//------------------------------// // Ch. 23 // Story: A Twilight Rose Love // by Mystic Sunrise //------------------------------// Luster watched with awe as the mirror before her power to life, the glass shimmering with swirls of magic. “So, this leads to another world?” Pearl nodded, adjusting her saddlebags. “Yep. And it’s as weird as it sounds. Trust me. You asked where my Conan of Cimmeria books come from. This is it.” Luster tapped her chin. That was true. While she wouldn’t call them her favorite stories, she would be lying if she said she didn’t like them. “But who created it?” Twilight shook her head. “We are not sure. No record of the mirror exists as far as anyone knows. Kohaku was tight lipped about this when I asked him about it. And after what we learned in the Void, I have even more questions about it.” Luster looked out toward the rapidly encroaching Everfree Forest. The forest was now so close to the castle that it was visible from every window. “What about Forestsong?” Pearl rolled her eyes. “This is the one thing, no matter what I try, he refuses to talk about. Not even Summer talks about it, though they both know something. Knowing Lumena just barely puts up with him, and how she talked, I get the feeling it involves her in some way.” Twilight nodded, before holding up a hoof as she saw the question in her student’s eyes. “I am sorry, my Faithful Student, but you cannot come with us. At least not now.” Luster’s ears folded. Darn it. “Is this like me going to the Dragon Lands with Miss. Rose?” Pearl smirked. She rather liked that title. Twilight rolled her eyes, before wrapping a wing around the unicorn. “No, Luster. But it is too dangerous for all of us to go. Knowledge of the other world is restricted for a reason. The Human World is dangerous in a way the Dragon Lands are not, and magic will not protect you.” Pearl nodded, wrapping a wing around her as well. “Even I try to limit what I do when I’m over there. I have great friends I can stay with. But it’s still dangerous no matter what.” Luster sighed as the two pulled apart and stepped up to the portal. They were right of course. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t mope about it. “Just. Make sure you come back. I don’t know how I would explain any of this.” Twilight smiled as Pearl stepped through. “We will be fine, Luster. You won’t even know we’re gone.” Luster somehow doubted that as her mentor stepped through as well. It had taken longer than she would have cared to admit, but Pearl had finally learned to come out the other end of the World Mirror, and not end up on her face. She was rather proud of that as she looked around. Canterlot High had not changed all that much in the years she had known it. Only the faces of the students coming and going said how much time had passed. None paid her or Twilight any mind as they looked around, and didn’t see who they wanted to. “Are you sure other me said they would be here?” Twilight asked. Pearl nodded. “She and other me know we were coming today. So where are they? They’re never late. For your sanity’s sake more than anything I think.” Twilight pouted, before a car horn from behind the Wondercolt statue caused them to look behind them, to spot the native Pearl and Twilight Sparkle waving to them from a Ferrari.  Twilight smiled as they walked up. “I’m glad to see you did remember we were coming today.” Sci Twi rolled her eyes. “Traffic. You know how my wife is.” H. Pearl just shook her head with a knowing smirk. “I hope you didn’t have to wait too long?” P. Pearl shook her head. “Nope.” She saw another vehicle pull up behind her counterparts, but she couldn’t make out who it might be in it. “Who’s that? I thought it was just you two?” Twi shook her head. “It was going to be. But Kohaku insisted on coming with us for some reason. And it was his turn to babysit the girls today.” Pearl’s eyes began twitching, sharing a confused look with her Twilight. That was impossible. But as a certain boy smirked as he opened the door to his Maserati MC20 parked behind Pearl’s Ferrari and stepped out. Dressed in a loose pair of carpenter pants, high-top sneakers, and a black Metallica tank top. Pearl blinked as she saw the teenage boy. His lean athletic body and sharp features made him the heartthrob of most of the cheerleaders in Canterlot High.  Kohaku’s tails blissfully swung behind him as two little girls clung to two of them, enjoying the playful motions their ‘uncle’ Kohaku were putting them through.  H. Pearl sighed and shook her head. “Must you do that with them? It’s dangerous!”  “So is your driving,” Pearl shot her wife Sci-Twi a glare as she giggled. “Chill out Pearl. You know I’d never let anything happen to these angels.” Kohaku rested a hand on her shoulder. His fox ears twitched lightly. That ever-present smirk slowly broke down her anger till she just chuckled and shook her head. Pearl knew he was highly protective of her two daughters. His amber eyes locked onto P. Pearl's. That was all it took, as P. Pearl clutched her head as everything came rushing back. That second time in this world from that unforgettable weekend, what she had seen from her counterpart’s balcony. It all clicked. Something that she had felt had been missing came back with a vengeance. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me! All these years, and it almost took the end of two universes to finally get it!” “OH, so that’s what it was I felt. I was sick for a week after I felt that shiver. I knew something was happening but not that extreme.” Kohaku rubbed his head as little Winter climbed up onto his back and wrapped her tiny arms around her uncle’s neck. Little Summer swinging back and forth between all three of his tails like a female Tarzan. “Glad to see your memories are back, I hope you understand why sis did that to you.” Twilight rubbed her forehead irritably. “What are you talking about?” P. Pearl shook her head. “His sister, Kazumi, modified my memories when I came back from my first solo visit here. I only remembered Kohaku here as an oddball boy other me knew. But I saw his kitsune form that weekend. By accident in all fairness. It’s been an itch since we got back from the Temple. More than my connection with Summer. Now I know why.” Nodding Kohaku sighed a bit. “I’ve kept my distance every time you’ve been around. Except at moments when our meeting was inevitable. Seeing me always triggered your memory, so I had to constantly reset the spell my sister put on you.” A tug on his shirt caused him to look down. “What’s up kiddo?” “Ice cweam..” Summer grinned. Kohaku chuckled and produced a frozen banana and held it out for her. “No banna, ice cweam.” “Sorry, you know better, no sweets till after dinner. You can have the banana though.” “No banna.. Ice cweam.” Summer pushed away the frozen banana as Kohaku pushed it forward. “No, you get this.” “No I want ice cweam.” Summer puffed her cheeks out and stomped her foot. Kohaku leaned in and gave a low base-filled growl and held out the frozen treat.  Summer blinked and looked away a bit. “Banna. Tank you.” she said as she started to savor her new treat. “Kohaku!!” A loud scream came from a crystal-studded car. Behind the driver's seat, he already saw Shining shaking his head, giving Kohaku an ‘I tried to stop her’ look. Stomping her way over, Flurry Heart stopped only inches away from Kohaku and put both hands on her hips. “So this is where you’ve been hiding. You were supposed to treat me to lunch. Why did you blow off our date today.” “Ah, Flurry dear. I mixed up my days. I had babysitting duty.” He used two of his tails to point to the two girls hanging off of him. One half drooling on his shoulder as she tried to stay awake, and the other making his shirt all sticky from the banana she was eating. “And I told you I was meeting an old friend today.” “And just who is this…” Flury blinked as she looked at both pairs of Twilights and Pearls. Taking a step back the teenage girl shook her head before looking up at her boyfriend. “Did I take a volleyball to the head one too many times yesterday at practice? Because I’m seeing double.”  “No, you took two hits to the shoulder and one to the chest, but not the head.” Kohaku rolled his eyes. “Is this one of your tricks? Another illusion like the one you used to get out of watching the Twilight saga with me?” A deep shiver ran down his back as Kohaku heard the name of that series. “No. this is all too real, There from a different world.” “I need to sit down.Take me back to daddy.” Flurry Heart sighed as Kohaku lifted the girl into his arms as effortlessly as he would a kitten. Flurry responded by placing her head on his shoulder, the one Winter wasn’t drooling on.  “As you wish,” Kohaku kissed her forehead before looking over his shoulder. “I’ll be back. You three chitchat all you want.” With that, he took steady strides to Shining Armor’s Rolls Royce taking all three of ‘his girls’ with him. “He’s with Flurry?!” Twilight shook her head as she finally found her voice. “Yeah, He seemed down one day so I introduced him to her.” Sci-Twi chuckled. “She was new at school and didn’t have any friends. And since Kohaku was finally able to hold his appearance for school hours, and now attends Canterlot High under his sister's supervision. An easy task as Kazumi’s now the new Headmistress, Luna and Celestia retired not long after me and my friends graduated. Kohaku was able to help her adjust. The two got really close, I’m happy for him, and her.” “I’m not thrilled about it.” H Pearl sighed. “Gods forbid if he marries her, I’ll be related to that pain in the ass.” Folding her arms she looked over her shoulder, ignoring the grins her wife made.  “She’s even learning a few of his secrets. She knows his ears and tail are real, he can produce magic, and a few other things too.” Sci looked at her counterpart. “He’s very loyal to her, and she keeps him on a short leash. Much to the relief of most of the town police. His pranks have been cut in half.” Twilight watched them go with concern. Shining could only smile helplessly at her before they drove off. “I thought she knew most of this?” Twi nodded. “She does. But I don’t think Flurry fully believed Equestria was real until now.” She smiled as she saw the ring on her counterpart’s finger. Almost the same as her own. “And I was able to get the girls to meet us at Sugarcube Corner. Sunset didn’t want to come?” Twilight pinched her nose with a sigh. “She said she has something going on today in the Crystal Empire. I don’t know what it could be since Cadance hasn’t said anything.” H. Pearl shook her head, also noticing the ring on the princess’s finger. “Took you two long enough. Was it as exciting as those stories made it out to be?” P. Pearl nodded. “Yeah. Not something I’d want to do again though. And after the last couple of months? I need a long break from all the insanity. Please tell me everything came in?” H. Pearl giggled as she reached into the backseat and pulled out a rather large box. “Yep. There was a bit of a delay in Japan. Something about shipping prices going up I think.” P. Pearl rolled her eyes as she took the box. She would wait to open it till later, but going by the weight, it was everything. “Can we get going then? It’s too damn hot out here.” Twi giggled as they all got in. “I agree. And please don’t drive like you usually do, dear. This isn’t Formula One.” H. Pearl just smirked. “Hey. I’ve been a fan since the Michael Schumacher days. Why do you think I got a Ferrari? I can’t help it. The girls love it.” Twi pinched her nose with an annoyed sigh. “I know. You’re a bad influence on them some days. I swear you and Kohaku are of like minds when it comes to that. At least he drives his Maserati at a decent speed.” Pinkie was waiting for them by the time the group arrived, and soon after Fluttershy and Applejack pulled up as well. Pinkie could barely contain her excitement as she saw the ring on the princess’s finger. “Is that what I think it is?!” Twilight help a warning hand before this went off the rails. “Not until everyone’s here, Pinkie. It’s not fair to them.” Applejack shook her head with a bemused grin. “Land sakes, princess. You've been beatin around this bush for years. Was starting to think ya’d never pop the question.” Fluttershy nodded happily. “But we are happy for the two of you.” “Happy about what?” Rainbow asked, all but dragging Rarity as she zoomed up. Twilight shook her head. “Inside would be easier. It is too hot. I forgot how bad this time of year could be in this world.” Pinkie rushed off to fill the group’s orders as they sat down, already knowing what they wanted before they asked. “So spill, darlings. What was so important we couldn’t talk over the Journal?” Rarity asked. Twilight smiled as she pulled her Pearl close and held up her hand, showing the ring. “This. Pearl and I are getting married. It was quite the adventure to get to this point. But it was worth it.” Rarity gasped dramatically, swooning before Twi’s magic caught her. The others were in various states of surprise and joy. “Took you two long enough,” Rainbow grinned. “Lot longer than these two that’s for sure,” she said, pointing at the native Twilight and Pearl. “I know! And we didn’t even need to do anything with you either!” Pinkie squeed, sliding everyone’s sweets over to them, getting an annoyed look from H. Pearl at the reminder. “Did you have to make such a big scene about it? Half of Canterlot probably saw it,” she grumbled, Twi nodding at her side. Pinkie only smiled wider. “You think that was bad? Kohaku had to talk me down when I planned your baby showers to be even bigger!” P. Pearl rolled her eyes. That sounded like Pinkie. “Well, it was just me and Twily here for our proposal. Granted it was in an old temple, but still.” Looking across the shop she noticed Kohaku seated across from Flury. The two of them enjoyed a Sunday together while the two little girls made a mess from their lunches. “I had help from Kohaku’s counterpart, and his mate there.” Reaching over P. Pearl ran a finger over the emerald on Twilight’s finger. “That’s how I got this ring for her.” Sci-Twi and H. Pearl blinked and looked at each other. Holding up her ring they looked at the diamond shape emerald. “Kohaku helped us get our ring too. He never said where it came from. Or how he procured it. And no jeweler has ever seen a gem like it before.”  “I guess Kohaku is always going to be a mystery regardless of what world he’s in.” Twilight sighed and siped on her drink. All the girls nodded in agreement. Unaware that Kohaku just grinned in their direction before looking back to his date. “So. When’s the big day?” Rainbow asked with a grin, earning an annoyed look from Rarity. Twilight smiled. “We’re not sure just yet. But it’s part of why we’re here. I know you girls hated to miss out on my coronation, even though I made sure to invite you.” “They might have a chance to attend the day you announce yourself as empress of Equestria.” P. Pearl giggled and playfully nudged her fiance Twilight sighed deeply shaking her head. “I still hate that title,” before turning back to their human friends. “Anyway, So I am asking you all once more. Will you do us the honor of being there on our special day?” It took the girls all of ten seconds to make up their minds. “Darlings. It would be our honor. Come hell or high water, or magical disasters,” Rarity said proudly, the others nodding along. Applejack