Chapter 1 - Lost

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Discord sighed in boredom. Normally that wouldn't be the case, because the draconequus could just spread a little bit of chaos here and there. Pony friendly and censored chaos, to be precise, but chaos nonetheless! He was the Lord of Chaos, after all.

"Fluttershy was the only one who forgave me for what happened," Discord muttered to himself and pouted... not that there was anypony to see it.

He was, at the moment, in his own dimension. At home. Home, where there was everything a respectable Spirit of Chaos could wish for. A garden where plants grew upside-down, and cats and dogs lived together. A place where rabbits made of cotton candy ran around and butterflies of the finest butter, none of that artificial stuff, flew through a sky that was an eternal vortex of chaotic energy where nothing made sense. No laws of physics, no order, no rules.

Yes, it was a cozy home indeed.

Then that... debacle with Tirek happened. Not his proudest moment, Discord had to admit. To think he nearly lost Fluttershy, because he fell for his tricks! What was he, a stupid class C villain? Ridiculous! The thought alone made him see red.

To prove his point Discord snapped his claws and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of giant, goofy-looking red glasses.

As punishment for his alliance with the newly banished centaur he was put on probation. Again. The God of Chaos was forbidden from using his magic for even the smallest of jokes or creating any mischief for two whole weeks.

For two weeks he had to behave! The horror was unspeakable! That was like being imprisoned in stone again! No, worse! Moonbutt, Heartbutt, Sunbutt and Starbutt were just plain cruel, in his opinion.

Well, at least he could still enjoy his weekly tea every Thursday with his bestest of friends, Fluttershy. What would Discord just do without the yellow colored Pegasus? She was the only Pony in the moment who remotely trusted him after his little betrayal.

He would never admit it to anypony, but It was a miracle.

"Fluttershy. You are truly the best pony!" Discord shouted into the void after he opened the door. The echoes of the word ‘pony’ added a dramatic effect.

Now that he thought about it, he should maybe give these mail ponies more credit as well. The draconequus was sure that he never created any entrances into his dimension. So how were they able to access it and deliver letters to him? Another mystery to be solved and much more important, something that made no sense.

Discord shed tears in a very cartoony manner, feeling happy. Take that, Order! Maybe he should promote, in his never ending battle against ‘making sense’, Pinkie Pie to his second-in-command? She had certainly the necessary craziness. Sometimes he wondered if the pink equine was secretly another draconequus in disguise. He tested it once, but she was 100% Earth Pony, sadly. A reality-bending, physics ignoring, hilariously behaving and very deformable one, but a pony nonetheless.

"GAH! What can I do?! I can't create any form of wonderful chaos on Equestrian ground as long as I'm on probation!" No, he wouldn't disappoint Fluttershy ever again. Breaking the rules was no option. "That calls for an emergency brainstorming with the experts!" he announced dramatically.

Discord snapped the fingers of his paw and his entire head flew literally into a giant storm cloud that suddenly popped into existence.

Bolts of lightning could be seen, illuminating the cloud from within, discharging their power into the center itself.

After a few seconds, Discord's head came back down unharmed and attached itself to the simply with crossed arms waiting body again.

"Something smells burned here, and it's not my doing." He looked up and saw that his left horn was on fire. "Oh..." The flames were instantly gone.

Four more Discords appeared in front of the original, all wearing lab coats and glasses to look more intelligent with clipboards and pencils at the ready.

"Gentleman, what are your professional opinions? What can I do to escape this boredom?" the original asked, quite seriously.

Copy 1 cleared his throat, "The analysis ended with the result that you messed up on a scale that it isn't funny anymore. I think you should lay low and simply obey Celestia's," he gagged, "orders. Otherwise, you could risk that Fluttershy gets the impression we didn't want to improve at all. Which could lead to the worst case scenario." Copy 1 looked horrified at the original, "No more tea parties with Fluttershy."

All other Discords in the room gasped in sincere shock. Copy 3 even mock-fainted.

Original Discord played with his goatee, "I see. My situation is truly dire. Who's next?"

Copy 2 raised a claw and grinned evilly, "Maybe you could cause chaos somewhere else? Beyond Equestria. The princesses only decided that you were forbidden from doing it there. They never said something about other places."

The original rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, Clone 2 exploded into confetti. A sound was heard, resembling Pinkie Pie's party cannon. "Has anyone else such a brilliant idea?" he asked his remaining clones with thick sarcasm. "The moment Tia even gets a hunch that I may try something to undermine her I'm doomed! It will just end with another, most likely much longer and more boring penalty."

Copy 3 stood again and suggested with a posh accent, "Perhaps, old chap, you could use your powers for good and help the ponies. There is still a lot of damage left behind by that brute, Tirek. You could rebuild everything with a snap of your claws."

The original looked positively disgusted, "You mean I should w-w-wor- you know what I mean. That's blasphemy! How can you come up with something like that?!"

"I'm a part of you, so-"

"NO! And that's final! If I start to help these ponies with my abilities they will never stop annoying me and ask for help with every little thing. Why wait for a home to be finished after weeks or months of construction if you could just ask the God of Chaos for help to do it with a snap of his fingers? Why go to the doctor if Discord can just take your cold away in a blink of an eye? Nope! Such things are beneath my status and besides-" The original summoned a religious cross into his lion paw and chanted like a mad priest, "May the non-existent rules of chaos compel you! Get thee hence, abomination of logic!"

Copy 3 gave his creator a deadpan stare, "Are you serious? If I'm some sort of abomination, then so are you. I AM you."

Original Discord grumbled, "Sometimes I hate it that I'm always right. But no, thank you, me." He looked at Copy 4.

Shuffling his feet and looking a bit nervous as he looked away, the remaining Discord was a little clueless and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Err... maybe you could just watch again what is going on in the human world at the moment. You know, checking on Celestia's former student or browsing the internet."

"Of course! I'm a genius! Why, thank you, me. You just saved me from suffering more boredom." With another snap, all copies exploded into confetti with the related sound.

When he heard about this ‘strange and scary mirror dimension’, as his best friend Fluttershy described it, during one of their weekly meetings after Starbutt's return his interest was sparked immediately. So he looked at the portal when nopony was awake, remembered and analyzed the magical matrices concerning the mirror and its enchantments and created a connection for himself to the human world to look how it was like over there.

Dimensional barriers were overrated anyway.

Discord had rarely felt this happy before in his existence. These humans were beautifully chaotic and entertaining. So much mayhem and disorder!

He had to confess, sometimes it was concerning what he found out about them. And that they were particularly eager to use lethal violence as a solution was just plain boring.

Well, whatever. It wasn't his business what they were doing in their free time. When in Neighico... or however this human idiom worked.

In other words, a God of Chaos was practically jobless on Earth.

And then there was the aforementioned internet. An abyss of insanity like no other, so that even such a dashing and fearless being like himself was sometimes horrified. Where things could be found which would turn the hardest dragon into a sobbing mess. The imagination of a human was truly horrifying and fascinating at the same time. The draconequus lost count how many times he found himself again on the dark side of Haytube. Did he get at least that human idiom right? Discord certainly hoped so.

The Spirit of Chaos remembered well how he laughed so hard that his body fell literally apart when he saw how Lulu's and Tia's counterparts were mere principals of a high school. Of course, he never told anypony about it. The equines would just ruin his fun or get the preposterous idea that he would try to endanger the humans for his amusement.

Amateurs.

He was the God of Chaos, not the God of Evil. Fun was his ambiance, and besides, who could be this mad and not trust someone as trustworthy as him? Discord was the most trustworthy pal a pony could ever wish for!

And then there were the counterparts of the Element Bearers.

The, as always, hot headed Rainbow Dash with the need to be ‘awesome’. A typical athlete who liked to live on the edge.

The country bumpkin Applejack. Discord never knew that one single person could fill so many cliches about her own occupation.

His second favorite human counterpart, Pinkie Pie. As random as he expected.

The fashionista, Rarity. A drama queen; enough said.

Next came, obviously, his favorite, human Fluttershy. He always played with the thought of inviting her to Equestria and having tea with both Fluttershys at once.

But then Discord had to give up swiftly on this plan when he thought about it a little more. For one, it was too risky. When he pulled over the human Fluttershy his own Fluttershy would instantly tell the Princess of Books about it and she would immediately tell Cakeflank by extension.

Only trouble would come out of that for him.

The other problem was that human Fluttershy was an animal lover to the fullest and humans seemed to adore everything that could be defined as ‘cute’ or ‘adorable’. From what he gathered, human Fluttershy could get a stroke from seeing a small living talking pegasus pony or she would never want to leave anymore just so that the girl could cuddle all Equestrians into submission...

He kept this thought in the back of his mind as a Plan B.

Lastly, Sunset Shimmer. The former student of Celestia and a fellow former villain. Huh, maybe they could found a Reformation Club? And he would invite Fluttershy of course, as the mascot.

He saw live how everything played out during this ‘Battle of the Bands’.

A draconequus had his ways.

Discord always knew that Star Swirl was a naive fool. Banishing sirens, of all beings, to another world?

And Sunset Shimmer had it rough. Humans weren't as nice and forgiving as ponies. Not by a long shot, from everything he saw. He felt a little bad for the girl when he saw what her fellow students did to her in order to settle the score. Damage of property and name calling were the daily routines for the unicorn in disguise after the, what was it called? Ah, yes! Fall Formal. He nearly felt the need to do something about it. It was scary.

But in time all this nonsense abated and after the little stand off with the sirens it should be fine. As a former villain himself, he totally got Sunset Shimmer. He knew how it was to be hated by others.

A rift in reality opened on Discord's command, only visible from his side alone, connecting his dimension with the human world. It was time to fight his boredom!

"That should be fun." He laughed maniacally.

Sunset Shimmer was never this devastated before in her life. How could everything have gone to Tartarus this fast? Her best friends looked disapprovingly at the accused girl in common disgust and betrayal. And not only them, all students in the hallway gave the impression as if they tried to break her with hateful glares alone.

"No, it wasn't me! Let me explain!" the former hero of the Battle of the Bands pleaded pathetically.

Rarity sighed in exhaustion, this girl was giving her a headache. "What is there to explain? Darling, I'm sure we can somehow work through this, even though you don't deserve it. But you just make it worse when you continue with this farce. We can go to Principal Celestia's office together if you want and tell her that you are behind everything."

Fluttershy was unsure of what to do, but decided to give it a last try. "Take your time. We still have half an hour left before the break is over," she reminded softly.

Sunset Shimmer fell to her knees in frustration. What could she say to make them understand? It was like the sentence was already spoken, no matter what the teenager said. "What can I do?!"

This had to be the first time in her life that she felt truly alone. No, wait, Sunset just remembered regretfully that it happened once already. The only other situation when her confidence, happiness, and pride were truly shattered.

The day when Princess Celestia dismissed the unicorn-turned-human as her personal student.

The one pony who picked her up when Sunset was a little filly. Who cared for her whenever she was sick, no matter what royal duties had to be done. Her personal assistant, Raven Quill, was simply ordered to reschedule everything until Sunset felt better. No birthday passed without receiving love and attention.

Sadly, with time she became prideful, arrogant and saw herself as somepony above all others, taking everything for granted. She justified her pitiful actions with being ‘the next princess of Equestria’, in her mind.

No two ways about it, her former self was truly a brat.

It only became worse when Princess Celestia showed her this accursed mirror where Sunset saw her reflection, changed to show her greatest desire; Becoming an Alicorn, a princess. Of course, the magical protégé evaluated it as fate at the time, completely ignoring all attempts of her teacher trying to talk Sunset out of the idea of becoming a ruler by force. No, she became obsessed with the mirror portal. She searched through the forbidden section of the Royal Library in Canterlot and didn't even stop when it came down to reading books about what was considered ‘Dark Magic’ in Equestria. All for the one goal of growing wings on her back.

Yep, Princess Celestia had all reason to kick her back into the streets.

"Shimmer! Stop ignoring us!" Rainbow shouted angrily while shoving Sunset with both hands, forcing aforementioned teenager to fall on her bottom.

Her wounded pride wouldn't stand for such treatment, a soft growl escaping her throat, "Don't you get it? I'm innocent!"

One of the many bystanders scoffed mockingly, "Of course you are. Did you already forget about everything you did during the last years?"

Sunset looked down in shame and self-loathing. How could she? She blackmailed, destroyed friendships and spread ugly rumors as long as the humans ‘opposing’ her, teacher and student alike, were taken care of. There could only be one Queen Bee at CHS and she did many spiteful things to obtain and defend this position for years.

Pinkie Pie stared uncomfortably at the sitting redhead, "Was our friendship nothing more than a bad joke to you?"

At first, the humanized unicorn wasn't sure if the Rainbooms seriously decided to befriend her, because they wanted to do it on their own, out of pity, or because Princess Twilight asked them to do it. They all became friends in the following months and the girls supported Sunset when someone tried to bully her as payback for what she did to them. It was fine for her, really; she deserved it.

But these five would have none of it and defended the former bully.

The same could be said about Principal Celestia, who threatened to punish anyone who destroyed her things in the aftermath. Well, always having to replace school books and repairing or cleaning her locker wasn't cheap.

For the first time since she left Equestria Sunset felt like she could truly belong somewhere. Though when it all started it was like after the Fall Formal all over again. Yes, with her best friends at her side it should all be fine. Indeed, the Magic of Friendship would help them to pull through the incident. Her friends, her family, they would never leave her.

Or so Sunset thought in all her stupidity, now she knew better. The venomous and disappointed glares aimed at her person in this very moment revealed the truth.

The one responsible started to post secrets of CHS' students shortly after the Battle of the Bands and after the first few posts, students started to point their fingers at her. Saying that the account could only be hers, because nobody else knew so many secrets of the others, except the former bully herself. It didn't really help her case that the account was designed in colors and with symbols like her well-known Cutie Mark, what practically screamed that it had to be her.

An obvious attempt of framing her, but for some reason nobody seemed to see through it. She balled her fists, eyes glistening from the sheer amount of injustice.

"Stop it with the crocodile tears! You can't fool anyone with your false act!" another, female student shouted in the background.

Sunset calmed down a little and looked up at her saviors, the humans who rescued her from her own ambitions and darkness, hopefully.

Pinkie's hair was nearly flat, her eyes narrowed, the voice uncharacteristically hostile. "Have you already forgotten what we did for you? We just wanted to make you smile, show you that you weren't alone and you throw everything back in our faces like the biggest party pooper in the history of party poopers!"

Sunset sobbed silently on all fours and put her forehead on the cold floor. How could she ever forget?

Christmas announced itself around the corner. An alternative human holiday to Equestria's Hearth's Warming Eve. The festival for family and friends.

Well, when you had a place where it was possible to celebrate it at least.

Sunset remembered how she barely made it through the winters or always had to avoid her friends, searching for an excuse when they asked if the group could have the next sleepover at her place.

They could call it pride. Still, she was many things, but she was no freeloader, nor did she need pity. So the teenager kept her poor living conditions a secret solely known by her alone.

Without thinking about it, the fiery haired girl let it slip that she never had anyone over the holidays since she started to live in the human world. The others came up with a sleepover marathon to show her that they were truly there for Sunset. It felt good to know that there were people who cared sincerely for her. It was... wonderful. It made her feel loved. The last time she felt like that was as a filly under Princess Celestia's warm wings, her moth-mentor.

It started with Pinkie Pie and a day later at Rarity's place. Despite Anon-a-Miss, nothing could ruin her fantastic mood.

Then the next day came and the world Sunset learned to love and cherish stopped existing. The humans who she started to see as a new family turned on her, accusing her of being Anon-a-Miss. Like the rest of the school did already for a long time now.

But the moment the secrets of her friends were spilled as well they were immediately very sure that only she could be responsible. As the only person in their circle who knew about them and possessed the ‘ill-will’ to do such a thing. The once greatest bully in the history of CHS.

They confronted her that morning and demanded to know why she did it, that she should confess being responsible for all the published secrets.

Sunset was pleading, with copious amounts of tears, that they had to listen to her. That she wasn't this ‘Anon-a-Miss’. Her friends didn't believe her in the slightest and told her bluntly to come back when she finally realized what damage she had caused to their friendship.

There had to be another logical explanation! But what? Who framed her? Not ready to surrender, she asked them all to meet her in front of her locker in order to convince them that she was innocent.

Sunset Shimmer never begged before in her entire life, but there was a first time for everything. Here she was, the once proud unicorn, master of the arts of magic. Crying like a little girl.

"Are ya done? Ya DO know that the break's nearly over, rig't?" Applejack informed in disinterest. She wasn't sure what this dirty liar was planning, but she wouldn't fall for it in the slightest.

As if in confirmation, the bell signaled that the classes started and they just... left her. Sunset looked after her leaving fr-

Were they even still her friends after the hurtful things they said to her? She couldn't tell any more. "Why don't they want to believe me?! And why doesn't Princess Twilight even answer any more?!" she exclaimed in frustration and despair, mostly to herself.

But she wasn't alone.

"Isn't it obvious? Even Twilight Sparkle finally realized what a waste of space you are."

This voice. Of course. Karma really hated her.

The red and yellow haired girl sighed in exhaustion, feeling emotionally drained. "What do you want, Trixie?"

Mentioned girl laughed arrogantly in response, "What's the matter, Shimmer? Are you mad that the Rainbooms no longer want to protect someone as worthless as you? The Great and Powerful TRIIIXXIIEE just came to see what was causing all this commotion and Trixie must say she likes what she sees. Finally, little Sunset Shimmer no longer has her little guardians at her side and can feel for herself what it's like to be ridiculed."

She pushed forcefully her forehead against Sunset's. "Do you know what you did to me?! After you posted Trixie's secret, nobody wanted to see her magic shows any longer! You probably ruined my chances of a future as a stage magician. Confess, Anon-a-Miss!"

The teenager was so angry that the silver-haired student slipped in her persona.

Sunset wouldn't grant Trixie the satisfaction of backing down and pushed back. "How many times do I have to say it?! I am NOT Anon-a-Miss! And I never will be!"

The rest of the students looked hatefully in her direction, as it was the case with Trixie, “Y-you witch! How dare you play innocent if the entire school already knows that you are behind this!"

The unicorn-turned-human could only grin at her small victory and replied in a pitying tone, "What's the matter? Are you mad, because you can't win against me in a battle of wits and have to lower your level more than usual to attack me? Using petty insults? How surprising." Sunset knew that was a little mean, but this show-off had it coming!

It felt good that she could finally let off some steam. This whole Anon-a-Miss business destroyed everything for her.

"So you find it funny to post other people's' secrets and have still the guts to lie to our faces about it?!" Trixie yelled after her supposed to be victim.

The confident feeling girl wanted to turn around to tell this wanna-be bully off only to end up on the floor, completely being caught off-guard by such a turn of events. And why did her head hurt?

"Haha! The Great and Powerful Trixie has bested you! Feel the tremendous power of her backpack!" Trixie gloated.

Seriously?! She resorted to violence, because she couldn't win with words?! "Just how pathetic are y-OOF!" Before she could finish, Sunset was on the ground anew. But this time because of a hit in her gut.

"That's for what you have done to me! Because of you, Silver Spoon won't talk to me anymore! Just because you HAD to post my private conversation with another person, didn't you?! I said that insult about her family as a stupid excuse, because the boy I talked with wouldn't stop insulting me! I was angry and told him how Silver's family would be much worse than mine without thinking! To get him off my case. You cost me my best friend, you bitch!" Diamond Tiara cursed loudly, her fist and arm still at the position where Sunset's center was but a moment ago.

Normally, most would gasp in shock at such strong language in school, but there were only a few other students except the busy trio. All looked down at Sunset Shimmer in disgust until everybody left for their own class before they were in trouble.

A heavily breathing Sunset Shimmer was trying to stop herself from vomiting on the floor. She never expected that a young human could have such a strong punch when angered. Now she knew.

The next two days were torture for her soul and body. It was already public knowledge that her friends abandoned her. Or in the students' opinion, finally saw reason and understood that Sunset Shimmer could never be trusted; Once a bully, always a bully. Without her friends at her side hunting season was opened and the teenager was the prey.

There was no redemption.

No second chance.

No friends.

No hope.

Someone like her shouldn't receive any mercy, it was finally time for payback. Not only was she called names and insulted in ways that even the hardest pony would blush at, or her locker destroyed with everything in it, but many tripped her, laughed openly at the girl's misery or even hit Sunset when no teacher was in sight. Of course, many students saw it, but nobody lifted a single finger to aid her.

There were only mocking smiles and vengeful thoughts.

At least nobody tried to seriously harm her until now, but the bruise under her knee told otherwise. She fell painfully hard on it after Rover tripped her.

Sunset Shimmer could do nothing more than limping to the last safe haven in this cruel world. Her little home. It was so cold... Sunset did her best to stay warm, but without any income or possibility of creating heat, it was a challenge.

She took, like nearly every night since Anon-a-Miss started to post secrets, her journal into her hands and thought what she would write to the princess this time.

Sunset felt despair. Had Princess Twilight given up on her as well? What if-no! She couldn't surrender yet. Maybe her royal duties were stopping her from responding?

She sighed with a shaking head and started to write.

Dear Princess Twilight,
I have no idea why you don't answer any of my letters anymore. Do you hate me as well? Did I offend you somehow? Do I annoy you with my questions for help and pleas for advice? I just can't take it anymore! I thought of them as friends and they abandoned me, like everybody else already did. Even Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna are unsure how to handle the situation and show me the cold shoulder these last days.

Chewing on her pen distracted Sunset, a bad habit, surely. But it helped her to concentrate.

What would you do in my place? Well, probably trying to talk with them again, I guess. OK, I'll ask them to meet me at Sugarcube Corner to talk about everything. I hope they'll finally understand that it wasn't me. I know they feel hurt, because this Anon-a-Miss started to publish secrets about them as well. I can understand that they came to the conclusion that I'm the one responsible. I mean, I'm the only one in our circle of friends who was known for using such tactics in her past. But I did nothing like that, I swear! Even at my worst, I drew a line at some point! Some leaked secrets already ruined some students' reputations and social lives without any chance of returning, because their parents read about it or now former friends. So many destroyed friendships, even my former self didn't cause so much damage.
I'm scared, Twilight. I don't know what to do anymore. The girls were always my safety line since the Fall Formal. They stood at my side and tried to befriend me. No matter how stubborn I behaved. But now... are we really friends anymore? They don't even try to see it from my perspective and all jumped aboard the ‘Burn-Sunset-Shimmer-at-the-stake’ bandwagon.

Sunset cringed, it sounded so pathetic. But she wasn't in the mood to pretend that she was fine any longer.

Alright, it's not that bad, but you know what I mean, right? How can they be my friends when they hate me so much? How can they be my friends when they don't even think of the possibility that it wasn't me in the first place? That someone tried to frame me?

The teenager shook her head in denial. No! There had to be a way!

I'll try it one last time. I can't give up on them just yet, I just can't. They are everything I have here. Without them, what is left for me?
The students of CHS are trying their best to take revenge for everything I have ever done to them and the teachers stay out of it. It's funny, you know? I thought after the Battle of the Bands that I was forgiven, that I earned my redemption, that other people would finally start to accept me and acknowledge how I became a better person since you saved me from myself. I guess I was wrong.
I hope this message will reach you. Twilight, I need you. I have to know if at least you still care about me.
Yours faithfully,
Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset read once more through all the messages she wrote to the princess since this whole mess started. Only now she saw that her latest letter was partly wetted by her tears. Great, she turned into a wimp. The unicorn-turned-human didn't remember the last time when she shed so many tears as was the case in the last few days.

"Please girls, you have to believe me..." she mumbled heartbroken into her pillow.

Chapter 2 - Chaotic Help

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Not many customers were in Sugarcube Corner at the moment, so it was easy for her to find the five friends, who were sitting with clearly unhappy but curious expressions at a bigger table, waiting.

"OK Sunset. This is your big chance. You will convince the girls that you are innocent, they will believe you and after a lot of group hugs and apologies you can finally begin to rebuild your friendship with them, again," the teenager encouraged herself and hoped it would work out for them.

She only opened the door, when Rainbow Dash already spotted her, and announced with tangible with disdain, "Look girls. Sunshit Shimmer is here."

"Rainbow Dash! Language!" Rarity reprimanded her friend with a frown.

Sunset winced at the accusation. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, every insult, especially by the ones she once saw as her best friends, stung, "H-hey girls. I'm glad you all agreed to meet me here." She hoped this little opening would break the ice.

"Cut it, snake. Ya called us, because ya wanted to tell us somethin' important. Are ya finally confessin'?" Applejack asked in a hostile tone.

"How many times do I have to beg before you see reason and understand that I'm not Anon-a-Miss? Why would I even do that? I love having you girls around me! I see you as my best friends, my family! You were the best thing that ever happened to me since I came to this world. Why should I endanger everything, after all we went through? Don't you remember the Battle of the Bands? We worked all together to defeat them with the help of Princess Twilight. I'm not a bully anymore, I became a better person. Please, give me a chance! That's all I ask for," Sunset pleaded openly, shaking.

This heartfelt little speech surely made them understand. Yes, they- "BE QUIET! STOP LYING TO US!" Fluttershy of all people screamed in utter sadness and disappointment.

"You are nothing more than a secret-stealing big ol' meanie!" Pinkie Pie supported with slightly flattened hair.

"Family doesn't stab ya in the back! When Ah even think about it that Ah wanted to invite ya over them holidays to Sweet Apple Acres. Ya make me sick!" Applejack lectured furiously.

"But I-"

"Seriously, Sunset Shimmer. Do you have no shame? You tell us here a fabricated story of how much we would mean to you and at the same time you are posting on MyStable other students' greatest secrets. Do you have any idea how many friendships you have ruined? The whole school is in utter chaos because of your vile actions. Clubs are falling apart!"

But Rarity wasn't done yet, "Secrets exist for a reason! Sometimes we humans do things in our life we are not proud of and regret them afterwards, but atonement won't turn back time. We know when the wrong people hear about our mistakes, no matter how close to us, it would just cause much more harm than good for everyone involved because of their... delicate nature. They are parts of our past and sometimes buried there to be forgotten one day. No more than a remaining memory and certainly nothing to make public knowledge."

She stood up and closed the distance between her and Sunset's face. "But here you are, spilling others' secrets, no matter how damaging they might be for everybody and destroying relationships as you desire. And all that for what, hm? Do you want to show us how superior you are? How much you had us in your hands?" the fashionista added her own words in disgust.

"I didn't do it! Why can't you see that someone has framed me?!" Sunset couldn't believe it. Why couldn't they see?!

Rainbow laughed mockingly, "Oh yeah? And how could this Anon-a-Miss know about Rarity and Applejack in the first place? Applejack's nickname was only known by her family and us six. The same can be said about the old outfits Rares made. Secondly, you told us yourself about all the dirt you collected on others from your time as Queen Bee. The same stuff that was posted, by the way, now in some mysterious way stolen from your cell phone. Answer us these holes of logic, you genius. Or even better, just admit that it was you all along! Stop wasting our time with your bullshit excuses!" Rainbow Dash was in Daring Do mode and connected the dots in her head to bring the lying girl to her knees.

"Rainbow Dash! Volume and language! You know the rules," Mrs. Cake scolded warningly from the counter.

"I don't know! It happened during the slumber parties and when Rarity and Applejack told us their stories and there was only us and-" At last the penny dropped for Sunset Shimmer. "Of course! I don't know how or why they did it, but it could only have been Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle!"

"WHAT?!" Rarity and Applejack shouted, livid as rarely before in their life because of these preposterous allegations. Mrs. Cake glared at them.

"They have to be! Well, somehow. I'm not sure about Apple Bloom, if I'm being honest, but Sweetie Belle surely had the opportunity to get her hands on my phone when nobody looked. We just have to confront the girls and find out the truth." Once more, Sunset was on the ground in pain. She should have seen it coming. Her stomach agreed with vigor.

"How DARE ya?" Applejack asked in a low, but sharp voice, "Ya have the guts to blame our sisters, our KIN, for yer sins? Ah can't believe ya! Get out. Ah don't want to see yer disgustin' face no more!"

"Blaming innocent little girls? Accusing them of committing something this awful? How could you? You are the worst and meanest person I ever met." Fluttershy couldn't look at Sunset and lowered her head.

Pinkie kept quiet and averted her eyes as well. She felt ashamed for befriending such an awful meanie in the first place. And Rarity looked down at her like Sunset Shimmer was worth less than dirt.

The former student of the sun felt her tears falling again. "Y-you didn't mean it like that, d-do you? Please! I just thought it made sense! I'm sorry-"

The chromatic athlete had enough and groaned loudly. "Shut up! After the Fall Formal I always stood up for you, we ALL did! I kept the other students from bullying you, was there for you. And how do you repay me? By lying to my face! You don't know a thing about loyalty, Shimmer. Just go away and leave us alone. We don't need someone like you in our lives. We are better off without you. Heck, the entire human world is better off without you, She-Demon."

"Dash!" Fluttershy scolded her childhood friend for the last sentence.

She knew that Sunset Shimmer stabbed them in the back, but there was no reason in her opinion to go so low. Rainbow rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Sunset managed to stand up again, feeling shattered. Truly everybody outcasted her at one point in the girl's life. Was everything Princess Twilight told her about the ‘Magic of Friendship’ nothing more than a lie?

"I-I see." was everything she muttered slowly and left Sugarcube Corner without another word to spare.

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Pinkie Pie asked into the round with now completely flat hair. Even her skin looked a few shades darker.

"Ah'm sure. It wasn't pretty, but this gal played us like fiddles. Ah still can't believe her... accusin' ma' little sis like that," Applejack replied sourly.

"I know how you feel Darling. Sweetie Belle may have the tendency to go overboard with her antics, but she would never do something uncouth like that. She knows better than spreading others' secrets," Rarity commented with a nodding head. Still slightly irritated.

Rainbow Dash was quiet, for a change of pace, and attempted to glare a hole into the table, frowning.

Fluttershy looked out of the window in the direction where Sunset disappeared. A blizzard was announcing its presence at the horizon. The animal lover had a very bad feeling about this.

In his long, long existence, Discord had rarely felt like he felt right then. Normally he wouldn't care less for most things which weren't somehow related to his best friend Fluttershy. But this time was different. He saw everything. Witnessed how this whole drama started with ‘Anon-a-Miss’ until the moment Sunset Shimmer left the human version of Sugarcube Corner.

