Twilight couldn’t help but stare shocked for a moment before she found her voice. “Um, hello Rarity. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Yes, I’ve been wondering when you’d come in.”
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“I’ve seen you around before. Walking that adorable little dog of yours. Though I daresay it’s nice to see you’ve let your hair down.”
A chill ran through Twilight’s spine. Running into her counterpart could only cause trouble. ”R-really?”
“Yes, I’m always going to the other side of town, there’s good shops there. But my grandmother’s styles are all the rage, I assured you would have heard of it.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I have a need of it now. See...”
“Principal Celestia!” Rarity said suddenly, seeing the one who ran her school.
“Hello, Rarity. I seen you’ve met my niece.”
“Y-your niece?” she asked. “Why I had no idea... but if that’s true, why haven’t I seen her attending Canterlot High?”
Before Celestia could open her mouth and blow the story, Twilight jumped in. “My house just burned down.”
Rarity blinked. “Oh dear, really?”
Twilight didn’t look at Celestia, knowing there was an incredulous look on her face. “Yes, I lived across town, but my house burned down. My parents were so desperate for money that they took a job overseas, but left me with my aunt.”
“Oh you poor dear!” Rarity said, suddenly coming around the counter and giving Twilight a hug. “That sounds so difficult! Oh, you seemed so happy whenever I saw you around!”
‘Well, it has been a challenge,” Twilight said.
“...Yes,” Celestia said, having caught on to Twilight’s story. “Well, my niece has lost a lot, so we’re in here to try and get her a new wardrobe. Do you think you can find her something nice to wear to school on Monday?”
“Why of course, Principal! Come on, Darling, I can find you something!”
Twilight, suddenly remembering her first encounter with her Rarity, gulped.
“Yeah, I can get it to you tonight. Well, I can get the digital copies ready. Hard copies will take another day or two.”
“Thank you, Yearling,” Luna said. Sitting in a t-shirt and sweatpants, she looked a far cry from the stern educator she was in school. Spike sat next to her, reading a comic book on her tablet.
“Yeah, well, I’m assuming you have a good reason for this. What’s this girl’s story, anyway?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. In fact, I don’t think I believe it myself. It’s enough to make me want to fall off the wagon.”
“Don’t you dare. I’m not going through that again, and I don’t think you should either.”
“Relax, it’s just a joke,” Luna assured.
“It better be. Now, what on Terra could have you so freaked out? After what we saw back in our prime?”
“It’s got nothing on this,” Luna said, taking a sip of coffee. “Trust me, I think I might like to forget this whole thing once she goes home.”
”Not even a hint?”
“Trust me, you’re better off not knowing. Just trust us. You still owe us for that business in Guatemala.”
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Never.”
A few more minutes of chat and they parted. Luna went to her paper, and was scanning the first article when Spike spoke.
“You’re really going to just forget all about us?”
She looked down at Spike, who was looking at her, not really seeming hurt or offended, but like Luna had said something unbelievable.
“Spike, I don’t think I could forget you two if I tried. But finding out about all this is... a bit jarring. Not something that’s easy to accept. I’m sure you want to forget being a dog after all this is over, don’t you?”
At that, Spike wilted. “Yeah, I do.” He went back to his comic, looking a little saddened.
“Spike... I really do like you and Twilight. Don’t think that has anything to do with it. I’m sure you’re a wonderful dragon back wherever you come from.”
“...You know, I came through this portal to try and help Twilight, but look; I’m a dog! I can’t even go with her to school like this.”
Luna lowered her paper, looking at the pup. Then she sat it down and placed a comforting hand on his back. “Spike, take it from someone who knows through personal experience: sometimes, someone just needs somebody to be there for them.”
Spike looked at her. “You think so?”
Luna smiled. “I bet having you here is going to make this next week that much easier for Twilight,” she said, scratching behind his ears.
Spike batted her hand away. “I’m not really a dog, remember?”
“Oh, um, sorry, I...”
“...But could you do that again? It felt nice.”
Blinking, Luna did as asked. In moments, Spike was wagging his tail happily, to Luna’s amusement.
Celestia watched as Twilight was forced into dress after dress by Rarity. She didn’t interrupt the process much, only to veto an outfit she deemed too revealing for school. It involved a bit of playing the parental figure, as Rarity assumed these outfits would be worn outside of school.
Still, Celestia was keeping her ears on the conversation, helping Twilight direct it away from herself. She found soon that her guest could handle that just fine, but an escape hatch always helped.
“So, you say your grandmother owns this place?” Twilight asked.
“Why yes. I’m next in line to inherit it, as a matter of fact. My parents are nice, but they are woefully tacky in fashion sense. I’ve already designed several outfits. I’m giving you one right now. Yes, it looks divine.”
