Out of This World

by Mouse-Deer

Back in Your Own Backyard

Canterlot City descended into absolute chaos.

“On your left!”

The Principal narrowly swerved around another car, one of the many that were beelining at them in an attempt to take them off of the road. Sunset and Twilight kept watch on the sides, ready to warn the driver if any other civilians decided to charge at the car again. Although it at first seemed like they were going to reach the Everfree before the Dazzlings, they were halted at every turn. The sirens’ buses passed them a few minutes prior.

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them!” growled Twilight, staring at the growing mass behind them that relentlessly shuffled toward their general direction. “They were going to abuse their power from the start!”

“What else could we do?” Sunset retorted. “It was either her or Chrysalis!”

The Principal suddenly slammed on the brakes, lurching the two forward. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, watching another car—aiming for the front this time—whizz past them. “That was too close.”

Twilight and Sunset sat themselves back up on the seat, this time deciding to throw their seatbelts on. Sunset grasped the bag she had left in the car earlier and opened it up, pilfering through in the hopes that she had packed something useful for this situation.

“Twilight,” she said, pulling an old notebook out of the bag, “do you think Starswirl the Bearded had anything on the Dazzlings?”

“I didn’t see anything in my first three reads, but I could scan it again. Starswirl was known to hide secret messages in his works.” Sunset handed the notebook over to Twilight, who quickly started flipping through, her attention completely focused on the reading. Sunset peered into the bag, looking for anything else. Just my journal and a sack of bits . . . that’s all that’s left. She glanced back outside and saw that the crowd around them was thinning out, and no one could reach their vehicle as easily.

She zipped up the bag and slung it around her shoulder, opting to keep it with her. “If we mess up at Camp Everfree, then I say we swing back around to CHS and try to escape to Equestria,” she suggested. The Principal shook her head.

“Do you really think we could get back through the crowd? Camp Everfree is a dead end. We’ll die trying.”

“It’s either die trying, or die.”

“I’ve heard enough about death tonight already,” the Principal grumbled. The car finally pulled out onto the highway leading into the Everfree forest. However, as they traveled farther along, the current of vehicles on the road increased. The Principal had been weaving between the cars in an attempt to gain speed, but it was starting to get to the point where there was no room to budge ahead at all. The Dazzlings’ spell had caused a mass pilgrimage to the camp, and the large quantity of vehicles heading in the same direction almost instantly slowed them to a crawl.

“What do we do?” wondered Sunset aloud.

“I’m going to drive as far as I can, and then we’ll need to go on foot,” the Principal said, making a tight pass around another car. Fortunately, most of the people driving their vehicles were too enchanted to go at a fast speed, so she wasn’t in much danger if they actually crashed.

Sunset sat back down in her seat and closed her eyes, letting her head rest for a second. She felt absolutely terrible, and she could feel her face start to swell up from the beating she had taken. She readjusted her leather jacket around her shoulders; it was spattered in a mixture of Chrysalis’s and her own blood. Her short moment of rest became an opening for another wave of nausea. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk all the way to Camp Everfree, Principal,” she said weakly.

“There’s no other option. We’ll carry you, if we need to.”

Twilight flipped the other end of the notebook closed. “Nope, I can’t find any hidden meanings about the sirens. It’s all just observations on various Equestrian magic he encounters, and some personal notes in between.”

“What did he talk about in his logs?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary for Starswirl,” she said. “How amazing this magic is, and how groundbreaking of a discovery it is. There was one passage, where he seemed awfully homesick—I suppose even Starswirl started to miss his friends after a while. Still, I can’t find a single mention of how to actually harness magic in this world, or how to stop a creature like the siren from lording over the populace.”

“Damn it,” Sunset lamented. “I guess we’ll just have to get to the Princess first, somehow.”

As Twilight handed Sunset the notebook to put back in her bag, the car lurched to a halt once more. The road was completely jammed, cars stalled all the way down the road. Everyone had stepped out at this point, and they could see multiple people staggering toward the camp. “This is as far as we can go,” the Principal announced.

“How far away is it?” asked Twilight.

“I would say it’s only a short walk, but it still won’t be fun. Let’s get on, then.”

“Wait, Principal,” said Sunset. “If they see your face, we’ll get mauled. Cover your head with your coat, or something,” she suggested.

“Right,” said the Principal, slipping off her coat and tossing it over her head, covering her hair as well. “But you two need to lead me, then.”

Sunset pushed herself out of the car, her bag slung around her shoulder, walked over to the Principal, and grasped her arm. “I’ll try and lead you, put I can’t promise I won’t give out somewhere in between.”

“Thank you,” the Principal said from underneath the jacket.

Twilight went to Sunset’s side to help keep her steady and they started their trek to Camp Everfree. None of the people around them seemed to notice the Principal, all too focused on entering the camp. They weaved through the cars without issue, and after what seemed like an eternity of walking, they could see the entrance coming into view. Just before it, though, Sunset noticed three parked buses right in front of the line.

“The Dazzlings are already here,” she said.

“Damn,” exclaimed the Principal. “I never took my foot off of the gas! Well, only when I wasn’t breaking,” she murmured.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “They’ve probably searched a good portion of the camp by now. Even if it took a while to get everyone here, they’ve had a big head start.”

They entered the camp, but their walk was far from over. The front gates were flush with people, and one wrong move would reveal the Principal’s identity. “Be careful,” Sunset said to her. “The Dazzlings could be anywhere.” Above the crowd, Sunset could almost make out the distant, crystal-like lake, glimmering against the setting sun. “Where should we head?”

“The rock quarry,” the Principal whispered.

The three started off in the quarry’s direction, and, thankfully, away from the angry crowd. There were still plenty of people aimlessly wandering near them, but at least Sunset felt like she could breathe.

Twilight abruptly let go of Sunset’s arm, freezing in place.

“What is it?” Sunset asked, stopping the Principal as well.

Twilight pointed back from the direction they came, her jaws gaping wide. “Look, over there . . . from the entrance’s direction.”

Sunset squinted her eyes to differentiate between the people behind, but it was too far away. “Where?”

“Low on the ground.”

Sunset’s eyes widened as she saw the figure slowly inching toward them. It was a duplicate of herself, still in the form of a demon, its right leg and left arm frozen in stone. The changeling queen’s whole body had gone completely rigid, and she was laying on her back, somehow sliding across the ground as if she was being carried by a conveyor belt. On closer inspection, Sunset saw a thin line of wasps underneath Chrysalis, bracing her against their backs and skittering forward, like a crowd of ants carrying a big leaf.

“What is it?” the Principal asked, still unable to see.

“It’s Chrysalis,” said Sunset. “She got over here, somehow.”