The Spirit of Chaos didn't only see, but he heard everything as well.

Discord was furious for the first time in many centuries. He would never understand how these humans weren't able to see through this fake account. How obvious it was that clearly someone tried to frame the poor girl. And clearly succeeded.

And all this suffering. The pain. That wasn't funny at all. No, the God of Chaos had to fight the strong urge to go over to Earth to show these humans what an angry god was capable of. But Discord promised Celestia that he would never go there.

Mankind wasn't ready to know that their little world, explainable with rules of physics and other scientific concepts, was nothing in the grand scheme of things. Humans were blind to the truth, their world just one of many in the multiverse. What would they do when their little bubble of rules burst in contact with reality?

Most importantly, he had another promise to keep. Discord remembered this day. How couldn't he? It was the first time in his life that Sunflank asked him for a personal favor. A favor he couldn't refuse, because without her he wouldn't be free from his stony prison right now. Without her, he wouldn't have become friends with Fluttershy.

"You called, Tia?" Discord asked playfully. Why would she call him into her private chamber? Normally this alicorn only summoned him into the throne room like an obedient little subject. Of course, he would never say that out loud. The only difference was... well, no witnesses to whatever business she called him for. No guards. Was it something serious? Tirekish serious?
It looked to him like Celestia was deep in thought before she finally managed to acknowledge him. How rude! "Oh, Discord! Yes, I called you here today, because I have something very important to discuss with you."
"About how serious are we talking about? Tirek serious? Sombra serious? Chrysi serious? Or do you need to lose weight? I know most Ponies think I can do whatever I want, but there are things even I can't undo. The last option is beyond my powers, I fear." Discord snickered.
Princess Celestia blushed in response before she narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. Not many beings managed to create cracks in her mask. Much to her dismay, the Spirit of Chaos counted to them, "Cut it out, Discord. I didn't call you for my flanks, but because I need a... personal favor."
His jaw dropped literally to the ground, "Wait, wait, wait. YOU want to ask ME for a personal favor?" Discord laughed uproariously. He calmed down enough after a minute to continue the conversation, "Well played, I didn't expect such a convincing joke. For a moment I really thought-"
"It's NOT a joke! I really am requesting your aid in a, well, sensitive matter. It is very personal, you might say," the Princess of the Sun admitted with a heavy sigh.
"First you had my interest, but now you gained my attention. OK Tia, because you freed me and gave me the chance of befriending dear Fluttershy I shall grant you my help this one time. Say it and use your free wish wisely," Discord ordered in an unusually serious tone.
Celestia collected her thoughts one last time, "As you surely know by now, Princess Twilight ventured into another world to secure and return the stolen Element of Magic. She succeeded in her task and brought it back to Equestria. A world similar to ours, I might add. Tell me first, what do you know about the incident?"
Discord rolled his eyes in boredom but decided to humor her. He wanted to check the mirror for himself anyway after Fluttershy told him this morning about everything Starbutt reported to her friends, "I know that Purple Smart's Element was stolen by a unicorn when you were all in the Crystal Empire. Her name is Sunset Shimmer, and she was your former student before you took Twilight Sparkle under your wings."
He couldn't contain himself and just had to tease her about it, "I wasn't so blind and deaf to the world around me as you might have thought. No, I saw many interesting things from my little prison. So I witnessed it as well when you brought a little unicorn foal to the palace many years ago. You took her in as your personal student.”
The God of Chaos disappeared and reappeared behind Celestia, put a arm around her neck and continued speaking in a reflective manner, "But one day she grew... well... quite ambitious. It was hilarious to watch. Then she disappeared from one day to the next. I wasn't sure if you just imprisoned her or sent her to the moon so that your sister had a roomie. And let me guess, you want to give me a completely predictable and unnecessary speech how I should stay away from the human world because of balance and all these other boring concepts you value so much?"
The temperature in the room was rising. Discord knew he shouldn't have said it like that, but it wasn't like Celestia could truly harm him anyway. He was the manifestation of chaos itself after all, a fundamental force of the universe. It would take greater powers than her to do that.
Using the breathing exercises the princess once taught Cadence, who in extension taught Twilight, she calmed down again and glared at the smugly grinning master of chaos, "Now that I think about it, I haven't read a friendship letter from Fluttershy in quite some time. I’m sure there are many things she’d like to tell me about you, don’t you think? Should I write to her? I personally believe that is a wonderful idea." Now it was Celestia's turn to grin smugly in a challenging manner.
The draconequus' eye twitched, "Touché. Now, what do you want me to do?"
Her smile was gone instantly, and the emotions she showed rarely were displayed on the princess' face, regret and sadness, "It's concerning that you confirmed my suspicions on the topic of your awareness as a statue. But we will have to talk about this matter another time.”
She inhaled deeply, "That world's inhabitants are known as humans. But there is something you might not know, their world is nearly magicless. Or at least I never discovered any magic on it, in other words, no matter how powerful somepony is, in the moment you are a human there is no way to access your power any longer. When Star Swirl the Bearded tested the mirror he had created for the first time, he came back immediately and warned me from ever going there myself. He said that everypony who went through the mirror would be transformed into a bipedal being to fit into the world.”
She walked up and down in front of the interested draconequus.
"Now, Sunset Shimmer, one of my two greatest regrets. Like it happened with Luna, I was blinded by my emotions and desires. And I will only warn you this one time, never tell Twilight about it, she would get the wrong impression. Originally I expected Sunset to become the bearer of the Element of Magic by guiding her along the path of discovering the Magic of Friendship."
Discord mock-yawned. "I'm already bored."
Celestia spared him a silent glare before she continued, "It was a plan I had in mind for my old student from the moment I rescued her in Manehatten. All alone, but incredibly powerful at the mere age of seven. Her potential was bigger than the potential of any other personal student I ever had before, I could feel it. I saw that this little filly was destined for greatness. So I adopted her and made Sunset my personal pupil. But sadly she grew arrogant, too ambitious. She saw it more and more as her right to ascend into alicornhood. No matter what I tried, she wouldn't listen to me. Sunset wouldn't understand that the title of a ruler was nothing you had a right on, but something that had to be earned through hard work and compassion in your heart.”
The draconequus snapped his fingers and giant alicorn wings came to existence on his back, “Hail princess Discord!” The monarch wasn’t amused in the slightest as shown by her deadpan glare. “Tough crowd…”
"My biggest mistake was to show her Star Swirl's mirror. Before he disappeared, he told me that it was connected to the human world, but could be used in theory to view other alternative worlds of Equestria as well. Sometimes it can even show you the future, or at least one of many, showing you what you COULD become. A possibility of how your life might turn out.”
Concern and slight fear made itself known in her voice, "It happened to me when I looked a few centuries ago into the mirror and saw for myself how I would fight Luna in the Everfree Forest where the ruins of our old castle are standing now. The difference in that world was that Luna wasn't Nightmare Moon there, but it was me who transformed into a corrupted version of herself. I became Daybreaker."
Celestia shook her head in regret, "I fear Sunset looked into the mirror and saw herself as an alicorn; a potential path her future could have taken. Where she truly earned her wings. But she misinterpreted what she saw and believed the mirror showed her true destiny, not just a possibility.”
The Princess of the Sun looked pleadingly at the draconequus. "I failed her Discord. I feared she could be consumed by darkness because of her growing ambition and lust for recognition, like it happened to my sister. So I pushed her away from me, hoping that she may find friends on her own, accepting other ponies as her equals. Forcing her onto the path of discovering the Magic of Friendship, something that can't be forced, but I was too arrogant to see it. I was so focused on pushing Sunset into the role as the Bearer of Magic that I lost sight of her own feelings, her needs. I wanted her to be somepony who could bring me back my little sister and only told her what I deemed necessary. I... I should have been much more open with my Little Sun. I should have been there for her. But I didn't and I regret this foolish mistake to this very day.”
“Don’t be mad Tia. At least you fail in great proportions. Even if everypony is miserable,” he smiled as he placed a paw on her shoulder, “I will always laugh at you.”
Celestia had to stop herself from groaning loudly, he really made it difficult for her. Then a sad smile graced her features, "The first thing I asked her was if Sunset Shimmer was alright when Twilight returned from the mirror world. I know that the Elements don't always do what you might expect. As the banishment of my own sister was proof of that. I rarely felt so relieved when she told me that Sunset wasn't banished to the moon of the human world or turned into a stone statue by the Elements of Harmony. No offense," Celestia added with a wink.
Discord raised an eyebrow and chuckled dryly, "None taken."
Her voice took a much more business-like note, "Now to my request: Discord, would you please watch over Sunset in my stead? She is a unicorn in a world bereft of magic. And from what Twilight, and especially Star Swirl from his short visits, told me, humans aren't as forgiving as my subjects. I fear that this world could threaten her, something I can't allow. Please, promise me to watch over her as long as she decides to live there. I know that most rules don't apply to you and I'm sure you are able to enter other dimensions on your own without the need of a magic mirror. Observe what happens over there and inform me when you think Sunset's very life is in danger."
A warning glint filled her eyes, "But don't go there on your own, no matter how curious you are. Twilight informed me that her Element brought a lot of Equestrian magic into this world and that she is worried what could happen to this usually magicless dimension when it gets filled with the potent powers of Equus. And I concur. Do you agree to these terms?" Celestia hoped that the God of Chaos had enough foresight to contain himself from doing something stupid.
"I think I can agree to these conditions. I mean I get to see an entirely new world!" Discord laughed and stood suddenly a few moments later saluting in front of the princess in the armor of her Royal Guard, a doublet above it. Upon the doublet was written: ‘Never praise the sun. It's a trap!’ She had absolutely no idea what that meant. But before she could ask the God of Chaos exclaimed loudly, "It shall be done, Sunflank!"
Celestia wasn't sure anymore if asking the God of Chaos for a favor was such a good idea.

Normally he wouldn't check what others did in their privacy. He was a jester, not a creep after all, and had standards. But Discord had a promise to keep and so he glimpsed shortly what she did when the girl managed to escape the other students' thirst for revenge.

What he saw wasn't amusing in the slightest. Sunset Shimmer cried her eyes out every time she returned to her poor living conditions. At first, it wasn't so bad, because she believed in a better tomorrow, but after her closest friends abandoned her as well it got a lot worse.

He manipulated his rift a little here and there to change the angle and saw it in her face when Sunset left Sugarcube Corner, sheer despair. A face of somebody who lost the will to go on. No, that wouldn't do! Celestia had to be informed about her former student's dangerous mental state, she might try to harm herself.

Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Raiser of the Sun, nearly fell asleep. Her guards in the throne room weren't fairing better.

The unicorn noble in front of her went on and on about his bill. His name was Tight Deluxe, his fur was amaranth-colored, while his mane and tail white. On his flank he displayed a golden pocket watch with golden hands set upon an ivory watchface.

Why couldn't she be more like Luna? But noooo, she had to be the friendly one. Her sister would simply use her Royal Canterlot Voice and dismiss him with the help of her vocal chords to end this farce.

"As you can surely see, Princess, my bill would bring humongous advantages for our great nation. What are your thoughts?" Tight Deluxe finished his nearly half an hour long monologue in a snobbish voice.

"You really don't want to know," Celestia thought sarcastically.

With a practiced smile of patience and benevolence, that she used exclusively for the most difficult of ponies, the Princess of the Sun answered, "First I would like to thank you for this very detailed and well thought out bill. It seems that you put a lot of time and thoughts into it. But there are a few things I would like to discuss with you. We should start with-"

Discord appeared out of nowhere and said gravely, "Tia, we have an emergency!"

Normally she would be thankful for any problem that saved her from such stressful discussions, but that sounded anything but good, "I understand."

She looked at the noble in front of her with an apologetic smile, "You have to excuse me, Lord Deluxe, but it seems a very important matter has come up that I must attend to at once. My seneschal will schedule you for the start of the next court, then we shall continue this. Or you could go to see my sister at her Night Court, if you wish for a more prompt decision. It is your choice." Tight Deluxe grumbled to himself, visibly displeased. "GUARDS! Please send everypony home. Tell them that the Day Court is concluded for today because of an urgent matter that needs my immediate attention."

The guards saluted in silent acknowledgment.

Celestia illuminated her horn, teleporting Discord and herself into her private study, "What happened?" she asked grimly.

He wore suddenly a pillow armor and a pot on his horns, "You should know that the humans came up with a very interesting, but in my opinion quite important, idiom which pretty much says: 'Don't shoot the messenger'. Then I have to ask, is your little student somehow not available at the moment? There are A LOT of letters she didn't answer from this magical journal you gave her to communicate with Sunflank Junior."

The Alicorn of the Sun could only blink in confusion. And again, "I'm certain you know that by now, but you make absolutely no sense, Discord. When you are talking about Twilight, she and her friends have their hooves full with the upcoming Hearth's Warming Eve Pageant. Luna and I have nothing to do with its preparations this year, it will be all their doing. Twilight won't return to Ponyville until late in the evening." Celestia felt great worry, "Why? Did something happen that I should be made aware of? Is it Sunset?"

"We have no time for twenty questions! Every second could count! I will simply copy my memories into yours. Brace yourself!" Discord warned urgently.

He put his lion paw on Celestia's head for a few seconds. Her eyes glowed in a bright white light. When the draconequus was finished, he let go of the now wobbly mare and took a few steps back.

Celestia shook her head violently. Chaos Magic always felt somehow wrong in her opinion. The mad god’s memories invaded her mind and brought her up to date about the Anon-a-Miss incident, from the very beginning of it to the moment Discord left to inform her about Sunset Shimmer.

Many emotions switched places on the normally very controlled alicorn's face. Worry, joy, pride, fear, disappointment, shock, horror and lastly fury. Indeed, an unholy anger filled Celestia. How dared they make Sunset suffer!?

Discord gulped nervously when he felt how the temperature was rising around him, more and more. The Spirit of Chaos knew that Celestia couldn't harm him permanently, but seeing such fury made him worried for his well-being, still. Suddenly he felt magic grasp his throat mercilessly and he was forced to look into two miniature suns. It was like facing wrath incarnate.

"YOU WILL TAKE US TO THE MIRROR IN TWILIGHT'S CASTLE THIS INSTANT!! NOW!" Celestia demanded in her Royal Canterlot Voice.

If Discord was impressed by the power of her voice, he was doing his best to hide it. Polishing the knuckles of his right hand with a cloth that had appeared from nowhere, “Why, have you forgotten the way?”

The glare he received was enough to make him flinch. Though as he moved to snap his fingers, Luna suddenly appeared. Having felt that her big sister was gathering dangerous amounts of her power quickly, she had teleported into her sibling's room. Dressed in her battle armor and ready for combat, "DEAREST SISTER! WE HAVE ARRIVED TO AID THEE IN BATTLE! WHERE IS THE FIEND?!" the Alicorn of the Moon inquired in a booming volume. She glared with white glowing orbs, reminding on moonlight, at Discord.

The God of Disharmony was never this good before at imitating his best friend, "Eep!"

Chapter 3 - A Mother's Regrets

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Sunset ran, she ran like never before in her young life. Not from fear, but to get away. Away from the ones who disowned her as a friend, who banished her from their lives. She ran until the unicorn in disguise reached the Canterlot Park, completely out of breath.

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore to the girl, she just wanted to be alone for now. Thinking about what to do next.

Sunset sat on the closest bench to the Canterlot Lake. A small nearly invisible smile graced her features. She remembered how this place looked during the summer. So full of life, with many different flowers. It reminded her sometimes of home, parts of the Royal Garden in Canterlot Castle to be precise.

She would lay on a pillow surrounded by Sunset Orchids, her favourite flowers.

Not because they shared her name, but because of their special and magical life circle. They only started to open and displayed their beautiful vibrant red and brilliant golden colors during the beginning of the sunset and closed themselves when the first rays of dawn touched their blossoms.

Until the sunset of the next day started a new cycle.

And Princess Celestia would sit behind her, testing her knowledge. Or she would talk with her pupil about the most mundane things. But most importantly, during this time they would deepen a very special bond. And smiles on their muzzles only shared by foal and mo... no. The princess disowned her as well.

"Am I truly alone now?" Sunset asked herself in an emotional whisper.

Sunset Shimmer wore nothing else than black short boots, blue jeans, a white top with her Cutie Mark upon it and her favourite jacket made of false black leather. Rarity repaired her garment after the Fall Formal for free to show her that she was forgiven for everything. She didn't have the money for a winter jacket, that was much too expensive for her.

"Forgiven my flank," Sunset thought in deep sadness. Tears were building up behind her closed eyelids, waiting to be released upon the cold earth beneath her.

The unicorn-turned-human used the bench as a wooden bed, trying to fight her upcoming emotions. The feelings of betrayal, pain, suffering, bitterness, sorrow pulled at her mental state.

And then the memories. Oh, how they tormented her.

Rarity...

"But here you are, spilling others' secrets, no matter how damaging they might be for everyone and destroy relationships as you desire. And all that for what, hm? Do you want to show and prove to us how superior you are? How much you had us in your hands?"

The honest expression of sheer disgust on the fashionista's face. It hurt more than words could describe it for Sunset.

Fluttershy...

"BE QUIET! STOP LYING TO US!"

Never did she witnessed such anger from the usually shy and timid girl. Not even when she had bullied her.

Applejack...

"Ya have the guts to blame our sisters, our KIN, for yer sins? Ah can't believe ya! Get out. Ah don't want to see yer disgustin' face no more!"

To think that she wanted to invite Sunset to the Apple household over the holidays. An experience nothing more than an everlasting dream.

Rainbow Dash...

"You don't know a thing about loyalty, Shimmer. Just go away and leave us alone. We don't need someone like you in our lives. We are better off without you. Heck, the entire human world is better off without you, She-Demon."

Was it true?

Pinkie Pie...

"Have you already forgotten what we did for you?"

No, but what difference would it make for her? She was all alone, no friends, no family, no support.

Then a new feeling made itself known. Fury.

"HOW DARE THEY?! Don’t I deserve forgiveness after everything I’ve done for them?! I-" It was too much.

Sunset Shimmer didn't know how much time she spent on the hard bench. Her awareness faded ever so slowly. Why? Oh, right. The coldness of winter ate away at her warmth. Piece by piece all this time she cried and screamed in despair, alone.

"I should write Princess Twilight about how the meeting went," the teenager mumbled tiredly. Sleep sounded like a good idea, yes, soon.

Sunset took her backpack with trembling hands and pulled out her only connection to Equestria, a pen and started with a shivering voice. "D-dear Princess Twilight..."

"Tia, why can't we accompany thee rather than have to stayeth behind instead? We could just put Twilight Sparkle on the throne for the duration of our absence," Luna inquired with a pouting face. "We should go together to punish these insolent mortals!"

She dismissed, unwillingly, her battle armor and stood with a deathly silent Celestia and a grim-looking Spirit of Chaos in front of the now activated magic mirror.

The lunar princess saw in her sister's chambers what happened with Sunset Shimmer and was furious that one of her loyal subjects was treated in such an atrocious manner. Luna asked her sibling very politely, at ear-shattering volume, if she should bring her Thestrali with them to, in her words, ‘storm the bastion of the enemy’ in response to what happened.

The request was denied, but Celestia considered for about five seconds. It was a very tempting idea.

Shortly thereafter, Discord found himself pressed against the wall once more, accused of wasting time and told that he should bring them to the mirror immediately. The draconequus could have sworn that the midnight blue alicorn enjoyed it way too much when she used her magic on him in such a violent way.

Maybe she was still sour about the thing with Tirek? How dull, Moonbutt was always so resentful. Always living in the past. Perhaps little Woona needed simply a change of pace? Or a change of color?

Yep. He had an idea for his next prank now.

Celestia sighed fatefully and locked eyes with her beloved sister, "No Lulu, I'm sorry. One of us has to stay behind in the case that Twilight learns that we are both gone before she returns to Ponyville on her own. I ordered Raven to inform her about our whereabouts should the need arise. I want you both here. You to calm down Twilight as well as the rest of our little Ponies should they notice my disappearance and start asking questions. Discord needs to be here to share his memories with her, it will make explanations shorter, and he can inform you instantly should something happen in the human world, because he can look into the plane without actually being there himself. I doubt that anything there could harm me, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

"We knowest that thou likest to keep thy cards close to the heart, as the saying goes these days, but we needeth more information!" the Princess of the Night demanded with a stomping hoof.

The older of the two alicorns looked urgently at Discord. He knew what she wanted to know and closed his eyes in strong concentration. After the God of Chaos opened them again he answered the unspoken question. "Shimmy is fine for now. I saw her run into a park. The moment she leaves it, I will inform you," he said truthfully.

The Princess of the Sun sighed regretfully. She really wanted to reach Sunset as fast as possible, but first she had to make her sister understand, "There is so much to tell, but not enough time to cover it all. It is just... this is something I must do on my own. I entrusted Twilight with everything concerning Sunset and the human world, because I didn't want to give her the feeling that I had no faith in her abilities as the newly declared Princess of Friendship after Tirek's defeat. Or that I would just overrule her own judgment. My once faithful student managed to attain her crown and trusted her heart to decide which course of action would be the wisest in the aftermath."

Celestia found a true purpose for herself, a way to correct her past mistakes. "Worse, I never found the courage in all these years to search for my former student myself or at least to write to her in my own copy of the journal. A mistake I mean to correct. I never followed her because of my own pride and the excuse that Sunset would return to me on her own when she so desired or found out that she was no longer capable of using magic in the other world."

The Alicorn of the Sun walked up and down in front of the duo, fearful for her former student, "The situation has changed dramatically for the worse and a new, much... firmer approach has to be taken. When Twilight returned with her Element I believed my Little Sun could finally find happiness in her life with the help of her new friends at her side. But now I have to step in personally. No more excuses."

She shook her head in an attempt to clear it for her upcoming task. "I deluded myself every night, since the day of her disappearance, that she would be fine with thought up excuses. How I couldn't follow her as the only ruler of Equestria and needed to stay here. I thought I lost everything that day, my Little Sun... as well as you, Lulu."

Luna felt her eyes moistened, feeling touched, while Discord mock-gagged dramatically.

Celestia ignored the mad god's antics, "Until the day I met a certain young filly. Twilight Sparkle; studious, intelligent, eager, if very neurotic at times, and years ahead of her peers. I recognized it as a new and final chance. Only this time with patience, love, and understanding instead of force and emotional pressure. And from the moment she had a Magic Flare of the greatest magnitude and gained her Cutie Mark I put my entire focus on Twilight's education. So I was preparing her for the moment of proving herself worthy of becoming the Bearer of Magic and freeing you from the influence of the Nightmare with the help of her friends."

A smile of pride could be seen upon the princess' face for a few seconds before it was replaced by a thousand-yard stare. It looked like she saw events of another time, things beyond a mortal's eye, solely known by her. "I'm truly proud of Twilight. She achieved so much and managed to exceed my expectations time and time again. I couldn't have wished for a better student. But of course, my... daughter could never be replaced. To think that all this could have been Sunset's doing as well and it wasn't, just because I was too impatient, it hurt."

Luna nuzzled her sister's side, which earned her a thankful nod from her sibling, "I was so blinded and consumed by my one wish to save you that I reacted much too emotionally with anger, fear, and disappointment. I never considered what kinds of possible outcomes my careless decree of releasing her as my student could result in. I was such a fool."

"Oh Tia, tell us something we don't know," Discord commented recliningly.

After she gave the Spirit of Chaos a short glare, Celestia continued, "I thought that she would lose these misguided ambitions of becoming a princess through questionable means after I dismissed her as my student. That such a harsh course of action would teach her humility and respect for others. That Sunset would understand that her actions had consequences. My plan was, if she calmed down enough and saw the error of her way, I would find her a position in Ponyville for the next few years, forcing her to interact with other ponies, and by extension... into finding and making friends. Starting to understand the Magic of Friendship despite detours, you might say."

She frowned at nobody particular, "I had such a great fear that she could be consumed by Dark Magic when I saw her that fateful day in the forbidden section, reading books about the most twisted arts of spell casting known by ponykind. I hoped that sending her away from the Magic Mirror, sending her away from her studies and preventing her from reading any more books about Dark Magic would do the trick and clear her mind. Oh how wrong I was. I planned everything out in my head to the last detail, but never considered her own feelings, nor involved my little pony in my stubborn schemes." A horrible thought came to the ancient ruler's mind, her eyes widened. "I should have said something to Sunset, tried to explain it to her. She must have thought that I not only released her from her position as my personal student but disowned her as my daughter as well. Lulu, d-do you think... I'm a bad mother?"

Dark wings hugged gently the taller of the two princesses and the reply came in form of a comforting voice. "We hath all done things in our life we are not proud of. Sins of the past, dear sister. Believe us when we say that we knoweth how it feels like to ask thyself such questions. Were we always a good sister? We say neigh! We failed thee and our subjects over 1000 years ago and hast to liveth with this knowledge. But as it happened with us, young Sunset is not beyond thy reach. Though we still demand to know why we have to babysit the nobles in thine absence! Why can we not come with thee?"

The Princess of the Sun chuckled in amusement at the pleading expression on her little sister's face, "I know you just want to help, but-" both Alicorns were suddenly drenched in waterfalls of tears.

Indeed, the God of Chaos cried streams of water, starting to fill the room at high speed. When he was finally finished, he summoned Luna in his arms, blew his nose with her mane. She looked positively disgusted and disturbed at Discord after he put her down and pulled a giant plug, which shouldn't even exist in the first place, to drain the room in a matter of seconds, ending up perfectly dry.

After the Spirit of Chaos dried his eyes for the last time with a handkerchief, what earned him a short death glare by the lunar ruler, he looked down at a twitching Luna and a completely unamused Celestia. "What? I'm emotionally unstable."

Truer words have never been spoken.

He snapped his claws and returned the siblings to their former glory, "There. As good as new. Did you really think I would let you go the human world like that? All... wet?" The draconequus gasped, scandalized. "What would the humans think?! And what would Sunflank Junior think?! Just imagine the potential gossip you would cause about yourself! I can already see the headlines of the newspapers,” a copy of the Trottingham Tattler in his paws suddenly, the headline declaring: 'Principal shocks students with wet hair look! Has science gone too far?!'"

"Discord!" Celestia shouted in annoyance.

"Oh, I see how it is. Typical. How ungrateful you are, after EVERYTHING I did for you! Only Fluttershy appreciates my true genius." The Spirit of Chaos turned his back, playing insulted.

"Thou wanted to say?" Luna asked the older princess neutrally. But she continued glaring at the draconequus.

The day would come when he was unprepared. A moment of weakness was all she needed. And then she would pounce. Revenge would be hers!

"For one, there is the problem that we have to consider the existence of our own human counterparts as well. It would cause a lot of confusion and unwanted attention when there were suddenly two Celestias and Lunas. We have to lay low and I have a better chance of doing so on my own. Otherwise, such a development could potentially put the local authorities on our tracks and endanger Sunset. Besides, who said that I would be defenseless, sister?" Celestia asked innocently.

"Thou takest a weapon with thee? And here we thought thou hast become soft," the Alicorn of the Moon replied jokingly. "Or art thou aiding her in reaching the enemy's land with her might intact?" She looked questioningly at the draconequus.

Discord rolled his eyes at the battle-eager lunar princess. "Cakeflank here just knows apparently that the mirror's will can be overpowered with the right spells and the necessary amount of magic behind them. It WAS once created by a unicorn. Powerful maybe in comparison, but a unicorn no less. These-" he stuck his tongue out in a repulsive manner. "-rules are only for beings who are not powerful enough to overcome the enchantments he once placed on the mirror. And even if I wanted to, I can't. Not because it's impossible, after all, that word doesn't even exist for me, see?"

He let a dictionary appear and showed the Princess of the Night the page where under ‘I’ the word ‘impossible’ would be. The letters started to disappear like dust in the wind, literally.

He tossed the book away and continued. "No, perish the thought! The problem is that Chaos Magic, as the name implies it, can be very... unpredictable. Even for me sometimes and I know that's VERY hard to believe! We can't know how my magic would affect Star Swirl's mirror if I placed a spell on Tia to let her reach the human world with her powers intact. She has to do it all alone."

"Is this true? Thou hast found a method of overcoming the mirror portal?" Luna inquired critically.

"Star Swirl said to me that I shouldn't enter the human world, but that didn't stop me from testing the mirror's limits later on. What can I say? I was always curious if it was somehow possible to make someone's own magic still accessible despite the problem that it was sealed inside of the new body, since humans couldn't use it. And I succeeded."

Energy of a nearly divine level illuminated Celestia's horn and shortly after her entire body until her golden colored magic faded away. It looked like nothing happened, to Luna, but she felt that a very powerful spell was just cast.

"This is a spell that protects me to some degree from the mirror's magic. To be more specific, it protects my soul and mana reservoir from being altered. I will be able to use my magic now, but still transform into a human to fit in," Celestia explained with a smile that made Luna nearly feel sorry for whoever tried to stand in her way.

But only nearly.

The older sibling took a few more steps, nearly entering the mirror, before she turned around one last time. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... thank you, Discord. And Luna? Language."

"NEIGH! The foals love it when we speak in the royal tongue, sister. We are their favourite princess, not thou!" the smaller alicorn boasted pridefully. She looked to her left and saw the God of Chaos floating in front of a window, having humongous binoculars in his hands while staring outside. The draconequus looked frantically around. "Is something wrong, Discord?"

The sincere shock was visible in his eyes when he turned around to answer the question. "What do you mean?! Sunflank just thanked me! I expected that the Gates of Tartarus would have opened when this day came! That darkness and insanity would consume these lands and worst of all... cotton candy would be declared as unhealthy. But nothing happened!"

Luna mock-gasped, "No?!"

Celestia could only laugh at the duo's antics before she mentally prepared herself for the upcoming task. Determination was filling her being.

"Tia?" Discord started quite... concerned? The solar princess wasn't sure what to make of it. Normally the Spirit of Chaos took nothing seriously, if he didn't deem it necessary. "She stood up from her bench and is on the move, but something isn't right. A great blizzard is heading the city's way and there is clearly something magical about it. I can't say for sure what its true nature is without being on Earth myself. You should hurry. I think you know about what I'm talking about"

The solar princess' eyes widened, "B-but how?"

