//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Twilight Meets Twilight // Story: Little Sunny // by InsertAuthorHere //------------------------------// From across the store, Princess Twilight raised her hand and uttered a weak greeting. The others returned it in equal weakness, although whether it was out of surprise or shock (and in what measure) depended on who you spoke with. Rainbow Dash calmly approached the table, looking her usual cool and tough self, while the princess stood firmly in place and the not-princess tried to melt into the bench cushion. Rarity rose up as Rainbow approached, her arms opening in preparation for a hug, but froze as she saw her friend was coming alone. “Er...is she coming over?” “Of course not!” Twilight quickly muttered. “Don't you remember what I said last time? If we get too close, the whole universe will end!” “She's right, you know!” Princess Twilight shouted. “I'll just say everything I need from here!” Finally noticing that she had made the walk by herself, Rainbow Dash smacked her face against her palm and groaned. “Ugh, not this again.” She followed this display by slamming her hands against the table, turning around, and marching back to Princess Twilight. “Now listen, I am your friend. My life's been awesome since you became a part of it. And I am not going to sit around and let you treat one of my other friends like they're...cursed or have leprosy or something like that.” “B-But...you can't...” The princess' protests died in her throat as Rainbow Dash swung around behind her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and began pushing her closer. She struggled and fought with every ounce of strength she had, but now that she was without access to her magic, her puny bookworm strength was not sufficient to overcome her friend's toned physique. This world's Twilight, however, was under no such pressure. She quickly began to scoot her way out of the booth the moment she saw Rainbow Dash approaching. She likely would have made it had Rarity not slid out of her seat and swung across the side of the table in a single smooth motion, blocking off her friend's one path out. Twilight's eyes widened as she tried to scoot under the table, but Sunset, utilizing her reduced size, threw herself against her friend's lap, blocking any further movement. The entire parlor watched in a mixture of confusion, horror, and amusement. Princess Twilight's cries grew ever more frantic. Twilight whimpered one scientific explanation after another. But their cries were only answered by groans and eye rolls from their frustrated friends. Before long, Princess Twilight was right at the side of the booth, and Twilight was still stuck there. The two stared long and hard at each other. A touch of fear sparkled in their eyes. They let out a final scream as their friends grabbed their hands and slapped them together in a form resembling a handshake. The girls, resigned to the inevitable, closed their eyes. A burst of energy surged through their hands as they fused together. The two Twilights had barely enough time scream before they exploded, destroying the parlor and killing everyone else inside. This was followed by another blast, and another, and another. Reality bent and creaked as the matter of the universe was pulled apart a piece at a time, leaving nothing but blackness in its wake. The explosions daisy-chained their way across Canterlot and beyond. Horrible screams and wails echoed from every corner of the world, only to be suddenly silenced as people were torn apart from the inside-out molecule by molecule. The earth shuddered as the sky turned a dark shade of crimson. The oceans churned and boiled, while mountains crumbled into a fine dust. As the planet finally crumpled into nothingness, the chain reaction continued into the farthest reaches of space. The stars collapsed into black holes, one after another, until nothing remained but darkness. And even that dissolved into what could only be described as a vast emptiness. And then the Twilights opened their eyes. They were still in the ice cream parlor. Their hands were still touching, but nothing else. They weren't melting together, the universe wasn't exploding from a matter-antimatter collision, and the only damage their little show had caused was making everyone in the parlor think they were insane or on drugs. The two stared at each other's faces for a few seconds before simultaneously forcing a smile. “Heh...guess that just disproved a bunch of my theories,” chuckled Twilight. “Yeah, mine too,” laughed Princess Twilight. “I-I guess we look like total dorks?!” Twilight snorted and raised her glasses just enough to rub her right eye. Rarity slowly pulled herself back to her side of the booth, her eyes never once leaving Twilight as she scooted to the wall. Likewise, Sunset pulled herself back to her mountain of melting ice cream, all while staying within arm's length of her friend. “If the girls saw me now, they'd...” Princess Twilight chortled as she took a seat next to Rarity, directly across from her extra-dimensional counterpart. “I swear, they'd...” “Tell you how stupid you were acting?” Rainbow forcefully set a chair, liberated from one of the parlor's open tables, next to the booth, making certain that everybody could hear the metal scraping against the tile floor. She then threw herself onto its cushioned top, crossing both her arms and legs upon impact. Twilight rolled her eyes, still fighting an urge to burst out in full laughter. “To be fair, it was something to worry about. I mean, I did almost destroy the world once. Wouldn't want to do that again.” She laughed a little more, then less, and finally stopped. The sudden cramping in her heart made sustained mirth rather difficult. “Yeah, yeah, we almost destroyed the world, so glad we aren't gonna blow up, whatever,” moaned Rainbow Dash. “So now that we know you aren't gonna kill us all, could we please get on with this?” Princess Twilight let out the last gasp of her giggles and cleared her throat. She pulled her arms out of her backpack's straps and swung the bag onto the table. “I recently got a message from Sunset Shimmer. She's been keeping me updated with her research into how magic works in this world, and kept talking about how she was on the verge of some discovery.” She looked over at Sunset, her eyes brimming with worry. Sunset, for her part, set her spoon aside and quickly wiped her mouth clean before leaning back against the bench's cushioned back. Twilight leaned into the path of the princess' glare. Her lip trembled just a bit as she turned towards Sunset. “You mean...you were writing to her about our project? I thought it was our secret.” A few droplets of sweat began to streak down Sunset's forehead. “W-Well, Princess Twilight is a student of Celestia, too. I thought she might have some input on our theories.” “I really wasn't much help,” Princess Twilight quickly added. “The way magic works in this world is very different than in Equestria. The two of you have more or less had to figure this stuff out from the ground-up.” She smiled and clapped her hands together. “In fact, I've been hanging on Sunset's every word. A world without magic being introduced to its effects? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Twilight turned back to her doppelganger, eyebrow preemptively raised. “Opportunity? People have...” “In any case,” Rarity said, “why are you here, darling? I thought Sunset was just going to write you for some advice.” “She did, and I would have done that.” Princess Twilight patted her stuffed backpack as if it was an obedient puppy. “But when I started gathering what I had at the castle, I realized there were some fantastic books about time and age manipulation in the Starswirl the Bearded Wing in the Canterlot Archives. And then I realized we may be dealing with something more sinister, so I used my royal authority to pull a couple relevant books and scrolls out of the restricted section! Before I knew it, I had an entire library for us to work with! There was no way I could just put all of this on paper, so I ran over here as quickly as I could!” Rainbow Dash waved her hand dismissively. “It was more of a gait than a run, but eh, same diff.