//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Next Morning // Story: Little Sunny // by InsertAuthorHere //------------------------------// Sunset awoke as a dim gray light assaulted her eyes. The sun had just begun to rise – or the planet had rotated so that this hemisphere was facing towards it, which was apparently how things worked on this backwards world – and its rays were struggling to reach the ground below. A particularly thick cloud cover had moved in overnight, casting the neighborhood in shadow, and there was a slight wind rustling through the trees and plants of the surrounding houses. Everything was still in a bit of a daze, but she was at least cognizant enough to recognize her surroundings as being Twilight's bedroom. Stifling a yawn, Sunset stretched her back out for several seconds before climbing to her feet. A momentary lapse in concentration almost sent her falling back onto all fours, but she managed to catch her footing at the last minute and avoid that embarrassment. She was still in her clothes from yesterday; after pudding, she was so tired from school, the near-death experience, and the whole second childhood thing that she just crawled into the sleeping bag and dozed off. Not that it had helped, as her sleep appeared to have left her even more tired than where she had started. As she slipped her shoes on, however, she took notice of something else: Twilight and Spike weren't in the room with her. She peeked out into the hallway, but there was no visible sign of life. She could, however, hear the clanging of dishes and the faint echoes of a conversation occurring downstairs. Sunset's belly rumbled, urging her to break her fast and get some food in it immediately. After another impromptu stretching of her back muscles, she slowly walked down the hall and descended the staircase. Once again, Twilight and her little dog were nowhere to be found. The rest of her clan, however, was in attendance. Night Light and Twilight Velvet were seated at the dining table, which had been set for five people this morning. Standing in the kitchen was someone Sunset had never seen before: a young man in about his early twenties, with pale white skin and a dorky blue haircut. In fact, “dorky” was probably the best choice of words for describing him – he carried the general slack and demeanor of the nerds Sunset had mocked in her past life, save for being a bit older and possessing a slight bit of class. In any case, he seemed to pay her no mind, instead focusing his attention on the sizzling waffle iron on the counter. And as if that was not enough of an indication for what this morning's breakfast was, there was a paper plate next to the iron covered in a tower of waffles. It appeared that he had been up for quite a while. The two adults were facing the staircase, and thus were the first ones to notice Sunset Shimmer. “Good morning, sleepyhead!” Night Light enthusiastically shouted. Sunset briefly considered arguing that point, but her scruffy hair and half-closed eyes made an opposing view impossible to support. “Good morning,” she muttered instead as she approached the table. “Where's Twilight?” “Taking Spike on his little walk,” Twilight Velvet said. “She's always been such a responsible little angel.” Sunset rolled her eyes and grinned. Yeah, I can believe that. Fighting back another yawn, Sunset pulled back the chair she had seated herself at the previous night and climbed up. Once she was in position, she placed her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. At the same time, Night Light rose to his own feet and walked to the kitchen's plain white refrigerator. “Want anything to drink?” “Coffee,” was what escaped Sunset's lips before her chin made contact with the tabletop. Twilight Velvet rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her own precious caffeine. “Children your age shouldn't be drinking coffee. We do have orange juice, though.” Sunset struggled to protest the decision on the grounds that she technically was not a child, but the strange exhaustion that was wearing on her insides made her too weak to resist. “Fine.” Night Light let out a small laugh as he removed a cardboard carton from the fridge and poured the yellow contents into a clear glass. “We didn't get much of a chance to talk last night,” he said as he placed the glass in front of Sunset. “I'm sorry if Twilight seemed a bit demanding.” “It's fine,” Sunset muttered. She took a sip of the juice, followed by a slightly longer one. The two together were enough to at least shift her into a state of general consciousness. “I'm sorry, too. I really do have better table manners than...that. There have been some issues adjusting to this age.” Velvet chuckled. “I just thought you really liked the potatoes.” “Waffles are done.” Everyone turned their attention to the relative newcomer to this situation. The young blue-haired fellow opened the waffle iron before using a fork to pull the squares onto the pile. Once the retrieval process had been successfully reset, he leaned against the counter and stared coldly at the little girl. Sunset could not help but cringe under his withering glare. “Oh, my apologies,” said Night Light. “Sunset Shimmer, this is Twilight's brother, Shining Armor. I'm certain she's talked about him all the time.” Sunset turned away from Shining, if only to return herself to a state of calm. “Well...yes. I mean, she mentioned she had a brother, but...” “Which is funny, because she never mentioned that one of her new 'friends' was a six-year-old.” Shining's eyes narrowed, causing Sunset to shrink even farther into her chair. It was already plainly obvious this relationship was not starting on a good note. “We went over this, son,” Twilight Velvet said, her voice tinged with a slight coldness. “Twilight explained everything while you were gone. She's her friend from Canterlot High that was turned into a child and they have to turn back.” She chuckled. “I swear, sometimes we have to explain things two or three times before you understand.” Shining Armor stood still for a moment, his hand tightening around the fork. Finally, he just chose to pick up the plate and approach the table, depositing the precious pancake supplies at the center point between the four before taking a seat two chairs away from Sunset. “Am I seriously the only one who doesn't buy this? I know Twily's done