"I think the rising magic level and the amount of created negative emotions are like a beacon for them. It was naive and very foolish of you to banish them to the human world in the first place," Discord lectured quite harshly.

Luna gasped and exclaimed pleadingly, "Thou mean...! SISTER! We beseech thee, be careful."

Celestia sighed fatefully. It seemed she had to enter a battlefield without the possibility of holding back for the first time in over a thousand years. So much for trying to be subtle. The Princess of the Sun didn't need an invitation and stepped through the mirror portal with one last thought in mind: leaving the other two immortals alone with the task of holding the fort until the she returned with her daughter.

"Wait for me, Sunset! Mom is on her way.”

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or just Cadence, as she clearly preferred to be called, never flew as fast as she did at this very moment. Not even before she ascended to alicornhood after she defeated a unicorn named Prismia in her old village; when Cadence managed to turn a spell, fuelled by hatred and jealousy, into a love spell during her younger days as a Pegasus.

Prismia became a well-respected member of her home village from what she heard.

Cadence just minded her own business, thinking she could finally relax for a change after court. Since the former foal-sitter of Twilight Sparkle was declared ‘Crystal Empress’ by the Crystal Ponies she couldn't save herself from ponies and yaks, as their neighbors, who wanted to talk with her. At least at first.

Suddenly the adopted niece of Princess Celestia felt how her aunt summoned high amounts of alicorn magic.

It hit her like Shining's morning breath.

Court, an affair more akin to Luna’s than Celestia’s, one where the ‘empress’, as the crystal ponies insisted on anointing her, relaxed in her throne room, listening to her subjects, answering their questions, offering advice, had been winding down. A place where the crystal ponies could bring to her their concerns and the fruits of their efforts, hoping to please their empress.

Suddenly she sat up straight, eyes wide, ears twitching, her body tense. Calling to her guard, “Fetch the commander immediately!” Turning to her seneschal, “Please reschedule the remaining petitioners, court is canceled. Clear my schedule until further notice and announce that court is closed for today, perhaps even longer.”

Shining Armor arrived in a rush, catching the last part of her order, “What is happening, Your Highness?” Maintaining his professionalism despite the fact that he was addressing his wife.

“Something happened in Canterlot, I just felt Princess Celestia call forth a large volume of magic. I need to leave immediately in case they need assistance. Inform the Crystal Council that you are in charge until I return.” Thankfully the nobles who made up the council were nothing like the nobles of Canterlot, so she needn’t fear a coup occurring during her absence.

“It might be dangerous, let me send some guards to see what has happened,” Shining Armor insisted vehemently.

She shook her head, “There’s no time for that, even our fastest won’t be back for at least two days, depending on how much rest they’ll need before returning. Increase the guard here, and I’ll go straight there.” Holding up a hoof to silence his protests, “You may send guards along with me, but I won’t wait for them, they can try to keep up or catch up with me in Canterlot.”

He continued to protest feebly, but knew there would be no changing her mind, so he’d sent for his two fastest guard.

But Cadence refused to wait when her aunts, Twilight or Equestria as a whole could be in greater peril every moment they spoke and she flew ahead. Perhaps she was the Princess of Love by title, but she refused to be a pushover ever again since she was so easily captured by the changelings when the preparations were made for their wedding.

Her pride suffered immensely that day.

The pink alicorn never saw herself as Wonderbolt material, but she deemed herself a good flyer, still. The guards couldn't keep up with her, which was to be expected. Her alicorn body would be much stronger and faster than the one of a typical pegasus.

Well, Twilight's friend Rainbow Dash was most likely an exception when it came to speed. How the mare pulled off the legendary Sonic Rainboom was more than impressive. Or why the rainbow mare hadn't ascended already was quite beyond Cadence.

She was sure that the guards should have arrived in Canterlot by now. Obviously they couldn't know so it wasn't their fault, but her own destination changed shortly after her departure as the divine magic of Celestia spiked a second time. It came from Ponyville, of course.

"Finally! I hope I'm not too late!" Cadence exclaimed in great worry, seeing Twilight's castle from the distance.

The pink princess chose an open window as her entrance and landed directly in the room where her aunt should be, panting heavily. One day she would have a much needed conversation with her sister-in-law about selecting her own guards, no matter if she wanted it or not. An unguarded castle was like an open invitation for the strangest of ponies.

OK... THAT wasn't really what she expected to see upon her arrival. Auntie Luna and the Spirit of Chaos himself, playing Coltopoly.

"Dearest niece, it is wonderful to see you! Discord and I were expecting your arrival!" Luna greeted with a waving hoof. The monarch looked back at the playboard, calculating her chances, "Huzzah, thy income hath been doubled!" she shouted joyfully.

"Bah! How can you have so much luck?!" the draconequus asked sourly.

Suddenly his token, a manticore, came to life, ripped Luna's playing piece, a phoenix, brutally apart before falling lifelessly to the side, once more nothing than a mere meeple. He grinned evilly in victory at the shocked Guardian of the Night.

"You fiend! I demand a rematch! My phoenix wasn't prepared for the upcoming slaughter!" Luna challenged indignantly.

Discord cleared his throat, "I think Heart Flank wants to say something to you, Lulu."

The midnight blue alicorn looked at her niece in sincere confusion, "Is that so? Did something happen to the Crystal Empire?"

Her brain finished its reboot, "I-YOU-BUT-WHAT?! ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME?! I came here, left my husband and kingdom behind, because I thought Equestria was UNDER ATTACK! Two times, once from Canterlot and the second time here in Ponyville, I felt how Auntie Celestia drew upon so much magic that I feared the Gates of Tartarus itself had opened and what do I find?! MY OTHER AUNT and the GOD OF CHAOS playing a BOARD GAME! Where IS Celestia?! Why are you not surprised to see me? And then I want to know... since WHEN do you speak the modern language, Auntie? You always talk old-fashioned!"

Discord and Luna looked, completely unfazed by the tantrum, at the pink pony princess until the midnight blue alicorn asked seriously, "Are you sure you are not related to Tia somehow?"

Cadence's eye twitched dangerously, "Please, just answer my questions," feeling a strong headache fast approaching.

The Princess of the Night left the board game and Discord, but not without sticking her royal tongue out at him in a most mature and royal manner of course and looked at her adopted niece. "As you wish. I'm not surprised to see you as Discord here felt you approaching a long time before you arrived here. I am delighted to see that your magic has matured to a degree that you are able to feel when your fellow alicorns draw heavily upon their magic, to a certain point. And the fact that my sister's former student didn't come onto us like Tia on cake tells me that she hasn't developed this ability yet."

Luna cleared her throat awkwardly, "As for my speech pattern. I learned the modern tongue, yes, but I choose on my own when I use it or not. And NOPONY can or will tell me otherwise! Did you know that the foals love it when we speak in the old dialect? 'Tis most interesting."

"Oh Woona, I didn't know that you are capable of the art of trolling," Discord complimented with a smug grin.

"Don't call us 'Woona'! 'Tis a most embarrassing nickname and we decree that it shall not be used by thee! Besides, our sister would have informed us if Equestria had a troll problem! And it makes no sense, they normally never leave the Macintosh Hills." Luna had furthermore the habit of slipping automatically into the language of old when angered or being highly emotional.

The God of Chaos looked the shouting princess into the eye. She truly meant what she said, he could see it.

The draconequus facepalmed, hard.

"Now, where is Celestia?" Cadence asked a second time, glancing over to the now deactivated mirror portal.

Wasn't that the same mirror she saw in the Crystal Empire when Twilight's crown was stolen by Sunset Shimmer? She thought her aunt took it to Canterlot, not Ponyville.

The Princess of the Night looked suddenly very angry when reminded of where her sister was at this very moment. It scared the younger alicorn a little bit. "Discord! Show her!" Luna ordered.

The draconequus in question grumbled. If he got tossed into another wall again...

Before the Princess of Love could ask what her aunt meant her mind was already filled with memories about the Anon-a-Miss shenanigans. Cadence was normally very docile, but after her mind was clear again the air around the ruler of the Crystal Empire began to vibrate and pink magic thinly covered her body in a foreboding manner.

She gnashed her teeth. "HOW COULD THEY?! They were supposed to be Sunset’s friends! And what these other humans dared to do to her is despicable!" For the first time in her life Cadence used her version of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

The Alicorn of Love wasn't sure when last she felt such anger in her life.

She knew Sunset Shimmer. She met her when the Unicorn was still under Celestia's care as her student. Their relationship was... tense. Sunset always tried to show the pink pony how much better she was in using magic. And Cadence had to admit, she truly was. The concept of being suddenly able to use magic on her own like a unicorn was very strange and foreign for the former pegasus in the first few years.

She could easily use her alicorn magic for her love spells, which were connected to her special talent. But beyond that? She couldn't even teleport more than 50 meters without losing feathers!

Besides, she understood Sunset's behaviour and reasoning very well. If she was in her place and was groomed and trained her entire life for a certain goal and out of nowhere an unfamiliar pony of equal age came into her life and had already achieved her greatest dream without actually working for it in the slightest? Yes, Cadence would probably react in a similar way.

She didn't even want to become a princess at all. It just... happened.

But what the alicorn saw greatly enraged her. The former bully didn't exist anymore, she saw it in Discord's memories. No, this was an entirely new pony who was trying her best to better herself. A new mare who wanted to earn forgiveness, somepony who needed love in her life.

The Crystal Empress made a decision. When she met Sunset the next time she would try to become friends with her!

"Cadie? Are you with us?" Luna asked, a little worried. Her niece just stared silently at the ground before her, still illuminated by her own magic.

Touching her shoulder did the trick. "W-what? Oh! Sorry! I spaced out a little bit. I... grr... HOW DARE THEY?!"

Luna nodded her head grimly. "Indeed. Our sister entered the human world alone in order to save young Sunset. We would have aided her, but one of us had to stay behind. We had the idea of putting Princess Twilight upon the throne during our absence. She would surely have been able to rule accordingly."

Her little ladybug? Sole princess of Equestria, because the co-rulers were both on a mission? Cadence feared what would have happened. She loved her to bits, but Twily tended to be very neurotic at times.

How would something like that have played out?

She shivered just thinking about it.

"Wait. You let Auntie Celestia leave all alone? Without any support?! What if something happens to her?! I heard about these 'sirens', who knows what else she may encounter there?!" The Alicorn of Love had to calm herself with breathing exercises.

What is when something happened to her?! Equestria needed Celestia! Without her, who would raise and lower the sun?!

She interrogated her aunt further after she calmed down enough, "What is if she meets a foe like the Sirens?! Or worse! Queen Chrysalis?! I-why are you laughing at me?"

Luna was laughing openly. "So-sorry Cadie. W-we just find it hilarious that so many of our subjects think since the Royal Wedding that our sister was defeated by Queen Chrysalis, because this giant bug was supposedly 'stronger' than her. We fear you all labour under a huge fallacy. We shall never let Tia live that down!" She continued snickering, slipping into the royal vernacular again.

Discord grinned mischievously. He was still imprisoned when this happened. He saw that there was an invasion, but the changelings caused so much chaos that his senses couldn't fully focus on the confrontation between Tia and Chrysi. That should be interesting to hear.

"W-What do you mean?" Cadence wasn't sure what her aunt wanted to tell her.

"Let us explain. As you surely know by now, the Changeling race absorbs emotions to live; mostly 'love'. There exist many kinds of love, but we are sure that some forms grant them more power than others. Now, what was the source of love for the enemy's leader? The love between Prince Shining Armor and the very Princess of Love herself; an alicorn, no less. Thou, dear niece, likened to a living feast for the queen. She could gorge herself on your feelings for thy husband and, as was the case, his feelings for thee.”

Cadence raised an eyebrow, so Luna elaborated. "This foul being reached, in this way, a level of power beyond her wildest dreams. We were told that the queen was even surprised herself that she could overpower Celestia. The answer to this mystery is simple: she would never have had a chance of challenging our sister on equal grounds. We alicorns, especially the ones who are as ancient as Celestia and ourselves, are connected to powers beyond the mortal imagination. Dost thou understand?" Luna asked patiently, like a teacher.

The pink mare's eyes widened. "Do you really want to tell me that Auntie Celestia... held back?"

Luna laughed in amusement, "Thou receivest the full points! Indeed, our sister couldn't overpower Chrysalis, because her Solar Magic is of divine nature. As it is the case with our Lunar Magic. If Tia would have gone 'all out', as modern ponies would say, to eliminate the enemy herself, the price would have been much too high. Her connection to the sun can easily cause damage and casualties if carelessly used or released. She could have beaten the leader of the invasion without fail, but her magic would have burned or turned to glass everything around her for furlongs if she didn't take the necessary precautions prior. Our sister wouldn't have been able to create these necessary spells in the heat of battle."

A grave tone dominated the lunar monarch's voice, "To put it bluntly, she would have killed every changeling and pony around her. Destruction of the throne room included. Thou would have survived, as an alicorn yourself, but... Twilight Sparkle? Shining Armor? Our Element Bearers? No. They all would have perished. Doomed to suffer a horrible death." Luna finished her lecture somberly.

Tears came to Cadence's eyes. Alone the thought of seeing all her beloved dying in front of her, just because her aunt's hoof was forced. "So Auntie Celestia had to decide between hoping that somepony else would fight the queen in her stead, because she couldn't prepare herself for a fight of a higher scale, or defeating her and by extension killing many innocent ponies?" She felt ill when horrible images invaded her mind.

Luna nodded her head with closed eyes.

The door to the room opened, the owner of the castle having returned.

"CADENCE?! PRINCESS LUNA?!" Twilight Sparkle screamed in shock and worry.

A very baffled Spike stood beside her. They finished the preparations much earlier than originally planned because of a very organized checklist. In fact, the young dragon had to check the checklist of the checklist of the checklist.

He knew he would feel the pain in his claws the next morning.

"Discord!" the Spirit of Chaos screamed, suddenly appearing behind the Princess of Friendship. He scared the living ponyfeathers out of her, causing her to jump high into the air.

"What are the scores?!" Discord asked the jury.

The baby dragon and the two older princesses suddenly found themselves behind a big table, numerous cards in front of the trio. With the numbers zero to ten on them.

Spike and Cadence were just confused, but Luna pulled out a card with her magic, "We choose the eight!"

Twilight's mane began to look more and more frayed, single hairs sticking out of it. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?! I mean, welcome Princess Luna and Cadence and... Discord? OH MY GOSH! Did I forget something important?! Are the preparations not how you wanted them?! I can fix this! Please! I-" A giant rolled newspaper hit her on the head, "Ow!"

"Bad alicorn!" Discord scolded the youngest princess. He had a wig upon his head which looked exactly like the mane of Twilight Velvet.

"Discord! Why-" Another hit.

"I said: 'BAD'! Don't object, young filly!"

"What are-" And another for good measure.

"You will go to the 'Bad purple alicorn corner'! Now! And no books for the rest of the week!"

Luna and Cadence just watched in morbid curiosity as the scene in front of them unfolded.

Spike had no such foolish restrictions, he fell over, laughing.

There weren't many people wandering around Canterlot High at the moment, because most were in class.

A big white horse statue stood proudly in front of the school entrance. Ripples of unknown nature appeared beneath the statue, and a tall, nigh on Amazonian woman with skin of the purest white and multicolored hair stepped calmly out of from its plinth.

An aura of judgment surrounded her.

Her attire was worthy of royalty, starting with her long elegant golden colored cloth slacks, made of the finest silk. A royal purple chemise and a golden, perfectly shaped, blazer upon it covered the princess' upper body. She wore closed white velvet shoes, only the smallest hint of heels shown.

Celestia observed her environment with magenta eyes. As Twilight reported it, humans had no fur, only bare skin, and were able to walk on two legs without the help of a tail to keep their balance. Which also led to the necessity for wearing thick clothes to protect their bodies from the temperature.

Not that it truly mattered to her. The monarch's connection to the sun made her immune against hypothermia anyway.

She walked purposefully in the direction Discord had told her. Hopefully she would reach her Little Sun in time. It took much of her will to stop herself from showing these humans the fury of the sun there and then.

No, she had much more important matters to attend. Her judgment could wait. For now.

She overheard a lot of conversations about this ‘Anon-a-Miss’ on the way to her destination. Of course, whoever that was, would never be able to escape her wrath either. Especially the ones responsible. It wasn't rare that the same people talking connected Sunset with everything that happened. Oh, how it made her blood boil! She let the humans feel the heat of her inner anger.

"Whew! Did you feel that? Why is it suddenly so hot here? I thought it was winter?" one female asked her fellow student.

"I know, right? It makes no se-Oh! Principal Celestia! I didn't see you! And what's with these clothes?! They must have been super expensive!" the other female student asked in shock.

"Melody! Sorry principal. She... Principal Celestia?"

The ancient woman ignored them. They weren't important right now, Sunset needed her. Her daughter needed her mother.

And the wrath of the sun would consume all who dared to challenge her.

A goddess had arrived.

Chapter 4 - Wrath of the Sun

View Online

Vice-Principal Luna was not a happy camper.

Ten applications for a school transfer had been submitted since this whole Anon-a-Miss debacle started, because some stud... former students, at least soon, suffered immensely from the leaked secrets. Emotionally, socially, or both, it didn't matter.

But what mattered to her more than anything else, besides finding and punishing whoever was responsible to the highest degree, was the fact that her sister's entire career and perfect reputation were in mortal danger. Not only were enraged parents calling up a storm, but the newly involved school board itself pressured her sibling without mercy. These old fools even had the audacity to make Celestia responsible for everything and were thinking about firing the principal of CHS.

It took all their combined rhetorical skill to prevent this worst case scenario from happening, for now. They were given the task to find out who was responsible before the holidays started.

As if it was so easy! They couldn't do anything about it, no matter what they tried! It wasn't like they could just order all students to stop going on MyStable in their private time. Worse, the provider of the site refused to put down the account on the siblings' request, saying that this was a free land and everybody had the right to say or to write whatever they wanted.

Freedom of expression, a capital right of their constitution. A fundamental right despicable beings like Anon-a-Miss abused gladly to ruin other people's lives without a shame in the world and to commit crimes like cyberbullying. Peachy.

And the police couldn't help, either. Saying they couldn't do much until there was a serious clue who could be responsible. It didn't help to admit that the person behind all this was most likely underage and undoubtedly one of their very own students.

So it was on her to find the perpetrator as long as her sister was indisposed with fighting off the mob in the meantime. Sadly, questioning students if they saw someone who was acting suspicious in the last time nearly always resulted in accusations of Sunset Shimmer. Or the wildest speculations.

In Luna's opinion it didn't matter what her own feelings told her, nobody would listen anyway. But personally? She didn't believe that it was the former Queen Bee of Canterlot High in the slightest. The execution was much to sloppy for her. That girl could never be caught in the act, neither could it ever be proven that it was Sunset when someone accused her of anything before the Fall Formal happened.

For years.

And suddenly she would create such a more than obvious account? For what? Out of boredom? Unlikely, very unlikely. No, someone tried to frame her and everybody fell for it. But who?

The vice-principal felt sorry for her. She believed Sunset when she said that it wasn't her, she still did. Only now, Luna took another approach, trying to lull the one responsible into a false sense of security until the woman could strike. Like in the very strategy-based games she played. She acted much more neutral to give the impression that she didn't have any favorites.

Luna went through a lot of options, but nothing worked. So she went at last for a less... legal method. Spying.

"Don't misunderstand me, I'm truly grateful that you decided to help me out. We have to catch the person behind Anon-a-Miss, but I would have understood it when you declined. It's not without risks for you after all. Once we start there is no turning back," she added for consideration.

Hopefully Celestia appreciated her hard work.

In front of her sat Micro Chips, the president of the EDV & Computer Science Club and local alpha geek of CHS. The teenager corrected the position of his black glasses with two fingers and turned away from his laptop to face the skeptical looking woman with a serious expression of his own.

"I'll be honest with you Vice-Principal Luna. I worked on this project for the past two weeks on your request, because I want to see the one behind the mask caught and brought to justice. Two of my best friends are the scorn of our scene after their secrets were published and have a problem with showing their faces without raising a laugh nowadays. Be this the case here in our club or during the weekend at the social projects we're a part of. It might not be completely legal what we are doing, but nobody will be the wiser except you and me," Micro answered truthfully.

"And you are 100% certain that will work?" she enquired unsurely.

He nodded his head in confidence, "Positive. This virus I created will infect the school's router and watch for log ins on MyStable, specifically the MyStable account of Anon-a-Miss. Once it finds one, it'll track down the location of the IP address the next time someone logs in." The student gave her an old phone, "I uploaded a special program on this cellphone. If you click on this little symbol here you will see a map of CHS where all available IPs of the school computers, at least the ones you gave me, are installed. The next time Anon-a-Miss uses one you will be able to see exactly which computer is the source and can find him or her immediately. It all starts in the moment I click the start button, so tell me when you're ready."

Luna closed her eyes and sighed fatefully. This was it, her chance of finding the one responsible for everything that happened. After this mess was sorted out she would enjoy her more than deserved holidays. Only her, maybe Tia, and the newest games.

She opened them and said two simple words without any emotion in her voice, "Do it."

The hunt was on.

Sweetie Belle waited patiently in the library of Canterlot High for her two best friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. She texted the duo to meet her there to talk with them about the future of Anon-a-Miss.

Steps approached her position loudly, they had arrived. And even better, they were completely alone in the library.

"Hey Sweetie Belle! What's up? You wanted to see us?" Scootaloo asked with a smug grin. Their plan was a full success!

"Ah'm sure Sweetie will tell us what she wants," Apple Bloom stated with a smile.

"Hello girls. I called you here, because I think we should stop posting secrets and erase the account." She started the computer and logged herself in on MyStable.

"Are ya sure? Ah mean, Ah guess? It felt really nice to feel important and all, but maybe ya're right." the oldest of the trio admitted, arms crossed in thoughts.

Scootaloo shrugged with her shoulders. "I have no problem with that. Our sisters spend much more time with us now since Sunset Shimmer is out of the picture, so we accamplished our goal anyway."

"Accomplished, not 'accamplished'," Sweetie lectured with a raised finger.

"Walking dictionary..." Scoots muttered dryly under her breath, making Apple Bloom giggle.

Rarity's little sister clicked herself through the procedure until it was nearly over. "Huh. There are still a lot of things we didn't post until now. Do you have everything on your phone, Scootaloo?"

"Yeah. I sent myself a copy of the list with all secrets and the MyStable accounts of who sent us what. Who knows, maybe we'll need it somehow in the future," the purple haired girl replied playfully.

Apple Bloom shook her head in astonishment. "Ah still can't believe how many students posted us secrets of others just so that we put them online for them."

The daredevil of the trio agreed, "You are right. It's kind of shocking to have literal proof how false many of the others are here at CHS. Like a big barrel full of lies and secrets. And we know them all." Scootaloo shuddered in disgust, "But there are things I never wanted to know."

"And... done. Anon-a-Miss is no more and nobody will ever know it was us." Sweetie Belle yawned and stretched her arms in satisfaction. Her friends gave each other a high five behind the girl's back.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat, loudly. And it was none of the girls. No, it sounded like the sound of someone far older than them.

"Sc-Scootaloo? Please tell me that was you," Sweetie Belle begged her friend, not brave enough to turn around yet.

Her friend squeaked pathetically in response, frozen in place.

An increasingly sweating Apple Bloom ended the following pregnant silence in all her combined country wisdom, "Shoot..."

The three freshmen turned slowly their heads and wished they didn't, now pale like never before in their young lives. The trio could have sworn that they were facing the Grim Reaper in the form of a very pissed-off looking Vice-Principal Luna. Standing there, she crushed an old flip phone in her right hand like it was a plastic cup.

"YOU ARE SO DONE FOR!" she roared in utter fury and ear-shattering volume.

Princess Luna would have shed tears of pride.

Celestia looked up at the sky. These clouds were definitely magical in nature and very foreboding, a dark omen indeed. But could it really be? Were they still alive after all this time? That shouldn't be possible, this world should not have enough magic to sustain them.

At least before Twilight brought back her Element.

She had hoped that the Windigos were a closed chapter of her history for all eternity. The crimes of the Spirits of Hatred against ponykind were unforgivable.

She furrowed thoughtfully her forehead, "I can feel how the air around me, especially around this 'Canterlot High School', is permeated with magic from Equestria. That's not good at all."

Discord had just informed her that Sunset was walking slowly and the park was big. If she took this street she should find Sunset soo-

"Principal Celestia! Over here!" a very familiar high-pitched voice screamed from the distance.

There they were. The human versions of Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The humans her Little Sun trusted with her heart, only to suffer betrayal in the very end.

She pushed back her original goal until the quintet learned about the consequences of their actions. There was only judgement.

Nopony mistreated her daughter in such a way.

Sugarcube Corner was rarely this quiet before, it was an unpleasant silence for the five friends.

"I think we should leave. The only reason we met here in the first place was Sunset and she is gone," Rarity suggested somberly.

"Yeah, you are right," Rainbow Dash agreed in boredom and glanced briefly at her oldest childhood friend. "Fluttershy?" She looked... more nervous than usual.

The girl in question hid behind her hair when all attention was suddenly on her. She sighed worriedly after a few seconds. "I-I'm not sure anymore if we did the right thing. When she left I saw her eyes and I don't know how to explain it, but they were so... void of life. It was like Sunset surrendered completely. I know yo-WE all think that she's Anon-a-Miss, but something isn't right. Someone who is guilty of revealing such awful things shouldn't be so, well, devastated when called out on that. I just have a very bad feeling and I don't know why."

"Ah reckon ya think we were too harsh to the gal? Come on sugarcube!" Fluttershy flinched, "Sunset Shimmer's as guilty as a racoon besides a half-eaten apple! Please don't tell me ya're thinkin' as well that Apple Bloom and her friends could possibly be the ones responsible. That makes no sense!" Applejack couldn't believe that her own kin would do something this despicable.

"Stop! Could we please, please, pleaaaase stop arguing with each other and just go? There is nothing funny to laugh at in situations like this and I can't bear it when we start spatting with each other now as well after everything what happened with Sunset," Pinkie Pie intervened pleadingly.

The country girl smiled apologetically, "Pinkie's right. Ah'm sorry Flutters, Ah shouldn't have reacted like that. Ah just can't accept the idea of Apple Bloom being somehow involved in them shenanigans."

"It's alright. You are just protective of your little sister, there is nothing wrong with that," Fluttershy responded kindly.

The group left Sugarcube Corner after they paid for their milkshakes and made their way back to Canterlot High.

"Hey girls, isn’t that Principal Celestia? And what is she wearing?!" Rainbow Dash pointed with her finger to the other side of the street.

"Oh my! Her attire is simply divine! Is that silk? It is! And these fabulous looking shoes! These color schemes!" Rarity squealed in delight, "I just MUST know where she bought such an eye-catching wardrobe, it already inspired me for my next spring collection."

"What do y'all think is the principal doin' here anyway? Ah thought she had her hands full with Anon-a-Miss and angry parents?" Applejack commented curiously.

"I don't know, but maybe it's SUPER important?! Oh, I know! We could totally ask her if she needs any help." Pinkie Pie replied before she screamed loudly, "Principal Celestia! Over here!"

The woman in question looked at them, neutrally, maybe surprised? When suddenly her facial expression changed to something the teenagers couldn't explain themselves, something far more sinister. Why was such a livid expression painting the principal's features all of a sudden? And why did it happen after she saw them? Did they do something wrong?

The only nearly worthy description of their situation was one word. Reckoning.

"AHH! My shoes! What is wrong with the snow?!" Rarity exclaimed in disgust and shock.

The rest of the group looked down and around them.

"W-what's happening?!" Rainbow Dash shouted in fear.

"What in tarnation?!" Applejack supported her two friends.

The ground beneath them was no longer covered by more or less thick amounts of snow, but raging currents of water. The entire street and beyond was one giant rapid stream and it was hard to keep the balance. But worse, the walkway felt suddenly like the hottest sand of a beach under bare feet during a hot summer. And they wore winter footwear!

Bystanders ran away screaming, terrified by this event. Only the five girls remained.

Celestia disappeared in a blinding flash of light and reappeared a short distance in front of them, her eyes nothing more than unforgiving pits of golden flames. She walked slowly to the group, leaving burnt foorptints behind her.

"I-I have the im-impression that yo-you are not our p-principal, right?" Pinkie Pie inquired positively frightened.

Rainbow Dash calmed down a little bit and thought that the woman in front of them was perhaps some kind of Celestia imposter. Maybe a new villain from Equestria like the sirens? Nothing scared Rainbow Dash!

"Hey! Who are-"

"SILENCE!" It was a command, not a suggestion.

"Ahhh!" the Rainbooms screamed in panic, cowering and protecting their heads with their arms crossed above them.

The sheer power behind Celestia's voice shattered every single window in their surroundings. They were lucky that not much harm was inflicted upon them by the fragmented glas, only a few small bloody scratches.

"I'm not your principa! I am Princess Celestia Del Sol! Ruler of Eqeustria, Bringer of Dawn and Goddess of the Sun! And you will answer to me after what you did to my daughter!" the enraged woman declared.

The girls were beyond terrified. For the first time in their lives they felt what it meant to be subjected to the anger of a being above them in the hierarchy of creation.

Fluttershy was never this scared before. She knew that something bad would happen, but nothing like that! Hopefully this... woman? Pony? Goddess? Whatever she was, the shy girl prayed that nothing happened that would fuel this Celestia's wrath any further.

Maybe she would show mercy when they apologized with all their heart?

"But we never met your daughter! You can't just come to our world, destroy everything and scare every human here half to death! We have no idea about whom you are even talking about! Who do you think you are?!" Rainbow Dash tried to counter with false bravery.

Yep, they were toast.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said forcefully to the suicidal girl, "We do NOT anger terrifying strangers! You can have your hot-headed moment later, but not now." She bowed respectfully her head in Princess Celestia's direction. "Your Majesty, please excuse my friend's uncouth behaviour. She didn't mean it like that. But I have to concur that I have no idea who you mean, either."

The chromatic student wanted to reply, but had no chance in doing so, because Princess Celestia grasped her throat and pulled Rainbow up to the ruler's eye level like it was the easiest task. Her voice gave off an ethereal echo, "You ask who I am? You know who my daughter is and can't hide the truth from me! Princess Twilight Sparkle once trusted you with watching over her and helping my Little Sun through her darkest hours as her friends! A task you accepted of your own free will, I might add, that of showing her the Magic of Friendship. I talk about Sunset Shimmer, the very pony you abandoned when she needed you the most!"

