//------------------------------// // Sunset, Twilight and I // Story: The Love Triangle Theorem // by Arboreal Blue Leaf //------------------------------// I swiftly ran through the castle followed by Sunset, heading to the library. I was a few steps away from the portal's room when a scream froze me instantaneously. It was my voice, and it came from the room. Near the closed portal, a pony was lying on the floor. The mare, an adult unicorn, was looking at her hooves with terrified eyes. She had the same lavender coat, the same pink and purple strand of mane as I had. It was me; I was lying in front of me, except that the clone was wingless, had glasses and was smaller than me. What was she actually? Was it a changeling as Spike thought? Eventually, Sunset entered in the room and gasped at the sight of the mare. The clone noticed us and asked with a panicked voice: "What am I? Where am I?" "Twi... Twilight? What are you doing here?" Sunset stammered next to me. "How did you get through the portal?" "Who are you? How do you know my name?" The clone asked. "It is me, Sunset Shimmer," She said, apparently understanding what was going on. Yet, her voice was still full of surprise. "Why in the name of Celestia are you here?" The unicorn took a deep, slow breath before putting down her hooves. Being caught off guard by the vision of who seemed to be my human alter ego, I imitated her. As she tried to get up, I took a few steps in her direction and offered her my hoof to help her to get up. I smiled as nicely as I could before introducing myself: "Hello, you must be... Twilight Sparkle. The "me" of the human world, I presume? Nice to meet you. I am the Twilight of this world." I warmly said even if I was still destabilized by the unannounced visitor. "How dare you leaving without even saying goodbye, Sunset?!" She yelled without even bother to look at me. "A message, was it too much to ask?! Why have you not told me where you were going?! “ "I... I wanted to... But…" Sunset tried to say. "I was the only one who didn't know what you were up to, Sunset! It isn't fair! This is not the first time you lie to me!" "Please, calm down, there is no need to wake up the entire town." I told as I lowered my hoof. "I can understand that you are a little bit..." "I haven't traveled through dimensions to talk with you!" She interrupted me angrily. "I am here for Sunset." The orange unicorn took a few steps backwards, her face turned white when her name got mentioned. My alter ego tried to move towards her, but had serious troubles using her four legs. I put myself between the two mares and calmly replied to her: "You don't have to be rude, Twilight. I just want to..." "Step back! I don't have time to waste with a stupid princess!" "Hey! I'm trying to welcome you as nicely as I can but you are just being rude!" I replied, hurt by her lack of respect. "It is not my fault if your equine brain does not understand what I am saying. For the last time, step back!" "My "equine brain" does not only understand what you are saying, but it is also telling me that I should send you back through the portal." I promptly answered as I begun to lose patience. "How did you even cross it?" "I'm afraid a pony wouldn't understand the science behind it. Now get out of my way!" "I am that said pony who opened the portal twice with science AND magic!" I retaliated sharply. "And I can be the pony who sends you back where you belong!" "Girls! That's enough!" Sunset almost shouted behind me. "For Celestia's sake, stop fighting!" My alter-ego gave me a look full of hate as I maintained eye contact. The orange unicorn cautiously got closer to the disrespectful visitor and said: "Twilight, why are you so rude to the Princess? I know you are upset but this is so… unlike you... I am really, really sorry if I have offended you. I was afraid you would do something dangerous like..." "Like crossing the portal?" She answered with an annoyed smile. "I am upset because you haven't told me where you were going! I would have understood. But you lied to me, again. Do you know how much it hurts?" "I do... But please, let me explain. I knew you would want to come with me, as you are interested in how the portal and equestrian magic work. But I didn't tell you because I thought you might be upset because I didn't invite you to come with me. The magic balance between our worlds is very unstable, and having two alter-egos in the same dimension at the same time can be very dangerous and..." "And that is why your so called Princess came on Earth twice, if not more? If it was so unstable, it would have collapsed already." I grunted as the visitor continued to belittle me. I took a new deep breath. Why did she need to criticize me in every single sentence she was saying? I was sure I didn't say anything rude to her. The lavender unicorn closed her eyes and imitated me. After a few seconds of silence, she managed to do a few steps and came closer to me, and looked at my body with curiosity. "What are you anyway? You've got a horn and... wings? There is no myth about such a creature in my world...." "I used to be a unicorn." I shortly replied. ”I am an alicorn now.” "It doesn't make any sense... How could you develop wings...?" She wondered as her anger seemed to fade away. "Magic." I simply explained. She rubbed her chin with a perplexed gaze on me. Next to me, Sunset sighed again in relieve, as she was not longer the purple mare's target. The visitor was looking at me as if I was some kind of weird animal. Nonetheless, I recognize in her my habit to quickly lose anger when something caught the attention of my scientific part. She eventually quit the investigation of my body and declared with a calmer voice. "Anyway, I'm sorry to pop in such an unexpected way but I wanted to tell Sunset that I am really hurt. And I didn't want to keep it for me for the next three weeks. It would have hurt too much." "I understand," The orange unicorn answered with a weak voice. "But you could have told it to me by using the book I left to AJ before leaving. You know that I am using it to talk with Princess Twilight." "How could I know that you left the book to Applejack?" She said deadpan. "Besides, I did want to come and see you. I planned to spend the whole week with you, and there is no way I won't!" '"But... You can't stay!" Sunset stammered with a surprised look. "Sure I can." She replied as her grin grew wider. The lavender mare looked at me. "Princess, I would like to ask for permission to study the sciences of this world for a week. I will most grateful if you accept my request." I looked at her with a flabbergasted gaze. She was daring to ask me to permission to stay here after everything she said, even more without the slightest apology. It was as if she was the embodiment of the Nerve. Yet, it was a smart move from her. She knew she and I were alike, and I would certainly have asked for the right for studying sciences too if had been her. Maybe not so rudely, but I would have. She knew I would not be very likely to refuse. But on the other hoof, the magic balance was unstable as Sunset pointed out, and I didn't know how it might react. I sighed. "You will stay at the castle for the night. I will give you an answer tomorrow morning."