//------------------------------// // Chapter 36: Right Now // Story: Alpha and Omega // by Revel Montaro //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer groaned as her earpiece that was linked to Raven’s MAU rang again. She had a feeling it had to do with Twilight or something going on in the lab. Sunset rolled over to her back and stared at the tall canopy above the large, four post bed. Technically it was THEIR bed, but sometimes it only felt like it was Twilight’s bed and she was just crashing on it. Those were bad thoughts to have and Sunset dismissed them as quickly as they had arisen. Sunset groaned again before finally levitating the earpiece to her and connected the call. “Yeah?” “Good afternoon, Mother.” “… Debatable on the ‘good’ part, but I don’t feel like getting into it.” Sunset could practically feel Raven analyzing her speech patter for clues and inconsistencies. That was just part of her programming and could not fault the PAAL for doing what she was designed for. Which was why it came as no surprise that Raven was not willing to let it go so easily. “I am detecting resentment and frustration in addition to your physical fatigue. Do you wish for me to come to you for further analysis?” Sunset sighed as she continued to stare up at the purple canopy with red trim. She blinked and felt a few tears roll down from the corners of her eyes. Not bothering to wipe them away. “No, no. I’m up.” “Good. I am told to inform you Clover the Clever just arrived. So, get your furry ass down here, apologize to your wife, and the three of you come up with a way to save this world that does not involve shouting angrily at one another until the walls shake.” Sunset smirked for a moment before it faded. The memories of the night before flooded her thoughts. ---------- The night before “Are you sure we have all the variables accounted for?” Sunset groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. They had been running calculations for days. In some cases, until it was time to raise the sun again. Court had been postponed until further notice and most day to day government duties were being dealt with by the council with Isabella and Raven overseeing and relaying any relevant concerns. That left Sunset and Twilight undisturbed in Twilight’s lab to try and solve two major issues. How to fight the omega beast and how to keep an entire world safe from being eaten. “Twilight, we can’t account for every variable. There are just too many unknowns.” Twilight grimaced, rubbing her tired eyes. After nearly three days in the same room with her wife, Twilight began to notice a change in the other alicorn’s behavior and mannerisms. She had stopped calling her, “Twily” days ago and had yet to call her any other nicknames like “Babe” for at least the last day to day and a half. Sunset’s mane and tail were no longer flowing with celestial energy, both just hanging limp by her side. Those deep, pools of sea water teal that always mesmerized Twilight had lost much of their luster and sparkle and now were horrifically bloodshot. Not to point hooves, of course, Twilight imagined she did not look much better. “We had to of missed something. We need to go back to…” “UGGGHHHHHH!!!!” Sunset kicked over her stool and sent it flying until it crashed into the back wall. “Don’t you get it?! You are seeing the same thing I am! There is just not enough energy! We could take all the magic in the world, concentrate it down to the point of critical mass, and fire it off at that thing and it would not do SHIT! Maybe, just MAYBE we might wound it enough that I could stab it in the eye or something. But then it would just go right back to eating the world!” Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Chaz said the beast latches onto magic like a fish on a hook. If it gets ahold of you that close you are dead.” Twilight slammed her hoof onto the table, jarring the inkwells, chalk, and scrolls. A few fell to the ground. “Do you hear me? DEAD! I won’t allow that! There has to be something we missed. There has to be another way.” Sunset snarled. “You did the math. I did the math. We can get the council of scholars at CSGU to do the damn math if you like. Even when Flurry brings us the crystal to concentrate and hold the power it WON’T BE ENOUGH! Aine said I have to kill this thing. Then that i-” “I DON’T GIVE TWO HOOTS WHAT THAT CALLOUS, EGOTISTICAL, WOULD-BE WHORSE OF A GODDESS SAYS! YOU ARE NOT SACRIFICING YOURSELF!” Sunset seethed, her eyes taking on a red glow that did not scare Twilight, but did break her heart that they were at each other’s throats. “We are running out of time," Sunset hissed through clenched teeth. "We have run the numbers, we have brain stormed and theorized and