I'm Your What?

Chapter 1

The sun shined through the window signaling the next day brought forth by Celestia's power. It was a morning, like any other morning, quiet, calm, and warm. The rays of light reflected off the surface of the Crystal Castle making it a beacon of light to all of Ponyville.

A rooster crowed over at Sweet Apple Acres as a signal for all of Ponyville to begin the day. Ponies slowly made way throughout their homes preparing for the day. The Apple family were always the first up and out the door before anyone else. It being the summer time they were busier than ever with the orchard.

Derpy flew by delivering mail to each mailbox as she went and Rainbow Dash was up getting the clouds set for an afternoon storm. It wasn’t long before the town was bustling with life once again.

However for one unicorn she just wanted to stay curled up in her lover’s embrace. Sunset Shimmer shut the curtains with her magic, blocking out the offending sunlight, and curled up closer to Twilight. Her eyes were partially open and she took a moment to take in the beautiful sight before her.

Twilight’s mane was disheveled with the worst case of bed head, her wings were ruffled and in need of preening, and there was a sliver of drool from her mouth that drained into a small puddle on her pillow. Sunset smiled leaning forward and giving her marefriend a little peck on the muzzle.

The events of last night played around in her head, feelings, confessions, their first kiss then a rousing pillow fight that resulted in fits of laughter and snuggles. It was well needed after their battle with Chrysalis. Looking back to the past few days to Sunset it felt like ages since then.

Twilight’s muzzle twitched and she yawned softly but didn’t stir. This provided Sunset with an opportunity to move closer and wrap her hooves around the lavender alicorn. Now satisfied with the darkness of the room and her lover’s warmth Sunset gently drifted back into slumber.

That was until the door swung open with a bang revealing a tall young drake wearing an apron.

“Twilight! Sunset! It’s 8:30! Breakfast is going to get cold!” Spike shouted.

Sunset was about to magically slam the door closed on him when the other mare bolted up knocking Sunset of the bed with her wing.

“Oh my gosh! Oh no, no, no! 8:30!?”

Rubbing her forehead Sunset stood up. “Good morning to you too.” She craned her neck causing a few joints to pop and crack. Her body still ached from the battle and blood rushed to her head giving causing a massive headache.

“No it is not a good morning! Oh no no! Why is it so late? Why didn’t my alarm go off? Why are the blinds closed!” Twilight rushed from the disabled alarm and then to the blinds throwing them open flooding the dim room with light again.

“Um…” Sunset shielded her eyes from the light, “I turned it off and closed them so we could sleep in?”

“Sleep in!” Twilight whirled around on her. “This isn’t a Sunday! Even if it was that’s still not good! The time table is completely off!”

Sunset looked around nervously and then to Spike who gave her a look of: you’re on your own here, as he walked out.

Twilight darted from one end of the room to the other quickly grabbing a brush and straitening out her Celestia awful bed head. She levitated a number of scrolls around her during this. “Oh dear, we’re going to be late!”

“Late for what?” Sunset raised an eyebrow.

“Court! Quick! Shower!” Twilight grabbed Sunset by the hoof and dragged her to the bathroom at the far right end of the room. She pushed Sunset into the stand up shower and turned the water on with magic. The motion happened so quickly that Sunset didn’t have time to register it in her brain until she was abruptly brought back into reality by the feeling of ice-cold pellets hitting her coat.

“Aye!” She yelped jumping out of the stream.

Twilight scrambled in the shower and flicked on the other knob. In a few seconds the temperature went from cold to hot and Sunset happily stepped back in the water.

Her moment of bliss however was short lived as Twilight levitated four sponges over with her magic and vigorously scrubbed at her fur.

“Ack! Hey!”

“No time, grab a sponge and start cleaning. We both smell terrible from yesterday.” Twilight said with main sopping wet and her horn aglow.

“You didn’t shower yesterday?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. She took a mental note of how hot Twilight looked with a wet mane.

“I was too worried about you to think!” Twilight said.

“Oh,” Sunset levitated a few sponges over and dragged them across Twilight’s coat. She then got a devious idea. “You know Twilight, we are a couple now. Want to experiment a little in shower?”

Twilight blushed and her wings shot up. She let out a few unintelligible words and then took the shower nozzle-spraying Sunset in the face. “Bad Sunset!”

“Aw but Twilight?~” Sunset pouted moving her now wet mane out of her eyes.

“No means no.” She said and levitated the shower nozzle rinsing off Sunset’s body then her own. Once they were both free of soap she shut off the water and jumped out of the shower grabbing a towel and throwing Sunset one.

The towel landed in her face. “You’re no fun.” She dried off her mane and grabbed a brush running it through her fur. “What’s so important about court today?

“It’s Saturday.” Twilight stated. “Typically the busiest day of the week and today’s schedule is going to be especially hectic.”

Sunset frowned. The word ‘hectic’ didn’t coincide well for what she actually wanted to do today, which were a plans along the lines of long hours snuggling with her new marefriend.

She sighed internally and levitated a brush over and started bushing out Twilight’s mane. “So what does that entail?

“I’ll give you a list, put this on.” She telekinetically grabbed a box from inside the bedroom and then hoofed it to Sunset.

Sunset caught it and upon opening it inside was a pure blue business suit. “Why?”

“You’re my advisor. You need to look official.”

There was a moment of silence between them as Twilight continued to read over the scrolls and Sunset looked between the suit and her marefriend. “Advisor?”

The brushes on Twilight’s fur stopped moving and she turned around to face her. The closet door by the dresser opened and she levitated out her royal gown. “Yes advisor! Don’t you remember what I said you would do while staying here?”

“Um…” Sunset looked up in thought. From the previous night she only remembered the exciting moments. Dancing with Twilight, holding her close, the sweet taste of lavender on her lips, making her blush like a shy filly after the kiss.

“You forgot!?”

“In my defense I was distracted.” She smiled awkwardly.

“By what?”

“Your flank.” Sunset gave her a cheeky grin. Twilight’s cheeks flared and her wings shot up again. The halfway on gown flew over her head and covered her face.

She scrambled to fix it with her magic and stammered as she glared at Sunset. “This is… your not… .now is…. ugh!” Twilight sighed. “This isn’t the time for that! Now put on the suit and come on!”

Sunset frowned and took the suit out slipping it over her head. “Geez you could say please.” She slipped her hooves through the sleeves and adjusted the collar. “I’m still waiting for my morning kiss.” She pouted.

Twilight levitated her crown over to her head and stepped into her hoof wear. “Also put these on.” Her horn glowed for a second and a pair of glasses materialized on Sunset’s face.

“Huh? But I don’t need glasses.”

Twilight quickly walked up to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You look adorable with them that’s why.”

The two made their way to the dinning room though Twilight was practically running down the hall stumbling in her dress. Sunset kept a brisk pace but wiggled in the suit a little bit. Being a human wearing clothes was a necessity, as a pony it felt awkward sometimes.

When they entered the dinning room Sunset pulled out Twilight’s chair. “Please my lady.”

“Thank you Sunset.” She smiled sitting down in it.

Sunset took a large bow then sat next to her. This made Twilight giggle, Sunset happily sighed internally knowing she wasn’t in too much trouble… yet.

Spike brought the pair their meals: waffles, Sunset’s favorite. “So what’s on the agenda for court?” Sunset asked.

Twilight thanked Spike and took a bite out of the stack. She materialized a clipboard and floated it over to Sunset.

Sunset took the clipboard and read aloud the list. “Settle dispute between Applejack and the Flim Flam Brothers, Speak to Mayer Mare about the new zoning project for the guard barracks and new homes, evaluate Cutie Mark Crusaders on community service punishment.” She stopped and raised an eyebrow.

“Cheerilie will explain that one.”

“Receive new royal escort, listen to ponies problems and….” Sunset looked over the last few words and felt something in her chest crack. “Greet potential suitors?!”

Twilight gulped down her waffles and gave a sheepish grin. “Celestia has been trying to ward them off as best she can but unfortunately some are very persistent.”

“How long have they been showing up!?”

Twilight looked up tapping a hoof to her chin. “Since about a month ago.”

“And you didn’t tell me this why?!”

“Um...” Twilight gulped and looked away. “I didn’t think you would want to be bothered with it.

Sunset gave her deadpanned stare. “Great, and I thought Flash Sentry was my only problem.” She stabbed her stack of waffles and took a bite then swallowed hard. Her expression darkened and she gritted her teeth. She had Twilight all to herself now. Finally, somepony that she could call hers. The thought of some rich stuck up snob trying to come in a court Twilight made her stomach twist in a knot. She knew Twilight better than to assume she would fall for that, but that didn't stop the dark thoughts and images from plaguing her mind.

“Hey,” Twilight took her hoof. “I don’t have any interest in them…”

“Still I have to stand there and watch them flirt with you.” She clenched her free hoof and let go a low growl under her breath. “Can’t you just refuse to see them?”

Twilight shook her head. “Princess Celestia says that I should be a fair ruler and listen to what they have to say before respectfully declining them.”

Sunset’s frown turned into a devious grin. “Oooor I could-“

“No.” She said plainly and drank some of her coffee.

“You don't even know what I was going to say?” Sunset protested.

“You can’t beat them up.”

Sunset leaned away putting a hoof to her chest in mock shock. “Twilight! I can’t believe you would think I would do such a thing.”

Twilight however wasn’t buying it and just continued staring at her.

“I was actually thinking we could make out in front of them.” Sunset licked her lips and moved closer to Twilight.

Twilight face flushed red. “W-w-what?”

Sunset gave her a wink and leaned in against her. She wrapped a hoof around Twilight's side and held her close, lips centimeters apart. “C’mon think about the looks on their faces when I trot right up to you and engage in a furious make out session?”

“I-uh, you… we can’t…. I-no!” Twilight said sternly however the effect was negated by her flustered appearance. Sunset laughed and Twilight pulled away took a large swig of her coffee. “Since when did you get so…. What’s the word?”

“Feisty?”

“Yes that.” Twilight downed the rest of her coffee. Spike came out of the kitchen and refilled the cup.

“For the record," the adolescent dragon spoke. “I can hear you both in the kitchen.”

“So you agree we should make out in front of the potential suitors?” Sunset asked. There was silence and she looked to Twilight whose face was contorted with a mix of shock and frustration albeit still adorable to her.

“Sunset!” Twilight grabbed her ear with magic and tugged causing Sunset to whine in protest. Spike shook his head and hastily retreated back to the kitchen probably now scarred for life

“There will be none of that. I personally would like to keep… ‘us’ quiet while around these noble types.”

“Oh fine,” Sunset pouted.

Twilight sighed and let go of her ear. “Seriously though what’s gotten into you?”

She shrugged and finished the rest of her waffles. “I guess it’s just exciting, being in a relationship with you… it’s my first real one when you think about it. You accept me as I am and actually care about me as a pers-pony." She caught herself. "Don’t you feel excited?”

Twilight blushed and gave a small smile. “More nervous than excited actually. Like I said yesterday this is a whole new experience for me and I’m just unsure how to proceed. I don't know how fast or slow things should go or what we should even be doing right now… so please forgive me in advance for my hesitance…” She coughed, “On certain activities.”

Sunset stared at Twilight. Seeing this mare made her feel emotions of excitement, joy, and a desire to pin her down and snuggle. She admitted to lacking the former means of restraint. This was a new experience for her and even though she wanted to discover new things with Twilight she could see the hesitance and equal amount of fear in her eyes.

She leaned over and gently nuzzled Twilight’s neck. “I’m sorry Twi, I’ll try to work on personal restraint today.”

“Thank you.” Twilight looked down at her and nuzzled her forehead. “It’ll be a busy today but tonight I’m all yours.”

Sunset giggled and pulled away cupping Twilight’s chin with her hoof. “Good, but first you still owe me a morning kiss.” She pursed her lips leaning in and Twilight, though hesitant at first, followed.

“You’re highness Applejack and the Flim Flam Brothers are waiting in the throne room for you.” A guard opened the door to the dinning room and just as quickly as he entered he saluted and left. The two mares stared at the door, Twilight with a look of embarrassment and Sunset with a look of annoyance. Twilight then pulled away and chugged the rest of her coffee.

“C’mon!”

Sunset’s face met the table briefly and she sighed heavily. It’s going to be a long day.

On a normal day court typically lasted an hour. During the workweek everypony had some place to be and some job to take care of so time to talk to the Princess was limited. The young ponies would be in at school and the adults would be at their respective jobs. During these times court usually consisted of problems around Ponyville that would require Twilight’s attention. Some ponies sought her out for advice and others brought friendship problems to her. If there was a major problem in the town Twilight would convene her friends together in the throne room to help in anyway they could. But fortunately those issues were far and few in between.

Unfortunately today was Saturday the day everything happened in Ponyville and the day Twilight considered taking an extended vacation to Tartarus. She heard it was lovely around that this time of year with storms and barren lands as far as the eye could see. Cerberus would love the company if she brought him a large stick to play with and Twilight could visit Tirek and Chrysalis. It sounded heavenly compared to Saturday court. Now Sunset understood her marefriends frantic behavior in the morning. Her earlier thought was correct, it was going to be a long day.

Twilight sat in her throne resting a hoof against her cheek. Sunset stood next to her trying to resist the urge to lean against the throne. Before them Applejack was steaming and looked ready to kill as the Flim Flam brothers made their claims.

“See here now that there is no law saying we can’t sell apples here in Ponyvile, isn’t that right brother of mine?” Flim said to Flam.

“Why yes it is!” The other similar looking stallion responded. "Ponyville is a trading town and we have brought our trade."

“I ain’t sayin you can’t sell here.” Applejack huffed. “But sellin' Sweet Apple Acre’s apples is blind greedy theiven' you shit eatin' cow fu-”

“Applejack!” Twilight interrupted her.

The brothers looked at Applejack shocked and crestfallen. “Applejack do you think we would go so far as to steal from other ponies to make a profit?” Flim put a hoof to his chest.

“Yes.” Applejack glared.

“Not true! Never true! Impossible!” Flam said with dramatic overture. “These apples were grown with our own hooves. Check your orchard and there’s not an apple out of place.”

“You’re just scared that ponies want our apples more than yours.” Flim smirked.

Sunset sighed rubbing her face with a hoof. “Is this really that important? They're just apples.”

The room went silent and all eyes turned to her. Twilight face was filled with sheer horror. When Sunset looked to Applejack she noticed the farm pony’s eyes were like fire and she looked ready to pounce at any moment. Sunset gulped and shrunk back.

“I mean.” She coughed, “What makes you suspect that Flim and Flam stole from your farm.”

“They taste like Sweet Apple Acres apples.” Applejack tipped her hat. “Ain’t no mistaken my families hard work and sweat in each apple.”

Sunset shivered and made a mental note not to eat another apple ever again after that statement. Twilight raised a hoof. “There is one flaw in your argument Applejack, though I don’t trust Flim and Flam, have any of your apples been missing?”

“Well no…” Applejack frowned. “But this is serious Twi! The fruit bats have been going after the main part of the farm again.”

“So you blame us for your fruit bat problem?” Flim shot an accusatory hoof. Though Sunset had only heard about the two encounters with the Flim Flam brothers she wasn’t buying their act.

“We’ll no but-“

“I see here that Applejack is just trying to drive competition away and using her bond with the princess to further her own families selfish goals.” Flam stated.

“How dare you!” Applejack’s nostrils flared and she walked around the table. The brothers backed up slowly as Applejack corned them against one of the thrones. Sunset’s eyes widened as Applejack reeled her hoof back and she made quick dash to intercept.

Whack

Sunset’s head snapped to the side as she unfortunately, not only came between the ponies, but also between Applejacks hoof and Flam’s face. She stumbled to the side and rubbed her cheek.

“Ow.”

“Oh my stars Sunset I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to.” Applejack rushed to her side but Sunset put a hoof up.

“It’s fine Applejack.” She rubbed her cheek.

Twilight practically leapt out of her thrown and dashed over to her with a speed that even Rainbow Dash would be impressed with. “A-are you alright?” She inspected Sunset’s cheek with a worried look.

“I’m fine.” She shook her head and adjusted herself. “But Twilight, didn’t you tell me that the Apple family sectioned off a part of their farm for the fruit bats.”

Both Applejack and Twilight’s eyes widened and they looked at her then each other.

“Hey now if that’s the case then why would they be coming into the rest of the orchard?” Applejack rubbed her chin.

Twilight looked to the Flim Flam brothers. “If they lost their food source and by lost I mean if someone was taking it they would.”

The two stallions exchanged nervous glances and backed up slowly. Applejack scraped the ground and slowly advanced on them cracking her neck.

“We’ll look at the time brother of mine I think we should be off!” Flim said hastily.

“Indeed no time like the present lets leave this business behind us dear Applejack.” Flam gulped.

“Ya’ll get five seconds.” She scrapped at the ground again.

The two brothers bolted out of the castle with Applejack chasing after them. Sunset stared after the trio and winced as her cheek throbbed with pain. Twilight brought her back over to the throne and sat down.

“We’ll that happened.” Twilight sighed.

“That’s normal here?”

She nodded. “Are you sure your okay? It’s swelling a little.”

Sunset readjusted her glasses on her muzzle and dusted off her suit. “I’ll be fine Twi. How much longer do we have to do this?”

She answered her own question by materializing a clipboard. Next on the list was Mare Mayor and zoning projects. Sunset felt the beginnings of a headache form or that might have been the blunt force trauma from the punch. She wasn’t too sure.

Twilight noticed the grimace on her face and leaned over pulling Sunset in close for a little kiss on the forehead. “Don’t worry one down.”

“And the mayor, Cutie Mark Crusaders, other ponies, and royal suitors to go.” Sunset finished sighing.

Saturday Court

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Chapter 2

Sunset rubbed her cheek softly. Saying that earth ponies are physically stronger than the other races was an understatement when it came to Applejack. She winced as her blue cheek throbbed.

The business with Mayer Mare had gone without pause and without strain. The barracks would be set up on the outskirts of town near the Everfree forest. There was a small debate on whether Ponyville should have boundary walls but Twilight was able to persuade the mayor otherwise. Something about keeping the town’s rustic look would keep the mayor’s ratings high.

Now came the second most dreaded business of court. The most horrific terror known to all of Ponyville, a force that cannot be stopped and will go to any lengths to achieve their goal: The Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sunset Shimmer had dealt with the CMC at Canterlot High but based on the stories she heard from the ponies in Equestria, these fillies were the talk of nightmares.

At Canterlot High the most damage the CMC could manage is destroying the science lab and this was quickly remedied by Principal Celestia keeping them out of any and all lab courses. However in Ponyville these fillies were pretty much unsupervised, had a larger goal and were as curious as a cat. Cutie marks were serious business for young fillies but they took it to the next extreme.

Before Sunset and Twilight was Cheerilee, a grimace on her face and bags under her eyes. Behind her were three adorable fillies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and the bringers of hellfire on the town. Each filly had an innocent adorable look with large sparkling eyes and a slight pout. They knew they were in trouble but it seemed they were trying to cute face their way out of it.

Sunset looked down at the report in her hooves. “So let me get this straight… our water supply has been poisoned…”

Cheerilee nodded. “Care to explain how this happened girls?”

“It was an accident!” Apple Bloom spoke up. “Twilight taught me how to make an apple growth potion so we thought we could make a water enhancement potion.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Water enhancement?”

“Yeah! Like make it better for growing apples!”

“So how did this get into the main water supply?” She asked.

The three girls shared nervous looks then Sweetie Bell raised a hoof. “We may have dumped the failed ones down the sink.”

Sunset looked to Twilight. She could tell she was ready to hit her head against the side of the throne but was doing an amazing job at keeping her composure.

“We? That was just you Sweetie Bell.” Scootaloo pointed a hoof at her.

“You helped me!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Did not!”

“Girls!” Cheerilee shouted. The two went quiet immediately and turned their gazes back to the ground.

Twilight rubbed her forehead. “Sunset?”

“Yes Princess?”

“I need you to organize a group of unicorn ponies who can help us purify the water system.”

Sunset levitated a clipboard and jotted down the request. She wasn’t sure what unicorns in Ponyville would be adept with unicorn magic but based on Twilight’s expression she figured that both of them would be helping as well.

“Next, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo, you three will be serving community service.”

The three fillies sighed heavily but Cheerilee raised a hoof. “Pardon me Princess Twilight but are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Twilight looked up. “Why do you ask?”

“The last time they were assigned to do all of Big Macintosh’s chores after,” She coughed and blushed. “The events of Hearts and Hooves day they destroyed half the farm and blew the roof off the Apple Family barn.”

Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof and hummed in thought. “I see your point, very well, they will be serving community service here.”

“What?!” Sunset and Cheerilee gawked at Twilight. Sunset looked at her marefriend as if she had gone completely insane.

“Here I can keep a watchful eye on them. Plus I doubt they can blow up crystal walls.”

I have a feeling they could. Sunset grimaced and wrote down the order on the clipboard.

“Does this sound reasonable girls?” Twilight looked to the three fillies and smiled.

Her question was answered by the three jumped up shouting at a volume that made Sunset cover her ears. “Cutie Mark Crusader Castle Caretakers!”

Oh buck. Sunset internally cursed. Why do you hate us Twilight?

Cheerilee nodded a thank you to Twilight and guided the bouncing cheerful crusaders out of the palace. Once they were out of earshot Sunset took and quick breath and turned to Twilight.

“Twilight… I know you’re a princess but as your marefriend do you understand what wrath you have brought upon us?”

Twilight giggled. “I would rather them stay here when I can keep an eye on them, plus nurture their special talents. Which I was hoping you could help with.”

Sunset gave Twilight a quizzical look. She didn’t like the sound of where this was going. “What do you mean I could help with?”

“Well I just thought that you could… teach them things that would work with their special talents?” Twilight asked sheepishly with a half smile.

“Is there a reason you can’t do that?”

Twilight sighed. “I’ve tried but those fillies are clueless, they try every other way to get their cutie marks but don’t bother with what they’re actually good at. Plus if we succeed there won’t be as many disasters in town.”

Sunset sighed. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

As the royal guard escort came in thankfully for Sunset Shimmer it was not led by Flash Sentry. As per Twilight’s request he was transferred back to the Crystal Empire guard and they would be receiving a new one.

The new squad leader was difficult to read between modest and serious. He was very straightforward about his mandate to protect them but understood when Twilight requested that he not hover over her every moment of existence. The escort’s presence would be restricted to trips outside of Ponyville and standing in on court sessions. This both mares were thankful for.

Once the guards left at Twilight’s command to acquaint themselves with the area a massive swarm of ponies were waiting outside. Ponies from all over the town had come wanting to talk to Twilight. When Sunset saw the mass of ponies she sighed heavily and took up her clipboard with magic.

“Celestia help me…”

Twilight leaned over resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry this part goes by relatively quickly.”

There were shouts from the sea of ponies as the back of the mass parted. “Make way you uncivilized ruffians!” A stallions voice called as more ponies were pushed out of the way.

The crowd fully parted revealing five ponies. The one who had been shouting was a tight collared unicorn. His coat was light blue and he had a white mane. From the angle Sunset was at she couldn’t see his cutie mark but that was also do to the amount of clothing he was wearing. His suit matched his mane and was laced with gold trim.

Around him were four guards though not typical guard ponies. They were bigger and dressed in all black like typical security ponies seen at big social events. They surveyed the area and Twilight’s guards kept their eyes trained on them with stark glares.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sterling Time; my father is the head of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorn’s, and I preside over the magical research division of Manhattan and Phillidelphia. I have graced this lowly town with my presence to come and ask for your hoof in marriage Princess Twilight.” He gave a wave of his hoof keeping his chin tilted up in the upper class style.

Sunset took mental notes of the four guards, two pegasi, one earth pony and one unicorn. She could probably take down the pegasi easily and evade the earth pony. Depending on their reaction time she would have at least three seconds to successfully land a hoof to Sterling Time’s jaw. She gritted her teeth and took a quick glance at Twilight. Like always she was calm and gave a simple polite smile while nodding her head.

“A pleasure, your father is Light Arcane then?”

“The very same your highness.” He said with a cocky grin.

“I think I met him when I was a little filly in the school. Though that was ages ago. How is he?” Twilight asked.

Sunset knew the name as well. Light Arcane wasn’t the most adept at magic but had mastery in the knowledge of magical arts. She didn’t know he had a son but she could see he was the same as lot of other Canterlot born noble ponies: stuck up and entitled.

“He is well, I believe he will be extremely pleased depending on how this meeting goes. Though I think its safe to say it doesn’t take omnipotence to see that.” His voice was filled with confidence.

Keep talking and you’ll see my version of how it ends. Sunset mentally growled. She clenched her lips together feigning pain from the bruise to hide her anger.

“Now then where to start. Twilight, may I call you Twilight? Of course I can were both on the same level.” He strode further into the room. Each step he took he made sure to display a certain angle of his features. “That being said you not are like the common rabble, the mares that would jump at the chance for a stallion with power and wealth. Probably like the mare standing next to you.” He motioned to Sunset.

Sunset bit her tongue using all of will not to lash out at Sterling. He was away from his guards now and Sunset was in perfect range to give him a good number of bruises. Taking another glance she saw Twilight hadn’t made any grand gesture to the insult, not even the slightest flinch. She was still calm and collected.

Sterling brushed his mane back. “You have everything you would want, you’re a princess, and you have a castle and a kingdom.” He coughed and titled his head up in disgust. “If you could call this commoner village one. But I digress; you have everything a mare could want. What I offer you is the opportunity to be with one of Equestria’s most eligible bachelors. Why a mare like yourself should only have some pony of equal or in this case more value as their significant other.”

Twilight politely smiled and leaned back on the throne resting a hoof against her chin. “I don’t think I deserve more than any other pony.”

Sterling Time stopped for a moment caught of guard. He then readjusted himself and coughed. “But that is where you are wrong princess. You have it all, now all you need is someone to solidify your status and glory.”

“My status, or your status?” Twilight asked.

“We’ll it would be equal of course! Isn’t that what marriage of great power is? Shared benefits for all?”

“Hmm,” Twilight hummed in thought. “I’m intrigued. Tell me about these benefits.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow in her direction but kept her mouth closed.

Sterling gave a confident smile and began his stride again. “Why its quite simple my dear. If married then your status as a princess increases. You would not only be the Princess of Friendship but also you would have extensions to the household of arcane knowledge and magical studies. I myself would gain a very beautiful mare in the process.”

He gave a tap to his horn and it lit with a golden aura. “Though I may look like a gentle harmless soul I am a mastery of offensive magic and manipulation. You would gain one of the most powerful stallions in Equestria.”

“I see.” Twilight rested her hooves on her chin. “What about love?”

“What about it?” Sterling raised an eyebrow.

“Would I receive love as a benefit?”

Sterling laugh. “We’ll of course that comes with marriage right?”

Though Sunset wanted to beat the hayseed out of Sterling at the moment she was impressed by Twilight’s composure. Her questions were spot on to the point, which made her wonder how many times Twilight has had to deal with potential suitors before.

“Hm, well, Sterling Time, thank you for the offer but I must decline.” Twilight smiled brightly.

Sunset inwardly grinned and wanted to wrap her hooves around Twilight and just kiss her.

Sterling did a double take then scratched at his ear. “Pardon me but what did you says?”

“I said I decline your offer.”

“B-but you can’t be serious Twilight!”

“I am, and please do not call me Twilight, only my friends may call me that, you are talking with a Princess of Equestria therefore I command the same respect you would give to the royal sisters!” Twilight’s voice echoed throughout the room. Her smile had faded and she now glared at Sterling.

He gulped and shrunk back. “No… do you know who I am! I am one of the Canterlot elite!”

“And this is Ponyville, now show yourself out before I have my guards escort you.” Twilight commanded.

“Wa-wait! How allow me to prove to you how powerful my magic is! Give me your strongest champion and I will best them for your heart!” He gave her an almost pleading look. Sunset found it sad how far the nobility would fall to get what they wanted.

Twilight sat back in her chair again. “A battle?” She looked up for a moment in thought then smiled. “Fine. If you defeat my strongest champion then I will accept your offer.”

Sunset leaned over bringing her clipboard up to hide their faces. “You have a champion? What happened to defeating everything with rainbows?”

Twilight giggled. “That’s only in certain situations, and yes I have a champion.” She nudged Sunset. “Now don’t try to hurt him to much.”

“Wait…” Sunset blinked a couple times then a devious smile broke out on her face. Having realized what Twilight meant she took the glasses off her snout and hoofed them to Twilight.

Twilight looked back to Sterling and nodded. “I present my champion Sunset Shimmer.”

“Your advisor?” Sterling broke out into a fit of laughter. “You can’t be serious. I’m afraid I could never harm a defenseless mare.”

“That is your choice then. You have one minute to beat my champion. You may begin when ready.” Twilight raised a hoof and lowered it.

“One minute? Hah, foals play I won’t even need ten sec-ack!”

His sentence was cut off as Sunset seized him with her magic and threw him across the room into the wall. His body slid down onto the ground and he scrambled to his hooves.

“How dare you! I wasn’t finished with my sentence!”

“Clocks ticking.” Sunset smirked. “C’mon novice.” She waved a hoof taunting him.

He took the bait and ran forward with his horn lit. He fired a golden beam of magic. However Sunset threw up a small barrier deflecting the shot. She sighed and yawned.

“Is that it?”

“Try this on you lowly ketchup colored ruffian!” His horn glowed brightly and he surrounded in a golden aura. He threw his head to the side directing a path for her to be flung but she didn’t move from her spot. Her hooves were planted solid on the ground.

“W-what?” He stammered.

“A unicorn’s ability to lift and manipulate objects is limited to the mass of the object. In this case it’s limited to your magical power versus mine.” Sunset smirked and stepped forward slowly.

“B-but-but! No! I’m one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria!” He shouted and strained his horn trying to halt her progress.

“I went hoof to hoof with the queen of the changelings.” She lunged forward landing a solid hoof in his jaw sending him into a tumble. “Get on my level.”

Sterling hit the wall in a mess of limbs and he gripped his jaw and whimpered. “My face! How dare you harm my beautiful face!”

Sunset shook her head. “That felt good. But it was hardly worth the effort.” She trotted back over to Twilight. “I remember when I was that power hungry but I’ve found something better than money and power.”

She closed in on Twilight taking a hoof step onto the throne. Twilight’s eyes widened slightly and she shook her head looking between Sterling and Sunset.

“What could be more important than that?!” Sterling got to his hooves shouting.

“Love,” Sunset smiled and leaned in. Twilight was blushing furiously and she put a hoof out holding Sunset back. However Sunset grabbed her chin with magic and pulled Twilight’s lips against hers.

All of time and existence faded away with the kiss. Even though this was her third kiss with Twilight it still felt as good as the first one. Twilight’s cheeks burned red and she tried to push Sunset away but to no avail. Sunset wouldn’t budge and she enjoyed being locked in a passionate kiss with Twilight.

The only thing that made it better was Sterling’s flabbergasted expression. Sunset broke the kiss and look at Twilight who stared back with a look mixed between happy, embarrassed and anger.

“W-what?! T-that’s disgusting! You two are fillyfoolers! A Princess of Equestria is a fillyfooler!” He pointed an accusatory hoof and back up towards the door where his guards were waiting.

“Want to make something of it?” Sunset turned around with a smirk of defiance on her face. “Tell your fellow nobles that Twilight Sparkle is off limits!”

“They will hear about it! They all will!” He shouted and ran out of the throne room with his guards in tow.

Once the doors closed Sunset turned back and smiled victoriously at Twilight. However Twilight’s jaw hung open and she softly squeaked out her next sentence.

“Sunset… do you realize that we’re never going to hear the end of this now?!” She raised her voice on the last word.

Sunset smiled and pecked Twilight on the cheek. “You worry to much Twi, I don’t think most ponies would care.”

Twilight sighed and rubbed her forehead. “The ponyrazzi will care.”

Her ears dropped seeing the slightly annoyed expression on Twilight’s face. “H-hey, are you mad at me?”

“No I’m not.” She looked up. “At least I won’t have to deal with suitors anymore.” She levitated Sunset’s glasses back up to her nose.

Sunset’s smiled. “See there’s a brightside. Also I have to admit I liked that assertive side of you.”

“Oh that?” Twilight waved a hoof and smiled sheepishly. “Something Princess Luna taught me.”

“Impressive, you’ve been holding out on me.” She drew closer to Twilight. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that side more often.” She cooed gently biting Twilight’s neck.

“Eep! No!” Twilight squeaked and pulled Sunset away with her magic. “We still have ponies outside who we need to see.”

Sunset huffed and took up her clipboard. “Fine, fine, so later then?”

Twilight’s cheeks burned red and she strained her wings to stay down as they tried to move up. She narrowed her eyes at Sunset. “No!”

“Aw.” She pouted as the guards let in the ponies from outside.

The Mare, The Stallion, and The Doctor

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Chapter 3

There were many hazards to living in Ponyville. One being it was located right next to the Everfree forest. Though it had the same characteristics as the human world forests to the ponies of Equestria it was the most unnatural and terrifying place in the lands next to Tartarus. Another danger was the town’s magnetism for disasters and world changing events. However probably the greatest danger was the lack of magic in the town. Since its founding Ponyville has become a very diverse town however it still lacked unicorns with above average magical promise.

Sunset Shimmer looked over her clipboard with names of all the unicorns in the town. On the list there were about thirty however of those unicorns only three stood infront of her: Rarity, Vinyl Scratch, Lyra Heartstrings. The four ponies were at the fountain located near the center of Ponyville.

“Um Sunset darling,” Rarity raised a hoof. “Where is everyone else?”

“We’re pretty much it Rarity. Out of all the unicorns here you three have the best record with spell casting.” Sunset said.

“So what do you need us to do Sunbutt?” Vinyl Scratch spoke up.

Sighing at the nickname Sunset pointed to the open stallion hole. “Currently there are varieties of chemicals or in this case potions in the water system. We need to purge the chemicals.”

Vinyl lowered her shades revealing her purple irises giving Sunset a deadpanned look. “How the hay do we do that?”

“Magic.”

Lyra coughed. “Obviously but how?”

Sunset levitated her clipboard up again. “I need you and Vinyl to circulate the water out of the sewer pipes then Rarity and I will use our magic to purify it. Princess Twilight is at the reservoir ready to cast a purification spell through the pipe system to catch anything we missed. Any other questions?”

“Yeah, I’m thirsty can I have a drink?” Vinyl asked.

Sunset’s hoof met her forehead. “No, we don’t know what the water will do to a pony if they touch it.”

“Could I grow another horn?!” she asked excitedly.

“I don’t know and were not finding out.” Sunset sighed.

“Or maybe hands?” Lyra’s eyes shinned for a moment.

“I’ve had them, they’re not that special.”

“Wait really?!” Lyra jumped forward pressing the tip of her muzzle against Sunset’s causing her to almost trip into the stallion hole.

“Erm. Yes, I did go to the human world. I actually met your human counterpart there.” She smiled nervously.

“You. Must. Tell. Me. Everything!” Lyra said with enthusiasm. When Sunset first met Lyra she seemed like a pretty normal pony, her and Bonbon both. But now she wasn’t so sure. This however was to close for any means of comfort.

“L-later.” Sunset stepped back. “Let’s deal with this first.”

Vinyl and Lyra began charging their horns. At first there was just the sound of rushing water from the stallion hole then a stream flowed out into the air. Rarity and Sunset stood across from each other and lit their horns taking hold of the water and bringing it to their level. Their horns glowed brighter and a green wall formed between them. As the water passed through the barrier glowed and emitted particles of light. When the water came out purified Vinyl and Lyra shifted part of their magic to it lifting it up into the air forming a large ball.

The spells required the utmost concentration. Sunset breathed slowly channeling her magic. The job would have been easier with more unicorns but most unicorns in Ponyville weren’t known for their magical ability. The four mares continued the spell, as the water continued flowing through the barrier the bubble overhead grew larger. Vinyl and Lyra were careful not to come into contact with the water or get it on Sunset and Rarity as it went through the purification barrier.

After a few minutes the water bubble had grown larger than the fountain and Sunset looked up.

“Were doing good girls, keep this up and we should be done soon.” She smiled and wiped the sweat trickling down her forehead.

“Look out!” A voice shouted from behind them. All but Sunset turned to see a wall-eyed pegasus flying out of control towards them.

Vinyl’s eyes widened behind her glasses, “No, Derpy veer right!”

Sunset was able to turn her head last moment to see a blur of grey and yellow. Her vision went blurry and she found herself falling, falling down the stallion hole. She screamed for a moment and flailed her hooves trying to grasp onto the sides of the pipe but they were slick and she was unable to get a grip. After a few seconds of falling there was a splash.

Vinyl helped Derpy the mares gathered around the stallion hole.

“Sunset!” Rarity called. “Are you alright?”

After a couple seconds Sunset’s hoof rose out and gripped the ground. Rarity went to help her but immediately jumped back as Sunset’s head rose out after.

“Ugh...” Sunset climbed out of the stallion hole and brushed her mane out of her eyes. Looking around the four mares was looking her with expressions of shock and horror. “What?”

“U-um….” Rarity had a crimson blush on her face and she held a hoof to her mouth.

“Wow.” Vinyl tilted her glasses down and raised an eyebrow

Lyra looked equally shocked however Derpy tilted her head. “Who’s the new guy?” She said curiously.

“Guy?” Sunset asked. “I’m not a-“ She paused and her brain picked up the masculine tone coming from her mouth. “W-what?!” Sunset put his front hooves over his lips.

Rarity conjured up a magical mirror. Sunset looked in it and his eyes widened. His facial structure was broader and mane now shorter still slightly wavey but with a spiked look to it. The once elegant finely curved flanks were now rough and bulkier, this included his hooves. All that remained was his original cyan eyes and cutie mark. Sunset felt something snap in his brain at the conclusive fact: she was now a stallion.

“What the buck!?” He screamed but clasped his hooves over his mouth. His new male voice was very unsettling. He looked at the other mares as if one of them had an answer.

Vinyl snickered. “Hey Sunbutt you actually look pretty good as a stallion.”

“Quite.” Rarity said with a blush on her face.

Sunset glared at them. He shrunk back trying to cover himself with hooves but to no avail. His larger body structure made it impossible to hide away from the onlookers. “This isn’t funny! I can’t be a stallion!”

“We’ll darling on the bright side your relationship with Twilight might be a little easier in some cases.” Rarity coughed.

Sunset’s cheeks lit up. “N-no! I-I don’t want to do that with Twilight as a stallion!”

“Hey you’re right!” Vinyl chimed in. She and Lyra were still levitating the water with their magic and she took a small ball of it about the size of a hoof down to her eye level. “Maybe I should use this, Octavia might dig it.”

“No!” Sunset charged her horn yanking the orb of water away from Vinyl. Right now Sunset was having multiple heart attacks and the last thing he wanted was multiple gender changes. “We need to reverse this!”

He breathed slowly calming himself down and looked back to the water. “First we’ll finish purifying this so we don’t have any more mishaps.”

He motioned back to the water and he and Rarity began their spell again. The water began flowing again and before long, with no more mishaps from Derpy, the water was purified. As soon as the last drop left the stallion hole a magical wave lit up the pipes. Twilight had sent her cleansing spell from the reservoir through all the pipes across Ponyville.

The orb of water casted a shadow over the center of the town, like a small moon waiting to come crashing down. Sunset charged his horn with the other mares and the massive orb levitated down and flowed into the stallion hole. Once the water had completely drained the mares plus stallion released their magic and sighed from fatigue.

“Alright…” Sunset sat on his haunches while wiping his forehead. “Some pony help me!”

“I personally haven’t seen anything like this before," said Vinyl. “That’s saying something because I have seen a lot at the club.”

Rarity brushed her mane back styling it back. She trotted over to Sunset and touched his shoulder gently. “Perhaps we should go to Twilight and-“

“No!” Sunset shouted. “I can’t let Twilight see me like this?”

“Why?”

“Call it fault of my pride and dignity.” He covered his head with his hooves. “Does anyone know anything about gender swap spells?”

Lyra rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Even if we did that takes a lot of magic that none of us have. The only magical users with that type of power would be the princesses.”

Sunset felt a pit form in his stomach. The thought of Twilight having to fix this was utterly embarrassing. Not to mention the permanent feeling of being a stallion. The bulkiness of a stallion’s body made it harder to move around and brought on much insecurity. Having been pony and human Sunset as a female considered herself very sexy. However this was the opposite of that, this was just wrong. She was thankful that only her body had been turned into a stallions’ and not her brain.

Possibly being stuck like this was even worse. Having to explain to every pony that he was once a mare and now unwillingly a stallion. Would suitors show up to court Twilight again? Would have to fight them off bare hoofed? Would he now have to watch hoof ball and eat corn dogs? The questions gave Sunset and headache and he lowered himself to the ground covering his face with his hooves and whimpering.