The daredevil felt never this... unworthy. It was like facing the fury of the sun. The terror in her heart and soul prevented her, as well as her equally shocked friends, from noticing the little accident that occurred between her legs.

"B-but s-she and-" Rarity was lost for words. Pinkie Pie whimpered.

Celestia let the now terrified Dash down, who could only breath heavily and sat on her butt thereafter, trembling. Trying to process what just happened. "I don't care for your excuses! She was accused of crimes Sunset NEVER committed. She wasn't guilty! Do you have any idea what you have done to her?! We ponies are very peaceful and our society is build upon the foundations of love, tolerance, trust and friendship. For the most part. If a Pony is betrayed in such a cruel way their psyche can suffer immensely, driving the victim of such atrocious behaviour into a dark and very dangerous mindset." Princess Celestia lectured, barely able to contain herself from using magic on the five teenagers if not for her many centuries of experience.

"B-but Anon-a-Miss! How can-" Applejack suffered the mother of all pimp slaps and while she flew at least five meters into a big puddle of water, she was otherwise unharmed.

"Applejack!" Pinkie Pie screamed worriedly and ran to aid her friend, "Are you alright?!"

Applejack nodded her head vigorously and put her focus on the hyperactive girl, "A-Ah'm alright Sugarcube. Ah think Ah should have seen that one comin'." She stood up with Pinkie's help, rubbed her sore and soon swollen cheek and looked at the goddess in forced calmness, but stayed cautious nonetheless.

The Alicorn-turned-human ignored the feeling of guilt in her chest after what she did, "Not exactly an action worthy of royalty, but there are situations when I see my hoof forced. Let that be a lesson to you. I don't take kindly to the likes of you who think they can harm my daughter and escape unpunished. You attacked her, unprovoked, solely because she tried to find out who else could be responsible for everything."

The apple farmer wanted to speak up, surprised that the older woman knew about something that happened only a little over an hour ago, but Celestia motioned for her to keep quiet, disappointment painted her eyes. "From what I was told, you humans show normally mercy around these parts of your world, meaning that somepony isn't guilty if not proven otherwise by undeniable evidence in presence of a court. But what the student body of Canterlot High did could qualify easily as a hunt! Sunset was already declared guilty by you without being granted a chance of defending herself or to prove her innocence! Worse! She trusted you with her heart and you blamed her as well. Were her actions of the past not proof enough for you that something was wrong?!"

Fluttershy broke down crying, sniveling between words, "I-I knew it! I-I saw it in her eyes when she left! S-she was innocent the whole time and we behaved like monsters! Oh S-Sunset, I'm so, so sorry!"

Pinkie Pie's hair was completely flat, her smile shattered by such a revelation. The rest of the Rainbooms didn't feel much better. Sunset Shimmer was innocent. What had they done? They accused her, because it was so easy. But who else could be responsible? Who else, when not her, had access to all these secrets?

Applejack and Rarity felt violently ill even thinking about it. Could it be true? Was she right all along? No... they wouldn't.

"In the very end it will be Sunset's decision alone if she desires to forgive you or not for what you have done. If she still wants you in her life. But I will bring her back to Equestria, your world is no place for a pony. If it was only me alone I would order the closure of the portal immediately. Perhaps even permanently." Before any human could object, an unnaturally cold wind blew through the city. The girls felt like they just stepped into a freezer and snow started to fall in alarming masses out of nowhere.

Celestia’s eyes widened, now she was certain that they were truly here.

Brilliant golden wings made of her magic came into existence upon her back and she flew in high speed for Canterlot Park, no longer caring if other humans saw her. Leaving the Rainbooms behind without another word.

"Is someone else worried about the implications of the princess' action? She just left after this strange feeling coldness came over us," Rarity voiced her thoughts and trembled a little.

"She looked mighty worried about somethin'. But Ah think we should search for shelter from the storm, ma' gut is tellin' me that we shouldn't be out here any longer than necessary. And Ah don't plan gettin' another hit any time soon" Applejack added her own opinion and held demonstrating her colored cheek.

"WAIT!" Rainbow Dash recovered finally from the effect these creepy eyes had on her, but heard every word. She was facing the direction Princess Celestia took. "Fluttershy! Where are you going?!"

The normally timid animal-lover ran after the alicorn like her own life depended on it, ignoring completely the incoming blizzard. Tears of despair were pouring down her eyes.

"Girls! We have to follow her! We can't just leave her alone!" Pinkie Pie shouted urgently and pursued their escaping friend.

The remaining trio was closely behind.

Sunset Shimmer left her bench, leaving for her 'home' to warm herself up. Well, as good as it was possible in a house without heat anyway. Would she now be with the others and enjoy a warm meal if they believed her? Maybe having a warm place she could sleep in to escape the cold of the winter?

She would never know.

"I'm all alone now. What is even left for me?" Sunset chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head. "I guess I deserved it after everything I did in my life. Always being arrogant and thinking of myself as superior than others. I would have enslaved an entire school and attacked Equestria were it not for Twilight and the others. I should have known that a few months of behaving wouldn't indemnify my past."

Sunset shouted into the heavens when she reached a little bridge. "I'M SO STUPID! Who would ever get the brilliant idea to attack an entire magic using nation with mind controlled high school students?!"

She groaned. They wouldn't have been able to do anything anyway! She had more than enough problems on her own before she had her human body under control. No human-turned-pony would have had any idea how to operate their new bodies let alone using the naturally given magic of one of the three tribes in any effective way. And against more than one alicorn? Yeah, good luck with that.

No, trying to cheer herself up with other thoughts didn't help at all.

Sunset slipped after she took a few more steps and fell onto the bridge, she cried. Not from pain, but because her situation was utterly hopeless. And the low temperature was getting to her.

"I-I need shelter," Sunset stammered with chattering teeth and stood up. She barely left the bridge when suddenly a great wave of... wrongness hit her in form of the coldest wind.

"What do we have here? A little unicorn, trapped in a human body. And all alone. You shall be the first of many," a malicious distorted voice spoke over the wind, sounding genderless at first. But when she concentrated, Sunset could make out a slightly male accent.

"Wh-who are-GAH!" She felt that these clouds had something magical, but the former pupil of Princess Celestia didn't expect that the blizzard would hit so hard, so merciless and so unexpected.

"I don't want to die l-like that," Sunset said to herself, trying to force her way through the storm with hurried steps.

"It is no use, you shall be ours. Your magic, as well as your soul," the dark voice whispered into her ears in sadistic glee.

Sunset turned her head in panic and fear, but didn't see anything. "S-stop playing with me!" Despair took roots in the girl's heart. Even her tears began to freeze.

The cold took away all her strength. She fell anew into the snow, face first. Sunset could barely lift her head. "Who are you?"

"Have you really forgotten us? Have the princesses sugarcoated the events of history? Once we killed thousands of your kind, devoured their very being. We were lured by the fights of the three tribes. Indeed, their hatred for each other was delicious." Sunset tried to stand up, but failed. Her body was much too weak and the cold took all her strength. "How utterly disappointing. Your ancestors delivered a much better fight than you, little unicorn," the voice taunted.

Her eyes turned into pinpricks. She hoped desperately that she was wrong, but couldn't deny the truth anymore. Windigos...

"We shall be last thing you see in your pitiful existence."

A wraith took form in front of the poor girl. It looked like a very tall malnourished human, thin, practically a skeleton with ghost blue skin and tattered robes that were flying around its form, made of living ice. Empty magically glowing eye sockets looked down upon its terrified prey.

"Do you feel how the warmth of life leaves your body?" It cackled maniacally. "We will enjoy this feast. Sleep... and don't worry about waking up again." Its voice sounded suddenly very soothing when it spoke the last sentence.

Sleep sounded like a tempting idea. Yes, she was so... tired. Sunset's skin turned paler and paler with every passing second, her eyelids became heavier.

Her eyes snapped wide open when she felt how her mind was attacked by magic.

No! Not like this!

Sunset Shimmer stretched her arm with her last ounces of power into the direction where at the sky the sun should be, if she remembered correctly. "Princess Cel-Celestia... m-mom."

The windigo leaned over its victim, touching with its wraithlike hands the cheek of the dying Sunset. "Do you feel how the deathly cold surrounds your body? How it shackles your very soul? In the moment you take your last breath you shall be ours to claim."

More and more Windigos appeared slowly, all similar in appearance, around the weakening girl, waiting patiently with hungry expressions on their faces.

They were surrounded by thick wall of snowflakes and hailstones, nothing should be able to enter their domain. Then everything broke apart, piece by piece. Burning rays of sunlight penetrated the covering blankets of frozen water from many directions at once. And a sphere of the purest white light encompassed Sunset's body, protecting her from further suffering.

"What is the meaning of this?! The sun has no power in this world!" The wraiths looked up and indeed, the clouds blocked the sun, still. So how?

"There!" another Windigo pointed out.

They all looked in the direction it pointed, and saw how a fireball descended upon their position. A human-like figure could be seen in it when it came closer. Blazing wings of unforgiving flames upon the back, a golden knight-like armor and a long burning lance in its hand.

Princess Celestia found her daughter and she was all out of mercy.

"LEAVE HER ALONE! AND FACE THE EVERLASTING WRATH OF THE SUN!"

Sunset opened one eye, filled by the smallest amounts of warmth. For the first time in days a single tear of true happiness wetted her cheek. "Mom..."

Fluttershy barely reached Canterlot Park when a giant golden barrier adorned with a lot of different runes of unknown nature appeared in front of the entrance. "NO! Let me in! Sunset! Sunset!" She knocked like a madwoman against it, nothing happened.

"FLUTTERSHY!" her friends screamed in sync, closing the distance between them.

"Darling! Whatever were you th-thinking? It's d-dreadfully cold out here!" Rarity admonished, trying to control her chattering teeth.

"Ye-Yeah! Don't sh-show us the cold sh-shoulder!" Pinkie Pie added, trying to stay warm by dancing where she stood.

"S-Seriously, Pi-Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash said in disbelief.

"Th-That ain't n-natural. It was ne-never this c-cold before in Can-Canterlot," Applejack commented. She felt worse than apple cider in the cold storage.

Fluttershy seemed to be the only one ignoring the temperature. "Girls! We have to stay and help Sunset! But this strange barrier is stopping us from-EEP!" Fluttershy pressed her body fearfully against the magical construct behind her.

"Wh-What is-GHOSTS!" Rarity shouted in terror.

Windigos appeared around the group of friends.

"You shall be ours! This entire town shall feel the cold embrace of our kind!" one of the wraiths exclaimed gleefully, sounding distinctly female.

The Rainbooms huddled closely together, hoping that this was all just a bad dream. Ghosts didn't exist! But what they believed didn't matter, the Windigos came closer ever so slowly, constricting the circle.

Warmth. And absolute silence. Weren't they in the middle of a blizzard?

But why was it suddenly so much warmer than before? Fluttershy opened her eyes, ready to face these cruel creatures again, but instead she saw that they were in CHS. The entrance hall to be precise.

"G-girls-" the animal-lover started, only to be interrupted by the hyperactive one.

"Why are we in CHS?! We were literally in a frozen state!" Pinkie Pie said gladly.

Rainbow groaned in annoyance, "Stop it with the ice puns already!"

"Darlings, I think we have bigger things to worry about..." Rarity informed nervously. The others turned around in confusion and paled at the sight in front of them.

A growling Spike and an incredibly livid Princess Twilight Sparkle stood in front of the main entrance. The quintet was lucky that looks couldn't kill.

"WE HAVE TO TALK!"

Celestia hit the ground with the force of a meteor.

Sunset was perfectly safe in her sphere, the Windigos... not so much. Many perished from the resulting explosion of flames and light, though a few managed to disappear in time.

She glared at the Spirits of Hatred with the intensity of a hundred flames in her smoldering eyes. Standing like an insurmountable bulwark in front of the Unicorn in human form. "WINDIGOS! Once I banished you to these lands 2300 years ago to protect my ponies! In the hope that you wouldn't be able to continue existing in this realm void of magic! But here you are, threatening the inhabitants of this world and in extension my daughter! I will stop you once and for all! FACE ME, COWARDS!"

The Windigo who talked to Sunset appeared in front of the princess, and he was livid, "Do you really think we will just surrender ourselves?! Don't make me laugh! ATTACK!

Five new foes appeared in front of their leader. They summoned ice blue swords or extended their fingernails into sharpened deadly claws and charged.

One of them tried its luck first, but its sword was easily blocked by Celestia's lance. She pushed her enemy back with ease and cut it in half, burning it to nothingness. The disguised Alicorn dodged another incoming attack with claws just in time and tried to stab the Windigo, only to have her lance blocked by two crossed swords of ice.

"Don't think you will have it easy," the wraith to her right said.

At the same time the fourth Windigo tried kill her from behind. It brought its own weapon down, but hit only air. She disappeared, leaving sparks of sunlight behind.

"Whe-" The wanna-be-assassin couldn't finish its sentence, a fiery weapon stuck out of its stomach, erasing it from existence immediately.

Celestia looked grimly at the remaining three opponents, glancing shortly at the leader to her side. "There is no chance of victory for the likes of you," stating it like it was a fact.

The leader growled angrily. "How dare-" Another, much more commanding presence made itself known.

"Stand down, Everwinter." After a short break the powerful voice added calmly, "So it is you. Interesting. Long time no see, Princess of the Sun."

A new wraith appeared in front of the combat-ready Celestia. This one was nearly double the size of the other spirits. He was at least three heads taller than the alicorn. With ghostly plate armor around his entire body from head to toe and a tattered black cape. Only deep red glowing eyes were visible under his crown-like helmet. The king of the Windigos himself entered the stage.

"BALTHANEL! How are you still alive?! Answer me!" Celestia roared in fury.

The Frozen King chuckled pityingly. "Poor naive mare. You overestimated mankind and underestimated us. We are incarnations of magic, hatred and other negative emotions. Wraiths. It is true that the world of men has nearly no magic, but hatred? Anger? Jealousy? It was more than enough. Humans are such fragile little creatures. They strive to do the right thing, to make this world a better place, or so they believe when following their own moral codes. But you know what? For one human who wants to live in harmony and peace there are more than enough not far behind who act on their own agenda, not caring how many suffer as long as they get what they desire. Be it riches, power, land or resources. Every day a human dies of starvation because of the greed of others. They rape and murder each other, harm the innocent for the most ridiculous of reasons. Didn't you know? Humans are capable of greatest acts of kindness as well as the most vicious of sins. Beings like us Windigos have more than enough food to supply ourselves in this world. But the magic level was rising over time, enough to build us bodies. And here we are."

The princess processed what she just heard. But why didn't they attack sooner? Was it because of the sirens? Of course! They fed upon negative emotions and incarnations of such emotions, much like the Windigos, which were nothing more than free food for them.

So a siren was something like a natural predator for these wraiths? Interesting.

"My king! We will aid you against the Alicorn of the Sun," Everwinter promised.

"Don't be foolish. This Celestia is no longer the young little mare we once encountered. None of you are strong enough to face her, she would destroy you. Go, feed upon the humans of this city. I will fight her alone," Balthanel ordered immediately.

It was clear to the princess that this 'Everwinter' didn't want to leave, but it didn't matter to her anyway. Who knew how many innocents he would harm. His moment of hesitation was her chance.

The co-ruler of Equestria teleported herself behind the Windigo commander and tried to kill him with a fast and powerful blow, but huge pillars of black ice shot out of the ground between the two, saving his life.

"I don't think so. My subordinate isn't yours to slay." Balthanel glared at his 'subjects'. "I don't like to repeat myself, Commander. Go, all of you," he said without leaving room for discussions.

"As you wish, My King," Everwinter replied with a bow of his head. He and the other three soldiers disappeared.

"It doesn't matter if you fight me with other Windigos or not! Don't think I'm the same mare from over two millennia ago! Once you were stronger than me, but things have changed." She shot two giant spheres of Solar Magic at the wraith.

"We will see. You needed your sister to banish us over 2000 years ago. Now you are all alone," Balthanel responded neutrally and summoned two smaller versions of battleaxes in his hands.

He charged at the spheres and cut them in half, ignoring the fiery explosions behind him. "Do you think I'm so easily to impress? Think fast!"

He swung his weapons in front of him and multiple lances of black ice shot in Celestia's direction. She created a shield, blocking the attack and charged towards him on her own.

"You won't endanger this world!" she swore deadly seriousness.

Celestia tried to burn her enemy to ashes with her own trusted weapon, but Balthanel blocked every attack with his two frozen axes like it was a normal lance. For thirty seconds there were only virtuosic movements, like a dance of death, performed by both opponents. Sounds of clashing metal and spells which only destroyed the environment could be heard over the ongoing blizzard.

Balthanel had enough from this stalemate and put his hand on the frozen ground, "Tomb of Ice."

The temperature of the earth and the entire environment cooled down to -50°C and the blizzard took up at speed and strength. Suddenly several black icicles shot out of the ground upon Celestia.

The Alicorn of the Sun kept up another shield in front of Sunset and her, pumping simultaneously more of her magic into the sphere surrounding her daughter to keep her safe from the further dropping temperature around them.

Sunset Shimmer was in danger and had to be treated as fast as possible. And her mother knew that.

"I have no time for this farce!" The solar ruler teleported herself behind the king of the Windigos and held her hand in front of his turning face. "Flare!"

A beam of sunlight left nothing but scorched earth in its path until it met the barrier on the other side of the park and shattered. Celestia put it up around Canterlot Park to prevent her magical abilities from destroying the city and to stop humans, as well as others, from entering this battle and getting into the crossfire.

"I have to admit, not a bad trick. But sadly for you, far from enough. I do wonder though, do you think your little sphere that surrounds this unicorn here will survive one of my strongest abilities?" Balthanel asked innocently, standing now directly in front of the unconscious Sunset Shimmer.

"KEEP HER OUT OF THIS YOU ABOMINATION! THIS IS A FIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND ME!" Celestia warned acidly.

"I think you forgot one of the most famous idioms of mankind, alicorn, 'All is fair in love and war'. Indeed, the bond between a mother and her daughter can be exploited easily. Don't you think?" He looked at the unmoving girl and swung his now in unholy black energy surrounded axes downwards, "Soulcutter."

"NO!" Celestia teleported herself between the deadly strike and her Little Sun, shielding the body of Sunset with her own after the weapons already penetrated the sphere. She no longer cared for her own safety and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Lulu."

A loud sound of clanking pieces of metal filled the air.

"You?!" Balthanel shouted in fury.

"I know, I know. But what can I do? I just LOVE dramatic entrances. Ask Sunflank here," a well-known voice replied jokingly.

Celestia opened her eyes and saw a tall man in front of her. She recognized him immediately. He had yellow and red colored eyes in different sizes of the pupils, a grey goatee with short hair and a smile on his face that screamed confidence. He wore a mismatched suit in the most surreal color scheme and boots in a contrast to each other, one black with white stripes, the other had the opposite color scheme. A giant patched top hat on his head finished his outfit. The man blocked both swords with a long silver cane, a Chaos Star as a hilt.

"Discord, what are you doing here?! You should stay home!" Celestia shouted in shock. But the Princess of the Sun had to admit to herself that she was never this happy and lucky before to see the Spirit of Chaos.

He pushed the angry Windigo back with a powerful push of his cane, still facing the king when he answered, "Saving your round flanks of course! Oh and Sunny the Second as well. I saw that the Windigos had invaded Canterlot and said to myself, 'Discord, ole’ pal, ole’ buddy, you know that Tia has no chance of winning without your charming personality, your brilliant mind and amazing looks. You just HAVE to help her!' And you know how I feel about 'rules' and 'orders', just not my thing. You know what I mean? So I convinced myself and... here I am! The magical words you are searching for are 'Thank you Discord! Thank you so much! What would we just do without someone as superior as you! We shall bow before your radiance!'. Then I would be crowned and forever known as Princess Discord and we’d all live happily ever after."

Celestia could just give him a deadpan stare in response.

"You won't stand for much longer in my way, God of Chaos. My soldiers are already all over Canterlot under Commander Everwinter's leadership," the wraith announced smugly.

"Hold that thought!" Discord replied and trapped the now enraged Frozen King with color changing chains.

He turned around and what she saw was more than surprising. The draconequus was smiling warmly at her, no grimaces, no joking around. A genuine smile of kindness. "Tia, save your daughter, bring her to safety and come back to finish this fight as fast as possible with your strongest attack. I will buy you time."

Was this still the same jester? Since when was Discord so... mature? Was he-

Suddenly his facial expression turned back to what was well-known by him. "And don't you even think about telling someone else what I just said! I will deny it to my grave and beyond! I have a reputation to lose! Fluttershy would tease me forever and never let me live that down. You ponies are a bad influence. Shame - on - you!"

Nevermind. Celestia had to resist the urge to groan to the heavens, but sighed instead. "Thank you Discord. I will return as soon as I can the moment Sunset is out of danger."

The disguised Equestrians disappeared in a flash of light.

"DISCOOOORD!" Balthanel released much more of his power and destroyed his shackles.

"Balthi! Old house! I missed you! You look great! Is that... a new haircut?" the Spirit of Chaos inquired with a sly grin.

"You are allied with PONIES? Have you truly fallen this low?" the Windigo demanded to know.

"We both know how I HATE it to make sense." Discord grinned manically, "What could make less sense and be more chaotic than me helping them against you?"

Balthanel snorted, "I feel that you don't have as much power here as on Equus and you still decide to fight me? How foolish of you." The wraith couldn't believe what level of arrogance his opponent had. To think he could defeat him alone in his weakened state!

"Cut me some slack, Balthi! I just jumped through dimensions into a much less magical world, saved a few ungrateful teenagers from certain doom, worked myself through a magic barrier of the strongest degree made by an alicorn and eradicated a few of your fellow chilblains on the way. And now I stand here before you in a human body, cracking jokes. I'm on a roll!" Discord boasted and pointed his cane at the Spirit of Hatred.

"So be it," Balthanel said and summoned all his power to the surface. A void black outline surrounded his figure, "Prepare yourself!"

"En garde!" Discord's headgear transformed into a musketeer hat.

Their weapons clashed, but Balthanel was much stronger and nearly cut his opponent in half, had Discord not side stepped in time. "Fool! This world is fueled by hatred! This very city filled by negative emotions and the other Windigos are roaming its streets under the guidance of my commander. You have no power here!"

"Oh! Oh! I know that reference! But I fear I have to take away your fun. Your buddy didn't have so much luck with his plans." Discord snapped his fingers and a in swirling violet Chaos Magic engulfed item appeared to Balthanel's feet.

The magic disappeared and the now visible Windigo's head started to disappear. It was Everwinter.

"What?!" the Frozen King exclaimed in fury and confusion.

"Oh, I know. Normally I'm not one for the permanent solution, but you guys are so cold in your behaviour that I decided to put your little commander... on ice. He attacked me first to my defense," Discord explained in mock-disgust and false shame.

Balthanel sighed in disappointment, "Such a ridiculous fool, thinking he could take you on, even in this form. In the very end he was worthless. But tell me, why are you fighting for the humans of this world? When they learn about your existence they would do anything in their power to kill you. Humans fear the unknown and act on these feelings accordingly. And it ends mostly with lethal results, one side always suffers harm in the progress. You saved Celestia and her daughter, but why them?"

The God of Chaos shrugged with his shoulders, "What can I say? I learned to appreciate a little more the value of life since I became friends with the kind one. Sombrero, the Tirekinator, you, all of you guys don't care how many lives you take and I have a personal problem with that."

"Is that so?" the king stated the rhetorical question in boredom.

"Indeed. You see, if everybody is dead, who would be able to appreciate my chaos? Who would laugh about my jokes? If I let you do what you want then I will lose my audience. No can do, Balthi," the draconequus answered in a tone like he just told him that snow was cold.

"Stop calling me that!" the Frozen King shouted in annoyance and slashed at Discord, cutting him in half this time. Only for the disguised draconequus to explode into fire.

"Careful! Or you might get burned," the Spirit of Chaos said from another position, laughing.

The smoke cleared and much to Discord's confusion the Windigo king remained completely unharmed. Huh... it seemed the arsenal of spells he used in such a short time took much more out of his weakened state than he thought. That wasn't good, he needed to keep enough magic in himself to return to Equestria, should the need arise.

"Pathetic. Is that all what the mighty God of Chaos is capable of in this form?" Balthanel asked, almost sounding insulted.

Discord snorted and took his cane where the hilt was into one hand, a clicking tone resonated and a thin golden blade appeared on one side. "It seems we have to do this the old-fashioned boring way."

For the first time since Balthanel had appeared, their was true surprise in his eyes. "YOU want to engage in close combat? Now I have seen truly everything."

"Good for you," the God of Chaos replied, trying to buy Celestia as much time as possible until she could deal with the Frozen King.

Discord jumped forwards, using his cane to block the incoming twin axes, when he let the air around his enemy's head explode to disorientate or at least confuse him, which worked. The explosion took Balthanel by surprise and he cut across the wraith's chest, creating a wound through the armor and into his being.

The Spirit of Hatred hissed in pain and teleported himself away, looking down at the wound. "No weapon not based on the element of light should be able to harm me in such a manner, but then again I should have expected that your weapon would be able to do exactly that."

Balthanel charged once more.

The exchange of blows ended when the Spirit of Chaos missed a fast movement of Balthanel and he fell for the king's ruse of a downwards slash. The Windigo used his opportunity and stabbed his opponent through the stomach. Life fluid tainted the white snow with its crimson color.

Discord coughed up blood and kneeled in front of the king, "I have to admit, THAT hurts." He now had to return to Equus in order to heal his wounds. The draconequus lacked the necessary power on Earth to cast the spell that would repair his body without a hitch.

"Is something wrong? Not so cocky anymore? How does it feels like to suffer pain like a common mortal?" Balthanel asked mockingly.

The God of Chaos just grinned in response which irritated the wraith to no end. He coughed every now and then thanks to his wound, "T-the joke is on y-you, Frosty Pants. Being stabbed in the gut is my secret f-fetish," he answered with a laugh.

"I have had enough of your insolence and insufferable behaviour! Tell me your last words before I rip your heart out, worm!" Balthanel shouted lividly.

"My, my, so t-touchy. I have a few last last w-words for you. But i-it's more a question," Discord replied. He jumped back forcefully until the sword didn't impale him any longer and summoned anew very strong chains to trap Balthanel. "What sun protection factor has your sun cream?"

"What are you-" The Windigo king's eyes widened. Of course! This filth acted as bait!

"NOW TIA!" Discord disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Princess Celestia flew with her wings at least 100 meters above the ground. Her spell was finally finished, "THIS WILL BE YOUR END BALTHANEL!"

Over the entire park appeared a giant two-layered circle of Solar Magic, exactly ending at the barrier surrounding it.

"No!" the wraith screamed and ripped his arms free, aiming with his hands at the goddess. "Ice Age!" releasing a concentrated beam of black colored magic.

She knew that this fight was over. A last act of resistance by her enemy, but a futile endeavor in the end.

Her sentence was: Death. "Solar Breaker!"

A concentrated counter beam of magic shot out of the inner circle of the ring, the diameter at least 50 meters. This was the last thing the Frozen King saw in his long existence. His final thought was just one word, 'How?'

Canterlot Park, a place of 330 hectares, was consumed by a sea of flames. Only a blazing inferno remained.

Chapter 5 - Decisions & Consequences

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The Rainbooms sat quietly in the room where they would have usually their band practice, waiting and stewing in guilt.

Princess Twilight Sparkle walked up and down in front of the group with crossed arms and an unreadable expression on her face after her anger induced outburst in the foyer. She had came to the human world as fast as she could after Discord showed her what this whole Anon-a-Miss business entailed. The youngest alicorn stopped every now and then and started to open her mouth to say something, just to close it and continued instead with giving the girls the silent treatment. Spike glared holes into them.

The Bearer of Magic recalled her memories again, what Sunset wrote to her in the magic journal over the last few days and how the messages were progressively written with more tears upon the pages and less and less hope.

For Celestia's sake! She could literally feel how shattered her friend was when writing the last one:

Dear Princess Twilight,
I tried everything I could, I really did. I failed. Hopefully I can find my true calling somewhere else, but not here. Goodbye.
Forever your friend,
Sunset Shimmer

Twilight never felt never so much... fury in her life before. It wasn't even that bad when her pony friends from Ponyville didn't believe her when Chrysalis took Cadence's form, because she could understand their behaviour a little better after the real wedding. From an outside perspective and the point of view of ponies who never met the real Cadence in their life, it must truly have looked like she was just very overprotective and possessive of her BBBFF, not because the imposter was a terrible actor and didn't behave like her former foalsitter. And they realized fastly their mistakes anyway, so all was forgiven.

A small part of Twilight had the strong desire to hit the girls in front of her or to do ANYTHING in general to get rid of these poisonous emotions in her mind. But she knew that violence wouldn't solve anything, it wouldn't unmake the past. No, it would only be personal revenge.

She sighed in frustration and shook her head. "I just... there are no words in any language that could express how disappointed and angry I am. I-I trusted you! Sunset trusted you! I asked you to help her after the Fall Formal, to show and prove to her that the Magic of Friendship exists everywhere. That forgiveness and redemption could always be achieved if somepony truly desired..."

"Somepony?" Rainbow muttered to herself.

"...and what did you do?! You abandoned her! Did you even think about the consequences of your actions?!"

Rarity tried meekly to get a word in, "Well, we just thought-"

"Then you thought WRONG!" Twilight interrupted loudly. "This entire mess around Anon-a-Miss didn't only drive an innocent mare to the edge, but created so much hatred and other negative emotions at Canterlot High that Windigos of all beings came to this city!" Her anger faded for a few seconds, fear taking root in the princess’ heart.

Spike noticed it immediately, "Calm down Twilight. I'm sure Discord and Princess Celestia are trying their best to contain them."

"Discord? Windigos? Wait! You mean these creepy ghosts?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed in shock.

The Alicorn smiled gratefully at her number one assistant, "Thank you Spike." She glared at Pinkie after her inner fire returned with a vengeance. "Yes, those 'creepy ghosts' as you call them, are a very touchy subject for us ponies and let's leave it at that. Please."