“I thought she was taken care of.”

“Me too. Shit!”

“Then we best get a move on,” the Principal said, starting forward at a faster pace. The two girls turned away and got back to leading her to the quarry.

“Where’s the entrance to the cave, Principal?” asked Twilight.

“It’s behind a thick set of vines. I should be able to peek underneath this jacket and point out the general area to you.”

“Alright,” said Sunset. “We’re almost here, just one more corner to turn.”

As the rock quarry came into view, it became apparent that navigating it would be an issue. The two girls stopped the Principal.

“What is it now?” she questioned.

“We got beat to it again,” Twilight uttered.

The rock quarry was filled to the brim with angry citizens, stalking around the area in the hopes of finding the entrance to the cave. It was only a short matter of time before someone stumbled upon the correct spot.

“Principal,” Sunset said, “you’re going to need to point out to us where the entrance is, because once we’re down there, one glimpse of your face will end us.”

The Principal shifted the jacket over her head to expose one eye, and she peered at the quarry, searching for any sign of where she had previously entered. “There,” she said, pointing at a spot on the left side of the quarry. “Do you see that patch of vines? They should have a cut in between them. I can’t say that’s the exact spot, but I know the Princess brought me somewhere around there.”

“Then lets get over there, quick,” hurried Sunset. Once the Principal had gotten her face covered again, they started off in the entrance’s direction.

Just before entering into the pit of people, Sunset scanned the crowd, and saw the three sirens at the right side of the quarry. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that at this rate they would still make it inside of the cave first. They began their descent, wading through the sea of enraged bodies.

“This is disgusting,” the Principal muttered, gripping her impromptu mask close to her face.

“Shush,” said Twilight, “They might recognize Celestia’s voice.”

Sunset glanced behind her and saw that Chrysalis was still skittering along, slowly catching up to them. The queen entered the rock quarry and, due to her low level on the ground, disappeared underneath all of the shuffling feet.

“We need to hurry,” Sunset exclaimed. A wave of nausea overcame her once more, and she clutched her head, pausing to suck in air.

“Are you okay, Sunset?” asked Twilight, worriedly placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sunset coughed, starting forward again. “I’m fine.”

They reached the left wall of the quarry, fortunately not gaining the attention of any unwanted passerbys. The three started pushing against the rock wall, feeling along the side in search of the entrance or a break in the vines. They were nearing the section the Principal had pointed out when Sunset heard someone call behind them.

“Sunset!” yelled Chrysalis. “I’m not done with you yet! My reinforcements arrived, and they were more than happy to carry me to you!”

A few angry people in the crowd were startled out of their search. Chrysalis heeded no attention to them, skittering closer to the trio.

“Tell her to be quiet,” the Principal snapped. “She’ll give us away!”

“Sunset . . . " she called again.

“Alright,” Sunset said, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible. “What is it?”

“Come over here,” she croaked.

“No.”

The crowd around them had now shifted their attention to the three women and Chrysalis, all watching the scene unfold with slight intrigue.

“That’s not an option, Sunset,” she announced, her voice growing louder. “I need to speak with you.”

A few people took notice of Principal Celestia, still covering her face with her jacket. Murmurs ran through the crowd, and the faces around them shifted into deep frowns.

“I can’t right now,” Sunset hissed.

“I would put it off if I had the time,” responded Chrysalis.

Someone in front of Celestia grabbed her jacket and yanked it off of her head, revealing her face to the crowd. Outraged gasps dispersed throughout the quarry, and soon every eye in the quarry was focused on the Principal. It was then that they noticed the people had not come unarmed; several were carrying knives, bats, boards, and there were even a few guns that had just been raised in anticipation.

The Dazzlings, startled by the shift in the crowd’s attention, immediately saw the group across the quarry. Everyone had gone deathly quiet, waiting for their command. Adagio’s mouth turned upward into a sly grin, and she shrugged her shoulders. “Well, everyone! What are we waiting for? Attack!”

The crowd roared with fury and jumped toward them. Principal Celestia shielded her face, and with a look of utter terror, sunk down onto the ground. Twilight and Sunset followed suit, attempting to shield themselves as much as possible. Sunset collapsed out of exhaustion, her body giving up when faced with the prospect of the attack they were about to receive.

Except the assault never reached them. When Sunset peeked an eye open, she found that the enraged citizens were focusing their rage on indescribable masses littering the grounds around them. None had even bothered to reach for the real Principal Celestia.

Sunset shook herself off and weakly got on to her feet. She poked the other two. “Hey, they’re not after us.”

Twilight removed her arms from her face. “What? What’s going on?”

Even with the Principal’s face exposed, no one attacked her. She got up and walked over to one of the masses on the ground. “You two need to see this.”

Each mass was a copy of Princess Celestia, dressed in her royal garb. The citizens surrounded each mass, kicking, beating, and destroying each duplicate Celestia. None of the masses made a sound, and each had a blank face as it was beaten. Sunset turned away, unable to look any longer.

“Sunset,” she heard someone whisper underneath her. It was Chrysalis, whose stone curse was now creeping up her torso. “Let’s make a final deal. Not between Sunset and Chrysalis. Between all Equestrians and all Changelings.”

“What do you want?”

“Those Celestias are the last of my reinforcements, Sunset,” she wheezed, “and I’ll give them to you and your friends. They’ll buy you enough time to make it into the cave. But in return, you need to come with me. I need to speak with you.”

“No,” Sunset said.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for taking you away from them just for a short bit. Forgiveness appears to be your thing, so that gives me better chances.” She snorted. “Twilight and the other Celestia will be fine. Fate is on your side. But I need to preserve my species, Sunset . . . I’m not asking.”

Sunset turned back to Twilight and Principal Celestia who were nervously clinging to the wall, already starting back on finding the entrance. Were it not for Chrysalis’s intervention, they would all be in place of each bruised mass. She felt her whole body ache all over, the the thought of rushing through the cave made her whole stomach ache. “. . . Fine. Let me talk to Twilight.”

She walked over to the girl and slung her bag off of her back, handing it to her.

“Here,” Sunset said, “Just in case you need Starswirl’s notes.”

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Chrysalis. She’s buying you two time to get to Celestia. But I need to go with her.”

“Why?” asked Twilight.

“Diplomacy, I think? But I don’t have a choice, whatever it may be.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in panic. “I can’t do this alone, Sunset. Not without my friends. Not without you.”

Sunset smiled reassuringly. “Yes you can. If anyone can do it, it’s you. The Principal’s here, too.”

Her lip quivered. “Are you sure you can’t come?”

“I think I would be dead weight anyways. Chrysalis got me good back at the school. I’ll try to come back as fast as I can, though. I promise.”

