If I Could Love Again...

by Petalled

~ 03 ~ Stolen Corroboration

Trickle of tears rolled down an alicorn mare's cheeks, sniffing as they gazed upward to see the face imprinted on the moon's surface until a golden filly approached her.

''Princess Celestia? Why are you crying?''

Celestia instantly turned to face the source of that voice.

''Oh! It's nothing, Sunset. What are you doing here?

Sunset took one glance at the moon she was currently staring at before sitting her haunches beside her mentor.

''I... I couldn't sleep, Your Highness. You know that pupil Twilight Sparkle that you took in under your wing? Well, I'm scared that... that I'm being replaced.''

Celestia gasped, putting a wing across the filly's back. ''I would never do such a thing, Sunset.''

Sunset's lips quivered. ''You mean it?''

''With all my heart.''

---

Sunset, in her present form, was looking out the window in her bedroom, reminiscing over the day where her former mentor had practically lied to her.

But Twilight Sparkle was on another hoof or hand. She remembered when she was thrilled about having someone to study with but that never happened, unseen by the violet unicorn filly as she was too absorbed with her own studying and not caring about making friends.

Just how smart she was in classes. Just how beautiful she had looked and still look.

Sunset, on the other hand, was entirely, completely, and utterly on a different level. She was jealous of Twilight Sparkle. She was meant to be there by Celestia's side, an alicorn princess with the crown, title, and glory. But instead, she was lied to and stolen from.

She sat upright in her bed, tweaking under her breath as she tightly clutched on her quilt.

''Twilight Sparkle,'' she muttered. ''I will get everything back in order that was stolen from me. Just you wait.''

---

''Thank you!'' Twilight gleefully said, taking her milkshake from the counter but when she turned around she accidentally splattered all of that on someone's chest, glancing up to see who it was. ''Oh, my gosh. That was not meant to happen. I'm so sorry.''

''No, it's cool. We gotta stop bumping into each other like this,'' said the guy that helped her up in the locker room earlier, kneeling down to grab her cup until another hand laid atop his. When they made eye contact, Twilight immediately got her hand away and stood up from the ground as well as him.

''So I'm just going to go over there now,'' Twilight quickly said as she walked over towards her friends' table as he went out the door with his milkshake.

''Don't even think about it,'' said Rarity, not turning around. ''You're already getting her crown. Who knows what would happen if you steal her ex-boyfriend too.''

''I wasn't trying to, I—'' she cut off. ''Ex-boyfriend?''

''Nah, you don't need to worry about that,'' came Spike's voice from the floor inside Twilight's backpack. ''She's already got someone waiting back at home.''

''Uh, who was that?'' asked Applejack.

Twilight kneeled down and held onto Spike's muzzle. ''Nothing.''

''Okay, guys,'' said Rainbow Dash. ''So what's the plan to dethrone Sunset Shimmer, huh?''

Everyone instantly began thinking until Rarity piped up from her seat that could've been heard all across the street until she cleared her throat at her indignance.

''I know we haven't worn these since kindergarten but deep down we're all Canterlot Wondercolts!'' Rarity exclaimed as she passed everyone's headbands with pony ears.

Spike looked at Twilight's. I swear this world keeps getting stranger and stranger. Then he looked at Rarity. But hot.

---

''Twilight Sparkle? That's your name, right? Well, I just came to ask you if you're free for a study group session tonight with Minuette and the girls?''

''Mhm-hmm.''

''So you'll join?''

''Mhm-hmm.''

''Great!'' Sunset exclaimed jovially, then at night, she and the girls waited and waited. ''Forget it. What was I thinking? She's not coming.'' She stormed inside her home, leaving the girls to look at each other.

---

Sunset looked in between the door to the cafeteria where everyone was singing and dancing, and when she turned around she noticed her minions were doing the same too.

''Take those off. I have something better for you two to do.''

Oh, Twilight. Didn't care about friends back in Canterlot but now you're overloaded with 'em, stealing all of them to keep the things that weren't yours, to begin with.

---

Vice Principal Luna slammed photos on the table in front of a biting-lip Twilight. They were all photos of her trashing the gym of her friend Pinkie Pie's decorations which she would never do.

She was trying to explain herself until a familiar voice entered the office.

''I found these in the trashcan,'' said Flash, much to Twilight's hope. ''Someone obviously photoshopped these photos to make it look like Twilight was involved with this.''

''I appreciate your search, Flash,'' said Luna. ''In light of this new corroboration, you may of course continue your bid to be crowned as Princess of the Fall Formal.''

Twilight's eyes immediately brightened up and ran over to Flash, hugging him in thanks.

''What did you want me to do?'' he asked rhetorically. ''Not prove your innocence? Wouldn't be much of a Canterlot Wondercolt, now would I?''

Luna stood up from her seat, about to leave the office. ''I'm afraid enough damage was done to the gym that we'll be having to postpone the dance until tomorrow night. If you'll excuse me, I need to let my sister know about this latest development.''

Twilight merely looked blankly in space until Flash spoke up.

''So, uh, I was wondering if you want to go to the dance with me tomorrow night?''

Twilight's cheeks heated up and laid her head against his chest. ''That would be—wait, TOMORROW NIGHT?! Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no!'' She ran out the door.

''One no could've been fine!'' called out Flash, defeated.

