Pearl moaned in utter annoyance as a loud beeping interrupted the wonderful dream she had. Pushing her head further into the crook of Twilight’s neck, she nibbled affectionately on the soft short fur. “Mmmm Twily, it’s too early. Shut that damn thing off already.” Her front legs gripped the princess even tighter.
With a soft moan Twilight shifted and slammed the snooze with her front hoof. “I’m sorry Pearl,” she muttered and started to kiss atop Pearl’s head. “How about we sleep in for another hour?”
“Mmmm sounds wonderful.” Pearl muttered and leaned up and kissed Twilight tenderly, which was returned.
“Haven't been kissed like that since my Pearl vanished.” Twilight smiled and comfortably relaxed. After a moment her eyes snapped open and pulled herself back a bit, holding Pearl at leg's length. One look at this older more mature Pearl, the sight of love and affection in her eyes. It was everything Twilight needed to know. “Pearl? Oh my goddess, is that really you?”
Pearl smiled and nodded lightly. “Of course it’s me. Who else were you expecting?”
Clutching Pearl tightly, Twilight felt herself almost in tears. “I’ve missed you so much. How… How did you get back? Where..” A soft hoof covered the questions.
“Calm down love, we don’t want to wake the other lovebirds in this bed.” Gesturing with her head she watched Twilight look past her alabaster shoulder to the second set of lovebirds.
Twilight blinked as she saw the younger version of Pearl she had snuggled up against the night before. Now wrapped up in the front legs of a rather large leaf green fox. “Is that…?”
“Kohaku. The same Kohaku we met months ago in the forest. That’s his counterpart in the world I was deposited in.” Pearl shifted and pushed herself up. “I’m hungry, let's get something to eat and let these lovebirds rest.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “Agreed.”
“And you can tell me how you ended up in bed with a younger version of myself?” Pearl smirked and as she walked off the bed, flicked her tail against Twilight's nose.
Twilight laughed as she leaned back in her chair. Pearl seated next to her. Along the huge table were piles of breakfast foods. “My counterpart there sounds like a mare I’d love to meet. It’s a shame she couldn’t come with you.”
“Yeah, she wanted to, but Kohaku was adamant that she didn’t show.” Pearl sipped on a pleasant cup of hot black tea. “But he said too much of the same magical energies might cause this world to become unbalanced and sink into total destruction. Or something along those lines.”
Twilight siped on her morning coffee and nodded. “Well I can understand that. Wasn’t he worried about himself with you and his Pearl together?”
Shaking her head, Pearl set her cup down. “No, I told him about his counterpart. Kohaku said since he was a spirit the energies would be vastly different. And stated that the magical energies between me and here couldn’t power a lightbulb let alone unbalance the world.”
“Sounds like you find him as much of a pain as our Kohaku.” Twilight watched as Pearl nodded.
“More. At least our Kohaku knows when to disappear. I have a newfound respect for my counterpart. She must really love him if she puts up with half of what I went through.” Taking a bite from an egg and waffle sandwich she constructed, Pearl looked at Twilight and smirked. “Speaking of which. It was interesting to see you cuddled so close together in that large bed. I’m not going to lose you to a younger model now am I, hmmm?” Pearl reached out and poked Twilight repeatedly.
Twilight coughed so hard that her coffee almost seared her nose from the inside. “It was innocent, I assure you. She and I were up late reading together, not unlike you and I did when you were her age. She fell asleep and it felt like old times again.” Twilight sighed as she regained her composure. “I can promise you there’s only one Pearl in my life. And that’s you.” Twilight reached out with her magic and pulled Pearl in close.
The princess smiled as Pearl sat comfortably on Twilight’s lap, both arms wrapped around her neck.
“I know, I had to tease you of course.” Leaning in Pearl lovingly locked lips with her beloved princess.
“So tell me, did you and Kohaku snuggle up together?” Twilight looked at Pearl who blushed a little.
“A bit. It was an experience, the first time. When I finally woke up from being unconscious for weeks. His front limbs about me, and his paw firmly clenched on my hindquarters.” Pearl huffed remembering that moment. “It still fathoms my mind how any version of me can be in love with a male.”
“I question it myself some days.” A strained sleepy voice came from the doorway. “Morning Twilight, Morning…. Me?” Shrugging Pearl walked a few steps and halted and looked over her shoulder. “Yo, fish for brains, this way.”
Both Twilight and her Pearl blinked as they looked at the doorway. Stumbling in and bouncing off the frame was Kohaku, his green fur all disheveled, his hair matted down on one side and sticking up everywhere else. His eyes were glazed over as he half lunged and snapped at thin air. Staggering like a sailor who had one too many.