“What am I supposed to do if the Dazzlings catch up to us?”

“Ask the Princess, if you get to her first. Just . . . trust yourself. I believe in you.”

Twilight reached out and reluctantly took Sunset’s bag, slinging it around her shoulder. As they stared into each other’s eyes, Twilight’s started to well up, and the riot around them disappeared for just a moment.

“Good luck, Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” said Twilight. Without another word, she turned back to the effort of finding the entrance with the Principal. Sunset wiped her eyes and sniffed lightly.

“Thanks for the boost,” Chrysalis called from behind her. “There’s nothing that tastes quite the same as young love and budding romance. I think you just gave me a few extra minutes of life, heh.”

Sunset turned around to the demon and frowned. “Now what do you want?” she growled.

“First, I would like if you could pick me up. The bugs can’t carry me if they’re saving your friends.”

Sunset reached down and grasped Chrysalis’s right arm, the one not frozen in stone. She swung Chrysalis onto her feet, who wrapped her arm around Sunset’s shoulder. “Where to?” asked Sunset.

“The best place to go out that’s nearby . . . the lake, I suppose. Let’s go there.”

They started their slow hobble out of the quarry, taking a few minutes to find a rhythm. Sunset noticed she was more or less dragging along the changeling queen. I suppose it will only get harder, she thought.

“Tell me what this is about, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis snorted. “You’re so blunt. Give me a minute to get all my thoughts straight. What I really need you to do is listen. I’ve got a lot to say, and I need you to understand it well.”

“You want me to humor you?”

“I suppose, but it’s quite important. I may need to work my way toward what I’m trying to say, though, so maybe you could humor me for a little while. My mind is all over the place right now.”

“I can tell.”

“Don’t piss me off even more. I’m still enraged at you for doing this to me. I’m so ashamed of what I’m about to say.” She sighed. “My species’ main goal underneath my rule was to conquer. We . . . failed. The second goal was simply to survive. And that’s what I’m doing now, talking to you. I’m ensuring that they survive.”

They made their way out of the quarry pit, and started walking along the trail to the center of the camp.

“If you are truly a mare of forgiveness, as you so boldly claimed to me within the mirror portal, then I need you to forgive the changeling race. Not me, though. I seek no forgiveness from you. However, it is in my subjects’ best interest to be forgiven by Equestria. So I am going to take all of the blame for everything that has happened, if it ensures their survival. And I will do so proudly.”

“So you want me as your witness?” asked Sunset.

“Yes, consider it official if you’d like. There will be no more Changeling Queen after I am gone, whether you agree to my conditions or not. After my death, the changelings will be far too fractured to ever consolidate once more. But I’m dying, so let my era die with me. Forgive everyone else, even if the changelings resist such an idea.”

Her shoulders grew stiff, which made carrying her far more difficult.

“Not so long ago, I was in your spot, Sunset. I had just defeated the current queen—I got a good shot on her, right through the lung—and sat down to speak with her as she died. You see, Sunset, I actually did what you were too much of a coward to do: I killed the princess. I usurped the throne. And I’m proud of it. Just as proud as my mother was when she killed hers, and so on. In fact, me dying to you has broken tradition. I hope you’re happy.

“But, as my mother was growing weaker in front of me, choking, sputtering out her last breaths, she underwent some strange delirium. Instead of telling me how to rule, what to look out for, all she did was grasp at me with her weak hooves, mumbling nonsense words like a madpony. I leaned down to her ear, and do you know what she said? She said she loved me. Hah! I couldn’t believe it.

“Then something started happening to her. The black chitin on her hooves disappeared, replaced with this bright white texture, and the holes in her legs filled themselves in. She wouldn’t stop smiling, even though she was choking on her own blood. It was like some disease, inching up her skin, turning her into some goddamn zombie. What was I supposed to do but panic, when seeing my own kind being destroyed right in front of me? Before it consumed her, I grabbed her head in my hands and snapped her neck. I’m still a little sad I had to cut our conversation short, but it is what it is.”

They approached the camp square, moving past the clusters of people who were heading toward the quarry.

“Truthfully, I hated my mother. She was another queen in a line of queens who wouldn’t do anything. Anytime I asked her, ‘How are we going to solve our dwindling food supply?’ ‘What’s our plan in case Equestria wages war against us?’ she would smile at me, like I was some buffoon, and say, ‘Everything is in fate’s hands.’ Bullshit! She was weak, and too much of a coward to admit it.

“When I took control, I made sure I was the opposite of her. I erased her from all of our records, and forbid any changelings from speaking the names of our past leaders. I took matters into my own hooves. And it worked. I turned things around. She never really interacted with fate a day in her life; she never grappled with it like I have. Because fate wanted the Changelings to sit down and let themselves die. They weren’t needed anymore. And as long as the Changelings weren’t making a splash, then fate didn’t give us a second glance. I changed that. Every single person in my kingdom doubted me; after announcing my plan to invade the Canterlot Wedding, they protested me. But when the time came to act, against every negative feeling in every bone of my body, I pulled through. And then some.

“My biggest enemy wasn’t Equestria, or humanity, or anyone, really. It was the destiny of the Changelings, and our dwindling relevance in the modern ecosystem. I’m not foolish, Sunset; I can see that changelings are parasitic by nature. All we do is take—that’s not always a good thing, unless you’re at the very top. If the changelings wanted to survive, then we needed to be the tertiary predator. I took our weakness, our out-of-date method of harvesting love, and turned it into our biggest strength. I revolutionized how a changeling could feed through mass invasions, and because of that, we swept Equestria. How’s that for a big ‘Fuck you,’ eh?

“I could feel that what I was doing was ‘wrong,’ morally-speaking. After a certain point, those alarm bells start ringing in your head, you start doubting yourself, you wonder if you’re doing the right thing—well, let me tell you this, Sunset. That sense of morality, whether you’re good, bad, or somewhere in between? It’s all bullshit. It’s just fate either giving you a pat on the back for doing what it wants, or a kick in the rear to get back onto the rails. Once I realized this, it became a lot easier to invade. Who the hell cares how I got into control, I still did! Oh no, I violated frienship! I wasn’t humane! It doesn’t matter! I fucking won!

“Even right now, I feel scared. That sense of dread, creeping up my spine; It’s destiny again, telling me that I’m not supposed to go here, that my time was supposed to be weeks ago or years into the future. But screw them! I’m going to die, right here, whether it was meant to be or not! I’m in control! I’m . . .” she trailed off, heaving for air.

They reached the center square, and once the lake came into view, Sunset felt their speed increase. Even though she was turning to stone, Chrysalis somehow began dragging Sunset, like a raging bull, out to the water. She noticed that Chrysalis’s arm had turned into stone while still wrapped around Sunset’s shoulder.

