//------------------------------// // 03 - You're an Old Maker's Creation // Story: Four's A Crowd // by IGIBAB //------------------------------// "Sunset?" Twilight asked, shocked "Twilight! You have to listen to me!" The princess couldn't believe her eyes. And neither could Maëva, as she looked at the other head coming out of her body, panic quickly building up inside her, ready to burst out in a scream at any moment. The other head was also freaking out, but for an unrelated reason it seemed. "The sky!" she said, staring at Twilight with fear. "It was torn apart!" She tried to move forward, but the body didn't follow. Her head went back on her neck like a spring, causing her to turn around with confusion to see what was wrong. She froze. "What..." Twilight slowly said, too many questions bumping into one another in her head. "What do you mean the sky was torn apart!? Is something wrong at Canterlot High!?" But Sunset's mind was somewhere else right now. She slowly said: "Where... Where are my hooves...?" She looked down on her body, then up to her own neck, as if to make sure both were indeed connected. That's when she saw there was something else. Another neck, right next to hers, in the same body. Her eyes slowly went up, creating a meeting of confused and shocked stares with Maëva's. Silence fell. "I... think something went wrong," Shining guessed with an uncertain expression on his face. "This is worse than I thought..." Twilight whispered. Sunset was finally able to speak again, but her voice was distant. "H-Hi...?" "Hi..." Maëva replied with the same detached stupor, to Sunset's surprise. They would have waved to each other in an awkward fashion, but they had no arms. So instead, they just sat still, trying to face a fact they couldn't even put words on. "I'm... Maëva." "Sunset... Shimmer. Huh... I... feel like I should scream and lose my mind." "Me too... You thought you would be a pony too...?" "Yeah, that's how I'm supposed to be here... I... take it that you're not a natural hydra?" "No, I was a human..." "Sunset?" Twilight interrupted, concerned, coming to her. The ex-unicorn-now-second-head turned to her, still feeling distant but closer to reality. "Well, that explains why you looked small..." she said to herself. "You talked about the sky...?" Twilight repeated, understanding her friend's shock but still worried. Sunset's eyes went wide as she remembered. She had more important things than a mere body problem. "R-Right! Twilight, you gotta help us!" "What happened?" the purple alicorn inquired "It's hard to describe. We heard a loud noise, as if something massive crumbled, like a tower or something, but it was everywhere in the world. The sky was torn apart like a paper towel, and there was nothing behind it. Just an empty void. Not space, just nothing." Twilight frowned with fear, scratching her chin rapidly. "We have to go back and see what's wrong!" she concluded. "I came as fast as I could," Sunset followed. "But something seemed wrong with the portal. I feel like it took me more time than usual to get through." "You were stuck in there. We were trying to get the link back." "The link? Is this why you didn't answer my messages?" "I probably didn't receive them," Twilight said with a serious tone. "The last ones I got from you were the conversation we had about mermaid's history." "So like, two days ago," Sunset summed up. "Something happened between then and now." "Two days...?" Twilight slowly repeated. "Sunset, that was months ago." "What?" "That conversation, we had it over eight months ago." Sunset's expression went from concern to complete fear as she realized. "How long have I been in this portal...? Oh no! The others!" "We need to get the link back!" Twilight said, going to the portal to examine it. "And find out why there's a problem in this world too!" Sunset slowly lifted her head, still shocked. "What do you mean in this world too?" "Your world had a Collapse," Maëva said, finally joining back the conversation after listening carefully. "Just like mine." Sunset turned her head, almost hitting Maëva's in the process. Twilight also looked at her, asking skeptically: "A Collapse?" "That's how we call it in my world," Maëva explained. "We heard something fall apart, some say it was the pillar of the world – whatever that means – and everything has been shit since then. The sky became dark and it's been sending some kind of meteors and other catastrophes at us." "You didn't say anything about that," Twilight pointed out. "I didn't know if I could trust you", Maëva replied, not all that sorry. "I was afraid you would send me back off of fear I would make your world collapse too." "I would never-" "Twily," Shining interrupted, walking to her. "If what they say is true, terrible things have been happening at Canterlot High for months now. We don't have time to debate trust issues." Twilight looked at her brother, then at Maëva, then the mirror. "Right. I'm sorry Maëva, but your world will have to wait for now." "It's been falling for fifteen years," the first and original head reassured. "I'm just worried about what will happen to my friend, but you have yours to save first, I understand that." "Just your friend?" Sunset asked. "No family or anything?" "Family died before I could become an adult," Maëva said, looking at the other head right next to hers. "I may still have an older brother alive, but that's it. His island sank a few months ago, so he's probably dead anyway." "Woaw... I'm sorry." "It's fine," she sighed. "You... get used to it at some point. Everything is uncertain. You might die tomorrow, your house might be on fire, something might eat your friend right in front of you. The only reason we aren't suicidal is because we know the world will kill us first." "I... can't imagine what kind of life this might be," Sunset said, fearing a bit for her own friends as well. Both her and Shining looked worried at