We walked in through the gates of the castle, Sunset and I side by side. The entry hall was empty, but before I could call out to see where the others were, a loud violet flash interrupted me from the other room. We approached and entered cautiously, stopping to make sure no more magic was being cast before stepping through.
Twilight, Starlight, and Ada were all gathered around a table, papers and scientific looking equipment having been strewn around, not even resembling an organised chaos. Ada's mane was frizzy and distressed, strands messily hanging away from her tired expression. She turned to face us alongside the other two mares and offered a weak smile, clearly all her energy could muster at the moment.
"Alright, scratch that idea. You feeling alright, Ada? We can stop anytime." Twilight frowned in concern at the fatigued looking unicorn, who shook her head in response.
"I-I'm good. Let's keep going."
"You girls look like you've been busy. Any luck yet?" Sunset asked, and a series of dour looks confirmed our suspicions.
"No, unfortunately not. I've confirmed through inspection of the mirror portal to the Other-Sunset's world, the physiology of humans there is still quite different, they have quite a lot of latent magic. It gave us somewhere to jump off of, but…"
"Unless Ada wants to be going back to earth with blue skin and hair, not to mention spreading magic around and turning other folks into ponies, we can't exactly use that avenue." Starlight finished for her marefriend.
"I'm gonna miss the magic, but I absolutely understand. Don't want this situation to happen to anypony– anyone else. Without them wanting it, of course." Ada said, motioning at me toward the end of her sentence.
"Well, hopefully you can figure it out soon."
"How did your day go, girls?" Twilight asked Sunny and I.
"It was great! Fluttershy invited us to the Ponyville queer meetup, and we got to take a walk down to Sweet Apple Acres. I didn't know a place could smell so strongly of apples. After that, we went and tried a hayburger– thanks for the recommendation, Twilight, it was shockingly good! " I babbled, my brain joyously jumping between the events of the day.
"Oh, you'll be at the meetup? See you girls there!" Starlight winked at us, Twilight giggling along. I should have guessed that Twilight and her marefriends would be there, but the realisation made me feel even more confident in going. I would have the friendship of so many ponies to back me up. Not to mention, Fluttershy was going to introduce me to her marefriend at the welcome party, and who knew how many more I would meet there.
"So the visit went well? Twilight told me that she was getting you to meet her trans friend." Ada approached me as Sunset got distracted joking about something gay related with Starlight and Twilight.
"Yeah, it was so nice. Meeting somepony who is also both trans and a lesbian was great. That meetup they mentioned sounds like it might be a great way for me to meet new friends." I explained to my ex with a hopeful smile. She smiled back warmly, listening intently.
"Ah, so you're definitely into mares only, huh?" She chuckled.
"I- I think so. Who knows, if I meet the right stallion, but we would have to connect on a pretty deep level. I don't think that will happen any time soon, though. I got much more important stuff going on."
"It's good to focus on your new marefriend before thinking about meeting other partners anyway. Only so much you can handle at once." Ada explained.
"Right, and who knows ho–" I froze. "I- I mean, I'm not w- worried about dating j-just yet, and s–"
"Poppy, you are the easiest pony to read in all of Equestria." Ada said with a knowing laugh. "You and Sunset went to bed one foot apart, and left the room this morning practically making out with your eyes."
"A- Are you kidding me!?" I gasped in exasperation. "Ada, I- I'm so sorry, it was so f- fast, and she…" I was going to say that she told me she loved me first, but despite that being the technical truth, I knew the reality. "Ughhh..."
"Hey, relax, Poppy!" Ada smiled warmly at me, placing a hoof on my withers. "If I remember correctly, I gave you my blessing to go after Sunset. Plus, how cool is it that my ex is dating 'Shimmer Code'? Even if she had to end her streaming career." She joked with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "I'm serious, Poppy. I was… I was not a good partner for you. You deserve a partner who can meet your needs, and make you truly happy. I can see how happy Sunset makes you, and I wouldn't do a thing to take that away."
"Th- thank you, sweetie. You know that I'd do anything to make you happy too." I nuzzled her, slipping into the way we used to talk one last time.
"Me too. I'm just sorry that I wasn't able to be that."