"Such uncouth monstrosities exist?!" Rarity asked aghastly.

Wait, didn't she just say that these things were a touchy subject for ‘ponies’? The fashionista felt unnerved. Just how many evil beings did they banish to their world?! Was Earth some kind of dumping ground for threats they didn't want to take care of themselves in Equestria?

Twilight continued, not knowing about the girl's inner monologue, "Yes, sadly they do. When I stepped through the portal I could feel that the magic level in this world was somehow much higher since the last time I came here and such conditions, like those that can be found here at CHS, create the perfect hunting ground for them." She looked back at Pinkie, "And to answer your other question, Discord is the one who brought you here when the Windigos attacked you. I asked him to save you when I learned where you were through his help." The Princess of Friendship was still shocked how helpful Discord was in all of this. Maybe Fluttershy was right? Perhaps he truly turned for the better this time after what happened with Tirek.

"Wow, thanks Twilight. We mighty appreciate it that y'all saved our hides, but how come this Discord fella can use magic? Ah thought when y'all come over here as humans it wouldn't be possible to use them fancy powers?" Applejack inquired, scratching her head.

"O-or Princess Celestia. She w-was very scary," Fluttershy added, her skin was turning paler from only thinking about what transpired between them earlier.

Twilight glanced over the group of friends in a neutral manner, but spoke in a hostile tone, "What? Do you think I would just sit back and let you die? I would never think or even dream about distributing the death sentence or let others die when it can be prevented. Of course I helped you. But don't misunderstand me, I'm very angry at you for what you did to Sunset. I’m not sure how long it’ll take, but I won't be able to forgive you for some time. As the Princess of Friendship I always believe in second chances, as I was taught since my foalhood, and that violence should never be the solution when not absolutely necessary."

Applejack held her healthy cheek and sighed relieved in her mind.

The Rainbooms thought their potential ex-friend was finished, but her stare told otherwise. "But what you did, what this entire school did, is really pushing it. We ponies are not always innocent either. Or welcoming when I remember Zecora. And we have our own fair share of mistakes, but most of us would never overstep certain lines. Lines many students of CHS don't seem to have or which they quickly choose to ignore if it suits them. I count you as the second kind."

Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy cried slightly and the other two didn't feel much better, only able to stare at the ground in greatest shame and self-loathing. They could have handled it much better when Twilight just shouted her lungs out at them, but this bottomless amount of disappointment in her eyes, the controlled fury in her voice... this combination was far worse.

"We blamed Sunset just like that. We were so darn dumb!" Applejack said in annoyance and squeezed her hat.

The purple girl shook her head, "Girls. I know that you all did that, because it was the easy way. Not only that, but because Sunset did a lot of horrible things during her time since she came to this world. She bullied, blackmailed, ridiculed and did Celestia knows what. You saw it as justified to suspect Sunset because of her past. It was a logical conclusion for you that she could have gone back to her old ways of manipulating others. But you know what?"

The girls could only stare at her in suspense.

"The Elements of Harmony can never be deceived. They are magical artifacts of good and would never have granted Sunset magic of her own if she just acted the part. If she hadn’t been completely honest in her intentions, decided to stay loyal to her friends, didn't choose the need of the many above her own, shared her laughter with you and let kindness into her heart, she wouldn't have grown ears and tails like us. The Elements deemed her worthy of their power, so who were you to doubt their judgement? After everything she did for you?" Twilight felt her own eyes were moistening.

"We are so, so sorry..." Rarity whispered sadly, her mascara was running down her eyes.

The transformed alicorn's eyes softened an ounce, "I'm afraid a simple sorry won't do it this time, you were unspeakably cruel and never saw it in your hearts to stand up for Sunset, no matter how much she begged you or swore that she was innocent. I don't want anything to do with you for the time being. Maybe I can forgive you at one point, but it won't happen soon. I trusted you, because I was so sure that I could count on you. That, if there was any group of friends who could handle the task of aiding Sunset on her path, it would be you. I was wrong... and Sunset paid the price for that mistake." Twilight noticed just now the cowgirl’s swollen cheek and raised an eyebrow, "Applejack, what happened to your face?"

This last statement broke the girls' hearts, they didn't expect that their actions would have such drastic consequences for them. The five friends swore themselves to seek redemption for their actions, somehow. That they would try to rebuild the bridges they had burned.

Applejack acknowledged the question with a somber tone. "What? Oh, err, Princess Celestia slapped me with the back of her hand and sent me flyin'. Ah deserve it for what Ah've done... and more." The teenager pulled her hat over her eyes.

Twilight's brain came to a sudden standstill. Did she hear that right? Her former mentor and the most benevolent pony of all of Equestria, except maybe Fluttershy, who was ALWAYS seeking to solve problems peacefully, HIT somepony?!

Preposterous! She NEVER heard of such a thing!

Panic made itself known in the youngest princess. Had Princess Celestia taken what happened with Sunset personally and Applejack was solely the beginning? Was an attack on Sunset as Celestia's daughter an offense to the crown? Had Equestria declared war on the humans?! There were no friendship lessons that would help her in such a horrible situation!

She would be... be... unprepared.

These and more horror scenarios invaded the normally purple pony's mind in high speed. Everyone else could only assume what she thought, because the only visible reaction was a twitching right eye.

"Wow, you girls totally bucked up," Spike commented, chuckling in amusement.

That brought his big sister back to reality, "Spike! Language!" Twilight cleared her throat. "Back to your questions. Discord is a... special case and has his own way of crossing dimensions, he doesn't need the mirror to come here. And just ignores important laws of magic! Princess Celestia can overpower the enchantments on the portal on her own and is able to keep her power intact after crossing the mirror, because she studied the mirror for centuries. As an older alicorn, she has the raw power to perform such a feat."

In hindsight it was maybe not the most unexpected action that the princess had hit Applejack. Seriously, she could understand her former mentor very well, what the farmer did was very out of line. It was certainly not the most... peaceful course of action, Twilight had to admit. But when what the other princesses said to her was true, and she didn't doubt it, then Princess Celestia was probably living out many years of suppressed motherly affection for Sunset and seeing that your own daughter was treated in such a way wasn't really helping.

Mothers were scary like that when their foals were threatened, she would know from experience. Twilight didn't know until this day that a unicorn mare was able to buck with such force.

Besides, Applejack would live, that was something, right?

"I know we messed up majorly and there is nothing that could make the situation better, but please! Give us a chance to prove ourselves! I said very hurtful things to Sunset, because I felt so betrayed and in the very end it was me who behaved like a fuc-" Rarity cleared her throat, "-idiot, not her!" Rainbow Dash pleaded with wet eyes.

Twilight only shook coolly her head. "I'm sorry Rainbow, I said my part. You didn't think about your actions, but jumped at the first real opportunity to blame Sunset like the other students. And why was that, hm? You wronged Sunset Shimmer the most and you will have to talk with her, it's her decision alone if she wants you back in her life or not." She raised a finger warningly, "BUT... you will accept her final decision. If she doesn't want anything to do with you anymore then you will accept that, do I make myself clear?"

The girls nodded unwillingly, but they would respect Sunset's final decision. They owed her at least that much.

"I won't force her to talk with you if she doesn't want to, I can only advise her. And don't misunderstand me, I'm absolutely for talking it out with your friends, but a lot of damage was done by your actions and you will have to live with the consequences. Now, if you would excuse me, I have to find a certain Anon-a-Miss." Twilight spoke out the name like it was pure poison and had barely reached the door when another of her former friends, at least for now, called out.

"Wait! How do we even get the chance to apologize to Sunset? Princess Celestia already made it very clear to us that she would be brought back to Equestria after she was found. And I REALLY have to explain to her how sorry I am! Pretty please!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed in despair, her hair completely flat.

Twilight sighed, "I will try to talk with the princess about it. You-"

"What is that?!" Spike interrupted and pointed out of the window.

All turned around and saw a humongous golden two-layered magic circle in the distance on the sky. It was sublime sight, despite the strong blizzard rampaging outside.

"Eep!" Fluttershy shouted in awe and fear.

"T-that's Princess Celestia!" Twilight replied in shock, she would always recognize her former mentor's magic. But what was the princess doing?! And why?

Suddenly a concentrated beam of sunlight, or so it looked like for the girls, shot out of the inner circle and Tartarus was unleashed upon the target of the spell. Giant flames shot up to the sky immediately and an inferno could be seen in the distance from their position. Whatever was there, not even ashes would remain once the fires were gone.

"Isn't Canterlot Park in that direction?" Rainbow asked in a terrified voice.

"Darling, I fear you mean was," Rarity added equally stunned.

To think that they were there not long ago...

"W-why would the princess do something like that!?" Twilight shouted in denial. This spell was powerful enough to destroy nearly all of Ponyville!

The door opened behind them. "Girls! Here you are! I have great news!" Principal Celestia announced urgently and with a happy undertone.

Her voice was enough to push the Rainbooms over the edge. They screamed bloody murder in fear. Spike winced and held his ears.

The tall woman was absolutely unprepared for such a reaction and could only blink in sheer confusion, "Was it something I said?"

The three friends never felt this nervous and scared before. Vice-Principal Luna brought them into her office and ordered them to stay there until further notice.

"W-what do you think will happen to us now?" Sweetie Belle asked fearfully.

Scootaloo snapped in panic, "What do you think?! We are doomed! We all saw how the students behaved around Sunset and how they were at each other's throats for the leaked secrets! When they know about us we are goners!"

Apple Bloom trembled, "If we don't get outright expelled."

On a second thought the trio would maybe even prefer such a punishment. The other students of CHS wouldn't reach them in this case.

Sweetie Belle squeaked in terror, a dark realization kicking in now after an until now constant state of panic, "Oh my gosh, Rarity! She will be so mad at me!"

Her friends didn't feel better after hearing this statement. They were so caught up with thinking about the possible forms of punishment they could receive that the aftermath concerning their siblings, or big sister figure in Scootalo's case, was no topic in their mind.

"Applejack'll have ma' hide," Apple Bloom whispered with wide eyes.

Scootaloo felt the worst. At least her two friends had real siblings! Yes, Rarity and Applejack would be furious, no doubt, but they were still family! But Rainbow Dash? The freshman was distraught.

The door opened and Vice-Principal Luna entered her office. She looked completely emotionless at the trio, but on the inside she could barely contain herself from shouting again. These three girls were Anon-a-Miss, responsible for everything that happened at CHS since this all started, for the suffering of Sunset Shimmer and the trouble her big sister had to go through.

But why? What kind of justification could they have to do something like this in the first place? Well, despite the fact that there wasn't any for committing such acts to begin with.

"Come with me, I will bring you to Principal Celestia's office. She needed a moment to clear her schedule and now has time for you." Luna was proud of herself that there was no hostility or disgust in her voice.

The girls stood up from their chairs and followed their vice-principal with sagging shoulders and lowered heads.

It felt like the woman was there to enforce a verdict and was leading them to their final destination. There was a tiny hope that Principal Celestia would be forgiving in her judgement, but the three friends knew in the back of their minds that reality would be much worse.

The office of Principal Celestia was filled by a deathly silence. After being very confused why the Rainbooms were scared and terrified of her, Princess Twilight explained the woman that it was just a misunderstanding and what events had transpired since the five friends left Sunset alone. As well as what happened between them at Sugarcube Corner.

Though she didn't understand how Professor Discord, one of her oldest acquaintances who taught the newly introduced subject 'Chaos Theory' at Canterlot University, could have a part in this. Or knew about everything that happened there for that matter.

"I see..." Principal Celestia replied neutrally. "I must say I'm very disappointed by your actions. I believed firmly that at least you would continue to stay at Sunset's side and see through this scheme." She sighed in exhaustion, leaning her forehead against her palm.

"A-are you alright?" Fluttershy asked in concern. Tears were still on her cheeks.

They were more than shocked after hearing from Twilight what happened with Sunset after they abandoned her and how the sent messages between the duo via the magic journal became more and more desperate. They felt like scum.

Celestia laughed dryly, though it never reached her eyes. "I would be lying if I said yes. Since Anon-a-Miss started to spread secrets I had more than enough angry parents to handle, some with influence, who pressured me to do something about it. Not only them, but the school board as well. And I received this morning the eleventh request for a change of school. Such a thing had never happened before since the founding of Canterlot High School."

"This Anon-a-Miss went much too far, endangering others education like that," Twilight said disgustedly in a quiet tone so that only her number one assistant heard what she said. Spike could only roll his eyes at her priorities.

"Suffice to say I never had so much work to do since I began the job as CHS' principal. I was practically trapped in my office." The multicolor-haired woman shook her head in resignation. "The problem was that I couldn't achieve anything legally in regards to learning something important about the person behind this account. Worse, I swore myself to be there for every of my students in their times of need, no matter the circumstances. But in the end I failed Sunset. I should have been there for her, reassuring Ms. Shimmer that I never believed it was her. Maybe it would have helped." She glanced sadly at Twilight. "You must be heavily disappointed by us, princess. I wish to apologize deeply for that."

The girl in question smiled sadly, "I'm sure Sunset will understand as well as I do. I can't fault you or Vice-Principal Luna for things beyond your control. It was most likely one of the students who made this account and many others behaved in such a despicable manner towards her on their own volition. And as you already mentioned, you had more than enough problems to manage."

"However that may be, I will ask Sunset for names the next time I see her at school. I won't tolerate such behaviour and everybody responsible will be punished severely," the principal promised faithfully.

"Ah fear that might be impossible," Applejack commented with a downcast look.

The cowgirl, after being granted permission by Twilight to tell the principal about her counterpart's presence, told the unaware trio about their meeting with Princess Celestia, how they tried to catch up with Fluttershy after the girl tried to follow the princess into Canterlot Park and about their brief encounter with the Windigos. Twilight explained to her shortly what the wraiths were and that they were responsible for the suddenly appearing blizzard.

The last bit of information was new to the girls, but it made sense. The strong drop of temperature outside happened shortly before the Windigos attacked them.

"A she-demon, alien princesses, sirens, an angry sun goddess, who is my immortal pony counterpart to boot and now cruel ice spirits. I definitely don't get paid enough for this..." Celestia thought in dark humor.

The princess in the room gave Rainbow Dash an unforgiving glare in the meantime as if she just committed the highest form of blasphemy. The property damage part went unheard, Twilight Sparkle had much more important things to worry about. "You talked back to Princess Celestia?! Are you crazy?! She was already angry enough and you tried to scold her?!"

Nopony scolded the princess! That was NOT how life worked!

Spike could only roll his eyes again at the purple girl. Well, at least she didn't faint from shock like the last time someone spoke to the princess like this. That was awkward.

The athlete tried to escape the situation she was in with an attempt of changing the subject and focused on the principal instead, "So, why were you trying to find us anyway? Why didn't you use the intercom to call us?"

The woman's eyes softened significantly. She had pity in her eyes, much to everyone's confusion. "Vice-Principal Luna called me and said that you five should be found and brought into my office without raising suspicion and I concurred after she explained to me why. I'm sure you will be very happy to hear that we found out who Anon-a-Miss is and that the ones responsible are being brought here in this very moment we speak. They should be here soon in a few minutes."

"Awesome!" Rainbow cracked her knuckles in anticipation. "It's time to put... them down?" The last sentence caused bafflement.

Did she just said 'they'? As in plural?

Applejack eyes turned into pinpricks, remembering Sunset's idea who else could very well be responsible, except herself. "No! She can't be right!" the teenager screamed panically in her mind.

But she couldn't deny it any longer. Nobody knew about her nickname from her childhood except the girls from the sleepover and... her family.

The door opened and a tall man wearing the strangest ensemble of clothes walked into the room. Rarity nearly fainted from the atrocious sight.

"D-Discord?! What are you wearing? No, much more important, what are you doing here in the first place!?" Principal Celestia exclaimed in sheer surprise and annoyance.

The 'man' in question laughed openly. "No matter what you look like, your reactions are always priceless, Tia!"

The woman's cheeks burned, "Don't call me that! You know I hate that nickname!" And what did he mean with 'look like'?

"It seems my counterpart knows how to push your buttons as well." He shed fountains of tears, literally. The display creeped the humans out. "I'm so proud!"

"Discord?!" Twilight shouted, extremely nervous. "What are you doing here?! Where is the Princess?! The Windigos?!"

The draconequus in human form looked at her and no longer was his face graced by his typical juvenile smile, but sincere sadness. That couldn't be good in the purple girl's book, at all.

His voice took a very somber tone and he put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner, "Twilight, there is no way to sugarcoat it. I returned shortly to Equestria and came back immediately to warn you."

"What is it?! Did something happened?! Are my friends and Ponyville OK?!" Twilight was in full panic mode by now.

Discord sighed fatefully, "Your and Sunbutt's absence was noticed. The changeling queen invaded Equestria again, Tirek escaped anew from Tartarus and attacked Ponyville and Sombra took over the Crystal Empire. He somehow managed to survive the Crystal Heart the last time it hit him, but-"

Twilight fainted, and Fluttershy kneeled instantly at her side to make sure that she was fine.

The Spirit of Chaos snorted in mock-indignation and held up his head to emphasize his point. "How rude! She fainted before I could even bring the punchline. This pony has no sense of humour."

Spike faced Discord with his best sheep impression, "That wasn't funny at all. And you know that Twilight takes something like that much too seriously. What did you expect?"

"Did that dog just talk?" Celestia asked in shock. Her question though was ignored.

The God of Chaos scoffed at the excuse, "Oh, please, we’re talking about the Princess of Books. The incarnation of the word 'bibliophile'. Did she never learn the meaning of the word 'sarcasm'?"

The dog's expression and monotone tone remained unchanged, "Nope."

Discord groaned and with a snap of his fingers a bucket of water appeared above the girl's head. Another snap upended it, and the water woke her successfully.

"SAVE THE BOOKS! HISTORY AND MAGICAL THEORY FIRST!" Twilight screamed in great terror.

"Called it," the Spirit of Chaos added smugly.

The door opened again and this time Vice-Principal Luna stepped into the room, eyeing the scene in front of her like a person who wasn't sure if someone put drugs into her drink, "Should I come back later?"

Principal Celestia responded in her patented monk-like patience, "No, it's fine, please bring them in, we were waiting for you. And it seems we have two," Spike barked, "-three special guests with us." She looked at the 'dog' with a raised eyebrow.

"These disgusting... ruffians behind Anon-a-Miss are out there?" Rarity inquired in a mix of curiosity and cold fury.

"You caught the ones responsible? Good. You see, there is someone with a burning desire to meet them." Discord grinned wickedly.

With another snap of his fingers another woman appeared in the middle of the room. She wore golden armor, had a very dangerous looking lance in her hand and absolutely no idea where she was.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight hugged her mentor happily, completely ignoring the cold armor, "I'm so glad you are alright!"

The Rainbooms took a few steps back, still a little shaken up from their past experience with the alicorn-turned-human.

After a few more moments of confusion the ruler of Equestria recognized who hugged her and returned the gesture shortly before they parted. "Twilight? What Am I doing here? I was just on my way to the statue to make sure that Sunset is doing well."

"SUNSET?! YOU SAW HER?! IS SHE ALRIGHT?!" Fluttershy screamed in an unusually aggressive voice, completely forgetting with whom she spoke. Twilight growled quietly.

The Princess of the Sun furrowed her forehead and glanced briefly at the nervous looking humans in front of her. She answered the girl's questions in a very diplomatic way, this time, "I managed to save her from the Windigos, if that's what you are worried about. I can assure you that she will make a full recovery, but won't wake up for the time being, as her body is still very weak."

Pinkie had an idea where their, hopefully still, friend was, but needed her suspicion confirmed, "W-where is she now? Y-your highness."

Princess Celestia gave the pink party planner a neutral stare, "I brought Sunset back to Equestria where she is safe from further harm. As promised."

That didn't fill the quintet of friends with much hope.

The midnight blue woman at the door finished processing everything and analyzed the situation accordingly, like a younger sibling should. "Oh great. Now there are two of you," Vice-Principal Luna said dryly.

"Luna, wh-" only for a very well-known voice, at least to her, cleared its throat loudly and Celestia turned around, facing her human counterpart. Her eye nearly twitched.

"Welcome, Your Highness." The principal bowed a little.

The Princess of the Sun looked to her right and knew who was responsible immediately. She shook slightly her head, "Discord. I should have known. You are the only one besides me who can use such magic in this dimension." She looked at his stomach where the Windigo king hit his mark. "Are you alright? I saw from my position how Balthanel wounded you with one of his weapons. They were cursed creations of darkness, and a magical infection is nothing to be underestimated."

"Your worries are appreciated, but unnecessary. I just used my Chaos Magic after I returned to Equestria and pulled the poisoning darkness out of me in time. And well, you know me, always there where it's most interesting, following my own nonexistent rules. Same old, same old, my dear." Discord created a monocle on his left eye and said the last part in a fake Canterlot accent to sound snobbish, causing a few chuckles.

"Princess, what happened to the Windigos?" Twilight wanted to know, scared after hearing her former mentor mentioning the name of the Frozen King. A part of her always hoped he wouldn't be real.

The disguised pony in question sighed, "I fear there is not much we can do about them in the moment. If a Windigo doesn't show itself on its own it is nearly impossible to find them. As wraiths they are able to switch between the mortal plane and the plane of the dead. And we have no access to the later. There is nothing we can do about them as long as they remain and move in the realm of souls. But I can say for certain that the storm grew weaker, which speaks for the theory that most of them went into hiding after their king was defeated."

"What is with Discord?" Spike focused on the disguised draconequus. "Can't you do something about them?"

The tall standing man shook his head, much to Spike’s surprise. He responded in a serious voice, "There are things in creation even I wouldn't touch anymore, especially with such a special brand of magic like mine. Trying to break into the world of the dead or trying to pull something out of it are such things, closely behind manipulating time. Nothing good comes out of such meddling. Believe me, I tried it in my younger years. Let's just say the Badlands weren't always that uninhabitable and leave it at that."

"Oh," the dragon-turned-dog fell silent. Luna's jaw was on vacation in the meantime after hearing the supposed to be canine talking.

Twilight gulped, feeling ill. She didn't need to ask for more details to know what her former mentor meant with 'defeated'. The devastating spell was answer enough. Concerning that... "What happens now? Windigos are still on the lose and potentially hurt innocent people as we speak! And your spell kind of destroyed an entire park from what I gathered. Not that I would criticize you for attracting attention of course! In fact I'm happy that that monster is gone. What I read about him was nightmare fuel for weeks!." OK, maybe it didn't help that she had sneaked into the Royal Library as a filly and read the related book in the age-restricted section.

Discord yawned in boredom, "What do you think, Purple Smart? The Windigos will run out of food sooner or later, I hope, and have to move on at some point. There is only so much hatred they could consume. They can't magically make mortals hostile, that has to happen without a helpful push from them. When they leave the city the magic level should lose enough of its intensity so that they can't keep their visible forms stable in this world any longer. But Celestia is right for a change of pace." That statement earned him glares and a mental thumbs up from Luna. "There is nothing we can do as long as they remain on the other side."

"But what about the humans?! There have to be hundreds of witnesses!" the Princess of Friendship countered.

"Oh, please! Most humans don't believe in 'supernatural' things. The same can be said with events they can't explain themselves with science or their own form of l-log-you know, the evil word with 'L'. I'm sure they, when they were clever enough, hid from the storm in their own four walls or sought shelter elsewhere. There was nothing to see because of the amount of snow and hail anyway," he replied without missing a blink.

"And what about this golden... whatever it was at the sky? I think more than enough saw it and the resulting attack, despite the storm," Principal Celestia argued. She saw this thing when a bright light suddenly illuminated her office, followed by her witnessing the princess' ability in all its glory from the window.

The God of Chaos smiled mischievously, "Come on, Tia. Most humans won't believe their eyes without any undeniable proof. A dragon could attack them and eight out of ten would admire the 'special effects' until it's too late. And even if that should be the case, how would they find anything important? It's not like some human who never witnessed magic before could just create a device in this world that would react to magic from an another dimension like Equestria or the portal itself, collect it somehow in said device and threaten this very world in the process. And all that solely for something feeble like curiosity? Don't be ridiculous. Only a brilliant and much too inquisitive genius without any friends or social life would attempt such madness."

Spike snorted, "That sounds like you Twilight. Well, before you moved to Ponyville."

The bookworm rolled her eyes humorously, "Don't be ridiculous Spike. I learned my lessons and I'm sure that not even my former self would have done something this crazy, irresponsible and egotistical just to satisfy my own curiosity."

Princess Celestia avoided eye contact. Then she remembered her first question, "Now, could someone please tell me why I'm here?"

As if on cue, Vice-Principal Luna heard someone knock on the door, reminding her who waited beyond it. "O-of course Your Highness. I swear, having to address another Celestia like this feels so strange. We found out the identity of Anon-a-Miss and the students responsible for this farce. They are waiting outside."

Everybody in the room could have sworn that the the air became suddenly hot and dry for a few moments.

The Alicorn of the Sun nodded regally, "Bring them in." Twilight felt like she was in Day Court on a very bad day, but she wanted to know who was behind all of this as well.

Luna came back and following behind her were three well-known freshmen, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. The trio gasped in horror, they didn't expect their siblings to be here.

Applejack fell to her knees, bewildered. "Please, tell me Ah'm dreamin'. Sunset was right all along!" And she even hit the poor girl. She felt nothing else than self-loathing for herself and an unhealthy amount of anger for her sister by blood.

Rarity was devastated and could only shake her head in abnegation.

Twilight, Spike and the rest of the Rainbooms had similar reactions, but not Rainbow Dash. "WHAT?! YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" She took a few deep breaths to process this level of betrayal. "Scootaloo! Why?!"

The daredevil of the three freshmen couldn't take this much fury and disgust from her honorary big sister and began to cry. "I-I'm so sorry Rainbow Dash! We never planned for this to go this far! I swear!"

"You have to believe us! We only wanted to spend more time with our sisters! We couldn't accept it anymore that you would spend all of your free time with Sunset Shimmer instead of us!" Sweetie Belle added pleadingly in the direction of a shaking Rarity.

"Yeah! Applejack, ya ditched me four times in the last three weeks! Always because ya had suddenly some 'new plans' involvin' Sunset Shimmer! Since the Battle of the Bands ya spent more and more of yer time with a gal who only bullied y'all instead of me! That's not fair! Ah'm yer little sister for Pete's sake!" Apple Bloom finished the justification.

Before any of the three older girls could respond somepony else shared her own opinion. "ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME!?" Principal's Celestia's proud collection of empty cups of coffee, from all the extra hours because of Anon-a-Miss, trembled immensely. Twilight's Royal Canterlot Voice came with force and unexpectedly. "You really want to tell me that you destroyed Sunset's life, because you were JEALOUS?! I can't believe you three! Do you have any idea how much suffering you caused for everyone?! How many friendships you destroyed?!"

Twilight couldn't help herself in any other way and remembered what their counterparts did in Equestria. How the fillies spread false gossip and exposed, at least much more harmless, secrets under the name 'Gabby Gums' in the school newspaper of the Foal Free Press.

But these three children? They were around an unthinkable degree worse! Many times over!

"D-destroyed?" Sweetie Belle asked, frightened by the hostility in the young ruler's voice. Wasn't that the same girl who helped them with Sunset and the sirens? She even called herself 'princess' at one point. Right, Twilight Spark, or something like that.

They witnessed how people acted colder to each other and that Sunset Shimmer wasn't in school today. Was there more?

"Girls, come here." The trio faced the very disappointing and slightly angry looking Principal Celestia and to her right stood... another Celestia?!

"Whoa! Who are you!? You look like our principal, but what's with the armor?" Scootaloo inquired in awe.

"I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, but it is not a pleasure to meet you three. In fact, I'm disturbed that such young girls like you are behind Anon-a-Miss. And I can't feel anything else but contempt for what you did to my daughter." The princess' eyes were glowing like golden smoldering pits when she said the last sentence.

The bit with the daughter certainly surprised the trio and the two principals.

Her voice was neutral to the point that Apple Bloom and her friends didn't know if they should feel scared or relieved that the second princess spoke in such a controlled and regal tone for the most part. However, for a few moments it felt like they were judged and declared guilty, as if she looked into their very souls when Princess Celestia spoke the last sentence with finality.

The alicorn in disguise couldn't believe that they were responsible for all of this. Children nonetheless. In the moment she saw the young girls her rage on Anon-a-Miss dropped to some extent in regard of her personal desire for punishment. Not that the princess was any less furious because of the cause of the suffering her daughter had to endure, but she would NEVER harm children.

And they were jealous of Sunset, because they convinced themselves that their older siblings neglected them for her. Princess Celestia could only shake her head, the similarities to her own little sister were frightening.

But these humans had to learn that actions had consequences, all of them, no matter how tormenting it might be for their conscious. They needed to hear the truth, "You caused a lot of trouble and pain, not only for Sunset. I let the principal explain the rest concerning the school, but your deeds summoned beings known as Windigos to the city. And no matter if you wanted to do that or not, the fact that they are here because of you can't simply be overlooked."

"Windiwhat?" Scootaloo asked in confusion. What was this woman talking about?

"Windigos are embodiments of hatred. They are corrupted souls who died a violent death, succumbing to their own desire for revenge on the ones who wronged them, ending up completely mad in the end. These unholy beings take the forms of wraiths later on and feed off of strong negative emotions, mostly hatred, anger, greed and envy. Nobody knows why they bring the cold of winter with them when they appear, but most scholars think that this is a side effect of the Dark Magic infusing them," Princess Celestia explained patiently.

"B-but what has that to do with us?!" Apple Bloom inquired with irritation, still not understanding it.

"Accumulated amounts of strong negative emotions at one place are like a bonfire for them. It was your creation of Anon-a-Miss what started all of this. You spread the secrets of your fellow students without remorse and caused a great wave of negative feelings to go through the school. I fear many humans let themselves be consumed by their darker thoughts as a result and lived them out. Sunset was the receiver of variant forms of violence, didn't you know?" The Alicorn of the Sun had to stop herself from lashing out again. Were they truly this ignorant to the consequences they caused all this time?

The freshmen felt violently ill, was it really their fault? They were responsible for the appearance of these... things?

Their guardians were terrified and didn't take the news much better. To think that their own little sisters were the reason that they nearly died a gruesome death... it was a horrible thought.