everything we can think of comes up short. We can’t generate more of what does not exist. So, unless you are willing to steal the life force from millions of innocent creatures or ravage the land, we are out of power sources.” Twilight glanced to the chalkboard then back to the floor. “There has to be a way. There has to be something we missed, something we are not considering! I can’t give up and neither should you. This is your life we are talking about. OUR LIFE! TOGETHER!” “It was sewn into the damn tapestry! I saw it! You saw it! It all falls to me and MY FATE!” Sunset huffed as her heart pounded in her ears. “I put this event into motion with my decisions. I should face the consequences of it. No pony else should die for my mistakes. I accept that and so should you. That is what we should be focusing on. Not a Hail Mary.” Twilight broke out into sobs while she ground her teeth together. There it was again. That word. She had come to truly hate the word FATE. Destiny was hopeful. Destiny laid out a road of potential to achieve greatness or at least happiness in one's life. One did not have to do great things to have a good, fulfilling life. But fate was finality. Fate was the end of the road. An end that Twilight Sparkle was working with all her power and skills to thwart or at least shape to something better than her beloved wife being killed or eaten by a giant space monster. That was not… No, I can’t say that’s not fair. Fairness has nothing to do with this. I’m just being selfish, I know that, and I have every right to be! I have done nothing but sacrifice for crown and country since I was little more than a filly. Not just Equestria, for this world as a whole! All I want is peace and love and a chance to be happy. Is that really so much to ask for? Sunset Shimmer makes me so happy. She reminds me of the good times in Ponyville with all my friends. She loves me for who I am, nothing more, nothing less. I just want to keep that feeling and hold on to it. Twilight’s thoughts were broken when the door to the lab swung open, crashing agaisnt the door stop. Captain Fog Gauge and the two thestral guards that had been stationed outside the door were standing there at the ready and tried to glance about for an enemy after they realized they charged the door for possibly the wrong reason. Not because something was shaking the castle due to an attack, but instead had been two alicorns yelling at one another in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Sunset snorted angrily enough to expel steam from her nostrils. “I’m going to bed.” “Sunset Shimmer, we are not done here. We need to keep working on this.” Sunset snarled and fired a bolt that blew off the top corner of one of the chalkboards, leaving the wood blackened and smoking. She then turned away. “I said I’m going to bed. I need to get out of here before I really do something I’ll regret.” “Sunset.” The goldenrod alicorn paused, but did not turn her head. The words said barely above a whisper. “The moon?” “I’ll lower it on the way to bed. If it scares a few ponies because it went down a little early then that's too damn bad. Otherwise, you can just do it yourself. I’m done.” Sunset glared at the guards and they stepped aside. Gauge held his ground for a few seconds longer, but the hard, glowing eyed stare with tears on the brink of spilling over told him he needed to let this one go… for now. With a bow, the captain moved as well and let his princess pass without incident. The bat pony turned back to Princess Twilight who slumped to the ground shaking, trying to fight down her sobs that broke free in whimpers. He made a mental note to ask Tempest to stop by when she had a chance. Twilight clearly needed a friend now more than ever. ---------- Sunset Shimmer had retrieved her crown helm and peytral that had been mostly repaired by the arms master. It was the only large piece of her armor that had been salvageable from the beach. Even her hoof guards had been melted or shattered. But like any good princess, she had spare shoes and had slipped on her black formal wear hoof shoes, took a quick glance in the mirror, and slowly made her way down from the royal tower towards the second floor grand corridor that led to Twilight’s lab. Sunset paused at the cross section walkway to admire the way the colored and frosted glass fractured the light upon the carpet and walls. It was not as spectacular as the Hall of Heroes, but still beautiful nonetheless. Her mind anywhere but where she was standing. Anywhere, but Canterlot. Sunset started to close her eyes to drift away. “Hey.” Sunset blinked and sniffed in a familiar fresh aroma that tickled her neurons and sent them firing. She looked up to find a sizeable mug