"Hey, remember? No more sorries." I grinned widely. "So! What's for dinner?"
She laughed, smiling at me happily, the way she once did, but now without pretense or secrets.
"Apparently Twilight's old teacher is coming over for the evening, so I assume something special."
A full three course meal sat before us, the usually empty kitchen bustling with temporary service staff. I was taken aback, never having seen a meal this lavish in my life, not to mention for the visit of a single pony. Just who in Equestria was Twilight's old teacher?
Twilight herself was running around, directing ponies nervously while Luna and Starlight tried to calm her down.
"Please take a breath! She's not even your superior anymore, and you are a princess!" Starlight begged her marefriend, who was too busy talking to a nearby unicorn about cake choices to listen.
"Star is right, Twilight, you must calm yourself." Luna followed behind, looking concernedly between her two marefriends. "You know Celestia well, and you haven't acted like this around her for years."
"Because this is different, Lulu! This is–" her eyes shifted toward Sunset and I for a brief moment. "This is just– just different, okay?"
I looked questioningly toward Sunny, who offered just a shrug and a similarly confused look in return. Twilight, now finished talking to the wait staff, approached us both with a forced smile, sweat practically dripping from her as she shakily greeted us.
"H-Hey girls! Sunset! Do you mind if we talk for a second?"
"Sure? What's this all about, Twi?"
"W-Well… You know how I mentioned your other self, the one through the mirror?" Sunset nodded in response. "She also used to be the student of my old teacher, and the last time she saw her, things didn't end the greatest."
"Right, right, the whole world domination thing."
"Yeah." Twilight deadpanned. "I just don't want you to worry too much if she acts weird around you."
"I'll be fine. She knows I'm not the same Sunset Shimmer she knows, right? … Right?" Sunset chuckled. I was getting to know her enough now to see through the mask, and I pulled her closer to me, kissing her softly on the cheek.
"I'm here, Sunny."
She nuzzled me in appreciation briefly before turning back to the purple alicorn. The door to the dining room opened a foot, and a familiar squat purple dragon squeezed through. Spike came to a stop, catching his breath before whispering in Twilight's ear. She shot up and swung her gaze to the door just in time to see it swing open completely with a golden glow. In stepped a large alicorn wearing a beautiful taupe chiffon dress. Her mane was flowing and long, currently tied into a neat ponytail behind her neck. As she entered, her eyes drifted to us and froze, gaze locked on Sunset for a second before moving on.
I could feel Sunset shaking in anxiety next to me and I pushed my body closer to hers. She calmed just a little as my fur rubbed warmly against hers, but I could still feel her trembling form next to me.
"Pri– Celestia, it's so good to see you!" Twilight rushed toward the alabaster alicorn, whose name I now recognized as the one Twilight had off-hoofedly mentioned many times. As far as I could garner, she had seemed like a mother figure to Twilight, so her being an alicorn was something I was taken aback by, but not completely surprised.
"Hello, Princess Twilight." She said serenely, and Twilight blushed in response. "I hope you and Starlight Glimmer have been treating my sister well, yes?"
"Of course they have." Luna said with a low chuckle. "I wouldn't expect any different."
"Nor do I. Greetings to you too, Starlight." Celestia said with a nod toward her ex-student and her marefriends. "So," she said, suddenly turning her attention to Sunset and I. "I've been informed that you two are the new arrivals to our realm."
Sunset nodded shakily in response. "Y-Yes ma'am. P-princess?"
"Not anymore, so 'Celestia' is fine." she said with a smile. "And you are Poppy, yes?"
"Yep, that's me!" I said cheerily. I knew that Sunset's usual confidence rubbed off on me, so I was hoping mine would do the same for her. "Poppy Star's the name!" I nudged Sunset knowingly, hoping my use of her nickname for me would help her out. "And this is my marefriend, Sunset Shimmer!"
"It's very nice to meet you, Sunset." Celestia said with a nod toward her. "I'm sure Twilight has mentioned that we have… met before."
Sunset froze, her teeth gritting together tightly as she looked up at the alicorn, who looked back with a calm, serene expression.