“No one just refuses a god, Sunset. If you consider Celestia to be one, then perhaps you and I are the few who can say they did. You’re the closest I’ve ever seen a pony get to becoming a god. When I faced against you in that portal, I wanted to give in, to accept the hand that fate wanted to deal me. But I wouldn’t let it court me, let it give me the comfort and peace of mind to know that everything would fix itself in the end, some way, somehow.”

Chrysalis dropped down low into the water, bending her torso, both of her legs stuck rigid.

“I wanted to play the game of the immortals. To have influence, and real power. But I’m just never meant to keep it. At the start, I thought we were doomed; I’m not sure whether that was me or fate talking, but it doesn’t change the fact that even I was wary of my own ambition. But I did it anyway. Not just one world, but two! How many creatures in how many universes can say that!?

“And now, fate tries to play off my victory, to pretend that it was all part of the plan. But it won’t trick me! Things will return to normal, I’m sure, but it won’t be the normal everyone originally thought, because of me. Even if every memory of my existence is wiped off of these worlds, if my name is scribbled out of every history book, what I have done, what I have impacted, will be tangible. It will be real, and no pony can say otherwise.”

She sloshed farther into the water, staring up at the last thin sliver of sun on the horizon.

“The events inside of the mirror portal, Sunset . . . have they returned to your memories?” she asked.

“. . . slightly.”

“Then surely you remember what it felt like, filling up with all that magic? How it felt to reach the level of a god?”

Sunset swallowed nervously. “I do.”

“Did it feel good?”

“. . . yes,” she admitted.

Chrysalis heaved, a raspy chuckle escaping her throat. “I hope you savored it. For just that moment, you wielded the power of Harmony. But now that it’s over, you won’t get it back. Your potential has been locked back away inside of you; your purpose has been served. The power you wielded will become nothing more than a longing daydream you’ll reminisce about every day for the rest of your life. You’ll never be a princess, Sunset.”

“What are you saying?” asked Sunset. “I didn’t think I was one in the first place.”

“That sort of power you wielded didn’t come from inside you. That was something else sending it your way. You were in the right place at the right time, and Harmony gave you an extra boost to make sure things went smoothly. To make sure that I was destroyed. And only just barely did you convince it to do so.” She laughed. “Did you think something like that would give you wings? That someone like you could ever get wings? No, you failed that test the day you were born, and every day since. Today was just a fluke.” She chuckled lightly. “Actually, I think I might have a solution.”

The queen’s scapula had frozen into stone, leaving her wings brittle. Suddenly, the changeling found enough impetus to propel herself forward, and with a little help from her magic, tore the wings off of her body. In their place was a long cut across the top of her back, and were it not for the mix of blood and stone, Sunset might have noticed its similarity to her own injury just a week prior.

Chrysalis screamed in pain, the water around her becoming tainted with a bright red hue of blood. However, her screams of pain morphed into a twisted, satisfied cackle. Sunset just stood still in horror, clutching on to the pair of torn wings.

“There are those wings you always wanted, Sunset! It’s the best you’re ever going to get!”

Chrysalis froze on the ground, her arms, legs, and torso all encased in stone. Sunset walked over to her side and sat down next to her, lifting her head out of the water so she didn’t drown. The stone was creeping up her neck, inch by inch.

“That’s the cruelest thing, really, falling in love with something that you’ll never be able to obtain. We both wanted real power. And we got it, too. But it always gets taken away just when you think you might like it. The way I see it, being capable of so much love, so much desire for something, is the cruelest gift of the universe—from any universe. Because sooner or later, you’re not going to get an equal amount of satisfaction back. And then all of that passion turns into hate, and your life becomes tainted forever. It saddens me when that happens to a pony. I lose a good meal out of it.”

She wheezed in and let out a ragged, choking breath.

My mouth froze over, Sunset. Don’t break physical contact with me. I know you can hear my thoughts.

Sunset glanced down and saw that the Changeling was now completely encased in stone. For whatever reason, clutching her head allowed Sunset to hear her.

It appears that my time is up. I put up a hell of a fight, though.

I’ll repeat: the changeling race needs to survive beyond me. There are countless tribes scattered across Equestria, and when you return—and I’m sure you will, Sunset, for fate is now on your side—promise me that you will not hurt them.

Promise me that you will forgive them.

That imbalance in the universe that I have felt since all of this began—it’s being restored. Ah, well.

Sunset? Do you promise?

Sunset?

She waited to hear Chrysalis say anything more. All that was left was the sound of the waves crashing against her stone figure, beginning to erode her away. As the last sliver of sunlight disappeared, Sunset caught a glimpse of Chrysalis’s final expression. She was scowling.

Sunset untangled herself from the statue and let it sink down onto the lake’s floor.

Chrysalis’s last question echoed in her head. “Do I promise?” she asked herself.

“I . . .”

---

Twilight Sparkle pushed on a thick wall of vines, and her hand slid right through. She almost tripped forward and stumbled into the entrance of the cave.

“Over here, Principal!” she called. The Principal rushed over, weaving between the mutilated bodies of her imposters, and pushed into the vines as well.

“This is it!” she exclaimed. “I think I remember most of the route there.”

The two started down into the crystal caves at a breakneck pace. While still running, Twilight opened up Sunset’s bag and pulled out Starswirl’s notes. She flipped through the pages as they ran, her head darting up and down to keep herself from losing her footing.

“Come on, Starswirl! Give me something to latch on to!”

The Principal led her down a sharp turn. “Maybe if we cut the Princess out right away, she can help us!”

Twilight almost tripped on a jagged rock, but caught herself just in time. “And then do what? We don’t even know if it’s possible to beat them in the first place!”

“Oh Twilight,” they heard Adagio’s voice echo across the cave walls, “thanks for showing us the way in. I hope you don’t mind that we’re bringing a few extra guests . . .”

“Go to Tartarus!” she yelled back. She lowered her voice and turned to the Principal. “Is there any other exit for the cave?”

“I don’t know,” she panted, “but I don’t think we can just grab the Princess and run. We’ll get trampled immediately.”

Twilight heaved a frustrated groan. “Then we need to get to her quick!”

Fortunately, the Principal remembered the path correctly. After another turn of a corner, they found themselves in a large opening, its crystal walls lined with green sacs.

“This is it!” the Principal exclaimed, darting inside. “We need to find the Princess’s pod!”

The two began peering inside each sac in search of Celestia’s features. After half a minute of frantic searching, the Principal jumped up.

“I’ve got her right here! Quick, Twilight, I need something sharp!”

