” She took a big breath, before smiling at Twilight. “Right?” Twilight and Spike looked at each other in surprise, before turning back to Pinkie. “How did you know that?” “Just a hunch,” Pinkie shrugged, causing everyone to roll their eyes. Soon, everypony was heading to bed, excited to see Twilight’s memories of the other world. The next morning saw everypony eating breakfast. Shining Armor turned to Twilight, “Hey, Twi,” Twilight looked up at her brother. “That Stormy CloudSwirl pony is still in the dungeons. What do you want done with her?” “I was thinking that we all decide after you have all seen my memories,” Twilight suggested. “That does sound like a good idea,” Cadance agreed, the other two princess nodding too. “I suggest we start watching your memories after breakfast, Twilight,” Celestia said. “The sooner we see them, the sooner we can decide Stormy’s fate.” “And the sooner you can see Sunset Shimmer for yourself,” Twilight smiled knowingly at the princess. “Yes, that too,” Celestia blushed. After breakfast, they all headed to the throne room. Once they were all comfortable, Twilight floated the necklace over to Celestia. Celestia then place the necklace in the middle of the circle they had gathered in. “Are we ready?” She looked at everypony, who all nodded. “Then let us begin.” She shot a beam of magic at the necklace, causing the room around them melted away to reveal the memory of just before Twilight went through the portal. “Whoa!” Rainbow exclaimed in surprise. “This is so weird!” The ponies watch Twilight step through the portal, with her and Spike coming out of the base of a statue. They shocked by what their friends looked like in the other world. “Whoa nelly!” Applejack exclaimed. “What in the hay are you supposed to be, Twilight?” “They’re called ‘humans’,” Twilight explained. “They’re the dominant species there.” “Oh my,” Fluttershy was more interested in Spike’s form. “You make such a cute dog, Spike.” “Indeed, darling,” Rarity agreed. “Thanks,” Spike blushed. They watched as Twilight explore the building near the portal. They saw so many of the ‘humans’, including one that looked like Flash Sentry. “Oooh, is that the one the new guy reminds you of?” Pinkie asked. “Maybe,” Twilight blushed deeply. Their eyes widened when Twilight meet the human versions of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. “Oh my, is that me?” Fluttershy asked as she watched her counterpart trying to stand up to Stormy. “Yep, it seems you all have human counterparts in that world,” Twilight explained, as Rainbow cheered on her counterpart as she defended the other Fluttershy. “Even you, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” “Fascinating,” Celestia said, interested in seeing more, and hoping to see Sunset Shimmer soon. She giggled at the awkward conversation between Twilight and her counterpart, reminded of their own first meeting when Twilight was a filly. She listened closely when human Rainbow explained Sunset’s new name. “Sunset King?” “Yep, that’s the new she goes by now,” Twilight looked at her mentor nervously. “I see,” Celestia turned back to the memories, as the rest of the Element’s counterparts were introduced, and then came Sunset. Celestia soaked in her former student’s human form and became sad when it was revealed that Sunset had amnesia. “She forgot Equestria?” She said as she thought, ‘She forgot me?’ “Oh, don’t worry,” Twilight assured her. “She eventually gets some of her memories back.” They continued to watch in awe at the other world’s technology was revealed when Twilight tried one of the ‘computers.’ They were even more shocked, when at the end of the day, it’s shown that Sunset had been adopted by that world’s Celestia and Sombra. ‘Is that what she really needed and wanted,’ Celestia thought sadly as she watched Sunset interact with her counterpart and human Sombra. ‘A family?’ The next day came, and they watched as Twilight came clean and they revealed that they kinda knew, due to cameras pointed at the statue, and the few memories that Sunset had been able to remember. Then came Sunset’s origin story. “Wait, wait,” Rainbow was shocked. “So, she’s a human, not a pony?” “Well, yea, she was born a human,” Twilight said. “But she did spend her fillyhood as a pony here in Equestria.” She turned to Celestia to ask a question that had been on her mind for a while. “Did you know about her heritage?” Celestia sighed. “Yes, I did. I was going to tell her, but then we had our falling out and she fled through the portal.” Twilight didn’t know what to say, so they continued to watch the memories. They watched the students fix the decorations, Twilight and the Rainbooms getting ready and the formal itself. They gasped when Stormy stole Spike and then threatened to smash the portal. “Oh, Twily,” Shining gasped after Twilight stood up to Stormy. “That was very brave of you.” “Well, I wasn’t lying when I said I rather not be about to return to Equestria then let my Element fall into Stormy’s hooves,” Twilight said. They watched in horror when Stormy managed to get the crown and turned into a she-demon. Celestia’s eyes started to tear up when she watched as Sunset was down unconscious while protecting Twilight. “Oh, Sunset,” Luna patted her sister’s back in comfort. The mood became a bit brighter when Twilight and her human friends glowed and gained pony like traits. Celestia almost turned away when Stormy sent a fireball at Sunset but became overjoyed when Sunset also transformed and surprised to see the wings. “She became an alicorn?” Luna questioned, shocked. “It seems that way,” Cadance answered, equally in awe. “Oh, my little sun,” Celestia smiled at the image in front of her. Her smile became bigger when, after defeating Stormy, it was revealed that along with becoming an alicorn, Sunset had regained half of her memories, including memories of her. Celestia shed a couple of happy tears when she heard Sunset apology. “I forgave you long ago, my dear student,” She whispered to the memory Sunset. The memories finally finished after Twilight said goodbye to her human friends. “So,” Shining turned to the princesses. “Now that we’ve watched everything, what are we going to do about Stormy CloudSwirl?” “Since Stormy’s transgressions were against Twilight,” Celestia answered, looking over at the purple princess. “I believe it is Twilight’s decision to make.” “I’ve decided that, since she has shown no remorse and for the safety of Equestria,” Twilight said after taking a moment to think. “Stormy should have her magic blocked and sent to Tartarus.” “Very well,” Celestia nodded, and addressed Shining. “I suggest you chose your best guards to take her to Tartarus, I will place the block on her magic before you do.” “Yes, Princess Celestia,” Shining trotted off to follow her orders. Twilight and her friends went to start packing for their trip home. While everypony was busy, Celestia walked back to the room where the portal was kept, her sister close behind her. “Sister?” Luna watched Celestia place a hoof on the now solid surface of the mirror. “Sorry, Luna, I was just wondering,” Celestia answered the unasked question. She was currently remembering what the humans had explained about some of the memories Sunset had dreamed about over the years. “What would have happened if I had paid more attention to Sunset’s unhappiness?” “It’s best not to thinking about the ‘what ifs’, sister,” Luna started walking out of the room. “At least you now know, and you can be thankful that Sunset Shimmer is back in her home world, safe and well taken care of.” “I suppose you are right, dear sister,” Celestia followed Luna. She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at the portal one more time, whispering, “We shall see each other again, someday, my dear student, my little sun.” In the Everfree Forest, the Spirit of Harmony had watched the entire thing. She was glad that her plan was coming along nicely, and soon her two new princesses will face new challenges. First Harmony check on the crystal chest she had just finished making for Twilight, which she will soon reveal to the purple alicorn. She looked back at her current project. She had noticed the time-delayed portal opening in the other world a few weeks ago, releasing the siren trio, and knew that they had most likely seen the bursts of magic at the school. A few days later of none stop work, she was finished. She placed the replica of Sunset’s element into the gold band. Hopefully, this would give Equestria’s first human alicorn the boost she would need against the sirens. ‘And besides,’ she thought as she admired her new creation, ‘every princess needs a crown.’