"U-uh, hey C-Celestia," Sunset shivered. "About the whole t-taking over Equestria thing, I swear that wasn't me, just a pony that looks like me, and acts like me, and... Oh stars, I'm not helping at all."
Celestia giggled warmly in response. "Sunset, please do not worry. I'm aware that you aren't the same Sunset who was once my student, but I know there are similarities between our lives. I just… want to apologize. If the other world version of me said something to you, as I did so regretfully to my student, I wanted to say sorry for how she– for how I treated you."
Sunset laughed nervously, a palpable relief spreading across her face. "Oh no no no, I've never even met the Earth version of you."
"That's… good to hear. We can start off with a completely clean slate." Celestia gave us a similar look of relief. "I must admit, it may take time for me to stop thinking of her when I see you, Sunset Shimmer; you are both so alike, it is quite uncanny."
"I'm sorry, I can… I can leave, if that would make things easier." Sunset looked down at her hooves, avoiding eye contact with Celestia.
"No, Sunset, please stay." She said, her calm tone slipping slightly. "It would make me very happy to get to properly know you. That means you, and not the Sunset Shimmer that I have already met."
"R-really? I mean, i-if you wanna leave at any time…" Sunset pawed the castle's crystal floor with a hoof.
"I do not. You have already begun to help my mind calm itself, knowing that the other version of me has not… hurt you." Celestia said to Sunset with a warmth I hadn't expected, but it immediately caused my marefriend to relax almost completely. She looked up at Celestia, still nervously, but with a sense of hope.
"M-Maybe, if it makes it easier, you could just call me S- Sunny instead."
I felt my heart soar as I grinned widely at my marefriend. She was using the name I gave her, just as I was using hers! She cared about me and liked the name enough to actually use it with other ponies too!
"Hmm, Sunny! I do like that. So it shall be, Sunny." Celestia said kindly, bringing a blush and an embarrassed smile out of the yellow unicorn.
"Now, Twilight," Celestia began and the princess looked to her former mentor with bright eyes. "I hope that this lovely meal wasn't all for me."
"Heh, w-well…" Twilight stammered, and Luna stepped forward to stand alongside her marefriend.
"Of course not, sister! For I hunger as well, and I simply cannot leave such a large dinner for you alone." She joked with a playful wink, offering some much needed levity to the tense atmosphere.
Sunset seemed to be far more calm after our introduction with Celestia, and we took our seats at the table alongside the other ponies in the room. The meal was delicious, my new pony senses tasting the fruity and complex flavours of all three courses. By the end, I had hardly touched the third course and was leaning back in my chair contentedly. Sunny and the others soon finished off their meals as well and began talking amongst themselves intently.
I looked around the table happily, feeling an odd calmness as I glanced at all the ponies I had met thus far. There were even more than just the ponies in this room, and already I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed, in the best possible way. I didn't want to make any of my new friends feel any less special, but I was beginning to wonder how I would find time for them all.
The atmosphere was much lighter now, and Sunset had begun talking with Celestia about her past life, what our version of earth was like, and eventually the conversation drifted to queer rights and the stark difference between here and Earth. This place was practically a utopia for queer people! Magical and medical transition was easy to access and could be magically customized to reflect your wants. Apparently gatherings like the Ponyville queer meet-up were still small, but many more ponies came to them than the ones on Earth, and not to mention there was a plethora of workplace protections in place and active unions. It really filled me with a sense of hope, to be finally somewhere that might accept me in such a way that also assured protections and didn't make me feel like a target was painted on my back.
Dinner finally wrapped up and we said our goodbyes to Celestia and the others. Twilight and Luna followed us down the Ponyville main road and toward our new house, chatting happily along the way. Ada and Sunset were conversing idly about a game that Sunset had played on stream a few months ago, while Luna and I walked silently alongside each other. I flared my nostrils, taking in the cool and crisp evening Ponyville air. It felt so untainted by smog, by the smells of the street, anything that resembled the industrialised world. It was just like Sunset's home in Sweden, but somehow even more refreshing.
"How are you finding our realm so far, Poppy Star?" Luna looked down at me and I grinned back, extremely happy that my new name was catching on.