some weird things in the past, but doesn't this just seem a bit too far out there? People don't just suddenly get younger.” Sunset nervously took another sip of her orange juice. Considering how bad things were already going, the truth couldn't make them any worse. “A-Actually, magic does allow for someone to be made older or younger than they actually are.” The inevitable eyebrow-raising ensued. “...Magic? Really? That's what you're going with?” Shining shook his head. “Is this some 'New Age' garbage or something?” “No, it's actually quite old. I remember hearing about them when I was Princess Celestia's student.” “You mean the Canterlot High principal?” “No, Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria.” “Equestria?” “The world that I come from.” “You come from another world?” Shining snorted. “What, is it a world of magic ponies or something?” “Actually, yes.” That was the moment Shining Armor felt his grip on the sane and rational world beginning to slip. He slowly reached for his coffee, his eyes narrowing as if he was focusing a laser beam on Sunset's forehead. “You're a pony?” Sunset nodded and took another sip of juice. “I was, until I jumped through a portal to this world. The portal made me a human somehow.” Twilight Velvet chuckled and shook her head. “See, Shiny? There's a perfectly good explanation for all of this.” Shining Armor was about to launch into an epic retort when, much to Sunset's eternal relief, the sound of the front door opening finally broke the tension. The jingling of metal and rapid tapping of paws against the floor heralded the return of Twilight's companion, followed by the girl herself calling out. In contrast to last night, she was wearing a Crystal Prep track outfit, and her hair was flowing freely. If it weren't for the glasses, Sunset could have easily mistaken her for Princess Twilight. “I'm back!” “Did you have a good walk, honey?” Velvet shouted back. “I suppose,” Twilight said, shrugging as she came into view. Spike dashed past her and into the kitchen, where he sat and panted expectantly. Twilight smiled at Sunset, who returned it...and then stopped smiling when she saw her frowning big brother. “Oh...I see you've met Shining Armor.” “We were just telling him about last night,” Night Light said before chuckling. “It's funny. He doesn't believe your whole story about Sunset being a teenager.” By that point, Twilight had crossed into the kitchen, where Spike impatiently awaited her. “Of course he doesn't,” she muttered as she opened a cabinet and removed a small box of dog treats. She removed a purple, bone-shaped biscuit from the box and held it in front of her beloved canine, who quickly snatched it up on his jaws and began chewing. “I'm not calling you a liar, Twily,” said Shining Armor. He quickly began scooping waffles onto the plates, hesitating only when he reached Sunset. By the time he was done, there were only a few doughy squares left on the plate, which was returned to the table's center. “It's just...don't you think this is all a bit ridiculous?” “And what would your explanation be?” Twilight asked, her voice just barely audible over the water running down the sink as she washed her hands. “That I just...grabbed some innocent kid off the street, made her pretend to be my friend, and invented a story so stupid that nobody would believe it?” “Well...that would make more sense, yeah.” Twilight's eyes narrowed at Shining, her glasses magnifying the cold anger radiating from her eyes until they could seemingly vaporize a mountain. He quickly assumed a defensive slouch as she slinked behind his chair and sat herself between him and Sunset. “I mean, magic? Really? I thought you had outgrown that kid stuff.” “And yet you can't explain how I can talk,” Spike muttered as he approached the table, his tongue still lapping up the last few crumbs from his biscuit. Sunset shrugged along. “He has a point.” Shining Armor was silent for a moment. Then he tapped his fingers against the table. This was followed by him opening his mouth. “I...um...well...” He sighed and rubbed his fingers across his temple. “I'm going to chalk this up to a hangover and pretend it never happened.” Twilight raised both hands into the air and tilted her head back. “The scores are in! Cute dog: one! Dorky brother: zero!” Despite her desire to maintain some kind of peace in this tense situation, Sunset Shimmer could not help but snort and laugh at Twilight's showboating. Spike joined in, his voice alternating between human-sounding laughter and a dog's pant. Shining Armor, having been dragged through enough foolishness for one morning, wisely decided to just dump some syrup on his waffles and call it a day. And having made her point for the morning, Twilight turned her own attention to her fluffy mound of cholesterol. It took Sunset a few seconds to focus her fingers in just the right way to handle the syrup, but otherwise she was able to quickly start chowing down, albeit in a very slow manner to suit Twilight's tastes. The Sparkle family, such as it was, shifted back and forth between taking bites of their sweet-tasting meal and discussing the topics of the day. Twilight reassured Shining that she wasn't going to end up in prison before reminding her father about some book he had promised to bring home. Night Light and Shining Armor discussed school and, in an awkward sort of way, the dating scene. Velvet teased Shining over how long he and his girlfriend had been dating and whether she was ever going to have grandchildren, but was also fair enough to then inform Sunset of the time Twilight super glued her hands together when she was nine. Sunset smiled. She hadn't experienced a real family breakfast since you ran away from home. Sunset paused for a moment as the strange though intruded on her good feelings. When it passed, she resumed cutting through her waffles and taking another bite. The food itself was delicious, especially when mixed with the sugary sweetness of the syrup. They were just like the ones she used to serve. Her fork clanged against the side of the plate, attracting everyone's attention. Sunset's face had a small, sickly look to it, and the tiny trembles of her hand did not assuage their fears. “I-Is something wrong?” asked Velvet. The mother's words seemed to bring some sense of calmness to the quaking child, and in a flash, Sunset was back to her fairly