Lies by Omission
Sunset Shimmer pinched the ring on her left hand, turning it around on her finger. She smiled as she watched Luna play a silly game with Sunny. The woman and the boy would build sprawling cities with blocks and knock them down in a heartbeat.
“I don’t know which one of them is enjoying it more,” Celestia said.
“Sunny is. He doesn’t usually get somebody who’ll do everything he says without question.” Sunset twirled a lock of hair with a pinkie. “He’s got her wrapped around his finger.”
A ringing from the kitchen grabbed their ears. “That’s the ziti,” Sunset said. “Sit tight, I’ll have it out pronto.”
Celestia nestled into her chair and sipped a glass of diet soda. “If you insist.”
Rain slapped against the windows of Sunset’s small suburban home. She hummed to herself, pulling the meal out of the oven with mitts decorated with her cutie mark. She narrowed her eyes at the vibrant image. The oven mitts had been one of the many housewarming gifts she’d received from Equestria’s Princess of Friendship a few years back. The present was well-meaning enough, at least.
She cast away thoughts of the other world and stuffed the mitts in the drawer. She transferred the ziti to a tray to carry it to the dining room. “Dinner’s ready! Luna, could you grab Sunny’s bib on the way?”
“Sure.” Luna lifted the smiling boy into her arms. “You’re getting big, you know that?”
“Bigger!” Sunny said.
Four chairs sat around the table, one of which was moved aside for Sunny’s highchair. Sunset usually kept it in the kitchen so she could feed the both of them on the run, but tonight was special. She set the plates into place, arranged the forks just so, and then set out the garlic bread. She looked closely at the table for whatever she’d forgotten. A snap of her fingers brought it to mind: The parmesan cheese!
“Hold still and let Auntie Luna—hold on!” Luna struggled against Sunny’s fidgeting. She barely managed to pull the bib over his head. “There! Now we’ll give mommy less trouble with the laundry. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
Sunny pointed at the purple dinosaur on his bib. “Sp’geddy shield.”
Celestia lowered herself slowly into a seat. “Oh? Is that what mommy calls it?”
“It was daddy’s idea, actually.” Sunset Shimmer hopped back into the room with the missing cheese in hand. “Now do I have everything?”
Celestia rubbed her chin in a wry attempt to appear contemplative. “I suppose napkins are optional?”
Sunset Shimmer slapped her forehead and excused herself. She trekked to the ottoman in her living room where various linins had been stashed for just such an occasion. “Paper napkins wouldn’t hold up to ziti of this magnitude.”
She hurried back with an armful of fabric. She tossed the napkins onto the table, where they landed just-so beside the placemats.
Luna crossed her arms. “Sister, I thought you kicked that nasty little passive-aggressive habit.”
Celestia matched her pose. “It’s my attempt to counter your aggressive-aggressive habit. It comes from years of experience herding students.”
Sunset tried to smile. It ended up looking a little like she’d swallowed a lemon seed. “In my experience, they won’t listen to a thing I say unless I’m aggressive-aggressive-aggressive.”
“You’ve only been doing it for one school year, Sunset,” Luna said. “You’ll learn the ins and outs of student politics soon enough. I think at its core, it’s about finding a reason for them to care about the subject.”
Celestia tapped her cheek. “Is that before or after putting the fear of God in them?”
Luna leaned on her elbow, a smirk crawling across her face. “Well, as vice principal in charge of discipline, I do have certain advantages to call upon in my hour of substituting.”
“A death glare that could stop a bull elephant,” Sunset snickered.
“That comes with age.” Luna pointed across the table. “Just look at my sister, for example.”
Celestia’s eyes widened before shrinking down to slits. “Luna.”
“A prime example of what I’m talking about. I’m the boogeyman lurking in the shadows, yes, but she is the person with her finger on the light switch.” Luna squinted one eye and cradled her chin with a hand. “She has just the right demeanor for a school principal, one of a crotchety old maid slapping her ruler against her palm.”
“Luna,” Celestia said.
Sunset’s face scrunched up in an effort to suppress any potentially-embarrassing outbursts. Sunny’s eyes bounced from Luna to Celestia as they spoke in turn.
“But that’s just the result of a lifetime of preparations. If it’s not her arthritis, it’s her graying hair.”
“Luna.”
“If it’s not her graying hair, it’s her students.”
“Luna—”
“And if it’s not her students,” Luna finished with a smirk, “it’s her sister.”
Celestia sat back, closed her eyes, and clasped her fingers. “It seems somebody is waking up with honey and birdseed in their hair tomorrow morning. Won’t Philomena be pleased?”
The three women let out sputtering giggles. Luna spread her napkin over her lap. “Well, enough tomfoolery. I heard something about ziti begging to be eaten.”
“Zeedee!” Sunny thumped his highchair’s tray with a robust fist.
Sunset picked up her spatula. “Alright, alright. Hold your horses.”
The door rattled. Not from the rain, but from the force of a fist.
Sunset Shimmer leaned over in her seat. She could see the front door through the small hallway into the living room. “Huh? Wasn’t expecting…”
She glanced at Celestia as she stood. “Keep an eye on Sunny, please. I’m gonna see who it is.”
Luna scooped a heap of pasta onto her sister’s plate. “Do you know who it might be?”
“This late, in this weather, it’s either really important or really bad.” Sunset cracked her knuckles. “I guess I’m ready for both.”
The person knocked again just before Sunset reached the door. She peered through a small peep hole at eye-level, catching a glimpse of a familiar pair of rectangular glasses. She pulled the door open with eyebrows lowered. “Twilight Sparkle? I thought you were at the Apples’.”
“Something’s come up.” Twilight stepped into the entryway, water dripping from her long coat and wide-brimmed hat. A blush flared up on her cheeks when she caught a glimpse of the women in the dining room. “Sorry. Didn’t know you were having dinner.”
Sunset gritted her teeth, but covered it up with a smile. “Could have called ahead.”
“I tried. You weren’t answering.”
Sunset reached for the pockets at her hips and came up empty. “Gee. Must have left my phone in my other mom jeans. What’s wrong, Twilight? What’s so important that you had to show up in the middle of a rainstorm?”
“Yeah…” Twilight looked away, focusing on some point in the living room carpet. “There’s this case I’m a part of… We just got a lead that’ll only pan out if you help out.”
Sunset choked. She staggered back into the wall. “Th—this is the murder you were talking about, isn’t it?”
“Sunset—”
Sunset’s voice came out a hoarse whisper, “Isn’t it?”