of coffee fit for a sleep deprived alicorn floating in a jade aura that still had a slight waver to it. Sunset gladly took hold of the drink and allowed the unicorn to release her grip. It was still amazing to Sunset how even with a broken horn Tempest had remarkable control. “I got word from a reliable source you would need that. And more so, that you needed to talk.” Sunset took a sip and savored the coffee. It was perfect, made just the way she liked it. Which likely meant Fog Gauge had brewed it before calling his wife in to deliver it. You glorious, handsome bastard. I don't know what magic you put into this cup to make it taste so good, but OMG is it soooo gooooooood. “I appreciate the cup, but I don’t feel like talking right now. Apparently, we have a guest in the lab waiting.” Tempest Fury held out her hoof to block Sunset’s path. It was, of course symbolic. Sunset could have easily pushed past or any number of ways to go around. “I don't think I ever properly thanked you for what you did out on that battlefield. You brought all those guards and volunteers home. So, let me start by saying, thank you." Sunset nodded and took another sip. "It was a long shot, lots of things could have gone wrong. But like the new sultan said, I'm a princess now. It's my job to keep everypony safe." "I'm glad to hear you say that and that you are taking the role to heart. But we both know there was one stallion out there that was more important than the rest to both of us. So again, thank you for bringing my husband home safe." Sunset flashed a small smile while she felt her cheeks darken at the memory of being held close by the bat pony, stroking her face. Completely ignoring the steam, sand, and sea water around them. Sunset's thoughts next found her lying in a pool of blood on the shattered throne room floor, held tightly in the lap and forelegs of her big purple alicorn goddess, tring to keep her alive with all her magical might. She too was stroking Sunset’s face while tears rolled down her long muzzle. Sunset continued to stare at the windows, taking another sip. Tempest let the silence linger for as long as she felt was comfortable. Clearly, Sunset was not going to continue the conversation without further prodding. "You know, if you are not going to talk to Raven, who will always listen to what’s on that stubborn mind of yours, then you ARE going to talk to me.” Sunset arched a brow. “And why is that?” “Because Twilight is my best friend and I don’t like her being hurt.” Sunset grimaced and flattened her ears. She closed her eyes in shame to keep tears from spilling forth. The words cut deep because Sunset knew they were true. “Chin up, Shimmer. You were married before. You didn’t actually think you would go the entire time without fighting this time around, did you?” “Doesn’t make me feel any better about it. I didn’t like blowing up in front of my first wife either.” “Yeah, I get that. I even respect it. But you have to remember, I have been here since the beginning. I was here when you blew up at Flurry Heart. I was here when Discord pushed your buttons and Twilight yelled at the both of you. I was also here when we went through that mirror and you almost got left behind. You two have had your spats. That’s normal. The way I see it, I think this is one area I might actually have you at a disadvantage. Because Fog and I fight all the damn time.” That perked Sunset up and she opened her eyes wide in surprise. “Really? But you two work so well together. I mean, here you are and he must have just left.” Tempest nodded and gestured for Sunset to walk and talk. “Sure we do. I love him and he loves me and that is the glue that holds us together. But you have to remember, we are both warriors at heart. We fight over everything because it’s just how we are. Holy horn, if you could see us when we are off duty sometimes… We fight over dinner choices, we fight over how to entertain or educate our foals, house decorations, furniture arrangements, major purchases, heck, we fight over who gets to be on top during sex. Sometimes with actual sparring that ends up making for interesting positions.” Tempest did not personally care for talking about her private, bedroom activities, but as she was hoping, Sunset snorted and chuckled a bit. The alicorn finally relaxing and falling into a more natural stride while her mane and tail once again regained some of its ethereal waiver. “I can totally see that.” “My point is, couples fight. As long as you know that the glue that hold you together is strong you will get past it and come back together. So, stop being so mopey and butt hurt about it. Get in there, apologize, and put that smile back on Twilight’s face. You copy, soldier?” Sunset sighed