composed self. “N-No, of course not. I was just...admiring how wonderful these waffles are. I didn't mean to interrupt your-” That was when she noticed that every other plate on the table was empty. The only remnants of the other waffles was the sticky residue of syrup and the two or three Shining Armor had stuffed into his cheeks. Sunset blushed and shrank into her chair. “You were kind of staring out there for a while,” added Twilight. “Are you sure you're okay?” “I-I was just...savoring the flavor,” Sunset muttered. “I don't get homemade waffles very often.” Shining finally finished swallowing his last mouthful. “Neither do we.” “I thought this was a special enough occasion for something a bit more extravagant,” said Velvet. She rose from her chair. “Well, if anybody needs me, I shall be in the office upstairs. Spike, would you mind joining me for a while? I have some...dog matters that need discussing for my next book.” Spike yelped happily and nodded. “Of course, mom!” Night Light and Shining Armor were next to rise. “I should be getting to the university,” said the father of the family. “The students aren't going to learn how to map the stars by themselves, now are they?” “I'll see you tonight, Twily.” Shining gave his sister a farewell pat on the shoulder. “And I suppose I'll see you, too,” was his response to Sunset. Thankfully, she was too busy frantically finishing her breakfast to notice. And with that, the family dispersed, leaving only Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer still at the table. Twilight chuckled nervously and rolled her eyes. “So...I'll be going upstairs to clean up. Then we can head into the basement and begin working.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “The basement?” Twilight rose from her chair. “It's where I keep most of my equipment. If we're going to get to the bottom of this mystery, that's probably the best place to start.” She shrugged and began walking towards the stairs. “I'll be back down in a minute. Just please have your breakfast done by then. We have a long day of scientific discovery ahead of us!” Sunset smiled and nodded back as Twilight ascended to the upper floors. Once her friend was out of sight, she quickly scarfed the remainder of her waffles into her mouth before washing them down with a few chugs of the remaining orange juice. The massive concoction caused her to cough and retch slightly, but it didn't matter as long as her belly was full. And at the very least, the slight discomfort of an upset tummy helped to distract from what she had been feeling before. Given everything that was happening, the last thing Sunset Shimmer needed to feel right now was homesick. The backyard was...completely unremarkable. It was fairly small, covered in finely-mowed green grass, and outside of a concrete patio area with a grill and wooden bench, there was no furnishing to be found. They didn't even have a tree, which Sunset realized must have infuriated Spike to no end. The real reason they were out here, however, was the wooden cellar doors to the left of the yard entrance. The old wood creaked as Twilight pulled them open, revealing a deep series of short wooden steps leading into the basement below. Twilight, now clad in a loose-fitting t-shirt and gray sweat pants, flipped a light switch, which turned on a light deep within the cavernous depths. The illumination barely reached the stairs themselves, leaving much of the room cloaked in shadows. Sunset gulped as she looked ever downward into the abyss she had to enter. Come on, Sunset. There's nothing dangerous down there. Just ignore the stairs...ignore how steep each step is...ignore how you can barely reach the handrail...ignore the darkness...especially the darkness... “Are you okay, Sunset?” asked Twilight. Not that she really needed to – Sunset's flushed face, sweaty hands, and shallow breathing were testament to that. “O-Of course I am,” she said in a most unconvincing tone. “J-Just one step at a time...” Twilight led the trip downwards, taking care to move slowly so as not to leave her companion too far behind. Sunset's own steps were much more cautious, taking care to plant both feet on a step before descending to the next and not let herself be pulled downward. After what seemed like an eternity, both girls had finally reached the cold concrete that constituted the basement floor, and Sunset Shimmer was finally able to get a better look at her surroundings. Much like the yard, the basement was a drab affair, albeit an ominous one due to the lackluster central lighting. Shadows seemed to dance along the exposed portions of the brown-painted walls, and the floor was little more than cold concrete. Outside of the water heater in one corner, not to mention the numerous cases of Honey Dew that seemed to be fusing into the walls, there was not much else of note with its basic structure. What was interesting, however, was the wide array of tools and gadgets on display. Antiquated computer systems Sunset Shimmer had never even heard of before rumbled to life as Twilight hit their power switches. Several gnarled wooden tables were laid out against the walls, and were subsequently covered in test tubes, rolls of print-outs, discarded electrical parts, and numerous knickknacks of indeterminate origin. A pair of swivel office chairs were tucked away next to one of the tables, and like the rest of the items on display, both looked worn and tattered around the edges, but nevertheless useable. And tucked away in a far corner was a large whiteboard covered in mathematical equations and geometric diagrams, under which was a detached bulletin board. Twilight pulled her laptop from her backpack and set it on an empty spot at one of the tables. “I'm sorry about the mess,” she muttered. “I built the energy storage device up in the garage, but dad made me take all of the spare parts back down here. I...really haven't finished sorting them all yet.” “That's fine,” Sunset muttered as Twilight pulled the office chairs closer. “I'm just...kind of amazed that you have all this stuff here.” Twilight couldn't help but giggle at this, even as she turned the laptop on. “You should have seen the space I had at Crystal Prep. It may have been small, but it was the very model of order and efficiency. Plus, Dean Cadance and my dad were always willing to help track down busted-up devices to fix up or