//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Interdimensional Blessing // Story: Wedding Bells and Bacos // by Mokoma //------------------------------// Sunset felt groggy. She had no idea what it was like inside of a washing machine - save the one time Rainbow Dash challenged her to get on one of those whacky roller-coasters that was absolutely not worth the nausea. She felt like she was chewed and spat out - which may have literally been the case with the mirror. But why did it happen? Why did the mirror that she was relatively familiar with do something like this? Nothing was out of the ordinary before... Sunset rested her head on the large softness. At-least wherever she landed it seemed to be comfortable. She took the time to think and get the facts together. They were supposed to be here to tell Twilight about the wedding...She scanned the horizon and saw... Her fiance - laid on the floor and massive. But she didn't care about the change in her shape and appearance - she knew exactly who it was. Sunset ran up to the siren with panic, immediately running her hooves over her scales to check for any damage. "Sonata! Sonnie, are you...are you okay!?" "Yeah..." Sonata grunted, shifting awkwardly around the room. "Peachy as peach tacos, just...wow, I haven't been in Siren form since ages, I--" Then, the very large crimson eyes opened, looking right at the little pony beside her. Although Sunset was with the woman she loved most...She still felt like a little fish that was just spotted by a shark. And yet, she never failed to see the sweetness and adoration in those eyes. Sonata's pupils dilated. She was gazing at the most precious thing in the world. "Eeee! Sunset!" Sonata cried out. Due to her Siren appearance, her voice was much louder, with more of an oomph and boom. She coiled her body around the little pony who yelped in surprise - but she had no other way to express a hug. "You look so, so cute as a pony! Why didn't you tell me you looked like the most plushyable thing!" "P-Plushyable?" Chuckled Sunset nervously as she was squeezed. "Y'know, the kind that I can easily make you into a marketable plushy!" "Right...Whoa!" Sunset, after making sure that Sonata was okay, finally registered the sheer size of her fiance. She towered her several times, where her own size was barely the same as her head, and nothing else. "Sonata, I...had no idea Sirens were this huge!" "Yyyeah..." Sonata rubbed her neck with her hoof. "I forgot we used to be house-sized sea monsters...You ever have one of those "something is smaller than you remember moments", except it's the other way around, and with your own body? Yeah. Weird, ain't it...? Uh...reckon there's still a way for me to be little spoon in this world?" "I definitely think that'd be a bit more than I can chew..." Chuckled Sunset Shimmer, trying to orient herself on the hooves she was no longer used to. "Hang on...When we got here, I heard a shatter and...Oh nooo, no no no...!" Immediately, the fiery unicorn turned to the remains of the portal - reduced to a myriad of glistening glass pieces. "The portal..." Sunset put her hooves on the back of her head, eyes wide open with shock. "It...Must have shattered when you entered!" "Oh come on." Sonata grumbled. "We're not that far into our marriage for us to make mean jokes about one another! I mean, we're not even past the marriage phase either." Sunset felt distracted - the implication that she offended her partner a lot worse than the mirror being shattered. "W-What? N-No, Sonnie, I didn't mean it that way! I-I mean, it's because of your size!" "Oooh, so we're even starting with the fat jokes now?" "Sonnie!" Sunset cried out - to the point she may as well have started to cry. Immediately, Sonata started laughing softly, and placed one of her hooves on Sunset's. "I'm pulling your leg! Uh, hoof, now." Said the Siren - perhaps feeling a little more mischievous now that she was back in her original siren form. Sunset sighed, looking at her fiance with a 'seriously?' gaze. Releasing the tension through her nostrils, Sunset softly smiled and leaned in to give Sonata a loving peck on the nose, before turning to face the portal. "Oh Celestia..." Muttered Sunset. She realized that she was assessing the situation much calmly thanks to Sonata's interrupting joke. Something about that mischief really helped her stop hyperventilating and yelling. Still, the dread never left her. "This is NOT good, not one bit...I have no idea how to even fix this thing..." "I-I uh..." Sonata grinned awkwardly, displaying each tooth like a neatly placed, razor-sharp knife, lined up diagonally. "I can...put it together! Yeah! Just...Just gimme a bit! This is like uh..." She slithered over to start sliding the pieces together. And yet, no dice. "Oh crêpes, it's shattered for realzies, huh...?" Gulped the siren, using her hooves to try and put more pieces together - but with the little control she had over them she merely shuffled the shards around and mixed them