"It's…" I searched for a way to put it all into words. "It's honestly incredible. It feels like it can't be real. There can't be this many ponies that care about me…"
"No doubt you will meet even more ponies who will become a vital part of your life. I was once like you too; new to a life in– well, in modern Equestria. I found myself to be shocked at the rate that I made friends and found purpose alongside my two wonderful marefriends." She said sagely, a soft smile peeking through the cracks. "You are also lucky to be coming here with your marefriend as well. It must bring you great comfort."
She wasn't my marefriend before we got here, I thought to myself and chuckled.
"I know it's not much, but I did want to thank you, and Starlight, and… everypony else, really. I feel like I'd get overwhelmed without you and the others to guide me. I mean, hay, I'm already getting a little overwhelmed, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"I'm glad for that." Luna responded before cutting herself off and looking forward. "Ah, here we are!"
I stared at the exterior of our new house alongside Ada and the others, still trying to grapple with the fact that this was ours. I was aware that we'd eventually move from this little cottage to a larger one, more suited for multiple ponies, but seeing this place filled me with hope and joy.
I glanced regretfully at Ada but for a moment. I felt such guilt for everything that had happened, but I still loved her regardless of our marital status. I wanted deeply for her to be happy. Part of me still wished she would stay here with us, but I felt her departure looming. How long was it until she was returned to her old form and left for Earth again? Would that be the last time we'd see each other? I tried to ignore the tightening in my chest, feeling again that we were drifting further apart.
The house was dark still, and I flicked a light on as we entered the room. It was exactly as we had left it, besides the fact that water flowed freely from the faucets, and I was able to use it to wash my hooves free of any dirt I picked up from our walk through town. Luna and Twilight said their goodbyes and went back to the castle, leaving us to settle into our new dwellings. Ada, Sunset, and I sat around the coffee table, drinking an evening cup of tea. It was funny how normal it had become to see Ada and the other unicorns use their magic; something which I hadn't even believed existed before now.
I shivered as I felt the night air begin to set in, and I drew myself closer to Sunset. She hopped up, and with a spark of magic, Sunny lit a woodfire stove in the corner of the room, placing a few logs in to help feed the fire and warm the room.
"So, what even happened today, Ada? You look fried. Hopefully you weren't literally fried." Sunset joked, walking back to her seat next to me and picking up her tea again with a soft glow of magic.
"I feel like I got fried, so I might as well have." She responded, laughing happily with my marefriend. "We were just trying a bunch of stuff; I didn't really understand what was going on, really, bunch of magical nonsense to me."
"Ah, sounds like my kinda nonsense."
"You can come help out tomorrow if you like. Gosh knows Starlight could use a break, she looked like she was at the end of her rope."
"I was thinking of taking Poppy out to the market tomorrow, but I can probably help out the day after."
"That would be great, actually! Gosh knows I want to get back sooner rather than later."
I stared at my hooves. "So… I guess we won't see each other again after you go back to Earth…"
She froze.
"O-Oh. I… I hadn't really thought of that." Ada's expression shifted.
"I… I'm sorry, I'm ruining the night, aren't I."
"No, of course not. I… I don't want to say goodbye to you forever, Poppy. That's not at all what I wanted."
"I'll talk to Twilight about it, okay?" Sunset said, offering me a reassuring nuzzle that I reciprocated. "There's gotta be some way you can keep in contact."
"If she can open up a portal between our world's, then she must be able to do something." I muttered.
"I promise, I'll find a way to come see you again too. Maybe we could ask Twilight to open another portal? M- Maybe not anytime soon. Apparently it takes even more magical power than she let on, and it puts a strain on her body too." Ada said somberly. She shook her head lightly and smiled up at us. "That can come later. For now, I wanna know who confessed to who first? Poppy, or Sunset?"
I coughed, a small sputter of tea coming from my lips. Swallowing the rest hastily, I responded. "Wh-what?"
"You and Sunset!" She stared cheekily and my cheeks began to redden. "Which one of you was the one to finally break."
Sunset's laugh was full of tense nerves, but she responded far before I could even begin to think on how to respond. "Oh yeah, it was me." She replied. "Poppy may have hinted at things, but I most definitely told her I loved her first."