rework into something else.” Sunset climbed into one of the chairs, a puzzled look plastered over her face. “Wait...I know you built the amulet you used during the Friendship Games, and the thing that blew up yesterday...” Twilight grumbled at the latter mention before seating herself. “...But are you saying you built the rest of this stuff yourself?” “Well...not all of it, obviously.” Twilight rolled her eyes dismissively. “Ever since I was a kid, though, I've always wanted to know how things worked. It was around the time I pulled the television apart that they realized it would be cheaper to give me stuff that was already broken to practice on.” Sunset chuckled and leaned back in her chair, causing it to swivel slightly. She could remember doing much of the same when she had first began studying magic. If she hadn't aced her entrance exams for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and been accepted as her student, she probably would have blown her parents' house up with one of her self-imposed research assignments. Twilight turned her head back to her diminutive friend. “It looks like we still have all the readings from the energy drain. The only records missing are what happened between when I disconnected my computer and the machine exploded.” “It's not the best place to start, but it's still better than nothing,” said Sunset. “So, let's begin...” At first glance, Canterlot High was not an especially remarkable school. Nestled in one of the city's many residential areas, its primary claim to fame was being the primary high school in Canterlot. It didn't have the academic achievements of its peers, but it was still a fine school with a dedicated staff, attentive students, and a strong scholastic community that made everyone feel like a part of a team. It also had a recent propensity for very strange happenings, including the unfortunate “accident” that destroyed the Wondercolt statue that had served as CHS' calling card, but most people were just willing to pass the rainbows, giant horses, and tears in reality as special effect showcases or typical teenage rowdiness. There was still a significant amount of time before class when Rarity's car pulled into the student parking lot, but parking spaces were already becoming a luxury. Thankfully, the current overcast weather made staying outside an unwelcoming prospect, so very few students were around to try and stop Rarity or bombard her with questions. By the time she had reached the remains of Canterlot High's beloved statue, her friends were already in a large bunch. And judging by the small bruise on Rainbow Dash's head and Applejack's glowering expression towards her, it was obvious what her reaction to the whole situation was. “I'm sorry I'm late,” she said between pants. “I assume everyone's heard the news.” The five nodded, Rainbow barely fighting back a snicker lest she get another clobbering from the apple farmer. “We...saw Trixie's post,” said Applejack. “And the one she made after that. And the one after that. And the fifteen that were nothin' but her laughing louder than a pig rolling down a mud hill.” “Have to admit, the girl knows how to make her own fun,” Pinkie said, her voice somewhere between a resigned sigh and a murderous condemnation. “Even if it is as a big meanie pants.” Rarity took in another deep breath, which was finally enough to restore the equilibrium of her respiratory system. “Okay, that's...one problem out of the way. Now, has anybody heard from Twilight?” A pause, followed by another sigh from Rarity, followed. “I mean our world's Twilight.” The chorus of ohs and ahs that followed did not fill the fashionista with confidence as they approached the school. “I suppose I can take that as a big 'no,'” she grumbled. “Seriously, what can possibly be so important that this girl doesn't check her bloody cell phone?” “The first thing I thought we'd do is get some measurements,” said Twilight. Sunset cocked her head as Twilight pulled forward a small bathroom scale from one of the room's corners. “Measurements?” “You know, your height, weight, all of that,” Twilight said as she pulled a tape measure off of the workbench. “If we can compare your dimensions with the averages of this universe, we might be able to discern exactly how many years the spell subtracted from you.” She paused briefly. “Or...added to you, depending on how you look at it.” She spun her chair back to Sunset, the mad gleaming of her eyes blazing through the lenses of her glasses. Sunset could not help but shudder slightly when faced with the insane glare. “Now take off your shoes.” Fluttershy sighed. “I don't think our Twilight ever got that many calls. I know I used to forget to check my phone all the time until we became friends again.” She whimpered as the bad memories began a renewed assault on her mental well-being. Thankfully, they were quelled thanks to a reassuring shoulder hug from Rainbow Dash. The five slowly made their way into the school itself. The glass doors ever-so-quietly slammed shut behind them, trapping them within their academic dungeon for another eight hours. Already there were dozens of students lining the halls, shuffling books and supplies between their backpacks and lockers, excitedly chatting about the latest pop culture trends...and sharing pictures on their phones. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the newcomers. “This is an absolute disaster!” Rarity muttered, her hair drooping as she did so. “There's no way Sunset could even show her face at Canterlot High after all this!” “I think that might be the least of her worries,” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Ah, you gals are overreacting. So some embarrassing pictures got passed around. We just solve whatever magical what-ya-do caused this, get Sunset back to normal, and pretend the whole thing was a prank! I mean, how many people could have seen those pictures?” That was when the loudspeaker rang to life. “MISS RARITY, PLEASE REPORT TO VICE-PRINCIPAL LUNA'S OFFICE! I REPEAT: MISS RARITY, REPORT TO VICE-PRINCIPAL LUNA'S OFFICE! THIS IS NOT A REQUEST!” All five let out a loud gulp. Rainbow's question had definitively been answered. When Rarity opened the door to Vice-Principal Luna's office, she was not surprised to see what was on the other side. Within the darkness sat the stern figure of Luna, sister to Principal Celestia and