further. "I had no idea this would happen." Sunset whimpered, sitting beside Sonata and trying to piece the glass together. She knew subconsciously this wasn't going to work, but it was a way to console herself and cope. "I mean, seriously, who even designed this portal!?" As Sunset fixed the pieces, she had the time to look at the floor...The floor... "Wait..." Sunset's head craned up as she looked around her. The floor...It was not what she remembered. The walls, the windows...She knew Twilight Sparkle. She'd never renovate her castle... Unless they weren't in Twilight's castle. "Oh no." Gulped Sunset, stumbling over to the nearest window on her hooves. "Oh no oh no oh no oh no--Oooooh nooooo!" Immediately, she hid her face in her hooves, moaning into them in despair. "Oh this is a disaster!" Stumbled Sunset through the room. "Okay, don't...don't panic, Sunset! You know two Twilights, so you know how little panicking helps in cases like this..." ... "Oooh no, I'm panicking." Sunset grit her teeth. "H-Hey, it's okay! It's okay, Sunset! I uh, I-I can fix the mirror!" Sonata blushed, looking over at the myriad of pieces. "I mean, u-uh, you get me some golden glitter and we'll get some kintsugi magic goin' on!...That means "fixing broken objects with gold"! See, Aria said I couldn't think of clever song titles, so I just went on the internet and looked up some stuff I can randomly pick out to see if it was a good song title. What do ya think?" Sunset was sweating bullets - but she didn't want to interrupt her fiance all the same. Finally, when she was done, she sighed. "No, it's not about the mirror, Sonnie...Why are we in Canterlot!? I thought we'd be in Twilight's castle! Why was the mirror moved here!?" Sonata slithered up to place her head right beside Sunset at eye level, looking outside at the city below with her. "Wow, the Twilight here has her own castle? Sci-Twi really got the short end of the stick, huh?" "Things are different in a world of magic, y'know." Sunset sighed, and found the resolve to smile after feeling Sonata's proximity. The darndest things that Sonata said never failed to make her smile, even if absurd and not always appropriate. "...I guess Twilight was too busy too since she became Princess and started working to take over Celestia's post after she retired...She woulda given a heads up otherwise..." "So Twilight being overworked is a universal constant." Sonata murmured. "Okay, well, I heard unicorns can teleport and whatnot, so I'm sure we'll run into her or someone who can fetch her for us--" "No, hang on!" Sunset stood in-front of Sonata before she could leave the room. "Hold up, listen - Canterlot is the most secure place in Equestria! Sonata, I-I hate to say this, but I don't think anyone in the castle got the memo that you...well, aren't gonna hypnotize anyone! Or, uh, anypony! A-Anyway, I don't even think they know you lost the vocal powers - and I really don't know if they know what a siren is either!" "But can't I just...introduce myself to them?" Sonata asked, no worry in her face as she waved her hoof dismissively. "If I tell them that I'm Sonata, the friendly Siren engaged to the cutest girl across both dimensions, then--" But Sunset shook her head and hands. "I don't wanna risk causing any issues...The last thing we want is them suspecting that you've hypnotized me, and are now holding me hostage. If they knock us both out and put us in the dungeon, how long do you think they're gonna keep us? Or how long do you think we'll need to convince them that everything's okay!? We still gotta keep back to the CHS world before the day's over. Look, lemme just do the talking, uh...Here!" Sonata was surprised with the sheer strength of the pony as she was pushed forwards, right into a large walk-in utility closet. Sonata had no idea how she'd fit in, but thanks to her slender and elongated shape, Sunset was able to practically roll her fiance up and into the closet, so that she occupied the entire volume with her enormous siren body. "Here, just stay put and don't make a peep, okay?" Sunset frowned, putting a hoof on Sonata's muzzle. "I'll be quick! I promise!" "Okay, Sunny...I love you!" "And I love you too, Sonnie." Sunset smiled. She closed her eyes and brought her face to Sonata's, and the two shared a quick nuzzle. Giving her a loving peck on the nose, Sunset carefully closed the closet door, and set out to seek Celestia. Then, for Sonata, there was silence and darkness. It was far from comfortable. The walk-in closet was sizeable indeed, but left little room for the Siren that was already coiled and pressed up to each corner. The massive sea-serpent only had the company of a lightbulb hanging above on a wire. It gave her the slightest tinge of entertainment, gently flicking it with her hoof and watching it swing to and fro, until the wire snapped and the warm glass orb fell to the floor, lost beneath Sonata's coiled body. With that, she was left in total darkness. She spent hours in there...Days? Months? Years? A