and gently hip bumped Tempest. “I copy. You know, I miss having you smacking some sense in me every day.” “I’m sure I can ask Raven or Fog to do it if you like.” Sunset snorted. “You know Gauge never would and Raven would probably enjoy it too much and I’d get a concussion. You do it juuuuuust right, I think.” Tempest smiled and put a little hop to her step. “I have a secret advantage over most. I don’t give a damn about your rank, crown, or who your mother was. I just see you as the hot-headed pony that married my best friend, which means I need to keep you in line.” “Thanks for that. And thank Fog for the coffee. Seriously, tell him to open a coffee shop when he retires. This is like sex in a cup the way it warms me up inside. It's almost infidelity.” Tempest rolled her eyes. “Pffft. If I tell him that he will just flash that fang toothy grin of his and strut all afternoon, flexing or something. Don’t fool yourself, that stallion can get such a big head when he gets going.” Sunset snorted and had to fight to keep from spitting up her precious coffee that went down the wrong pipe. Tempest stopped and reviewed what she had just said, facehoofed, and groaned. "You are such a gutter brain." Sunset finally got ahold of her snicker fit, blinking tears from her eyes. “You nearly killed me with that one,” she said breathlessly, smiling genuinely before taking another long draw from the mug. “Ohhhhh, yeeeeah. That’s the good stuff.” Sunset nodded to the solar guards and Tempest saluted, they gladly saluted back and then bowed before opening the door. The guards stepped through the door with Tempest at the lead. Twilight glanced up at the entryway and smiled warmly. “Tempest! It’s so good to see…” Twilight turned her attention to Sunset, who had hesitated, and faltered, her wings drooping, “you.” The hesitation and change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by Sunset. She took another sip of her drink that thankfully took some of the sting out of the situation. With one last sigh, Sunset descended the stairs behind Tempest. The guards closed the door and returned to their post. Twilight shook her head and embraced her former captain and friend happily. Tempest broke the embrace and turned to gesture. “I found her moping in the hall, got her some coffee,” Tempest whispered before stepping aside. Twilight Sparkle had known Sunset Shimmer for more than a century. These last few years, being so intimately close had given Twilight further insight into her wife’s body language and mannerisms and what it meant to be in a loving relationship as a whole. What she saw before her was… hesitance, shame, self loathing. She saw enough in her tired eyes to know the truth. That Sunset had spent the last few hours beating herself up instead of peacefully resting. “Sunset, please look at me.” Sunset glanced up with pain in her eyes, glassy on the brink of tears. “I’m sorry.” Twilight nodded. Then, much to Sunset’s surprise, she found herself wrapped in Twilight’s wings and forelegs. The sudden embrace caused Sunset to gasp and stumble for a second, nearly spilling the last of her coffee. However, she adjusted quickly and returned the embrace, breathing in the smell of lavender, pomegranate, and chalk dust. An odd combination for sure, but it always said Twilight to her. She missed it the last few nights. “I’m sorry for blowing up. I was tired and frustrated and not thinking. I needed some rest, but sleeping alone in that bed was not restful at all. I…” Sunset felt familiar magic wrap around her levitation aura. The magic enwrapped hers and lifted the mug. Twilight quickly drank down the remaining milliliters of coffee, finishing it with a large gulp and a satisfying, ‘ahhhhh’ sound. Sunset, arched a brow. “Did... did you seriously just steal the last of my coffee?” “Have you ever slept on that sofa over there?” Sunset glanced to the old, mostly brown sofa in the corner that may or may not have been abandoned by the staff of old when this had just been a storage room because they were too lazy to properly dispose of it and now none dared tread in Twilight’s personal lab to replace it. Sunset turned her gaze back to Twilight whose mane was still frazzled and eyes tired and bloodshot. Daring Sunset Shimmer to make a fuss while simultaneously conveying to her that she was equally as sorry and in need of a good rest. Sunset smiled and rubbed her horn along Twilight’s. “Pretty good stuff, huh?” “I kinda want more.” “I know a guy, but you would have to persuade me to…” *ahem* Both princesses turned to find Clover standing near the chalkboard, his cheeks were a bit red and his smile was forced while Raven and Tempest stood to the side looking on pleased and just a bit smug. Especially