"Ooh, jumping straight to love, huh? I remember when we first started dating, Poppy, you were too nervous to even say "love"! You used to go around saying "I really like you" instead." She laughed loudly and I retreated inward a little, only for a foreleg to wrap around me and pull me close to its owner's soft fur. I instantly felt calmer at Sunny's embrace, only for the awkwardness to return slightly when I saw Ada looking kindly warmly at us both. "She's worth it."
"I… I really do love her, too. She's…" Sunset looked down at me, wrapped in her forelegs tightly. "Precious. She's funny and smart, and she makes me… want to be a better pony. Not just so that I can be a better partner, but so I can be my best self."
Ada nodded. "She helped me do that too. I'm happy I met you, both of you. I know it might seem weird, but it does make me happy to see that you've already found love so soon after we…" she trailed off, forlorn again until I spoke.
"It's okay, Ada. I don't regret meeting you, you also helped me better myself." I filled the silence, reassuring her once again.
"I think if anything, I was holding you back. Now you get to be your true self."
I blushed, idly looking down at my mare's body. I really was my true self now, wasn't I? I wasn't faking anything anymore. I wasn't pretending to be straight, to be cisgender, to be human. Thinking back on my life on earth, ever since I could remember, I had never felt like I really was a human. To now be in a body that felt like mine was enthralling. I remembered that time Sunset, Twi, and I went to lunch with the glamour spell on, how the feeling of wrongness and incongruity had returned, and I knew I had made the right choice.
My wings ruffled in the cold of the evening and I lifted one up and over Sunset's withers, prompting a soft coo from her as she accepted the hug. I melted into her touch, a warmth filling me that I hadn't felt with Ada for years. Instead, I felt a different warmth from Ada now. A reassuring warmth, one that told me I wasn't wrong for being myself, and for being in love with Sunset.
We talked a little while longer before heading our separate ways; Ada heading to her room, and Sunset and I to ours. Softly closing the door behind her, Sunset approached me in the dim of our bedside lamp. I smiled warmly as she approached, her hooves thudding lightly against the carpeted floorboards. The cottage was small, but still two stories tall, and our room was located on the top floor, giving us a lovely view of Ponyville.
It was warm and cozy in our room; the woodfire stove in the room below had a metal exhaust which led through our room and out the roof, and the heat radiating from that had left the room toasty long after the fire had been put out.
With a light squeak, I felt myself tackled to the bed by Sunset, who immediately began rubbing her face around in my fur, humming enthusiastically as she stimmed with the texture of my coat. I giggled in joy, feeling the tickle of that wonderful mare's muzzle against my belly. Eventually, she managed to remove her face from the dense fur on my barrel enough to look up at me with a content smile. She hummed contentedly, her mouth still covered in fur as she stared into my eyes. I couldn't help but look back, her beautiful teal irises reflecting the light from our lamp.
"I meant what I said before, Poppy." She mumbled, her muzzle still somewhat muffled by the fluff on my chest. "I really love you."
"I-I really love you too, Sunny." sparkles rose in my belly. "You're amazing."
"No you."
"Hey, both of us, okay?" I said with a cheeky smile. "If I say something nice about myself, you gotta do the same about you."
"Wh-wha?"
"I'm a cute little mare." I said, the vocalisation of that phrase alone bringing forth another surge of light happy feelings. "I'm k-kind, and I'm… I'm worthy of your love."
Sunset's eyes began to shine in the dim light, her slightly watery eyes illuminated by the lamp. "It… wow, it feels really good even if you say it about yourself… but I don't know if I can…"
"You gotta! I did it, now it's your turn." I booped her on the snout with a hoof. "Repeat after me. I have a cute muzzle."
She buried her face into my fluff once more and mumbled. "I have a cute muzzle…"
"What was that? Speak up, filly." I joked and Sunny pushed her face further in before pulling it out and looking me in the eyes.
"I'm… I'm cute. And I have a cute muzzle. And I'm… I'm good at magic too." Her expression was grumpy, but I could see a smile peeking out from her lips. I learnt forward and kissed her nose lightly, feeling a shock of happiness as I did so. This time, she didn't retreat in embarrassment at all, instead leaning into it further. I kissed her nose again and she scrunched it slightly, giggling at the sensation. I kissed her again, and again, until I was peppering her face from top to bottom with little pecks of affection.