millennia? In reality it has barely been ten minutes, but to a hyperactive soul such as Sonata it definitely felt like an eternity. Just where was her fiance? How long would it take to navigate a gigantic recently-renovated castle to find one huge alicorn? As hope to get this done with quickly flickered...Noises outside! Sonata's eyes opened wide. Someone entered the room...Could it be...? She could hear a female voice muttering something, muffled through the door. Tension and boredom clashed - Sonata was hopeful that this wasn't someone else, but even more hopeful it was finally Sonata. And when she heard the knob of the door being turned, there was that spark of joy. She was, for whatever reason, convinced. After all, who'd need this closet? All there was were some brooms, mops, and cleaning chemicals. Sonata was smiling pre-emptively when the door opened, and light rushed into the dark crevice. "Sunny! How'd it...go...U-uhm..." It was a mystery to the siren - why did Sunset Shimmer look like a maid? Different coat and mane colour and all... Oh. This probably might have not been Sunset Shimmer at all. The maid's large eyes stared down the razor sharp teeth. Her hooves became wobbly and spaghetti like, breath struggling to choose whether it wanted to be still or hyperventilate at rapid-fire speeds. The dragon-like face came ever closer to her, looming over her and casting a shadow. ... "...Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii." The siren softly and awkwardly said, trying to appear harmless - but looking very harmful as a result. "...How you dooooiiiinnnn'~...?" Her lips quivering and snot running down her nostrils, the maid clutched her mop like a soldier facing certain death - close to her heart. She closed her eyes, and squeaked... "And I was just a week before retirement..." In the end, Sonata only wished that the maid would faint before she was able to let out a shriek ear-piercing enough to crack the crystal baubles on the chandelier. *** Sunset hated that Canterlot castle was a maze. She had no idea what room she was in, and which wing she was in either. As much as she was concerned, every wing was the same. And since the siege, so many things have changed. Who was reorganizing these corridors? She was sure that the passage to the throne was just around this corner-- Pomf! "Oof!" Sunset gasped, the wind knocked out of her lungs as she felt herself hit a wall. That being said, the wall was in the shape of a white alicorn. Sunset was lucky that most of the guards were away helping reorganize and help Canterlot after the siege, or otherwise she would have had a pile of them on top of her - since as much as slightly bumping into the princess was an assassination attempt in their eyes. However, realizing just who she ran into, Sunset's eyes opened wide, and a smile appeared on her face! "Sunset Shimmer!" Celestia beamed with joy, using her magic to levitate Sunset up to her hooves. "Princess Celestia!" The fiery unicorn happily ran forwards and pulled the alicorn into a tight hug, despite having to step on her tip-hooves and slightly levitate herself to make up for the height. Celestia leaned her head down and wrapped a hoof around Sunset, pressing her closer. "To what do I owe the pleasure, dear?" Celestia said with warmth in her words, pulling away from the hug afterwards. "It's always great to see you! Uhm...You didn't expect to appear in Twi's Castle, did you?" "J-Just a little..." Sunset nervously coughed. "I, uh..." "Hm." Celestia nodded. "I'm sure she hasn't informed you. Poor Twi has been engulfed in all that's going on. She's been moving some of her things from the castle in Ponyville to Canterlot, preparing to settle here. She's a bit reluctant to leave Ponyville, so I can understand her. A part of me feels she'll levitate the whole town to Canterlot." She giggled. Sunset watched with anxious eyes. It now made sense why they were in Canterlot. "So, uhm...Princess Celestia, here's the thing...I had a really important thing to say to you and Twilight, and I really wanted to do it in person, so...T-The issue is, uh...Look, the news is a bit of an outta-left-field thing, and there's also the fact that I may have come with another visitor..." "Oh! A visitor from the human side?" "Mmmyeah, but they're actually kind of a uh...local from here too. Can you please, please come with me? There's a lot I need to explain and show you...Just...please don't freak out when you see her?" The alicorn had a most-knowing look. Something was definitely up. "My, my, Sunset Shimmer. You're so thoughtful to get your teacher into an adventure on an otherwise boring afternoon." *** "In the name of the Princesses!" The guards barked as they tried to poke at her with their spears, and yet, the Siren slithered along the ceiling. "Stop at once!" "No, you!" Sonata barked. She tried to use her voice, but without her magic, her best attack was the ability to make the guards cringe as they in-vain tried to throw their spears at