“I might know someone who can help.” Derpy smiled.

All eyes turned to her and Sunset’s ears perked up. He sprung to his hooves and grabbed Derpy who in turned blushed due to the close contact with a stallion. “Who?!”

“The Doctor!” She responded cheerfully.

Sunset grimaced. “Alright you, Pinkie Pie and Discord have now mentioned this pony. Doctor who?”

“Just the Doctor.”

Celestia help me. His eye twitched and he sighed. “Alright Derpy, how can this Doctor help me?”

“I don’t know but he’s really smart! I bet he can think of something! Follow me!” She flapped her wings and flew up into the air racing towards the downtown part of Ponyville.

Sunset looked the other mares. “If any pony asks… lie!” He bolted off after Derpy.

He cut down an alleyway between two buildings and kept to the shadows. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to see him. Though he was a stallion his coat and mane had not changed color. Anypony with a brain would make one of two connections, Sunset was turned into a stallion or Sunset has a twin brother. Either way he would rather avoid that conflict at the moment.

Turning a corner he kept on Derpy’s tail. Though this was made difficult but Derpy almost colliding with the walls and sometimes making a wrong turn. After a few minutes of running they arrived at a dead end between three buildings. Derpy landed and walked towards the back. Far at the end shrouded by the shadows was a tall blue box. On top of it a glowing sign read: Police Public Call Box.

“Um Derpy…” Sunset asked. “Why are we at the end of a dark alleyway and what’s that box?”

“It’s the Doctor’s home.” Derpy said smiling. She trotted up to the box and took off a small key attached at the end of her mane.

“A box…” He raised an eyebrow. “It looks to small for anypony to fit in it.”

“You’ll see.” She said in a singsong voice as she inserted the key into a small keyhole on the door. It made an audible click as it turned and the door opened up with a creek. She disappeared inside completely.

Sunset was unsure and stepped forward slowly. Reaching the box she pushed open the door slowly. She expected to be greeted by two ponies in a cramped space but instead was met with a vast room. The room itself was the size of Twilight’s throne room with multiple levels and catwalks. From the ceiling was a large console with a cylindrical tube that that stretched from the floor a level down up to the ceiling.

The walls were covered with glowing lit up circles that extended the circumference of interior. Lights rested above them following the same extension. Bookshelves lined the catwalks and the walls were covered in strange shapes and lines. The room itself looked very technological like something Sunset had seen in science fiction movies in the human world. He took a step back and poked his head outside the box. It was still the same size, a small wooden blue box and looking back inside the large room was still there.

“It’s….” He began slowly. His throat went dry as he spanned the room. It was unreal and impossible in every logical aspect. “Bigger… on the inside.”

“Oh yes I do love it when ponies say that!” A voice said allowed.

Sunset followed sound of the voice and saw a brown stallion stepping out from behind the console. His mane was spiked in the back and he had an hourglass shaped cutie mark, he was also sporting a green tie. Derpy had followed behind him.

“Hello there, I’m the Doctor!” He said cheerfully.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Doctor who?”

“Just the Doctor! Now it seems you’ve changed since I last saw you Sunset Shimmer?” He clopped his hooves together and the door behind Sunset closed.

“Wait, wait.” Sunset held up his hooves. “Who are you… and what is this place and how do you know me?”

“You mean you don’t remember me?” The Doctor trotted forward and looked him over. “Granted you’re a stallion now, which is not really out of the normal in my book but you are Sunset Shimmer aren’t you?”

“Yes I am.” Sunset answered.

The Doctor scratched his chin. “Then why don’t… ooh! Ha!” He laughed. “Oh time you’re bloody fantastic!”

“You’re very strange.”

“Oye, hey, you weren’t this rude last we met.” He chided.

“But I’ve never met you before!” Sunset growled throwing up his hooves.

“Well we have, in the future, well future for you past for me.” He turned back to the console and flicked a few switches pulling up a small computer screen. “It’s very wibbly wobbly timey wimey.”

Sunset looked to Derpy for an explanation but the wall-eyed mare just shrugged and kept smiling.

“To answer your other question, this is the Tardis, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” He said looking at the monitor. His hooves clicked and clacked against the keyboard as he typed. “We’ll it seems that we’re a little ways behind from our last excursion. That seems to explain it.”

“Explains what?”

“Time travel.” The Doctor said.

There were a few moments of silence and then Sunset laughed. “Time travel? There’s no such thing.”

“Oye! Don’t be rude to my old girl!” He chided then patted the console with a tender hoof. “It’s okay dear she just hasn’t met you yet.”

Sunset sighed and rubbed his forehead. This was all very strange and he was starting to believe he had eaten bad waffles this morning and this was all a sick dream. He speculated that Luna was behind this and watching from a hidden window laughing all the way.

“Can you help me or not?”

“Ah yes, that, hold still.” He trotted back to him and pulled out a small silver rod. It emanated a green light and made a soft whirring sound. He waved it around her head for a few moments then brought it back looking it over. “Hm, it seems the chemical composition of your body has been modified to the point your gender has been switched.”

“Gee, I could have told you that.” Sunset rolled his eyes.

The Doctor walked over to the console and typed on the console computer. “Based on the scan it appears the chemical imbalance is resulting from three foreign entities in your blood stream.”

Sunset and Derpy walked over to the console and looked at the screen. Three items flashed on the screen. One was the male unicorn horn shaving, another was a rainbow, and the last ingredient was…

“Poison joke…” Sunset mumbled. “Are you kidding me!”

“Pardon?” The Doctor asked.

Sunset growled and slapped a hoof to his forehead. “Those little fillies used poison joke in a potion!”

“It would seem that way.” The Doctor looked back to the screen.

“Then all you need to do is take a bubble bath right?” Derpy asked.

The Doctor however shook his head. “Unfortunately that would be to easy, Miss Hooves. On its own poison joke is easy to get rid of but here combined with the magical properties of the rainbow and unicorn horn shavings its been amplified. Even though it’s still playing a joke a bath won’t get rid of it.”

“So do you know the cure then!?” Sunset asked hastily. “I can’t be stuck like this!”

“Calm down calm down.” The Doctor put a hoof on Sunset’s head. “The Doctor is in. All we need to do is take a scan of your biological make up as a mare and with the right sonic resonance from my screwdriver we can reverse the effects of the amplified poison joke.”

“But…” Sunset began. “You don’t have a scan of me as a mare.”

“Ah but that’s where you’re wrong my cross gendered friend! Like so.” He waved the sonic screwdriver flicking it on and put it to Sunset’s chest. The tip of it glowed brightly for a few moments. Sunset felt his body vibrate and his form wobbled. His eyes bugged out as his limbs snapped back and shrunk down. The world spun and for a second everything went black.

Opening his eyes Sunset shook his head and looked to the Doctor who had a smug grin on his face. “There you are Mrs. Shimmer.”

He pulled up a mirror from the console. Sunset’s features had shrunken. Her form was smaller and her muzzle was petite and smooth. Her flanks were well rounded again and her hooves had shrunken to their normal size.

“I’m…” She held up a hoof to her lips and smiled hearing her feminine voice again. “Oh thank Celestia!”

“Why her? I helped you.” The Doctor frowned.

“Thank you Doctor!” She grabbed his hoof shaking it.

“You’re most welcome Mrs. Shimmer.” He smiled reciprocating the hoof shake.

“See I told you the Doctor could fix it.” Derpy gave Sunset a wide smile and moved close to the Doctor giving him a hug.

“I’m sorry I doubted you, but Doctor.” She asked. “How did you have a scan of me if I’ve never met you before?”

The Doctor looked around and twisted his head left and right. “Like I said before, Time Travel is up down all around it’s like a big ball of stuff getting mixed together and jumbled about never in the write order.”

“So…” Sunset began. “I’ll see you in the future then?”

“Exactly! We’ll you’re future my past. I know you but you don’t know me, this means that sometime in your future you’ll meet me, while for me it will be the past.”

“Um…” Sunset looked at him somewhat dumbfounded.

“Just nod your head like you understand when he stops for breath.” Derpy giggled.

She nodded, “Alright… well I’ll remember that, thank you again Derpy, and to you as well Doctor.”

“My pleasure Mrs. Shimmer, oh and when the time comes if you see a statue that looks like a pegasus and has it’s face covered, don’t blink.” His tone was serious by the end. The bubbly expression he had went away momentarily as he looked away from the console and gritted his teeth.

Sunset trotted back to the door and opened it then looked back. “Um… alright. Before I go why are you calling me Mrs. Shimmer?”

The Doctor looked back to her in surprise. “You mean your not… oh… Oh!” His grin returned and he chuckled. “Sorry, spoilers!”

The door closed forcing Sunset out of the Tardis. She landed on her stomach and grunted on impact. There was a loud noise mixed between a whirring and screeching. Looking back the Tardis faded in and out of existence for a few moments and was then gone.

“Spoilers… wait…” Sunset got up dusting herself off and looked up in thought. “Mrs. Shimmer…” She shook her head and trotted out of the alley. It was the late afternoon indicated by the sun having crossed its peak in the sky and now descending towards the west. I’m just going to pretend like all of this never happened.

Once she arrived back at the Castle she was greeted by Twilight in the throne room. Twilight looked up from her reading and smiled getting out of her seat and walking over to Sunset.

“Good work with the water filtering. Did everything go okay?” She asked giving Sunset a peck on the cheek.

“Yep!” Sunset said hastily. “No problems at all.”

Annoying Sunday

View Online

Chapter 4

Would drinking be a good hobby? Sunset pondered briefly. She dumped a bucket of water over the burning table dousing the flames. I really need a drink.

She and Twilight were in the castle’s lab, which Twilight had configured into an alchemy chamber. Chemicals, ingredients, and beakers lined the shelves. Charts displaying complex equations and algorithms covered any bit of the uncovered all space.

After loosing her lab in the Golden Oaks Library this one was set up except this time it was larger and Twilight’s multitude of equipment had grown. This was both a blessing and a curse to Sunset. A blessing because Twilight was over zealous about it, and a curse because three clueless fillies spawned from the depths of Tartarus weren’t trying yet succeeding in setting it a blaze.

At the moment Twilight was helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders made a bug repellent potion. The potion would be used on the apple orchard and the key was making the potion safe enough for ponies to be able to eat the apples. However Sunset feared that if any of these current mixtures were used these three fillies would be convicted for committing genocide on the town. Currently the fillies had managed to cause two explosions, three fires, and five genetic mutations. Aside from the explosions that singed Sunset’s fur the genetic apple mutations were quite disturbing. The one that took the top rank was the Apple that came to life and tried to eat them.

Twilight dusted herself off and coughed up a breath of dust. “Well, that wasn’t what we were going for.” She lifted her goggles and wiped them off.

“What went wrong?” Applebloom pouted.

“What do you mean?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “I thought the explosion was pretty cool. I could use some pyrotechnics when practice on my scooter!”

Celestia give me strength. Sunset gulped at the thought of seeing all of Ponyville in flames.

Twilight picked up her clipboard wiping the soot off it. “Hmm, I checked the math twice so what went wrong?” She levitated a pencil up and ran off the list of materials.

“Why don’t we try something else?” Sunset said. She motioned for Scootaloo to come follow her. “Scootaloo, Twilight’s new telescope was just shipped here today. Please assemble it.”

The young pegasi frowned. “But I don’t know how to build a telescope!”

Foals. “It’s simple, there are instructions in the box. Beside you maintain your scooter all the time I’m sure this will be simple.” She gave Scootaloo a gentle nudge towards the box.

She walked up to the box and opened it; she took out the instructions, which unfolded into a diagram two heads taller than her. After a few seconds under the instructions she poked her head out. “These instructions don’t make any sense, they are the least imaginative way to assemble this.”

“Well just try your best.” Sunset encouraged with a reassuring smile. In truth she just wanted one less filly working with something that could explode. Then again… I wouldn’t be surprised if this still blew up.

Sunset walked back over to Twilight who was lost in her alchemical revisions and checks. Sweetie Bell had her hooves resting against her cheeks looking completely stumped and albeit a little board as well. Then Sunset noticed Apple Bloom holding two beakers carefully tipping one into the other. One of the beakers contained energized rainbow, while the other she wasn’t too sure of.

“Um Applebloom? What is that there?” Sunset asked hastily.

The little filly looked up. “We’ll I want to reduce the aci- acidic no… um…”

“Acidity?”

“Yeah! I want to reduce the acidity of the repellent so if we mix this stuff with the acidic base of the bug repellent then it shouldn’t harm the plants.” She combined the mixtures and set them down on the bunsen burner.

“Alright, but what is that?”

“Just some water and… um Sodium Hy… Sodium Hidro…. Um…” The little farm filly licked her lips looking for the word as she turned on the bunsen burner.

Sunset’s eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. “Sodium Hydroxide?!”

“That’s it!”

Boom

It was about midday on Sunday and everypony was out and about enjoying a charmingly peaceful day. In the whole of Equestria and beyond Sunday was a day where nothing eventful happened. It didn’t harbor any resemblance of importance to anyone and was treated as a day of rest. There was no school, no business, no major events, and no royal business. Even Celestia and Luna could take time off from their royal duties today.

The twin sisters as well as everyone in Canterlot could also see the event horizon of a massive rainbow colored explosion coming from Ponyville. Luna walked out onto her bedroom balcony with bags under her eyes.

“Sister… are we under attack?”

Standing over a little ways on her own balcony Celestia stared out at the mushroom cloud and sighed. “No, but I have a feeling I’ll be receiving a letter about this. Go back to sleep Luna.”

Black. Why is everything black? Are we dead? Sunset felt all her senses slowly coming back to her. Her ears were still ringing from the explosion and her muscles ached. Slowly opening her eyes the first thing she saw was a cyan colored barrier around her. The surge of energy a unicorn feels when the use magic came back to and she noticed her horn was a glow. Beyond the magical barrier multi colored smoke filled the air.

She charged her horn and the magical barrier increased in size pushing the smoke back. The barrier’s radius connected with two others barriers, that being Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell. Sunset had mixed feelings about successfully shielding them from the blast somewhere between happy and wishing to strangle them.

“Wow, I didn’t see that coming.” Applebloom stated. She then looked at her flank in hopes of a cutie mark but following another of many past failed attempts it was still blank. “Aw darn it I thought for sure we would get them this time!”

“What would that even be an explosion cutie mark?” Sweetie asked.

Applebloom shrugged. “Not sure but would that be the coolest!”

Sunset face hoofed. “We’ll you succeeded at blowing up the lab… oh sweet Celestia! Twilight!”

It then hit her that she couldn’t see Twilight through the smoke. She pushed the barrier out farther. The radius expanded and unveiled two pony objects. One was Scootaloo who was hiding behind the, now blackened and burnt, telescope instructions and a multi colored Twilight.

“Twilight!” Sunset screamed and ran up to her. Twilight was still standing in the same position she had before the explosion. Her body was covered with rainbow colored blast marks and her typically flowing vibrant mane was completely white and sticking back atop her head. Sunset slowly lifted up Twilight’s goggles revealing the only reaming lavender part of her body.

Twilight’s eyelids were remained shut for a few moments then she blinked a few times. She stared at Sunset but said nothing.

“Tw-Twilight? Love? A-are you okay?” Sunset asked hesitantly.

Slowly Twilight’s mouth opened and she coughed up a ball of colorful smoke. “…. I think we’re done for today…”

Sunset sighed in relief that she was okay however this sense of peace dissipated as she whirled around on Applebloom and stared her down. If she had the power to she would banish that filly to the moon for this. Had she not been a unicorn they could have been severely hurt, and as would have Twilight and Scootaloo if she wasn’t as far away from the blast.

The little filly saw the anger in Sunset’s eyes and her ears tucked back. She rubbed her front hooves slowly and had the guiltiest look on her face with her lower lip tucked out.

“I-I’m really sorry Miss Sunset.” She said softly.

Sunset glared down at the filly then sighed and rubbed her forehead. Unfortunately for her Applebloom is a filly and she can’t hold her seriously accountable for this… much. “It’s… fine, mistakes happen. J-Just go and play somewhere and we’ll see you Wednesday.”

Sweetie and Applebloom looked to each other then at Sunset and turned walked out slowly. By now the smoke had cleared fully.

Scootaloo looked up from her instructions. “Hey but I’m not done!” The instructions then crumbled into a small pile of dust. “Um…”

“You can finish Wednesday Scootaloo…” Sunset muttered.

There was a gust of wind and a rainbow main colored pegasus flew into the room. “Hey is everyone alright?”

“Yes and where did you come from?” Sunset asked looked up.

Rainbow pointed up and it was now Sunset noticed that as the smoke finished clearing most of the area around them had been completely obliterated.

“W-…what?” She took a sweep and found that only the exit of the lab remained however the other three walls and the rooms above it were also gone as well. The large star at the top of the tree castle had two of its points blown clean off.

“Yeah, so again what happened?” Rainbow repeated.

Sunset groaned. “I’ll explain later… for now take these fillies home while I clean Twilight up.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow looked over to her friend and stared. For a few moments she just stared then she fell down laughing. “Sweet Celestia Twilight! It looks like you took a sonic rainboom to the face!”

“Very funny Rainbow.” Twilight frowned and dusted some of the soot off.

Rainbow continued laughing as she scooped up the three fillies and flew out. Sunset grumbled and walked over to Twilight taking a hoof. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Right, I don’t think potion making is a good idea anymore…” Twilight coughed as they made their way out of the destroyed lab.

“Yah think?” Sunset bumped her flank against Twilight’s playfully. “Why do you have condensed energized rainbow and sodium hydroxide?”

“Um,” Twilight looked away blushing. “Science.”

“Sure? Or are you making explosives for your secret plot to overthrow Celestia?”

“W-what?!” Twilight stammered. “I would n-never consider-“

She was stopped by Sunset giggling and wrapping a hoof around her. “No that’s more of my thing.” She winked. Twilight scrunched up her muzzle and lunged in pressing her blue cheek against Sunset. Sunset squirmed and pushed her away. “Ack! Twi!”

Twilight stuck her tongue out smiling. Sunset rubbed her cheek and frowned noticing the blue soot covering it. The two made their way up to Twilight’s room, which thankfully was on the side of the castle that wasn’t blown up. They would still need to fix that later but personal hygiene comes first. They trotted into the bathroom and Sunset turned on the water. She helped Twilight out of her lab coat and tossed it too the side.

The bathtub filled up and Twilight stepped in slowly sinking into the water. As her body sunk in some of the colorful soot washed away. Twilight sighed into the hot bath letting her muscles relax. She picked up a brush with her magic but it was taken from her grip by a cyan glow. Looking to the side she saw Sunset with an almost to enthusiastic grin on her face.

She slipped out of her own lab coat and stepped into the tub behind Twilight. Taking a hold of Twilight’s white mane she ran the scrub brush through it. Each stroke pulled the white color out of it revealing her dark purple mane underneath.

Twilight sighed in content. “Thank you Sunset.”

“My pleasure… mistress.”

“No!” Twilight blushed looking back at her.

“But Twilight?~” Sunset purred. As she continued scrubbing Twilight’s mane she moved closer sliding her free around Twilight’s chest and pulling her in close.

“I-I’m not doing that Sunset!” She squirmed.

“Really?” Sunset grinned deviously and gently bit her ear. Twilight let out a sharp eep and her wings shot up knocking Sunset in the face sending her head into the tile wall.

Twilight turned around and let out a short gasp. “Sunset I’m sorry I-“

She put a hoof up rubbing the back of her head. “Pomphing hmm Twi?” Even with the possibility of head trauma she was not swayed.

Twilight’s expression of concern faded and she slapped her forehead with a hoof. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Well~”

“No.”

Sunset harrumphed and sat back up in the tub resuming cleaning Twilight’s mane and coat. Soon the alicorn was her normal shade of lavender and purple. Finally clean Twilight sunk back into the water and rested her body against Sunset. Sunset pulled her in close giving her forehead a light peck. After a long morning with the Cutie Mark Crusadors this is what they both needed.

Twilight felt something brush against her leg and she glared at Sunset. “I thought I said no.”

“What are you talking about?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. Her hooves were wrapped around Twilight’s stomach.

“I felt you touching my leg.”

“My hooves are up here Twi.”

“Then what is…” There was a pause as Twilight looked between her legs and she saw a red-pink tail with a white extension sticking out of water. The two mares shrieked simultaneously.