Twilight glanced at herself in the mirror. Her outfits, both the one she had arrived here on and the one Celestia had bought her, had been simple affairs. This, however, showed Rarity’s eye for detail. A pale blue top with a pink bow tie, a purple skirt that only came down mid-thigh (Celestia sighed at how the school’s dress code had lax), and boots decorated at the top with pink cloth.
“Uh, yeah, it does look pretty,” Twilight said.
“I should hope so. Oh, will you be attending the Fall Formal?” Twilight nodded her head yes. “Then you simply must allow me to design a dress for you.” She held up a hand at Twilight opening her mouth. “Ah, ah, no protests. After what you’ve been through it’s the least I can do.”
“Well, I am planning to run for Princess of the Fall Formal...”
At that Rarity gasped. “What? No, no, you must not!”
Twilight blinked. “What? Why...”
Celestia gave a sigh. “Twilight... Rarity was the last one who tried to run against Sunset.”
Twilight saw Rarity deflate instantly, looking at the floor. “She... I know she was responsible for those rumors...”
“Rumors?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rarity said.
She’s crying... Twilight realized. She placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Twilight, trust me, do not run. Sunset is a monster. She does horrible things to get what she wants. The only one worse than her is that Rainbow Dash!”
That got Twilight to step back. “R-Rainbow Dash?”
Celestia got up. “Now, Rarity, I remember that you two used to be friends...”
“And it was a mistake!” Rarity said, suddenly vehement. “Oh, that arrogant little barbarian, always acting like she’s the greatest thing on two legs! The only thing I can say for her is she’s not as stupid as Applejack!”
Twilight felt her knees go weak. “Applejack?”
“You’d think someone who managed to get into high school could speak properly! Honestly, if my sister wasn’t friends with her sister I’d never even look at her!”
Twilight felt sick. This might be a different Rarity than the one she knew, but hearing her so savagely talk about her friends like that...
“Why, you’re looking absolutely green! Are you okay?”
“Uh... I guess I might have ate something bad,” Twilight said quickly. “This is the fifth outfit, right? I’ll take it! Me and Cel... Aunt Celestia need to go.”
Rarity blinked, her previous animosity nearly forgotten. “But that’s only five! You can’t have a wardrobe that small!”
Celestia stepped in. “We still need to get her a new computer, new books, a new cell phone... just a week’s worth right now.”
“Very well, let’s get you rung up... at a discount, of course. I simply can’t let you pay so much for things you need.”
Twilight had put up a token protest, but was thankful that in any universe, Rarity was still generous. Celestia had pushed harder, promising she could afford it, but Rarity held her ground and won.
As Twilight walked out, Rarity called out. “And watch for two more girls: Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy!”
Twilight felt her heart tie into a knot.
Then Rarity called again. “But if you believe that rumor about Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, don’t you dare bother them about it. They deserve trouble, but not for that.”
Twilight blinked in confusion, but kept walking out to the car.
Once inside, Twilight started crying. Celestia put an arm around her.
“What’s wrong?”
She dried her tears, but only a little. “Those five are supposed to be my friends... my best friends. Seeing them fight like that...”
Celestia pulled her in for a hug. Twilight cried a bit more, but regained her composure. “I need to make this right. Priority three will be getting my friends back together. Do you know anything about them?”
Celestia sighed. “They used to be such good friends. But then one day they started fighting. After Rainbow Dash and Applejack got into a scuffle in the hallways, I pulled them in for questioning. They both gave conflicting stories, saying that the other had done something to upset the other. I tried asking the others, but they all either gave conflicting stories or refused to say anything. Since they hadn’t broken school rules, I couldn’t exactly force them to tell me anything.”
“What did Rarity mean about ‘that rumor’?”
“Well, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stayed friends. A few days later, a new rumor started that they were... in a relationship.”
Silence.
“And?”
“...And that’s it. People who didn’t like that kind of thing started harassing them.”
“...What sort of thing?”
Celestia looked at her guest. “Same-sex couples.”
“What? Why?”
“Several reasons,” Celestia said. “It’s a conversation we can have once we get home. But the point is, it hurt them. I put a stop to it, but the damage had been done, it drove the two apart.”
Twilight sighed. “I need to make it right.”
“I know. I hope you do better than I did.”
Twilight looked at the principal, who was gripping the steering wheel in anger. It took Twilight a moment to realize that the older woman was directing a lot of that anger at herself.
“Sunset’s been running this school for the last year and a half. Everything I’ve tried to stop her, either the school board got in the way or she just managed to slip away. I...” She was crying. “I suppose I haven’t been a good Principal.”
Twilight put a hand on her arm. “Don’t say that. I’m sure you’ve been a great Principal. You are my mentor’s double.”
“I’m not your Celestia. She sounds like the perfect Princess. I...”
“She’s not perfect. She’s made mistakes, but she’s kept going. She’s told me before, you can only do your best, and keep going despite it. Even after living for thousands of years, she’s made mistakes.”
Celestia looked at her. “Really?”
Twilight smiled. “Let me tell you about my brother’s wedding...”