Twilight was looking out the window as she connected the different shaped and sized clouds into constellations of some sort. Seeing it in the image of someone precious to her had a shiver made its way down her back, she sent out the deepest and longest sigh she had ever let go, like she was composing herself before a test.
A soft yellow glow lit on its horizon as the moving platform she was currently sitting in with her friends went speeding on its train tracks, through a pitch-black tunnel, and going through a snow-covered area where droplets of white flakes were falling from the sky to the ground in the cold wind creating some sort of light blizzard unlike the one from a couple of months ago.
It had been a year since she had to let go of her crush to marry her brother, converting from a foal sitter to a friend to a crush to a sister-in-law, anything but a special somepony, and it had been a couple of months since the discovery of the Crystal Empire where her brother and sister-in-law now rule over and they are on their way over there right now.
Eventually, the train reached a halt in front of a platform with crystal ponies going in the train and ponies from inside the train going out. Twilight and her friends made their way over to the tall, majestic icy castle and when they went inside the doors opened to their arrival as well as the sound of trumpets blowing by the crystal guards on each side in perfect synchronization and key.
Too absorbed in the introduction, Twilight accidentally bumped into one of the guards but when she looked at him she realized he wasn't like any of the guards at all. Instead, he lacked crystal in his coat and mane, unlike the other guards. He looked like a normal pony, announcing the arrival of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight had received an alicorn appearance when she completed a spell that had never been done before, not even a great unicorn bearded wizard could accomplish.
The next thing they knew, they were being sent to the dorms they were going to stay in for a while after a long day of travel. When Twilight and Spike went to their rooms, the latter began unpacking some of his mythical comic books he'd be reading overnight during the stay, on the other hoof, the former was looking at her reflection in the mirror while placing her crown on top of her head.
She released a sigh in which Spike heard, turning around to look at her.
''What's wrong, Twilight?'' he questioned, putting his comic book down.
''Spike, do you still recall my crush on Cadence?'' Twilight asked, and when she received an affirmative reply, she continued, ''the two of us are now princesses which would lead me into seeing her more often again which I'm already trying to avoid. What if Celestia offers me a kingdom to rule with responsibilities and alongside Cadence? Since she knows about this.''
Spike raised an eyebrow. ''It's that what you're worried about?'' he asked. ''C'mon, Twi. You've been handling fine hiding your emotions away from her after all these years.''
''Yes, but she's the Princess of Love!'' Twilight exclaimed as if she was stating the sky was blue not white. ''What if she can sense, Spike? What if she could always sense it but said nothing? What if she doesn't like me as a friend anymore, Spike.''
Spike sighed and walked over to her bed, draping the blanket atop her and tucking her in. ''I think you should go get some sleep, Twi. You've got a long day tomorrow. I doubt Cadence would do that to you.''
Twilight smiled lazily. ''Thanks, Spike,'' she whispered idly, covering a yawn up, and with that, she turned off the light lamp next to her atop the nightstand once the dragon went back to his bed.
The room was pitch black and quiet when they sounded off to slumber until in the wake of midnight the door slowly creaked open and had a hooded figure walking into the room, carefully and quietly, until they made themselves over to the nightstand where a pink star twinkled in the corner of their eye.
Placing it in their cape's pocket, they were about to trot back to the door but insisted on offering one last glance at the princess sleeping peacefully in her bed as one of her wings pointed upward.
They took a look at her face. She's beautiful...
When they heard a noise from behind, they began to hurriedly trot towards the door again but this time they tripped over Spike's tail in the process which caused him to wake up. They gasped, quickly rushing to the door but it was too late as the alicorn had already woken up and noticed her crown in the pony's pocket.
''My crown!'' she exclaimed, pointing a hoof at it. ''She's got my crown!''
When the pony rushed out the door, Twilight removed the blanket off her body and began to chase after the thief with Spike on her side as well as the rest of her friends following once they heard the commotion.
Twilight ignited her horn with a spark of magenta and teleported in front of the thief but, much to her surprise, the pony instantly teleported and all that was left was their cape on her face. She got rid of it and turned around, resuming their chase after the pony.
When Twilight thought she almost got her, they fell on top of each other to a dead end but it wasn't a dead end at all when the crown went through a mirror. Twilight gasped, turning accusingly at the thief.
''What did you do to my crown?'' she demanded an answer but received none only a smirk.
''It wasn't supposed to be this way,'' she said at first. ''Sorry, it has to, though.'' She ignited her horn with a spark of turquoise and teleported next to the mirror. ''Princess.'' And with that, she went through the mirror as well.
Having no knowledge of what that mirror was or who the pony was, Fluttershy asked as if they would know. They waited until the morning to explain to the princesses what happened and in turn received an answer.
''I had waited for this day to come but not like this,'' Celestia murmured, full of bitterness and remorse. ''Sunset Shimmer used to be a student before Twilight and similar to Twilight. The only difference was that she lacked the patience to get what she wanted. I told her to make some friends but it looked like it was I that lacked the patience towards her, knowing that she was trying so desperately hard.''
Sunset Shimmer, Twilight thought inwardly. The name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?
''Now I can't say I didn't help her,'' she continued. ''I tried to, but much like with my sister she turned her back away. Sorry, sister. But Sunset Shimmer was like a daughter to me.''
''So, uh, was Twilight like a replacement?'' Spike blurted out, getting nudged by Applejack.