Pearl walked up to the table and took one look at the older version of herself and sighed. “I take it I have you to thank for this?” Motioning her wing at Kohaku who slowly made his way behind Pearl.
The older Pearl meekly nodded. “In a way, yes. It's...”
“Magical intoxication. I know all about it,” the younger Pearl sighed before oomphing hard. Kohaku half climbed up onto her back and started snapping at her mane. “Damnit Kohaku, there are no butterflies in my mane. Now sit down.” Y.Pearl groaned as she shoved Kohaku into a seat.
“Butterflies?” O.Pearl blinked.
“Yeah, when he gets like this. He imagine’s pastel butterflies everywhere. And his first instinct is to catch them with his mouth.” Y.Pearl sat there shaking her head as Kohaku started to push the plate in front of him. “I have never seen him this intoxicated before. He can drink Big Mac under the table and still be sober enough to play chess.”
“You’re kidding?” Twilight and O.Pearl gasped in unison while Y.Pearl just nodded.
“Not too surprising given how strong his family’s home brewed sake is. I took one sip from a cup of his warm sake and I woke up two days later hanging upside down from my bed.”
Kohaku blinked and sniffed the air. The scent of cinnamon and blueberries were clearing the dancing chorus in his mind. Looking over at his Pearl he smiled. “Pass the syrup please.”
Pearl reached over and slid the jar of syrup over to her fox, only to find he had passed out face first into his breakfast. With a sigh she just shook her head.
“Should we do something?” Twilight asked as Y.Pearl just shook her head.
“No, leave him. It’s not the first time he passed out like this.”
“Twilight’s done the same thing,” O.Pearl laughed aloud as she looked at Twilight who blushed.
“Great. Now I have two of you teasing me,” Twilight smirked but let out a soft chuckle.
“Yeah but you like it.” O.Pearl playfully pushed Twilight a little and took a bit of her waffle. “It feels so good being home. Not that yours was bad. Just odd.”
“I’m sure. This world has been interesting.” Y.Pearl crossed her front legs and leaned back. “But I did get to meet a host of Eastern Dragons. So that was cool.”
O.Pearl gasped as she leaned back and quickly turned to Twilight. “Oh my gosh. I had completely forgotten. Please tell me it went well without me there.”
“Actually it went better than even I thought.” Twilight gestured to the younger Pearl.
“You handled the meeting?” O.Pearl bit down on her lower lip as her younger counterpart nodded.
“I did. It helped that I knew the customs and language.” Y.Pearl chuckled. “All thanks to this sleeping lump.” She gave Kohaku a light push which responded with a light snore. “Who knew all those grueling hours of learning would amount to something.”
“I can feel your pain there. I spent months learning that language myself. All for one spell which wiped it from my mind after it was cast,” Twilight sighed. “Well I should say I forgot how to read it. I can still speak it. A little. I still mess up my verbs a lot.”
Y.Pearl nodded slowly “Oh yeah, I make that mistake a lot.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt. How did that meeting go? I was panicking about it for weeks. And that was prior to going to your world.” the older Pearl leaned up after pushing aside her breakfast.
“How about we finish eating and go somewhere cozy. I’ll tell you all about it. And you can tell me more about this Gundam and Gunpla. Twilight here introduced me to it, but she said to ask you for the details.” The younger Pearl chuckled as her older counterpart got a smile that went ear to ear.
Kohaku groaned as he stumbled through the hallway. Pushing open a large double door, he held his paw up to his eyes to block the afternoon sun streaming through a window. Groaning louder he heard a bunch of girlish giggling.
“Your kidding, he actually did that?” Pearl laughed aloud. “That sounds like something he’d do.” taking a few sniffs she looked over her shoulder, surprising both her older counterpart and Twilight. “Speak of the devil himself. Looks like someone’s awake.” Lifting her wing up, Pearl tenderly accepted as Kohaku nuzzled up beside her and purred as that wing draped over his side. “Sleep well?”
Kohaku moaned as he nodded slowly, resting his head down on his folded front legs. “My head feels Mac has been bucking it with both hind hooves.”
“Awww my poor foxy.” Pearl leaned in and kissed his forehead softly while caressing his back with her wing. Licking her lips she smirked. “You haven't washed the syrup from your hair yet have you?” She could only laugh as he shook his head. “Don’t worry I’ll take care of it.”
Kohaku smiled and nodded as he heard that all too familiar ‘fine you win.’ tone. Keeping his eyes closed he just rested there.