“Ladies, ladies, what’s all the screaming about.” A familier voice said. The tail disappeared and Discord’s head popped out of the other side of the tub.

The two mares shrieked again and Sunset did her best to cover herself and Twilight even though they weren’t wearing any clothes. In a town like Ponyville it was uncommon to wear clothes so practically everyone walked around naked. Though there was something about a stallion or in this case the Lord of Chaos appearing in the bath tube with them that just seemed wrong on indescribable levels.

Sunset’s secondary reaction was telekinetically throwing a bar of soap at him. To make matters worse the soap was in the air one moment and in discords mouth another, then gone.

“Mmm!” He smiled as he chewed. “Thank you Sunset, do you have any chocolate milk to go with that?” He hiccupped and a few bubbles floated out of his ears.

“Discord!” Twilight yelled. “What are you doing in my bathroom!”

“Why I came over for a visit.” His body rose a little more out of the tube and he rested his back against the tub. “Is that so wrong?”

Sunset glared daggers at him. “No, but in the bathroom?! Really?” She really shouldn’t be surprised, but again this just felt wrong on so many indescribable levels. In the human world she would have probably called the police, though that would be after beating him to a black and blue pulp.

“What’s so wrong with three friends just sitting and take a relaxing soak together?”

“Well first of all,” Twilight started. “This isn’t the Ponyville salon. Second of all we’re naked!”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “We’re always naked.”

“Not the point!” she countered. “This is just weird.”

“No what’s weird is why you’re ignoring Sunset’s advances.” Discord materialized two small figurines that looked like the two mares. “Oh Twilight, I want you to come to bed with me and ravish my body, oh no Sunset I need my books.” He said in very poorly done impressions of the two.

Both mare’s cheeks turned as red as Big Macintosh’s coat. Sunset threw the brush at him this time but it stopped halfway and Discord shook his head back and forth.

“Honestly ladies this is as poorly written as a high school drama about multi colored humans.”

“I’m not like that with Twilight!” Sunset growled.

“And I’m not all about books! Why does this matter to you?” Twilight added.

Discord laughed. “Oh because it’s fun to watch.”

This time Sunset stood up in the water walked a coupe steps over drawing her hoof back and then slapping Discord across the face. Though the expected reaction would Discord recoiling in pain then leaving, when Sunset’s hoof connected with his cheek, or what passed for a cheek on a draconequus’, there was a loud boing noise and Discord’s entire face wobbled like rubber.

“Oh that tickles!” He chuckled.

Sunset fumed and gritted her teeth. “Why are you enjoying this so much?”

“Simple.” He stood up out of the tube and materialized a towel. “You ponies make it to easy.” He began drying himself off as he stepped out.

“I thought you were supportive of this relationship.” Sunset frowned.

“He is?” Twilight asked confused.

“Long story, I’ll explain later.”

Discord sighed and looked to the mares. “I am, but you two are so boring. Honestly one would think from a relationship between two students of Celestia one being an alicorn and another being a powerful unicorn reformed from evil that this would be interesting. But you two are the dullest couple I have ever met.” He made a gagging motion pointing to his mouth. “We’ll except for when Sunset was turned into a stallion, that was priceless!”

“Wait what?!”

Buck me. Sunset internally sighed. “D-discord!”

“You were a stallion?” Twilight exclaimed.

“I’ll explain later!”

“How did that even happen?!”

“Three demonic fillies from the depths of Tartarus poisoned the water supply can we move on!”

Discord shook his head back and forth. “Tsk Tsk you two. If you want my advice-“

“We don’t.” Sunset interrupted.

“If you want my advice then I recommend going on some sort of adventure. Might spice some things up for this story of yours.” Discord smiled and safari clothes appeared around him.

Sunset slapped her forehead. “Go away or we tell Fluttershy you’ve been bugging us.”

“You know if you said that from the beginning I would have left a long time ago. This is the thanks I get for being a good friend? Oh whoa is me! I have friends and then they turn around and are mean to me. Even the princess of friendship doesn’t understand me, oh whoa is me!” He did a dramatic pose and a single tear fell from his eye.

“That’s it!” Sunset shouted. She surrounded him in a magical aura and teleported him away.

There was silence between the two mares. Sunset’s cheeks were still fuming and slowly she turned around stepping into the tub next to Twilight. Twilight stared at her for a few moments then spoke.

“So… how did you become a stallion?” Twilight asked.

Sunset sighed and sunk her face into the water.

Slumber Party 101: Never Again

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Chapter 5

Some things don’t change between the human and pony world. Sunset had observed the certain personalities and quirks would vary from human to pony counterpart. Most of these differences were caused by the setting in which they were in. In Equestria most ponies she knew were adults while at Canterlot high they were teenagers. This led to varying moods, thought processes and opinions between the students.

For instance, though Sunset hated to admit it, the Flash Sentry she knew in the human world was more of a suave cool guy than the guard Flash Sentry in the pony world. Going through high school and being in the royal guard obviously had different effects on their overall behavior. Another example was Rainbow Dash. Though they were generally cocky, arrogant and full of it, the Rainbow Dash at Canterlot High seemed… worse than the pony one. Sunset speculated it was because the pony Rainbow had more responsibilities than the teenage one.

Aside from these differences one thing that did remain the same in both universes were the slumber parties. Due to Twilight’s schedule most of her nights were booked, which Sunset resented as she looked over each checklist. However this didn’t stop Pinkie Pie. The six of the seven ponies sat on pillows placed on the carpet of Rarity’s bedroom. When deciding the location Pinkie had protested wanting it at Sugar Cube Corner but due to the Cake’s children early bedtime the location was moved to Rarity’s. Twilight’s castle was suggested but she said she wanted to get out for one night.

“Here we go everypony!” Applejack wheeled in two large wooden crates. When she set them down and popped the lids dozens of fresh apple cider mugs were waiting for them. Each mug glowed with heavenly light.

“Um Pinkie Darling… can you turn the spotlight off?” Rarity protested covering her eyes.

“Oh, sorry!” The pink mare said flicking off the switch to a large spotlight from where she acquired it no pony questioned.

Rainbow Dash swiped one the mugs. “Aw yeah! Now this is a party!”

“Oh dear…” Sunset rolled her eyes. She was sitting next to Twilight pressed up right, which left a perfect position for snuggling if the mood arose at anytime.

Twilight looked to her and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“Yes, aside from the slumber party you were at during the battle of the bands many of the others… involved drinking. This can’t end well.” Sunset sighed.

Rainbow Dash was already mid downing her first mug. Fluttershy had taken a mug and lightly sipped it being the most controlled of the group. Pinkie and Applejack were both following Rainbow Dash’s lead and downing their first mugs.

“Aw man this is the best stuff AJ!” Rainbow exclaimed finishing her first mug and grabbing another.

The farm pony tipped her hat forward as she finished her mug. “Ever since the Super Cider Squeezy fiasco I been making sure to save up a few crates for nights like these.”

“It tastes better with age!” Pinkie added letting her tongue loll out as she poured the cider into her mouth.

“I must agree its quite good.” Rarity took a sip from her own mug and passed one to Twilight. Twilight looked over the mug and sniffed it. She had drunken non-alcoholic cider before but from the smell this was what Rainbow would call ‘the hard stuff’. She took a reluctant sip and let the cold yet spicy juice rush down her throat.

“Nah Twilight you’re doing it wrong! Yeah got to take a real swig!” Rainbow exclaimed and demonstrated with her second mug of cider.

Twilight observed and went to do so when Sunset put a telekinetic barrier on the top of the mug. “I don’t recommend that.”

“Aw c’mon sunbutt! Don’t be a party pooper!” Rainbow Dash frowned.

“Hehe, party pooper! And you called her Sunbutt!” Pinkie fell back in a fit of giggles. Sunset wasn’t sure if the alcohol was already getting to her or she was just being Pinkie Pie.

Sunset cleared her throat. “I’ve seen you drunk as a human Rainbow Dash, it’s not pretty and I don’t want to find out if both of you act the same way when drunk.”

“Pfft!” Rainbow Dash waved a dismissive hoof. “You worry to much! Oh! I have an idea! Let’s play never have I ever!”

“No!” Sunset shouted.

“What’s that game?” Twilight asked raising an eyebrow.

“A horrible, horrible game that brings back to many memories.” Sunset visibly shivered.

“You’ve played it then?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes with all of you, minus Twilight, in the human world… there are things I wish I never knew that I will never be able to unlive.” She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily.

Applejack raised a hoof. “Well then how bout good old fashion truth or dare?”

“I’m in!” Rainbow said.

“Me three!” Pinkie Pie sprung up. “I’ll go first! Rarity truth or dare!”

“Truth,” said the white unicorn finishing her first mug of cider.

“Do you like Spike?” Pinkie asked with a devious grin.

Rarity’s cheeks turned red and she coughed. “We’ll of course I do, he’s my best friend and little helper.”

“Noooo do you like him?~” Pinkie said again in a sing song voice.

Applejack grabbed another mug of cider and passed it to Rarity. “Also he ain’t little anymore.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about girls, my feelings for Spike are professional.” Rarity raised her muzzle attempting to give off an air of pride but her red cheeks countered it.

“Negative five points for Rarity!” Pinkie announced and pulled out a scoreboard with all their faces on it.

“Wait there aren’t points in truth or dare!” Twilight interjected.

The pink mare stood up raising a hoof to the ceiling. She tucked the board at her side and gave a proud grin. “This is truth or dare Pinkie Pie style! All stakes are on the line and we are here for glory and blood!”

All the mares looked between each other then at her. Rainbow Dash coughed. “Pinks you’re starting to scare me.”

“I-I’m fine with glory, j-just no blood please.” Fluttershy hid behind her mane. Pinkie Pie kept smiling cheerfully and downed her cider. It was at these moments when the pink mare was completely unpredictable and anything could happen. Typically anything could happen when around Pinkie Pie but now there was alcohol. Though Rainbow wouldn’t admit it outright this was starting to seem like a bad idea.

“Alright Rarity you’re turn!” Pinkie bounced.

Rarity cleared her throat. “Very well, Rainbow Dash, truth or dare?”

“Pft!” Rainbow waved a hoof and had a look of determination. “As if that’s even a question! Dare motherbucker!”

“How vulgar,” She sighed. “I dare you to allow some pony to touch your hooves.”

Silence. No pony spoke a word as the eyes fell between the two mares. Rarity had recalled during on of their spa events Rainbow Dash refused to get a hooficure because she didn’t like other ponies touching her hooves. If looks could kill at the moment Rainbow Dash would be on her way to the moon for one thousand years.

“You. Little. Bitch.” Rainbow swore.

“Rainbow! Language!” Twilight interjected shooting her friend a glare.

Applejack sipped her cider and gave a shrug. “Can’t control herself when she’s drunk.

Rarity was un-phased by the insult and smiled proudly. “Now, now darling this is truth or dare you accepted the dare and must proceed with it. Those are the rules correct Twilight?”

The purple mare nodded slowly but the look on her face said she didn’t want any part of this. Sunset merely shook her head recalling how events like these began the spiral downward to the pit of tartarus slumber parties. There were a couple knocks and the door to Rarity’s bedroom swung open.

“Hey girls I brought the pizza.” Spike said carrying a dozen Pizza Trot boxes. He set them down by the cider and took out plates for everyone.

Rainbow Dash looked him over and the dark gears in her mind began turning. Her anger towards Rarity lubricated the prankster gears of her head and a devious grin spread across her features. “Alright, fine then Rarity, hey Spike I need you to do me a favor, it’s part of a dare.”

The young drake handed a few pizza slices to Sunset and Twilight and looked up. “Huh? Sure what’s up?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow and spoke cautiously, “Rainbow what are you-“

“Get over here and lick my hooves!” Rainbow stuck her left hoof up and flashed an evil grin.

“What!?” Both Spike and Rarity yelled simultaneously. Though Spike looked more confused compared to the distorted concoction of rage and horror on Rarity’s face.

“You heard me dragon boy. Lick. Them.” Rainbow Dash pointed to her hoof.

Everyone around the circle, sans Rarity, had looks of absolute mortification. Twilight’s mouth hung open and her eyes darted between Spike and Rarity. Sunset grimaced.

“Yep, just like the human world.”

Spike stammered and took a step back. “Why do you want me to lick your hooves?! You hate ponies touching your hooves!”

“It’s a dare.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Get to work.”

“Rainbow Dash! This is not what I had in mind when I dared you!” Rarity said with a growl in the back of her throat.

Rainbow shrugged. “You touch my hooves, your little boyfriend suffers.”

“Oh… it. Is. On!” Rarity yelled.

“Yeah, yeah, calm down and wait your turn.” Rainbow waved a hoof. Spike gulped and walked over, sitting down in front of Rainbow Dash. He was hesitant, very hesitant. Time practically slowed down as he took his hoof with her claws and lowered his mouth to it.

“Aw for crying out loud lick her hoof before Rarity goes for the kill!” Applejack barked.

Spike cringed and wrapped his long reptilian tongue around Rainbow Dash’s hoof slid it up and down. Rainbow Dash tensed up and gripped the pillow she was on. Her face went as red as the red streak in her mane. She bit her lip as the cold wet tongue slid around the underside of her hoof. If it were Pinkie Pie she would have been laughing herself silly from the how much it would have tickled. But Rainbow Dash could feel her body swallowing itself inward.

The only thing that made it worth it was the sight of Rarity gritting her teeth and holding back pouncing on her. Rainbow’s heart rate skyrocketed as Spike continued working on her hoof. She bit her lip and let out a short moan.

“Ack! Okay enough! Enough! Stop!” She flailed her hooves and kicked Spike in the snout. Spike bit his tongue and recoiled gripping his snout.

“Spike!” Rarity gasped and grabbed his hands. “Oh no I’m so sorry let me see.”

They were lucky it was Rainbow Dash and not Applejack. There was a large bruise on Spike's snout that was a darker color of purple than the rest of him.

“Let me get you some ice darling.” Rarity said.

“It’s alright I’ve got it.” He picked up one of the cider mugs and put it against his snout letting the cold wash over him. “That really smarts.”

Rarity sighed and gently pecked him on the nose. “I’m sorry Spikey Wikey.”

The injured drake blushed and smiled. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t kick me.” He finished looking over to Rainbow Dash who, still flustered, was wiping her hoof of his saliva.

Rainbow looked up and frowned. “Hey its not my fault, Rarity made the dare.”

“Ten points for Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie sprung up next to Spike and nudged him. “So Spike… what was it like tasting the rainbow?” She cracked up and fell on her back laughing.

Spike glared at her but let out a little chuckle. Rarity however kept her gaze fixed on Rainbow.

Sunset sighed. “Yah well it can’t get any worse than this.”

“Alright ladies its my turn!” Rainbow let go of her hoof and smirked.

“I stand corrected.”

“Sunbutt truth or dare!”

“Truth.” Sunset said flatly.

“Aw c’mon!” Rainbow whined. “That’s no fun!”

“I don’t want anything to happen tonight that will shock or permanently scar Twilight.”

Twilight raised a hoof coughing. “I think it’s to late for that, I can never look at Spike… or Rainbow Dash the same way again.”

“Okay fine.” Dash rolled her eyes then looked up in thought. She pondered her ideas for a few moments then smirked. “What kinds of erotic dreams have you had about Twilight?”

Twilight chocked on her cider and did a spit take across the room. She coughed violently as Sunset patted her back.

“That would be implying I have erotic dreams about her period.” Sunset grimaced.

“C’mon you guys sleep in the same bed! You can’t honestly be telling me you don’t ever get any!” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Spill.”

“Now hold on I think we’re getting a little too personal here.” Applejack interjected raising her hat.

Pinkie Pie handed her another drink. “This will fix that.” Applejack sighed and took the drink downing it. Though she was now on her fourth as part of the Apple family she knew how to handle her alcohol.

All eyes fell on Sunset again including Twilight’s. Sunset felt her cheeks heating up and she let out a heavy sigh and lowered her head resting it against her hooves. “You really want to know?”

“Erotic truths earn an extra twenty points!” Pinkie Pie threw another empty mug to the side.

Sunset grimaced. “Fine… her bedroom, pink and dark blue lingere, socks, and magical manifestation genitalia. In the human world, at the beach, sexy swim suites, water sport, foreplay, hotel room.”

Everyone in the group stared at her as the room went quiet for now the second time. The only sound made was the pomf of Twiligt’s wings shooting up. Sunset groaned and hid her face with her hooves. Buck me.

Rainbow whistled. “Well damn, I didn’t take you for a kinky mare like that.”

“Let’s just move on.” Sunset hid beneath her hooves.

“Alright then that’s 30 points for Sunset!” Pinkie Pie smiled oblivious to the mare’s dread.

Sunset raised herself up and shook her head while trying to hid the blush in her cheeks. “Fluttershy truth or dare.”

“Um..” The cream colored pegasi looked to her hooves nervously. “Dare?”

“Okay, put this on and read this.” Sunset’s horn glowed and helmet plus a piece of paper materialized out of the ether and floated over to Fluttershy. The helmet fit on her head snuggly and went only covered her eyes and the bridge of her muzzle. It also had curved horns coming out on both sides.

“Oh sure!” Fluttershy adjusted the helmet and took the paper in her hooves with a little more eagerness seeing how she wasn’t be asked to do anything degrading.

“The condition is you have to say it like a war cry.”

“Um…” She looked down at the paper and read aloud with a little bit of force or at least as much as Fluttershy called force behind her voice. “But there is one they fear. In their tongue he is dovahkiin! Dragonborn! FUS RO yay…” She looked up from the paper to see Sunset snapping a picture. “Did I do it right?”

“Perfect.” Sunset giggled and put her camera away.

“Ten points for Fluttershy!” Pinkie cheered. “You’re turn Flutters!”

“Oh, um okay.” She looked among her friends. “Um… Twilight. Truth or dare?”

The lavender alicorn’s ears perked up. “I guess I’ll go with dare.”

“So then I dare you to…” She looked up in thought for a few moments but nothing came. She stared at the patterns on the ceiling unsure of what to say. Rainbow Dash smirked leaned over whispering in her ear. “Huh? To one shot four mugs of cider?”

“What?” Twilight’s gaped. She took a cursory glance at her mug, which was still her first, half full. Over the course of ten minutes she had been delicately sipping her cider along with Sunset. She personally had never been one for alcoholic beverages. The thought of being inebriated to the point where she couldn’t control her own actions and thoughts was not favorable to her.

Rainbow Dash hoofed her four extra mugs of cider. “Start drinking egghead.”

Sunset put a hoof in front of Twilight. “That could make her sick!”

“She’ll be fine~” Rainbow shrugged the comment off.

Twilight stared down at the rest of her first mug and the new drinks before her. Slowly she levitated the half full mug up with her magic. She leaned her head back and parted her lips as she tipped the mug letting the cold cider wash down her throat. The drink may have been cold but the rushing alcohol burned her throat and made her eyes water.

Sunset turned to her with wide eyes. “Oh Celestia…”

Twilight brought the empty mug down with a heavy breath. She trembled and licked her lips slowly. The group waited for her reaction, and was answered by Twilight grabbing the first full mug with her magic and forcefully chugging it.

“And so I said to Celestia: Pssh take your fat flank outta here I got this!” Twilight rolled back on her pillow laughing.

At this point she was thoroughly wasted. The game of truth her dare had made a rotation around the group and by this point Applejack and Sunset were the only two not drunk. Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were on their backs in a fit of giggles. Pinkie Pie was just Pinkie Pie drunk or not but Sunset was surprised by Fluttershy due to previously thinking that she would be the most restrained out of the group. However the usually quiet and innocent mare had at least six mugs of cider and was now giggling her flank off at Twilight’s remark.

Rarity however was riding a drunken roller coaster as she sat in Spike’s lap. Sunset would define her as an emotional drunk, a pony that flips through various emotions of sad, then happy, then enraged. She felt sorry for the poor drake as he received the brunt of the drunk filly’s emotional swatches.

Though Sunset’s empathy was doused by the drunken mare pressing up against her. Twilight was talking… a lot and she didn’t stop.

The lavender mare spilled a mug of cider she attempted to lift with magic. “Whoopsyyy~” She cooed and giggled. “And then we totally gang bucked Nightmare Moon in the plot!”

The girls erupted into more giggles. Applejack gave them a bemused look and drank from her mug. Unlike the other girls she was on her seventh mug of cider. Out of all of them she was the most tolerant to cider and could take down ten mugs before feeling the least bit tipsy.

“Ya’ll are something else.” She chuckled.