Maëva. She had a very detached tone, as if she was truly used to this. Yet, she had been hesitant about crossing the portal. But they didn't know that. She still had a hard time believing she was truly out of this nightmare. It hadn't registered in her brain yet. "I think I can do something," Twilight finally said, after inspecting the mirror. "The link is weak, but it should work!" Sunset turned her neck, but was stopped on her tracks with the body not following. "I can't move?" she said, intrigued. Maëva looked at her, then at her legs. She lifted one, then the other, turning to the portal. She noticed, a bit relieved for herself: "I think I'm the one in control of it?" "So, all I have is a neck and a head?" Sunset summed up, raising an eyebrow. "Afraid so. Sorry." "I mean, things are probably worse on the other side either way..." Twilight cleared her throat to get their attention back. They both looked her way. "You're going to have to touch the portal again. We got Sunset out, so it should work by now." "Tail again?" Maëva asked. Twilight nodded. She got into position once more, while Sunset wondered: "Aren't you afraid that it could spread to Equestria if the link gets stronger?" "I am," Twilight quietly responded, looking back at the mirror. "Maybe breaking the link was Equestria's own way to protect itself. That could explain why Maëva's world only has one-way portals. But it's not going to stop me." Twilight almost jumped when her brother put a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm going to warn Cadance and the others," he said to her. "Should I write a letter for Equestria as well?" "Yes, thank you, Shining. Send it to Starlight, she'll spread the word around." The white unicorn nodded, heading for the exit right away. Twilight turned back to the portal and Maëva, who was still waiting. "Go on," the alicorn invited. "Touch the portal. Whatever happens, I'm ready for it." Sunset took a deep breath, fearing what would follow. But Maëva wasn't scared. She'd seen worse. Gaining another head with someone else's consciousness in it didn't seem as dramatic as losing her arms. So, she touched the mirror again with her tail. And nothing happened. She waited a bit, looking at Twilight with a question in her eyes. But the alicorn didn't say anything. She didn't look away from the portal. Suddenly, the surface began to glow. Like last time, waves formed. Ripples. But they seemed a lot more pointy than last time. Troubled. "Huuu..." Maëva slowly said. "Don't worry," Twilight reassured with confidence and determination. "Nothing bad will come out." "If you say s-" The mirror went bright again. Blinding everyone. A purple and blue puff of smoke erupted from it, but Twilight immediately raised a shield in response, dissipating the smoke in an instant. Everyone was then able to see the electrical sparks climbing Maëva's tail, up to the base of her neck, focusing into a bundle of flesh and scales that immediately grew into yet another head. The newcomer shook its long and new neck, opening the eyes hidden behind round glasses. "Am I... on the other side?" they asked, looking around, only for their eyes to fall on Twilight. "If by that you mean dead, then not yet," Sunset replied. The new head suddenly moved away, caught off guard by that weird voice so close. They looked at Maëva and Sunset. "Wha- A hydra? Why am I a hydra!?" "It's a long story," Sunset said, even though she didn't even have the full story herself. "Welcome to your new body." "Excuse me," Twilight said, walking forward, looking up at the new head. "But... who are you?" She didn't recognize the voice, but that was normal. Even Sunset's was so deformed she hadn't realized it was her. The third head looked at her with disbelief, stuttering: "Well, I'm... you." "Me?" "Twilight?" Sunset asked, surprised. "Do I know you?" the head said, turning to her. "Yeah, it's me. Sunset Shimmer." "Sunset!? I thought you had abandoned us! Everyone thinks that!" "I was stuck in the portal! I would never abandon you or the others!" "Wait, wait," Twilight said, flying up to them. "What happened? Sunset just got here, how's Canterlot High?" "Well," the other Twilight hesitantly said. "The... world is falling apart. Bad things. Everyone looked for a safe place, the school has become some sort of a bastion." "Hold on," Sunset interrupted. "How long has it been since I left?" "I'd say about eight months?" "Is everyone alright?" Twilight inquired. "I wouldn't say alright..." her couterpart winced. "Some people have vanished. Rainbow Dash has been missing for a month, Big Macintosh and Sweetie Belle too, just to name a few. But, we manage. That's actually why I came here. Everyone thinks some kind of magic caused this." The princess of friendship was thoughtful, despite all the worries on her face. She muttered: "Well, if that's the case, it's probably going to happen again..." "What!?" Sunset and the other Twilight said. "It already happened twice. We'll need to find what's wrong." "Twice!?" the third new head shouted. Maëva cleared her throat, gathering the attention of the three others. "Sorry to interrupt but..." she said. "I understood that there are two Twilight Sparkle?" "Oh, right, sorry," Twilight said. "Canterlot High is a close copy of Equestria. Most of the ponies here also exist out there, in human forms, with different lives." "I see," Maëva nodded. "So you're the Twilight from that other world? That explains why you wear glasses and she doesn't." "And you are?" the person involved asked. "Maëva. My world began to fall apart fifteen years ago, just like yours. I just got here in that... body." "Oh..." "AAAAAH!" All three heads turned to Twilight, who was facing the portal with total dismay. Or rather, what was left of the portal. The central part looked like it had faded away. There was no mirror in the magic mirror. "It broke!" Twilight shouted with desperation. "The link broke!"