though had one question. “What’s this about you being empress?” Twilight groaned, earning a giggle from P. Pearl. “Recent events have shown me that, perhaps, I am being too nice and lenient in some regards. Especially to certain ponies in my Canterlot. Maybe it is time to retire the title of Princess of Equestria and take a title that is befitting a true ruler. But I am not calling myself empress! That was brought up by our Kohaku. Pearl likes it and has been teasing me with it.” P. Pearl poked her with a knowing smile. “Oh come on. You know you deserve it. All of our friends agree. Ponies tried to get you to take the title of queen once, and you blew them off. Stop being a stick in the mud. You know full well that he won’t fix the next Thunder that comes around.” H. Pearl’s eyes shrunk, hearing a name she never wanted to hear again. Twi saw it and pulled her close. Their counterparts saw it as well but did not push the issue. It wasn’t until she felt Kohaku’s soft touch on her shoulder that her eyes came back to normal. Looking up into his amber eyes she silently reminded herself to thank the gods he was there that day.  “I’m going to take the girls home, they need their nap.” Looking over at Rarity the teenager smiled. Holding up a small bag. “Say Rarity, mind helping me out with this. I’m still not that good at getting mustard stains out.” Shaking her head from the conversation between P. Pearl and her Twilight, Rarity took the bag. “Of course darling. I do have a full steam cleaning system in my shop.” Nodding to her, Kohaku kissed the top of Pearl’s head and nodded to Sci-Twi. Before walking out with both girls held up against his back by his tails and Flury by his side. P. Pearl watched them go, a wistful look in her eyes. The girls had reignited a question she had thought long buried, even after she and the princess got together. “How? I know there are a few things that could allow two girls to have children. But this feels like…” “Magic,” Twilight sighed, thinking the same thing. “Perhaps I need more sleep. But it feels like their conception wasn’t as simple as some of the things I’ve read about for this world.” “And you would be right.” Sci-Twi watched as her children left with their ‘uncle’. A smile crossed her lips. Turning back to the princess she folded her hands together. “Even I’m still working out how this came about. There are ways women here in this world can have children without the benefit of male involvement. But Pearl being who she is wanted something that was ours and ours alone.” “That’s true enough.” Pearl leaned into her wife and smiled.  “And like always, she confides in the one constant friend she had since long before we became a thing.” Twi kissed the top of her wife's hair. “Well, I’m not sure what they discussed. But the next day Dr. Riko shows up at our doorstep. And after a few months of talking and clinical tests. She offered her services with a spell that would allow us to become pregnant from each other.” Twilight and P. Pearl blinked and looked at the two of them. Twilight had barely opened her mouth when Twi stopped her.  “No, I don't know the spell. I don’t even know the language they spoke. It was something beyond Japanese. But she took a single egg from me. And in a way melded it with Pearls.” Twi took her glasses off and slowly cleaned them. “Here I’m stuped in science and magic, we had this happen to us and I’m still dumbfounded by how it was possible. But the next morning, Pearl was pregnant.” Affixing her glasses back on her face, Twi smiled. “Even though everything I was taught said this shouldn’t work. Nine months later we were gifted with our first daughter. We wanted a big family so we went through the process again. Only this time I was caring. Even feeling that magic work on me, I still couldn’t grasp it. But nine months later, our youngest was born. I know there are options open for you there in your world. Similar to this one, but if you want something that’s yours without the taint of any other individual. I suggest you seek out your Kohaku. He might be able to help. Assuming he knows the spell or if his sister is around.” P. Pearl tapped her chin. That could work. There was just one, teeny, tiny, hiccup she could see in this. “Even if our Kohaku doesn’t know it, bringing a spirit to Ponyville nearly flattened the town last time. And Kazumi was trying to calm him down at the time. I don’t wanna think about what Riko might be like.” Twilight nodded. “And I do not want to take the risk of going back to the temple. Three times was more than enough.” Twi’s smile grew. “If she is anything like the Riko we know, you will be fine. Kazumi is actually really nice once you get past her exterior.” P. Pearl and Twilight shared a confused look. They somehow doubted that. But this was still a good start. “Honestly? After staring down a being that could’ve easily squashed all of creation if she wanted to, without lifting a finger, I’ll take my chances with them,” P. Pearl shivered. Their friends wondered what she meant by that. But the haunted look in her eyes, as well as the princess's, told them that maybe it was better they never knew.