Twilight placed her hands in her pockets. “I don’t have anything.” She searched Sunset’s bag. “Nothing. I know Sunset had a small blade, but that’s probably still on her. Horseapples!”

The Principal rolled up her sleeves. “No point in wasting time, then.” She plunged her hands into the sac, clutching on two sides in attempt to tear them apart by force. “This is really slippery!”

“Here, let me help,” said Twilight. She put Starswirl’s book back in the bag and ran over to the sac, plunging her hands in as well. The two opened a small tear near the Princess’s head, and soon they made a hole large enough to pull her through. Once exposed to the open cave, the Princess gasped for air, coughing up all of the fluid that the sac had put inside of her. The Principal pulled her up onto her back and leaned her against the wall.

“. . . where’s Sunset?” the Princess murmured.

“She’s not here right now, Princess. We need to get you out of here, and fast.”

The Princess erupted into another coughing fit. “. . . It’s the Dazzlings, isn’t it? They want me in the ground.”

“Yeah. But we can still find a way to stop them!”

The Princess wiped some of the muck out of her eyes and off of her face. “You’re correct, Twilight . . . use the journal . . .”

Twilight jumped up excitedly. “Yes! Starswirl’s journal! I’ve got it right here. I knew there was something special about it!” She opened up the bag, and reached for the notebook.

“No,” the Princess heaved, “not Starswirl’s journal. Sunset’s journal,” she emphasized.

“W-what?” Twilight spluttered. “But how?”

Twilight’s question was interrupted by an echoing stampede entering the opening of the cave.

“Well look what we have here!” Adagio sauntered into the center of the room, the other two sirens right behind. She spun around, examining all the sacs lining the walls, and whistled in appreciation. “The changelings put in some work.”

Twilight spun around and faced the three sirens. “What do you want?” she growled.

Adagio snorted. “You know exactly what we’re here for. Just step out of the way, and let us claim our prize.”

“And then what?” Twilight said, trying to steel herself against the growing crowd still filing in to the cave. “What happens after you kill her?”

“What do you think? We take over this world, and then Equestria. But this time, you four pests will be out of the way.”

The Princess coughed. “The journal, Twilight . . . it’s a magical artifact. . .”

Twilight reached into Sunset’s bag, and pulled out the journal. Clutching it in both hands, she shakily lifted it up and showed it off to the Dazzlings. “I won’t let you do anything to hurt Celestia! I have this!”

A humorous expression crossed Adagio’s face. “And what are you going to do with that? Hit me?”

“I’m . . .”

The Dazzlings erupted in laughter. “Wow, you really thought pointing a fancy book at us would do any good!”

“Twilight . . .” the Princess called, “it’s all you need to cast a spell.”

Twilight gaped at the book in her hands. “But . . . how do I use it?”

Adagio started approaching her, slowly over the sacs to cross the room. “No stupid little book holds enough Equestrian magic to take us down, even if you somehow manage to channel energy through it. Good job,” she started clapping her hands, letting the sound beat off the crystal walls, “you’ve backed yourself into a corner. Now get out of my way.”

As Adagio closed in, Twilight flipped through the book, using her last urgent moments to take in as much information as she could. She read the start of Sunset and Celestia’s communications, the awkward speech of two acquaintances, eventually evolve into professional, yet familiar patterns. Near the end of the first half, some of their letters became more intimate, both foregoing their formalities and writing to one another like friends. When Adagio was two meters away, she reached the second half, and saw their letters grow sparse, and a return to formal speak. Then, she saw Sunset’s letters grow angry, passive aggressive and rude, with Celestia consistently trying to quell Sunset’s emotions. And finally, the letters from Sunset ceased, replaced only with long pleadings from Celestia, begging for Sunset to respond, to come home. Adagio grabbed her and pushed her onto the ground.

“Ha! How’s that, Princess? Your last student got too absorbed in a book to save your sorry ass!” as Adagio approached the Princess, she pulled a knife out of her pocket. “Well, how would you like it? A quick slit of the throat, or should I let you bleed? I would have liked to use magic to do the deed, but humans are so much more efficient at murder.”

Twilight sat back up and tried to grab Adagio, but the Princess called to her first.

“Don’t stop reading, Twilight! The Elements of Harmony . . . you can use them.”

“What?” Against her instinct, Twilight stopped and picked the journal back up. It had landed on the most recent page: Celestia’s handwritten letter to Sunset. Just as Adagio was about to grab the Princess, she read the final line, and understood.

I just wish to see you again, and show you that I care. Because I do.

“STOP!” Twilight ordered Adagio, and out of complete shock, the siren did. “Get back here.” Twilight grabbed Adagio and pushed her to the ground.

“Why you—” Adagio swung the knife at Twilight, but the girl dodged out of the way.

“This book does hold enough magic to take you down. To take all three of you down, and then some. And do you know why?” She turned to look at the three sirens, staring at her with confused gazes. Adagio got back up off the ground and tried to swing again. Twilight easily dodged, a new vigor found within her. She glanced back at the two Celestias; despite the Princess’s ragged appearance, a large smile adorned her face.

“It’s because this book holds more than just Equestrian magic. This book is filled to the brim with the magic that transcends all places, times, worlds, and universes. It holds the magic of friendship.”

Adagio stopped, her face turning upward into a bemused grin. “What? You’re really going to go on about that? When all of your friends are stuffed in some sack in a universe away? You, Twilight, have completely lost any magic of friendship left in this world.” She wiped her brow. “Phew. I was worried you actually had something there for a second. I guess I’ll just get back to the Princess, then.”

Twilight only grinned in response. “But that’s what you aren’t getting, Adagio! This journal showed me what I failed to see. My friends are a whole universe away, but that doesn’t matter! They may not be with me in body, but they have been here the whole time, in spirit. They are a part of me, just as much as I am a part of them.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Adagio said, now rushing toward Celestia.

“And we may be in a small argument right now, but you know what? We’ll reconcile! Sunset and Celestia did, and they spent years apart. And I know that if my friends were here right now, even if they hated me, they wouldn’t hesitate in joining me to blast you three off into space!”

Adagio grabbed the Princess off of the ground as Twilight lifted the book up into the air. “Elements of Harmony! I may not have you within my hands, or resting upon my head, but listen to me now! Let me be your vessel!”

“Enough of this shit,” Adagio said, raising the knife to stab Celestia. However, a purple aura surrounded her, and she couldn’t move her arm an inch. Twilight’s eyes glowed, filling the dark cavern with a blinding light. The ground shook, and everyone lost their balance. Twilight, however, floated into the air.

“The magic contained within my soul is able to reunite with those who helped me become the pony I am today, across all bounds of existence!”

The sirens stared at her in a mixture of confusion and rage. Unable to regain their footing, they crawled over to one another and huddled together.