"What?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed palely, what was astonishing considering her skin color, "We just wanted Sunset to be gone so that we have our sisters back! Not that she suffered any injuries!" That wasn't part of their plan!

Rarity had enough, even a lady couldn't stay quiet for too long in situations like that, "Why didn't you come to us?! Why didn't you say anything Sweetie Belle?! I probably lost one of my best friends, because I fell foolishly for YOUR exposures! I can promise you young lady that our parents will know about this!"

"B-but it wasn't only our fault! The other students sent us many of the secrets! We only posted them!" Scootaloo tried bravely to defend herself.

"WHAT?!" nearly everybody, except the accused themsevles, in the room shouted in fury, disbelief and shock.

Princess Celestia had a feeling that these three alone couldn't have been solely responsible and had some help. Just how many students of this school had a part in this? She had to be sure. "These are dangerous claims and accusations. Do you have any proof?"

"Y-Yes Princi-Princess Celestia." Scootaloo took her cellphone out of her pocket. "I made copies of everything and have a list of who posted us which secret, and what secrets we still haven't posted yet. Here! See?"

The pony-turned-human had no idea what to do with this strange device and gave it her counterpart. The woman took the cellphone and scrolled through the names, a vein appeared on her neck. "Those little... nearly three-quarters of the student body is listed here." She groaned in pure disbelief and put the phone on her desk.

Rainbow Dash grasped it and took a look for herself. "THOSE DIRTY HYPOCRITES! They blamed Sunset, but it was them who sent these secrets to the girls all along! I will-"

"Don't act like you are innocent Rainbow Dash!" Twilight interrupted harshly. "All of you abandoned, blamed and insulted her, too! So don't you dare play the concerned loyal friend now when you weren't able to stay at her side when Sunset needed you the most!"

This brutal truth shattered the chromatic teenager's attitude swiftly.

"I will take this evidence, Miss Dash," Luna said, took the phone out of her hand and looked at her big sister. "I think we should call every student to the auditorium and confront them with these lists as soon as possible." Celestia supported the idea.

"See?! It wasn't only us! It were the other students who sent us the secrets! Without them we wouldn't have had many of them in the first place!" Sweetie Belle reasoned hopefully.

Discord laughed loudly with a mocking tone, "Oh how wonderfully naive you are! Do you really think pointing fingers at others will make your own situation a better one? That your own faults are suddenly forgotten?"

Principal Celestia glared at the trio, silencing them before they tried to search for more excuses. "I think you underestimate direly the scope of what you did. It doesn't matter that the others posted you the secrets, because it was YOU who published them on MyStable, not them. You are very lucky that you are not old enough yet to land in juvenile prison. You are guilty of cyberbullying, framing someone innocent for your actions, slander, abuse of government property... shall I go on? The first thing you will do is apologize to the students of CHS and admit that you are behind the account, clearing Sunset's name."

"We can't do that! They will be after us like a fox after a wounded chicken!" Apple Bloom shouted in fear.

The woman behind the desk looked at her counterpart for guidance. "Princess, our state is quite friendly when it comes to first time offenders, especially when the teenagers in question are under 14 years old. How would your kind handle such a situation?"

"Their guardians will punish them how they see fit, the same goes for the responsible teacher. Everything else will be discussed without their involvement," Twilight responded instead.

"That is all?" Vice-Principal Luna inquired with a disbelieving eyebrow.

"What can I say? I'm pretty sure that anything like that never happened before in our nation's history. Equestria is quite peaceful and I never read anything about evil foals," Twilight replied, shrugging.

"Princess Twilight is right. Our laws don't contain any punishments concerning foals, because such actions have never had to be taken," Princess Celestia added with a practiced smile.

The principal sighed in disappointment, "I see. I'm sorry girls, but I can't and won't let you get off easy. Independent from the existence of these Windigos, which I still find quite hard to believe to be honest, you three not only destroyed a lot of relationships between students, but there is much more."

"More?" Scootaloo asked meekly.

Celestia nodded. "Let's see, six of our school clubs have to be closed now, because their members quit or refused to work with each other any longer. And then I received eleven applications for a school change, because some reputations were ruined irreversibly at Canterlot High. The only option they have left now is to get a clean slate somewhere else to escape the damage caused by you. Sunset Shimmer suffered the most from what you did to her and it happened because of the absolutely most ridiculous reasons I ever heard in my career. But the princess has to decide as her mother if she wants to involve herself any further. Then there is the problem that a lot of parents and guardians are more than furious quite frankly and demand to know the identity of Anon-a-Miss, which I won't keep from them. They have a right to know who caused their children so much anguish. Maybe it will lessen the blow if they are informed about the lists and which student gave you what secret, but I wouldn't get my hopes up in your position. Be aware that they can press charges against your families if they so desire, depending on the psychological damage you caused and many other factors." This warning made Rarity and Applejack everything but happy, but they remained quiet. "Lastly there is the local police. They can't punish you severely, but they want to talk with you, or more, they wanted to talk with the one behind Anon-a-Miss. Officer Shining Armor said that they can force you to attend special classes in case the offender was underage. You will have to ask him or someone else for more details."

The freshmen gulped heavily. Nobody saw it, but Spike’s and Twilight’s eyes widened at the news that her big brother’s counterpart would be involved in the investigations.

"I have some things to add as well,” Vice-Principal Luna said. “There is for one the abuse of school property. MyStable was allowed by us on the school servers to strengthen communication between the students and you used it as your private gossip rag. And besides that, I heard what you said before you erased the account. If I hadn't found you three in time, the truth would never have been discovered. I know that you planned to keep quiet about it and Sunset Shimmer would forever be known and cursed by all as the school's greatest bully and criminal." Luna gave them a death glare for trying to cover it up without a shame.

"You wanted to keep this a secret forever?! That's more than mean, that's evil!" Pinkie Pie said furiously. Twilight had to admit she was a little scared whenever the normally chipper party planner, pony or human, it didn't matter, showed this side of her.

On the other hoof, she was negatively surprised once before by such a cold hearted decision of the three as well.

"Ah can't believe it," Applejack muttered to herself. Her cheeks burned from shame for her sister's original plan of deceit.

"What is the verdict, your honor?" Discord asked with an overly dramatic voice.

Principal Celestia ignored the Spirit of Chaos and pierced the girls with her eyes. "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. Your age and unawareness of the consequences you caused, knowingly or not, are no excuses. You planned everything through in your mind and acted accordingly without remorse. If it wasn’t for Vice-Principal Luna's intervention we would still be in the dark. And that you mutually decided to keep quiet about it only makes it worse."

She stood up from her chair and put her hands forcefully on the desk, surprising some in the room with the volume. "You didn't show any signs of feeling guilty until it was explained to you what happened in the aftermath of your activities. The easiest and most logical choice for me would be to expel you from this school. To write in your personal file what you did and why, sending everything to the other principals to inform them about you and lastly to make sure that you three will land in three different schools to make sure that something like that will never happen again."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom started to cry, while Scootaloo looked only at the ground. Their sisters wanted to help, but they trusted that Principal Celestia knew what she was doing, even if it was hard for them.

The tall woman sat down on her chair again, "But I won't..." Many eyes widened, only Twilight, Spike, Discord and Princess Celestia allowed themselves a small smile, "I don't believe in capital punishment and such measures would only ruin your future. Every important person would know what you did and have prejudices. No, I believe firmly in second chances, goddess, and Luna, knows I'm hopeless in this regard."

The vice-principal coughed falsely into her hand, "Understatement of the century."

"T-thank you, Principal Celestia," Scootaloo whispered gratefully.

"Yeah, we all will accept any punishment you give us," Sweetie Belle agreed.

Apple Bloom nodded her head wildly.

"I won't expel you, but you will receive the hardest form of punishment I can give you without kicking you out. You three will be safe from the other students. Anybody who tries to harm you physically because they seek revenge will end up in detention for seven months and if that happens a second time the one responsible will be suspended immediately. Still, you will be suspended for two weeks after your apology to let the truth about their own mistakes sink in to calm them down to some degree, then you will have detention after school for the rest of the year and are forbidden from participating in any school activities until further notice. You won't be allowed anymore to use the school computers for anything other than subject related assignments and even then only under supervision. And lastly you won't share the same classes anymore for the duration of your time here at CHS. Of course what you do in your free time and during lunch break is left up to you. That will be your punishment," Principal Celestia didn't even blink uncomfortably as she said it.

The freshmen's jaws dropped.

"B-but that's totally unfair!" Scootaloo exclaimed, thinking that such harsh consequences weren't justified.

This time the principal's pony counterpart spoke up, "I'm not familiar with your customs, but I can assure you that the punishment you received is more than appropriate. Many parents will demand severe consequences and if she won't outright expel you the principal will have a lot of the more vengeful sort upon her when she isn't as strict as possible." Princess Celestia lost count over the centuries how many times she heard about problems with the descendants of the noble class at her school for gifted Unicorns, because they threw a tantrum over the smallest hint of 'disrespect' against them when others defended themselves and talked back. And of course their insufferable parents supported their heirs obviously in everything, such conflicts caused her more than one headache. "You can consider yourselves lucky with your fate, when you think about the possible outcomes this meeting could have had for you three. But I will refrain from attending the school assembly myself, because I'm confident that Princess Twilight can easily represent the both of us. I have more important matters to attend, my daughter's well-being takes priority."

"You can count on me, Princess Celestia," Twilight replied with determination. She had more than enough words to share with Canterlot High's students about what they all did.

Apple Bloom was scared, because her normally very overprotective big sister didn't say a word so far in her defense. "Applejack, please, say somethin'!"

The cowgirl sighed uncertainly, "Apple Bloom, ya are ma' little sis' and Ah'll always love ya, but Ah can't simply forgive and forget what y'all did to everyone. What y'all did to Sunset. Ah'll need time to sort this mess out."

Rarity looked conflicted at her own sibling. "She is right. We will all need time to come to terms with what happened. You brought this on your own."

The purple-haired girl was fidging around in tension, "Rainbow I-"

"Cut it Scoots!" the athlete shouted in anger, sadness and guilt, her eyes wetted by tears. "You should have told me right away that something was wrong, not pulling a stunt like this! I don't want to see you for now. I'm not even able to forgive you right now. Just... grr... give me time, OK?!" She received a timid nod.

Principal Celestia glanced briefly at everyone in her office, "I think this concludes our meeting for now." Reaching for the phone on her desk, she pressed a button, “Raven, please call the school board and let them know that we’re having an emergency assembly with the students about the thing.” Picking up the receiver and pressing another button, "Attention students! We will be having an emergency assembly in 30 minutes. That is all."

Chapter 6 - Severed Ties

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The auditorium was filled to the brim with students, all rows were occupied, with the teachers scattered around the room. Whatever Principal Celestia had to say, it sounded very important.

Behind the curtain of the stage cowered a certain lavender girl. And the reason was of greatest tragedy too, because the Princess of Friendship, Defender of Books, Queen of Nerds, Bane of Hayburgers and Devourer of Knowledge... came without a checklist.

"What do I say first?! What is when they won't believe us and continue to think it was Sunset?! Do they have spoiled fruits and will toss something at me, because my speech is bad? Oh no! How do I know when it is appropriate to start and when to end?! Is there a special sign I have to look out for? Flashcards! I need flashcards! SPIKE! Bring me-"

"Wasn't she all fired up an hour ago when my sister's counterpart asked her to talk with the other students? Why is she suddenly so nervous?" Vice-principal Luna asked the 'dog', slightly baffled.

Spike stared at her like she just asked him why diamonds were tasty. "Right, not from our world," he muttered to himself. "That is Twilight in a nutshell when she has to speak in front of big crowds. She's prepared to talk in small groups and says what needs to be said. But asking her to improvise in situations like this, where she has to hold a speech in front of a big audience, completely without rehearsal? Good luck with that."

"But why didn't Twilight just tell the princess that she needed more time to prepare herself?" Fluttershy inquired timidly in confusion. She wasn't sure if Spike would shout at her or not.

"Because Tartarus would freeze over before Twilight denies a request from Princess Celestia and risks 'disappointing' her," Spike thought in thick sarcasm. But because he didn't want to explain their strange student-teacher relationship in depth he only replied with a very convincing and comforting, "I'm not sure, but I know she can handle it. Twilight will calm down soon, don't worry Fluttershy."

Spike could never stay mad for long at the person in front of him, no matter if pony or not. In fact he was certain that there was never a situation before in his life where he was ever mad at Fluttershy of all ponies to begin with. The dragon in canine form had the impression that she was devastated about everything and sincerely sorry, but THIS Fluttershy bucked up majorly and had to overcome her uncertainties for now on her own. He couldn't simply forget what they did, facing the consequences like the rest of the Rainbooms was the only option for her and the least they should do.

He trusted Twilight's judgement, since she was betrayed as well in a sense. His big sister had trusted the human counterparts of their friends with looking out for Sunset Shimmer and they abandoned her in the end when needed the most. No, Twilight and Sunset should handle this.

Principal Celestia appeared with the three freshmen behind her. Their siblings continued to ignore them.

"Is everybody ready? I think we can start." The tall woman looked at Discord, "And what are you still doing here? I thought you returned with the princess."

Discord was mock shocked, "Woe is me! And here I thought that would be the beginning of a great and wonderful friendship! You hurt my feelings. See?"

The draconequus in disguise held his right palm open. A fearful Mini-Discord with a white shirt, the words 'Discord's Feelings' were written upon it, ran away from a like a demon looking Mini-Principal Celestia. The little version of the human had a frying pan in her hand and tried to hit the Mini-Discord as much as possible during their small hunt. Her attire was very... adventurous.

"W-what am I wearing?!" she whispered in shock into the offender's ear, trying to shield the view from others with her own body. She blushed up a storm.

He looked at his palm and closed it immediately in realization. "Oops! I forgot we are not T-rated any longer. But come on Tia! Think about all the fun we could have! Switching your shampoo with hair tint, defying gravity to my heart's content, eating your cake, pranking you-"

"Nothing about what you just said sounded even remotely 'fun' for me, Discord," Celestia replied with already strained patience.

The Spirit of Chaos chuckled impishly, "Well, of course not silly. I was talking about all the joy I would have!"

The principal stared at him for a few moments with an unreadable expression. "Just don't do anything stupid..."

He bowed lowly, and she was quite certain that this man was mocking her now. "I will be on my best behaviour. Don't worry your colorful little head about it."

The principal of CHS sighed and left to enter the stage, surrendering to Discord's antics.

Twilight Sparkle was finally ready as well after finishing her breathing exercise. "I'm sorry for freaking out, Vice-principal Luna. I just wasn't sure what I should say to convince the students of Sunset's innocence," Twilight assured with an apologetic expression in the woman's direction.

Luna looked sadly and a little ashamed into the princess' eyes. "Your Highness-" the Equestrian's eye twitched. "-I fear it won't be as easy as you might have hoped. From what I heard you ponies are a very forgiving species. Am I correct?"

The young lady nodded, not entirely sure why the Vice-principal asked.

The older woman's mood turned sour, "It's more complicated with humans, many of us are able to hold a grudge for years, some even for their whole life. A fair share of the students who accused Ms. Shimmer from the very beginning won't suddenly start to see her in a new light only because you tell them about her redeeming qualities or talk with them about the true identity of Anon-a-Miss."

The three friends winced painfully when all eyes were focused on them.

"Oh..." Twilight sounded very disappointed once more. "I mean I knew that some humans wouldn't simply forgive her, ponies can hold grudges as well, but I hoped they would see reason when confronted with the truth. At least the students who have no part in this and still think that it was Sunset."

The midnight blue woman offered her a reassuring smile. "Don't be too hard on yourself. It's not your fault, it is just in our nature to be more unaccepting of something we don't understand and resentful against the ones who wronged us." She shook her head, "I fear the most sincere apology of Ms. Shimmer herself won't be enough in some cases."

"'Unaccepting'? 'Resentful'? How adorable. I would call mankind wonderfully CHAOTIC! It's like they can never decide on which side they are on!" He focused on the glaring alicorn. "And I have the perfect idea how to welcome you home when we return to Ponyville," Discord announced, jumping between the two out of nowhere which gave them quite the fright.

"Don't do that! And what are you-" The purple bookworm couldn't finish her sentence because of the Vice-principal.

"I think it is time princess." Luna glared icily at Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, "You three as well, come along."

The youngest of the trio ran up to her older sibling, she couldn't take the silent treatment her big sister gave her any longer. "Rarity! Please! Look, I'm sorry! I-"

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity started with a more than frustrated and barely controlled voice, "We will go home after everything is said and done here and talk about... us, but right now I can't trust myself to remain civil around you. I very much consider the possibility of shouting at you in this very moment if you say more on this matter to be precise." She looked at her relative in a mix of many emotions. Not one was pleasant.

Twilight and a dejected Sweetie Belle caught up with Luna and the other two girls, who decided to remain quiet.

"Wow Rares, I wanted to say something like that in case Scoots tried something similar. Just, you know, in a much more awesome kind of way," Rainbow added her own wisdom.

The Rainbooms rolled their eyes at their friend.

"How exactly do you even plan to surprise Twilight?" Spike asked the Spirit of Chaos unconvincingly in a low voice. This guy never did something out of the good of his heart, when your name wasn't Fluttershy.

"Her entire castle will be filled by giant dancing quesadillas! Imagine her face!" Discord laughed.

"You are evil..." the dragon-turned-dog said half-serious.

"I know. Fluttershy taught me well, didn't she? Something about 'sometimes you have to show kindness with deeds instead of words'," he said proudly.

"Suuuure. I don't think she meant it like that," the number one assistant argued dryly. Fluttershy’s human counterpart nodded her head in agreement.

"Pah! What do you know?! I'm Fluttershy's best friend! Of course I know what she meant." The draconequus answered confidently like it was a fact.

"..."

"I hope I will finally have more peace and quiet when the truth is out," Celestia thought in annoyance. This entire fiasco nearly cost her much more than just sleep.

Everybody became quiet when she started to speak into the microphone, "Thank you all for coming to this assembly, because what I have to say will change many things at CHS. Without further words I would like to announce that the identity of Anon-a-Miss has been solved and confirmed by those behind the account confessing."

Most students gasped in shock, some whispered nervously with each other.

A girl with blue skin and silver hair jumped up from her seat in the front. "The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie already knows that Sunset Shimmer is responsible! Who else could it be?!" the hobby stage magician wanted to know angrily. Many students agreed with her statement.

Principal Celestia could melt snow with her heated look, "I can assure you Ms. Lulamoon that Sunset Shimmer is completely innocent. Three other students were responsible for what happened, not her. And I can't express how disappointed I am in most of you. I have heard very unpleasant things about the source of a good part of the published secrets and we have evidence to confirm these claims." She noticed how a few students in the audience gulped heavily, what just confirmed for her what Scootaloo said about these lists she had on her cellphone. "I was shocked after I heard what Ms. Shimmer had to endure since Anon-a-Miss started to publish secrets and many of the ones present in this room jumped practically at the opportunity of blaming her without having any actual proof, some even harmed her physically and I will find out who it was. I can promise you that. You should all be ashamed of your behaviour."

"But the account!" Diamond Tiara shouted in outrage. Confusion reigned, first students started to look uncertain. Who else could be responsible?

"It was just a cheap ruse to frame Ms. Shimmer," she replied sharply and looked behind her to the backstage area, "Please step forward."

After what seemed like an eternity three young freshmen stepped out from behind the curtains, led by a neutral looking Vice-principal Luna and much to the surprise and joy of many, Twilight Sparkle. The Rainbooms, Discord and Spike positioned themselves in the back of the stage, observing everything silently, as promised to Principal Celestia. The woman wanted to solve this matter as peaceful as possible and decided that they should stay quiet for the duration of the assembly.

"Hey Twilight!"

"How are you doing?!"

"Why are you here? Is something wrong again?"

"Did you find out that Shimmer was the one responsible?!"

A few more shouts followed. A lot of irritated looks were aimed at the three girls who stood besides the princess and the principals.

"That's enough! I think it will be the best if I let Ms. Sparkle talk for herself," Celestia admonished firmly and handed over the microphone to the person of interest.

Twilight breathed in deeply and glanced over the crowd. Gone was her tension, cold fury and annoyance returned instead. Many of them were still convinced that Sunset was the one responsible, despite the fact that Principal Celestia already denied this accusation, and it took a lot to stop herself from screaming at them that they were wrong here and now.

"I didn't come here today to confirm any new magical threats." This statement earned her a few confused looks or raised eyebrows from everyone on the stage except Discord and the principals. Some more subtle than others.

The co-administrators had pleaded with Twilight briefly in private, asking if she could keep quiet and not spread the information about the existence of the wraiths, if possible, to prevent unnecessary panic from occurring since they were in hiding after their king's defeat. If she was honest, the pony turned human had thought shortly about telling everyone about the Windigos earlier, but accepted the women's request. A full explanation would have to include expounding on what they were and how they arrived here and if the students knew that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were responsible, because they created so much strife, it most likely wouldn't end well for them.

The Princess of Friendship hoped that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had a plan concerning the remaining Windigos in Canterlot City. "But neither did I come here to confirm that Sunset Shimmer is Anon-a-Miss either. In fact she isn't and we have proof of that-"

"And what exactly is that proof?!" Spitfire shouted honestly interested. The captain of the Wondercolt football team never believed that Sunset Shimmer did something this sloppy.

Sweetie Belle jumped forward before Twilight could respond, no longer able to withstand the cold looks she received from Rarity and tried to make amends with a first step, "It was us! We are Anon-a-Miss!"

Scootaloo groaned internally, but supported her friend's statement, "She's right! We created the account!"

The reaction was a laughing crowd.

"Th-that was a good one!" BonBon exclaimed in amusement.

"You three could never pull something like that off alone!" Silver Spoon agreed.

Apple Bloom felt the punishing glare of Applejack in the back of her neck and overcame her stubbornness, "Why can't y'all believe us?! We're really Anon-a-Miss! Honest!"

"Youn' missy! Ah hope for ya that this is some kind of bad joke!" Granny Smith threatened with narrowed eyes from the right side of the auditorium.

"Granny's here, too?! Horse turd!" the youngest Apple screamed panicky in her mind.

"As if! Why should you do something like that in the first place?" Fleetfoot demanded to know with a slight lisp in her voice.

"We wanted our sisters back," Sweetie Belle admitted fearfully.

The reactions were nothing they expected.

"Come on girls! Just say that Sunset Shimmer framed you!"

"Yes! The account says it all!"

"Only she would do something this sick and dis-"

"BE QUIET!"

Twilight Sparkle's voice echoed through the room, shocking everyone in the audience. It was not only the volume, though the fact that the girl had a microphone in her hand certainly played a role, that stopped further attempts of blaming the amber colored unicorn any longer, but the sheer amount of fury.

The Princess of Friendship was done being polite.

"Why? WHY? WHY?! Are you truly this deaf and blind when the truth is right in front of you?! We tell you time and time again that Sunset Shimmer is innocent and it's like you are trying your best to ignore the evidence to continue blaming her! I can't fathom why you hate her so much and REFUSE to acknowledge her deeds! It feels like I am talking with a wall! Is this how you ungrateful... fools-” Discord rolled his eyes at her inability to curse correctly, "-repay somebody who really wants to redeem herself?! She saved you from ending up as slaves of the Dazzlings for Celestia's Sake! This entire school, no, this world OWES her! And instead of thanking Sunset you showed her contempt, distrust and hatred!"

Luna tried to intervene, the emphasis was on 'tried', "Ms. Sparkle I understand your anger, but please remember about what we were talking about earlier. Surely there is a-"

The princess put her focus on the tall woman, "With all due respect Vice-principal Luna, but I don't give a flying pony feather for excuses in this moment and I'm really not in the mood for games." She switched her attention back and pierced the stunned crowd with her glare once more, "Answer me! I want to hear it from your own mouths! Tell me why you feel in such a negative way about Sunset! I want to know it, now!"

Most teenagers shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not wishing to be on the receiving end of the lavender girl's temper.

A certain stage magician awoke from her shocked state and returned Twilight's expression with a matching one of her own. "Oh give Trixie a break Sparkle! You defend the wrong person! This witch had it coming for what she did! Sunset Shimmer did nothing else in all these years she attended CHS than blackmail, bully, insult, threat and I'm sure steal as well! FOR YEARS! You want to know why we don't like her?! Because she did nothing else than making our lives a living hell! She DESERVED everything what happened to her!"

Some students found their courage restored after Trixie's backtalk. They jumped up to share their own words.

"She destroyed my dress when I wanted to compete for the Fall Formal!" Melody shouted emotionally.

"Sunset Shimmer sabotaged my campaign for starting elections for the first student council and the post of the student council president in the history of Canterlot High School!" Amethyst Star exclaimed angrily.

"She threatened me two years ago to release my now known secret! That was so uncool!" Sandalwood added, sincerely insulted.

The princess' fury subdued a little and she felt pity for them, "I understand that what she did was wrong, but I know-"

"You know NOTHING, Twilight Sparkle! The great and powerful Trixie had a chance of being discovered by a talent scout when she was younger! It was an event in Canterlot to sponsor the dreams of young teenagers and Shimmer ruined it for her, Trixie just knows it! When Trixie wanted to awe the audience with her amazing abilities she had to find out that her preparations were sabotaged! Trixie found this waste of space laughing in the background! She ruined Trixie's chance of becoming a star! Her chance of gaining fame and glory! Trixie couldn't care less what happens to Shimmer, she can rot in Hades for all Trixie cares!" The student's resentment was more than just great and powerful.

Twilight had to admit that that was a horrible thing to do, but she couldn't let hatred lead this discussion. Everypony deserved a second chance. "She is a breathing po-person like you and I Trixie! Sunset surely tried to apologize and-" but Trixie interrupted her.

"Yes, she apologized, but Trixie will never accept such a false act! We all know that Sunset Shimmer was, is and will always be trouble! And besides, just how naive and pathetic are you two? Do you and Shimmer truly think that a simple 'sorry' will undo everything she did?! That words could repair the damage she caused over the years?! Then think again!"

"I'm sure Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna did something about these problems," the princess replied confidently.

The principal in question looked a little embarrassed, "I must confess that Sunset Shimmer could never be made responsible for anything the other students blamed her for. It was always their word against her word and without any clear evidence there was nothing we could do. And I don't distribute harsh punishment without certain proof."

Trixie laughed falsely, "Isn't that a surprise? Sunset Shimmer could NEVER be punished for what she did! This is exactly one of the very reasons we can't stand her! Shimmer was never properly punished for everything she did to us in all these years! Do you know what the principals gave her as punishment after it was clear that all rumors about this bi-girl could only be true? Absolutely NOTHING! Ridiculous three months of detention which were degraded to one and a half as a reward for her 'social behaviour' and 'positive development' along with helping the masons clear the rubble. But guess what, even this didn't happen all that often! The builder said that she shouldn’t work where she would only stand in the way," the acid in her voice very noticeable.

"What do you want to tell me with this story?" Twilight asked in confusion. "If the ones in authority made such decisions, then it is their right."

"Trixie's problem is that there is no justice! Where is the punishment?! Sunset Shimmer should have landed in juvenile prison! She should have been expelled! Not this! It was like a little slap on the hand and suddenly your five followers there demanded that everyone should forgive her, too! Like they completely forgot that Shimmer was the very person who destroyed their friendship in the first place! Are you all dumb?!" A vein grew thicker on her neck, Trixie even slipped out of her persona. "I want her to be punished accordingly for everything she did! I won't accept it that she simply escapes without penalty for everything she put us through!"

Vice-principal Luna grew furious herself, "For your information Ms. Lulamoon! We are very capable of punishing students ourselves and the fact remains that Ms. Shimmer showed sincerely remorse for her actions. Is that worth nothing to you?"

"NO! We were suspended for a week just because my brothers and I searched for diamonds on the school ground! She has to be punished for creating Anon-a-Miss!" Rover answered vocally.

"Expel Sunset Shimmer! Expel Sunset Shimmer! Expel Sunset Shimmer!" a number of students chanted.

There were agreeing nods, but there was a good share of students who were unsure what to do. Spitfire and most of her teammates like Soarin, Surprise and Misty Fly still believed that the girl was innocent.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack wanted to storm to the front of the stage to shout at the crowd and Spike wanted to growl at them, but their feet and paws were literally glued to the ground. When they glared in irritation at Discord the Spirit of Chaos looked strangely calm, "Enjoy this rare treat humans. You will now see that Tia made Purple Smart the Princess of Friendship for a reason. But it will have to be seen if she is truly prepared enough to handle this situation."

The disguised pony breathed in and out to calm herself down before she said something she might regret. Worse, Princess Celestia would be very disappointed when she did something irrational. She stared emotionless at Trixie, "Is this how justice works for you?" The girl glanced over all humans in the auditorium, silencing them with her suddenly appearing aura of authority. It was nearly tangible in the air. "Is this how justice works for ALL of you? Capital punishment?! Penalties where the one responsible won't recover from, only so that you are happy? No hope for a second chance?" Disappointment and a little disgust made itself known in her voice. "I can't believe you! Yes, many things Sunset did in her time were morally wrong to certain degrees! But does a living being truly not deserve to walk the path of redemption in your eyes when you were wronged? Is Sunset completely unworthy of being forgiven for her sins, because you can't find it in you to forgive? Perhaps she should have been punished more severely in your opinion, but she already paid the price a dozen times over since the Fall Formal! And don't even think about talking yourselves out of it! I heard and saw enough evidence lasting a lifetime that proved to me how much you had your revenge on her," saying the word 'revenge' like it was poison.

Trixie didn't let the speech bother her too much, "How dare you judge Trix-" but this time the great and powerful stage magician felt how it was to be cut off.

"I'm not done yet! I have had enough of your interruptions, Trixie! I will say my part and you WILL listen! Do I make myself clear?" The blue-skinned girl could only respond with a terrified nod.

"Honesty! Loyalty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! These aren't virtues we should just turn off and on like a switch when it fits our emotional state. No, living in harmony is a approach to life! It's easy to condemn what we don't like and it's even easier to answer violence with violence. But life is not always easy!"

The audience felt itself more and more caught by Twilight's words.