the most dreaded disciplinarian since the legendary Corporal Punishment, but standing right next to her was none other than Trixie. She shouldn't have been intimidating, but the smug smile on her face contrasted perfectly with the mood lighting Luna was infamous for, making her look less like a wanna-be magician and more like a slasher villain. Which would make the phone in her hand the bloody butcher knife. “Please, come in,” said Luna, her voice as emotionless as possible. Slowly, Rarity entered the room. Once she had crossed the threshold, a chilling wind passed through the window, shuffling the closed blinds and slamming the door shut. Wasting no time, Luna crossed her arms on her desk and stared into Rarity's eyes. “Tell me what happened yesterday.” Rarity gulped. Her last fleeting hope that this was about anything else crumbled to dust. “W-Well, we helped Sunset and Twilight with their experiment and left. Twilight and I were still in the hallway when we heard the explosion, and...” “Yes, I'm aware of this...explosion. We're still cleaning up the mess you left in the science room. I'm also aware that you and Miss Sparkle were seen...carrying a child out of the school.” A shiver ran up Rarity's spine. She took a step away from the desk, as if to blend in to blend in with the shadows and slip out, but Luna's cold gaze never wavered. “W-Well, you see...” Trixie scoffed. “Oh, please. It's obvious what happened.” Everyone turned their attention to the other teen. “And how did you even take those pictures?” asked Rarity. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need to explain herself to a common...hooligan.” “HOOLIGAN?!” Rarity screeched in horror. “How dare you call me such a-” “Attention, young ladies.” Luna's voice was as flat as ever, but the power behind her words was great enough to cause both teens to cease their prattling and return their attention to her. “I have a theory about what happened. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer received our approval for to use the science room on the grounds that they would take all possible safety precautions, and that there would be no risk of harm to themselves or the other students at Canterlot High.” Luna rose from her chair, and Hell came with her. “Apparently their precautions were insufficient.” “I-I promise you, Vice-Principal Luna, that they...” Luna raised a hand, silencing Rarity's protests. “What I want to know is, are these pictures correct? Is the child Sunset Shimmer?” Rarity looked at Trixie, who had a triumphant grin on her face. She looked at Luna, who simply stared at her with arms crossed across her chest. She looked at the door, which promised no safety should she try to escape. With no other options, she sighed and nodded affirmatively. “Yes. That is Sunset Shimmer.” “HA!” Trixie's short little laugh was sharp enough to make Rarity jump, even if it still had no effect on Luna. “Trixie told you she was up to no good! All of that magical research finally blew up in her smug little face!” “And it's fortunate that nobody else was caught in the crossfire,” added Luna. “But if what you say is true, then where is Sunset Shimmer now?” “She's...with Twilight, last I checked.” Rarity pursed her lips and looked away sheepishly. “I mean, things were chaotic last night, and I haven't been able to reach Twilight all day, but...” “Maybe she ran away before we could track her down,” said Trixie. “Once she saw those photos, she knew her goose was cooked. If I hadn't been here working on my latest amazing feats of magic, these three might have escaped justice.” “Yes...a great many have seen these pictures of yours, Miss Trixie.” Luna slowly turned to the magician-turned-paparazzi, and for the first time in the entire conversation, Trixie felt her strength and confidence beginning to ebb. “Principal Celestia would have been here, but she's busy dealing with the media. Your photographs managed to reach the attention of several dozen websites and newspapers that were already monitoring Canterlot High.” “M-Monitoring...?” Trixie mumbled. “In the last few months, we have had a student turn into a flaming she-demon, several other students begin spontaneously growing pony ears, a Battle of the Bands that ended with an enormous sky show, and another student destroy the fabric of reality.” Luna turned her full body to Trixie. “It was in everybody's best interest that we worked to pretend like this incidents were merely special effect showcases or light shows.” “B-But think of all the publicity! Everyone would know that Canterlot High was the most magical, most spectacular, most-” “They would know that one of our students comes from another dimension.” Lune's eyes narrowed slightly. “We will handle Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle's punishment when the time is right. I will not allow student vigilantism to ruin Canterlot High's academic environment. These are your classmates, Miss Trixie, and they deserve to be treated with just as much respect as anyone else.” Trixie's sense of triumph faded into dust as a paleness took over her complexion. “B-But...they're...they're mean, bad people that-” Luna turned to Rarity, who at this point was resigned to simply watching the spectacle play itself out. “You may go to your first period now. When you have a chance, inform Miss Sparkle and Miss Shimmer that we shall be discussing this matter in more detail later.” Realizing that she had eluded the tragic fate that now awaited Trixie, Rarity quickly nodded her head, mumbled a silent prayer to whatever supreme being had delivered her from certain doom, and bolted out of the door as fast as her legs could carry her. She could only barely make out Trixie as, in complete defiance to the fact that the Vice Principal was literally five steps away from her, let out one last, desperate taunt. “You tell Shimmer this isn't over! You hear me?! TRIXIE SHALL HAVE HER VENGEANCE!” “And....done!” Sunset let out a sigh of relief as the measuring tape snapped shut. She could feel the chill of the concrete through her socks, and she wasted no time in slipping her shoes back on. That was not to mention the pain in her mouth from when Twilight examined her dental work, or when she had picked her up to see if her mass was still consistent after the reduction, and especially when Twilight had to take a break for five minutes after throwing her back out lifting her. All in all, it was not how she typically spent a morning with one of her friends, and if she had her way, she would never spend any day like this again. Twilight scribbled the last few measurements down on her notepad before turning her attention back to the computer. “I have to say, the way this spell worked is really amazing.” “What are you talking about?” Sunset asked as she jumped back in her chair. “I mean, it didn't just reduce your physical body.” Twilight's fingers tapped along the keyboard at a ferocious speed. “It also managed to keep your hair relative to how it was in your older form. And how could something just plug your baby teeth back in there? You wouldn't have even had any in this world. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the explosion...created a child-sized version of you.” “I'm fairly certain that's not how Age Spells work,” Sunset responded. She pushed against the chair's left armrest, causing it to rotate. “That would be like saying a teleportation spell kills the pony that uses it and replaces them with a copy elsewhere.” “That...is a popular theory regarding instant beaming and transporting,” Twilight muttered. “But it's not how it works.” Sunset pushed even harder, causing the chair to spin in a complete circle. “It's a bit strange, but it's something you really have to experience to understand.” “That's all well and good, but I think I'll keep my molecules in one piece.” Having staid her piece, Twilight returned her attention to the computer screen. “Let's see...about forty-eight inches...fifty-five pounds...” Twilight's finger clicked down on the mouse button, which was followed by her throat emitting a satisfied grunt. “Okay, based on your height, weight, and general physical development as compared to the average growth of a child in this world, I would wager you are approximately...about seven years old, close to eight.” Sunset ceased spinning in her chair at the news. “In other words, I lost about ten years. Or...gained ten years, depending on how you look at it.” She grumbled and slapped her forehead. Twilight spun her own chair around, her hands now clasped against her knees. “Obviously, there's some margin of error. Not all kids grow up at the same rate. Diet, environment, and genetics all play a big part in determining such things. I mean, most girls have reached their full height by their mid-teens, but I grew a whole inch during the last year. But if we were to go strictly by averages, it appears that...whatever the magic did worked in absolutes. It didn't just make you arbitrarily seven years old, but instead reverted your physical age back to exactly how old you were ten years ago from yesterday.” “I...suppose that's progress. So we'll probably need a comparable amount of magical energy in order to create a strong enough spell to reverse the effects...” Twilight spun around to her computer and pulled the readouts back up. “That should be easy enough to replicate. We just get the girls together, Pony Up again, and...” She turned back to Sunset. “Actually, I just thought of something. Can you Pony Up like this?” “I-I really don't know,” Sunset stammered. “It's not like pony foals are without magic or anything, but the actual ability to control and use said magic is something they have to grow into. Plus, you know...human and all.” “Still, we may be able to pull it off by running a replacement machine a bit longer.” Twilight's lips formed into a smile. “It's a good thing I saved my designs. We could have another device ready to go in a couple of days.” “That's...wonderful, Twilight,” Sunset muttered. Twilight's smile collapsed into a frown. “Um...is something wrong?” “It's just that...well, you're only thinking about half the problem. We know magical energy was involved, but what we don't know is what the catalyst was. Back in Equestria, we don't just zap magic from our horns and call it a day. You have to actually compose that magical energy into a spell of some kind. It's kind of like...commanding the world to do something, even when it really doesn't want to.” Twilight nodded along. “So it's not enough to just get the energy we need...we also need to make it do what we want...” Sunset growled and rested her head against her arm. “This would be so much easier if we had those spells in front of us! I know magic doesn't work here like it does in Equestria, but there should be enough in common that we could...” Then she had an idea. It was a wonderful idea. The kind of idea that one kicks themselves for not thinking of sooner. “I got it! Princess Twilight!” The minute that name escaped Sunset's lips, Twilight's entire body tensed to the point of being less a human form and more a wooden plank with limbs attached. “Oh...her...” “I can't go back to Equestria, but she's still there. And she's a princess, which means she has access to the books and scrolls we need!” Sunset smiled and nodded. “I just need to get a message to her, and we can...” “Could we...possibly...I mean, not?” For the first time since conceiving her cunning plan, Sunset actually looked at Twilight. In less than a minute, the aspiring scientist had gone from brimming with confidence and hope to trembling like a frightened child. Sunset could feel a pain shoot through her heart at the sight. “Wh-What's wrong?” “I-I'm sure she's wonderful, and nice, and perfect in every way, but you see...” Twilight's eyes suddenly shot wide open, sending both Sunset and her chair scooting back. The look of terror quickly shifted into a strange, twisted sort of mania as Twilight began chuckling, her lips curled into a toothy grin. “Y-You know we can't have her come here! I mean, don't you remember what happened last time?!” It was a lovely day for a picnic. Granted, it was only a day after the Friendship Games, and the statue they were having it under was still little more than a base and shattered hooves, but a little thing like magical vandalism was not enough to ruin anybody's good mood. For Twilight Sparkle, this lunch was many firsts. It was the first time she had been with friends since Kindergarten. It was the first time she had been on a picnic since grade school. And it was the first time she did not feel unwelcome or alien in a group, even if she was still wearing her Crystal Prep uniform. Having Spike along certainly helped give her strength, as well as made for a