Raven. No small feat since, as a robot, she could remain absolutely still. “Right, him.” Twilight kissed Sunset’s cheek. “Just let him explain all he has to say before you judge and if you can play nice, I would appreciate a few hours of sleep in a real bed. Please?” Sunset nodded if albeit reluctantly. Clover nodded as well and gestured to the chalkboards. “Princess Twilight Sparkle explained to me that we have some sort of large, horrifying space monster heading towards us. I have to admit, that caught me off guard. While I have encountered large, alien creatures of various kinds, none the size that could devour an entire planet… I heard a story a long time ago of one great beast that could… Never mind, that would not be helpful currently. What is helpful is I understand the problem we are currently facing and I believe I can help.” “Well, that’s a relief at least.” Sunset paused and gestured to the stairs with her head, conveying to Twilight it was safe for her to leave. Twilight smiled and turned her attention back to Tempest. “You go on. I’ll call Isabella and ask her to make sure no pony disturbs you for a few hours. Since the waters have settled, I think I’ll stay here for a bit so I can hear what these two geniuses come up with and offer my tactical opinion.” “Thanks, Tempest.” Twilight let loose a head splitting yawn and made her way up the stairs. Sunset watched her the whole time. Their eyes met and held for a few heart beats, the little smile once again gracing Twilight's face as she gently closed the door behind her. Once the attention was back on Clover, he gestured to one of the ideas and formulas on the first board that was scratched out. “The overall problem is that you are trying to generate enough power in order to counterattack the creature, yes?” “Yep.” “And there is simply not enough magical energy to generate a powerful enough blast that will not also render the entire world dead or inert, correct?” “Yep.” Clover once again tapped one of the ideas that Sunset had come up with and then later threw out, scratching through it, quite angrily judging by the harsh lines. “What if I told you, you were on the right track with this one.” Both Raven and Sunset reexamined the board. Sunset sighed a minute later and shook her head. “The magical power inverter. It was based off an idea of a machine that… that doesn’t exist in our universe. Even if I tried to build one from scratch, which I could, I gave up on it and moved on because it would require months if not longer for testing to keep it from blowing up.” “Correct, but I came across something nearly identical to this in one of the dimensions I visited. I could obtain the necessary plans for building such a device without the need for months of testing, because it has already been performed elsewhere. We would only need minor adjustments for our gravity and such.” Sunset raised her brow and blinked. “Wait, you want to use your dimensional slider to hop to another universe and just, ‘borrow’ plans for a device just like this?” “It would not be difficult. I doubt it would take me more than a day to obtain them assuming I barter correctly or meet the price for purchase of said plans. They may have even improved on the design by now.” Was it really that simple? Could all their problems be solved simply by borrowing what they need from a neighboring dimension? It sounded too easy, too good to be true. Sunset was a firm believer in, ‘if it’s too good to be true, it probably was’ philosophy. As Twilight, both Twilights in fact, had been known to say, “Always read the fine print.” Sunset took a deep breath and let it out, reeling in her mixed emotions. “Okay, so what’s the catch?” Clover sat back and touched his chin, clearly pondering the question. He turned his eyes to the chalkboards and then back to Sunset Shimmer. “I suppose if there must be a catch is… I have a question for you, princess.” “Go ahead.” “With this device and the crystal or crystals helping concentrate the near full might of all the magic in our world, what do you plan to do with that much power?” Sunset arched a brow and cocked her head a bit to the side. “Uhhhh… save the world? I assume you already knew this.” Clover shook his head. “You misunderstand, princess. Let me explain. Once the power is harnessed, you will have in your hooves enough energy to reshape our world forever. You will, for lack of a better term, have the power of a god at your command and you will need to decide quickly what to do with it. More so, you will only have one shot.” “I’ll have you know I’m a pretty good shot. I was usually the sniper back in my team PvP days in college and so on.” “Did you seriously just use your time playing virtual games as an official