//------------------------------// // Interdimensional Meeting // Story: Double Twilight Love // by Mystic Sunrise //------------------------------// Kohaku shivered as he stepped through the portal. The sudden rush of magic filling his body was light air fueling a fire. Taking a step he staggered slightly, catching himself as he put a paw on the table.  “Careful there silly,” Twi said as she stretched her alicorn wings. “You okay?” “Yeah. I haven't felt this dizzy in a while since my last combat review.” the young fox chuckled. After a moment he let go and stood tall and took in his surroundings. “Okay, so this is Equus? Not bad.”  Twi giggled. “Well, we are only in Twilight’s castle. In a small part of Equestria.” “I see.” Losing himself in thought for a moment and sniffed the air. “Well, where shall we go now?” “Well let's check in with Twilight. So she knows we’re here.” Twi guided herself and Kohaku out into the main hall which was completely deserted. “I’m still not sure why you’re here with me. But honestly. It’s good to have a friend come with.” “You heard what father said. He doesn’t want you alone in this world, now that you know what you really are. With your newfound magic, you need someone who can help keep it under control should it go awry.” “So he sends you?  Your sisters would be more likely candidates.” “True, but that’s like using an ocean to put out a campfire.” Kohaku grinned wide. Lifting his paws he produced a small sphere of green fire. “And it seems my body is far more suited to this world's magic like mother said.” “Great.” Twi sighed with less enthusiasm. Looking about she frowned. “Now, where would Twilight be?” “Well, she’s not here. I know her scent as well as yours. And I can tell she’s not in this place.” Kohaku sniffed a few more times for good measure before looking down the long hall. “But it does lead out of this place. And to someplace with a lot of pastry.” “Sugarcube corner!” Twilight giggled. “Well, she does have a sweet tooth. Let's go see.”   Upon reaching the famous pastry store, Twi opened the doors and blinked. A massive party was in place as usual. But she got caught up in watching as her beloved was talking to a white pony with a red mane. “OH, buck... I forgot it was today.” “Forgot what was today?” “This world’s Pearl has moved to Ponyville. I must have gotten my dates messed up.” Twi could have kicked herself for benign so absentminded. This was not the situation she wanted to run into. “Looks like we have to go…” Turning around she found that her multitailed friend had gone.  “Oh no.” Twisting back she felt her heart stop as Kohaku was lightly trotting his way to the party swiftly losing him in the large crowd. Twilight saw her, and her smile grew even wider, earning a very confused look from the native Pearl as Twi squeezed her way through the crowd over to them. Twilight quickly kissed her. “You didn’t say you were coming.” Twi blushed. “I know. That’s not the only thing I forgot.” She quickly whispered something that Pearl couldn’t hear. And who the hay was this pony anyway? Something seemed off about her, and not just how she and the princess talked to each other. Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. “You what?!” Twi nodded sheepishly. “Kohaku came with me. His father insisted on it, and I couldn’t really say no. But why is nopony freaking out? He’s in his kitsune form.” Twilight looked around. To her shock, nopony was acting any differently than before. Not even Pearl seemed fazed by seeing a double of the princess. But how? Looking closer though, she noticed a faint shimmer in the air all around the room. “A Perception Filter. Someone’s cast it on the entire room. It’s why nopony is panicking. But who?” “It had to have been him. Because I certainly didn’t cast it.” Twi looked about. She clearly saw Kohaku now chatting with Pinkie. “Just how strong is he with magic?” “His father said he’s our equal. Not too surprising given he’s only a few years younger than we are.” Pearl rubbed her ears, trying to get the ringing out of them. “Who are you talking to, princess? I don’t think I’ve seen her around town yet.” The twins shared a confused look. “You don’t see me?” Twi asked. Pearl nodded. “Yeah, I see somepony. But not anypony from around Ponyville. Or I really need to get my eyes checked.” Twilight frowned slightly. “A truly powerful Perception Filter at that,” she whispered before smiling. “This is just a friend of mine from out of town. She visits from time to time.” Pearl rolled her eyes. Leave it to the Princess of Friendship to have out-of-town friends. At that moment, her mother came over and whispered something in her ears that made them fall. “Do we?” Pearl asked with a sad look. Cirrus nodded. “Fine.” Twilight blinked as the two seemed to excuse themselves. “You’re leaving?” Cirrus nodded sadly. “I’m sorry princess. But there’s still so much we need to do at home.” She smiled over at Pinkie. “This was not part of the plan for today, but it was truly enjoyable.” Kohaku stretched and walked his way up over toward the Princesses. “Hey, have you tried these yet? Double chocolate brownie cupcakes.”  “Not now.” Twi sighed as she turned toward Cirrus. “Sorry, you were saying?” Pearl blinked at Twilight’s friend for a moment before leaning in. “Um. Are you talking to me?” Looking about she felt the ringing in her ears get louder. “OH sorry here.” A soft voice came into her head. Feeling something touch her shoulders Pearl saw a shimmer as her eyes went wide. “Can you see me now?” She saw whatever it was standing there. Three tails waving about. Standing almost as tall as Twilight. Chocolate frosting on its mussel as he grinned at her with razor-sharp teeth. Pearl gasped and let out a shriek of terror as she stumbled backward.  Kohaku dropped his cupcake as he covered his ears with two paws. His concentration broke as the sound of broken glass emanate through the room. Bringing all attention to his spot. Everypony screamed and running in terror. Cirrus grabbed onto Pearl and backed her into a corner, placing herself between her daughter and whatever it was they were seeing. Kohaku just groaned as he rubbed his ear slightly. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever felt a scream like that since Pearl’s first reaction to me.”  Twilight let out a growl. “Cirrus. Take Pearl and get out of here. I will handle this mess. Hopefully, before it gets worse!” Cirrus took one look into the princess’s eyes and nodded, before grabbing Pearl and making a beeline for the door. Nopony tried to stop them. Twilight turned to Kohaku. “Outside. Now. Before I do something I will regret.” Kohaku shrugged and rubbed his ear slightly. “No need to yell. My ears already feel like they're bleeding.” Walking to the door he politely excused himself, to which every pony just parted and pushed themselves up against the walls as he walked past and sat comfortably at one of the outside tables. Sitting there with his head down on his front legs, his ears flat. Twilight at least turned her volume down as she and Twi joined him. “You just had to break the filter. If Pearl never leaves her room again, I will not be surprised. Let alone Ponyville.” Kohaku grumbled. “Hey, it’s not like it was my fault. How was I to know she couldn’t take seeing me? I only shifted it so she could see me. It was her scream which broke the barrier down. Girl has a set of lungs on her… Wait… did you say, Pearl? As in my Pearl? My best friend in all the universe Pearl?” His eyebrow lifted up slightly looking at the two Princesses. “There’s one here too? I never knew the gods could be so cruel,” he smirked jokingly. Twilight and Twi giggled slightly. “As far as I know, everyone in the Human World, aside from your family, has a counterpart here. Most ponies have never even heard of a kitsune. Those who do think they’re nothing but a myth,” Twilight replied. Twi watched where Pearl and Cirrus had vanished to. “And I think you just blew your chance to be friends with this world’s Pearl.” “So I take it she never told you.” Twi blinked. “Who never told me what?” “My Pearl, she had almost an identical reaction to what just happened.” Kohaku chuckled as he saw their eyes widen. “Of course, it wasn’t in a public place. We were in her bedroom just spending time talking about a new model kit. Well, she was talking I was trying to listen. And she accidentally stepped on my tail. Which broke my concentration and my human form faded away.” “How bad did her parents take it?” Twilight smirked. “They weren’t home. Business.” Both Twi’s nodded in understanding. “It took four hours but I finally calmed her down. And talked her off the ledge of her roof where she was cowering. I never saw her move so fast before.” The girls giggled, but Twilights was forced. “Peal here, though… Ponies have a long racial memory. You kicked in her flight or fight response. All she saw was a predator who was big enough to easily take her down and make a meal out of her. The whole room did.” Kohaku nodded slowly as he watched as everything slowly started to settle down. The ponies that were panicking were now slowly getting back to normal. He knew what he was, and the kind of reaction it would have on others. But seeing it firsthand was humbling.  “There are lessons you still need to learn son if they are to lower the world barrier. And going with the Aris princess will help you learn them.” His father had told him. It was all he told him about it. Getting up Kohaku placed a shimmer around his body. “I need to take a walk for now. Clear my head.”  Kohaku stated as he stood up. Twilight swiftly placed a wing on Kohaku’s back. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Kohaku.”  Kohaku just looked back at Twilight and kept his eyes steady. “It wasn’t a request.” His eyes hardened slightly making the Princess falter slightly and step backward. Before either Twilight could say or do anything. Kohaku had dashed off and vanished from their sight completely.  Twilight sighed. “Should we go after him?” Twi shook her head. “No. This is a lesson he needed to learn. The hard way is sometimes best. And I am so sorry about all of this. I got my dates mixed up.” Twilight chuckled, nuzzling her. “Don’t be. My mind hasn’t been in the right place recently either. I totally forgot Pinkie had a party planned for today as well. This is not how I wanted this to go. But there is no turning back now.” Twi smiled slightly. “Do you think Pearl will ever come out of her room ever again?” Twilight bit her lip. “I don’t know. This is outside of what I know.” Kohaku had no destination in mind as he walked. Where could he even go? This world was strange to him. Part of him wanted to go after Pearl. So what if she wasn’t his? He did not leave his friends hanging. Maybe by design, or dumb luck, Kohaku found himself at the side of a river that flowed past Ponyville and into what he could only assume was the Everfree Forest. Strangely, he felt drawn to it, as if he belonged there. Strange. “So much for a good first impression,” he grumbled as he felt a familiar type of aura form nearby. “And leave it to Pearl to be the one to do so. Somethings will never change it seems.” “Your kind was never known for a good first impression, you overstuffed furball,” a voice said, seemingly coming from the river itself. Kohaku watched as a dragon formed itself out of the water, before taking on a solid form. A slight smile crossed his lips as he saw the dragon form itself. “Wow. Didn’t expect this,” he chuckled lightly.  The dragoness frowned. “And what did you expect? No kitsune lives this far west. The last clan that did vanished long ago. Assuming they were ever real and not made up.” “I didn’t expect such a pretty dragoness to guard a river this grand,” Kohaku smirked as he walked around her. His claw lightly poked at her back for a moment then walked back around to the front. “Then again I don’t have much to go on. It’s my first time around here.” Setting himself up on a tree stump, Kohaku stretched. “So that’s the Everfree Forest. I’ve heard the tales. I never thought I’d see a forest so beautiful. OH silly me. Mother would have my hide for being so rude.” Holding out his paw he gave the dragoness his friendliest smile. “Kohaku Forestsong Everfree. At your service my lady.” and bowed his head politely. Despite herself, the dragoness smiled as well. “Summer Rose. That is all I will give of my name. I still have little reason to trust you, Kohaku Forestsong.” Summer huffed as she taped his paw with her claw, never let it be said she was unpolite. “Wow, all the warmth of an iceberg.” Kohaku chuckled much to the dragoness’s fury. “And that’s fine. I don’t trust you either, but then I don’t know you. The only dragons I know are my mother and sisters. And I know they can be a bit stubborn. Of course, my sisters take after father in that regard. I’m more like mom. Open and friendly.” he chuckled. Looking on he could have sworn he slammed a rock upside Summer's head for the shock on her face.  “Liar…. No dragon would ever adopt a Kitsune boy.” Summer growled. “Adopt? No adoption. My mother is a dragon very much like you. Although she’s a midnight blue with moonlight silver markings. Almost identical to my own. I just got father’s kitsune good looks.” He grinned and winked. Summer sucked in her breath but looked into the boy’s eyes. They were not reminiscent of a kitsune, but of an eastern dragon like her. “How? Only one dragon ever mated with a kitsune, and that traitorous bitch died long ago, as did her so-called mate.” Kohaku gave a low growl “Please do NOT insult my mother. She may have been the only dragoness to mate a Kitsune. Yeah, shes got a lot of grief from it. But love doesn’t have a race.” Kohaku took several long deep breaths calming himself ritually. “Sorry. I get defensive about family. And they did not die. They just left this world for another, after her kind refused to listen to her warnings about war.” Summer leaned in close. “And what do you know of the war? My grandfather, not much older than I am now, was there the day the Destroyer unsheathed her rage. When the Slayer condemned so many to Oblivion. All of us are told this story.” Kohaku sighed and bowed his head. Summer took a step back as she saw a small tear fall down his cheek. “Mother never kept it a secret from us. All the deaths, all the blood that was shed. The lives lost on both sides. So horrible. I can’t imagine how it was for those who lived back then.” lifting his head he wiped his eyes and sniffed. “I’ll never forgive those Hippogriffs for what they did to my aunt that dark day. Denying me and my sisters the chance to meet our families. To know their love and share in their wisdom.” letting out a sigh he looked up into Summer’s eyes. “I’m sure you have a similar feeling. The loss of family that war took from you.” Summer nodded, letting her own tears fall. “The wound that was permanently scarred on all of us. Those who lived through it, and those who came after. Our kinds were never friends. The war took away any chance that could change. For us to even be talking is looked down on by most.” “And yet we are talking. I was feeling down and you came out of your river when you could have easily ignored me.” Kohaku smiled sitting up straight. “Granted your words were not very friendly, but they were words regardless. And now, we’re sharing thoughts about a war that was before our time.” Chuckling Kohaku slowly wrapped his tails around his lower legs. “Mother always said that the past should stay in the past. And learn from its mistakes for a better future.” Walking forward he stood in front of Summer. Summer looked at him with her eyes narrowed. Her mind twisted and turned in confusion.  “And I always thought friendships between two peoples need one thing.” Reaching out he held out his paw, palm upturned. “Something my parents knew when they got together, and that’s someone needs to take the first leap of faith. And I have never been one to shy away from a challenge.” Summer’s mind was reeling. Was he truly offering what she thought he was? One look in his eyes said there was no deception, only the truth. Perhaps it was spending so much time near the friendliest place in Equestria, but a part of her knew this was the right thing to do. “We are a long way from being friends.” She held up her claw against his. “But I was never one to follow the norm anyway.” The pair just held paw and claw together for a moment in a silent understanding of their first step. Turning their gaze to Ponyville. Watching everything going on in silence.  “Now. Go fix that mess you caused for my sister, and I’ll let you off the hook even more,” Summer growled. Kohaku rubbed his head. “There’s more than one dragon in Ponyville?” Summer shook her head. “Princess Twilight’s young charge, Spike. But that is not who I meant. A certain Pegasus you nearly scared to death earlier. She has quite the lungs on her. Or are you afraid to face her?” “Your sister is a Pony?” Kohaku blinked and tilted his head.  Summer nodded. “Your parents never taught you of Twin Souls?” “No, they did. I just never met one. How do you know she’s your sister? That’s usually found out when the two are brought together?” Summer blinked and looked at the fox and opened her mouth only to shut it quickly, what she had just said finally dawning on her. “OH, that’s right… Mother said I wasn’t supposed to mention that to anyone. Uh, any chance you might want to forget that?” Smirking he chuckled. “Only if you help me fix my problem in making things up with her.” Summer grumbled, but felt she didn’t have much choice in the matter. “Deal.” “Great. I’m going to have to get going. I have to get back before the sun sets. My body is still acclimating to this world. Too much exposure too soon is dangerous. And I know father is never wrong when it comes to this stuff.” Getting up Kohaku leaped over the dragoness’s head and landed on the hill behind her. “I’ll see you later Summer. It’s been a pleasure to meet you. Pearl too. I can’t wait to tell all this to my Pearl.”  Laughing he left the dragoness to mull over his confusing comments.