"This circle of hatred shouldn't have a place in your lives!" The alicorn let her eyes roam from left to right. "Friendship is Magic. Yes, for most of you this statement may sound very naive, maybe even childish, but my homeland was built upon this very foundation. My people haven’t had to fight in a war since 860 years ago and crimes like murder are unheard of. It shows that a civilisation can survive if it fights for what is right without losing itself in bigotry."

The Rainbooms were speechless by the conviction the princess showed.

"The privilege of being granted a second chance in life is most crucial for all of us, even if you don't see it! Everybody is able to do something terrible in life, but if I learned anything during my studies of friendship then it is the fact that it's not our past that defines us! We have to learn from our mistakes, live in the present and work for the future so that we can be proud of ourselves one day!"

The students of the crowd, who were unsure since the beginning if Sunset Shimmer was truly responsible, started to feel bad for how they treated her.

"We granted two of our nation's greatest enemies a second chance, it took time to overcome what history taught us about them. But, piece by piece we were able to get past our own feelings and started to see them in a new light."

Discord smiled fondly at the memories he made with Fluttershy.

"I don't say that every crime should be forgiven, there are things we should never accept. Crimes where something like a fair judgement is truly difficult." Twilight remembered sadly how the Crystal Heart ripped King Sombra literally to pieces, most likely for what he did to the crystal ponies in the past. "And then there is Sunset Shimmer herself. I came the first time to this world after she stole an artifact which was of greatest importance for us. She brought it to this school in order to gain power. In the end she lost everything, because Sunset didn't know that there was another way to achieve her dreams. But despite everything she did I didn't drag her back kicking and screaming to put her on trial, nor did I let my personal feelings dominate my judgement. Sunset wasn't banished or imprisoned in the deepest and darkest dungeon. Instead she decided for herself to stay here to earn her redemption." Twilight gave her former friends a cold stare for a few moments. "I trusted a certain group that they would be able to help her with the task of understanding friendship, but they abandoned her, too."

The five girls looked to the ground in utter shame. Fluttershy and Pinkie shed silent tears.

"Nobody in this school stood up for Sunset in these last days. More the opposite, most of you believed that she was responsible and fell wholeheartedly for this cheap attempt of framing her. You were greedy and wanted to see her miserable, to see her punished. She never would have known what she did wrong if you had your way or anything to say in deciding her penalty. The second chance I spoke about, the possibility to learn from your mistakes, this was no option for you." The pony-turned-human pointed a finger at the flinching freshmen, "These three girls are Anon-a-Miss, nobody else. Especially not Sunset Shimmer! You could have found out the truth, by talking with Sunset herself about it! Then you would have seen that she was innocent from her response alone! No, you just went along with this scheme, even helping with it instead of thinking for yourselves! "

Trixie didn't want to surrender that easily, "A-and what do you want to do when we don't believe you?! You come here on stage and talk as if we have the duty to forgive her!"

The princess would have none of it, "You just don't listen to what I say! I never said that you should forgive her immediately, that’s your own choice. But I WON'T stand aside and let you badmouth my friend behind her back nor will I let you succeed with a such a vile lie! You wanted to know what happens in the case I still won't get through your thick skulls? That won't be my problem any longer, because I'm done with you! Your hypocrisy concerning the exposed secrets is disgusting and the people under you who never believed that Sunset is Anon-a-Miss are not much better. Watching silently from the sidelines even when you know that the treatment she was given was completely wrong? You are guilty as well, if to a lesser level. Being a silent observer doesn't make you innocent. None of you found the courage to stand up and say NO to the abuse Sunset suffered!"

The usually very cool-headed Wondercolt captain felt like someone hit her forcefully into the stomach. If the faces of her fellow students like Flash, Octavia, Lyra and the Rainbooms on stage were anything to go by, they felt the merciless judgement behind Twilight's words as well.

"I trust Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna with handling the rest of this meeting. But I hope you are happy now, because you won't see her ever again as long as you live. You took everything away from her in this city and made it very clear that she had no place here. Should something happen in the future I will only help, because it is the right thing to do, but I won't do it for you. That is all," the warning at the end said in a foreboding tone.

Twilight Sparkle turned around without uttering another word and left a speechless crowd behind, disappearing behind the stage to leave the school through the backdoor. Spike and Discord were closely behind her.

The quintet of friends followed them instantly. "D-darling! Please wait! How are we going to hear from you when Sunset has made a decision?" Rarity inquired desperately.

The Princess of Friendship looked pointedly at Discord, who rolled his eyes and snapped two fingers. A diary with a two-colored sun appeared in the air.

Fluttershy hugged it like her life depended on this book, she would recognize this symbol everywhere.

"This is one of two magical diaries, you should protect it well. I don't think that my artificially made portal will work any longer if your copy is destroyed. One is now in your possession, we have the twin in Equestria and what is written in one copy will appear in its counterpart. Your book will vibrate and glow when a new message is written in ours, in this way you will know when Sunset has made her decision."

Pinkie Pie approached the unusual trio and brought her mouth closely to her former friend's ear. "I hope we can prove ourselves worthy of being your friends again. And when that day comes, no matter how long it will take, I will throw you two the biggest 'We are sorry that we didn't stay at your side and disappointed you in such an unforgivable way Sunset and Twilight' party I ever made. That's a Pinkie Promise," the flat-haired pink party-planner whispered remorsefully after a very long time of silence. The lack of emotion spoke volumes about the state of their broken friendship.

The purple girl stopped shortly without turning around before she continued to leave Canterlot High for good. As if she never heard anything at all.

The tiniest smile graced Twilight's features when she stood in front of the statue, her eyes wet. A single word dominated her mind before she returned to Equestria, "Hopefully."

Author's Notes:

Edited version uploaded: 08/23/17
Proofreader: Javarod

Greetings my avid readers!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

And yes, sorry that chapters 4 and 5 are still not edited, but the one responsible simply doesn't has the time it seems. But I won't pressure him, I'm very glad when someone volunteers at all and does something like editing for me.

Originally I wanted to upload two chapters at the same time, but because we are low on personal in the moment where I work because of illnesses I need to catch the workload for my colleagues as well for the time-being. So I decided to upload this chapter for you alone so that you don't have to wait any more. I feel always bad when I'm not able to provide chapters in time.

But I will succeed for the next double chapter:
Chapter 7: "Anon's Fall"
Chapter 8: "Home"

Thank you very much for reading and stay tuned!

Chapter 7 - Anon's Fall

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Many things could have been said, but nothing would remotely do justice to what Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo felt in this very moment. The desire to be able to hide was never this strong.

Once Princess Twilight Sparkle left the stage the students were split amongst themselves.

There were the those who never believed that Sunset Shimmer was guilty of creating the account in the first place. Many of them weren't sure what to do. On one side they hadn’t actually bullied Sunset, but they never said anything against the way she was treated either. What was the right course of action?

The second group was much too prideful and confident that they did nothing wrong. They punished Sunset Shimmer accordingly, she deserved it for all the years of torment she put them through with her behaviour. If the principals didn't want to punish her, despite the nearly literal proof and metaphorical confession they received after the girl showed her true face during the Fall Formal, then they had to serve justice themselves. Easy as pie.

The third faction was sincerely sorry for how they acted around Sunset. It was just so very alluring to simply blame her than believing in the former bully's innocence. After all her much less flattering actions of the past, despite the finale of the Battle of the Bands, very much outweighed her good deeds by a large margin. Years of blackmail and psychological dominance faced three months of struggle to turn for the better and to learn about friendship.

But all three groups had one thing in common now. They tried to pierce the three freshmen with their blazing glares. Hatred, shock and disgust filled the auditorium.

Diamond Tiara couldn't believe it and was shortly before exploding from anger. How dare these pathetic losers!? "YOU! You will pay for that! You hear me?!" A vein became visible on her neck.

"You little shits!"

"How could you?!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

"I will sue you!"

This was the comment Applejack and Rarity feared the most, while Granny Smith shook her head in great disappointment in her youngest granddaughter.

The older country girl couldn't ignore such a statement and ran in front of her sister, "Now wait just an apple pickin' minute! Ah'm sure we can talk about this, no reason to do somethin' rash!"

"Rash?!" Now that the speaker stood up, the owner of the last sentence was visible. It was High Winds, one of the Wondercolt's midfield players. She pinned the freshmen with her unforgiving eyes. "Do you know how much you damaged my reputation?!" The accused trio didn't seem to recognize her. "Are you kidding me?! You don't even remember what you did?! I can't show myself at this school anymore because of you!"

Her face turned a very unhealthy shade of red. And she had to leave Canterlot High because of these children?!

Loud chuckles and laughter were heard after the students recognized the girl. And not in a good way, her published secret brought her a lot of the unwanted kind of fame.

"Ummm, girls? What was her secret again?" Scootaloo whispered nervously to her two friends.

"Ah don't know, we posted a lot," Apple Bloom admitted equally clueless.

"Stop laughing you bastards!" Spitfire roared in fury, aiding the now sobbing girl besides her.

"Ms. Spitfire!" Principal Celestia admonished gently, "It's admirable to see that you would defend your friend's honor in a heartbeat, but please refrain from using such language in school."

She glanced at the young trio by her side. The principal of Canterlot High didn't know why the students were suddenly so amused, or what these three were talking about, but that didn't matter, it had to be something very embarrassing. Of course the woman knew High Winds, she was one of the students who made it very clear that they wanted to attend another school as soon as possible.

Celestia's tone was very serious, "I can promise you Ms. High Winds that these three were already properly punished by me in the academical sense. They will furthermore have to face consequences depending on the results of the police's investigation. And I won't tolerate any abusive treatment like it happened with Sunset Shimmer. You will all let them be, and whoever tries to hurt them WILL face severe consequences."

The Wondercolt calmed down enough to continue talking, "What do you think of me? I don't want to harm them, but I won't let them escape unpunished either!"

Rarity joined her friend at the front, sweating, "Darling, please! I can assure you that Sweetie Belle and her friends will be given a fitting punishment! I'm quite certain pressing charges won't be necessary."

Applejack and Rarity tried their best to prevent their families from suffering the undeserved consequences.

The Apples earned enough to come over the rounds with their products, especially the apple cider during autumn season. Still, trying to compete on the market was a battle every day. Their pure and natural products brought them a lot of paying customers and patrons, but they had to demand more money than most others for their quality.

They didn't have the newest and fanciest machines to make farming simple, nor did they use a lot of fertilizer and pesticides. This meant that their trees needed more time to grow fruits. It was certainly worth waiting, but not everybody had the patience to wait nor the money to pay.

This meant that Granny Smith had to earn something extra. It was the reason why the matriarch of the family worked as Canterlot High's cook during the week. Since Big Mac had graduated, he delivered their products to the customers before dropping Applejack at school. After that he worked the farm with their father Bright Mac, while Pear Butter, their mother, would drop Granny at the school before going work at their stand in the farmer’s market. When the weekend came around, Applejack would join her brother and father in the orchard.

When it was necessary the siblings’ cousin, Braeburn, would come around to help them with the crop. But it was still hard to accomplish everything in time, even with his additional help

In short, they had their fair share of problems to keep Sweet Apple Acres running and could NOT afford it to pay for any shenanigans or lawsuits.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle's parents worked well paying jobs out of town and were on a lot of business trips. That presented them with the possibility of being able to pay for most inconveniences, but the damage would be done no less. Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles worked both a lot with very demanding, self-centered and spoiled clients, who valued reputation, professionalism and etiquette nearly as much as their own money. The consequences would be disastrous for them if their daughter's role in this Anon-a-Miss scandal became public knowledge beyond Canterlot because of an onslaught of court cases.

It would simply be the Worst. Possible. Thing!

High rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Why should I spare these runts? Besides, I'm by far not the only one who owns these three a social beatdown! I can promise you that we will see each other at court for posting something this humiliating, because my parents won't forgive them for what they did to me any more than I do. I'm positive they will be happy to know who's behind Anon-a-Miss."

"Please reconsider! It's not only our fault!" Sweetie Belle shouted tearfully.

"Yeah! We have proof that many of the posted secrets were sent to us by others!" Scootaloo added defensively.

"That's true! Ask the principals if y'all won't believe us!" Apple Bloom grinned smugly.

Vice-Principal Luna shattered this smile instantly with her own facial expression, "Don't think that will protect you, because it won't." She glanced over the entire crowd, a scowl graced her features, "But what these girls said is true. We found a list with names of everyone involved in this disgusting farce. The ones who played a role in it and sent secrets about others to Anon-a-Miss will face the consequences as well! “

As she said that, a tall lanky woman stepped from the shadows at the back of the stage. With her black skin, teal eyes, and long stringy blue hair, she had blended in for however long she’d been there. The toothy smile on her face as she stepped up to the podium couldn’t be mistaken for friendly, nor could the cold voice she used. “The vice-principal is quite right, those of you who contributed to this crime will be punished accordingly just as these three will. My name is Chrysalis, legal counsel for the district. The board has sent me to investigate this matter,” her smile growing as she looked over at the principal. “I will be investigating the matter and working with Officer Armor on the appropriate punishments. Depending on the nature of the secret, your punishment might not be that bad, but we will be treating this seriously."

Clearly the principals knew her by the looks on their faces. She was well known to all who worked at CHS and their fellow teachers in the neighbourhood. She had a reputation for protecting the school district by any means possible, even going so far as to throw a victim or an innocent administrator under the bus should she deem it necessary.

Chrysalis’ entrance had distracted everyone, causing them to overlook the two other people who had entered the auditorium. An older man with a square jaw, short golden hair, indigo colored eyes, steel blue skin and wearing a cheap grey suit led the way. Following him was a younger man, white skinned and blue haired, dressed in a patrolman’s uniform. Both took the stairs up to stage, the older man said a few words to Chrysalis before moving to the podium, while the patrolman took a position behind and to his right.

“Excuse me,” he said as he tapped on the microphone, causing a screech of feedback. While his face had first signs of wrinkles, his deep voice was commanding and left no room for discussion, “My name is Detective Sharp Mind, and this is Officer Shining Armor. Tomorrow morning, Officer Armor and myself will begin our investigation into this matter, and will determine if crimes have been committed here.”

Focusing shortly on Chrysalis while he continued speaking, “Officer Armor will be working with me, primarily coordinating with you on the investigation. He will be happy to assist you with your investigation as well of course-”

Chrysalis glared at him before replying, her voice laced with venom, “My team is quite capable of handling our investigation, but thank you for the offer.” Her tone and words made it quite clear what she thought of the detective, though her eyes soon roamed hungrily over the younger officer.

“-if the need should arise,” he finished as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Should any of your parents have any questions regarding our investigation, they can call the station and ask for myself or Officer Armor.” Turning to Chrysalis once more, “Officer Armor will be your point of contact for this investigation,” said the detective, happy to let someone else deal with her this time, “He will call your office in the morning.” Looking at the audience, he nodded his head to the principals, then turned and left the stage, Shining Armor walking alongside him as they departed.

Celestia spoke up after Chrysalis and Sharp Mind were finished, "We were lucky enough to catch them in the act when they were deleting the account for good. If you don't believe us look it up and you will see that Anon-a-Miss doesn't exist anymore."

Lyra Heartstrings was the first to announce her disbelief in the ocean of loud gasps, "Oh my god! The account is really gone!"

"You dirty thieves! You think you could just delete everything and escape unpunished?!" Silver Spoon exclaimed furiously.

Chrysalis smiled, a cold toothy grin, “Perhaps they did, we will take that into consideration for their punishment.“

Now it was Celestia who nearly grinned in victory. Many pairs of eyes found the ground suddenly very attractive, refusing to meet her own because of guilt, realization and fear. They were trapped and they knew it.

"I think that is more than enough proof for now that we have told you the truth. The evidence will be given to the investigators to make sure that it is in capable hands. When they are finished with their investigations, we will pin lists on the blackboard in the school entrance soon after. There you will find the names of all MyStable accounts who sent something to them and the names of the related victim to see who was responsible for giving Anon-a-Miss the chance to publish your secrets in the first place. And don't worry, the secrets that weren't revealed until now won't be published and everything will be deleted in time."

Chrysalis shook her head, “No you will not Tia,” smirking at the woman’s reaction to the nickname. “That is confidential information. During the investigation, my team will interview the students. When the investigation is concluded, we will meet the students individually to discuss the punishment that has been determined by myself and the police. The injured parties will be told who shared their secrets, but not their punishment and will have the right to take legal action as they see fit.”

This last sentence let many breathe much easier, but almost as many nearly stopped, their eyes darting around nervously.

"But that doesn't change anything! It's still a fact that these brats published private informations as Anon-a-Miss, no matter their source! And you have no proof that Sunset Shimmer isn't the one responsible behind all that. She could have forced them to publish the secrets FOR her!" Trixie exclaimed restively.

This time it was Rainbow Dash who had enough from the silver haired stage magician and groaned loudly, throwing her arms in the air to get her point across. "Come ON! Why are you still so hooked up on the idea that Sunset's behind everything?! Look, I get it that she did something awful to you, but after everything that happened? The more you try to convince us that she's Anon-a-Miss the more you sound like an obsessed weirdo who only wants her revenge!"

The teenager laughed mockingly, "Ha! You are nothing more than a hypocrite! Trixie knows that you Rainbooms abandoned Shimmer as well. So spare Trixie your false loyalty! In fact, Trixie is quite sure that you enjoyed her fall as much as she did!"

"How can you say such awful things?! You make me sick! Stop being such a... such a... MEANIE! We know we abandoned her, but at least we understood we were wrong. You are so blinded by your desire to see Sunset suffer that you don't want to see the truth right in front of you! You should be ashamed of yourself! You are nothing more than a big bully!" Fluttershy scolded angrily.

Trixie put a hand dramatically to her forehead, "Oh how your words sting! Face it, you six just helped Shimmer, because Twilight Sparkle asked you to do it. Or what for excuses do you have now to defend her? No wait! Let Trixie guess, she was suddenly so much more approachable? A beacon of tolerance and friendship and how we should all take her as an example for how to be a better human being?" The sarcasm in her voice couldn't be thicker, even if she tried.

A certain pink party planner decided to step up to the front to say something for the first time since the meeting started. Her mood wasn't the best right now, Pinkie's neutral tone and flat hair made that obvious, "What are you talking about? Do you know how long it took me, or any of us, to convince Sunset to socialize? She didn't agree to a party for a month. She didn't make an one-eighty in her personality, in case you think that."

"Oh? Pray tell." The blue skinned stage magician raised an eyebrow.

Pinkie rolled her eyes at Trixie's ongoing tone, "Sunny was always very embarrassed, and thought the exact same thing like you. She was convinced that we only 'put up with her', because Twilight asked for our help. Seriously silly, are you really that much of an idiot?" Jaws dropped, on and beyond the stage. Pinkie Pie NEVER cursed, "I mean, do you really think that her wish to prove herself and to turn for the better completely changed her entire personality and she stopped being herself? You can ask the others, she only really started to do something with us since like two weeks before the Battle of the Bands was announced. But I guess I can't expect much from such a meanie like you."

Meanwhile in another plane of existence sat a well-known God of Chaos in his home and observed the humans of CHS on a screen. He just felt how his jaw returned to his mouth after it literally fell through the floor.

There was just one thing Discord could say after he witnessed this scene, "BUUUURNED!"

The echoes resounded through his dimension.

Trixie was still processing what this normally hyperactive and happy girl just said to her, "T-the nerve! Trixie stands by her point that you have no proof that Shimmer is innocent!" She sounded sincerely insulted. And she would never admit it to anyone, but Pinkie's words stung immensely.

The audience voiced its amusement after everybody recovered from this more than unexpected lecture.

Applejack sighed and shook her head, "Y’all ain't havin' any proof that Sunset IS guilty as well. The gals confessed that they're Anon-a-Miss and y’all are just tryin' to convince ya'self otherwise. We were all terrible to someone who saw us as her best friends and Ah won't make such a mistake a second time. Ah won't shun her again. Sunset's..." the farmer teared up on the inside, but hid it well, "...home. Somewhere y’all can't hurt her no longer and as Twilight said, she won't be returnin’ to us. And Ah can understand it, we don't deserve to be forgiven after everythin' this school did to her."

Spitfire stood up to say her own piece, "That's nice and all cowgirl, but I think we are getting off-topic. I support High Winds here and won't let that slide, either. My secret was published, too, but with the difference that it was only an embarrassing nickname. I know that you and Rarity are trying to prevent your families from suffering an image loss, but it's a matter of principle for me now after your sisters destroyed the life of one of my best pals and made others I care about to laughing stocks. Sorry."

Principal Celestia took the microphone into her hand and looked intensely at her students, her voice forceful, "I implore you to think about your next step very carefully. I can fully understand your motives, but please don't endanger the future of entire families for the errors of a single member."

The soon-to-be former Wondercolt sighed fatefully, "I'm sorry Principal Celestia, but I made up my mind. I can't and I won't let these three escape with only a slap on the wrists and suing them personally won't bring me much because of their young age. No, they have to learn that actions have consequences. Maybe that will teach them that life is not a wish concert where everybody gets a happy ending, no matter the crime."

Chrysalis spoke again, “That is your choice, but I would recommend waiting until the investigation is concluded before taking legal action. Allow me to review their punishments and see to that of the other students involved first.”

High Winds nodded her head in understanding, but she made up her mind. Perhaps someone else gave them the material, but it were these three themselves who posted everything on MyStable without a second thought. It was their own decision.

The fashionista on stage lowered her head in defeat, "I see." She glared hotly at her now cowering younger sister, "I hope you are happy, Sweetie Belle. I can't imagine how mom and dad will react when they hear about the true identity of Anon-a-Miss. You and your friends have truly outdone yourselves this time. Tell me, was it worth it?"

"I-I... that was never a part of the plan," the freshman squeaked pathetically in response.

"Apple Bloom, Ah think ya-" Applejack was interrupted by her own grandmother.

Indeed, Granny Smith stood proudly in front of the siblings in front the stage. Her age didn't stop the matriarch from looking threateningly at the sisters, "Don't think ya're innocent youn' missy, Ah heard what ya said. The both of y'all should be ashamed of yer behaviour. One of ma' granddaughters abandoned a friend in need, a true Apple would never do that. The other was deceitful and has no remorse for her actions. Yer parents will hear of this, poor Pear Butter will be devastated when she learns about what her own children did."

That got the youngest Apple's attention. If there was anything she never wanted to do or even thought about, then it was the chance of disappointing her parents, especially her mother, "P-please Granny! We never thought that it would go this far! We only wanted to pull Sunset Shimmer away from our sisters, nothin' more!"

Applejack could solely hid lower her head in guilt and scolded herself for confessing her own shortcomings in front of Granny Smith of all people.

Scootaloo said the first thing that came to her mind, "We just felt special, because everybody kept sending us secrets! And how could we have known that it would end like that?!"

"You make it clear that you are only children in the very end," Luna muttered softly to herself in a mix of pity, disappointment and anger. Afterwards she replied for everybody to hear, "You should have thought about the consequences before you acted out of jealously."

Most students decided that they wouldn't sue these three, because it seemed like the police and the school would handle the situation. But there were more than enough who wouldn't spare the two families the grief and consequences of court and wanted to talk with their parents about the possibilities.

They demanded justice.

Luna chose the moment to say her last bit, "I think it is clear what will happen." She shared a look with her sister, "We can't describe how greatly disappointed we are in you. Nearly half the student body took part in this witch-hunt from what we heard and you still had the audacity to blame Ms. Shimmer for everything as if you were all innocent. And even if you thought it was her, you had no evidence. No, you just assumed it based on her past. Sunset Shimmer was the only possible culprit in your head and you never gave her a chance to defend herself. I hope the consequences will give you a lesson you will never forget, because your actions nearly cost my sister her job."

"W-what?!" the trio of friends exclaimed in shock. Others followed them suit with widened eyes after hearing this piece of information.

The vice-principal snorted, "What did you expect? That the school board would just sit idly and let such a campaign take its course without taking appropriate steps? That was the biggest case of cyberbullying and betrayal of secrets ever witnessed in all of the Canterlot City School District. They were quite furious that this happened, because the secretary of education was upon them in a blink of an eye. Mrs. Steel Rule demanded immediate consequences.”

Chrysalis leaned in and whispered to her, “You know it could still happen, this could be your school if you want it Principal Luna,” though she made sure it was only heard by them.

Luna glared at her, she’d learned from her past and wasn’t happy to be reminded of it.

"Before I declare this assembly finished, I would like to remind you that it could very well be the case that your actions will have more consequences than you could ever imagine. Think about it," she said as pictures of a destroyed city of Canterlot City flew through Celestia's head.

What if the students’ actions led to Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer leaving their world for good? What would happen when the next magical threat raised its ugly head and nobody would come to help? And then there were the Windigos. Were they truly gone? Or were they waiting outside for them, for the moment when they left the school to pounce? So many questions and no answers.

"You are still young and I hope you learned your lessons.” Glaring at the woman between her and her sister, Celestia continued, “I expect the investigations will start shortly. Hopefully you are prepared to face the upcoming days and weeks, because there will be questions to be answered. It will be a rough time for many of you. That is all, please resume your classes and inform your parents about everything we said to you."

Muttering erupted in an instant, outraged calls from the most stubborn students and accusations were tossed around.

Principal Celestia couldn't stop herself from dishing out a last sideswipe for everything her own students put her through, "And Merry Christmas."

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo didn't hear it. They followed their furious siblings, especially Applejack and Rarity who were talking themselves into a frenzy in this very moment. But they heard no voices, no words, they were busy cursing their past selves.

They caused their families a lot of trouble, destroyed many friendships, ruined lives, the entire school hated them, the trio nearly cost their beloved principal her job, and their parents would soon learn about everything as well.

And worst of all, they will forever be known as the creators of Anon-a-Miss. The greatest mistake and most stupid idea they could have came up with in their entire life.

All that... because they were jealous of Sunset Shimmer.

Before they left through the door backstage the three girls could have sworn that they heard the mocking laugh of Discord in their heads.

Chapter 8 - Time to make Peace

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A little Unicorn filly by the age of eight jumped in excitement through the marble-made halls and corridors of Canterlot Castle. She had an amber coat, a brilliant crimson and yellow mane, cyan eyes and a two-colored sun as a Cutie Mark.

This little bunch of energy was known as Sunset Shimmer.

"Mom! Mom! I did it!" the young pony exclaimed joyfully when she entered Princess Celestia's private chambers.

The fireplace crackled and a cozy atmosphere dominated the room. In front of the alicorn were some last scrolls she wanted to read before calling it a day. Besides them was a decorated tea set, a filled cup of the calming liquid was hovering in the air.

"Oh? What happened that you are so happy my Little Sun?" Celestia asked with a motherly smile.

"Stop calling me that! I'm a grown pony! I don't need cute nicknames anymore, that's not cool!" Sunset pouted adorably.

The Alicorn of the Sun had to stop herself from hugging the filly like a plush toy. This little unicorn was just too cute for her own good. Instead she had another idea to tease her daughter and student, "I see." She sighed loudly, "So you won't need my bedtime stories anymore after I lowered the sun and raised the moon either? Truly a shame, but last time I checked big grown ponies like you can sleep perfectly fine without such foalish things."

Sunset's eyes widened in shock and she looked pleadingly at the ancient ruler, "NO! I can't sleep withou-uhm, I mean I would like to hear more of your stories. If you don't mind of course. You know, grown up ponies apprec-apre..ci... LIKE bedtime stories, too."

Celestia chuckled in amusement, "Is that so? I don't remember that I ever heard something like that."

The amber filly stomped her tiny hoof to emphasize her point, "But it’s true! I read about that!"

The princess tapped under her chin with a foreleg in faked confusion, "Where exactly? Please help an old mare with her failing memory."

"In... a book."

"What book?"

"A big book."

"What color was that book?"

"Blu-green! No wait... brown? Yes, brown!"

"Interesting, what title had that book?"

Sunset sticked her tongue out, so hard was she trying to come up with a title. Celestia waited patiently, trying her hardest not to laugh.

A flash of inspiration hit the personal pupil of the princess, "'Bedtime Stories for Everypony - Sleeping like a filly'!"

"Who is the author?"

"Err... a-author?" the filly whispered nervously.

"Indeed. I can't seem to remember the name of the author either." The tall alicorn gasped happily, "But we are both lucky that you read the book! I'm sure you know the name of the pony who wrote it."

"S-sure. The name of the author. Makes sense. Of course I know the name of the author! It would be silly if I didn't know the author's name! Do you really need to know it?"

Celestia nodded her head eagerly in response.

Sunset spoke her thoughts out loud, not that she was noticing it, "Dream Writer? No. Sleepy Star? Nope. A.K. Yearling? Sounds boring. I got it! Spell Weaver!" She said proudly.

"Of course! Now I remember. What would I just do without my faithful student at my side?" the monarch asked rhetorically.

But Sunset thought that the question was meant seriously. Her answer came in a blink of an eye, "Eating wayyyy too much cake the whole day."

The bringer of dawn and dusk could only stare at her Little Sun, "Are you sure that you are not secretly related to Luna?" Celestia mumbled quietly.

"What was that?" the unicorn questioned innocently.

"Nothing that should concern you, I was just talking to myself. Don't worry," Celestia assured with a smile.

A dumbfounded 'oh' was already on her lips before the older mare changed the subject.

"Now tell me, what have you achieved? You seemed like you would explode from happiness," the ruler of Equestria inquired gently.

"Oh, right! I managed to levitate six objects at the same time. Look!" Sunset said and levitated six books to prove her point. Sweat started to show itself on her forehead.

Celestia nuzzled her daughter's neck, "I'm so proud on you. You managed to do something even ponies nearly two times your age have huge problems with."

A loud cawing interrupted the duo's moment and a majestic phoenix came through the open balcony door. Its feathers gleamed beautifully in vivid amaranth and luminous vivid gamboge, the eyes were like fiery pits of light brilliant yellow flames. The proud bird landed gracefully in front of Sunset, lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against the equally tall filly like a warm and soothing blanket during the coldest winter.

"Phila! You are back!" the filly exclaimed happily and returned the gesture.

Celestia chuckled warmly at the scene in front of her before she focused on her pet, "It is wonderful to see that you are back from the ashes. How many poor guards did you prank this time young lady?"

Sunset giggled, she knew that Philomena had a mischievous streak and loved to prank clueless ponies, especially the newer staff of the castle, when it was time for her to start a new life cycle. Most didn't know that, but the royal pet phoenix was highly intelligent and could understand the pony language perfectly.