''No, she wasn't,'' the sun princess replied, almost scoffing as if she would do such a thing. ''I could see the amount of potential Twilight had within her much as I saw within Sunset but I tried fixing the mistake I did with Sunset by not pressuring Twilight into making friends. I made her idolize me so then she would listen to me about making friends when she was older and more mature. Needless to say, Sunset had no one before I took her in but I failed her as both teacher and mother.''
''Mother?!'' everyone shouted in unison, eyes widening in shock.
''You're... a mom?'' Twilight spat out, her left eye twitching.
Luna laughed when Celestia was about to open her mouth.
''Of course not,'' the elder princess said. ''I meant that in a figurative way. But anyway, no time like the present. Twilight, I would need you and your friends to follow me.''
And so, Celestia led the group of ponies to the room where the mirror was kept.
When Luna began explaining about the mirror, Twilight stepped forward and ran a hoof through it, pulling it away with a gasp as she looked at her mentor.
Celestia nodded. ''Are you ready to begin your task?''
Twilight turned back to look at it, taking in a breath. ''I am.''
''Then go,'' she said. ''Go and retrieve your crown.''
Twilight looked around, her friends wishing the best of luck after being told that it could be dangerous for all of them to go into the other world. She turned to look at Cadence who wore that same smile she always wears.
''Go on, Twilight,'' she encouraged kindly. ''You can do it. I believe in you. Remember, without your Element of Harmony, the rest of the elements are no use and Equestria is without its important means of defense—''
She was suddenly cut off when Twilight quickly flung her forehooves around her sister-in-law, the latter's eyes melted until the former pulled away and cleared her throat.
''I'll see you guys soon,'' she said, taking another deep breath and stepping in front of the mirror. Refusing to turn around, she began to touch the mirror with a hoof at first before the rest of her body went through it.
Spike was standing at the back of the group of friends, biting onto his claws, until he quickly ran through the mirror as well before he thought it was about to close.
When the group of friends was about to pull him away, Celestia made an effort to hide her stiff expression and allowed the dragon to go as well; assistance was key.
Later, Twilight and Spike went through a swirling rainbow sparkling tube before they reached the end of it. When they opened their eyes, the former could see a ladybug crawling in front of them which she was about to jump had she not been so dizzy. Hearing Spike's voice, she glanced around to see where he was and in front of her she saw a purple dog with a touch of green and a collar around his neck.
''Spike... is that you?'' Twilight asked, on the verge of laughing. ''You're a... a...''
''Don't say it,'' Spike mumbled, his expression darkening.
Twilight's cheeks puffed with laughter until she maintained it for a while.
''Oh, you should look at yourself,'' Spike shot back. ''You look like, I... what are you?''
Now it was Twilight's turn to look at herself and when she saw five appendages attached to her hoof along with her two legs she began to scream as loud as she ever could. When she stopped, she breathed in and out, in and out, getting composed by Spike the Dog.
''Spike!'' she suddenly exclaimed, holding him up in the air. ''What do I look like as a whole?''
Spike tilted his head to another angle. ''Err, like those figurines Lyra used to have whenever she invited us and our Canterlot friends over after school.''
''What are these?!'' Twilight shrieked, too bothered by her appearance that she was unable to listen to him. ''Are these claws? WHAT ARE THEY?!''
''I don't know!'' he wailed. ''Though, I swear Lyra said they are called hands.''
''Spike! '' she exclaimed, clutching onto his shoulders which almost frightened him with the long five sticks as well as sharp nails attached to them but that wasn't the thing that scared him. ''These are amazing! You can hold and do absolutely anything with these.''
''Well... considering I've had those all my life,'' Spike pointed out.
''Okay!'' Twilight pronounced, trying to stand up from the ground having Spike help her keep balance. ''Okay. Let's check out that castle over there.''
''I dunno, Twi,'' said Spike, glancing at it. ''It doesn't quite look like a castle to me.''
But they went ahead and walked towards the building anyway, Twilight leaning against the rail when it was about time to climb the stairs. Spike easily ran towards the door waiting for her to catch up. Once she did, she instantly banged her head against the door thinking it was another portal.
''Peculiar,'' Spike muttered, pushing the door open. ''It doesn't quite look like you have a horn there, Twi.''
''What?!'' Twilight shouted, pulling at her hair.
When they entered in, Twilight glanced at her reflection in a glass display to properly look at herself, then she saw objects behind the glass, pressing her cheek against it. ''What do you think?'' she asked. ''Do you think it's possible for her to steal other objects from Equestria as well?''
Spike shrugged, and not even a second had passed, the room was packed with other beings in which Twilight had to pick him up from the floor and try squeezing their way out of the crowd. When they did, Spike fell out of her grasp and had Twilight roll towards a piece of metal before it moved away, being offered a hand for her to stand up from the floor.
''Are you okay?'' asked a male voice, and Twilight nodded in reply before he walked away.
''Hey, is that Lyra and Bon Bon over there?'' Spike pointed out. ''It'd be super dope if this world was full of our same friends from the other world but in a different form in this world.''
Twilight gasped.
''Do you perhaps...'' she asked meekly, glancing around, ''...maybe think there's a Cadence here, too?''
Spike deadpanned. ''Let's take this discovery for your lost crown adventure as another way of trying to take your mind off her?''
Twilight sighed and noticed him taking out his paw. She looked at her own and put it on top of his.
''Deal.''
Sealed.
Oh, brother, Spike thought inwardly. Let's just see how long she can last.