“Oh no~ you are AJ~” Rainbow Dash cooed getting up. “You and that rock hard sexy flank~”

“Beg your pardon?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

Rainbow giggled swaying as she stepped forward with a half sultry look. “You are sooo sexy~”

“Um… thank you?”

“No really you are~” Rainbow licked her lips. Taking another step she tripped over Fluttershy and stumbled falling right into Applejack’s lap. “Hehe~ thanks for catching me~”

“I didn’t.” Applejack deadpanned. “You fell.”

Rainbow giggled again and leaned up supporting herself with her forelegs. “Have I ever told you how I admire everything about you?”

“Mhm, can’t recall.” Applejack shook her head.

“We’ll let me show you~” The cyan mare said puckering up her lips.

She was cut off by Applejack putting a hoof against her lips. “Rainbow you’re drunk.” She shook her head.

“Shut up I swear to drunk’s flank I’m not Celestia.” Her voice was muffled behind Applejacks hoof. She then started licking and kissing Applejack’s hoof.

Applejack’s cheeks lit up and with her free hoof she punched Rainbow Dash in the jaw. The mare flew back across the circle knocking into Rarity and Spike. The group topped over.

“Heeey Spike~” Rainbow giggled as she strattled the drake’s chest.

“Um… hi?” The drake looked up unamused.

“So ever seen the end of a rainbow before?”

“S-Spike h-how could you?” Rarity whined tearing up. Immediately her sad expression went slipped into a scowl. “Back off sister! He’s mine!” She pounced onto of Rainbow tackling her.

Sunset sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Maybe never have I ever would have been a better choice.” She mumbled.

Her thoughts were stopped by something tugging at her tail. She turned her head to see Twilight gripping on her tail with magic trying to pull her back. “C’mon hot flank~ I know Rarity has a spare room~” She giggled and pulled harder.

On a normal day Twilight would have the ability to drag Sunset with magic however in her drunken state it was like a little kid trying to pull at their mothers hoof.

How ironic. Sunset frowned and moved her tail out of Twilight’s grasp. “Not while you’re drunk.”

“But Sunset,” Twilight whined. “I saved Equestria multiple times!”

“And?”

“I want a hero’s reward.” She leaned in and nuzzled Sunset’s neck.

“You got a celebration for defeating Discord.” Sunset deadpanned. Though from what you described it sounded like Celestia was trying to rip of the ending to A New Hope.

“But, but I didn’t get anything after dominating your flank with the elements!” She whined again and bit down on Sunset’s neck.

Sunset yelped in surprise and quickly pulled away. However doing so gave Twilight the opening to lean over her and press her stomach against Sunset’s back.

“C’mon I beat you~” She lulled and nuzzled the back of Sunset’s head. “I own your flank.”

“It doesn’t work that way Twi!” Sunset raised her voice and glared behind her.

“Oooh~” Twilight cooed, “I like it when you go assertive domminatrix~”

Sunset blushed and sighed. “Applejack help!”

“Eeynope, I’m staying out of this.”

“Ooooo~” Pinkie Pie sprung up in front of Sunset. “I wanna play to!”

“No!” Sunset pushed Pinkie Pie back to her seat with her magic. A shock went up her spine as Twilight leaned over her and gave a lick to her glowing her. Sunset felt every part of her body tingle and she quickly darted out from Twilight’s grasp. She crashed into Rainbow and Rarity who were wrestling on top of Spike.

“Aw yeah! Foursome!” Rainbow yelled grabbing Sunset.

“No mine!” Rarity hissed.

“Celestia help me!” Sunset groaned and struggled to get out of the pony plus dragon pile. Rainbow had a hoof wrapped around her stomach and Rarity was trying to get at Rainbow leaving Sunset stuck in the middle. Sunset threw her elbow back hitting Rainbow in the side. She was relinquished from her grasp and squeezed out of the pile.

Twilight pounced tackling Sunset onto Rarity’s bed pinning her down. “Got you~”

“Oh for the love of!” Sunset groaned. “Twilight your drunk. Get off me!”

“Nope~ I want that flank.” She leaned down and bit Sunset’s neck. Sunset cringed and bit back a moan. Twilight kept nipping and pecking at neck and sliding her hooves down Sunset’s sides.

“Applejack help!” Sunset half moaned and shrieked.

“Sorry sugar cube. Not getting in on that.” The farm pony shook her head and sipped from her mug of cider.

Sunset groaned in annoyance as Twilight felt up her body. In retrospect this is what she wanted to do with Twilight however there were two problems with the current situation: Twilight was drunk and all their friends were in the room. She felt a jolt of pleasure as Twilight’s hoof strayed a little to far down. She stifled another moan.

“Ah! I’m sorry Twilight but not like this!” Sunset cringed. She leaned her forward and tapped her horn against Twilight’s there was a small flash and immediately following the lavender mare dropped down on top of Sunset out cold. She pushed Twilight off her and stood on all fours.

“Enough… is… enough!” She panted. Her horn glowed again and four of magic shot out nailing each of the drunken fillies in the head. The all fell back unconscious.

Spike sighed in relief letting his head drop onto the rug. “Sweet Celestia thank you.

Applejack whistled. “Impressive, though why didn’t ya’ll do that to begin with?

“Shut…. Up.” Sunset panted and dropped down onto the bed next to the out cold Twilight. “Never… again.”

Hangovers and The Great and Powerful Thief

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Chapter 6

Pain. Suffering. Misery.

As most ponies know the intake of to much alcohol leads to a hangover the next morning. Though in some cases it can take place that same night depending on the time one started drinking. A hangover is brutal and Sunset Shimmer had experienced it as a human. Grogginess, head pain, vomiting, nauseated, and the pleading for whatever deity to end her existence clearly were the symptoms of that hangover.

On the other hoof however hangover vary much differently between the three races. Earth ponies are hardier therefore the affinity to alcohol intake is much greater and the hangover is not as severe. Pegasi are typically lightweights when it comes to drinking. Rainbow Dash would never admit this but one mug of cider and she was already tipsy. It was hard to tell because her tendency to do dangerous and stupid things remained the same. She and Fluttershy would have mild hangovers and not want to leave the house or fly for a couple hours, altitude would only make it worse.

Then there were unicorns. As much as some ponies say that having magic is the greatest thing ever in truth there were many drawbacks. One being the difficulty of wearing hats and two was hangovers. Unicorns were average when it came to alcohol intake however they were the race that had the worst hangovers. If they over extended their magical abilities they will spend the next few hours with a severe headache. However during a hangover that severe headache was amplified times ten thousand and this was no exception for alicorns.

Twilight groaned softly. Her senses were coming back to her as she shifted under the covers. There was pain everywhere, from the tips of her hooves all the way up to the bridge of her snout. She opened her eyes slowly but snapped them shut immediately regretted it as a rush of pain went straight to the top of her forehead.

“Ow…” She brought her hooves up to grip her forehead as she whined in pain. She kept her eyes shut but felt the familiar soft sheets under her. They weren’t the same silky material of Rarity’s bed. Personally she couldn’t understand how a pony could sleep in that.

Twilight pulled the blanket up over her head and sat up slowly. The blood rushed to her head and she felt her stomach lurch back. With the extra darkness from her blanket cave she opened her eyes.

She was in her own bed and also in her own dimly lit room. Twilight looked from left to right and noticed the curtains were drawn. The clock on her nightstand read one in the afternoon. She felt a wave of panic wash over her. She was late, she missed breakfast, court, her royal duties!

She jerked forward to move and grab her crown off the nightstand but her horn sparked sending another flash of pain over her. She dropped back down on the bed curling up in agony.

“Ow….” She whimpered.

“We’ll good morning Tipsy Twily~” Sunset’s spoke softly from the other side of the room, however Twilight heard it as a wave of sound.

Twilight covered her ears. “S-stop shouting…”

Sunset hopped off the desk chair and walked over to Twilight putting a comforting hoof on her back. “I’m not shouting.” She said in a hushed tone.

“Y-yes you are… why do you hate me?” Twilight whimpered.

Sunset giggled lightly. “Actually after last night I’m a little more curious about you.” She leaned in giving Twilight a light peck on the cheek.

Twilight groaned and tried to sit up under her blanket cave. She rubbed her temples and breathed slowly.

“How am I here?”

“I dragged you back from Rarity’s after I woke up. Figured you would need peace and quiet when you finally woke up.” Sunset smiled.

“Mmh…” Twilight groaned. “I need to… get to… work.” She held her stomach.

Sunset shook her head. “Nope.” Her horn lit and she picked up Twilight with her magic. “You’re in no condition to do that.”

“I think I’m going to be sick…” Twilight held her stomach tighter.

“Perhaps you’re pregnant.” Sunset cradled her and walked her over to the bathroom.

Twilight’s face went pale. “W-what?!”

“I’m kidding, though be grateful I didn’t give into your drunken charm last night.”

“G-give in…?” she squeaked.

“Yup.” Sunset drawled and opened the door to the bathroom. “I have to say you really get frisky when you’re inebriated.”

Twilight covered her face. “Oh Celestia…”

Sunset set her down in the bathtub and turned on the shower. She set it to low and let the steady trickle of water run down the lavender alicorn’s back and flanks.

Twilight’s mane drooped as it filled with water and she lowered her head letting the water reach the back of her neck.

“So… what did I do?”

“Oh where to start?” Sunset grinned cheekily. She brought a sponge over and lightly traced it over Twilight’s back. This was partially to get rid of the awful cider smell but also to sooth her. “First you wanted to do very intimate things with me because you’re the hero of Equestria who owns my flank.”

Sunset could hear a soft groan coming from Twilight. Though she couldn’t tell if it was because of her stomach or the embarrassment. Twilight raised her head while leaning it back and let the water soak the top of her head. The soft pitter pater of wet droplets was soothing against her aching horn.

“Oh… so what did we do?” Twilight asked almost inaudibly.

“Hm?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Nothing.” She continued running the sponge on Twilight’s back. She raised up Twilight’s wing and gently ran it along her feathers.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.” Sunset repeated. “I casted a sleep spell on you before things got really intimate infront of our friends.”

“I-I tried to do that in front of the girls!” Twilight raised her voice but then grabbed hold of her head. She was still sensitive to loud noise.

“Yep,” Sunset gently patted her head. At the moment Sunset was caught in between teasing Twilight or being comforting to her marefriend. Though this was Rainbow Dash’s fault Twilight could have outright refused the dare on the grounds of not wanted to get drunk. Sunset wouldn’t have blamed her for it. In the alternate universe where Twilight wouldn’t have taken the dare Sunset would have given her a kiss in praise.

But this was a lesson that Twilight wasn’t so sure on: Peer pressure. Sunset put that thought in the back of her mind for later. At the moment she looked at her marefriend who resumed to drooping her head in shame.

“I’m so sorry Sunset.” Twilight croaked out.

Sunset frowned and leaned in giving her a peck on the muzzle. “It’s fine Twilight. I’m not mad at you… I’m mad at a certain rainbow maned pegasus.”

“So we can forget about this?”

“Not a chance,” Sunset smirked darkly. “I’m not letting you live this one down.”

Twilight turned her head and stared with wide eyes. “B-but you said you forgave me?”

“And I do.” Sunset lifted up her chin with a hoof. “But the thought of having leverage over miss perfect princess is to good to pass up~”

“W-why would you need leverage over me?” Twilight raised her voice.

“Because,” Sunset rinsed her mane and tail off then turned the water off. “The feeling of controlling you in some way is oddly pleasing.”

“Sunset…” Twilight grimaced. “That’s creepy.”

“Love you too.” She smiled brightly and helped Twilight out of the tub. After drying her off she guided her out of the room and down to the dinning hall. For the sake of Twilight’s hang over Sunset casted a shadow spell on the crystal winds giving them a reverse tint to block out most of the incoming sunlight. Twilight was still groggy and trudged into the dinning room. Unlike most days there wasn’t the smell of hot fresh food coming from the kitchen.

“Where’s Spike?”

Sunset pulled out Twilight’s seat. “We’ll when I woke up he was stuck under two passed out mares. Lucky him.” She snickered. “He’s probably taking care of Rarity right now.”

“Hmm…” was all Twilight could make out as she lowered her head to the table resting it there. The shower had been nice but her head still vibrated with pain. Sunset retreated to the kitchen and after a few moments emerged with a plate of dry toast and water. She set it down and Twilight gave her a skeptical look.

“But I want waffles…”

“Nope, trust me your stomach won’t be able to handle it. Haven’t you read anything on the use alcohol?”

Twilight blushed looking away. “Eeh…no. I didn’t intend on practicing it so I didn’t really have an interest on reading it.”

Sunset fought back a laughed but still ended up letting out a snicker. “We’ll that’s a first for you.”

Twilight’s cheeks flared more and she ignited her horn to levitate a piece of toast. However her still groggy and decaffeinated state left her memory in a haze therefore her horn sparked violently.

“Ah!” Twilight gripped her head and whimpered.

Sunset shook her head and rubbed Twilight’s back. “Oh come here.” She lifted up the toast with her own magic and brought it to Twilight’s mouth. Twilight took a small bite of the toast and chewed slowly. She felt embarrassed to have her marefriend feeding her like this.

“S-sorry.” Twilight mumbled in between bights.

Sunset gave a gentle smile and levitated the glass of water to Twilight’s lips. “It’s alright Twi. Though…”

“Thought what?” Twilight looked to her.

“We have a guest in the throne room.”

“Who?”

Sunset coughed. “Celestia.”

Celestia sat in one of the thrones across from Twilight’s. Thankfully the path to the dinning room and her room had a path that didn’t cross through the throne room. She was able to get herself cleaned up more and adorned her crown. Sunset had adorned her blue business outfit she typically wore during court and levitated a cup of tea over the princess.

“Thank you Sunset.” Celestia smiled. “No tea for you Twilight.”

The younger alicorns stomach lurched at the smell of the tea. She wouldn’t have normally passed up a chance to have tea with her mentor. After all when she was a filly those were her most precious memories. But she now understood what Sunset meant from earlier. The smell of the steaming leaves and spices burned her nostrils and made her contents of breakfast lurch upward.

“I-I’m fine Princess thank you.”

“Ah it’s one of those ‘mornings’ isn’t it?” Celestia inquired giving Twilight a playful grin. Twilight opened her mouth to protest but Celestia held up a hoof. “Don’t worry Twilight, Sunset told me all about your ‘activities’ last night.”

For a brief moment Twilight shot a death glare at her marefriend who simply smiled politely in response then she looked to her mentor. “I-I’m sorry Princess Celestia I-I swear I’m not a dru-“

“Calm down Twilight.” Celestia interrupted with a chuckle. “I did not come here to scold you if that’s what you’re thinking. I know I’ve had my days like this. They happen after the Grand Galoping Gala, those things are so boring I typically find myself dancing with a bottle of moscato wine by the end of the night.”

Twilight’s fear dissipated and her heart rate slowed down exponentially. “Oh… we’ll what have you come to tell me Princess?”

Celestia took a sip of her tea. “Many of the nobles are knocking my door down with very interesting news.”

Twilight felt her chest tighten. She had a small hope that this conversation was not going where the dark part of her mind thought it was going. Using all her will power she kept herself from audibly gulping down the lump in her throat.

“Apparently a certain Princess of Friendship has chosen a mare as a suitor.” Celestia kept her mouth hidden behind her tea cup and eyed the two mares.

The blood drained from Twilight’s face and she broke into a cold sweat. Her friends knew about her relationship with Sunset, as did Cadence and Shinning Armor. However the one pony she had neglected to say anything to was the princess. Celestia had already done her best to keep the suitor’s away from Twilight. She cared for Twilight like her own daughter and knew very well that half the stallions who would walk through her castle doors would be only interested in marrying her for their own personal gain.

But Twilight had never asked if Celestia was all right with mares being with mares. For bucks sake it’s the fourth year of the New Sisterhood Ruling and Equestria had been around for more than a thousand years prior. Ponies in places like Ponyville, Manehattan, and Las Pegasis didn’t care. Luna herself was highly supportive of it but Twilight was unsure of Celestia. It didn’t help that the nobility of Canterlot saw it as evil or as they called it impure. Twilight was actually surprised she didn’t see it on the front cover of the newspaper the next day.

Thoughts raced through Twilight’s mind as to what Celestia would say next. The eldest alicorn just sat there watching them letting her previous words hang in the air. Twilight felt a knot tie in her stomach. What would Celestia do? Forbid Twilight from seeing Sunset Shimmer? Banish Sunset if she touches her? Banish her to the human world?! Twilight internally hyperventilated and her stomach tightened. However the gurgling there made her jump up quickly and dash to the bathroom.

Sunset watched her marefriend race out gripping her stomach. She winced as she heard Twilight unload the contents of last night into the toilet.

“Oh dear, it would seem she over did it last night hm?”

Cautiously she looked back to Celestia. “Blame Rainbow Dash.”

“Fair enough.” Celestia giggled.

“So,” Sunset began drawing the word out. She chose her words carefully. “You know huh?”

Celestia nodded. “I do, I’m surprised Twilight didn’t tell me though.”

“Well no offense princess but you live in Canterlot right?”

Celestia let out a chuckle and gave a light eye roll. “I know what you’re getting at. If it puts your fears at rest I’ll tell you that I came to congratulate you two.”

Sunset’s ears perked up. “What? But the nobility-“

“Are merely rich ponies who consider their own views the correct views of Equestria, nothing more.” She smiled and got up from her seat. She walked over to Sunset and wrapped a wing around her. “However I didn’t suspect that you would be interested in another mare.”

Sunset returned the embrace and shrugged. “Eh either works for me, Twilight just turned out to be the one.”

Celestia smiled. “We’ll I’m happy for the both of you. Maybe you can finally help her loosen up a bit more.”

They both shared a laugh as the door to the throne room opened and a groggy Twilight trotted inside. After heaving up her dinner and breakfast she brushed her teeth twice.

“Celestia… do you have any spells that can keep a pony from getting drunk?” Twilight asked walking about over to her throne.

Celestia shook her head. “I do but they are in the forbidden spells library.”

“Oh I saw that once.” Sunset added. “Why is it in there?”

“Can you imagine if a spell like that got out to the public? Magic users of all ages would be drinking more than they could handle. We would run on a shortage and the populous would demand more! Ponies would demand higher trade from other nations across the lands and finally when unsettled demand war for their alcohol!” Celestia said sternly accenting it with a hoof stomp on the ground.

The two ponies stared at the eldest alicorn. Celestia stared back the lightly chuckled. “That’s what it’s like talking to you sometimes Twilight.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out. After another moment of silence she pouted and looked away from her mentor. “I’m not that bad.” She mumbled.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes you are Twi.” She patted her marefriend on the head who swatted her hoof away in protest.

“But still no, the spell makes you crave more alcohol as a side effect which can have bad effects on your liver.” Celestia finished and sat back down at the throne across from Twilight. “Back to business. Firstly Twilight you need not worry, I’m happy for you and Sunset. Secondly there is something I need you to handle.”

Twilight sat back in her throne and rubbed her forehead. “Anything you need Princess Celestia, we can handle.”

“I’m happy you’re enthusiastic but I doubt this will require much effort on your part. A thief is stirring up trouble in Manhattan, I need you to apprehend the pony.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow and stared at her mentor. “Um…” She started and rubbed a hoof to her chin. To say the least of the request was very strange. Not to say out of the ordinary for them. Twilight and her friends were used to dealing with strange entities and battles all over Equestria, but a thief? Minus Sunset stealing her crown this one didn’t seem like it matched their pay grade.

“Isn’t this something the guard could handle?”

Celestia shook her head. “Reports say this thief is a powerful unicorn and our guards have been unable to apprehend her.”

“We’ll alright.” Twilight smiled, though the task seemed menial and portrayed her more like a tights wearing crime fighter rather than a princess of Equestria she was happy to deal with something more low key.

“Thank you Twilight.” Celestia smiled and stood up. “Doing this will also improve your credibility among the masses. Just please for my sake don’t blow anything up.”

Twilight frowned. “Princess when have I ever done that?”

Celestia gave her a deadpanned look and waved her hoof in a circle taking a grand sweep of the area around them.

“Er right, I’ll try my best princess.”

The sky was dark and rain poured down over the towering city of Manehattan. Even though it was summer the rain was heavy, something about some rich unicorn having a bad day and paying the weather pegasi extra to match his mood. The wind hollowed and as Twilight and Sunset got off the train they faced the full brunt of it. The open station was mostly vacant next to a few brave travelers waiting for their train and a few homeless ponies wrapped up in blankets.