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Semantics aside, it was nice of you to bring us all this new...” That was when the reality of the situation struck her. “W-Wait...you mean all of the books in your bag are about magic?” Princess Twilight shrugged. “Well...yes. A lot of its theoretical and perhaps a tad philosophical. Age magic is so rarely used that it isn't heavily studied, and nearly every thesis on it discusses the morality of immortality, eternal youth, dark magic, and so on. A couple of them are also in Old Equestrian, so I'll have to translate them. But I did include a short book on combining magic with machinery, so hopefully that will help with...whatever it was you were working on.” Twilight grunted and crossed her arms. “It's a high-capacity electronic storage computer capable of identifying magical energies based on their EM frequency and holding them in stasis so they can be analyzed for common or repeated patterns, wavelengths and energy outputs.” “Oh...” Princess Twilight blushed and looked away. “Well, it...has a good picture of some windmills. Those are nice.” A wave of silence passed over the group, followed by quiet, and topped off with a helping of awkward stillness. Sunset, having finally gotten down to the banana core of her ice cream mountain, set her spoon aside and tapped her fingers nervously against the table. Rarity coughed politely in response to Rainbow's more forceful grunts, but otherwise said nothing. The two Twilights looked about, being careful not to make eye contact with each other for too long, pausing only occasionally to nervously chuckle or rub their arms. After about fifteen seconds of this, Sunset could take no more. She loudly cleared her throat, drawing everyone's eyes on her, and scooted closer to Twilight. This did nothing to calm the teenager's outward insecurities. “So, how long are you staying?” Princess Twilight shrugged. “However long it takes, I guess. I'm sure you know how tricky counterspells can be, and that's on Equestria.” “But is it really alright to spend so much time here?” asked Rarity. “Surely you have important princess responsibilities.” The princess' eyes dulled just a bit. “You would be amazed. Besides, Spike's more than capable of handling anything that comes up.” “...Spike...” Twilight glared at her counterpart. “You mean...my dog.” “Actually, he's less of a dog and more of a dragon.” “Yes, of course.” Twilight rolled her eyes and pressed her body further against the back cushion. “So are you planning to just jump in and out of the statue every day? Sunset's staying at my parents' house, but I don't think we should impose someone else on them.” There was a significant pause before Princess Twilight answered. It was not excessive, but it was long enough to make it clear that she had not thought that far ahead. That alone was enough to make Twilight's lips curl into a victorious smirk. “I...suppose I could just keep using the mirror. It wouldn't be the most convenient option, but...” That was when Rainbow Dash pulled herself forward, leaning over the table like an eagle ready to swoop in and save the day. “Back when Twilight was helping us with the Dazzlings, Pinkie threw a sleepover. Maybe you could do something like that.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. Sunset and Princess Twilight did likewise. “Sleepover? Like, a pajamas-pizza-pillow-fights-and-gossip-mill sleepover?” Rainbow Dash nodded her head. “Exactly! Just tell your folks you're having a friend over! It'll at least give you a couple hours to figure out a better plan!” Sunset and Rarity shrugged in half-hearted agreement. Princess Twilight likewise nodded along. That left only Twilight, who was tapping her chin in contemplation. “Well, I've had that Slumber 101 book I've wanted to use for years...and we have some leftover pizza still, assuming Shining didn't get to it yet...” She shook her head. “But I don't think it would work. I'd have to explain it to my parents, and...and we may not even have enough cash reserves to buy the parts for the new storage device...” That was when Princess Twilight raised her hand. “Well...I did have some of this world's currency stashed away from the last time I was here.” She quickly began searching through her backpack. “It's not much, but it might be able to...” “You mean what I loaned you the last time we went out for coffee?” asked Sunset. She cast an apologetic shrug at this world's version before continuing. “I know that might seem like a lot when you're working with bits, but dollars are...” That was when they heard something tumble about in the bag. Princess Twilight's face twisted in frustration as she pulled out a small cloth pouch. The drawstring had been pulled loose, revealing an assortment of perfectly-cut diamonds within. “Sorry, sorry,” she muttered as she closed the pouch. “That was probably Spike's snack packs. I swear, I keep telling him not to shove those things in my saddle bags. It's not like he has to hide them.” That was when she noticed three pairs of eyes staring at her in slack-jawed surprise. “Wh-What is everyone looking at?” “This feels wrong,” Princess Twilight muttered for the third time as they exited the pawn shop. “You bet it's wrong!” said Rainbow Dash, her voice edging dangerously close to an exuberant squeal. “You mean you've been living in a gold mine and haven't told any of us?!” The princess nervously chuckled and rolled her shoulders. “I-I didn't think it was that big a deal! Sure, some gemstones are valuable, but not like...that.” Bringing up the middle of the group, and standing right behind Princess Twilight, the human Twilight opened her doppleganger's backpack – which was now securely in her own arms – and gazed in wonderment at the pile within. Standing on top of the books was the biggest wad of bills she had ever seen in her life, held together by only a flimsy rubber band. Rarity brought up the rear, her eagle eyes scanning every inch of the street for potential thieves and muggers. That left Sunset, who was very slowly following up Rarity. Her face seemed to become more and more flush with every step. “So...do you think that will be enough to build your...thing?” asked Rarity. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Probably, and then a few more on top of that. But it's really her money, not mine.” She pointed towards Princess Twilight. “It wouldn't be right for me to use it without her permission.” “Hey, come on, you're both Twilight, right?” said Rainbow Dash. “W-We'll have to...talk about it,” said Princess Twilight. “I'm certain we can work something out. After all, I am the Princess of Friendship.” The right side of Twilight's face tensed up briefly, causing her eye to twitch and the sides of her lips to wobble. It took all of her willpower to force her expression back into something resembling neutral. “What does a...'Princess of Friendship' do, anyway?” Princess Twilight shrugged. “Oh, you know, friendship and princess things. I was mostly showing up for ceremonies and things like that, but lately my friends and I have turned our attention towards spreading the magic of friendship all over Equestria. And I'm sure Starlight wouldn't mind joining us, once she's...” “Starlight?” Twilight interjected. “Oh, that's right, you haven't met her. She's my student.” There was a gap of about five seconds between when Princess Twilight had uttered those words, and when she finally noticed that everyone had stopped dead in their tracks. She turned around to her friends, who all wore masks of total befuddlement. “What?” “Y-You're a teacher now?” asked Rarity. “I thought you were a princess.” “I'm both, actually, just like Princess Celestia.” Princess Twilight's eyes gleamed as she spoke those words. She was practically swaying over with pride. “She's been a...challenge, but I'm certain she'll be understanding the magic of friendship before long.” Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. She turned around towards Sunset to ask her for more information – after all, she had been talking to the princess behind her back – only to notice her little friend standing frozen in place, bent over, and clutching her knees. Sunset's skin was unusually pale, and despite the mop of hair obscuring her face, it was obvious she was sweating profusely. “Sunset!” Twilight cried. The sudden outburst drew everyone's attention away from Princess Twilight's story about how her student mind controlled an entire town. Sunset groaned and painfully swallowed back...something in her throat as everyone rushed around her. “What's wrong?” Sunset let out another mournful moan. “I-I don't know. I was fine until we started walking, and then my stomach started...” Her eyes went wide. “It must have been all that i-i-ice...” Then Sunset regurgitated a very chocolatey stream of puke onto the sidewalk. Thankfully, Sunset had managed to avoid vomiting in Rarity's car, if only because the pain in her stomach was a mere trifle compared to the unbridled rage the vehicle's owner would unleash if anything was left stained yellow and smelling like orange juice. This was not helped by Rarity's driving, as she made an impressive showing of flooring it at every light and pausing for only the briefest moment at each stop sign. By the time she had pulled up next to Twilight's house, the girl's face had turned the same golden-green complexion as the puke that was begging to get out. The two Twilights and their ill friend quickly vacated the vehicle, the older ones carrying all the bags. Rarity gave a final nod and wave before driving away, just in case things got bad on the front steps. Twilight swung her arm across the horizon of her family's house. “Welcome to my home,” she said. She quickly caught herself and retracted her arm to her side. “That is, our home, I guess?” Princess Twilight blinked once, then twice, and finally a third time. “Wow, it's so....cozy?” Twilight winced. “Well, it's no crystal-funhouse palace or whatever you have, but...” “Even my old home back in Canterlot was nicer than...” Twilight groaned and rubbed her temple. “What does it matter?! It's a house in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Canterlot, and it's not far from the bus stop. It's perfect, if you ask me.” Sunset shrugged, her stomach obviously still pulling stunts but otherwise seeming a bit more relaxed than earlier. “It's actually a pretty awesome...” She gagged and fell over as another burst of pain shot through her stomach. She had barely enough time to turn herself back towards the curb before letting out another stream of vomit. Both Twilights knelt down next to their friend, as all attempts to vocalize support died in the wake of the tears brimming in Sunset's eyes. “Damn it, why is this happening to me?!” “I don't know,” said Princess Twilight. “There's so much about this world's magic that we don't...” “I don't mean the stupid spell!” Sunset growled. Her back was still turned to the older girls, but they could make out the small bits of bile-tipped saliva spewing out as she raved. “I mean this whole freaking day has been horrible! My whole life has been horrible! I was Princess Celestia's student! Why am I puking my guts up in someone's driveway?!” “Oh...I don't know about that, either.” Princess Twilight's words were neutral in tone, but the glare she cast towards Twilight was easy enough to understand. “I-In any case,” said Twilight, “we have to get Sunset inside the house and upstairs without my family seeing.” Princess Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Why? Shouldn't there be one downstairs that-” “If they see I've poisoned the only friend I've ever brought over, they'll never leave me unsupervised around a child again! And that's assuming they don't think she's sick because she got drunk or something. They know she's a teenager. They know what teenagers who wear leather jackets do!” Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake. “I-I mean, I don't think Sunset's ever done that! And she certainly wouldn't do that now, but-” “Twilight,” Sunset muttered. The pain in her belly choked her vocal chords, making her sound like a miniature messenger from Tartarus. “Shut up.” Twilight fell silent immediately, even as the trembling of her lips revealed the voices were still stomping around inside her mind. Princess Twilight's gaze softened just slightly as she rubbed a hand against Sunset's back. “Do you have a plan?” Nobody seemed to jump up as Twilight slowly opened the door. The living room lights were off, making the illumination from the kitchen all the brighter. The three could hear movement coming from that room, along with voices even the newcomer could ping as familiar, but they did not seem to notice that someone else was now in the house. Twilight took a few more cautious steps in before motioning for Princess Twilight to enter, carrying Sunset in her arms. The girl moaned and groaned, and whispered a few curses at the indignity of being carted around like a sack of groceries, but the dancing in her stomach had sapped much of her ability to protest. “Now...what?” gasped the princess, her body ready to tear itself apart from the demanding weight of a small child. “I'll go in first and get their attention,” whispered Twilight. “Give me thirty seconds, and then bolt for the stairs. Sunset can show you the bathroom.” Both Princess Twilight and Sunset nodded in affirmation. Twilight straightened herself, took a deep breath, and walked straight towards the back of the house. Sure enough, her family was gathered in the dining room, save for Shining Armor, who was positioned over a steaming pot of some kind. Night Light was seated at his usual spot, while Twilight Velvet was finishing placing some forks down. They did not seem to notice Twilight's presence until she loudly cleared her throat. “H-Hello, everyone. How is...everything?” “You're late, Twily,” grumbled Shining Armor. “Late?” Someone seemed to switch on a sauna inside Twilight, as her body quickly became quite hot. She quickly wiped some of the sweat streaking down her brow. She could feel every muscle in her body screaming for her to cringe, or shrink down, or otherwise run away from the hopeless encounter. Only by the grace of friendship was she able to still stand and smile at her folks. “O-Of course I'm late! I mean, I'm sorry. Sunset and I were having so much fun and...well, we lost track of time.” Night Light shrugged. “Understandable. You're a big girl, and we know you can take care of yourself. Just remember to give us a call next time, okay? Your parents worry sometimes.” “O-Of course.” Twilight's head bobbed up and down like a dashboard bobblehead for several seconds. She could just barely pick up the sound of her doppleganger making her way up the stairs – so far, the plan had worked perfectly. Too perfectly. “So...anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Twilight Velvet shrugged. “Nothing spectacular here. Anything exciting happen to you girls?” Twilight chuckled nervously and tapped her fingers together. “Well, it's a little...hard to describe, but...well, you see...” “No, we're not playing this again!” Shining slammed the spoon back into the pot so hard the whole stove shook. Twilight yelped and took a step back, but her brother's anger was thankfully limited to flinging kitchen utensils and pointing his finger like it was the tip of a laser. “In the space of two weeks, you've suddenly abandoned your dream of getting into Everton to go to Canterlot High, became friends with a magic pony-turned-human, and transformed said pony-turned-human into a child. So whatever insane little story you have now, trust me, it'll be more believable than anything else you've made up so far.” “M-Made up?” Twilight felt her head twitching involuntarily. “I-I mean, I haven't lied about...” Night Light slammed a hand against the table. “Shining Armor! What have I told you about calling your sister a liar?” “I'm not!” Shining shouted back. “I'm just stating the facts! There has been weird stuff going on at that school ever since that dance incident. Twilight goes there for the Friendship Games, and all of the sudden she's talking about 'magic' and building weird machines that blow up!” Within Twilight's finely-ordered mind, the tiniest thread snapped. She slammed her foot against the ground, causing the room to echo with the muted and dull sound of something stomping on a carpet. “And what about you? Ever since I got back from the Friendship Games, I swear you've been...” Princess Twilight rapped her fingers against the darkened hallway wall. She couldn't see what was happening downstairs from her position, but she could still recognize the voices. One was unmistakeably her other self, the child with the large spectacles. And the other... She looked over at the closed bathroom door. “Sunset, do I have a brother in this world?” From the other side of the door, a weak voice groaned and gasped before responding. “Yeah. Shining Armor or something, I think.” “Do they...get along?” “No idea. I don't think he's taking the whole 'magic and unicorns exist' thing too well. He spent yesterday morning trying to prove his sister was just a kidnapper.” “I see.” Princess Twilight leaned further against the wall, nervously rubbing her right hand against her left arm. She didn't understand why, but it seemed to help this body calm down somehow. “You don't suppose I...” “Twilight, is that you?!” The princess' ears vainly attempted to perk upwards at the sound of Spike's voice. Operating on reflex, she turned towards an open door down the hallway, from which a small purple dog was charging forward. She smiled and knelt over just as Spike stopped mere steps from her, positioning his neck perfectly for ear scratches. The princess was only too happy to oblige. “Oh, you must be this world's Spike. It's a pleasure to...” Spike took one sniff of her outreached hand before biting down hard. Princess Twilight yelped in surprise and pulled her fingers free from the dog's grip. The attack had thankfully not been hard enough to draw blood, but her individual digits were still stinging. Even worse, however, was the dog's low growl and the murderous glint in his eyes. “You're not Twilight,” he snarled. “What are you?!” This was not something the Princess of Friendship had prepared for. She quickly rose back to her feet and began walking backwards, desperate to put as much distance between her and the mad dog as possible. The puppy, sensing its dominance, pressed the attack forward, keeping pace with Twilight's steps until she was backed against the wall. The shouting from downstairs was still going on, meaning that nobody had heard the commotion upstairs. “Um...Sunset?” the princess shouted. “I-I think there's something wrong with this Spike...” There was no answer, other than the sound of a toilet flushing and a child letting out a moan of absolute agony. The dog was now less than a foot from Princess Twilight, having positioned himself halfway between the hall and the stairs. She quickly surveyed the hall for any escape route, but other than locking herself in one of the rooms, found none. “L-Look, Spike,” she said through clenched teeth, “I think you may have gotten the teensiest bit confused....” “I know exactly what's going on! You're some imposter disguising yourself as Twilight so you can take over our territory! You may be able to fool the humans downstairs, but you made one little mistake. You don't smell at all like Twilight!” “B-But I'm not...” She paused as an idea formed in her head. She relaxed herself against the wall and smiled at the puppy. Spike took a step back, but never diverted his eyes from his target. “Wow, you...really have a good sense of smell, huh?” A momentary glint of confusion sparkled in Spike's eye. The dog seated himself on his rear and placed a paw upon his chest, while his aggressive demeanor melted into something resembling canine vanity. “Why, yes. I don't mean to brag, but I've always been a good sniffer. Like that time I sniffed the moldy sandwich out of her lab at school.” “Really?” Princess Twilight clapped her hands together and leaned forward. “Please, tell me more.” Spike cocked his head and gave the kind of shrug only a little dog could give. “No problem.” He closed his eyes and stuck his nose upwards, like he was the grand prize winner at a national dog show. “It