“He’s half asleep, how did he know which of us you were?” the older Pearl huffed a little as she crossed her front legs.
“Your scent. With both of you about, I can finally differentiate between you.”
“Sure wish you were able to do that the first time I woke up in your world.”
“Me too. Still stings thinking about it. I’m just glad you don’t hit half as hard as my Pearl does.” Kohaku chuckled as his pearl smirked.
“What did you do Kohaku?” Pearl smirked as she narrowed her eyes a bit.
“He got a bit pawsy with me after waking up,” the older Pearl giggled, as the younger one slapped him upside the head. “He no doubt thought I was you. Since I had no idea what was going on. I gave him a swift kick upwards.”
The younger Pearl winced along with Kohaku in memory of it. “You lecherous fox. How could you have thought she was me? She's way older.”
“Tch. Like I could tell the difference, she smelled like you. Also, you ponies grow and age so quickly, how was I to know?” Scoffing he turned his head away from his Pearl and huffed.
“Don’t be too rough on him. Apparently I was unconscious for a good long while.”
“Please tell me you didn’t fondle her while she was unconscious.” Pearl gritted her teeth but breathed a little easier as she watched his head shake side to side.
“You know I'm a distinguished gentalfox. I do not molest my girl while asleep.” Kohaku lightly stuck his nose up.
“Say’s the fox who did just that after the Nightmare Night dance?” Pearl lightly pushed him.
“Yeah like you were really sleeping. Have you already forgotten how good of a hunter I am?” Kohaku opened one eye and looked into his Pearl’s. Who shyly blushed and turned away.
Twilight wrapped a wing around her Pearl and leaned in. “Should we say anything or let them argue like this?”
The older Pearl sighed and nuzzled her head under Twilights. “They aren't fighting, they're flirting.”
“Wait, this is flirting to them?” Twilight gasped aloud. Drawing the attention of Kohaku and his Pearl.
“Trust me, this barely counts as that. But we’ve been doing this since before we became a couple.” Pearl lightly slapped Kohaku upside the head again before placing her wing over his body.
“Yeah I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. And Kohaku no offense to you. You're a great fox and you’ve been a great friend to me while I was in your world. But how are you two a couple.” The older Pearl sighed out. “Doing things all couples do. And there’s one part that just. Doesn't make any sense to me. The Idea of doing anything like that with any male makes me gag.”
Kohaku only opened an eye but the comforting caressing along his back with his love’s wing soothed him enough to close it again.
“Truth be told, the idea of doing that with males makes me gag too.” the younger Pearl smiled tenderly. “But Kohaku’s different, I’ve never once thought of him as a male. He’s just, Kohaku. It wasn’t until our Twilight explained her situation with Rainbow Dash that it made sense. Real love had no gender.” Leaning into her older counterpart she smirked. “Plus, what he can do with his paws. None of my old girlfriends could accomplish with any part of their bodies.” Pearl smirked as she saw her older self blush.
“Wait.. you mean in your world I’m with Rainbow Dash?” Twilight blinked and shook her head repeatedly. “How? What? I had a crush on her ages ago but she’s not into mares.”
“Twilight dear. Different universe, different rules. In that universe you're the one not into mares and she is.” The older Pearl had the pleasure of seeing her love’s brain come to a complete stop. She could almost see the four oh four error messages in her eyes.
“Well I’ll have to concede on that. His paws do feel amazing. At least they did when he washed my back.” The older Pearl had a slight satisfaction as she watched the younger one smirk at Kohaku who feigned sleeping.
Kohaku finally understood why his father once warned him to never get caught between his girl and her twin sister. For hours the young fox listened to the two Pearls swap stories back and forth about him. He wished with all his might he could make the floor open up and swallow him. But despite the various embarrassments being told about him, the warmth of his Pearl’s wing on his back calmed him and made it bearable.
“I know you two girls are having a lot of fun at his expense. But I have to ask. How long before you two can head home?” Twilight chimed in as she looked out the window at the sun slowly setting.
“A month. My mana is severely drained. I can barely summon a wisp let alone open a portal to another world.”
“Great, I’ll have more time to educate you on Gundam and Gunpla. Soon you’ll have your own full collection to take home with you.” The older Pearl grinned and giggled.
“Just make sure I'm not in the room when you talk about it. Or at least thump me over the head with a hammer first.”
“Well what if I…” the younger Pearl leaned in and whispered a few things to Kohaku which made all three of his tails puff and stiffen upright causing the older Pearl to fall into fits of giggles.
Twilight blinked and leaned into her Pearl. “Did I miss something?”
The older Pearl smiled and leaned back. “I’ll tell you later.”