Twilight made a motion to walk over to those ponies but Sunset quickly redirected her. Having been to the human version of the city she new that the homeless ponies here might have a shiv up their hoof. However Twilight pushed passed and made her way to the closet one.

“Excuse me sir.” Twilight looked down at the homeless pony.

He was clad in ratty garbs and wore a cap over his head. He sat slouched against one of the tall supports for the station roof and looked up. His face was two shades darker than it was supposed to be, most likely from dirt, and his eyes were dull and glazed over.

“What do you want?” He said with a touch of ice in his tone.

“We’ll I was wondering if you would like something to eat.” Twilight asked cheerfully. Sunset had made her way up next to her ready to defend if nessesary.

“Buck off!”

Twilight looked taken aback for a moment but she quickly shook it off. “I’m not sure I understand.”

The darkened stallion looked up and sneered. “You know how many times I’m asked if I want something to eat? I’m ALWAYS asked that by ponies and when I say yes they laugh.” He shrunk back tucking his hat down against his head while eliciting a small shiver.

Twilight frowned and her horn glowed. She levitated a small paper bag out of her saddlebags and then held it out with her hoof. “Here.”

The stallion eyed the bag carefully then snatched it. “If this is some kind of joke…” His eyes widened upon opening it. Inside was a freshly wrapped daisy sandwich with a small cup of salad and coffee.

He looked up at her and gawked. “I-I doesn’t understand.”

“Why are you out here?” Twilight asked.

“Pardon?”

“Why are you on the street in the rain?”

The stallion eyed the food and shrunk back again. “Lost my job when Tirek took over, the guards attacked him and he took a few buildings in the fight. One of them was where I work. Couldn’t find another job and quickly ran out of bits. Had to sell it all for food.” He trailed over and shivered again.

Twilight stared at him for a moment then took a small brown sack out of her bag. “This may help.”

The stallion opened the sack and his eyes bugged out. Inside was a hefty sum of bits. “I-I… I –um… what?”

“I’m sorry about what happened.” Twilight started. “But I hope this helps.”

“Th-thank you.” The stallion stared at the bits then at her. “W-what’s your name?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

Even through the dirt on his face Twilight could’ve sworn she saw his face go pale. “P-Princess Twilight.” He gulped. “Oh sweet Celestia I’m so sorry!” He dropped to his hooves and bowed. “I-I didn’t recognize you I didn’t see the wings!”

Twilight smiled a little and blushed. “No needs to be apologize. But take his generosity and pass it on.” She levitated another lunch bag out. “See that mare over there?”

She pointed a shivering green mare on the other side of the station. She was wrapped in newspapers and soaked from the rain. “I think she could use a friend right now.”

The stallion took the bag. He hesitated for a moment but nodded. Standing up he walked over to the mare. He sat down next to her and offered her the bag. She was hesitant but upon discovering its contents she took it with haste and began devouring her food. The stallion smiled and finally took a bight out of his food.

Sunset looked on from where she stood with Twilight. “Huh… in the human world we would have been mugged.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and patted Sunset’s head. “A lesson from Rarity, there is nothing wrong with being generous. Showing kindness to others can have a great effect on a pony’s life. Now c’mon lets find this thief.”

The two began their descent into the streets of Manehattan. The wind didn’t make their search any easier as it whipped around and tore through their manes. The streets were barren of life sans a few carriage drivers delivering passengers from work to home splashing through the puddles as they went. Sunset wanted to cast a weather bubble around them however their goal was to look vulnerable. To add to this Twilight adorned her crown as they walked. With luck this would help draw out the thief.

Visibility was dropping as the rain continued on. Twilight pulled her coat up trying to stay warm. Sunset pulled up her coat and pressed up against her to share body heat. A carriage driver ran past sending a wave of water onto the two mares as he splashed through it. Sunset and Twilight both grumbled. Now they wished they brought Rainbow along to punch a hole in the clouds for them while they searched. The two shivered and huddled closer as they walked. If it weren’t for the wet fabric against Sunset’s fur she would be enjoying being this close to Twilight.

Being unable to see much but the sidewalk in front of them they were caught off guard by a loud bang and flash of smoke. The two ponies fell flat on their backs as something as large as a pony ran into them. Twilight and Sunset scrambled to their hooves and looked around seeing the figure disappear into the rain behind them. Twilight caught a glimpse of her crown surrounded by a pink aura of magic.

“Stop right there!” Twilight yelled and charged after. Sunset followed running along side her.

“That didn’t stop me do you think it would stop her?” Sunset raised an eyebrow.

Twilight shot her a quick glare and charged forward. She could barely make out the back of the figures cloak as they ran through the rain. Twilight shot a blast of magic ahead of her. The blast exploded on the sidewalk causing the figure to stop. Sunset lunged but the figure disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sunset hit the ground and got back up rubbing her chin.

“Ow.” She spat on the ground and looked around. She took to the middle of the street and charged her horn. With the flick of her head the aura around her horn grew and flashed outward blowing away the fog from the rain. They spotted the figure turning down an alleyway.

Twilight took flight and flew over the building. Sunset raced towards the alley and chassed after the figure. The alley was littered with bins and garbage. Sunset ducked and dived as the figure magically through them at her. Sunset seized one bin with her magic and hurled it back. The figure jumped over the bin and made a dash for the exit to the alley. However the moment she was a couple feet away Twilight dropped down and landed on the figure.

It wasn’t a very graceful landing or even a take down. It was more like a half flanked drop resulting in a tangle of limbs. Twilight rubbed her head and jumped to her hooves towering over the hooded figure.

“Alright, enough games. I’ll be taking my crown back now.” Twilight levitated the crown back onto her head.

The figure pulled the hood farther down and seemed to shake a little.

“And you will-” Twilight yanked the hood back with her magic and stopped mid sentence at the white mane and blue face of the pony before her.

“Hello Twilight Sparkle.”

“T-Trixie?!” Twilight stammered.

Oh Celestia. Sunset mentally groaned.

New Student

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Chapter 7

The train ride back to Ponyville was anything but pleasant. A better way to describe it would be tense. At least that’s how Sunset Shimmer felt as she glared at the blue unicorn sitting across from her. Her experience with the Trixie at Canterlot High had been less than enjoyable. During her take over of the school she had been quiet and comparable to a little pest than anything else. If she ever challenged her Sunset would easily squash her like an insect under her ironclad boot.

However after her reformation Trixie took advantage of her pacifistic and apologetic attitude. She took great pleasure in pushing Sunset’s buttons and seeing how far she could push her. When Sunset would lash back Trixie would remind her of the fall formal immediately cutting the reformed girl down to size. During the battle of the bands Trixie was relentless in her verbal assaults at Sunset. As if the sirens hadn’t gotten in her head enough Trixie had made her feel less than worthless especially after she tackled Rainbow off the stage during Awesome As I Want To Be.

Now granted the ponies and humans had differences based around the respective universes they lived in however Sunset had heard plenty about this Trixie from Twilight. Such as how her lying convinced two foals to bring an Usra Minor into Ponyville and practically wrecking the town or the alicorn amulet take over. Sunset felt her stomach twist in rage when she heard how Twilight was humiliated and forced to live in the Everfree forest. The situation may have only lasted a few days and Twilight was able to best Trixie in the end but that still didn’t make up for what she did.

Sunset tried to calm herself knowing that she had made mistakes in the past and probably far worse ones with driving everyone at Canterlot High apart and almost incinerating Twilight. But she had made up for it, even though Trixie had apologized after the alicorn amulet incident she did nothing else to show for it. In the end she simply ran away. Now here she was, sitting in the same train as them, on her way to Ponyville with them, and sitting far to close to Twilight.

“Trixie!” Twilight’s jaw gapped. “What in Equestria are you doing here?!”

Trixie looked up at Twilight who was still on top of her practically straddling her waist. “You tell me Sparkle. You’re the one who pinned me to the ground.” She said was a devious smirk.

Twilight’s eyes widened and she hastily got off the unicorn. “Seriously Trixie, no games, what are you doing here on the street?”

Trixie stood up brushing herself off. Unlike there last encounters she wasn’t wearing her trademark magician’s hat and cloak. Actually what she wore wasn’t a cloak at all at least by Rartiy’s standards. It was a raggedy brown blanket that was fastened around her neck with string. It barely covered her flanks and tail as well as her sides.

“Oh just taking in the beautiful sights of Manehatten.” She remarked.

“Uhuh,” Twilight frowned raising an eyebrow.

She could see right through the lie. Trixie may have been smiling but she was visibly shivering. Her mane was in tatters and heavy bags rested under her eyes. Her coat was tattered and ruffled with cuts and bruises marking it. Her hooves looked cracked and were covered in dry splotches of blood.

Twilight raised her head and casted a small weather bubble around them. The barrage of rain stopped and bounced off the ethereal barrier.

“Trixie you look awful.” Twilight said with a touch of concern in her voice.

Trixie’s eyes widened. “What! Trixie looks fabulous! You’re simply jealous of my beauty!” She had resumed talking in the third person, a sign that her pride had not vanished… yet.

As Sunset watched this play out her jaw tightened. She didn’t trust Trixie one bit and kept her magic at the ready to strike if needed.

Twilight took a step forward and put her hoof out pressing it against Trixie’s chest. “Trixie… you’re rib cage is showing.”

Trixie retreated back putting a hoof up over her chest to cover the visible ribs. “Trixie is just on a diet! It’s doing wonders for her!”

“When was the last time you’ve eaten?”

“That’s non of your business Sparkle!” Trixie bit back.

“Is that why you were trying to steal my crown?” Twilight pressed with the questions. “Money for food?”

“N-no of course not!” Trixie stammered.

“Trixie… what happened?” Twilight asked stepping forward.

Trixie backed up again and bumped into Sunset. She looked between the two mares and saw she had nowhere to go. Finally she let out a sigh and dropped down onto her haunches.

“My reputation happened.” She mumbled.

The two other mares didn’t respond so Trixie took that as a signal to keep going.

“At first word got out from Ponyville about me and without my carriage it was difficult to travel and set up a full show. Even when I was able to get a make shift show together no one came to see it. They had heard about me and had enough.” She scrapped the wet ground with her hoof tracing it in a small puddle of water.

“Then after the whole business with the alicorn amulet guards in every major city would harass me. I had to keep running from them which then led to this...” She sniffed a little. “Me the great and powerful Trixie… reduced to petty theivery.”

Twilight looked down at Trixie the same way she looked at Sunset during the Fall Formal. There was empathy, but more importantly there was sadness. She knelt down and draped a wing over Trixie.

“Trixie I’m so-“

“And it’s your bucking fault!” Trixie jerked away and hissed.

“What?!” Twilight was taken aback. “How was any of this my fault?”

Sunset clenched her hooves tightly against the ground. Trixie was on thin ice with her already.

“If you hadn’t gotten in Trixie’s way everything would have been fine!” She was visibly crying now.

“Do you honestly believe that Trixie?” Twilight bit back. “You lied to everypony and only harmed you’re reputation more by continuing to lie and cheat to get what you wanted!”

“Oh excuse me I thought you’re supposed to be the Princess of Friendship! Helping any pony out! You let me go and didn’t give a second glance or care when I last left Ponyville. Even after I apologized you didn’t even look back to wave goodbye…” Trixie stomped her hoof at the ground. She let her guard drop and talked in the first person again. “You didn’t even ask if I wanted to stay… maybe the night… have something to eat… start over…”

If looks could kill Sunset would be hauling Trixie’s body to the Manehattan morgue. How dare she say that to Twilight? How dare she judge Twilight’s character? How dare she blame all her misfortunes on Twilight? Sunset took a step forward charging her horn. Twilight shot her a stern look causing her to back down.

“You’re right.”

“What?” Both Sunset and Trixie looked up with surprised and confused expressions.

“You’re right Trixie, I did let you go without give a second thought to what was going to happen to you.” Twilight bowed her head to the unicorn. “Allow me to make up for that mistake.”

“Twilight… you’re kidding right?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “This is Trixie were talking about.”

“Hey!” Trixie said in protest.

“Yes,” Twilight looked to Sunset and smiled. “and though she has made some mistakes… well a lot of mistakes.”

“I’m right here!”

“I didn’t do anything to really help her. With you I left you in the hands of our friends but yet I didn’t do anything for Trixie. I would be a hypocrite for not helping now.”

Sunset frowned. “Yes but I think you would be doing this world a favor by leaving her here.”

“You can see me right? I’m sitting here!”

Twilight shot Sunset a glare. It wasn’t the typical annoyed glare that Twilight would give ponies. This was her serious glare, the one that told Sunset she was on the wrong side of the argument.

“It’s settled.” Twilight said her expression changing to a cheerful one. “Trixie allow me to formally invite you to come stay with me in Ponyville for the time being.”

“What?” Trixie asked startled.

Buck me sideways what!? Sunset mentally yelled.

“B-but what would I do there?” Trixie asked wracked with nervous anxiety. “Ponyville is secluded, how would I live my life?”

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof in thought. “Hmm, we’ll we can figure that out. For now Celestia has been nagging at me to share my knowledge of magic, I could offer you a position as my personal protégé?”

This isn’t happening… please tell me I just misheard that. Sunset’s jaw hit the ground. Trixie looked up at Twilight with wide eyes.

“Well?” Twilight asked.

Trixie shook her head snapping out of her brief shock. “I-I… I would have to think about it! I’ve never had a personal teacher before… and I don’t have that much magical talent.”

“Nonsense. You have plenty of magical ability and potential!” Twilight chided while draping a wing over her. “At least come back to Ponyville with us, I can’t in good conscience leave you out here.”

“Um…I” Trixie stared at Twilight, and then broke down crying. She lunged in burring her face against Twilight’s neck. Twilight wrapped a hoof around her and gently stroked her mane. She shushed her gently and stroked her disheveled mane. After a few minutes of calming her down Trixie pulled away. “Y-yes… please… thank you Twilight Sparkle!- oh-oh! I mean Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Sunset swore she saw Trixie blushing. She figured it was possibly the effect of her crying but she didn’t trust the look in Trixie’s eye. The way she was looking at Twilight made her stomach twist. It almost reminded her of how she looked at Twilight… almost.

Twilight giggled. “Just Twilight is fine.”

Trixie was curled up against Twilight huddling close for warmth. Twilight didn’t seem to mind it as she casted a light heat spell on her. Since their departure she had discarded her cloak and devoured a couple of the sandwiches in Twilight’s bag. She had been relaying to Twilight many of the events that had happened since she last saw her.

Twilight politely listened and showed expressions of shock at some of Trixie’s stories. Apparently the poor mare had to do a great many things in order to survive. Theft, working dead end jobs, smuggling, even one occasion using her illusion magic to help some punks rob a store, and stripping. However that last one they found strange considering most of the time they don’t wear clothes. With each story that Trixie relayed Twilight pulled her close doing her best to sooth the poor mare.

Sunset hated that. She was jealous. She would not deny it, it was one of her character flaws and she had no shame in it. Jealousy was never a bad thing to her as long as it was controlled. Twilight was normally caring and affectionate with her friends and Sunset didn’t mind that. But when any pony got to close to her a boiling rage inside Sunset would stir. It wasn’t that she thought of Twilight as her property, no far from it. Ever since the incident with Flash Sentry she has just been very protective and rightfully so. Though they are a couple Twilight is still one of the most eligible bachelorettes in Equestria.

It wasn’t clear what Trixie’s intentions were yet but Sunset made a mental note to keep a close eye on her. However she wouldn’t be the only one. As the train pulled into the Ponyville station the weather was still pretty dreary as the pegasi were putting the finishing touches one of the scheduled downpours. Rainbow Dash and Spike were there to greet them and to make sure they got back to the palace before the downpour.

Twilight was the first out of the car gently guiding Trixie. Trixie winced from walking since her hooves were still cracked and blistered. Sunset was the last out keeping her gaze directly on Trixie.

Rainbow and Spike stared at Trixie with a mixture of confusion, shock, and anger.

“What the hey is she doing here!” Rainbow Dash blurted out. She pointed an accusatory hoof at the blue unicorn and emitted a low growl in throat.

Twilight put a defensive hoof up. “Calm down Rainbow I can explain.”

“Explain what?!” Rainbow flew a few feet above the ground and darted forward bringing her muzzle dangerously close to Trixie’s. “Why you brought this power crazy phony here!?”

Sunset was surprised when Trixie didn’t come up with a juvenile retort. Instead Trixie shrunk back moving behind Twilight.

“Pl-please I-I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Rainbow Dash frowned and circled Twilight to face her again. “Sorry for making us into your servants and tossing us around like rag dolls!”

Twilight tucked her wing around Trixie and faced the angry pegasus. “Rainbow Dash I know the last two times she was here things it less than pleasant-“

“If by less than pleasant you mean she turned Ponyville into an Ursa Minor play pin and her own kingdom!” Rainbow growled. “C’mon back me up here Spike!”

The young drake crossed his arms. “We’ll Trixie has been a bitch each time she’s come here.”

“Spike!” Twilight whirled around glaring at him. Sunset snickered a little.

“But Twilight wouldn’t bring her here without a reason.” Spike finished. “…. What’s your reason Twilight?”

Twilight sighed. “She was on the street cold and alone. I couldn’t just leave her there. I didn’t befriend her the last time and because of that she was left on her own incapable of supporting herself. I may have not been the Princess of Friendship at the time but right now it’s my duty to help ponies in need.”

“I still don’t trust her.” Rainbow growled.

“And that’s perfectly fine Rainbow.” Twilight stated. “You didn’t trust me when I first came to Ponyville and Nightmare Moon attacked and look at us now.”

Rainbow floated in the air for a moment pondering the implications. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Hay no Twilight! There is no way I’m becoming friends with that girl!”

Twilight sighed and trotted off the platform with Trixie under her wing and Spike plus Sunset in tow. Rainbow Dash landed beside Sunset and leaned in close.

“Please tell me this isn’t for real?”

“Oh it is.” Sunset grimaced. “Twilight is going to let her stay with us for a while.”

“Kill me.” Rainbow whispered. “Hey wait… has Twilight told you about Trixie?”

Sunset nodded. “She has but I also had to deal with a version of Trixie in the other world. After hearing about this one I can say that both are narcissistic bitchy wenches.”

“So you’ll keep an eye on her?”

“Definitely. There’s something about her I don’t trust.”

“Good.” Rainbow gave her a jab to the shoulder. “None of the girls will trust her. Not even Pinkie.”

Now that was saying something, Sunset thought to herself. Pinkie Pie is one of the friendliest ponies and to say that she doesn’t trust somepony raises a multitude of red flags.

The trip back to the castle was short and uninterrupted. It would have been bad if everypony knew Trixie was back in Ponyville. Twilight was still wondering how she would go about reintroducing her to the town. It would take time but everypony would eventually grow to accept her, almost everypony.

Rainbow Dash left at the castle door only looking back to glare at Trixie as she flew up into the sky. Moments later as they made their way into the downpour began.

“Firstly, you need a bath.” Twilight giggled and covered her muzzle. “I didn’t want to be rude and say anything on the train.”

Trixie blushed out of embarrassment and nodded. “Trixie- I mean… I agree.”

“C’mon.” Twilight motioned her forward and they walked out of the foyer.

Spike watched as his platonic mother walked out of the room with one of her previous worst enemies. “This is weird right?” He said without breaking his gaze.

“Not the word I would use but yes.” Sunset responded.

Sunset set the quill down in front of her and massaged the base of her horn. A levitation spell combined with the grand world of politics didn’t do wonders for her horn. It was only now she wished she had learned how to write with her hoof growing up in Equestria. The skill would certainly be handy at the moment for the mass of papers she had to sort through. The pile stood three ponies high and she had only take care of one fourth of it.

She grumbled and pulled another piece from the pile. She glanced over it briefly, another zoning project. According to Twilight ever since the castle went up more ponies had been taking up residence in the town. More homes needed to be built and for some reason that had to go through the Princess rather than the Mayor.

Sunset stared out the window to the castles study and she saw Twilight and Trixie just outside. After bathing and feeding the unicorn Twilight was already hard at work training her. The rain outside provided a good means of exercise for the young unicorn. From the looks of it Twilight was having Trixie catch the rain droplets with her magic and combine them into a large ball of water around her.

The purpose of the training was to increase perception and concentration. To her credit Trixie was doing very well having just began official training with Twilight. A crack of thunder ripped across the sky causing Trixie to jump and loose concentration. The bubble of water fell atop her and soaked her mane. She shivered and stomped her hoof against the ground in frustration.