her, chucking them and getting them stuck right between the eyes of a portrait of Princess Celestia. The alicorn murmured. "Sunset, cover your ears? I haven't used the royal Canterlot voice for some time now...Forgot just how much I have to hold back for it to be proper..." Grimacing and immediately nervous over the words, the unicorn did her best to cover her ears as tightly as she could. Then, the voice that came was loud enough to brush the manes of the guards. "CEASE THIS!" Exclaimed the loud booming voice of the Princess, producing a slight shockwave. It made everyone in the room drop everything, including Sonata dropping herself, as the massive Siren fell from the ceiling with a thunderous thud - all while looking at Celestia with wide, surprised eyes. "...Can Principal Celestia do that too!?" Sonata said past the ringing in her ears, making her yell. Sunset Shimmer could only shrug. Sonata shrugged in return. "Well, I definitely know who to take vocal lessons from if she does!" *** Sunset's eyes constantly paced between three things. The huge Siren who had coiled herself and sat by her side, her Mentor sitting on the opposite side of the table, and the cups of tea before them. Sunset felt beads of sweat run down her forehead... But all was cool once Celestia had the warmest smile on her face, leaning in. "I must say, Sonata - it is a pleasure to finally meet a Siren. And I must also add..." She winked towards Sunset's direction. "She's very lucky to have someone as adorable and sweet as you." "Aw, thanks so much, auntie Tia!" Sonata giggled, drinking her tea with a loud slurp. Sunset's heart sank for a moment, but she did not understand that Celestia's smile grew bigger as a result. Nobody ever called her "auntie Tia" except for the little unicorn students at her school. At-least Sunset got the message when the alicorn giggled, and levitated the teapot. "More tea, dears?" "Actually..." Sunset raised a hoof. "We uhm, wanted to talk with Twilight? Oh, and you as well! We just, had no idea the portal was here..." "No issue at all. She should be free just about now. Lemme just..." Celestia smiled softly and levitated a paper from the other side of the room. Writing on it with a quill, she fired a spell at the paper. "As long as Spike isn't away from her, she should be here any se--" "I'M HERE!" She appeared in a flash. "What's happening!? There's an emergency!? Which villain is coming this time!? Is there a declaration of war from--" "Twilight!" Sunset exclaimed. Twilight screamed believing she was being ambushed, but she had no way to prevent herself from being glomped by the heat-seeking missile that was a Sunset Shimmer who'd spent months not seeing her. *** "I'm so sorry about the book!" Twilight apologetically clasped her hooves and held her to her forehead in a pleading manner. "Since I've been moving my stuff, I misplaced it!" She said. "Uh, just a sec..." She closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow...And then, it appeared on the table right before them. Twilight sighed in relief. "There it is! I made a spell to fetch specific books if I can focus on their name and appearance...I'm so sorry, it really flew out of my head and--" "No, I'm sorry!" Sunset tried to calm her, gently motioning with her hooves to get her to cool down. "It flew out of my head, I really should've contacted you sooner..." Twilight smiled softly, and turned to Sonata. "And, Sonata! It's great to see you! I-I've never seen a siren before! I-I mean, not in your original form!" She said. Sunset had already told her that she was in a relationship, and Twilight's earlier suspicion always clashed with her interests in different creatures. Now though, she was more than excited to see the huge sea-serpent before them. The large dragon-like girl giggled, covering her grin with a hoof. "Glad to see you too! Sorry about our first meeting...But hey, it's all bridge under the water! Uh, water under the bridge!" "You're fineee! I've gotten through redemption for all kinds of creatures. Y'know how it is with friendship, heh. So, uh...How's things back on your side, Sunset?" *** As they continued mingling however...it was time. Sunset felt a tinge of awkwardness and nervousness, to have the colossal Siren who was the love of her life sit right beside her with her big goofy smile, all while she was faced with one of her best friends, and her mentor - both of which awkwardly sat by side looking at the magic-less Siren. "So the uh...the news is that..." Sonata gulped. She was stalling, but then she felt the gentle flapping against her back. Sonata used one of fins on her arms to tap her fiance on the back, and encourage her - all while she had such a big toothy smile, that Twilight faintly created an invisible protective barrier above her head to avoid getting drooled on. ... Sunset sighed. Now or never. "Sonata and I we...We're getting married!" Twilight's eyes widened. Celestia's eyes widened. Twilight rose to her hind legs. Celestia rose to her hind legs. And Celestia cried out... "LET'S GOOOOO!" And Twilight cried out... "HUH?" "Twilight, whatever do you mean by "huh"!?" Celestia was the first to speak, her smile huge as she approached Sunset and Sonata both. With levitation, she gently moved the limbs of the travelers each and held the two girl's hooves, turning her head from Sunset, to the massive grinning Siren who loomed above her. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two! This is amazing!" "Yeah!" Twilight wasn't against it, that much was clear. But boy, she was confused beyond words. "Just...Wow! I'm really amazed! Thank you two so much for actually coming here!" "And I was wondering..." Sunset added. "Could you two maybe come? Maybe invite the other girls? You know, there's room for another bridesmaid...And, Princess, could you be there too? I mean, if you want, that's--" "Perfectly fine by me. I'd love nothing more than that." Celestia smiled warmly, bringing her head down. Sunset fondly smiled in turn, and the two adoringly touched foreheads, before receding. "Me too!" Twilight exclaimed. "You can count on me! I got just the dress - it should transform once I step through the portal, too! And, for real - it means so much that you guys told us yourselves! S-Sure maybe the book would've been better to prepare us in advance, but hearing it from you here is just...wow!" "Oh, it was nothing." Giggled Sonata. "Just, took us a...a broken mirror that we need to go back through...Eheh..." "Not to worry." Celestia promptly gulped down the rest of the tea, and brushed off the cookie crumbles off of her face. "I think I know who's capable of fixing the portal. Matter of fact, he ought to be in the castle as we speak. Twilight, walk with me?" *** Celestia walked with a skip to her hooves, humming various songs she had heard over numerous weddings she attended. By her side, Twilight walked with eyes that stared off into space, totally surprised and shocked over what she'd heard - even if positively. "...Wow. Sunset Shimmer marrying Sonata Dusk..." She muttered. "You know, I've prepared to see all kinds of pairings in my life but this one really takes the cake, huh...?" "Twilight." Celestia sighed, shaking her head. "Fluttershy is dating the literal embodiment of chaos. Let's agree that your friends marrying powerful non-pony creatures isn't anything new. And besides...please let at-least one of my students get married before another cataclysm hits Equestria. Please?" "You really know how to uh...lay the facts out on me." "Mm..." Celestia nodded as they walked. "...So are you proposing to Tempest Shadow or Flash Sent--" "Princess!" A little later... Sunset explored the room. They were ironically in a sort of lounge - a place to relax, with various bookshelves. She wondered if this was Twilight's touch - to add books to rooms that may have otherwise been without them. She explored the titles, noticing that the books were all fiction. Perhaps it made sense for a place designed for relaxation. After a moment however, she felt the buzz...The book was written on. She levitated it, and opened to read what Twilight told her... She pursed her lips. This was interesting news. 'I'll let her know. Waiting on you here.' Sunset wrote back. She turned to see Sonata, who was sitting in a corner reading a magazine-shaped booklet. Curiously, the pony came closer with her head tilted, curious and wondering what was up. "Sonnie? Everything alright?" Then, the siren put the comic book down. Seriously, Sonata narrowed her eyes at Sunset as she spoke. Her voice was low - devoid of its high-pitched bubbly-ness. Raspier. Grim, and without joy. "Whether we live or perish, it isn't a big issue. If you focus on being alive, you develop fear. Your eyes become clouded. But if you have no such feelings...you are capable of fighting to the end of the world." Sunset could only blink in utter confusion. "S-Sonata...? Are you...okay?" "Oh, yeah." The high-pitched, happy cadence of the siren returned as put the comic book away. "Just quoted one of the characters from this. It's about an office worker who becomes a pirate! Aria always poked fun at me for reading it, kept complaining that comics are for kids, even though these aren't, like, exactly comics. And even when she did take a look at the pages she always complained and said stuff like - "no way someone's gonna take a girl pirate in daisy dukes seriously". Sunset sighed in relief. Her fiance was holding up it seemed. "We uh, we have an idea. The portal can be fixed." "Cool!" Giggled Sonata. "So, are we going for the superglue tactic, or...?" "Kiiinda. You see, there's somepony who knows a thing or two about mirrors...But you're not gonna like it." "Oh? Why's that?" "Does the name...Starswirl the Bearded ring any bells?" "Uh, is he the guy from that duo guitarist group where the guys have giant beards?" "No, no...not exactly...He's..." "Yeah...?" "...He's the guy who banished you and your sisters to the other side of the mirror." "...Oh. That guy."