“NO!” Adagio screamed. “You don’t know how to cast magic! There’s no way you could learn this quickly!”

“You’re wrong, Adagio! I’ve been studying this magic for years now! I don’t need a horn to use it; I never have! The Elements of Harmony have been in this world the entire time, all around us! Including in me!”

One wall of the cavern busted open and a small orange shard flew out. It traveled over to Twilight and began to hover around her. Twilight beamed at it.

“Honesty! Applejack, you helped me stay true to myself, and never question where my morals stood!”

Another flew in, of yellow color.

“Kindness! Fluttershy, when I saw how much Sunset was hurting, I knew that the only way to break through was to show her true kindness, and to never waver once when doing so!”

Bright pink.

“Laughter! Pinkie Pie, you taught me to never give up hope! Even when everything had gone wrong, I knew I needed to put on a smile!”

White, with a tint of blue.

“Generosity! Rarity, I could never look at you again if I didn’t pour my heart and soul into saving the people of this world! Even with nothing left, I gave everything I had!”

Cyan.

“Loyalty! Rainbow Dash, even when I was the only one left, I stayed true to my cause, and never let myself be tempted by the other side!”

And, surprisingly, a new color flew in. Scarlet.

“Forgiveness! Sunset Shimmer, you may not have realized it yet, but I am honored to call you a true friend. When there was no pony left to save me, you showed me that the only way to keep moving forward was to forgive myself. I’m proud to have helped you become the mare you were always meant to be.”

Finally, deep purple entered, completing the halo around Twilight.

“Magic!”

She gazed down at the Dazzlings, trembling beneath her in fear.

“You may be able to play with humanity’s emotions, but you are too shallow yourselves to ever have a chance at taking over the world. You were given the option to live peaceful lives, but your desire for power made you greedy ignorant! Your magic is no longer of any world. It is of a forgotten, dark time! Instead, all worlds now empower the one magic that unites us all: The Magic of Friendship!”

A blinding rainbow of light shot out of Twilight’s body, ricocheting across the cave walls and engulfing every person inside. The Dazzlings let out a terrified scream.

Their voices cracked.

---

Sunset limped through the water, trying to reach the shore. Just as she got out of the surf, the dark night erupted in a blinding flash of color, spewing out from the quarry in all directions. She watched in awe as the lasers of rainbow came in contact with every enchanted person on the beach, zipping between their heads and breaking each one out of their rage-fueled stupor. Her breath quickened in excitement.

“Y-yes!” she exclaimed. “Twilight!”

With a newfound energy, she rushed out of the waves and toward the quarry. On her way, she passed all the citizens of Canterlot City, confusedly brushing one another off, wandering to find their loved ones, or returning to their vehicles. She entered the quarry, pushing against the crowd all trying to escape and find a way out of the cramped space. She scanned the ground for the duplicate Celestias, but only saw the corpses of small green wasps on the ground in their place.

It was easy to find the entrance to the cave due to the flood of people fleeing from its claustrophobic interior. Looking like a madman to them for sure, Sunset raced inside with a whoop of glee. All she had to do was follow the path of the retreating crowd, and she found herself inside the opening where the Changelings held their pods.

The Dazzlings were laying on the cool ground, passed out. The pendants around their necks had shattered, the clasps fallen to the floor and the gems crumbled to dust. Twilight had leaned against the cave’s side, panting for breath. She was eyeing a set of geodes in her hands, turning them over in a close inspection. The Principal was helping somebody up, who looked awfully similar to—

“Princess!” Sunset yelled, rushing forward and tackling her to the ground in a hug.

The Princess yelped in shock, but didn’t resist to Sunset’s embrace. She reached her hands around the girl and returned the favor. “Sunset,” she said shakily, “It is good to see you.”

“Never again,” murmured Sunset into Celestia’s shoulder.

“Never what?”

“I’m never leaving again. Whether you like it or not.”

The Princess heaved a weak sigh, a gentle smile appearing on her face.. “I’m glad to hear that, Sunset. More glad than I have been in a long, long time.”

Sunset grinned. “Me too.”

The Princess backed out of the hug, but still kept Sunset close. “Did you defeat Chrysalis?”

“Ah, yes,” Sunset said. “She was . . . glad to have left a mark on history.”

“Of that I have no doubt. And what of the changeling race?”

“Chrysalis’s reinforcements are dead. As for the ones in Equestria, well, they’ll have quite a shock coming to them soon.”

The Princess laughed. “I suppose they will.”

“Chrysalis takes all responsibility for any harm done. She wanted us to forgive the rest of them.”

“Interesting,” said the Princess. “And what do you think we should do, Sunset?”

“Well, I . . .”

The Principal cleared her throat above them. “I hate to interrupt, but there are still quite a few people that need to be cut out of their sacs. Sunset, do you have a blade on hand at all?”

Sunset and the Princess released from their hug and the girl reached into her jacket, pulling out a switchblade. “Is this good enough? I was going to use it as a final resort against Chrysalis, but I didn’t really need it.”

“It will do,” said the Principal, starting off to the lined wall.

The Princess offered another smile at Sunset. “I think there’s someone you still have to talk to.” She gestured over at Twilight.

“Ah! Of course,” Sunset responded, getting up and moving over to Twilight. “Hey,” she said lightly.

Twilight jumped out of her thorough examination of the geodes, startled at Sunset’s appearance. “You’re okay, Sunset!”

Sunset found herself in another tight hug. “Yes, yes, I made it just fine,” she said, petting Twilight’s head.

“What did Chrysalis want from you?”

“She wanted to make sure the changelings wouldn’t be destroyed with her. She took full responsibility for the invasion.”

“Really? It’s going to be tough for some Equestrians to see that way.”

“Yeah . . .” Sunset drifted off into silence.

“What else did she say?”

She sighed. “Chrysalis didn’t admit it, but . . . I don’t think she wanted to go alone.”

Twilight nodded solemnly. “Oh. Perhaps there was some pony in her after all.”

Sunset motioned at the geodes Sunset had been holding. “What are those?”

Twilight giggled. “Well, they’re the Elements of Harmony, sort of.”

“What?” exclaimed Sunset. “But there’s no one around to wield them, except you.”

“They’re the Elements of Harmony, but they’re not, at the same time. They work differently, for whatever reason. And now, after using them once, it seems I drained all of the magic that was stored in them.”

“Huh,” Sunset said, counting the pieces. “Five, six, seven? I thought there were six Elements?”

Twilight smiled, reaching for the scarlet geode. “This one’s yours.”

Sunset’s mouth opened wide. “M-mine? But . . . I don’t even know your friends . . .”