all started one rainy night. Twilight had gotten back from the library...” And so the brave little guard dog bragged about his exploits to the empty spot once occupied by Princess Twilight Sparkle. “And your breath smells, too!” shouted Shining Armor. “At least I floss everyday!” responded Twilight. “Flossing hurts my gums, okay?!” retorted Shining. “And the next time...you...go...” All activity in the downstairs ceased as Princess Twilight stumbled down the steps. In her haste to descend she had apparently lost her footing and slid forward, causing her to wobble back and forth as she struggled to regain control of her forward momentum. She finally came to a stop on the bottom step, if only by pressing much of the weight of her body against the railing. She let out a strained laugh as she stared at the dumbstruck humans. “Um...hello?” While Shining Armor chose to stand in place with his jaw open, Twilight Velvet and Night Light rose from their seats and slowly approached the newcomer. She became noticeably tense as they approached, as if trying to decide between standing her ground or fleeing back upstairs, but the audible growling of a small dog from the top of the stairs seemed to be enough to convince her to be brave. The parents were likewise shocked as they took in the girl's seeming exactness to their daughter. The hair was styled differently, the clothes didn't match, and there were a few minor differences, but it was otherwise a mirror of Twilight. The two turned back towards their daughter, their eyes burning with disappointment. The hairs on Twilight's neck stood on end as she felt the full onslaught of her parents' invisible shame beams. “Twilight Sparkle, we are very upset with you right now,” said Twilight Velvet. Twilight gulped. “I-I can explain...” she barely managed to croak. “We have given you a lot of freedom because we trusted you,” said Night Light. “We never questioned your experiments, or your studies, or what you did in your free time, because we trusted you to be responsible.” Twilight nodded. “I know,” she quietly whined as she wiped her eyes. “S-She didn't do anything wrong!” Princess Twilight blurted out. “If you would just give me a minute to explain...” “There's no need to explain,” Twilight Velvet said, her voice low and threatening. “Our daughter has gone behind our backs.” “I-I didn't mean...” Night Light crossed his arms and leaned back just slightly, giving him the intense posture of a world-destroying conqueror. “What did we tell you about cloning yourself?!” “Y-You told me...?” The tears nearly receded right back into their ducts as Twilight's eyes widened. Her jaw likewise became slightly unhinged and swung open, leaving her looking like a dumbfounded kindergartner who was just told they were going to be tested on differential calculus. Princess Twilight reacted the exact same way, which admittedly did little to disprove the family's theory. “Ever since you heard about that sheep, you've been wanting your own clone.” Twilight Velvet shook her head sadly. “You kept saying that you and she would read books together, gossip about coursework, and be best friends. We kept telling you that creating life was a bigger responsibility than taking care of a pet, but you never listened.” By then, Twilight had recovered enough of her willpower to compel her mouth to work properly. Her eyelids closed until they almost formed a “V” shape with her forehead. “Yes, and then I learned more about the science, realized it was impossible, and stopped talking about it.” And nobody would care if you didn't keep mentioning it anytime you think it's “cute.” Night Light nodded, his face still stern. “So you swear she's not a clone.” “YES!” both Twilights said at once. “In that case...” Velvet's eyes suddenly glowed like stars, which were accompanied by a manic grin. “Is she another new friend?” “Well...uh...I suppose?” Twilight shrugged. “I mean, she's...well, I dunno what, but...well...” Princess Twilight coughed loudly, drawing everyone's eyes to her. “I...think I can explain this better.” She straightened herself and stepped down the steps until she was on the carpet. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am essentially a version of your daughter from another dimension. I've come here from another dimension to help with Sunset Shimmer's predicament. I'm sorry if I've caused any of you any distress.” She even gave a little bow at the end, prompting cries of affection from the parents and a groan and pout from Twilight, who had decided to start moving towards Shining Armor. The sight of his actual sister approaching was enough to tear Shining's eyes away from the fake one. “So...is she another pony?” he asked. Twilight nodded, her eyes downturned. Shining shook his head. “...You attract the weirdest people, Twily.” By then, the rest of the household had joined the wayward children in the kitchen. Princess Twilight was smiling and stepping with an absolute zest, which only furthered Twilight's groaning. The sight of her parents huddling around the intruder and beaming with pride did not help matters. “Dear, the other you is joining us for dinner,” said Night Light. “I have to say, the last couple days have been quite amazing.” “Yes...amazing...wonderful,” Twilight muttered. “So...what's for dinner tonight?” Princess Twilight asked, doing her best not to make eye contact with the other her. Twilight Velvet closed her eyes and grinned. “Shining and I made your- I mean, my daughter's favorite: QUESDAILLAS!” Twilight's mood perked up. “Really?” Princess Twilight's heart seized up. “Really?!” “It's been a while since we made them,” Shining said with a shrug. “We also made some meatless ones for your friend. Speaking of which, where is she?” Twilight turned towards the stairs. “Well...” From within the bathroom, Sunset prayed that her death would be swift and merciful. Princess Twilight let out the chuckle of the damned as her plate was served. Nestled between a spoonful of guacamole and a generous serving of rice were three finely-cut triangles. She shuddered as she pondered her situation, trapped with a strange copy of her family and having to endure the horrible things laying before her. What made matters worse was that this world's Twilight Velvet shared at least one trait with her equine counterpart: she did not go easy on the cheese. Lots and lots and lots of cheese. And sitting next to Princess Twilight was someone that looked just like her, sounded just like her, and in a fair world should have been just like her. And yet she approached her fate as if she had not a care in the world. Almost as if she actually enjoyed... No, that can't be it. Princess Twilight shook her head. That's one difference too many. Twilight Velvet raised her water glass to her lips, but did not drink. Her hand remained hovering in the air, shaking just enough to cause droplets of the liquid within to bounce out of their transparent prison. Her eyes remained firmly locked on Princess Twilight, which only served to further her anxious desire to flee from the room. “So, tell us more about yourself, er...Twilight.” Princess Twilight chuckled nervously behind gritted teeth. She found herself scratching at the back of her head with her right knuckle, pausing only long enough to will her fist to open and let the fingers do their job. “Well...I'm actually a pony, for one thing.” Twilight swallowed a bite of her dinner. “Just like Sunset Shimmer.” Shining Armor rolled his eyes and grumbled something inaudible, but the parents simply responded with casual sips of their beverages and curious expressions. “Apparently, she had come here twice before the Friendship Games.” Night Light raised an eyebrow. “Really? This isn't your first time to this world?” Princess Twilight shook her head. “Some time ago, Sunset Shimmer stole my crown. I followed her back to this world and, long story short, we got it back. Then there was some trouble with Sirens trying to take over everyone's mind...” Twilight nodded. “The giant Battle of the Bands at Canterlot High.” “...And that pretty much brings us to today!” Princess Twilight quickly scooped up a forkful of rice and shoved it in her mouth in a very princess-like way. That is to say, she swallowed so much that one of her cheeks was swelled up as if she had the mumps. Twilight Velvet leaned back in her chair. Her thumb slid across the exterior of her glass, leaving a long streak on the surface. “I have to say, we have learned quite a bit these last few days,” she said. She sat the glass down and planted her elbows on the table, creating a perfect little stand for her chin to rest on. “So, what do you think of this world? How does it compare to your home? How do we compare?” Princess Twilight jerked backwards slightly at the barrage of the questions. She looked to her counterpart, who simply shrugged and continued to slowly cut and eat her quesadillas a forkload at a time. “I...dunno? I've only been over here a couple of times. I...suppose Sunset could answer that question a bit better...” “But Sunset's our guest. You're our daughter.” A loud scraping sound emanated from Twilight's plate. Everyone turned their attention to her for just a moment, which was enough for her to slowly set her knife down, the blade obscuring the nick in the plate's surface. Twilight smiled and nodded to her family, her lips curling up so high her cheeks threatened to buck her glasses straight into the rice. “I-It's fine. Finger slipped.” “Heh, I know the feeling,” said Princess Twilight. She raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers towards herself. “Out of all the strange things about this world, I think this is what took the most getting used to. Not to mention walking on two legs.” “Yeah, I'd bet,” Shining Armor mumbled, complete with the mandatory eye roll. “So, what do you do back in your world?” asked Night Light. “Are you another lifetime honor student like our little Twily?” Both Twilights blushed, but only the princess answered. “A-Actually, I'm no longer a student. I mean, I still love to study new things, but between all my duties as a princess...” The remainder of that sentence was cut short as water erupted from Twilight Velvet's lips. Night Light set his hand on her shoulder and passed an extra napkin as she coughed and sputtered an apology. Shining Armor, having been beverage-free at the time, settled for dropping his fork against his plate and staring at Princess Twilight in awe. The princess slid down in her chair slightly, her eyes darting to her sides as she tried to shield herself with the wings she no longer possessed. “M-My daughter's a princess?” muttered Velvet. “No, she isn't,” Twilight said curtly. Princess Twilight nodded. “Your daughter's right. We may share some kind of link across universes, but we are different pon- I mean, people. We've lived very different lives in very different environments. Using me as a way to measure progress would be like if you compared our Shining Armors.” In an instant, everyone's eyes diverted from the visiting pony princess to the flummoxed college student. Shining Armor shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “So there's a pony version of me, too? Is, like, every person here somehow a magic horse there?” Princess Twilight rolled her eyes. “Maybe, I guess? I really haven't had time to look into it all.” Twilight cocked her gaze towards her double. “Tell me, is your Shining Armor a dorky know-it-all who calls his sister a liar?” Shining grumbled something indecipherable in protest, Twilight retaliated by sticking her tongue out, and the parents shut the whole thing down with a glare that paralyzed both combatants. “N-Not really.” Princess Twilight scooted her fork over what little remained of her rice – at least that part was safe to eat. “I mean, yeah, he was kind of a doofus growing up, but he was still the coolest big brother you could have. Not every pony grows up to marry a princess and rule over an empire.” In an instant, the entire dining room erupted into chaos. Shining Armor choked on his dream, his eyes bugging out at this window into his future. Twilight's utensils tumbled onto her plate, freeing her hands so she could cover her mouth in shock. Velvet and Night Light settled on simple gasps, their faces frozen into expressions that were halfway between overjoyed and mortified. And Princess Twilight simply sank deeper into her chair, trembling nervously at the chaos she had unleashed. “I-I'm marrying a princess?!” Shining gasped, his voice still coarse. “I mean, that's great but...does Cadance know?” “C-Cadance...is the princess,” said Princess Twilight. Shining's jaw dropped. “B-B-But she's just a dean! I mean, yeah, a dean at Crystal Prep is pretty high standing, but...” “And you...just...had a baby.” Twilight's jaw joined Shining's. “What? I'm an aunt?!” Princess Twilight's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. “I am an aunt. But yes, my brother and his wife have a happy, healthy...very active bundle of joy.” A part of Twilight wanted to dig in further, but the tone in the princess' voice convinced her otherwise. She settled instead on returning to her dinner, while Shining looked like a corpse the family had propped up for a macabre puppet show. “I-I'm gonna be a father...” “So, when's the wedding?” asked Twilight Velvet. Life returned to Shining Armor almost immediately. He rocketed himself back into an upright seated position and stared blankly ahead, comprehending nothing. “I...I don't want to talk about this anymore. I have heard enough.” Twilight swallowed another bite of quesadilla. Her eyes turned towards her majesty's dish, and it did not take long to notice how the rice was gone and the triangles were untouched. “So...food's not good enough for you?” she mumbled. “Wh-What?!” Princess Twilight stopped trying to fing with her fingers and returned her gaze to the plate. “I-It's not that it's bad. It's just...” Night Light smiled and leaned forward. “If you would like something else, I think we have some leftover pizza...” A loud cough from Shining Armor followed. “Scratch that, had some leftover pizza. Well, we could still figure out something...” “No no no, it...it won't be necessary.” Princess Twilight could feel the first beads of sweat sliding down her face. The food on her plate was staring at her, taunting her with its foul and unwholesome cheesiness. Around her, everyone was still enjoying their quesadillas, as they seemed to pay no mind to the tortilla breaking into flakes around their fingers or the gobs of cheese leaking from every edge. Only her counterpart seemed to be playing it safe with her knife and fork. At least she's got good table manners. She gulped down a big lump of air. She must be pacing herself to make the ordeal more manageable. Maybe her family was cruel enough to keep forcing this on her after she told them she didn't like them. I mean, I don't like them, so there's no way she can. But I'm the Princess of Friendship, and I will not be an ungrateful guest. I...I have to plunge into this headfirst, like Rainbow Dash would. Princess Twilight gently set her fork down next to her plate. She raised her now-free right hand to shoulder level before plunging it back down towards the middle of the dish. In one swift motion, she grabbed the middlemost triangle, brought the tip of it to her mouth, and bit down hard. The quesadilla struggled against her with all its might, burning the edges of her lips and the inside of her mouth with its innards, but eventually she managed to swallow the malicious meal. It tasted okay. The naturally human Sparkles watched the spectacle in silence. Princess Twilight slowly forced down another bite before setting the quesadilla back on her plate. She could only hope that she hadn't moved her hand too quickly to her napkin to wipe the excess oil and cheese from her hand. “Th-Thank you,” she muttered. “It's been a...lovely dinner.” “Always happy to have guests,” said Twilight Velvet. “So, getting back to the topic, any more thoughts on our strange little world?” Princess Twilight rolled her eyes away. “W-Well, I suppose there's something I've noticed. Ever since we started eating, everyone's been using their hands on...these.” She motioned to the quesadillas, her lips momentarily curling into a scornful sneer. “But your daughter is just...cutting them up and eating them.” Twilight was halfway towards shoveling in another forkful when the words found their way down her ear canal. She slowly set the utensil back down and, her nose upturned and eyes shut in that formal sort of way, turned towards her regal counterpart. “That's because I am a proper lady, and I will not dirty my hands with something that can be eaten perfectly well with a dinner fork. I have studied everything about formal dining, especially proper silverware placement, and I am preparing myself for the adult world.” Princess Twilight cocked her head. “But...your parents were using their hands.” Twilight's eyes opened. “Well...yes, but what I'm doing is perfectly...” “And it seems really counter-intuitive to eat something like this the way you are. Food like this is one of the times I can really say having hands is better than hooves.” Twilight's nose descended. “B-But...table manners...important people...” Twilight Velvet sighed and braced both hands against the table. “Hon, we've been meaning to talk about this for a while. We're proud that you're so well-behaved and mature for your age. It's just that...you always seem so tense when you're around us.” “What? I'm not tense! I've never been so relaxed in my life!” Twilight said as her entire body stiffened and became as rigid and unmoving as a large rock in a flat, pleasant valley. “It's just that I want to be ready for when I'm dining with someone important.” “And your family's not important?” Shining Armor quickly added. Twilight's skin seemed to turn thistle, as if someone had pulled the plug and drained the color from her body. “Y...Y...You're all important! I love all of you, really! But I want to be ready for when I do go to one of these formal dinners!” Night Light shrugged. “And that's fine. But we just want you to relax a little. I mean, just look at the princess...” In an instant, Twilight shot up from her chair and slammed her palms against the table, causing the plates to do a quick hop before landing. It was only by sheer providence, a chance planetary alignment, and physics taking a profound dislike to the Sparkle household that nothing tipped over or crashed. Princess Twilight leaned away from her counterpart in horror, while everyone else leaped out of their chairs in surprise. Twilight silently stared at everyone, her breathing becoming increasingly erratic as she turned her head. She regarded her brother, who had gone from her best friend in the world to her calling her a liar. She regarded Princess Twilight, and while she had trouble understanding her emotions, she knew they weren't good. She regarded the staircase, at the top of which her best friend was currently worshiping at the porcelain altar. And