Twilight Sparkle stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “Yes it is.”
“I am not getting involved in a murder in any way, shape, or form.” Sunset Shimmer’s hair danced as she shook her head. “I have a son, Twilight! I have students!”
“I know!” Twilight gnawed on her bottom lip. “Sunset, I wouldn’t come to you with this if I didn’t think it was the best way.”
Sunset poked Twilight in the chest. “Nothing you can say will convince—”
“Aria Blaze is the victim and Sonata Dusk is a witness.”
Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow and pouted. She looked Sunset up and down as the woman struggled for something to say.
“You didn’t even let me finish my ultimatum,” Sunset muttered, lowering her hands to her sides.
Twilight looked as though she had a smug grin for a moment, but it quickly morphed into a calm smile. “I came to you because Sonata won’t talk to anybody but you. You could be the key to closing the case and getting another killer off the streets.”
Sunset hugged her body tight. “Or it could be the key to getting my family and friends into a big mess.”
“Hey, you won’t be alone.” Twilight touched Sunset’s arm. “I’ll be beside you the whole time. It’ll be fine. We’re just going to head to the station and have a talk with Miss Dusk.”
Sunset stepped in one of Twilight’s puddles, accidentally soaking her sock. She rubbed the foot against her opposite leg. “The Dazzlings weren’t a joke. They were really dangerous people, Twilight.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “And who were the ones who stopped them? Who’s the expert on all things cockamamie?”
Sunset clutched her wedding band with the fingers of her right hand. She tried to siphon some calm from the smooth surface. “Yeah. You’re right. It’s just—”
“If everything goes well,” Twilight said, “we’ll be done by the end of the night. I swear, I’m not gonna let anything bad happen.”
Sunset gave Twilight a flat stare. “You can’t promise that.”
“Maybe, but the police station is the safest place to be when speaking with a degenerate about degenerates.” Twilight let her head dip down to look her in the eye. “Please, Sunset? I really need your help on this one.” She gave her a plastic smile. “I’ll owe you one?”
Sunset’s face burned. She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. “Crap it.”
Twilight Sparkle blinked. “Uh. I’m sorry?”
“You do need me.” Sunset slapped her forehead, somehow managing to hit the same spot she’d hit earlier. “No, you need her, but— Just hold on. I have to come.”
Sunset ran the full length of her house, leaving Twilight standing in silence. She charged into her bedroom and stopped in front of a bookshelf bending from the weight of uncountable books. Her finger ran along the spines until she found one in particular. One with her cutie mark stamped on the cover. She clutched her diary to her chest.
“Crap it.”
Her coat twisted and bunched up over her shoulders as she teetered into the dining room. “Celestia, Luna, I’m so sorry—”
“What’s wrong, Sunset?” Luna looked over her shoulder. “Who’s that at the door?”
“A friend who… Gosh, how do I explain?” Sunset scratched her head. “No, I gotta sum up. Something really bad happened with the Dazzlings, and I gotta make sure it doesn’t turn into some sort of world-domination scheme. I’ll have the princess help out.”
Celestia reached out her hand to touch the young boy in the highchair. “You need us to stay with Sunny?”
“Would you please?” Sunset Shimmer rubbed a tear from her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just really—”
“We understand.” Luna stood up and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s been our bacon you’ve pulled out of the fire, too, remember?”
Celestia hugged her from the other side. “We’ll be here when you get back. Stay safe.”
Sunset tried to moisten her dry lips. “Yeah. I will.”
She separated from their hug and walked up to Sunny’s highchair. She bent down to pluck him from his perch. Sunset held her son close. “You be good and do what Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna tell you.”
He looked at her with a level brow, his eyes searching her face. He took her cheeks in his chubby hands and planted a kiss on her nose.
Sunset touched her forehead to his. “I love you, too, Sunny.”
She set him back in the seat, where he was tempted with the aroma of red sauce and five different kinds of cheese. She walked slowly as she zipped up her leather jacket, hiding the book against her stomach to protect it from the rain. “Ready to go?”
Twilight Sparkle eased the door open. “Heck yes.”
***
Twilight Sparkle drove a few miles per hour slower than the speed limit. The new roads were slick with rain and the old roads were dark in the moonless night. Her headlights burned through the droplets, but only far enough to see a couple car-lengths ahead. Her windshield wipers were losing a war of attrition with the torrent, blocking out what little view remained.
She heard Sunset drumming her fingers against the cover of her book. It mirrored the rapid tattoo of water outside. “Please stop. I’m trying to concentrate.”
Sunset Shimmer’s fingers halted. “Sorry.”
Twilight flipped on a turn signal that cut through the murk. “You don’t have to be nervous, you know. We’ve got this.”
“Nervousness isn’t something you can flip like a switch.” Sunset leaned her seat back a couple notches. “You of all people know that.”
Twilight pressed the brake, giving them ample time to stop at the light. “Just trying to reassure you.”
Sunset balanced her book on her lap. She twiddled her thumbs over the image of her cutie mark. “Thanks.”
Twilight’s car came to a stop in the police station’s parking lot. She unbuckled her seatbelt and put her hand on the door handle. “What finally made you decide to come?”
Sunset flipped the book end over end. “Because you were right. I’m the expert on weirdo stuff around here. I need to find out if it’s serious or not.”
Twilight hit the unlock button. The car’s two doors clicked. “Preliminary results indicate that it’s serious as a heart attack.”
Twilight opened her umbrella and walked to Sunset’s side of the car. They huddled under the fabric, side by side, and made their way through the inch-deep water flooding the lot. Twilight grumbled to herself. “Stupid storm drains got plugged again.”
“Thanks, Mayor Mare,” Sunset muttered back. That got a chuckle out of both of them.
Twilight shook her coat off the instant they were inside the station. She hung it up on a rack as Sunset Shimmer stood off to the side, waiting for her friend to lead the way. Sunset gave her a double-take. “You’re wearing a gun?”
Twilight lowered an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah. Kinda a nice thing to have in my line of work.”
Sunset Shimmer shifted her weight to her heels. “Forensic technician?”
“Well, yeah, but…” Twilight rubbed her nose underneath her glasses. “Look, if you’d seen half the crazy stuff I have, you’d be paranoid, too.”
Sunset Shimmer looked into the Canterlot City Police Department. Cubicles and desks dotted the floor, with people in and out of uniform either milling around or rushing from end to end. “I don’t doubt it.”
She unzipped her coat and hung it beside the others. Twilight gave her a sparing glance. “Really, Sunset? Mom jeans?”
Sunset snorted. “Just drop it.”
“I’ve seen lounge pants more flattering.”
“Drop it!”
Twilight picked her way through the office, going around officers, over abandoned chairs left in the aisles, and through a few packed cubicles. She led them to a small office framed with wide windows. Two figures sat inside: Care Carrot and a small figure hunched over in a chair.
Twilight knocked as she entered. “Sooo… This is her, huh?”
Sonata Dusk sat backwards in her seat, her chin lying on the top of the backrest. She picked at a bare spot on the chair’s cushion and stared into space. Her cheeks sparkled from recently-dried tears. The hood of her sweater had been pulled back, allowing a long mess of a hairdo to trail down her back. Her foot twitched irregularly, nervously.
Care eyed Sunset. She flicked on a recorder and set it next to Sonata. “You managed to bring her over, huh?”
“Yeah.” Twilight Sparkle moseyed over to another chair and motioned for Sunset to sit down. “Turns out she’s up to it.”
Twilight remained standing behind Sunset Shimmer while she sat down. She rested a warm hand on her shoulder, doing her best to let her presence be felt.
Sunset opened her book and picked up a pen from a nearby countertop. “Sonata?”
Sonata Dusk continued to stare silently into space.
Twilight sighed. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing was ever easy where this magic stuff was concerned. The scratch of pen on paper itched at her ears. She looked down to see Sunset scrawling a quick message into her book.
Princess, this is Sunset Shimmer. I need your help. Somebody has murdered Aria Blaze, and I don’t know why. I’m going to speak with Sonata Dusk, and if I find anything Equestrian in nature I’ll need you to research it.
Message me when you get this text. If you’re there, I’ll give you the information in real time. If not, you can read it all in one go. Talk to you soon.
Twilight Sparkle read over the message again. Her mouth dipped open a little. “Princess?”
“Shh!” Sunset nudged her in the stomach. She held the pen loose between her fingers. “Sonata Dusk? It’s Sunset Shimmer. From Equestria.”
“I know.” Sonata brushed the salt from her cheeks. “Thanks. For coming, I mean.”
Sunset tapped her pen against the page. “Y—N—Okay.”
“You’re wondering why I wanted to speak with you, aren’t you?” Sonata’s breath filled her chest to the brim and deflated in a huff. She gave her head a little shake before meeting Sunset’s eyes. “Because you’re the only one who’d understand.”
Care scribbled away at her notepad while Sunset made notes in her book. Twilight Sparkle listened with rapt attention to every word that came from Sonata’s mouth. She resisted the rising urge to add input of her own. Surely that would only derail Sonata’s train of thoughts. Or worse, get her to clamp up altogether. Instead, she settled for lightly kneading Sunset’s shoulders, just to give herself something to do.
Sunset tilted her head to reach Sonata’s level. “Understand what?”
Sonata’s voice wavered. “Wh—why Adagio killed Aria.”
She rubbed her cheeks again. Newborn tears trailed down to her chin, where they dropped onto her sweater sleeves. “We… we went our separate ways after… after the incident at the high school. For a while. We’d spend a few days with each other sometimes, but…” She pulled her hands inside her sleeves. “Well, we never were the best of friends, I guess. Didn’t really like Aria. Didn’t hate her, either. And Adagio was always so bossy.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “After you destroyed our sigils, we didn’t have much reason to stay close.”
Twilight Sparkle nibbled the tip of her hair. Sunset destroyed the sigils? What sigils? When? How? Twilight sent a glance Care’s way to find the officer just as lost as she was. Still, the cop continued to jot down shorthand.
“It was kinda confusing when I got a message saying to meet up at Aria’s place.” Sonata teased a thread loose from the chair. “She’d been a little successful, weird enough. Learned how to sing for real. Got a job doing commercials for something called Easybake. Had a nice apartment on the west side of town.” She looked over at the officer. “But I guess you guys already knew that. Didn’t yah?”
Sunset Shimmer jumped when something flashed and whirred in her lap. She hunched over her book and cleared her throat. “Sorry. Phone’s on vibrate. Sorry.”
Twilight smirked. “Sunset Shimmer, Master Sleuth,” she whispered.
Sunset stared at her book for a long moment. She lifted her head with a touch of fire in her eyes. “Sonata, do you know why Aria invited you to her apartment?”
“She didn’t,” Sonata sighed. “Adagio did.”
Sunset’s pen moved as she spoke. “And… why did she?”
Sonata bit down on the inside of her cheek. Her already reddened eyes took on a darker tinge. She sniffed loud and hard. “Aria discovered another portal to Equestria.”
Sunset’s pen fell from her limp fingers. She bent over to snatch it off the ground. “Ah. Huh. Um. Wow.”
“Yeah, wow.” Sonata’s back straightened as she sat up. “She stumbled on it a while ago, too. Years and years ago. She’d drop off the face of the planet one day and we wouldn’t see her for a few years. Just ‘poof!’ Gone! Nothing but nothing.”
She flung a hand towards the offices. “Then ‘poof!’ She’s back. Not so much as a ‘how yah been?’ We thought she’d been, I dunno, traveling the world like we did in the old days. Rustling up a little magic. No. She’d been in Equestria the whole time!”
Sonata shut her eyes against hot tears. “She… she found a new route and never told us! We could have gone back any freaking time and she never told us!”
“Sonata!” Sunset Shimmer pressed a hand against the woman’s shoulder. “Please! You have to calm down. Okay?”
Sonata rested her hands on the chair’s backrest. She took several deep breaths, groaning with the effort. “I dunno how Adagio knew she’d found a portal. I really don’t. She just did. And… and…”
Sonata’s control over her voice failed with a squeak. “Adagio was mad when she found out Aria had kept it a secret. She tracked her down and made me come, too. We both talked to her in the apartment. Adagio d-demanded Aria tell her where the connection was. But…”
Sonata fought off powerful sobs. “I-I-I tried to s-stop her, I swear.”
Sunset’s phone whirred again. She glanced at her book, scratched a line, and brushed a bang away from her face. “Sonata, what happened? You can tell me.”
“Aria didn’t wanna tell her. I don’t know why, but she didn’t. Adagio hurt her so bad and I couldn’t stop it.” Sonata clenched her fists until they shook. “Aria couldn’t help it. She had to tell Adagio where the other portal was. But then—”
She ran her fingers through her hair, her entire body shaking. “Adagio, why? Why did you push her like that? You got what you wanted! Why?”
Sunset Shimmer leapt to her feet. She seized Sonata in a sudden embrace, stroking her back. “Shh. Shh, it’s okay now. It’ll be alright.”
“All my friends are gone.” Sonata grasped Sunset’s sleeves and pulled her closer. “They’re all gone and I’m alone.”
Twilight Sparkle let loose a gasp and stumbled back. She rubbed her forehead as she watched the two women embrace. Care Carrot walked up behind her and spoke into her ear. “Is this a good turn or a bad turn?”
“No clue.” Twilight wrung her hands. “We aren’t supposed to hug the witness, are we?”
“No, but it’s pretty weird for a civilian do the interrogation in the first place.” Care Carrot cocked an eyebrow. “But then, we don’t usually work with whatever this thing is that you guys call ‘magic.’ What do you make of all the ‘portals’ and ‘Equestria’ talk?”
“Portals are however these guys travel from place to place. I’ve got some data on them at home.” Twilight Sparkle moved towards Sunset as the hug ended. “Dunno what Equestria is.”
“All this talk of portals is sounding suspiciously like quantum physics.” Care shook her head. “I didn’t pay any attention to quantum physics.”
“In another universe, you did.” Twilight leaned on Sunset’s chair. “How you doing?”
“Fine.” Sunset read over a few paragraphs in her book. She nodded, scribbled “one moment,” and looked at the recovering Sonata. “Do you know where Aria’s portal was?”
Sonata shook her head, her eyes glued to the floor.
Sunset wrote down the answer. “Thank you, Sonata. I really… appreciate you coming forward with th—”
“She can’t get away with what she did,” Sonata said. “You understand, don’t you?”
Sunset brought her head back, bumping against Twilight’s chest. “I’m… not sure I do.”
“Adagio. She’s in Equestria by now. You have to stop her.” Sonata’s mouth twitched back and forth between a frown and a scowl. She shut her eyes tight to hold her voice in check. “Sirens don’t hurt their own. Never ever never.”
Sunset shut her book and tucked it in the crook of her arm. “I promise, we’re doing everything we can to make sure she doesn’t hurt anybody else.”
Sonata Dusk cleared her throat. “Good.”
Twilight Sparkle got a good look at the Dazzlings’ face. Beneath the worn expression, the tear tracks, and the tired eyes, the woman just looked old. Twilight knew she was about the same age as Sonata—they’d both been high schoolers at around the same time—but the woman looked a good ten years her senior. Probably a case of living a hard life, Twilight decided. A bad year could age you way more than a good decade.
“Is there anything else you can tell us about last night?” Care asked. “Where she might have gone afterwards? What she was wearing, who she’d be traveling with, anything?”
“N-none of that really matters, considering.” Sonata rose to her feet, her knees shaking. “But she’d be alone.”
Sunset Shimmer also stood. She rocked back and forth, her face brooding, before giving Sonata a nod and heading for the door. “Thanks again—”
Sonata’s hand shot out to grab Sunset’s forearm. The fiery-haired woman let out a yelp as the fingers clasped tight, jerking her back and halting her retreat. Twilight moved the chair aside to reach Sonata, but came up short when she smiled pleasantly.
“Thanks for understanding,” Sonata said. She released Sunset and backed away, her hands behind her back.
Sunset rubbed her arm. She gave Sonata a shallow grin and escaped through the door. Twilight Sparkle followed close behind, giving Care a nod goodbye. The officer tilted her head in response, incredulity in her eyes.
“We can’t talk about this here.” Sunset rolled up her sleeve to reveal red marks ringing her skin. “Geeze, she grips like a metalworker.”
“What do you mean we can’t talk about it here? I brought you here because you’re the expert.” Twilight Sparkle gave her friend’s arm a quick once-over. “You’re gonna bruise.”
“Nuts.” Sunset’s fingers tightened around her book. “I mean that even if these guys could help, Adagio’s a little outside your jurisdiction right now.”
Twilight ran a hand over her face, nudging her glasses out of whack. “This is why departments work together, Sunset. You ever heard of the long arm of the law? It crosses the state line.”
“How about interdimensional boundaries?” Sunset asked.
Twilight narrowed her eyes. She touched Sunset’s shoulder to lead her away from the heavily-populated central office hub. “If they hear me talking about alternate universes, they’ll think I’m the crazy one and not you. Are you telling me these girls came from the other world? I thought it was just… ‘me’ who crossed over.”
“You assumed it was just you.” Sunset Shimmer pressed her lips tight, sending flickering gazes Twilight’s way as they walked. “But there’ve been a few others.”
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes lit up. “Are you talking about Pinkie Pie? Because that would explain so much—”
“No.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “As far as I can tell, Pinkie’s a native.”
“Oh.” Twilight Sparkle leaned against a doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. “Alrighty then. There’s Mirror-Me, the Dazzlings, anybody else?”
Sunset Shimmer licked her lips, holding the book as if to shield herself with it. “Um. Hi.”
Twilight’s face paled. Her small smile melted like an ice cube in the oven. Her mouth opened wide enough to swallow an entire hamburger. “You what?”
She was about to add to that when she noticed the entire office looking their way. She sent them a death-glare over her glasses until they’d all returned to their work. “We should take this somewhere private.”
They retreated to an empty office. Twilight Sparkle sealed the door behind them with click that sounded loud in their ears. She stayed at the doorway, her hands on the handle, while Sunset slumped against the desk.
Sunset set her book down beside her. She tapped her fingers against the cover. “So, you gonna say anything—?”
“Son of a—!”
“Twilight!” Sunset snapped.
“—gun,” Twilight said quietly. She sucked in a breath through her teeth and let it out in a huff. “You’re telling me that after all these years, you kept that a secret from me?”
“It’s a secret I keep from almost everybody, okay?” Sunset said breathlessly. “Only a very, very small number of people—”
“Including your entire horse-lady cavalry?” Twilight held up five fingers. She remained standing in the same place, her face towards the office windows. “Maybe your husband? How about those two ladies eating supper with you? Heck, let’s throw in the entire Apple Family. Have I steered wrong yet?”
“Apple Bloom and Big Mac never found out,” Sunset whispered.
Twilight snorted. She removed her glasses and stared into a muddled world. “Why?”
Sunset. “Why, what?”
“Why’d you keep it a secret from me?” Twilight clenched her fists at her sides. “Even after all the searching I’ve done, the researching into the magic at the school, the questions I’ve asked, you didn’t think to maybe tell me that you’re from an alternate universe? Why?”
“I told you, I want to keep it a secret from everyone.” Sunset slid her book across the desk. “The fewer people who know, the less chance it has of getting out and—”
“You thought I would blab?” Twilight said.
Sunset shook her head. “No, that’s not what I—”
“You thought I would blab. You didn’t trust me to keep quiet? To know when something’s really important to my friend?”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer hunched over, laying her arms on top of her knees. “I’ve done… a lot of bad things in my life. Most of them have to do with the other world. I wanted a fresh start, and I thought I could get that by ignoring Equestria.”
Twilight Sparkle arched her brows. “How bad are we talking?”
“Grand theft, destruction of school property, attempted mind control of the student body…” Sunset twisted away. “Destroying several friendships…”
Twilight’s shoulders slumped. She took a seat beside Sunset, leaving the book between them. “So… pretty bad.”
“Oh yeah.” Sunset turned her eyes to Twilight. Her fiery hairdo framed her strained expression. “It’s not that I wanted to keep it from you. It just hurts. I don’t want my past to… to define me, you know? I wanna be in the here and now. I want that to be all that matters.”
Twilight shrugged one shoulder. “It’s not like you owed me an explanation or anything.”
“It really is none of your business.” Sunset gave her a half-grin. Her eyes jumped towards Care’s office. “Until today, at least.”
Twilight blinked. She slid her glasses over her face and blinked again for good measure. “Does this mean I’m getting the life story of Sunset Shimmer?”
“You’re gonna need it, I think.” Sunset patted her book. “Because I’m not going to track down Adagio Dazzle all on my own.”
The picture on the cover vibrated and flashed. Twilight Sparkle’s mouth hung open as she watched magic dust fly through the air. “That… That wasn’t your phone, was it?”
“Nope. Like I said, I left it in my other mom jeans.” Sunset flipped through the book to the first blank sheet. Words scrawled their way onto the page in flowing script. “Might be dangerous going through the portal.”
Twilight stood, goosebumps popping up along her arms. “I’m going with you?”
“Unless you think Officer Carrot would be a better fit.”
“No! No, no, no. Of course not.” Twilight bit down hard on her lip, suppressing a grin. “I’d be happy to come. Ecstatic, really.”
She felt a shiver of excitement run up and down her back. She let a smile jump across her face as she twiddled her fingers together. She was about to squeal when Sunset’s smile fell. “What’s the matter?”
Sunset Shimmer traced her finger across the text, making sure she didn’t miss anything. She rubbed her cheek and sighed. “Our side of the portal is a statue on Canterlot High’s grounds. Equestria’s side of the portal is a special mirror.”
Twilight smirked. “Magic mirrors. I shoulda guessed.”
“Yeah, yeah, funny.” Sunset Shimmer closed the book, wrapping her fingers around the edge of the spine. “The problem is that somebody went and stole the mirror.”
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The plot thickens has been doubled!
Plot! YOU DAMN FAT!
...
...
...
Sorry, was too easy
Anyhow, I quite love this! I am certainly going to keep on reading this!
Nice chapter. Loving the storyline! Keep up the good work!
Yes.
Heh.
You're treading on thin ice, Luna.
Indeed. Though what bird would Philomena be here?
Twilight's a b*tch like that.
Yeah, if Sunset hadn't helped out, they might have WON. Also, accidententALly.
Oh my.
And yet.
Surprise.
I'm sorry, what?
Well, crap.
Pony Twlight still has the book but the mirror has been stolen... does that mean the Canterlot High statue portal won't work? Unless we are just in time.... wait if 30 moons it's 30 months then it's 2 1/2 years. Since this fic is set abut 10 years after Equestria Girls there's a chance of the portal working normally. Otherwise they'll have to search for the portal who used Adagio and Aria.
Adagio is the culprit huh well it's also a good chance that she is the one that stole the mirror,
More mom jeans jokes and some fun about celestias age( hilarious by the way)
And Im pretty sure flash sentry married sunset based on the spaghetti shield thing,
any way that should be everything keep up the good work
Love that entire Ziti scene.
One of the best descriptions of Celestia and Luna I have ever heard!
Ok, two things: One, this scene was exactly as adorable as you think it is. Two, I am sure Philomena is a crotchety parrot who says "who's a pretty girl" to Celestia and swears like a sailor at Luna.
I can't wait for Sunny to meet Spike some day. He's going to seem so... familiar.
Waffle-stealer! That's how he and Shining got Tirek, isn't it? Flash lured him out of hiding by mackin' on Tirek's wives, and then Shining Armor got the drop on him when Tirek came out to defend his waifus.
Twilight has been reading way too many issues of Rarity's magazine lately. (Are the two R girls living together or just living together?)
This is a crime drama, right? Every crime drama needs a corrupt, spineless opportunist politician at the top. I just know at some point Twilight Velvet is going to demand Care Carrot's badge and gun, because Mayor Mare is on Velvet's @ss about property damage or something. I sure hope they get a chance to crash one of Merry's sleazy fundraising dinners that a drug-dealer is using for cover.
Oh shit!
At this point I don't even really blame Adagio, Aria with a rusty spoon for cutting her sisters out like that.
Hmm, maybe I was a little quick to forgive.
That's... kind of a light list there, Sunset. I understand why she's leaving the worst off, though, attempted murder has no statute of limitations, and forcible conscription of children into an armed conflict is a war crime with universal jurisdiction. I can guess why she doesn't want to confess those parts to a cop, no matter how good friends they are.
That's stretching the definition of hot pursuit a bit, but I suppose it works if Sunset has been authorized by the Princess. They can't just stick a black bag over Adagio's head and drag her back through the portal without handing her over to Equestrian authorities for extradition, though.
I'm not even surprised at this point, magic mirrors are the source of everyone's problems in this setting. Here's my theory why this mirror was stolen, though: So Dark Lord Peachy Pie exists Zod-style in the space between, constantly watching through magic mirrors, right? What if he can't turn that ability off? What if he's had to spend who knows how many years being subjected to teenagers making out against the CHS statue while he tries to drown out teenage flirting? Of course he'd recruit some minions in this world and have them move the mirror!
I meant to say this last chapter, but I see you're giving us the story's obligatory cute baby right out of the gate, huh? I'm coo wit dat!
Interesting chapter. The plot is moving along nicely, and I think I know who has the mirror... 
I hope we meet or at least learn about who the lucky guy is married to Sunset.
Not sure why, but this line cracked me up!
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Bravo! Bravo! Encore!
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Thank you very much. Never fear, more is on the way!
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Some sort of parrot, most likely. That way there's a chance for some nice, colorful plumage.
Tsk! She's not at her best in this story, but there's no reason to call names!
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For realsies.
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At 2 1/2 years per activation... open after 2.5 years, five years, 7.5 years, and... 10 years!
Looks like the math works out, but math is really just theory. Are they on the right three days?
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It's more likely than not, I'll admit that.
I always like to add some fun to my stories. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
He's a very eligible person, but he also tends to be a kiss of death to stories around here.
Thanks! We're trekking full speed ahead!
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Ziti is awesome. Character interaction over ziti? Priceless.
Correct on both accounts! Best part is that Luna can never get Philomena to swear in front of Celestia, and thus cannot prove the bird's crimes against living peacefully together.
Celestia remains ostensibly innocent.
Spikey is a dragon born from our imagination, and when he's tall he's what we call a draconic sensation?
Spikey can be your friend, too, if you just make-believe him!
Like I told Daxen123, Flash Sentry brings the kiss of death (via downvotes) to any fiction he shows up in. Don't expect to see too much of him barring a mention here and there.
Yes! Yes! The sugar flows through you, consumes you, such is its nature!
Besides, this story's at least fifty percent insulin by volume. I needed to balance it out with something lovely.
They're living together in a completely platonic sense. I have a difficult time seeing Rarity as anything other than immensely, unwaveringly straight. She's shown interest in Blueblood, Trenderhoof, Shining Armor (before he was married, of course), Good Sombra, and maybe just a hint of Fancy Pants. She's downright obsessed with fairy tale romance, from what I've seen.
Partially. It's also a soothing slice of life adventure of epic proportions. With a hefty dose of what might be coming of age if the characters weren't already adults. Maybe a hint of horror and sugary sweetness here and there. The Chronicles of Narnia meets The Fugitive meets My Little Pony. This may be the vaguest story genre-wise that i've ever written, and I once wrote an angsty action-comedy political sci fi thriller superhero comic.
It'd make for a good anime series.
As much fun as that would be, we won't be seeing much of either Merry Mare in the story. The plot's gonna be loopy as it is without tying too much into the saga's overarching... arc.
Hehehehahahahahahaha. Excellent. Anger. Hatred. The way to the dark side are these.
That's one way to demonize Sunset...
As true as that is, I'm personally willing to give her a bit of a pass due to the way she completely turned her life around and is now a firm force for good. It's what you do that defines you, so says Batman, and he knows his stuff.
There's hot pursuit, and then there's ancient evils crossing the border of reality. They're doing this completely by the book. Or they would, if there was a book to do this stuff by.
On that note, it feels like much of My Little Pony's adventures consist of cleaning up Starswirl's trash.
Sunset said the mirror was stolen, not the statue.
It's a crime on the Equestrian side.
Haven't actually seen anything to do with the Watchmen, I'm afraid. Hard to reference something you have no reference to.
Besides, that joker is hardly the first person to find himself thrown out a window.
Ha! The difference here is that Spike is the only one of the group who is at all effectual.
Ah. The "I have plans" line at the end of that comic I have yet to read? I get the feeling that whatever grandiose plans she had after leaving Equestria had no way to pan out, due the the way the different worlds work. She couldn't use magic like she used to (until friendship) she was in a potentially hostile environment, she didn't know anybody or how to climb the social ladder... I think she realized pretty quick that she had to make up stuff as she went along. Might as well bring as many under her thumb as possible. She'd make a name for herself in this world and play with a few puppets.
Then she found out the mirror had linked again. Then she discovered the Elements of Harmony had returned. Then she saw that the Bearer of Magic herself was staying at the palace.
That was when she had to think fast and do a lot in a short time-frame.
I actually have a sneaking suspicion that she knows Garble.
Ha HA! Sadly, I think Rainbow Dash might turn her nose up at that.
Well, you know... I'll give it a 'maybe'.
I've looked through the comments of a few stories, but I'm not exactly sure where we talked about that. Guess you'll have to squick me out again.
Yes. Yes, you are one-hundred percent correct.
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Sunny gets the distinction of being the most plot-relevant cute baby, at that! I had to introduce him early, but I doubt anybody's complaining!
You're probably right, but this story's still one of the twistier ones. You don't have the whole story yet!
Of course you will! Problem is I'm enjoying the constant teases too much to reveal him just yet.
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I'm kidding. It's a joke.
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Sooner or later Luna's going to figure out just who taught Philomena those swear words.
Can't wait for the next romantic interlude with SpikeBloom. "Apple Bloom, I love you. And you love me. And we're a perfect family."
Fair enough, but even if he's not Sunny Sr, I remain firm in my belief that Tirek Odolwa's last words were "Maaaiiiiii Waiiiifuuu!"
I agree with your interpretation of where Rarity's interests lie, it's just I also have a hard time picturing her as a roommate with Rainbow Dash as well. I guess this Rainbow Dash realized that now that her job actually involves wearing lots of makeup and beautiful clothes, keeping her half of the apartment clean is worth the cost of either free or deeply discounted fashion assistance. And Rarity does get her designs on television consistently.
I just realized: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, that whole airship scene in Daybreak reminding me of Air Force One... How many more Harrison Ford movies will you work in? (Please say all).
Is there some kind of link to deviant art for people who want to read it or something?
The non-existence of working light-sabers is the only thing separating internet trolls and Sith Lords, isn't it?
First off, she literally demonized herself. Don't get me wrong, I love ol' Shimsham, but there's no denying what she did, any more than everyone's favorite loud, awkward princess almost eradicated 99% of life on Equestria twice.
The magnitude of their past sins is what makes their redemption all the greater story, and them all the more ultimately sympathetic characters. If a good reformed character was one who was only a minor jerk in the first place, we'd be hip deep in stories about the redemption of Jet Set and Upper Crust. Honestly, the theme of redemption is my single favorite aspect of FiM. It's why I loved everything they did with Discord, it's why I even hope they find a way to bring Starlight around. The earth justice system, however, is much less hug-it-out based than the Equestrian one, and since human Twilight is a cop, she's probably going to have a lot of pointed questions at the end of this for our favorite bacon-head.
Well now you're just not playing fair, citing Batman.
Oh, there is a book. It's just probably written on human skin, with angry red glowing eyes on the cover.
Thank You! That entire aspect of Rainbow Rocks bothered me. Starswirl banished those Sirens to a world where he didn't warn anyone about them, and he certainly didn't ask permission from any governments. Also, indefinite exile sits poorly with me, not exactly a just punishment. And between that movie and Reflections, it does seem like Starswirl made a lot of arbitrary decisions without worrying about the consequences. I wonder if that was because he figured the only person he knew who would be around when the chickens came home to roost was Celestia, and he was pretty pissed at her towards the end?
Ok, time to make a confession: I'm living with TVTropes Disorder, where I see and revel in references everywhere. Tropes disorder is the literary theme equivalent of being a conspiracy nut, seeing them everywhere. There is no cure for Tropes Disorder short of excising fiction in all forms from your life, but reading soothing slice-of-life adventure comedy romance sci fi superhero political thrillers that reference, and wittily avert, subvert or even play straight those tropes helps me live with my condition on a day-to-day basis.
That does make a lot of sense. I do wonder about one thing though: Notice how in those framed portraits of her winning, it seems like she gets progressively worse each year? In the first picture she actually looks genuinely happy, in the 2nd one she is smirking, and in the 3rd one she is full on "Kneel Before Zod." I think in the beginning of her time on earth, she wasn't that bad, especially when since it's probably the first time she had ever felt vulnerable. She must have done something to make Flash want to date her/teach her guitar, but by the time the movie starts its clear everyone hates her.
And you're definitely right about her plan to lead a few hundred teenagers into battle against a group of alicorns and the royal guard as something she came up with on the fly. I'm not sure if she was actually planning to kidnap the school before she overloaded herself with a magical ball of energy bigger than her head, any more than I think Trixie planned to hang around Ponyville and take it over before she put on that amulet.
The color scheme fits, though I also like the possibility that she hatched Philomena.
As I recall, you were explaining how Trixie used to date Flash, and I was theorizing that she settled for Flash Sentry because Shining Armor was unavailable. Then I added in, appropos of nothing, that this is how Flash attracts all the girls who like him. It's Not Creepy indeed.
Pinkie had to fight a pig for him, didn't she?
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I hope not, it'd seem too contrived.
Thinking further I'm wondering on Sonata's line “Sirens don’t hurt their own. Never ever never.” I can't help but think there's some meaning on this, because as far as I know it has already been proven false in the fic.
I have nothing to add other than the fact that this is amazing.
That is all.
Hmn, so Sunset has a ring that is being explicitly pointed out, which I'm assuming is a wedding ring, but no husband in sight. My going to go out on a limb and guess that she married human Flash, and that like pony Flash he's in the military and is currently deployed somewhere.
You know, as much as SciTwi keeps going on about Sunset's 'mom jeans', her own wardrobe better be stylin'.
Hahaha, so the roads on the human side of the mirror are also in need of maintenance?
Oh wow, and it went on for years. No wonder Adagio snapped and killed her. And from the sound of things, why Sonata just stood there and watched it happen.
Bwhahahahaha!
I wonder if she'll be quite so excited once they get to the other side and she's a horse.
The mirror is missing? Well that's not good.
Who'd want a mirror into a world of awesome super-monkey's with a decent understanding of quantum physics, eh?
Maybe some kind of mad scientist, eh?
Honestly, I'd have preferred to have the identity of the murderer be kept a mystery. Personal preference.
Also, what motive would Aria have to hide a portal?
Aside from that, great fic!
CLIFFHANGER
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I'm sorry, I was trying to be funny(ish) too and it fell flat. I didn't mean to be obtuse.
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Tirek is still alive and rotting in prison, actually.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity never get time together on the show, aside from the one time Dash modeled for her. I guess it's my way of exploring a new facet of their relationship... the actual relationship. I did the same thing in Blueblood's Ascension with their "alicorn envy." Just making up reasons for them to hang out.
They really don't have all that much in common, I've noticed. Rainbow's childhood friends with Fluttershy, constant rival of Applejack, prank partner to Pinkie, and reading buddy to Twilight. Rarity's as hard working as Applejack, a connoisseur of all things frilly with Fluttershy, a city-girl with Twilight, and... well... Pinkie hasn't really had a solid connection either.
I feel like I can show that ponies can be friends without necessarily having anything in common. Their friendship is deeper than "We just do fun things together."
I would, but I haven't seen them all!
Regardless, look for a little bit of Patriot Games to show up down the line.
Come to your own conclusion there.
The... problem there is that most of it is downright embarrassing. It has all the hallmarks of a "My First Fanfiction." Rampant misspelled words, a confusing plot, character that we don't quite get to know, crossovers with everything, random jokes that fall flat, images that literally hurt your eyes to look at...
It gets much, much, much better later on. We go from this mess:
img4.imageshack.us/img4/4369/ds1rdl.jpg
To this glorious piece of photography:
i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u369/MyHobby2/Transformers%20Homeworld/Grand%20Finale%201/Comic5.jpg~original
Please note that it is a Transformers fan comic at heart, though the Marvel crossover gets a huge, huge, huge cut of the story. Please enjoy Transformers: Homeworld.
Eeeexactly!
Instead we've got armies of Silver Spoon and Prince Blueblood stories. I'm not sorry for the tradeoff.
I like your point. Some of the greatest stories told about some of the greatest characters have been about redemptions. Darth Vader obviously, Iago from Aladdin (it was too awesome!
), Zuko from Avatar, the list is easily accessible from TV Tropes. I'm glad that My Little Pony avoids the Redemption Equals Death trope, because reformed villains are super interesting.
That's if she isn't boggled by everyone's favorite adorkable librarian.
This is why the cover to the Grimoire Alicorn is made from cowhide.
Ignoring the heck outta Fiendship is Magic, just for the sake of argument, what sort of government was there when they were banished around 1,000 years ago? Various tribes. The monarchy-minded Starswirl probably didn't give a gnat's fart about them, pardon my Fancy.
But it is highly classical and well-fitting to the fairy tale setting!
Here's my headcanon:
Starswirl fell to the crime of hubris. It's one of the reasons I like the theory that Trixie is a direct descendant. He was old and set in his ways. He thought he knew better than anyone else. He didn't think things through--almost like Twilight can be, actually. He found a solution and even if it wasn't right, it was his idea and thus amazing.
He made the mirror between worlds. Rather than find out how to stabilize it, he closed the connection and stuffed the mirror away. Even knowing how Celestia felt.
At which point Celestia did the exact thing Starswirl did: Used a placebo that put everyone in danger, instead of actually searching for a solution. It's a classic Greek tragedy. And it still makes me misty-eyed, darn it.
Which is a bit like never eating so that you can lose weight...
I've never had my stories likened to prescription drugs before. This is a new one for me.
Yes, but I won't talk about it since it ties into future chapters of this story.
Ooh, I actually like that much better. it would help the timeline, too, because it would be possible that Philomena's little episode in the show might have been her first regeneration. So of course Twilight wouldn't have known about it!
Trixie currently dates Pony!Flash, to the point where she still needs to introduce him to her folks. I swear i'm still working on that one.
Well now I remember. Dang it. Let's go back to talking about Trixie's fishnets and how big a catch Flash ended up being.
Little known fact: Jim Henson was a blackbelt in Muppet-Fu.
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Precisely!
Everything Sonata said was meticulously designed to have meaning. A surface meaning or a deeper meaning, that's for you to decide. Or to find out as the story continues!
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Thanks for the compliment! I aim to keep it amazing going forward. I hope you enjoy!
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It's explicitly called a wedding band a few paragraphs down from the top.
You guys keep guessing Flash. It's like there aren't any other prominent male characters in Equestria Girls or something!
At the moment, she's wearing a nice, purple button up shirt. She's got it tucked into her jeans, which fit juuuuust right.
Plus that totally bad-flank long coat. Can't forget the long coat.
It's going to be glorious!
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I think Starswirl the Bearded, but Twilight Sparkle has her moments. Who did you have in mind?
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It is really early in the plot to outright reveal the murderer, I know. I had to take a risk with this one to get the story moving in the right direction, so I hope you like the payoff. There's still a bit of mystery to be solved!
That is a question this story seeks to answer!
Thank you very much and get ready for a wild ride!
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Yeah, I've been trying to create more cliffhangers. I usually have a habit of ending the chapter on a closing note, but when I leave a story hanging, it's really, really hanging!
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It's a small town, so everybody in Ponyville knows everyone else (but only Pinkie knows everybody else's birthday!
).
I've find the period between when the Mane 5 all move to Ponyville and Twilight shows up to be a fascinating subject I like reading about and considering (I even read this short, 3 story verse once by a great author that included Rarity raising capital for her business by working at Hayburger). Based on how we see them interact in season 1, I figured Applejack was already best friends/rivals with Rainbow Dash, since we see them casually hanging out only a few episodes in, Rainbow Dash as we all know is childhood friends with Fluttershy, and Rarity and Fluttershy have been hitting up the spa together/discussing fashion for years. Pinkie is kind of everyone's general friend at this point. We do see Rarity and Applejack bond, and Pinkie and Rainbow Dash bond, but that is about all we really see of these types of episodes. (Which is quite a shame. How would Applejack and Fluttershy spend time together? This should be a slice of life episode!).
All this is my long-winded way of saying I agree, Rarity and Rainbow Dash probably hang out less than any other of the Mane 6, but they are still friends. If Rainbow Dash can stomach going to the butterfly migration with Fluttershy, she can sit through a few fashion competitions to root for her friend, and I bet Rarity is happy to watch her friend practice stunt flying overhead while sipping tea.
I was mainly wondering about them as roomates because we know Rarity is a neatfreak, and it's hard to imagine Rainbow Dash as anything other than a slob, classic odd couple situation. That sportcoat that got dropped on the floor of the car, how often has Rarity complained about it being dropped on the living room floor?
Nice. In the meantime, I'll enjoy watching Twilight and Sunset hunting down The Fugitive.
Ok, I'm not going to BS you, the writing was so-so, but I really liked that weird lense photography thing you were doing. It reminds me a lot of the Harry Potter Comics, a stop-motion lego comic with cool graphics added as well. I do like whatever made your pictures look like they were rotoscoped or something.
Also, you've now published a Deadpool joke you wrote on Fimfiction, no one can deny your comic nerd credentials!
You don't have to argue with me, I find Gilbert Gottried's voice hilarious.
Wait, that was a redemption story? I thought it was a tale of a former Marine sent to a new world to save his people by getting them Unobtainium, only to betray his oath and people and doom Earth. I didn't see it actually.
Redemption is probably my favorite trope of all. I wasn't a big fan of the DBZ battles at the end of the last season, but it was all worth it for the awesome payoff of Discord's redemption arc.
Spike is adorkable?
After further consideration, I may have jumped the gun with all the quoting of terrible laws and war crimes to hoist Sunset up on. On EqG people are purple, violence is just not considered by normal people (if it was the first two movies would have ended very differently, if say Applejack had access to firearms instead of just rainbow magic), and
indicates this is definitely a cross between Earth and Equestria, including some of their incredible propensity for mercy. Maybe CSI:Twilight won't badger a friend who's truly reformed over crimes committed a decade ago after all.
I've read that idea and I love it, it would explain so much about Trixie's character. I read a great fic with that premise once as well. And yeah, Starswirl is kind of "I am the archmage, it's my power, so we do things my way." Celestia does somewhat better, but the reflexive secrecy is something she picked up from her teacher. The way they just dump their problems somewhere and forget about them, they both remind me of how Global Warming was fixed on Futurama:
Now you got me going. That's the only tragic ending I think there is in MLP canon.
A new one that they're likened to drugs, or a new on that they're likened to prescription drugs?
And you encouraged me to go back there earlier
Have you no sense of decency, sir?!
Yeah, everyone assumes Phoenixes are immortal because they are in mythology and fiction, but in Equestria they seem a lot more common, and they lay multiple eggs. Since Equestria is not hip-deep in phoenixes, they may have normal life-spans, and Philomena could be only a decade old.
I swear I'm still excited for Mustangian Trixie!
Sorry, undid some repression there, oops.
We both know Muppet-Fu is just flailing at a dude while your hands are covered in Muppets until said dude gets creeped out and runs away.
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*shrug* No worries.
You really need to tell us who Sunset's husband is!
Trivia aside, this is a very, very interesting beginning to the story; it has caught my attention and I really, really want to know where this is going.
Stole a mirror, eh? Nothin' you'd be familiar with, I'm sure, Sunset.
....well rut.
First oof on the mirror and what is Twilight's obsession with Sunset's mom Jeans?
Don't forget to add attempted murder on that list and the icing on the cake is attempted murder of a royal needless to say no freaking Wonder she wants to ignore all that crap she'd be up s*** creek without a paddle if she didn't