reference for your combat experience?” said Tempest with a displeased frown. “Hey, it was harder than you think! Patience, which is NOT my strong suit, and expert eye-hand coordination.” Sunset tried to gesture to her hands only to once again be disappointed that she could not ‘flip the bird’ with a hoof. “I have seen you fight and you are indeed formidable. Perhaps, even greater than my little mo… I mean Luna. But if I may offer an observation.” Sunset glanced to the chalkboard and then finally took a more relaxed sitting position to prepare for a possible lecture. She gestured for Clover to continue. “According to Princess Twilight, you have been tasked by the Goddess of Creation herself with striking the final blow. A task that, also according to Princess Twilight, has been written by fate himself and comes with it all but certain death, correct?” Sunset grimaced for a moment before schooling her emotions. “The Tapestry of the Universe. I’ve seen it for myself. For all the good it did. The alicorn that sews it encodes everything in a type of shorthand, er hoof, that is mostly symbolism and a little bit of a language that I have never seen before. According to Aine, the goddess you just mentioned, my fate is the fate of all and the only way to ensure that everypo- everyone else gets to live is that I have to die.” Clover smirked. Sunset did not like that smirk. It was not quite to politician level, but certainly had that smug car salesman feel to it. It made her want to punch him to make it go away. Considering where his ego and self assuredness had gotten them in the past, she did not feel he had any right to be so cocksure. Sunset projected her displeasure of this by scowling. Hard. The results were immediate as the confident expression fled his face, replaced with something more withered and self preserving. “Anyhow, since it was not Aine who wrote the tapestry, as you called it, and I assume not Aine who interprets it, that means that much of the symbolism is up for debate, yes?” Sunset continued to glare. “Theoretically. Could you please make your point. I have no problem playing semantics and riddles with other ponies, especially my wife, but I prefer to not do so on short rest and shorter temper.” “My point is this. We gather the energy, we amplify the energy, and you fire away. What happens if that is still not enough?” Sunset growled. “Then we all die.” “Exactly.” “Exactly what? That is not helpful and I am REALLY starting to get in the mood to punch something!” “Sunset.” Sunset glanced to Raven who had been standing quiet and unmoving, listening attentively to the entire exchange. “I think I know where this is going. Let him continue.” “I’m glad you’re following along,” whisper Tempest out the side of her mouth. “I do not mean to cause distress, but I am well traveled and have seen many strange things over the centuries. What I have learned from those observations is that all things are up for individual interpretation and that you should not assume others know your fate any more clearly than you do. Especially when it is written so… abstractly. Tell me, have you considered running away?” Sunset could not help it. She tried to fight it down. It just bubbled up inside her and the harder she fought the more it made her shake until her hitches became snickers which became giggles and finally gut twisting, all out laughter. Sunset nearly fell over but caught herself by leaning on Raven who simply rolled her eyes at the behavior. Sunset finally began to settle a minute later, wiping a few tears away. When she looked up, Clover had one of those expressions that said, ‘I did not think it was THAT funny’ all over his face. “Sorry, if you knew me, I mean, REALLY knew me, you would have laughed too. I’m considered somewhat of an expert when it comes to 'running away' from my problems.” “Sometimes there is alcohol involved,” said Tempest. “Sometimes?” Raven added. “I will take your word for it. All of your words. However, I offer this for your consideration. Instead of using this device to harness all our power into a weapon, perhaps we could use it as a means of escape.” “Escape to where? Aine had a similar idea of moving a majority of the populace to another planet, but that world was destroyed by the omega beast. Where could we possibly go that it would not find us?” Clover shrugged. “I am afraid I do not have all the answers, princess. I am just brain storming. But I just wanted to add a possibility that had not been considered. At least, not one that I found in your notes here.” Sunset sighed. She next glanced to Raven and then to Tempest. Neither had anything to add, but nor did they dismiss it either. “Okay, fine, what the hell. Let’s do some math.” Sunset flipped