good conversation starter with Fluttershy. As the others ate, Fluttershy rubbed Spike's fuzzy little belly. The dog wavered between happy barks and mirthful cries in his new voice, which only intensified the adorableness of it all. “So, how did your family take to a talking dog?” she asked. “Well, they were...surprised, of course.” Twilight giggled nervously and raised both arms. “But it wasn't like I could lie to them about something so-” That was when a rippling sound began to come from the statue base. All six in attendance looked up as a bright light shined upon the metal surface, followed by a purple-skinned girl in a blue blouse, purple skirt, and tall heeled boots emerged. Twilight initially rose to her feet to get a better glimpse of the light show, but as she stared at the being that had emerged, she felt something sink in her heart. “I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner,” blurted the newcomer. “I didn't get your messages until just now because I was caught in this time travel loop, and honestly, it was the strangest thing that ever happened to me!” And then their eyes met. The stranger's jaw gaped in horror, and Twilight was not far behind. The clothing and hairstyle were different, but there was no denying what was right in front of her. She was staring at Twilight Sparkle, no different than if she had been staring into a mirror. She struggled to speak, but could only muster a small squeak and tiny wave. The only noise either could hear was of Pinkie Pie sucking down the last droplets of liquid in her juice box. After several awkward moments of this, the stranger finally leaned back slightly and pointed at her doppelganger. “Make that the second-strangest.” Twilight let out yet another uncomfortable squeak before shuffling behind Fluttershy. “Um...w-who is that?” she whispered. The other did the same thing, only instead choosing to shuffle behind Sunset Shimmer. “You didn't mention this in your message.” “It...kind of just happened,” Sunset said with a shrug. “Anyway, Princess Twilight, meet Twilight Sparkle.” The two Twilights peeked out from their hiding places. Their eyes scanned each other from tip to toe, taking in the multitude of similarities and only slight differences. Like frightened children, they slowly stepped closer to each other, their hands outstretched. The rest of their friends smiled and shouted in support of the new friendship unfolding before them... Their hands were about three inches apart before they were pulled back, accompanied by a simultaneous scream from both girls. “Oh my gosh, what was I thinking?!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. “We can't touch each other!” “Exactly!” whimpered Princess Twilight, examining her own hand for sign of damage. The other five looked about each other in confusion. “Uh...beg pardon?” asked Applejack. “Don't you get it?” said Princess Twilight, her voice hiccuping and fluctuating with every word. “If we were to touch each other, it would mean that two copies of the same person were coming into contact with each other! We could create an interdimensional paradox!” “And the resulting hole in space and time could cause a massive implosion, eradicating the entire universe!” Twilight's eyes dilated as horror took hold. “But that's not all. The implosion would set off a chain reaction across the multiverse, causing all of those universes to similarly be sucked into the unvierse-wide black hole we created! We could have destroyed the totality of existence!” In an instant, Princess Twilight had spun on her heeled boots and charged the portal. “I'll write to you gals later sorry for nearly blowing up the universe!” she shouted before diving through, completely ignoring Sunset's and Fluttershy's attempts to calm her down. “And I need to get going I don't want to be late for the dinner I almost ruined by killing all life everywhere!” shouted the remaining Twilight, who then scooped up Spike in her arms and ran off to the bus, which had once again appeared right as it was convenient. “And that's why we can't call Princess Twilight for assistance.” Twilight leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed to reflect her superior brain's clever train of logic. “All of this will be pointless if we're all infinitely diminished.” Sunset just sat in her chair for a long time. She didn't say anything at first, if only to allow her addled brain time to put together an appropriate response. It was only when she saw the confident little smirk on her friend's face that she could take no more. “Twilight, that is the biggest load of manure I have ever heard.” Twilight's arms dropped instantly, and that smirk was replaced with a shocked frown. “What? B-But...” “You don't want to call her over here because she scares you,” said Sunset. “You know full well that you and she are not the same person or pony. It's just creepy to have an identical copy of yourself floating around. I know because...well, you kind of scared us a bit when we first met you.” Twilight sighed. “Yeah, that...wasn't the most graceful of introductions.” She looked up to Sunset. “And you're right. The other Twilight scares me a bit. B-But, if it's the best option...” Sunset jumped down from her chair and placed her hands on Twilight's. The size difference between them was quite noticeable, but the gesture still reflected the warmth and friendship it had always shown. “It's going to be okay, Twilight. I'm not asking the Princess to drop everything and come here. I just thought she could write down some pointers on Age Spells from Equestria. That way we have more of a framework for how to fix this.” Twilight's face scrunched up. She could feel something tight grabbing onto her lungs and threatening to tear them out through her back. She let out a small squeal before finally exhaling, which seemed to cause all of her muscles to turn flacid at once. She withdrew her hand from Sunset's. “Okay, we'll do it.” Sunset smiled and threw herself back on the chair. The momentum caused it to spin, and before long the child had turned it into an office furniture tornado once more. “Perfect! I did leave the Journal in my locker yesterday.” Twilight could not help but smile at the adorableness, which seemed to be enough to assuage her from the near-panic attack. Having regained control of her limbs, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, which she then had to switch on. “I'll just give one of the girls a call and ask them to pick up your stuff. Mind, I will need your locker combina-” That was when she finally noticed a message on the phone's lock screen. “YOU HAVE 67 VOICEMAILS. YOU HAVE 126 UNREAD TEXT MESSAGES.” A cursory glance revealed them to nearly all be from the same source, and all from the same date. “Huh, Rarity was really trying to get to us last night.” Sunset stopped spinning. “Really? Why?” “Eh, she was probably just worried about you.” She giggled and activated her text messages. “I'm certain it's nothing to worry...” The first text message was a hyperlink. Twilight's jaw dropped as she saw where it led. Twilight's face went flush as she scrolled through the comments. One after another, they repeated the same snide remarks, mocking laughter, and elation at somebody getting what they deserve. The last group were mostly from the girl that had originally posted them, of course, but the others were not much better. Sighing, she slumped herself on the couch. Next to her sat Sunset Shimmer, her arms and legs crossed as she pouted. Her face was turned away from Twilight, but it was obvious she wasn't in a talkative mood. Or at least, it was obvious to people who knew how to read body language. Twilight was not one of those people. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I had no idea anyone else was at the school.” Sunset mumbled something inaudible. “It's...not like this is the end of the world or anything,” Twilight said. She followed by trying to give a reassuring giggle, but it only caused Sunset to scrunch up even more. “You've said that you've come back from worse, right?” “I thought they were over this.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. Sunset's response had been barely audible, but the venom in her voice was easily recognizable. “Excuse me?” “I had worked so hard...I thought they all realized I was a changed person.” Sunset's hands tightened into little fists as her body began to shudder. “But I guess they still hate me. I probably deserve it, too.” Twilight grit her teeth and set the phone down on the coffee table. Sunset was still facing away from her, staring at a tiny spot in the carpet, but even one as new to friendship and socialization as her could tell she needed to do something. She needed to be confident. She needed to be supportive. She needed to be... Like Sunset Shimmer. Twilight sighed. There was no way she could be that. She couldn't talk Sunset out of her feelings of betrayal and isolation. She also probably couldn't do anything about the girl who posted the pictures; she didn't even know who this “gr8t&powaful97” was. The most she could offer was... A distraction. Twilight grinned as she spied the television remote sitting on the coffee table. She quickly snatched up the oblong piece of plastic and switched on the power, bringing the television and the family's premium cable package to life. The sudden introduction of blaring noise and bright colors knocked the unsuspecting Sunset for a bit of a loop, causing her to transition into a normal sitting position and stare at the shiny 1080p display. “What kind of shows do you like?” asked Twilight. She was surfing through the channels, going past various midday news reports, telenovelas, and sports recaps. “I...don't watch television,” Sunset muttered. “It's a meaningless waste of time that insults us intellectually. I prefer books.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I prefer reading, too, but you can't say that this stuff's not entertaining. Almost everyone in this world watches at least one or two things.” Sunset crossed her arms and shook her head bitterly. “It's not like it's necessary, anyway. Equestria doesn't have television, and we get along just fine.” “Uh huh,” Twilight mumbled. She set the remote back on the table. Her surfing had ended on a cartoon of some kind, depicting a girl in a school uniform about two sizes too small for her battling some effeminate-and-yet-strangely-attractive guy and a vaguely-designed monster. “Just see if you find something, okay? I'm going to go get us some lunch. Do you like the crusts on or off your sandwich?” “Off,” Sunset mumbled. “And it's fine. I can get my own lunch in a second.” Twilight, however, had already left for the kitchen. Alone again, Sunset jumped down from the couch and circled around to the front of the television. She grumbled and mumbled in frustration as she picked up the remote, intent on just shutting the device off and returning to her sulking in silence. She didn't need someone's imbecilic idea of a diversion, after all. She was a teenager in this world and an adult in Equestria. She had been mentored by Princess Celestia herself. She should be back in the basement finding a solution to her problem, not watching this... “Now do you see the weakness that is friendship?” Sunset tilted her head slightly. The show was still going all this time, but now... “You are wrong, Baron Donku! The strength my friends give me will be enough to destroy your monsters! TAKE THIS!” That was when the cartoon schoolgirl fired a rainbow out of her hands, blasting the monster into fine dust. Sunset slowly found herself crouching onto her knees, her eyes glued to the program. More discussions about the merits of friendship followed, along with various magical blasts and attacks. The music pounded through the speakers, almost hypnotizing her with its catchy beats. Her eyes widened as she took in the spectacle before her... Well, she thought, I suppose watching it a little won't hurt... Twilight turned the corner from the kitchen, a plate of crustless vegetable sandwiches in her hands. “Sunset? Lunch is...” What she saw made Twilight freeze. Sunset was still watching the same cartoon she had left on – Celestial Squad Alpha, or some nonsense like that – only now she was practically bouncing up and down with every beat of the theme. The characters shouted the name of one of their attacks, and Sunset followed suit. When they did an exaggerated hand motion, she did the same. She was even laughing at the corny, poorly-delivered jokes. All in all, Twilight had succeeded. She had successfully turned a morose teenager trapped in a child's body into a hyperactive ball of energy. Twilight very slowly retreated into the kitchen. I'll...give her five more minutes to cool down.