Twilight however walked up to her patting her back and wiping the mane out of her eyes. The two left her sight as they trotted back inside. Sunset resumed her work as she reignited her horn taking up the quill and papers again. Minutes later the door opened and Twilight trotted in.

She beamed Sunset with a pleasant smile despite her mane being drenched. “So how’s you’re afternoon been?”

Sunset rubbed her forehead and set the quill down. “Peachy,” She then looked to her marefriend. “You’re all wet.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Twilight said her tone dripping with sarcasm. They both laughed in unison at the little joke.

“So where’s Trixie?” Sunset cut in as she finished laughing.

“Cleaning up.” Twilight answered wringing her mane out with magic. “I have to say I didn’t expect her to start training so early. She seemed really eager despite her fatigue.”

“Hm.” Sunset said leaning back in her chair. “Does Celestia know about you taking on a student?”

Twilight nodded. “Actually yes, I had Spike send a letter when we got back and Celestia said this would be a great learning experience for me!” She clopped her hooves on the ground excited. “I’m just as excited as Trixie is.”

Great.

“That’s great Twi.” Sunset half smiled.

Twilight retreated from the room for a few moments then came back with two mugs of coco. She squeezed in next to Sunset on the desk chair and gave her a peck on the cheek. They smiled and went to looking over the various projects and files that needed signing. Sunset felt a little more at ease with Twilight beside her. These past few weeks had been pretty hectic with ups and downs and many unforgettable moments. She admitted to herself that she was starting to really fall in love with Twilight. But she wouldn’t say anything yet.

No, no it was to soon to say anything like that. She adored Twilight and cherished the time they had together. Plus they were technically living together, though that was do to her occupation as Twilight’s advisor. But still, she didn’t want to say anything yet, especially since Twilight said she was new to this sort of thing. She didn’t want to rush it. She was content sitting by Twilight’s side doing work to better the ponies around them.

Sunset let out a soft sigh and nuzzled Twilight. Being here with her in peace was perfect. Nothing could break this moment.

“Trixie is bored!” The door burst open revealing the blue unicorn.

I stand corrected.

Twilight looked up from the paper and frowned. “Trixie I understand the thirst for knowledge and learning as much as the next pony but you just got off of the street. You need to relax.”

Sunset giggled at the irony of Twilight being the one to say that. She heard stories from Spike finding her passed out in a multitude of places with her head in a book and a blanket made of coffee cups.

“Trixie is fine! Now that she has the means she can conquer anything!” The blue mare declared.

Sunset got out of the chair. “She apparently is talking in the third person again.”

“Why of course! What is a mare without something to call her own! Something to claim as something she only does! Trixie refers to Trixie because Trixie is Trixie!” She stood on her hind legs and put a hoof to her chest proudly.

Then her legs collapsed and she fell forward. Twilight made a quick dash with her magic and caught her before she hit the ground.

Trixie stared at the ground before her and gulped. “Erm… thank you T-twilight.”

Twilight sighed and walked over helping her up with magic. “You’re going to bed.”

“B-but Trixie doesn’t-“ The mare stuttered under Twilight’s gaze as her ears folded back.

“No buts, you’re my student and you need rest. That is final.” Twilight spoke sternly yet gently, like a mother scolding a stubborn child. Her voice had power behind it but only to mark her point. Sunset felt heat creep up her neck to her cheeks seeing Twilight’s more aggressive side.

Trixie pouted and hung her head. “Trixie I-I mean… I will go rest mentor.”

Twilight smiled and wrapped a hoof around her pulling her into a gentle embrace. “Good, you’ve had a long day. Enjoy the dreamscape tonight.” She patted the mare’s head and Trixie then retreated out of the study and towards her room.

Sunset whistled. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen that strict teacher side of you before.”

“Oh um,” Twilight blushed and gave a sheepish smile. “It’s something I’ve been practicing.”

“It’s hot.”

There were a few moments of silence followed by the sound of a hoof meeting a pony’s forehead. Twilight sighed and shook her head. She looked up from her facehoof at Sunset with a frown however she had a colorful tint on her cheeks. She walked over to her and rested her forehead against Sunset’s.

“What in Equestria am I going to do with you?”

“Well~” Sunset started in a singsong tone giving her eyebrows a little bounce.

“No.” Twilight said flatly.

“Aw…”

Awkward Introductions

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Author's Notes:

I. *hits head on desk* Am. *hits head on desk* So. *hits head on desk * Sorry!

Really I am sorry this took a long time. I know a lot of people have been expecting the next chapter and I'm so so so sorry it took so long to do. It's not even a long chapter thats the really annoying part. Allow me to explain:
Junior in College, Digital Art, Deviant Art, Tumblr, Youtube, Requests. I've been doing alot and juggling drawings and youtube videos and writing takes a lot. Plus I've had a never ending writers block on this story. This chapter went through four different revisions until I could finally find something that works. This last bit I actually thought of today because it hit me: I suck at slice of life. Now some might dispute that based on the previous chapters but in my opinion I did a way better job with Summer Sunset than I've been doing with this story. Plus I had a lot more fun writing it than I have this one. Even the trashed sequel I made before this I had fun doing and I've had more fun thinking about. I'm not saying I don't enjoy this but it's just not as fun to write slice of life, I have nothing to drive the story or push it forward. I'm better with things happening around a plot and events. So basically this story will be undertaking a little shift where there is actually going to be a conflict that will drive the story forward. The title of the story might change as may the cover art to better fit the tone. So expect that later! I'm sure it won't take me as long for the next chapter with this story. Alright thank you for reading and have a great day! Stay brony everybody!

Chapter 8

“So…” Twilight began attempting to break the silence. However it was futile. No pony seemed the least bit comfortable enough to address the elephant in the room. Or in this case the blue-coated mare that was sitting next to the princess.

Everypony was gathered around the table in the castle dinning room. The room looked more homely since Rarity worked her magic on it. Banners now hung from the crystal windows and a bright shimmering chandelier floated in the air held only by a single rod. Light glistened off the gems and reflected back onto the windows creating rainbows of color across them. The beautiful decor did not serve to reduce the amount of awkwardness between the ponies.

Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all glared at Trixie as they ate their hay salads. Fluttershy looked too nervous to touch her food and didn’t attempt to make eye contact with Trixie. The latter stared down at her bowl of soup and kept her gaze locked on the liquid. It stood still and her reflection stared back at her, her own gaze boring into her soul. Sunset Shimmer rested her elbow on the table as she levitated a fork full of salad and gave a breathless sigh.

Twilight frowned seeing no pony willing or in some cases mature enough to carry on the conversation. She could understand why her friends were still upset with Trixie, to a point. However right now she felt like a mother tending to children who were giving each other the silent treatment. While on one hoof actual mothers with multiple foals would praise Celestia if their children would do this and simply be quiet. But Twilight was not a mother and these aren’t her children. They are her friends and as the Princess of Friendship it’s her job to make sure all her friends get along. Right? It’s a lot harder than it sounds.

“So Rainbow, have you told Trixie about when you met Daring Do?” Twilight smiled at the cyan mare. If there was one thing she knew about Dash it was that she loved to boast.

“No.” Rainbow replied.

“Well why don’t you share?” Twilight nudged Trixie. “That was Rainbow Dash in Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny if you read it.”

Trixie’s ears perked up and she looked at Dash in a mix of shock and disbelief. “Wait that was you?”

“Yeah.”

“What was it like?” Trixie asked.

Rainbow Dash plopped a peace of lettuce and hay into her mouth and chewed slowly. “It was cool.”

Twilight leaned back in her chair and sighed. “Girls really we’re all friends here!”

“No we ain’t.” Applejack leaned back in her chair and tipped her stetson down. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say Trixie ain’t our friend.”

“Oh come on! All of you accepted Sunset Shimmer without a second thought and she actually tried to kill me!”

Sunset’s ears perked up and she glared at Twilight. “Thanks Twi.”

Twilight quickly turned at her and put her hooves up. “N-no that’s not what I meant Sun-“

“Ugh,” Sunset stood up. Summoning magic from her horn she grabbed everyone’s food and pulled it to the center of the table. “Look Twilight, they never had to deal with me so therefore your word was fine. But they dealt with Trixie therefore you can’t expect them to forgive and forget what she did so easily.”

Trixie sunk down in her chair and whimpered. She longed for her magician hat to pull over her head at the moment.

“But what happened with Trixie happened before you became an alicorn. Atleast a year or two have passed since then. I think you ponies, yes I’m talking to you three!” Sunset pointed an accusatory hoof at Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity. “Need to drop those glares and try having an normal conversation with this mare right here! First person to talk get’s there food back!”

The three looked at each other then Rainbow sighed. “Fine… so it was weird getting to meet Daring Do in real life. She didn’t want my help at first and wanted to work alone. Though it made sense, anytime I tried helping out I acted like an useless fanmare.”

Trixie looked up with a small glint of hope in her eyes. “Well who wouldn’t? It’s not often a storybook character comes to life before our eyes.”

“I know! But I’m me!” Rainbow’s voice grew louder, returning to her normal loud and adorably obnoxious pitch. “I’m not just some fanmare! I’m Rainbow Dash. After Ahuizotl got a hold of the last ring and put daring do in a death trap I swooped in and saved her before the piranhas got her.”

“Then you were able to destroy the pedestal the rings were on and the temple collapsed!” Trixie finished.

“Yeah! I was right there beside Daring Do taking off all the rings. I totally saved the world!” Dash puffed her chest out with pride.

Sunset telekinetically placed Rainbow’s hey salad back in front of her. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Um I think ya’ll are forgetting the other seven times we’ve saved the world.”

“I didn’t think you could count that high Applejack.” Trixie laughed however quickly threw her hooves over her mouth. Her eyes went wide with realization at what words just left her lips.

“Trixie!” Twilight snapped. Cold stares fell on the mare and Applejack bit her lip holding back a retort.

“I-I’m sorry- I-” she tried to stammer but Rarity quickly took hold of the conversations direction.

“That is hardly appropriate Trixie! Applejack may be more of a brute rather than a scholar.” Rarity chided.

“Hey!” Applejack protested.

Rarity ignored her and kept going. “But that doesn’t call for insulting her.”

Trixie felt a pit form in her stomach. “It was an accident! It slipped out!” Sunset watched this play out and took down a mental note. The Trixie back in the human world never apologized for anything. She took what she wanted and could scheme her way out of almost any situation. During the Siren attack Trixie didn’t just fall under their control, she fed off their control and became worse than before. However here the pony Trixie was actually apologizing.

“Look I-I didn’t mean to-“ Trixie started again but Twilight had stepped out of her seat and taken Trixie’s hoof.

“Come with me Trixie, we need to talk.” As the two made their way out Sunset stared at the others. All sans Fluttershy had looks of aggression and disapproval. Even Rainbow Dash had deflated to her cold stare at Trixie as Twilight led her out of the room.

Sunset rubbed a hoof her forehead and proceeded to give each pony their food back. She sympathized with Trixie; this was just like during the battle of the bands for Sunset. Her wrong doings had been brought up and even after repenting the instant she seemed close to the edge she was berated for it. It was only after helping the group did they finally start to fully trust and accept her. She watched Trixie walk out of the room with a look of… pain?

Her shoulders were slouched and her head was hung low like a filly being escorted to his or her room for punishment. She knew Twilight wouldn’t be harsh on her thankfully. “You know as much as you call each other friends you have a crappy way of showing that same friendship to others.”

Each of them shot her a glare but she was not fazed. She had called them out in the other world for this and here was no exception. These ponies were the elements of harmony and the living embodiment of friendship. She knew them better, but from what she heard from Discord they had treated him the same way their treating Trixie. Are they only kind to others as long as they have not been wronged? Sunset knew that no pony was perfect but their track record was sporadic. Luna, Discord, Trixie, and herself were all treated differently even though they wronged these ponies in some way. Luna was immediately accepted, they were wary of Discord, they didn’t trust Trixie at all, and even though Sunset tried to kill Twilight and different versions of them they still accepted her at Twilight’s word. Why not now?

Trixie sat in the throne next to Twilight. She stared down at her hooves like a young mare in fear of looking up and seeing her parents disapproving stare. The throne room felt much larger than before. Her former rival sat adjacent to her looking at her as she had the past three times she had fallen. However the look came with added pressure it being from a princess of Equestria and not just a unicorn that had successfully outsmarted her.

“Trixie,” Twilight began.

“I’m sorry!” Trixie shouted cutting her off. “I didn’t mean to say that it slipped out!” Her voice was filled with desperation almost on the brink of choking.

“Trixie.”

“Please don’t throw me out on the street Twilight! I like it here please don’t send me away!”

“Trixie.”

“I don’t want to be left alone and I want to become better please just-“

“Trixie!” Twilight shouted over her. The mare sucked in her breath as she stopped talking. Twilight breathed slowly then cleared her throat and continued on. “I’m sorry for how the others reacted.”

“Wait… what huh?” Trixie looked at her dumbfounded.

“They did over react to a slip up and I will talk about this with them later.” Twilight finished.

Trixie’s jaw hung open slightly. “But… aren’t you mad?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not. I’m not pleased that you said that to Applejack and when we go back in I want you to apologize, calmly, to her.” Twilight put extra emphasis on the word calmly in her voice.

Trixie stared at the princess then stared back down at her hooves. She was speechless. The images of Twilight throwing her out of the palace were slowly fading from her mind. However she still couldn’t bring herself to willingly look at the princess. She felt soft feathers touch her back and she looked to her side and saw Twilight draping a wing over her shoulder.

“A key lesson of friendship is that everyone makes mistakes and says things they don’t mean. It comes down to our willingness to accept others for their faults if they are ready to move past them.” Twilight recited.

Trixie looked to Twilight who smiled at her. The smile was warm and gentle and made Trixie feel something inside. Something warm close to her heart. Here was the mare she had hated for so long taking her on as her mentor and now opening up to help her become a better pony.

“Thank you Twilight…” Trixie smiled.

“Look Trixie has wronged us not once but twice so ‘scuse my hesitance on letting her into this little gang we have here.” Applejack slammed her hat down on the table. The conversation had inevitably gone down hill and Sunset couldn’t catch a break. From first having to deal with her doubts about Trixie, to then having to defend the mare and receive flak for it. She couldn’t win on either side with this.

“You accepted me into the group!” Sunset shot back feeling her own tension getting tighter.

“That’s different!” Rainbow added.

“How the buck is this any different?!”

“You and Twilight are romantically involved darling, plus you saved her life.” Rarity finished.

There was a loud slap as Sunset’s hoof met her forehead. She wasn’t getting anywhere with this. During her time at Canterlot she encountered the idea that not all friends will like each other. She had made friends with a young athlete by the name of Lightning Dust. She had been Sunset’s lab partner and was clearly not adept to using volatile chemicals. Sunset took it upon herself out of kindness, and necessity to keep the chemistry lab from catching on fire, to take the brunt of the work but tutor Lightning Dust.

The two actually bonded over the experience and became good friends. However when she invited Lightning Dust to join her friends on a skiing trip she soon discovered that Lightning and Rainbow Dash had a bitter rivalry. It was safe to assume after that the trip was less than pleasant. The fun was replaced by the two constantly arguing and challenging each other. Though not challenging like a competitors grudge, instead it was a seething hatred the two had for each other. Sunset learned a valuable lesson on that day, it’s okay to make new friends but sometimes your other friends won’t get along with the new ones.

It’s a simple fact of life but in this case somepony needed to give. Trixie is technically Twilight’s student now and whether the other mares liked it or not, she was here to stay. Sunset slumped down into her chair and sighed this was going to take time unfortunately. The sound of hooves clopping against the floor pierced the silence and Sunset looked up to see Twilight and Trixie enter the room.

Trixie walked over to Applejack and stared her right in the eye. “Applejack… Trixie is… I mean I am sorry for my outburst at you. It was wrong of me to say that and I do hope you accept my apology.”

All eyes fell on the two and Applejack just stared at Trixie. Sunset could see the sincerity in Trixie’s eyes. This was a complete shift from the pony she and Twilight found in the streets of Manehattan the other day.

Applejack sighed and avoided Trixie’s gaze. “Stop your huffin’ about it. I’m not mad sugarcube.” Her voice was filled with venomous pride, it was a trick to sound like a pony didn’t care because it’s difficult to forgive and forget. In this case it was the pressure to forgive that Applejack didn’t want to give into.

But one thing did make both Sunset and Twilight smile, Applejack addressed her as sugarcube, that’s a name she only uses for ponies she likes. Trixie returned to her seat next to Twilight and resumed eating.

“So you’ve saved Equestria seven times?” Trixie said before silence overtook the room again.

“Ten of you count all three times Chrysalis has attacked, the nightmare taking over Rarity and when the we fought Anti-Celestia and Anti-Luna!” Pinkie Pie sprung up next to Rainbow.

“Fwah!?” The pegasus fell back in her seat. “Pinkie where have you been?”

Pinkie Pie blinked. “I was getting things ready!”

“Ready for what?” Twilight asked cautionsly.

Pinkie Pie giggled and pulled out a remote. “This!” She slammed her hoof down on the giant red button and the chandelier above them opened up revealing a dozen canons.

“Pinkie what the bu-“ Sunset shouted but was not able to finish her statement as all the canons went off at once causing a mass explosion cake batter. Time slowed down as the batter descended. What was supposed to be confetti, balloons and streamers was instead replaced by a mass of cake mix.

“Oh not agai- Pinkie whined before the batter made contact with the ponies. The once pristine room was covered from top to bottom in the sticky gooey mess. Everypony suffered the same gruesome fate without a second to react. That is everypony except for Trixie. She had quickly casted a magical bubble around herself to protect from the explosion. After the field dispersed she gasped seeing Twilight covered horn to hoof in the cake mix. Using her magic she pulled the cake mix off of Twilight and moved closer to brush it out of her face.

Twilight shook some of the excess off. “Thank you Trixie.” She smiled sweetly at her.

Sunset rubbed the cake mix out of her eyes and glared at Trixie as she caught side of the mare blushing. She then turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie… why?!”

The pink mare giggled. “Sorry girls.” She liked the batter off of her own face. “I accidently put the cake batter in the party cannon again.”

“How do you manage that?!” Rainbow growled unfurling her wings and flapping them to shake off the goop.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Are you actually questioning Pinkie Pie darling?”

“Yeah I know.” Rainbow grumbled.

“Pinkie.” Twilight spoke up. “If the cannon’s were supposed to be filled with confetti, what was the cake batter for?”

“For a cake! Duh! Luckily I always have a spare!” She whistled and the doors to the dinning room swung open. A cake eight layers high rolled into the room with Spike pushing it. Everypony’s jaw dropped and Pinkie Pie jumped up on the table.

“~Ooooooooooooooooooooh Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville today. It’s your third time back but now you’re here to stay~

~This is your new home so I hope we can make it swell. We’re all so very excited to have you here can’t you tell?~

~Welcome Trixie Lulamoon I hope the writer develops you. Welcome to our little group Trixie Lulamoon~”

Pinkie Pie landed in a dive right in front of Trixie panting. No pony spoke a word and just stared at Pinkie with looks of bafflement and wonder.

“I um…” Trixie was speechless.

“No need to talk! Enjoy the cake and welcome to Ponyville Trixie!” Pinkie beamed and handed her a slice of cake from seemingly out of no where.

Trixie looked at the cake then to Pinkie. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Thank you Pinkie Pie.” She took the piece and dug into it. Everypony then shrugged and joined in.

Sunset internally sighed. Well that’s one pony, four more to go.

Astronomers had theorized that space was an infinite vortex stretching out beyond the sight of sentient life. They thought that there wasn’t a limit to the never-ending blackness and that each star held billions of stars past it. The galaxy would end but another would be seen at its edge in the distance. In theory there was never an end to the vortex, just a new beginning. Nothing would ever truly die in the galaxy because it would just begin again. Planets would crumble only to become smaller planets that carried new life. Stars would explode only to have their dust forge new stars.

Even the sun of Celestia would die one day, but it would come back more powerful than ever. The never-ending cycle of life was the nature of the universe. Nothing ever truly died, and no piece of the galaxy was ever out of reach. Was there ever an end to the universe? In a dimension of infinite universes did one ever end? Or does it keep growing with stories and lives lived, passed, and still to come? Was there an invisible barrier that prevented life from exceeding going any further? Only few knew the answer to that. Only few knew the answer to any of those questions.