one of the chalkboards over where there was still a section that was unused. She immediately began writing a few numbers for equations that made Tempest have to rub her eyes or else they would have crossed. She did not know math required so many letters and symbols that were NOT numbers. Raven, however, was closely following along. Raven approached the board, paused, then turned to look at Sunset Shimmer with an expression of confusion. “Sunset, I just wish to clarify before you proceed further. Is this variable a stand in for mass?” “Yup.” “It is far too large.” Sunset shook her head and continued to write below the equation. “Not if you are calculating for the whole world including the planet itself.” “Say what?!” shouted Tempest. Sunset smirked, then glanced to Clover who looked equally as stunned. “If I’m running away this time, then I’m taking the whole damn world with me.” “Who…” Tempest gestured wildly, “who says things like that?! How is that even a thing that can be calculated?!” Sunset chuckled lightly. “While magic is fun and can do amazing things, math does not care if you like it or not. The numbers are the numbers. And even celestial objects can be measured based on their gravity to one another. This is of course a guess, based on what I know of our gravity well when it comes to the energy required to make the sun and moon move around us. Honestly, this is all really basic astrophysics. The hard question is, how much energy would it take to move…” Tempest blinked several times before grumbling under her breath, "Basic, sure. Freaking brainiacs." “And to where,” Clover added. "A simple sidestep will not do in this case." Sunset stepped back and stretched. “I need to run all this by Twilight, of course.” “I would have expected as much. She reminds me of Celestia in how meticulous and careful she is.” Sunset glanced over to Clover the Clever at the mentioning of her mother's name, his movement caused his slider necklace to jiggle at the chest and reflect some of the light. Sunset did a doubletake, something clicking in the back of her brain that screamed, "light bulb!" “Sooooo… since we are talking hypotheticals. Do you think we could use that device to slide the whole world into another dimension?” “Sunset, you can’t be serious,” said Tempest, eyes wide and her voice slightly higher than usual. Clover, however, did not dismiss it outright. He considered, before finally shaking his head. “I can find a few flaws with that idea. Primarily being that these sliders are actually quite fragile and with the amount of power needed to open a gate that size it would shatter for sure. That would likely cause the gathered energy to invert and collapse into a super massive black hole. I hope I do not need to explain how bad that would be,” “That would most certainly be bad,” Raven was first to acknowledge. “It even sounds bad,” said Tempest, scratching the side of her head. “Anything with the words, ‘black hole’ in it sounds bad. I don’t even know what it is, and I don’t like it.” “Actually, they're pretty cool. It's a giant space anomaly that…” Sunset paused. The chalk falling from her magical grip. She moved back to the first chalkboard with estimates on the size of the omega beast based on Chaz’s description and an estimated change variable since it might have grown after eating the Athanatoi. “Oh… shit.” “What?” asked Tempest, but Sunset continued to study the boards and apparently had not heard the question. She asked again more insistently. “What?!” “Sunset?” The sound of Raven’s concerned voice snapped Sunset Shimmer from her concentration. Then, a grin slowly spread across her face. It was not a pleasant or comforting grin. It was the expression that sent chills down the spines of nobles and made enemies start to wonder if their final wills and testaments were up to date. Spinning on one hoof, Sunset quickly began walking towards the exit. “Seriously, what?!” “I need to go talk to the astronomy professors at CSGU. Are classes still in session?” The question was slightly frantic and directed at Raven. “They are. Only court has been postponed so as to not disrupt most citizens’ lives and, of course, to not cause a panic. Sunset, are you sure you are feeling well? You have that… look in your eye.” Sunset stopped at the door and her grin only grew wider. It sent a chill down Tempest’s spine that tempted her to go call and wake her husband up immediately... or an entire battalion. Clover remained by the chalkboards, reexamining her work, trying to understand what was going on. Sunset barked out a cackle as she ran down the hall of the castle. “I HAVE A PLAN!” “Oh, dear.” Tempest's horn stub shot sparks as her patience failed. “Yeah, I’m going to go get Twilight.”