Twilight shrugged. “Like I said, they’re the Elements, but not.” She folded the geode into Sunset’s hand. “Anyways, it seems like a one time use. I can’t feel any magic within them, so my guess is that they are not an actual source of magic like the real Elements. They were probably just powered up by the bits of magic that leaked through. I used all of it up.”

Sunset stuck the geode in her pocket. “I . . . don’t think I deserve an Element. Not even half of one.”

Twilight shrugged, a grin forming on her face. “Why don’t you work hard to fill the spot, then?”

“I see,” Sunset responded, “You’re trying to trap me by giving me an Element! Nice try, but I’m no fool.”

“Too late,” Twilight said. “You’re stuck with me now. Magical rules and all that.”

Sunset laughed. “Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“I knew you could do it.”

Twilight tensed up in surprise. “I . . . I did, didn’t I? I hadn’t thought about that.”

Sunset scooted closer to her and cupped her cheek. “It’s just one more achievement for you to be proud of.”

She blushed at the contact, instinctively leaning in. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Your journal helped me realize that I could still access the Elements of Harmony. Or, whatever they were.”

Sunset leaned in closer, feeling Twilight’s breath tickle her lips. “You can’t pass this victory off to me. Although, I wouldn’t mind a small reward, if you’re willing.”

A few drops of water dotted the corner of Twilight’s eyes as she gazed at Sunset. “Thanks for believing in me.”

“Thanks for giving me somepony to believe in.” Sunset kissed her deeply, losing herself once more.

As the pair continued their intimate session, the two Celestia’s were focused on extracting as many people as possible from the pods.

“Alright, on three,” the Principal said, reaching her hands into a hole she had cut in one sac. On the count, she and the Princess hoisted the student up and out of the pod, dropping them on the floor. This particular student was Flash Sentry, who coughed and spat out all of the muck before taking in his surroundings.

“Wha . . . What’s going on?” he asked.

“You’ve been out of commission for a while, Flash,” said the Principal. “Don’t worry, though, you should be fine; we’ll get everyone here to a hospital soon.”

He rubbed his forehead. “Aw, man . . . last thing I remember, I was at home, and then this bug appeared in my window and started chasing me. Oh . . .” he croaked. “Is Sunset alright?”

“Why don’t you ask her,” the Principal snickered.

Flash turned to see Sunset, still deep in her kiss with Twilight. " . . . uh . . .”

The Principal patted Flash on the shoulder. “Better luck next time, Flash.”

“. . . god dammit.”

The Princess tapped the Principal’s shoulder. “I think the next one we should open is over there.” She pointed to a pod across the room.

“What?” the Principal asked. “Why not just open them single file?”

The Princess smirked. “I think you might want this one open early.”

She led the woman over to the sac, and once the Principal caught sight of it, she let out a cry. She rushed over and cut the sac open. “Luna!” she yelled.

Before the Princess could catch up, the Principal had already pulled Luna out of the sac and was clutching the woman to her chest. Luna coughed, wiping her eyes. “Huh . . .?”

“Luna,” the Principal cooed, “I’m here. You’re okay.”

“What happened?” she rasped.

“A lot.”

The Princess walked over and took the switchblade out of the Principal’s hand. The woman mouthed a thanks, too choked up to pronounce any more. The Princess nodded and started on the next sac.

“Luna . . .” she whispered. “I’m not going to lose you again. It’s happened too many times already.”

Luna wrapped her arms around the Principal. “Thank you, sister.”

Twilight and Sunset had ended their embrace, and gotten up to collect all the items in Sunset’s bag that had been blown around in the explosion. Sunset had scooped up the geodes and was about to slip them into her bag when she felt someone watching her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone peeking inside at the raggedy group.

“Hello?” Sunset said, calling out to figure. She walked over, and came face to face with a girl about her age, with a light pink skin color.

“Hello,” the girl said, her eyes focused on the geodes in Sunset’s hand.

“And you are?” Sunset asked.

“Oh, I’m Gloriosa Daisy,” she said. “I’m the caretaker for Camp Everfree at the moment.”

“Ah,” Sunset said. “Sorry for the disruption, if it means anything.”

“Oh, I understand,” said Gloriosa, still focused on the gems.

“Hmm . . . Do you know what these are?” Sunset held up the geodes, startling the girl.

“Oh no, no I don’t,” she said. “I’m sorry, I’m just spacing out. The damage that the camp took tonight, from what I have seen, is probably too much for us to cover. I’m trying to figure out how to repay for the damages.”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” Sunset said, “I think you might have a solid case to get some reimbursements from the city. I mean, nearly everyone in town was here; no one can say it didn’t happen. If you can, try and take it to court. Hell, you could probably get some nice cash out of it.”

Gloriosa’s face lightened. “You know, you’re right. I might have an option there!”

“Don’t mention it,” Sunset said. “Oh, and when you get back outside, try and get some firemen down here. Someone could have easily gotten lost.”

“Of course,” Gloriosa responded. “I’ll be off then.”

“Goodbye.” Sunset turned back to Twilight and strolled over to her. “Anything else strewn around?”

“Nope. Let’s go help the Celestias in opening all of these pods, then.”

Just as they walked over to the two, the Dazzlings started to stir.

“Everyone!” Sunset called. “They’re waking up.”

The Princess, the Principal, Twilight, and Sunset all moved over to the Dazzlings as the three sirens returned to consciousness. When they recognized that they were surrounded, they tried to sing a song, but their voices cracked again, unable to create any harmony. After realizing they had no escape, they shrunk away from the four, clutching each other tightly.

“What should we do with them?” asked Sunset.

“I say the Princess decides,” said Twilight. “She was the one they were after.”

The Princess leaned in toward the Dazzlings. “Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Adagio scowled, getting close to the Princess’s face. “You’re a monster. None of them may have heard what you told us, but we did. You would have left us at Chrysalis’s mercy, had you not been stupid enough to leave our door open.”

Celestia smirked. “Did you think I would be clumsy enough to do so accidentally? I was trying to get you out of there.”

The three sirens looked confused. “But . . . why did you tell us the opposite?” questioned Sonata.

“Did you think you were first faithless immortals I’ve had to deal with? Sometimes, the most efficient way to direct somepony is to tell them to do the opposite.”

“You . . . bitch,” Aria seethed.

The Princess frowned. “Even if what I said may be grounded in reality, it was still rude of me to do so. So, I’ll make it up to you now. I will not punish you.”

“What?” exclaimed the three people behind her and the three sirens in front of her collectively.

“Your pendants are destroyed. You have lost your last connection to Equestrian magic. I will be closing down the portal to Equestria.” She pointed at Adagio’s heart. “If you haven’t realized it yet, you’re completely human. In one hundred years time, you will die. So start living.”