"S-Stop!" she yipped, her giggles taking over. "Poppy! Ahaha!"
"Never!" I proclaimed. "I see your muzzle and I must kiss it!"
I continued my assault until Sunny's hooves shot to my face, holding me still for a moment. I stared back, my lips pursed between her hooves. She learnt forward and her lips connected with mine, a jolt of euphoria through shooting through me like lightning. Unlike our first small kiss, this one did not end after a moment. Sunset relaxed even further and I pressed in more intensely, feeling the soft and wonderful warmth of her lips on mine. With a soft moan, I sank further and further into her forelegs, the moment taking me away from reality completely.
I felt her lips part slightly and her tongue brushed lightly against my lips. I felt the shot of endorphins hit me again, my whole body bubbling and sparkling with happiness, and I couldn't help but open my lips, feeling the velvety texture of hers do the same. I learnt into her fully, feeling her tongue push further into my mouth, and our bodies pressed tightly together. My hooves found their way to her mane and I stroked it softly, caressing her as softly and as lovingly as I possibly could. She reciprocated fully, moaning lightly with me from the pure joy and closeness we both no doubt felt.
The world faded away. It was just us. Just her and I, our lips and bodies so close that we may as well have been one pony. I felt so warm, so content, so in love, that nothing else mattered, not one single thing in the entire world was important besides her. And stars, she was important. I could tell, not a thing would be able to make me love her less. I could feel our hearts becoming closer, our very beings intertwined in a blissful rhapsody. I was hers, and she was mine, our forelegs tangled around each other in a knot of passion as our kiss intensified.
Finally, after what seemed like a millenia, our lips parted and we stared deeply into each other's eyes. She looked at me, I looked at her, and we didn't need to say a single thing. We just gazed into each other, cherishing how close we were at this time, and losing ourselves in it. I leaned in and kissed her again, passion and happiness radiating from the both of us. Our lips parted once more and I could help but giggle, Sunset slowly joining in.
"I really… oh gosh, I really liked that. I've never… oh wow." Sunset said in bewilderment, a hoof bringing itself up to her forehead to clear her stray mane hairs. "I've never done something like that before."
"Wait, really?" I gawked. "That's impossible, your previous partners never kissed these irresistible lips?" I said in half jest, but still curious.
"I've… uh, I've never been in a relationship before. You're my first."
I couldn't help but feel my eyes widen. "No way. No heckin' way, I'm your first!?"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."
"N-No, Sunset, I'm actually… I'm happy I could be your first." I smiled with as much warmth as I could possibly show. "I mean, Ada was my first partner, and… I can't deny that I have regrets. Mostly for not having realized my true self before letting it get that far." I shook my head, dispelling that train of thought. Now wasn't the time for regrets, now was the time to show Sunset just how loved she was.
"Y- Yeah, I just– I dunno, I've just been very picky with partners. They gotta be pretty, uh…" She blushed, teal irises sparkling in the lamplight. "They gotta be pretty special, and I gotta like them a whole dang lot. You might be surprised, but it takes a lot for me to crush on somepony, and… you are the perfect storm of adorable, kind, sweet, trans, pony, and most importantly, you love me back. I've… no-one has ever loved me before. Not my mum or dad, nopony before I met you."
Tears welled up in my eyes and I pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping my forelegs around her and brushing her mane lightly with an idle fetlock.
"I promise you, Sunset. I love you. I love you so fucking much, and I can't wait to continue to grow and learn alongside you." I sobbed out, my emotions overwhelming me as I finally let the tears flow. She cried as well, the first time I had ever seen her do so, and I held her close, caressing her and loving her as she deserved. She buried her face into my coat and wailed. I cried too, thinking of all the emotional weight she must have been carrying with her this whole time, and knowing very intimately how painful it was to carry that with you.
Together, we cried until we couldn't any more, sniffling still as we both held tightly onto each other. I looked into her eyes again, glistening even more now, and she looked into mine. We didn't say anything again, both just staring into the other mare's eyes, until the draw of sleep pulled us both in and we drifted off in each other's forelegs.