Meanwhile, Twilight ran towards Rarity's boutique with Spike in her backpack and hid in one of the changing rooms, putting her face on her wrapped knees after a few calls from Rarity.

She looked at herself in the mirror. ''Oh, Spike. What am I supposed to do? The mirror closes tomorrow night and I can only get the crown until then. I won't be able to see my brother, Celestia, my friends... and especially Cadence.''

An image of Cadence appeared in the mirror before it disappeared away like leaves.

''C'mon, Twi. I think it's time to tell them the truth. Let them know what's really going to happen if you don't get the crown tonight. They'll help you.''

''But what if they won't? What if they perceive me as something different?''

''Twilight, these girls are helping you so far because they saw what was in your heart. They aren't going to perceive you as something different if you tell them you're a pamby purple pesky pony princess from Equestria.''

A smile crept up Twilight's face, turning around and bringing the dog into a hug. ''Thanks, Spike. I'm glad you followed me here.''

''I'm glad too, Twi.''

And with that, they slid the curtains to the other side to reveal themselves to their friends.

''The Fall Formal isn't happening tonight.''

''WHAT?'' shouted Pinkie, dropping her dress to do a dramatic pose.

''It had to be postponed because Sunset Shimmer had Snips and Snails ruin all of Pinkie's decorations.''

''WHAT?''

''But the Fall Formal has to happen tonight.''

''WHA—'' Pinkie was cut off as Applejack placed a hand over her mouth.

Tension began on Twilight, letting go of a sigh. ''You see...''

Pinkie got rid of Applejack's hand over her mouth and started baffling. ''You're from an alternate world and you're a pamby purple pesky pony princess there and the crown actually has a magical element embedded in it that helps power up other magical elements and without it, they don't work anymore and you need them to help protect your magical world and if you don't get the crown tonight you'll be stuck in this world for a really, really long time!''

Twilight and Spike's mouths went agape at how Pinkie Pie knew all of that despite knowing how their friend is.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, not buying it.

''Nope. She's pretty much spot on,'' replied Spike.

''HE CAN TALK?!'' shouted out Rarity.

''Oh, yeah,'' Spike said, walking over to her. ''And back from where I came from, I'm not even a dog. I'm a ferocious fire-breathing dragon!''

Everyone was flabbergasted but Fluttershy was the only one who spoke up.

''This is so amazing!'' she exclaimed yet still quiet. ''Tell me, what are you thinking right now?''

Spike looked at a smiling Fluttershy to a shocked Rarity. ''Sure would like a scratch behind the old ears.'' When she was still in her trance, he reconsidered his offer. ''Maybe later.''

''How did you know all that?'' Twilight asked Pinkie despite knowing how she is.

''Just a hunch,'' Pinkie replied, shrugging.

''Wait a minute,'' called Applejack, processing her brain. ''Let me get this straight. You're a pony?''

''You're a princess?'' added Rarity.

''You're from another world?'' finished off Fluttershy.

Twilight's cheeks flushed, gulped, and nodded.

''That is...'' Rainbow began, then turned amazed, ''...AWESOME!''

Everyone began crowding around Twilight with Spike giving her the 'I told you so!' look.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the gym where decorations were trashed on the floor.

''If only I had this party cannon that could decorate everything super fast,'' commented Pinkie Pie, little did she know that that did exist in the other world.

Twilight was resilient, however, if they all worked together which was a trait Applejack was looking for in a Fall Formal Princess. Hand over hand, they all got to cleaning the place up by finding brooms in a storage closet much to everyone's disgust but they relented and got to sweeping.

Singing a catchy song, they all started playing hot potato with the trash bag until Pinkie was at the end with the trash can. Students from outside saw this and began to help them along as well.

Later, it was time for the decorating much to everyone's relief that the cleaning was over with the help of everyone involved. It went from hanging streamers from the ceiling to getting the stage ready.

Twilight looked around everyone helping, proud at her achievements of the difference she had made.

When the principals came in, they announced to everyone that the Fall Formal is back on for the evening much to everyone's happiness, telling them to get ready first and cast their ballots to choose who would be Princess of the Fall Formal.

Exiting out the door in a line, everyone mumbled out how they all got Twilight's back.

From the storage closet, Sunset could see everything.

She turned to her minions. ''You're lucky she could pull this off better than I thought she could. Next time I tell you to make a mess of things, try to burn all the evidence.''

Don't worry, Twilight. I'll make sure you'll never get back to the other world again.

---

Tears flying everywhere, filly Sunset Shimmer kicked at the decorations she had for the study group before the trio of unicorns came in.

''Sunset, stop!''

But she didn't. ''What's the point? I got no friends. Twilight has made it pretty clear that she doesn't know the other princess' protege and wants nothing to do with me. Moondancer, the kiss-up she always is, follows her every move.''

''But you got us, Sunset!'' wailed Twinkle Shine.

''Yeah!'' Minuette conceded in exclamation, not wanting to deflate.

But Sunset left the room in a state, deflating all three of the girls still in the room.

---

Comments

[Captain_Cosmos]

Just a small thing but didn't Twilight fall for Cadance in the prequel? Because the description here makes it sound like she fell for her brother.

[Petalled]

11177788
Yes she did and oh I'll change the description up a bit. Thanks for pointing it out

[Captain_Cosmos]

11177789
No problem