The Princess stood up and walked away, leaving the flabbergasted sirens behind them.

“Is there any reason for you to still sit there?” she said. “Get out of here, before I change my mind.”

The Dazzlings got onto their feet and sped out of the cave, not letting out a peep.

Celestia turned to the other three and smiled. “The matter is settled.”

“That was something,” stated Sunset, aghast. “Was it true, Celestia? Are they actually human?”

“As long as they don’t get their hands on any more Equestrian magic, then yes.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “Does this mean . . . we won? We saved Equestria?”

A smile crept up on Sunset’s face. “And Earth, too.”

“As far as I can see,” said the Principal.

“Hold on. We’ve got one more thing left to do,” the Princess interrupted.

“What’s that?” asked Twilight.

“We need to open the rest of these pods!”

---

And so the night continued on, and what a busy night it was. After making sure that every person who had been kidnapped made their way out of the cave, the five—Sunset, Twilight, the Princess, the Principal, and Vice Principal Luna—started helping direct all of the students back to their homes or families. Once the traffic had cleared up and the police arrived on the scene—officially, this time—the four dodged any questioning and sped out of the camp as fast as they could. The Principal swung through Sunset’s apartment to let her grab her things. Once they got back to Canterlot High School, the Princess swept the area for any lingering magic, and Sunset collected the last of her items from her locker.

But eventually, as the sun rose into the sky to begin a new day, Twilight, Sunset, Principal Celestia, and Princess Celestia found themselves in front of where it all started: the Wondercolts statue.

Sunset gave a light wave to the Principal. “It really is goodbye this time.”

“So it is,” the woman said. “Good luck in Equestria. I’m sure that your world will find quite a use for you. Also, you might want to get yourself checked in to a hospital,” she said, worrying over Sunset’s increasingly bruised face.

“Oh, once we get across the portal, I’ll have the two greatest magicians of the modern era next to me. Hopefully they can spare a second to patch me up,” she said, turning to Twilight.

“Oh! Of course. It might take a second after being a human for so long, though,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“Thanks.” Sunset turned back to the Principal. “What are you going to do now?”

The Principal scratched the back of her head, looking slightly abashed. “Luna is inside drafting our letters of resignation. I don’t think we can explain away this one to the school board.”

“I’m sorry,” said Sunset, “I know how much you valued teaching, and leaving an impact on the students. If it means anything at all, I think what you were doing was good.”

The Principal smiled. “Thank you. But, I don’t feel like that really matters to me anymore. I guess I actually did something that feels . . . earned.”

The Princess walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You have done something most people—nay, most ponies as well—have never been able. You deserve to live your best life after all of this. But . . . I need to ask you one more favor.”

“What do you need, Princess?” she asked without hesitation.

The Princess pulled out a hand-sized stone and presented it to the Principal. It was etched on the front with a few intricate patterns and swirls, and the Principal saw what looked to be an eye in the center. “Remember that magical artifact I found in your garden? It turns out this was an old friend of mine’s. It’s a memory stone.”

“A memory stone?” Twilight asked, approaching the object to get a closer look.

“It can add, erase, or alter memories,” the Princess explained. “I would like to take it with me, but since we’re cutting off all magic between these two worlds anyway, I thought I would offer you the option to use up the rest of its power, Principal.”

“But . . . how do I even use it?”

“I sketched a quick instruction manual for you and left it on your desk. If you want, you could convince the whole town that you and Luna had nothing to do with anything that happened tonight. They will just gloss over any memories or thoughts that contradict what you change.”

“I . . . I’ll take it. If I can’t figure out how to make it work, I will destroy it for you. Is that fair?”

“Very,” the Princess said, handing the stone over, “Actually, I ask that you destroy it after you are done using it. Magic can corrupt, even when placed in the best of hands.”

“Trust me,” she responded, eyeing the stone in her hands, “I’ll be more than happy to never think about magic for the rest of my life.”

The Princess wrapped her arms around the Principal in a hug. “Thank you for your help,” she whispered. “You’ve done what I never could.”

“You’re wrong,” the Principal responded, “I only did what I thought somepony like you would do.”

The broke the hug and the Princess rejoined the other two girls.

“Principal,” spoke up Sunset, “if you can get that stone to work, could you do something for me as well?”

“Sure, it’s the least I could do,” she said.

Sunset frowned. “I don’t like it, but I need you to erase all memory of me in this world. Just . . . make them all think I was a transfer student who left very quickly.”

Twilight grabbed her hand. “Why do you want to do that? I thought you would want to be remembered.”

“No, I’ll be fine.” Sunset smiled at her. “I was never supposed to be in this world in the first place. I’m okay with it moving on without me.”

The Principal placed the stone in her coat pocket. “Consider it done, then.”

Twilight, Sunset, and the Princess shared one last glance among one another. “Is that all for us?” the Princess asked.

“I guess so,” said Sunset, picking up her one duffel bag off of the ground. “It’s time to go home.”

“Goodbye, you three,” the Principal said.

“See you later, Principal.” Sunset started off in the direction of the portal.

“It was nice to meet you!” Twilight approached Sunset’s side.

“Goodbye, Celestia. Give Luna my condolences.” Princess Celestia turned and found Sunset’s other side, catching up with the other two.

“So . . .” said Twilight, “we return, we cut off magic to this world, and then get everypony out of their pods. Then what?”

“We rebuild,” said Sunset.

“And it will be quite a reconstruction. What are you planning to do once we return, Sunset? You know, we happen to be in need of a groundskeeper for the castle at the moment.”

“Ha!” Sunset laughed. “That’s a good one. I’ll flee to Yakyakistan before you get me as the castle groundskeeper.”

“It was just an offer,” the Princess jested.

“We’ve already got plans,” Twilight said. “She’s going to stay with me in Ponyville, at least until she gets settled. Until all of Equestria gets settled, really.”

“Oh? I can’t wait to hear about the ruckus you two cause down there. They’re going to need a bigger hospital.”

They approached the portal, and the Princess was the first to jump in. Twilight followed after her. Just before Sunset entered back into Equestria, she turned back and gazed across the schoolyard. The dawn, although almost identical to Celestia’s, was still different, heralded by the natural forces of this universe that no one could bend to their will. She saw that tree in the courtyard, once used as the hive for a whole army, now returned to its former state. Principal Celestia was standing with a content smile on her face, waving goodbye.

Sunset returned the wave and, with a dip into the boundary between two universes, the three Equestrians were completely, undeniably, and finally out of this world for good.

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

I like this it is rather melancholy. The note of tragedy wirh the changelings dieing in their place. Among the speech from Chrystalis really sold it.

It bares thinking though. Is she right?