she regarded her parents. Her scared, concerned parents. Who probably hated her even more now. The anger in Twilight's face melted into a look of humiliation, coupled with a bit of sorrow. She slowly moved her hands off the table and lowered her head. “I'm done,” she said, her voice slightly slurred. She draped a napkin across the top of the place and started walking towards the door. “If you need me, I'll be in the garage.” She heard her other self say something, but she didn't care. Compared to designing a magic storage device, fixing up an old bike was child's play. In the short period of time since she had excused herself from dinner, Twilight had switched in the old chain, replaced both tires, and wiped the frame clean of rust, dust and cobwebs. Save for the chipped paint and faded stickers (which Twilight could not bring herself to remove), the whole thing was looking quite pleasant, even in the dim light provided by the garage bulb. For the first time that day, Twilight allowed herself a long, exasperated sigh. Her body slid into the unfolded card chair like a deflating balloon as a long and exhausting day finally caught up with her. Even in her present state, however, she could not help but behold the little red bicycle with a measure of pride. Nothing in the world could surpass the good feelings that came with a project well done. Twilight crossed her arms and let out a mighty harrumph. “Perfect. Sunset's just going to love this.” Her moment was brief, however, as she heard a loud squeaking, followed by a voice saying, “Um...hello?” Twilight turned her eyes to the garage's side door, which was now open. Standing at the other end was Princess Twilight, looking quite tired herself. Despite her best efforts, Twilight could feel her eyes narrow slightly at her counterpart's approach. “May I help you?” There was a brief flash of concern in Princess Twilight's face, but her face otherwise remained in a goofy, semi-charming smile. She slid into the garage with all the grace of a petal on the wind, pausing only to close the door behind her to keep out the draft. “A-Actually, I wanted to talk to you. I was really worried after what happened...you know, during dinner.” Twilight's nerves tightened, as if she was running steel wool under her skin. “Yes. I assume I've horrified my family into silence.” “Actually, they...told me to let you calm down on your own,” Princess Twilight said, her voice just ever-so-dainty. “Besides, we really haven't had much of a chance to, you know, do some girl-talk...I guess?” Twilight rolled her eyes and, with a heavy groan, pulled herself from her hard metal seat. She grabbed another chair from the mishmash of goods in the garage's corner and, after barely resisting the urge to slam the princess in the face, unfolded it next to her own, closer to the door. “Fine,” she muttered as she sat back in her own chair, much less joyful than before. “Er...thanks?” Princess Twilight quickly seated herself before the offer could possibly be redacted. Her gaze locked onto the bicycle. “So...this looks nice?” Twilight shrugged. “I'm almost done with the repairs. Sunset should be able to use it by tomorrow morning.” She glanced over towards Princess Twilight. “That is, assuming you don't zap her back to normal during the night.” The princess sighed. “I wish I could, but age spells are extremely tricky. I've never even been able to perform one myself.” She rubbed her bare forehead with her left hand. “And besides, these bodies are kind of missing some of the required features to use magic. Even when we grow pony ears and tails, the horns don't follow.” Twilight closed her eyes and adjusted her glasses. She was doing her best to maintain a professional atmosphere, even if her attempts were hopelessly transparent. “So...you said you brought books about magic?” “Um...yes?” Princess Twilight's right eyebrow crept upwards slightly. “Would it be okay if I...took a look a them?” Twilight's voice jumped up just a bit as she spoke, betraying the internal squealing at having all the answers just within arm's reach. She coughed loudly and cleared her throat, restoring her vocal abilities to normal. “It would make rebuilding the machine much easier.” “Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.” Princess Twilight took a deep breath as her counterpart's eyes opened warily. “I've been thinking about the situation here and...I don't know if we can reverse the spell. At least, not in this world.” Twilight felt a chill run up her spine. “You mean you...want her to go back to Equestria? I've talked to her about that, too, and...she's a bit nervous about doing that right now.” Princess Twilight shrugged with her right shoulder. “I understand, but this is an unusual situation. I'm just saying that we might want some experts to take a look at this, perhaps even the princesses. Canterlot has some of the brightest minds when it comes to understanding the most complex and bizarre of spells, especially ones that almost nopony can use.” Twilight nodded along in silent contemplation. As much as she wanted to argue, there was some degree of logic in Princess Twilight's words. Even just a bit of input from an expert in this field could give them the clue they needed to unraveling this spell. And in any case, Sunset's well-being had to come first. She was her friend, and she would not allow... “I can understand wanting to experiment, but wouldn't it be best if we left this to somepony who knows something about magic?” At that precise moment, a nerve in Twilight's brain exploded, sending her right eye into twitchy convulsions. She slammed both hands against the table and pulled herself into a standing position before turning towards the princess. It was fortunate that Twilight wore glasses; otherwise, the princess might have been reduced to ash from the burning anger in her eyes. “Excuse me?! Sunset and I happen to be the closest things to experts on how magic works in this world!” Princess Twilight crossed her arms neatly under her chest. “And that's exactly my point. This is an entirely new field of study, and we need ponies that know how to analyze this...” “I was able to measure the exact EM Frequency of an astral projection of a winged unicorn destroying three sea monsters and designed a prototype storage device capable of containing said energy so it could be safely transported and studied!” Twilight could feel the fire burning within as she whipped her glasses off. Beneath the blur, she could make out Princess Twilight shrinking back in her chair. “And I made it so small it could fit inside of a compact! That's not to mention how I was able to build a much larger and more reliable device out of electronic scrap! You give me an hour with those magic books of yours, and I could probably make a cell phone app that can zap Sunset back to normal in five minutes!” The room fell silent for several seconds. Both Twilights stared each other down, even if one of them really needed to squint to see anything. The human Twilight rubbed her fingers against the hinges of her glasses as her opponent said nothing. No response, no verbal lashing, no anything. A cruel smile slipped across her mouth as she placed her glasses back on. With her vision restored, she could now see her counterpart's anguished, confused expression. Princess Twilight tried to shy away, but the sweat on her brow and the quivering of her lips were telling enough. “...You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?” “You...I...I know about this world, okay?!” Twilight leaped back against the table as Princess Twilight hoisted herself upwards. The regal aura had dissipated entirely, leaving behind a room with two angry teenage identical twins. “I've been to this world multiple times! I know about cars, cell phones, computers, television...” “Do you know how they work?” Princess Twilight's gaze softened, if only out of surprise at the question. “Well...no, not really. B-But...” “I do. I've been studying them my whole life.” Twilight's smile opened just enough to show a little teeth. “Don't worry, though. I'm sure you'll catch up with the rest of us before long.” That was when something snapped inside the princess' own brain. The sudden electrical impulse caused her to grit her teeth and clench her fists. “I'll have you know I could learn everything about this world's technology if I wanted to. We just don't need things like...cell phones in Equestria when we have magic!” “And yet when Sunset and I started exploring magic together, she insisted that we focus on incorporating it into modern devices.” Twilight adjusted her glasses menacingly. “In fact, she was insistent that the ways she studied magic in Equestria would not work here. So, princess, what was that you were saying about experts?” “I'll have you know that I am the Princess of Friendship! I was the student of Princess Celestia herself! I've completed my studies and become one of the rulers of Equestria! Y-You're still in high school!” So what, you get to stand around and look pretty and that makes you better than me? At least I worked to get where I am! I didn't need some princess to prop me up!” “You listen to me, you little...!” “Shut up, you big...!” There was a knock on the door. The two Twilights, who had just moments earlier stood at the brink of grappling with each other for dominance, froze as the voice of Sunset Shimmer called from the other end. “Hello? Twilight, Twilight, are you girls in there?” Twilight looked at Princess Twilight. Both of their faces were twisted in discomfort, which was barely enough to mask their sense of burning wrath. As they scanned each other, an unspoken understanding etched itself in both of their minds. As much as it pained them to do so, there was only one way they could present themselves to their common friend... The door opened. “Twilight?” Sunset Shimmer, clad in a pair of yellow, slightly tight pajamas, almost jumped back when she saw both Twilights. They were staring at her with big, toothy smiles and shimmering eyes. Twilight had clasped her hands together at chest level, while Princess Twilight moved hers together behind her back and kicked up the back of her right foot. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer!” they both shouted in unison. What followed was about fifteen seconds of tense silence, all three girls completely unmoving, unwavering in their expressions. That was how long it took for Sunset to join them in their smiles. “So...you girls are getting along?” “Why, yes!” said Twilight, followed by a painful laugh. “Why wouldn't we be?” “Well, you seemed pretty upset back in town.” Sunset cocked her head. “And I heard about what happened at dinner.” “Oh...that?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Just...normal teenage angst! I...I have that, right?” Princess Twilight tagged in. Her eyes fixated on the repeating image on Sunset's pajamas: a smiling anthropomorphic donkey writing in a book. “Where did you get those nightclothes?” Sunset looked down at the yellow garment. “Twilight's mom found them while she was digging through the garage today. She said they were Twilight's when she was my...well, the age I'm at now.” Twilight's face blushed until her face resembled a purple tomato. She covered her eyes, almost pressing her glasses into her skull. “Yes...I was really into 'Smarty Pants the Donkey' back then.” She lowered her hands as Princess Twilight barely suppressed a giggle. “So...feeling better?” Sunset nodded, one hand brushing her hair away from her eyes. “I was up there a while, but I think it's all out of my system. Last time I use ice cream for revenge for awhile.” That was when Sunset's gaze finally locked onto the bike behind the two. Instinct took over as she pushed herself between the two girls and ran her fingers across the frame. Some of the paint chipped away as she did so, but that did little to distract from the majesty of this...old bike she had already seen previously. Pulling on her last reserves of strength, Sunset took a deep breath, moved her hands back down, and cooled her enthusiasm to a more reasonably adult level. “It's...looking much better. You think it's ready for a test drive?” Twilight glanced out through the door, noting the darkness surrounding the garage. “It's a little late tonight, but we could give it a try tomorrow.” “When we're not looking for a cure!” Princess Twilight hastily added. “Because, you know, that's why I'm here!” If there was anything curious or suspicious about the two Twilight's awkwardness, Sunset showed no external sign of acknowledging it. She turned from the bike towards the two girls, still smiling with genuine happiness. “I know. And I know I reacted a bit badly back at the ice cream parlor, but...this is really what I've been wanting for a while.” Twilight cocked her head. “You...wanted to be turned into a child by an exploding computer?” Sunset rolled her eyes and chuckled. “No, of course not. I just...wanted you two to finally get to know each other.” Now it was Princess Twilight's turn to get it on with the head-tilting action. “Huh?” “You two are some of my best friends,” said Sunset. “I knew that once you two got over your fears about destroying all life, you would find a way to get along perfectly. The last couple days have been terrible, and this one worse than most, but...I'm just so glad to have one thing go right in this mess.” Sunset sniffed back some joyous tears and embraced both of her friends a hug, which was not exactly easy when she was so much smaller than usual. The two Twilights cooperated by stepping closer to each other and leaning downwards to give Sunset a pat on the back. The body heat and movement was too much for the child to take, as both teenagers felt a warm liquid running down their clothes from roughly around where Sunset's eyes were. They still had theirs open, however, and were able to see each other as the shame-filled wrecks that they were. The awkward scene continued for only several more seconds, but which felt like hours. When Sunset finally pulled away, Twilight and Princess Twilight were smiling back at her with semi-sincere grins. Sunset nodded back, then moved back towards the door. “I'll see you guys back inside. This is going to be wonderful!” The two barely managed a chuckle as Sunset closed the door. Once they were certain she wasn't going to just turn around and ambush them again, both Twilights turned back towards each other. The smiles had long since faded, but their anger no longer burned in their eyes. “She really knows how to pile on the guilt, doesn't she?” asked Twilight. “Yes, she does,” Princess Twilight said between nervous giggles. Twilight let out a mournful sigh and diverted her eyes away from the princess. “Look, let's be honest. We haven't gotten along since we got here. But this is about Sunset Shimmer, not us. She needs all the support she can get right now, and...as much as I hate to admit it, having someone else who knows about magic would be really helpful.” Princess Twilight sighed and lowered her head. “And I suppose having someone who knows more about this world's oddities could be useful. I doubt a transmogrification scholar in Equestria would be able to wrap their head around a computer.” Silence fell across the garage once again, as both of the Twilights stared at the ground. It was Princess Twilight who made the first move, turning back towards her counterpart with a slight smile. “You can look over any of the books I brought from Equestria. I'm willing to share the money I got today; I'm sure Spike wouldn't mind if it was going towards helping Sunset Shimmer.” Her eyes narrowed as her face suddenly darkened. “But if we do this, we're going to promise to do what's best for Sunset. I still have my doubts that this is going to work, and if that turns out to be Sunset coming back to Equestria, that's what we're going to do.” Twilight returned Princess Twilight's stare. “Trust me, I have never forgotten who this is about. Whatever Sunset decides to do, I'll support her. But if she goes back to Equestria, it's going to be her decision, not ours. In the meantime, we just play nice and don't do anything to upset her too much.” She extended her hand. “So, do we have a deal?” Princess Twilight hesitated for just a moment before shaking Twilight's hand. “Agreed.” The two smiled at each other as they released their grip. “So, any recommendations on where to start?” asked Twilight. Princess Twilight shrugged. “The Fundamentals of Magic is a pretty good one. It covers most of the basic groundwork for how magic works in Equestria. I remember reading it over and over again in...Magic Kindergarten.” And with that knife firmly implanted in Twilight's back, the princess strode back into the house. Twilight would have come racing after her, desperate to make some kind of intellectual comeback, but she knew better. She was a student at Crystal Prep, after all, and she knew the value of biding her time. Besides, Sunset still came first. The first few minutes had been encouraging. Once the three had returned to the house proper, Twilight had settled herself on one of the recliners and popped open The Fundamentals as Magic, as Princess Twilight had recommended. The princess had declined to join her, choosing instead to spend some time sipping coffee with her parents in the kitchen. Shining Armor, having had his fill of interdimensional nonsense for one night, had retired to his room to sort out this news about his future child. Twilight had been initially concerned about whether or not she would have been able to read the pony alphabet at first, but apparently whatever magic compelled ponies to turn into humans had also translated the written word into something she could understand. The diagrams and sketches were also helpful, albeit confusing to someone not used to pony anatomy. Going purely by proportions, Sunset and Princess Twilight had been less like horses and more like walking stuffed animals. Nevertheless, it was one of the biggest leads she had ever gotten on understanding magic. Within her hands, she held a tome of unimaginable power. Once she unlocked its secrets, there would be no stopping her... That was when she finished the table of contents. Once she got to the first actual chapter, all progress immediately halted. The logical half of Twilight's brain, which had long held dominance over her thinking, found the pony writings on magic contradictory to all rationality and reason, as if the species had just made everything up as they went along. Mind over matter. Transmogrification. Time manipulation. Complete control over the world. This isn't a scientific discourse – it's one of my brother's lousy fantasy novels, only somehow with more nudity! She shuddered at the implications of that last thought. As if concerned that her counterpart would hear her, Twilight slowly closed the book and set it between her right thigh and the chair's armrest. Sunset had quietly seated herself cross-legged on the carpet and was watching her new favorite show, which as far as Twilight knew was her first favorite show. Her back was turned to her, but Twilight could sense the smile on her lips as she watched girls in impractical clothing battle vaguely-defined monsters with the power of love and friendship. “You know, you shouldn't sit so close to the TV,” Twilight said. She motioned to the other chair as Sunset slowly turned around. “I'm sure they won't mind if you sit here.” Sunset let out an exasperated groan, but nevertheless rose up and shuffled over to the chair, her hands wrapped around the remote. With a mighty heave, she leaped backwards into the seat and spread her back against the cushioned support. “Better?” she muttered. “Y-Yeah, I suppose,” said Twilight. Her eyes casually turned towards the nonsense of the screen. “I can't believe you forgot about the test, Prism! It's only the most important one of your entire life!” “Well, excuse me, Eventide! I think the giant frog rampaging through downtown is more important than some dinky language test!” For just a moment, another twitch seemed to run the hairline of Twilight's lips. “So they're arguing about a test? When did that happen?” Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes. “After Baron Donku sent the Fabulous Frog to distract them from their finals. It's all part of his plan to make them blame each other for their mistakes so he can steal the Fire of Friendship.” “Yeah, I'll..take your word for it.” Twilight slowly picked the book back up and reopened it to her previous page. Her eyes scanned from one side of the text to the other, desperately searching for something familiar but coming up with nothing. All of this was just making her head hurt worse than... The Friendship Games. Twilight slowly closed the book and exhaled deeply as a look of worry washed across her face. “Sunset...do you mind if I ask you something?” Sunset shrugged. “Sure, Twilight.” “Remember... Do you remember, back when we were first showing our design to the girls, I told you how I couldn't believe you were being so nice to me? And you said that you 'had your reasons?'” Sunset nodded slowly, an uncomfortable look creeping up her face. “Yeah? Has anyone in the group made you feel not welcome?” “N-No, of course not.” Twilight quickly adopted a big, goofy grin that fooled nobody. “It's just...I really want to know...what was your reason?” “My...reason?” Sunset cocked her head. “Twilight, I told you. I've been where you were before. I know what it's like to make a colossal mistake and turn into a demon. I just didn't want you to go through what I...” “Was it because of her?” Sunset's back and hair straightened instantly. Twilight mentally kicked herself for the outburst as she pulled the book tightly against her body, but she could not help herself. “I-I mean, was it because you were friends with the other me? I mean, her? I mean...?” She sighed and threw herself against the back of the recliner. “I have no idea anymore. I just...need to know.” “You need to know if the only reason I'm friends with you is because I'm friends with Princess Twilight?” Sunset's hands clasped against her knees as she pulled herself into as authoritative a position as possible, considering her current predicament. Not helping was her eyes, which struggled to stay open after such a long day. “Twilight...I like you. That's all there is to it. You're smart, you're funny, and you're someone I can share a love of magic with. I like Princess Twilight, too. She's someone I can turn to for guidance or comfort, or when I just need to get back in touch with my old pony self.” Twilight hands trembled. “So you're saying she has nothing to do with it?” “Outside of helping to introduce Equestrian magic to this world, yes. With someone like you, Twilight, I'm sure we would have been friends no matter what.” Sunset's lie was perfectly constructed to save Twilight's ego. “I believe you, Sunset.” A shame there was not enough ego there to believe it. Thankfully, a knock on the wall shattered the tension before things could escalate into the most dangerous levels of fibbing. Princess Twilight stood in the hallway, her haggard form giving the appearance of the sole survivor of a horrific cataclysm. Behind her, Twilight's parents made there way into the master bedroom. “We're going to bed, girls,” said Night Light. “You're welcome to the couch if you would like, princess. The chairs also work as a nice bed in a pinch. Er...sorry we don't have anything nicer ready.” Princess Twilight glanced at the couch. A look of doom crossed across her face. “Oh, it's...fine. I'll manage.” “I'll be right back with some sheets,” added Twilight Velvet. “You girls just...mingle. Or whatever it is that friends do...” She bit her bottom lips as liquid pride began to stream from her eyes. It took all of Night Light's energy to lift her into the bedroom and close the door. Free at least, Princess Twilight let out the most relieved sigh in the history of relieved sighs. “Thank goodness that's over. I thought they'd never stop.” “Let me guess,” Twilight said. She wasn't facing the princess, but the tone of her voice was obvious enough. “They made you go over your entire life story so they could figure out where they went wrong with me. Typical.” Princess Twilight titled her head in confusion. “No, nothing like that. I mean, they did show me about three whole volumes of family photos and wanted to know what went with what, but...” She groaned and collapsed lengthwise on the couch. “What a day. And this was supposed to be so simple...” Now it was Sunset's turn to be confused. “What are you talking about?” she asked between yawns. Princess Twilight simultaneously wiped her brow and massaged her aching brain. “Just...this was supposed to be a quick trip. Now it's looking like I'm gonna be here a while.” Twilight set the book aside once more and stood up. “Well, don't worry,” she said in as sweet and diabolical a voice as possible. “I'm sure we'll have everything wrapped up and you back in Equestria before you know it. Isn't that right, Sunset?” There was no response. Twilight turned towards Sunset Shimmer, only to find her laid out on the chair, snoring gently. The sight was peaceful enough for the two to briefly forget their petty rivalry, at least until the little girl suddenly snorted loud enough to wake the dead. Sighing, Twilight walked over and grabbed the remote. “She's had a really rough day,” she said as she switched the television off. She turned her eyes dismissively towards her other self. “You know, my dad was probably joking about the couch. We could find...somewhere upstairs.” Like the roof. “Nah, this will work just fine.” Princess Twilight stretched her limbs and yawned. “You and Sunset can go to bed, if you like.” She glanced over at the discarded book, prompting a wicked sneer to cross her lips. “Or we could go over everything you learned tonight. Maybe we could even make that...'app' you mentioned and 'zap Sunset back to normal?'” Twiligh's body went tense. Every synapses urged her to muster some kid of retort or reaction. It was a testament to her character that she settled for adjusting her glasses and letting out a deep breath, which was powerful enough to counter the impulse to commit regicide. “We'll talk about this tomorrow,” she said, her voice low and sharp. Twilight gave Sunset a gentle nudge, but the child only muttered some half-sensible comment about applesauce and pinkie shears before melding even further into the furniture. It took an even more forceful push to finally snap Sunset out of her slumber. The girl yawned, stretched, and slid out of the chair, giving her regal friend a final wave as she began marching towards the stairs. Twilight waited until her friend had ascended out of view before flashing Princess Twilight a quick “I'm watching you” gesture with her hands and following her up. By the time she had made it to the bedroom, Sunset was already sitting in the sleeping bag, one hand vigorously rubbing Spike behind the ears. The dog sniffed the air at Twilight's approach; upon catching the right scent, he forgot about it all and focused on the ecstasy of his little puppy skull being rubbed down. “Princess Twilight said she'd help fund the new storage device,” Twilight said as she removed her glasses. She laid them neatly on her nightstand before resuming changing into her nightclothes. “Just so you know, though, she thinks we're in over our heads. She wants experts from Equestria handling this.” Sunset's hand stopped moving, prompting confused whimpers from Spike. “You mean she wants me to be looked over by the crustiest unicorns in Canterlot.” Her left eye twitched. “And...Celestia, too.” “I told her you weren't interested, but I swear, I didn't tell her why.” Twilight finished buttoning her pajama top and climbed into bed. “I...think she may still want us to send you there.” Sunset Shimmer shrugged. “I suppose. Princess Twilight can be a little stubborn. But she's helping us, right?” She let out another yawn and slipped deeper into the sleeping bag. “I'm sure it'll all go better tomorrow.” Twilight smirked and chuckled unconvincingly. “Yeah...tomorrow.” She looked out the window as best she could. As blurry as the night sky was without her glasses, she could still recognize the twinkling and glare of the stars. In her youth, she had imagined how many worlds were out there, with beings she couldn't possibly imagine, just waiting for her to come and visit them. And now that she had two aliens in her house, she couldn't wait to get one of them to leave. Irony, why do you hate me?