The Reunion

by Bronyxy

2 Everypony or Nopony At All

Once he had left Solaris to finish the last of the cake, Dusk thought hard about how they could address the personal dynamic such that the much desired interdimensional journey could be made to happen without causing the downfall of both worlds. If they were to construct a story that the CMCs couldn’t travel because of some reason, such as age or size or something, then Silver Bell would have to stay in this world, and his filly counterpart on the other, so neither of the dressmakers would be likely to abscond. That part was easy, but what to do about Butterscotch; poor lovestruck Butterscotch? He was the friend who wanted to travel the most, but by the same token was the one who was most likely to suffer the most lasting distress in the pursuit of his love.

He decided that a heart to heart was the only way to get to the bottom of the problem, and trotted off to his cottage where he was as usual pampering the animals in his charge, especially one rather spoilt white bunny. Nopony got to become the Bearer of the Element of Kindness without good reason after all.

He knocked at the door and saw the large eyed stallion looking up at him.
“Oh, hello Dusk” he offered in greeting “Would you like to come in. I’m just finishing feeding time; you can feed the otters if you like.”
“Why thank you ‘Scotch, I’d be honoured to help out.”
He walked in to the chaotic sounds of many different types of animals enjoying their lunch and admired his friend’s planning abilities, something that he, Dusk Shine was well renowned for himself and could therefore appreciate fully.
“I don’t know how you manage to keep this so well organised ‘Scotch” he complimented.
Butterscotch blushed brightly and mumbled something obscure that Dusk didn’t quite catch.

“Could you go over to that bucket and pick out a clam? Then tap it a bit so it looks like it’s going to open and if it doesn’t then use the flat of a knife to start levering the two halves apart.”
The animal lover was in his element and Dusk obliged by doing as instructed, grateful to hear his friend feel strongly enough about what he was doing to issue orders.
“So, why do we do this?” the lilac pony asked.
“It’s to make them feel strong again while they’re recovering” came the matter-of-fact reply.
Dusk smiled; only Butterscotch could think up something so thoughtful.

Once they had prepared enough, the two friends went through to see the otters, who as last on the feeding list were quite animated, running backwards and forwards and swimming in the little bathtub that had been set up for them. Butterscotch gently passed a prepared clam to one of the otters and gestured to his friend to do the same. The otter took the treat timidly from the unfamiliar pony but soon broke it open and set about its lunch.

“He’s saying thank you, Dusk” said Butterscotch.
The magician was totally unable to decipher the sequence of high pitched squeaks, but accepted his friend’s translation and replied to the otter with a cheery “You’re welcome.”
“Yes, Mr Otter, he is a very nice pony. Now enjoy your lunch.”

Turning back to his friend, Butterscotch enquired “It’s very nice to see you again Dusk, but what did you want?”
“I came to ask you a question” he replied, a little warily.
“Oh dear, I do hope it’s nothing serious.”
“I have a difficult question and it would mean a lot to me if you could answer honestly.”
“Oh my …”

“If, and I’m only saying if you could meet Fluttershy again, I know you would get on really well, but how would you feel when it was time to leave her and come back home?”
“I don’t think I would want to leave her.”
Whilst Dusk admired his friend’s honesty, his heart sank; this was just what Solaris had warned him about.

“If, for example, it was possible for us to meet up with our six mare friends again, but on the strict understanding that we couldn’t stay, would you like to or would you rather not?”
“Oh, Dusk …” Butterscotch whimpered as his eyes began to brim with tears “That’s so unfair …”
“I’m sorry ‘Scotch” said the magician edging closer to give his friend a nuzzle, but the primrose stallion backed away, shaking his head and allowing his tears to fall freely.

***

Twilight was shaken by Fluttershy’s reaction and immediately regretted having misjudged the depth of feeling that she still harboured for her male self. It had been years after all, so she hadn’t expected the reaction to be as focused as it had been. She desperately wanted to comfort the primrose pony, but her retreat made it perfectly clear that a friendly nuzzle would not be enough this time.

“I’m so sorry Fluttershy” she soothed, desperately trying to regain control of the situation “I guess I was so keen to meet our male selves again that I hadn’t fully thought through what it could mean to you.”
“It’s OK Twilight” she replied, everything clearly not sounding OK “Just give me a few minutes, will you?”

With a heavy heart, the magician turned to allow her timid friend some privacy, in the full realisation that in her enthusiasm she had inadvertently overstepped the mark, and also began to face the prospect that any plans to meet up with their other selves would have to be shelved indefinitely, if not permanently.

With her head hung low, Twilight passed through the menagerie that was Fluttershy’s front room and showed herself out, Angel peering up from his carrot to watch her go, and making sure that she had closed the door behind her properly so that the critters didn’t get out. Happy that she had managed this process unaided and that the door did not require his help, he hopped through to see if his mistress was alright.

Fluttershy was sobbing quietly in the corner that she had sought for her refuge, her pink mane shielding her tear sodden face. Discarding his half-eaten carrot, he immediately hopped over to give her a hug.
“Thank you, Angel,” she whimpered, holding him close.

“Well, that could have gone better” said Twilight to herself, feeling the burden of guilt pressing unpleasantly down on her “Some Princess of Friendship I am. I was so keen to make this happen that I hurt one of my closest friends. Forget it – just forget it!It’s a stupid idea anyway!”
She angrily kicked a stone from her way and it catapulted into some innocent foliage at the side of the path, but it didn’t make her feel any better. The plan was off.

***

Twilight wanted to cheer up Fluttershy, but she realised that her judgement had already been off where her friend had been concerned, so instead arranged an urgent delivery of flowers from Lily Valley, Daisy and Rose. Having made amends, she then went back to her castle, sat in her chair and lay her face on the table, covering it with her forehooves. She knew it wouldn’t help and she knew she had more important things to do, but still found herself unable to resist wallowing in self-pity for an hour.

“Hey Twi” came the familiar rasping tones of a cyan mare. She really didn’t want to talk at the moment and kept her face hidden under her forehooves, acknowledging her guest with barely more than a grunt.
“Just come from Fluttershy” the voice continued.
“That was all my fault Rainbow” she said, still keeping her face on the table, but waving a single forehoof like a flag of surrender “I’m the worst Princess of Friendship ever.”
“Nah, I can imagine worse; Chrysalis or Nightmare Moon – hey how about Tirek? Can you imagine Tirek as a Princess in a dress?”
Twilight giggled a little at that last image and lifted her head to see Rainbow Dash “Well I still remember Discord dressed as a French maid.”
“Yeah! I had bad dreams for a week!” giggled Rainbow so loudly that she snorted.
That snort was so funny that it set Twilight off and both friends were soon engulfed in fits of uncontrollable laughter, Rainbow rolling around on the floor.

When the laughter subsided a more serious Rainbow emerged “’Shy told me what happened.”
“Great. Watch as the Princess of Friendship screws up somepony else’s life” said Twilight as the smile that had temporarily graced her face disappeared once more.
“Yeah, she was a bit uptight, but the flowers were nice.”
“I’m pleased they got there so quick.”
“Yeah …” began Rainbow awkwardly “I think they would have looked better before the squirrels tried to eat them as a snack.”
“Oh … I hadn’t thought of that” said Twilight, admonishing herself.
“Neither did the delivery pony. You should have seen the look on her face!”
“Oh no!I hope she’s alright.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Made Fluttershy laugh though”
“Really?”
“Priceless!Look Twi; the flowers were a really nice idea and they worked well, but not in the way you thought” Rainbow scratched her head with her forehoof before continuing “’Shy … she’s, well … sorry for how she reacted to you - you know? She’s in.”

“What?”
“You know, the whole meeting up with our male selves bit.”
“I don’t suppose her sudden change of heart had anything to do with you wanting to go back and set things straight with Blitz, by any chance?” said Twilight, her voice rising as her anger grew.
“I don’t think I said it in quite those terms, Twi” replied Rainbow apprehensively.
Twilight groaned, then stated pointedly “Well, I guess it’s going to be a bit more difficult trying to keep it a secret now, isn’t it?”
Rainbow just gave a nervous snicker and rubbed the back of her head with her forehoof, before rejoining with a rather weak “You should have seen the squirrels rip those flowers up though …”

***

The little bell rang cheerfully announcing the latest customer into Carousel Boutique and the door was carefully shut behind as the lilac pony made her way in to admire the latest haute couture on offer. The display was dazzling as was the voice that chimed out from the workshop.
“I’ll be right with you!”

The unmistakeable elegant white form wafted into the showroom, looking immaculate as always.
“Twilight darling, what an unexpected treat. How may I help you today?”
“Well Rarity, it’s more what I may be able to do for you; well, all of us in fact.”
“Oh, I am intrigued; pray do tell me more” said the glamorous fashionista batting her eyelids seductively and bringing a slight blush to her friend’s face.
“Do you remember a certain white stallion of our mutual acquaintance?”
“I can think of a few I’ve known darling” she smiled raising one eyebrow cheekily “But, I don’t know how many of them you’ve known too.”

Taken aback, Twilight’s blush suddenly took on a life of its own and lit up her face bright red “Oh Rarity, this isn’t helping at all!”
“Very well then” she replied, “The answer is yes, I promise to behave.”
“What?I haven’t even asked you a question yet” said Twilight, confused.
“You were going to enquire how I would feel at the prospect of meeting Elusive again and determine whether I could be trusted not to run away with him.”
Twilight was dumbfounded.
“Am I close, dear?” she smiled mischievously.
“How did you know” asked her friend, stunned.
“Oh, a little bird told me …”

“Who else has your little bird told?” asked Twilight failing to contain her evident exasperation.
“Oh, I suggest, conservatively speaking; all of our closest friends, their younger siblings, and of course a little dragon. At a rough guess, that is.”
Twilight could see all of her carefully crafted plans unravelling in front of her eyes. She had intended to sound out her friends one at a time, to see if they were agreeable without having the peer pressure of all the others to sway their opinions, but it rather seemed that somepony had beaten her to it. She growled in annoyance while Rarity looked on inscrutably.
“Alright, I guess we’d better all meet up and I can explain it.”
“How about here darling, say 6 pm?”
“Yes, thank you Rarity, that would be fine.”
“Good, because that’s what I’ve already arranged.”
“What?” Twilight had been outsmarted again, and Rarity couldn’t help but allow a smirk to cross her lips as her friend stormed off.

***

During the day there was a flurry of activity as Twilight paced anxiously in circles talking to herself and occasionally firing off a scroll to Canterlot. She had been ambushed and wanted to talk the issues through with Celestia before agreeing to anything, but the secret was out and there wasn’t time to meet and talk it through. Instead, she would just have to make the best of it with only the occasional Royal scroll for guidance. She got progressively more stressed as the afternoon wore on, but a way forward was starting to become clear - it could still be made to work without ending life as she knew it.

Slowly, the hands on the town clock made their inexorable way round towards 6 pm and the five friends, CMCs and Spike all met up as arranged, Rarity, the consummate hostess passing out drinks and nibbles to put everypony at their ease.
At precisely the allotted hour, Twilight took to the stage and addressed all present.
“Mares, fillies and baby dragon …”
“Aw, why’d she have to call me baby?” moaned Spike quietly to himself.
“It seems to have become widely known that I may, and I repeat may, have found a way in which we could meet up with our other-gender selves again. I was hoping to discuss this possibility with each of you in turn, but somehow the word got out before I could do that.”
At this point, she looked around her assembled friends; the younger ones were gazing up at her in rapt attention, and one cyan mare was looking above her and off to one side, cheeks a tell-tale colour red.

“OK then, if we’re even going to try this, I must emphasise how important it is not to tip the delicate balance between our two worlds; whatever we do here, they do there, the only difference being that anything with a gender is reversed. Therefore, all of us who make the journey must come back without having disturbed anything material or set in train anything with anypony, or any dragon, else that could affect this equilibrium. There’s a couple of you in particular I’m thinking of here” she said, looking knowingly towards Rarity, whose face reflected back the picture of innocence.
“We have all got to be in full agreement with this or the idea stops here and now.”
There was nodding and the sound of positive murmuring all round.
“OK then, if anypony has any concerns, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem, come and talk to me over the next few days. Everything you say will be in confidence, but if anypony doesn’t feel they can go through with this for any reason, then we must all accept that decision without any recrimination, OK?”

She looked towards Fluttershy and was relieved to see that she looked to be in general agreement rather than the tearful reticence she had displayed before. Perhaps Rainbow really had found a way to reassure her after all?
“Well, that’s about it from me. Unless there are any questions, I propose we continue to enjoy the hospitality until Rarity throws us out!”
It was now Rarity’s turn to blush, but she gamely set about getting more snacks and drinks, ably assisted by the pink mistress of parties, Pinkie Pie who was determined to set up pin the tail on the pony as soon as she could.

Comments

[Comickook]

Love the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up. The reflections on both sides was quite well done and I DID enjoy seeing Rainbow Dash cheering Twilight up with the image of some of their worse enemies in the role of Friendship Princess.

On to the next chapter.