The theories of sentient life past present and future were known only by one pony. He had been there for all of them and knew of those to come. He was not omnipotent, but he has traveled and knows the truths of the universe and he knew that the astronomers of all time were right. Nothing ever truly ended in the universe. Except right now.

The engines of his ship whirred silently as he stood on the edge of the galaxy. There was nothing, nothing beyond the sight, and nothing even on the scanners. All that stood before him was darkness. The closest galaxy, Andromareda wasn’t there. Neither were any of the others past it. The space was blank, just void filled with black nothingness.

“This… is not good.” He gulped as he looked out the doors into the darkness.

“What happened to everything?” The mare standing next to him asked.

The stallion’s eyes thinned and the air caught in his throat. “This isn’t supposed to happen… not in this time. We need to get help.”

“From who? Where are we going?” The mare asked.

The stallion ran back into the ship and pulled a lever on the console. The ship groaned and buckled as it started moving. “Ponyville.”

To be continued...

It's Very Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey

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Chapter 9

Sunset wouldn’t ever say it to Celestia’s face but unlike the princess of the sun Luna was a true artist. During the day the pegasi manipulated the clouds across Equestria and Celestia brought the shinning orb to the peak of the blue sky. But the blue sky was not art; Celestia did not create it, because it was merely a reflection of the atmosphere. Twilight could explain the exact scientific facts on why the sky was blue. The blue sky was a veil that hid the true beauty of the space beyond their planet, space unobtainable by pony kind.

Luna was the artistic sister of the two. The rising of the glowing orb would cast away the infinite blue sky. It would illuminate the perfect void of darkness surrounding all of creation. But unlike the blue sky that held only clouds in reach of pegasi, the black void glowed with millions of tiny white dots arranged in various shapes, sizes, patterns, and conjoined in clusters. They were the envy of those bound to the ground and the limits of the sky.

Sunset missed the human world when she looked at the sky. Though the sight of the rising moon and the arrival of the stars came with an air of magical energy it was unexplored and it’s sight was unobtainable. The human world had crafted the technology to see into the vastness of space and even travel there. Ponies were still far from those technological feats.

But this is where being an advisor to a princess of Equestria had its perks. Since part of the castle had been destroyed in the aftermath of the Cutie Mark Crusaders lab experiments Twilight decided some renovating was required. An observatory, similar to the one she had back in Canterlot, was built on the east wing of the palace in order to further Twilight’s astrological work. She had been neglecting this part of her life ever since she became a princess. Royal duties had been tedium and studying the magical puzzle box had also consumed most of her time.

Sunset, Trixie, and Twilight all sat in the open dome observatory taking turns on the large telescope. While Sunset would have preferred a more romantic evening with Twilight stargazing two variables prevent this: Twilight’s thirst for knowledge, and Trixie.

“Sunset! My quill broke!” Twilight gasped.

Sunset levitated a new quill over to the purple mare. This was probably her seventh one. Twilight had been scribbling down notes as such a furious pace there were waifs of steam rising from the paper.

Trixie giggled. “My my Sparkle. Careful or you’ll get a horn cramp.”

“To late for that.” Twilight winced and kept writing with her magic.

Trixie gawked and stared at the purple princess with a look of bemusement. “Is she always like this?” She motioned to Twilight.

Sunset sighed. “You have no idea. But then again I can’t blame her. Our knowledge of space is limited and the farthest any pony has gone has been the moon.”

Trixie looked up at the night sky and the glimmering stars it contained. “Does she think all this studying will get pony kind into the stars any quicker?”

“No, but it keeps her from burning the town down.” Sunset stifled a laugh.

“You know I can still hear you two!” Twilight grumbled but didn’t take her eyes off the telescope or cease her scribbling.

Both mares laughed at Twilight. In truth they hadn’t gotten one look through the telescope. Twilight had been hogging it the entire time. Sunset was only there to assist Twilight and Trixie was there… for reasons Sunset didn’t trust. Trixie exuded the same behavior that boys did when they flirted with girls back at Canterlot High. Sunset however would only say something if Trixie crossed the line. For now though she had to help emphasize peaceful coexistence.

“Sunset?” Trixie brought Sunset out of her thoughts and the mare looked up with a questioning look.

“Huh?”

“What’s this about a Lunar Celebration coming up?”

Sunset tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “We’ll it’s a new event made by Princess Luna. Since we have the Summer Sun Celebration signifying the beginning of the summer solstice, it’s only appropriate we have a Lunar Celebration for the winter solstice.”

“Isn’t that the point of Nightmare Night?” Trixie asked.

Sunset waved a hoof. “That’s more of a party than anything else. This was actually Princess Celestia’s idea to have the celebration in order to maintain balance between them.”

Trixie looked up to the night sky and smiled. “That’s actually kind of sweet when you think about it.” Then she pouted. “Trixie wants a holiday made for her.”

Sunset shot her a ‘are you joking look’. “Um Trixie, neither Princess Twilight or Cadence have holidays made for them.”

“Actually not true.” Twilight said, still not pulling her eyes away from the telescope. “Since Cadence is the Princess of love most ponies tie her to Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Okay so Twilight is the only one without a holiday.” Sunset restated.

Trixie gawked. “Really? After saving Equestria ten times you still don’t have a holiday?”

Twilight giggled. “I really don’t mind. I’d feel bad if ponies went out of their way to celebrate me. Besides we’ve been rewarded for our heroism. Like when we defeated Discord we received a big award ceremony.”

“More like the ending to Star Wars episode four from the way you described it to me Twi.” Sunset chuckled.

Both Twilight and Trixie turned to Sunset. “What’s Star Wars?”

“It’s a movie series from the human world.” Sunset explained. “It’s a shame that there isn’t a counterpart of it here in Equestria. Oh! That reminds me the new one is coming out this Christmas! I’ll have to return back to see it!”

The two mares continued to stare at her. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So why are the stars at war?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, no don’t take the title literally. It’s about a young farm boy going on a journey to fight an evil empire. Along the way he meets unlikely allies, rescues a princess, and learns about the mysterious power he has called the force.”

They still looked at her in confusion. Sunset waved a hoof. “Look, it’s better if I show them to you. Remind me to go back to the human world and buy a laptop and the movies and I’ll show them. I’m pretty sure you would like them.”

“Does it have monsters?” Trixie asked.

“Yes.”

“Violence?”

“Yes.”

“Feats of magical power?”

“Technically the force isn’t considered magic but in a way yes.”

“Can we see it now?” Trixie’s eyes sparkled.

“No.” Sunset deadpanned. “I have to go to the human world to get that stuff.”

“Can you go now?”

“Trixie, I’m not going there right now.” Sunset deadpanned again.”

“Aw.” Trixie pouted.

Twilight giggled at the two and went back to looking at the telescope. While the aspect of watching a movie that took place in space was intriguing it didn’t stop her desire for knowledge in the here and now. When she peered back through the telescope however something caught her eye. “Huh… that can’t be right.”

“What is it Twilight?” Sunset asked, getting up from her seat, and walking over to her marefriend.

“The Anmareda galaxy… I can’t see it.” Twilight swiveled in the chair left and right in an attempt to adjust the massive telescope.

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘can’t see it’? Do you have the right setting?”

Twilight grabbed a stack of notes with her magic and levitated them in front of her. Her eyes darted back and forth between the console and the papers. “The coordinates are exact and I just calibrated the lens before we started. It’s just gone!”

“Here let me look.” Sunset leaned over Twilight and peered into the scope. Ahead of her in the vast amount of space was darkness. No stars or planets, no swirling vortex with a bright spot at the center. Anmareda was not there, there was just black space. “Did they forget to pay their electric bill?”

Twilight pushed Sunset out of the way and looked again. “This isn’t funny Sunset, this is serious! A galaxy doesn’t just disappear like that!”

“What about the fourteen dwarf galaxies around it?”

Twilight pulled up her notes and magically switched the lens to pull back. “M32, M110, MGC 185, MGC 147…” She went off the list on her notes and turned the telescope pinpointing each on. After listing all fourteen she sat back in her chair. “They’re all there… that doesn’t make sense.”

“AAAAH!” Trixie screamed. Twilight and Sunset snapped to attention at the mare and saw she had backed up.

“Trixie what’s wrong?” Twilight hopped out of the chair and walked over to the terrified mare. Trixie was staring up at the upper wall of the observatory, right where the wall and dome ceiling meet.

“It’s looking at me.” Trixie stuttered and she was visibly trembling. Twilight raised an eyebrow and followed Trixie’s gaze. Surrounding the dome were crystal pillars that led up to the ceiling, atop each pillar were stone pegasus statues. Each was positioned to look up at the dome and night sky as if they were flying toward it.

“The statues aren’t looking at you Trixie. What are you-“ Trixie grabbed Twilight’s face with one hoof and pulled it against hers. She pointed to the statue above the door. It was looking at them.

Twilight felt a shiver go up her spine but she ignored it. “It’s probably always been like that. It’s right over the door way so it was probably designed differently than the others.”

Trixie released Twilight’s head and shook her own. “N-no. It was like the others, then the next moment it wasn’t.”

“That’s impossible, everypony knows statues can’t move. Well not unless it’s Discord moving it.” Twilight waved a hoof dismissing the notion of a moving statue.

Sunset got down from the observatory and peered at the statue. “So what? You blinked and it just moved?”

“Yes!” Trixie yelled. “One moment looking at it, blink, and now it’s staring at me.”

“Alright Trixie I’ll humor you.” Twilight giggled and patted the mare’s head. “On three all of us will blink. The statue won’t move and you’ll just see your eyes have been playing tricks on you.”

“It moved I swear!” Trixie pleaded.

“Let’s see, okay, on three.” Twilight refocused her gaze on the statue. “One, two, three blink.” All three of the mares staring at the statue blinked. They just let their eyes fall and open naturally like they would without thinking about it.

Both Sunset and Trixie screamed. The statue was on the ground in front of the door, staring at them. In that instant it had moved from it’s position high on the pedestal and was now on the ground. The other statues atop of the pillars had also moved and were now looking at them.

Twilight however only had a look of curiosity on her face. “Huh… alright Discord I know it’s you. Come out.” Twilight called out to the air but received no response. She looked back at the angels and they were all on the ground now. She jumped back. “U-um… seriously Discord this kind of creepy.”

“T-Twilight.” Sunset stammered. “Discord isn’t in Ponyville. Fluttershy said that she was going with him to Canterlot to visit the royal gardens.”

Twilight’s ears drew back as a look of horror spread across their face. “Then… what are they?”

Blink.

All three mares screamed as the statues moved closer. The normal pegasi were now on their hind legs, with fangs for teeth and wide stone eyes. Above them the sound of metal shrieking rung in their ears and Sunset looked up to see the dome closing.

“The ceiling is closing up! H-how?”

“I think they’re doing it.” Trixie pointed to one of the statues that had its hoof pointed towards the ceiling. Light from the outside dissipated as the dome closed up and the statues became shrouded in darkness. Twilight quickly activated a light spell from her horn and the two mares followed suite.

The dome sealed with a bang and the statues had practically jumped from across to the room. The three backed up to the telescope shrieking. Twilight charged her horn and shot a beam of magical energy at the lead statue but it was absorbed like an object falling into water.

“Don’t blink girls.” Twilight said with a shaky breath.

“What are we going to do?” Trixie. “Both of you can teleport right?”

Sunset gulped and felt her eyes strain as she glared at the pegasi statues infront of her. “I need to see where I’m going in order to teleport.”

“I need deep concentration to teleport myself plus you two without seeing where I’m going.” Twilight added.

Trixie gulped. “My eyes hurt.”

“Don’t blink.” Twilight said forcing her eyes to stay open. “They don’t move as long as we can see them!”

Twilight’s horn flickered for a moment. “Huh?” Then Sunset and Trixie’s flickered as well.

“What’s going on?” Trixie shrieked and clung to Twilight.

Sunset was too terrified and too focused on the pegasi to glare at Trixie. She felt a pit form in her stomach and her whole body visibly shook. She was afraid. All of them were. It wasn’t the creepy fact of stone statues coming to life that made her afraid, no, it was the unknown of what the statues would do to them when they got close. The trio’s horns flickered again and the statues moved again through the dark. “Their turning off our magic!?” She shouted making it both a question and a statement of disbelief. This was answered by Trixie’s horn going out.

“Aah! Why!” The blue mare strained to create a spark from her horn but there was nothing. Her magic wasn’t responding to her.

“This is impossible, this is impossible.” Twilight repeated, her chest heaved up and down as she pressed up against the telescope. “Statues can’t move. They can’t close domes. They can’t shut off magic! Some pony explain what the buck is going on!” She shouted.

Sunset put herself between Twilight and Trixie and charged her horn. It kept flickering but she forced using her will power to keep it aglow. “Get back, what ever you things are! What do you want anyway!?”

The statues didn’t respond and only stared, moving ever so closer with each flicker of the two remaining horns. Sweat tricked down Sunset’s forehead and she reared up on her hind legs, trying to look intimidating but also trying to put more space between herself and the statues. However these were not changelings and showed no signs of fear.

Twilight’s horn went out. “N-no!” She shouted. “Alicorn magic! How can they stop alicorn magic? They’re just standing there!”

Sunset’s horn was the only source of dying light and she forced it to keep going. She could feel the magic slipping from her horn as the light faded. She didn’t know what would happen when it went out but she didn’t want to find out. They had no options, no way of escape. They were cut off from the exit and the outside. Sunset did all she could do, all any pony would do out of desperation.

She shrieked. “Somepony help!”

Her light went out.

She couldn’t see anything and neither could the other two. She tried desperately to get her magic going but there was nothing, no response. Her neck tingled as something breathed against it. Whatever the statues were doing they were right on top of them. She could feel them all around them. She back up against Twilight and Trixie and all three of them huddled and shrieked.

There was a loud groaning sound and a thunk.

“Phew! Now that was a close one!” A male voice called out.

Sunset opened her eyes and light flooded her vision. She blinked a couple times as her eyes adjusted. “Um… are we dead?”

“Dead? Ha! No far from it!”

Twilight and Trixie opened their eyes as well and all three looked around them. They were in a large room, with sleek steel floors, round things in a row on the catwalks above them with a tall ceiling that spun at the center. In the middle was a cylindrical tube that came down from the ceiling into an octagonal dash board with lights and switches. A stallion poked his head out from behind the console. He had a brown spikey mane and a light brown coat. He fancied a green tie around his neck, which actually complimented his deep blue eyes. Sunset swore she saw something in those eyes; stories, fire, and age.

“Hello Mrs. Shimmer! Lovely to see you again.” The stallion said.

“D-doctor?!” Sunset stammered. The two mares next to her gave her questioning looks.

“You know this pony Sunset?” Twilight whispered.

Before she could answer Trixie stomped her hoof on the ground. “Who are you? What the buck were those things?! And where in Tartarus are we?!” She shouted and pointed an accusatory hoof at the pony Sunset addressed as the Doctor.

“You don’t know me? But I just saw you a couple days ago unless… ooh right you aren’t there yet.” The Doctor flipped a switch on the console and the groaning sound started up again. “I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?” Twilight asked.

“Just the Doctor.” He smiled, it was one of those annoying smiles somepony gives when they think they are being clever. “Those things I just saved you from, which by the way you haven’t thanked me for yet, were weeping pegasi. Creatures from the beyond that feed off potential energy.”

Trixie felt her stomach lurch. “So they wanted to… eat us?”

The Doctor stifled a laugh and danced around the console flicking more switches. He took a hammer and smashed it against a cushion causing the room to buckle. “Not exactly, they throw sentient beings back in time and feed off the energy that is left behind. This forces the being that time traveled to live out the rest of their life in the past but still be born in the future creating a perpetual cycle for the pegasi to feed off of.”

Trixie gave him a deadpanned stare. “Time travel? That’s impossible.”

Both Twilight and Sunset coughed. “Actually…” They both said. Twilight then looked to Sunset. “Wait… I was talking about the spell in the Canterlot archives. What were you referring to?”

Sunset motioned to the Doctor with a hoof. “I’ve met him before.”

“When?”

“Back during the water purification incident. Which reminds me, where’s-“

“I’ve got muffins!” Sunset was cut off by a squeaky yet adorably familiar voice come from down the stairs of the room. Derpy flew up with holding a tray of steaming hot muffins. “I made blueberry, apple cinnamon, banana nut, and chocolate!”

The Doctor turned from the console to face them and grabbed a muffin. “Thank you Derpy.” He took a bite and smiled. “Ah, perfect as always.”

Derpy blushed and giggled. “Thanks Doctor.” She held the tray out to the three mares. Sunset took a muffin but Trixie and Twilight just stared at the two ponies.

“What is going on?” Twilight said. “Thank you for saving us by the way, but why were those things attacking us? How did you know to come and save us? None of this makes sense!”

“We’ll you see Mrs. Sparkle, it’s all very wibbly wobbly – timey wimey.” The Doctor finished his muffin. He spun around and flicked more switches on the console. “Time travel is very complicated. I only knew because you told me you were in danger.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “But I’ve never even spoken to you before! I’ve seen you around Ponyville but that’s it.”

“Ah, well you haven’t told me yet. But you will tell me in the future. Well your future, my past, again very wibbly wobbly time travel is.” The Doctor pulled a lever down and the room stopped groaning. “Don’t worry it will all make sense later. As for why the weeping pegasi were attacking you I’m not entirely sure but I’m assuming it has something to do with this.” He trotted over to the twin doors of the room and swung them open.

The three mares stepped over to the doors and gazed out in wonder at the sight before them. The cosmos completely unfolded in brilliant colors of stardust and nebulas spread across the vastness of space. Twilight’s jaw practically dropped. “W-whaaa h-how?”

The Doctor smirked and leaned against the railing off to the side of the door. “We’re currently sitting on the edge of your galaxy at least 6 billion miles from your home of Equestria.”

“I-I… n-no that’s not possible. We’ve only been in here at the most five minutes… 6 billion miles in that time doesn’t add up.” She stammered in disbelief.

“Well of course it adds up, this ship travels in time and space! I swear this was much easier when we first met.” He shook his head.

“But we haven’t met yet!” Twilight broke her gaze from the expanse of space and spat with a hint of mild annoyance.

“Again, you haven’t met me but I’ve met you. It’ll make sense when it happens. Which gives me faith we’ll get through this catastrophe.” He pointed out to space. “See what’s missing?”

Sunset had kept her gaze locked on the space ahead of them and had already taken notice. “The Anmareda galaxy is missing.”

“Precisely, and you’re here to figure out why. A galaxy doesn’t just go missing without a trace.” The Doctor rubbed his chin and walked back over to the console.

“Why us exactly?” Twilight asked.

“We’ll while I am incredibly clever on my own I lack that one little thing you three have, magic.” He pointed to his forehead showing no sign of a horn. “I am an earth pony as you see. Which by the way is not fair!” He whined and pouted. “I’m an earth pony and I have a brown coat! For once, it’s not much to ask, I would love to be a unicorn! Also ginger!”

Derpy rested a hoof on his head and smiled. “I think you look fine just the way you are Doctor.”

The Doctor returned the smile. “Thank you miss Hooves. Now then where was I? Ah yes, you three can use magic and, while all ponies have some type of magic inside them, unicorns have the most accessible form of it.”

“Ha.” Trixie laughed and tilted her head upwards. “It seems the Great and Powerful Trixie’s reputation precedes her!”

“Oh excellent!” The Doctor clopped his hoof on the floor. “Where can I find her?”

Trixie gawked and growled. “No I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Oh, huh, why talk in the third person then? Pretty egocentric if you ask me.” The Doctor scoffed.

The show mare stammered and stomped her hoof on the ground. “Hey!”

Twilight stifled a giggle. “Calm down Trixie.” She then focused her gaze back on the Doctor. “So there are weeping pegasi, a missing galaxy, and you’re a pony that has a time traveling space ship.”

“Pretty much.”

Twilight stared at the Doctor then raised a hoof to her head. “…. My head hurts.”

“Oh Mrs. Sparkle we’re just getting started.” The Doctor flicked another switch on the console and the TARDIS rumbled to life again.

“Why do you keep calling me Mrs?”

The Doctor looked to her then Sunset then gave the pair an awkward smile. “Ehehe, sorry, time travel, spoilers.”

To Be Continued

Marefriend Advisor

by RobRoyale

I'm Your What?

Saturday Court

The Mare, The Stallion, and The Doctor

Annoying Sunday

Slumber Party 101: Never Again

Hangovers and The Great and Powerful Thief

New Student

Awkward Introductions

It's Very Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey