Severed Ties

by Carol Heart

Chapter 2

Experiment 262 resulted in another failure. After making the modifications discussed in my notes from the previous attempt and in consultation with Princess Twilight Sparkle, we remain unable to activate the dimensional portal or contact the human world via the journal. It has been over a year since the portal closed. Given our lack of any discernible progress and the clear intentions of those in the other world, I once again must recommend that this research be abandoned. The original functionality of the mirror should still remain and should allow it to open as it did before in another twenty-four moons per its previous cycle. Expeditions and inquiries can be made at that time, should the Crown deem it necessary.

Ending the spell, the red glow faded from her horn and from around the quill that had been enchanted to take the dictation of her lab notes. Gathering various parchments and scrolls scattered about the workspace and levitating them before her, the amber unicorn made sure her files and data were in order as well as the thaumic readings of the results- or lack thereof- from this latest test. Pushing herself away from the desk she was using, Sunset let her head fall backward, closing her eyes, she let out an exasperated sigh that she directed upwards to blow a lock of red and gold from her face.

Another failed experiment, another attempt to persuade Twilight to forget the whole project. They'd had the same argument repeatedly these last few months. Sunset knew it would not be one she could win. Twilight was the princess of friendship after all and would never give up on her friends, even if her ultimate goal was to deliver a severe lecture to five certain friends on what the Elements of Harmony are supposed to represent.

Sunset's recommendation to scrap the project meant another argument with one of the only two creatures she still considered friends. Part of Sunset respected the princess for her determination. It was nice to see at least one example of a friend who wouldn't give up on others when the going got tough. On the other hoof, the fact that Twilight had dragged Sunset back to be a part of the project, and worse yet back to Ponyville, continued to irk her.

When Sunset had first returned to Equestria, the residents of Ponyville, and Twilight's friends in particular, had been exceptionally kind and welcoming. They tried to make her feel at home, and unfortunately, she did. The town was full of far too many eerily familiar ponies that she was then forced to interact with every day. It dragged up too many bad memories for her. Finally, she had convinced Twilight to let her return to Canterlot to finish her magical schooling. Though Twilight was reluctant, it was hard for the bookish alicorn to deny a pony who was over a decade late for class.

Things had been going well. Sunset wasn't Celestia's personal student anymore, but really she wouldn't have wanted to be. It would have only been a new set of unhappy memories to deal with. No, independent study was the way to go. Besides, it had taken a while to get back to her former power, not to mention catch up on years of magical theory. Seriously, how many fields did Twilight revolutionize, if not outright create, while she was gone?

But once a magical prodigy, always a magical prodigy, and the amber unicorn soon found herself throwing herself into her work. Sunset Shimmer was not somepony to back down from a challenge, and princess or not, she would show Twilight why Sunset was her predecessor.

Things had been going well for Sunset. She had her magic to rediscover and had gotten away from the constant reminders of her old life. Then Twilight had to go and ruin it by dragging her flank back to Ponyville to work on this infernal project.

Pushing the increasing anger at the situation back down, Sunset couldn't stop a groan from escaping. Sunset wasn't an idiot. Of the bevy of words that had been used to describe her over the years, both here and in the other world, from impressive accolades to colorful curses, no one ever questioned her intelligence. Yes, she could say she had done some pretty stupid things in her life, but not because she was dumb. Quite the contrary actually. Most of the trouble she had gotten into in her life had been because she was smart. Smart enough to be named Princess Celestia’s personal student. Smart enough to master the skills necessary to survive and thrive in court at a young age. Smart enough to see through Celestia's manipulations of her. Smart enough to research the mirror and other ancient artifacts in the restricted section that might enable her to achieve the power she felt she needed to never be manipulated again.

She was a fool. She had been arrogant and self-aggrandizing. While it was true there had been those who had been out to use the promising young filly, (she still felt she had been justified in lighting Blueblood on fire and even the Princess of Friendship seemed unable to form an argument when the story had been shared), she had never realized that there had been so many who had truly wanted her happiness. She had learned in her time with Twilight that the pretty pink pony princess Sunset had despised the moment she stepped hoof in the palace, was a genuinely nice pony. It turned out that the stories about the adorable little filly that Cadance was foal-sitting had been about Twilight, herself.

They had both had a good laugh when that revelation was made, though recalling the memory now, Sunset’s mood soured quickly. She had missed a chance at finding friendship back then, because she hadn’t known which pony to trust, and walled herself off from others as a result deciding that she couldn't depend on others. Could it have been better if her choice had been different? She could have been friends with Princess Cadance and even little Twilight Sparkle.

But then she was friends with Twilight now and had trusted her, and Twilight had trusted the Rainbooms, and in the end that trust was broken and Sunset had been the one left to suffer. No, if she wanted to find her place in the world that wasn't as some pain in the flank for a powerful pony or a charity case for a bunch of human teenagers, Sunset would do it on her own. She had learned to survive on her own on both sides of the mirror. She could do it again. It was better that way. Not relying on others meant there was no one to let you down or leave you behind.

Sunset groaned again, “Though I have to say, being alone is murder on my sanity. I forgot how broody I get when I’m left alone with my thoughts.” Checking a window and gauging the time (one did not spend years as Princess Celestia’s student and not learn that particular skill), Sunset realized it was well past dinner time. She opted to go in search of food, partially to take her mind off her musings and partially because she knew Spike would ask when he got back. The amber unicorn set out for the kitchen. Maybe she’d have time to set up one more trial for tomorrow. It would mean having more evidence to present to the data-driven alicorn princess to help her case to shut down the portal project. Plus it would at least give her something to occupy her mind and keep her from beating herself up about how her life had turned out. Sighing, Sunset resigned herself to another long night.

***

As she entered her castle, Twilight Sparkle levitated her saddlebags over to a hook on the wall as Spike placed the projector case below it. Her presentation at CSGU had not gone as planned. The speech itself had not been the issue, though, rather it was whom she thought she had spotted in the audience. The thought of seeing Starlight Glimmer, one of her former adversaries, had left her on edge the whole trip home. Plus there was another former adversary that the princess of friendship had been worrying about since she and Spike left yesterday.

“Maybe I was just more stressed about that speech than I thought,” Twilight said aloud more to reassure herself than to her companion.

“Yeah, that sounds better than Starlight Glimmer coming back with an evil plot for revenge,” Spike agreed having dealt with Twilight’s panicky concerns the whole train ride home.

“Well, when you say it like that, it does sound kind of silly,” Twilight laughed. Pushing the doors to the throne room open with her magic, Twilight had her gaze on the little dragon. Spike, however, got a good glance into the room as the doors opened causing his frills to droop and his eyes to widen as his pupils shrunk to pinpricks. There, lounging comfortably in Fluttershy’s seat with her hind hooves propped up on the Cutie Map, was the very mare they had been discussing.

“Or it’s totally true!” Spike yelled.

“Welcome home, Twilight,” Starlight Glimmer called with a menacing sneer as she levitated a worn piece of parchment up from below the table. With a blast of her magic, she activated whatever spell it contained. The parchment redirected the flow of her magic into the map table causing it to activate.

Rushing forward, Twilight gave the other mare her best glare and demanded, “What are you doing, Starlight?” This elicited a maniacal laugh from the unicorn.

“I’d tell you, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” Crumpling the parchment and tossing it aside, Starlight quipped, “Won’t be needing that anymore.” Feeling the building magic in the Cutie Map, the Princess of Friendship summoned her magic to her horn, ready to engage Starlight when the map began to react to whatever spell had been cast on it. It began radiating power which prompted Twilight to change targets for her magic. She focused her power to counteract the waves of power pulsing within the table, only to have her spell be redirected away by the waves of energy.

As the power continued to build in the room, Twilight had to grab hold of Spike with one of her wings so he wouldn't be blown away. Suddenly, the power converged above the map table forming a dome of power adorned with various runes and designs. Underneath it all, a portal began sparking with lightning.

Clearly pleased with the result, Starlight used her magic to levitate herself up to the newly formed portal and was quickly sucked in. Her disappearance must have completed the spell because as soon as she was gone, the portal and magic sphere vanished as well.

Running to the table, Spike glanced above the table where the unicorn had just been. “Where'd she go?”

“I don't know, Spike, but I think we better find out,” Twilight said. “Why don’t you go grab Sunset? We could probably use a hoof with this.” As the purple princess began her examination of the Cutie Map to check it for any possible side effects or clues to what the spell was, she missed her dragon companion focus his attention on the discarded piece of parchment.

“Sure thing, Twilight. I guess we could start with this,” Spike called out as he bent down to retrieve the item.

Turning quickly, Twilight shouted, “Spike, no, don't touch that!” But it was too late. The little dragon grabbed the crumpled spell and in doing so, reactivated the glowing vortex above the map table. This time the spell reacted with such force that the two were quickly pulled into the portal before they could do more than scream. Their cries mirroring the similar shouts of panic from the nearby private study.

Comments

[Argentyros]

See! This is what happens when you taunt the universe. That was quite the derailment that seems to have happened there.

[J_Q]

Experiment 262 resulted in another failure. After making the modifications discussed in my notes from the previous attempt and in consultation with Princess Twilight Sparkle, we remain unable to activate the dimensional portal or contact the human world via the journal. It has been over a year since the portal closed. Given our lack of any discernible progress and the clear intentions of those in the other world, I once again must recommend that this research be abandoned. The original functionality of the mirror should remain and should allow it to open as it did before in another 24 moons per its previous cycle. Expeditions and inquiries can be made at that time, should the crown deem it necessary.

I see what you did there.

[Claptrap26]

10321952
i dont get it

[Forestor]

I I saw experiment 262 and thought 626. actually had to reread it to realize it wasn't.

[Edguy0009]

10321952
Stitch is 626.