The reverse however, could only be said about a certain filly. Until this day it remained a mystery even for the Princess of the Sun how her most faithful student could understand Philomena's every sound. She could even talk with the beautiful animal as if she was an actual equine rather than a phoenix.

To their knowledge Sunset couldn't talk with any other type of animal or avian-like creature as it was the case with Philomena. Not that they could test it out with letting the unicorn talk with other phoenixes or any greater number of exotic magical animals. They were very rare and difficult to find after all, it was simply a blessing of great luck to encounter one.

But no matter how this mystery of life came to be. It was a rare gift for Celestia's Little Sun.

It was barely two years ago that Celestia found the filly that would become her daughter. She had felt the magic surge in Canterlot, a place where many of the ley lines of the land crossed at Mount Canterhorn, despite it originating in Manehatten. An amazing feat the likes of which she would not feel for nearly six years when Twilight Sparkle would have a similar surge.

She had jumped from her throne, telling Raven that court was cancelled as she ran from the throne room. Her worried guard captain ran after her, only getting her to say she was needed in Manehattan before she threw herself from the nearest balcony. Spreading her majestic wings, she’d rocketed off for the city.

Arriving in a few hours, she’d found the City Guard battling a fire. She was told there was some manner of explosion before the block went up. Ignoring their protests, she rushed into one of the buildings.

There amongst the fire, singed and soot covered though unharmed, was a young filly. Crying, she sat there in what had clearly passed for her home. It became obvious that she was the source for the explosion, a sudden release of magic as she’d gotten her cutie mark.

Picking up the crying foal in her magic, she’d pulled her closer, cuddling her, whispering calming words to her. Carrying the foal from the building, she found a unit of EUP assisting the City Guard, the commander snapping to attention as he saw her.

She’d rushed so fast that her guard had to mobilize a unit of the local EUP division. She’d apologized, and accepted an escort to a hotel where she could clean herself and the filly, brushing off the protests of her taking an urchin with her.

Once her guard had joined her, she returned to Canterlot by more leisurely means, bringing the filly with her. Arriving home, she put the resources of the crown to work finding the foal’s parents to no avail. Failing to do that, she’d adopted the filly herself.

Barely more than a year of tutoring later, an incredible little pony stood before the admissions board at Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns. She’d passed the basic exams, especially those in practical magic, not that that was a surprise to Celestia. But now was the real test. A simple test they said, just hatch a Phoenix egg. Of course no student had yet to do it this session, but then again it was scarcely to be exptected.

How one fails is perhaps more important than how one succeeds. Success is easy, it's one desires, but failure? Failure twists a knife in one’s heart, failure brings out the worst of a pony, whether it's to hide from the world or lash out at it, it shows one’s true character.

Failure was one's greatest teacher in life.

Young though she was, Sunset understood the importance of this test. Not in what it was meant to show, but what it would show. The nobles had no problems with nepotism, at least not when it favored them, but were quick to lash out at perceived nepotism when it wasn’t. As the princess’ daughter, one would be forgiven if they assumed she’d be automatically accepted to the school, therefore it was important that Sunset earned her way in.

She did her best, she lifted it, stroked it, squeezed it and caressed it, and yet it remained unchanged. They tried to stop her, to tell her that it was alright, she wasn’t expected to succeed, but she wouldn’t have it. Finally in her frustration she lashed out, blasting the egg, not with pure magic as one would expect, but fire. A lance shot from her horn, setting the table the egg rested on ablaze, blackening its shell. The table collapsed, the egg falling to the floor with a sickening crunch.

Tears ran down the young unicorn’s face as she looked at her failure, her dreams dashed. Sitting down to have a cry, she was surprised by a sound, the sound of an egg cracking. Quickly she rushed to the egg, using her magic to help its occupant escape from its confines. A little ball of orange fluff, a tiny little ember that hopped over and pecked at her hoof.

She giggled at the little thing, her little ember, using her magic to lift it up. The little thing nuzzled its mother, chirping hungrily. At first at a loss, Sunset got an idea, lighting her horn, a flame hanging on the end of it like a candle. Lifting the little chick to her head, it quickly leaned up and pecked at the flame, poking at the filly’s horn.

The test was forgotten, at least by her, but the assessment committee wouldn’t forget her, for how could they forget the filly who’d done one impossible thing before breakfast?

What they could say now was that these mythical birds seemed to grow fast and that their own, very unique, life cycles served them as a growth spurt like puberty for ponies. She became taller and taller after each, prolonged, cycle. Philomena was already nearly the size of the young unicorn. The princess decided to declare her to be the royal pet after she remained as much at Celestia’s side as that of her daughter and to provide the avian animal with a loving home.

The two were inseparable, and quickly became best friends after a very short time because of the possibility of boundless communication. Always when the time would allow it they talked with each other. One time the alicorn's adopted daughter told Celestia that her phoenix loved to bathe in fire. She would know, after all she regularly poured magical fire down upon the bird, terrifying Philomena’s caretakers as she bathed the royal pet.

After this revelation, Celestia strived to maintain fireplaces throughout the castle for the phoenix year round. The demand of firewood for Canterlot Castle was never this high before this revelation.

In time, Sunset would help it to learn to fly, using her magic to support it, helping it flap its wings. It was expected that it would leave when it was ready to fly, for such a majestic and rare bird deserved its freedom. Yet, despite being able to leave, it remained, staying with its mom, perhaps the only pony able to talk with a phoenix, perhaps a product of the powerful fire magic she had at her beck and call. Whole monologues could be heard from it in a language only they shared. At first Celestia had doubted it, but one only had to watch the two, how Sunset nodded her head every now and then, how Philomena replied. It was clear to anypony that they were carrying a conversation no matter how improbable that was.

Sunset laughed wholeheartedly after the phoenix was done. After she calmed down she replied smilingly, "Silly Phila, you scared the poor guards half to death with your antics. And that was mean."

"Oh? What did she do this time?" Princess Celestia asked curiously, with a hint of annoyance in her voice when she thought about the possibilities.

"Phila explained to me that she acted like she was actually dying from an attack and flew to the barracks where the new recruits just got their pro-prom-"

"Promotion my dear," the monarch added kindly.

"-promotion to real guards. The new recruits were alone and in panic after she crashed into them, because she lost more and more feathers and nopony knew that it was supposed to happen. They thought that somepony really attacked the royal pet in mid flight and searched the entire training grounds for an attacker, completely forgetting about Phila. She said that they are most likely still looking for the one who did it."

Celestia showed a side of her in private with Sunset that normally nopony would witness. Smug pride, "What can I say? She learned from the best." The alicorn blushed when she noticed what she just said, "Philomena you will have to apologize to the guards. I can't imagine what grief your prank caused them!"

"Sun..." a mysterious voice whispered loudly. It sounded like the source of the voice was was somewhere in this room. But where?

The filly looked around in bafflement, "Did you hear that?"

"What do you mean?" Celestia's voice sounded suddenly so distant, despite the fact that she sat right in front of the unicorn.

Philomena flew suddenly in front of Sunset and set her body ablaze. A fearsome and respect inducing spectacle. She looked threateningly at the princess’ mirror for some reason the little filly didn't understand before her friend disappeared like she never existed.

"Sunset..."

There was this voice again. It sounded strange, but somehow familiar. But how did it knew her name? The pony in question turned around and found nothing, but when she turned back to ask her mentor for protection and advice in panic, because her best friend was gone, she saw that Princess Celestia had disappeared as well.

"M-mom?! Princess! Philomena! Where are you?!" she screamed frantically.

Not even a thought later the flames in the fireplace extinguished. A numbing coldness replaced the earlier feeling of comfort.

"Sunset~" The voice was closer, it sounded feminine and like it was calling for her like an old friend in a chipper tone. But still far away at the same time.

"What in the hay-huh? I'm me again!" shouted the once more adult mare in joy.

The protégé of magic looked at the big mirror nearby standing before the wall and found her body and voice restored to her real, older, self. Her pony self in fact. "I remember this day," she thought melancholically. Tears were assembling themselves in the corners of her eyes, "I had somepony like a mother and a great friend, who loved me both. The days of my fillyhood before we became more distant to each other. Before my pride and ambitions became insatiable. What changed between us?"

"We did," a cackling voice replied maliciously. It was the same voice from earlier, just much closer and prominently.

Sunset's reflection changed dramatically and some kind of pony-demon-hybrid was looking back at her. It sounded like the unicorn herself, only much more sinister. The outer appearance was nearly completely wrong.

The eye color was the same, but the sclera black, furthermore it had changed her fur into a crimson red. Her mane and tail were longer, floating in a non-existent breeze and looked more like actual flames. The hooves were covered in black royal shoes similar to Princess Celestia's golden ones. But the most distinctive two features were for one the long brilliant opal and black colored curved horn and a giant pair of bat-like featherless wings on the pony's back, black on the underside, and two shades of crimson on the upperside.

Sunset Shimmer would always recognize her greatest failure, no matter the form.

"YOU!" she shouted furiously, "How are you still alive?! The Elements cleansed you from my body!"

"Did you miss me?" The demoness laughed loudly. "Come on Shimmy, you are more intelligent than that! We are not the Nightmare, but an inseparable part of you. We are one, no matter if you like it or not," Demon Sunset admonished harshly.

"That's not true! You are much crueler than I ever could be! Even at my worst there are crimes I would never commit. You are evil! Some twisted, by magic corrupted version of me. If not for the protection of the Elements of Harmony you would have killed Twilight and the girls!" the amber pony argued heatedly.

"You are so pathetic that it sickens me," the demon replied in annoyance and fury.

The once beautiful mirror of Princess Celestia's room lost its flawless sheen. The golden framework melted slowly away and cracks appeared upon the glass. Suddenly the mirror exploded and Sunset could barely protect herself in time with a quickly cast magic shield by instinct. Shards were scattered around her.

A hole in the wall was everything that remained where once the mirror stood.

Hoofsteps ended the for the unicorn unbearable silence as a certain demoness entered the princess' chamber through her newly created entrance. So Sunset hadn’t imagined things, the corrupted version of herself really was at least twice her size, if not more.

"Surprised? Good, because I have enough of your stubbornness!" Demon Shimmer screamed into the mare's face after closing the distance between them with long strides.

"W-what do you mean?" She didn't understand what this... thing wanted from her.

The corrupted alicorn snorted, "I'm getting tired of your denial. How long will you run away from the truth and continue to blame me for something WE did? I admit that trying to dispose of the princess and the others permanently was more my plan than yours. However, you are the one who chose to take the Element of Magic for yourself in the first place. Nobody and nopony forced you to do it. Don't you see who I am? What I am?"

Sunset growled in disgust, "Of course I know what you are! You represent my earlier self. The arrogant, prideful, power hungry and much more egotistical Sunset Shimmer who never cared for anypony or anything else than herself and her own desires!"

The bigger pony showed her sharp teeth with a far too happy smile, "Indeed. I'm you, a part of you and not some hallucination or creation of Dark Magic, like you wish was the case. We achieved so much in our life and you were simply too weak to pull through in the end. Worse, you abandoned your pride, you abandoned me, after your defeat!"

Her tamer half wouldn't have any of it, "My pride is the very reason I ended up alone! YOU are the reason I lost everything I loved! And for what?! Power? Recognition? Wings?! I'm glad we lost, because that meant that I received a second chance in life! And I won't lose this opportunity because of you!"

"Pah! You naive, stupid mare! Do you really think it's that easy?! That you can simply blame me for everything bad that happened in your life and act as if you are some innocent flower who fell victim to unforeseen circumstances beyond her? Don't make me laugh! You are as much at fault as I am!" Demon Sunset spat.

"Of course not! I know what I did in my past and I will always regret it. But you are wrong if you think that I would need you any longer. Princess Twilight showed me a better way-" she was stopped in mid sentence.

"Does that lie let you sleep better at night? Face it, she could have taken you back home to Equestria, back where you belong. Where you could have been united again with what you lost. Instead she gave you to those six backstabbing morons like some basket case that needed to be reintegrated into society again after going off the deep end. Look at the facts! She abandoned you to live in a world you didn't belong! A unicorn who lives in a world without magic in a body without magic? That sounds like the start of a bad joke," the demoness lectured dryly.

"No! Perhaps it's not Equestria, but now I have real fr-" her voice broke and her eyes widened. Sunset fell to her knees in despair. Right, there was something important she forgot about until now.

The pseudo alicorn's face nearly split because of the victorious grin that adorned her face, "So you DO remember Anon-a-Miss! And here I was worried. Your greatest defeat in life, without even doing anything worth being punished for at all. That must have been terrible for you and how happily everybody jumped at the opportunity of giving you payback for the crimes of your past. I mean really, even the Elements hadn't done such a number on you. And your supposed-to-be 'friends' held you accountable in the moment their own secrets were made public knowledge. Isn't 'true friendship' something wonderful?"

"Stop mocking me!" Sunset responded enraged, the tears were streaming down her cheeks by now. She could only shake her head in resignation, "I just don't know what to do anymore. I thought that they were my best friends! That I could count on them and that they would have my back. Now I have nothing left."

"That's not true, you have still me at your side." Sunset gave her a deadpan glare, "What?"

The unicorn sat herself on her rump, raised an eyebrow and spoke neutrally, "So what's your plan now? Do you want to take over my body? Are you still having these unrealistic dreams of conquest against other princesses with millenia of experience in comparison to us? Or do you want to seek revenge on Twilight and the girls? Which of the three will it be?"

"Seriously? How the mighty have fallen. To use sarcasm on yourself-"

"I'm not you! And you are not me! We-"

"I heard you the first time!" To Sunset's immense surprise the demoness looked hurt. Why? She was nothing more than a twisted entity, right? "You would think being your own person is the greatest thing, but let me tell you that it's not all that cracked up to be, at least for me. I'm a magical manifestation of your ambitions, desires and pride. Created and fed by them, until the Elements of Harmony separated us from each other. I hate to admit it, but the time apart from you gave me more than enough time to reflect on myself and my situation."

"Make sense for once!" Sunset exclaimed in frustration.

Demon Shimmer groaned in embarrassment, "Do I have to spell it out for you?! I'm not truly a living being like you! I have no soul, no real personality. Everything I can do, what I can feel, only serves the purpose of defending our pride or achieving the dreams we had prior to the Fall Formal. The sole reason we can even talk right now is, because your body is in a comatose state since the Windigos attacked you in Canterlot Park."

"What?! So that wasn't a nightmare?! Windigos really invaded Earth?!" Her eyes turned to pinpricks, but not only from shock, but something she didn't feel in years, longing. "Princess Celestia. She was real, too."

Demon Sunset rolled her eyes at the softness in the unicorn's voice, "Yes. I obviously don't know what happened after you lost conscience, but the fact that I didn't disappear into nothingness gives me the hope that she saved your sorry flanks from freezing to death just in time. Could we go back now to more important matters? You know, me and my predicament?"

"How do I know that you won't just try to take over in the moment we are one again?" pony Sunset asked with suspicion in her voice.

The demoness wanted to shout to the non-existent heavens, "Because I'm a part of you! In the moment we are fused together once more I can feel whole again and will most likely return to the places I came from in the first place. Your mind and soul. I'm a representation of your pride, not your deceit, I have no use for such underhoofed tactics. If I really wanted to take over your body I would simply kill you here and now in your weakened state and be done with it."

If that didn't sound nice of her, nothing would, in Sunset's honest opinion. Still, there was something very wrong with her darker half. Gone was the arrogant, self-centered attitude she had during the Fall Formal. No attempt of attacking or taunting her like the unicorn mare expected that a meeting between them would have gone. And what stood out the most was that a being who represented her worst from the past had a sincerely pleading undertone in her voice. The twisted alicorn really wanted to be one again with her, no strings attached. She didn't even try to trick Sunset into a deal where she would remain sentient, instead the demon wanted to give up her existence.

But Sunset had still doubts. What if all this was just an act to take over in the last second when she had her guard down the most?

A conversation of the past stirred in her memories. It happened during the sleepover at Pinkie Pie's place when Princess Twilight tried to help them with the sirens.

"WAH!" Sunset shouted in shock. Where did she come from?!

"Boulder was hungry," Maud said emotionlessly, completely ignoring the stunned expressions of Princess Twilight and Sunset.

To prove her point the passionate rock lover took a box of crackers out of the cupboard to her left and 'fed' her 'pet-rock'.

Sunset backed away, unsure what to do else in this situation. The awkwardness didn't get any better during the whole 'feeding process'. Even after Maud started to leave.

The Equestrian ponies in disguise looked at each other in clear embarrassment. Why was it always so hard to socialize with the party planner's big sister?

"I still can't get over the fact that she's related to Pinkie Pie," Sunset whispered in astonishment to break the silence.

"You and me both," Twilight replied equally quiet with an amused voice.

Both grinned at each other.

Sunset yawned. It seemed the amber-colored girl was more tired than she thought, "I'd better get some sleep. Good luck with the counterspell!" she said a little too chipper and turned around to leave, not seeing the worried expression on the monarch's face. The unicorn-turned-human continued talking, "Not that you'll need it. That must be nothing compared to the stuff you're expected to deal with as a princess in Equestria."

"By Celestia that was close." Sunset was worried for a second that Princess Twilight would want to talk about the fact that she was so distant the whole day.

But Twilight had something on her heart and didn't let her fellow pony leave easily, "Sunset Shimmer?"

The girl in question turned around, visibly concerned, "Please let it be nothing!"

The Princess of Friendship opened her mouth to say something, anything, then she closed it again. Twilight waved with her hand in a calming manner, "Nevermind-"

"Yes!" Sunset thought joyfully.

"-It's not impor... no."

"Ponyfeathers!" She cursed in her mind.

"You are one of my friends, too. So it is important to me. You are important to me. Please! I want to help you, but I can't do it if you are not honest with me. Since I came back to this world I noticed that you are always nervous around me and let me handle everything whenever one of the girls asked a question. I saw it in your eyes that you had ideas of your own, but you never spoke up. Almost as if you were... afraid of me... why?" Twilight sounded visibly hurt.

The disguised pony jumped forward, trying to remain quiet enough that nobody would hear her except the lavender teenager. Her voice became apologetic and strained, "No. It's not your fault Your Highness! It's all my fault. I-I'm so sorry. You have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you. Worse, I nearly k-killed you and the others-" The princess cringed at hearing the 'K-word'. That was something you didn't hear a pony saying at all in Equestria. Or a transformed one in this case. "-I'm such a monster! Princess Celestia surely hates me now. YOU hate me now! And I deserve every moment of it. I'm nothing more than a dirty-"

She was cut-off by a strong and warm hug. Her eyes widened in surprise, "P-princess?"

Tears wet Sunset's pajamas, "Stop it. I forgave you a long time ago, Sunset Shimmer." Her soft expression turned stern, despite the moment they shared, "You can't burden yourself with the errors of your past or let them define who you are. I'm sure the girls forgave you as well. I did, Spike did and so did Princess Celestia after I explained everything to her."

Sunset's heart nearly stopped when she heard her former mentor's name, "R-really?" she squeaked out softly.

The princess nodded her head and spoke warmly, "Yes. One of the very first things she asked me after my return was: 'How is she? How is my student?' I rarely saw her this happy before when I said to her that you were fine. I'm sure she misses you. Oh, and please call me Twilight from now on. I hate it when my friends call me 'princess' or 'your highness'. I'm just a normal citizen like everypony else and I don't want any special treatment just because I have two wings and a horn. You know, as a pony. Obviously I'm not an alicorn right now in this body. In fact I-"

"Mom..." the amber girl thought sadly before she answered gratefully, "Thank you pri-Twilight. I really don't know what to say to be honest."

"You don't need to say anything, but you have to forgive yourself. Princess Celestia once told me that the forgiveness of others will always feel empty to us if we are not able to forgive ourselves first. Let's just say I caused a little incident with a 'Want-It-Need-It' spell' and know how it feels like to be disgusted by yourself," she laughed falsely.

A Want-It-Need-It spell?! That was one of the strongest forms of mind control! Wow, Sunset didn't expect to hear that.

The two Equestrians were still hugging each other. The turned alicorn went even a step further and rubbed her cheek over Sunset's like a cat. It was comforting and calming gesture between the equines of Equestria. Between friends.

Sunset's face took a similar shade of red as her hair. After all this time she couldn't help it that some patterns of human behaviour took root in her. Must be the teenager hormones, "T-Twilight? Humans normally don't do that to each other. It's more a pony thing."

Confusion reigned over the other girl, then realization, followed by strong embarrassment, "Oh..."

Chapter 9 - Home

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"Hopefully I don't regret this," the unicorn thought worriedly. She knew what Twilight meant when she said that she had to forgive herself first, but it never occurred to her that it could be so literal. "I guess I see where you are coming from." Sunset sighed at the questionable look she received, "OK, fine. I believe you."

Now the former student was certain that Demon Shimmer said the truth. For the first time, since she came to be, a soft smile graced the pseudo alicorn's features, a single tear left her right eye, "Finally one again. I hate my current state."

That was the last thing she said before before leaning forward, offering her horn to Sunset. As their horns touched, brilliant gold and orange flames surrounded both ponies, but before Sunset could panic the incarnation's body dissolved into nothingness and the resulting ball of fire shot straight into her chest. There was no pain, only the warm feeling like something important returned to her she didn't even know she lost. The vivid flames disappeared and no pony was cooked in the process.

That was a good sign in Sunset's book.

"Unbelievable! I feel great! Hmm, I don't feel smug, arrogant, prideful or evil again, nor do I have any desire to conquer Equestria. Everything seems fine. But how do I wake up now?" she asked herself seriously after she finished her self-analysis.

After trying to find a way to awake and walking through the foreboding castle for a while sounds of battle came from beyond the room she was in. That didn't sound good at all.

Sunset ran down the different corridors and stairs, always following the noises, until she reached her final destination, the throne room. The only difference was now that the sounds of clashing weapons became silent when she was close to her goal. The brave mare took a deep breath and charged into the room through a white dome of magic that seemed to protect the entrance, horn at the ready.

Just to look horrified at what she found, and whom.

"By mom's big hooves! Who did that?!," she thought deeply disturbed.

The scene in front of her was a massacre. OK, there was no gore in the sense of blood and intensities, but still! A lot of pony-shaped beings that looked like they were made out of ice were distributed on the floor of the destroyed throne room, unmoving and clearly cut in many pieces.

In the center of the room, where the concentration of fallen foes was the highest, stood unwavering a midnight blue alicorn, facing the now wrecked throne itself. She was wearing silvern armor, adorned with runes, around her body and had two masterfully crafted looking void black scimitars floating at her sides. That could only be the one princess she never met personally before.

"P-Princess Luna?" Sunset inquired stunned. It was enough to be heard. She kneeled respectfully, barely able to keep her curiosity at bay.

The Alicorn of the Moon faced the owner of the voice and smiled gracefully, "Rise my subject. You must be Sunset Shimmer, my sister told me a lot about you. It is an honor and joy to finally meet you!"

"W-what happened here?!" Gone was her politeness, this battlefield demanded answers.

"The aftermath of a glorious battle! That was the best form of entertainment I had since over 1000 years! And I must say it was a long journey for me, but I emerged victorious in the end!" Princess Luna replied proudly.

The last sentence didn't make any sense for the unicorn, "What do you mean, Princess?"

"You were touched directly by one of the Spirits of Hatred, were you not?" Sunset affirmed the question, "There is your answer little one. Windigos normally fed upon their victims from the distance or they use their Ice Magic, with darkness interspersed to freeze them alive and absorb the most negative of emotions from up close until solely an empty shell remains. Dead on the inside because of the Dark Magic that ate away on you. But a direct touch will most certainly cause untreated the most disturbing and cruelest fate of what these fiends are capable of."

"What is it?!" The young mare was worried for her life now.

Luna offered a pitying smile, ignoring- or not caring for the demanding tone of the unicorn, "Calm yourself and I shall explain. The direct contact can not only lead to the complete consumption of the soul until nothing is left from your original being, but from the remains of what once was you will a new Windigo arise. The stronger the pony in life who met his or her end the crueler and more powerful will be the reborn spirit, corrupted to the core. I think they felt your raw potential and decided to make you one of them. But don't worry, my sister and I stopped the process. You are safe now."

Sunset wanted to hug the pony in front of her, but then she remembered that this wasn't Princess Celestia and she bowed her head instead in gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness! Uhm, not that I want to sound ungrateful, but how did they manage to intrude into my dreams in such a strong number? And how long have I been in a coma by now?"

The alicorn thought carefully about her reply, "To answer your second question first, three days. But I do wonder though, how do you know about your body's state?"

The smaller equine's jaw dropped. Already three whole days?! But she didn't believe that saying so closely after she barely survived an encounter with Windigos: ‘I had an interesting talk with my demon half and reunited with her.’ would meet with much positive feedback, "I had a feeling that something was wrong after I lived through the memories of my past as a filly again and suddenly I returned to my real body. That, paired with my knowledge of what happened before I lost conscious, gave me the impression that something bad must have happened to me. But Princess Celestia saved my life."

The lunar alicorn continued, blissfully unaware of her subject's inner conflict that she lied to one of her rulers, "Your answer is remarkable, few are that clear headed in the Dreamscape. And as for your first question, Windigos are restless souls, and a soul is normally bound to a fitting body, not able to exist otherwise in the realm of the living. Was not this knowledge taught to you?"

The mare in question looked ashamed, "Y-yes, I read about their state as cursed undead in books about Dark Magic during my 'self-studies' to learn about the mirror. I'm sure that Princess Celestia told you everything about my crimes."

The Guardian of Dreams looked at Sunset with a deep level of understanding, "You are not the only one who failed my sister. Be assured that she never blamed nor scorned you. But back to the matter at hoof. Windigos are an exception, born by evil and necromancy, as you mentioned, during the Black Age. Even before Discord started his reign of terror. As such they violate the rules of life and death and can, you might say, 'invade' other bodies and infect purer souls with Dark Magic. The corruption took the form of its owner and thought it could get past me to reach your mind if it split itself and attacked from many angles at once."

She gestured to the shattered bodies around them, "This is the result. My sister cast a spell that held the corruption at bay long enough for me to create this place as a last bastion between the dream world and your mind and soul. I fought them for three days."

Luckily for her, as the Princess of the Night she could conserve her powers very well in the dream realm and exhaustion didn't happen unless Luna tried to cast more high level spells.

There was one part in particular that caught the unicorn's attention. Her voice took an unsure note, "Are you sure Your Highness? Mo-Princess Celestia never thought negatively of me? With all due respect, I find that very hard to believe. She had every right to cast me out. I was dangerous and-"

Luna interrupted the other mare with an immediate reply, but not out of anger from being questioned, but amusement that this young pony thought she did something beyond redemption, "Oh? So you doubt me? Do I have to remind you what I tried to do when the Nightmare took over? I gave into my jealously and and wanted to bring Eternal Night. I think the attempt of bringing the end of all life, what would have been the consequence if I had succeeded, and turning one half of the world into a icy tundra, has a higher place in the ranking of: 'bad decisions in life', don’t you think?" Her tone got a tad more somber, "Despite everything I did, my sister forgave me." A mischievous glint in Luna's eyes escaped the usually attentive second pony, "So your worries are unfounded. I'm certain that she forgave her own foal. And if it is only the two or three of us you can call her your mother as much as you want by the way."

Sunset could only stare at the ancient ruler before the message hit its mark, "WHAT?!" She groaned, "I can't believe it! She always told me that this needed to stay a secret between just the two of us! I-"

The unicorn was interrupted for the second time in a row, but now because of an event that made her freeze in shock: A lung-crushing hug. "I can finally embrace my second niece! By royal decree you are hereby forbidden from addressing me by my title as a princess! We are family now and you are the daughter of my sister, as such I shall support and be there for you. No matter if we are related by blood or not." Luna's voice became softer and warmer the more she talked.

Sunset managed to hug back when the pressure eased, gently, "T-thank you Pr-sorry, Luna. I never had any family before except mom. Not that Princess Cadence didn't try at first, but I always thought of her as an intruder in my life." She rolled her eyes at her own behaviour, "I can't believe I acted this stupid."

"Indeed you did my dear niece," came the honest answer without any restriction. "Is there anything else you want to know? You will awake soon, now that the corruption which befell your body is finally destroyed."

"Well, there are things I'm curious about. Mom came to the human world and clearly fought the Windigos. Did you help her? And how did the battle end for the human world?"

The newly returned member of royalty received a much too big smile, "Oh you know, royal duties. I had to protect Equestria in my sister's absence. And it seems my estimations were wrong about your recovery rate. You should be waking up now."

Sunset disappeared from the realm of dreams before she could utter another word and the throne room dissolved instantly, because the dreamer had awoken.

Luna's smile was immediately replaced by a deep frown in the moment she was alone in the Dreamscape, "I will always remember the humiliation..."

Cadence was proud of herself that she could keep her composure. Single snickers were the only sounds that betrayed her iron will. Everything served the goal of being supportive, as long as she didn't look directly at her aunt.
The Spirit of Chaos said that at least one of the 'less boring princesses' should stay in Equestria, just in case. The diarch challenged the draconequus to tell her how he planned to contain her in the castle when she could simply walk through the mirror.
It was a bad idea.
Chained to the floor in front of the portal by thick layers of unbreakable marzipan, since Discord followed Twilight to the human world, was Princess Luna. A huge sign dangled from her neck. In fact her entire fur was a giant mess of wild curls. On it was written in gray paint and supported by evil smileys:
"Beware of the South Equestrian Woonanos Moonbuttus! Do NOT feed it, or you may suffer terrifying consequences in form of archaic speech patterns or shattered ear drums! You have been warned!"
"W-well auntie, I think you look quite... bold," Cadence commented after a long silence.
The answer was a heated glare that could make the sun jealous.

Her vengeance would be sweet and delicious, that, the Princess of the Night swore.

"Uhhg... my head feels like a swarm of parasprites flew through it," Sunset thought dizzily and tried to move her body.

"Oh my gosh! You are awake!" a faintly familiar voice said in shock and happiness.

"Wh-" She had a coughing fit.

"Take this, and slowly. Your throat hasn’t had any fluids in days," the soft and caring mare replied and she felt how a glass of what had to be water was brought to her lips.

Taking large gulps without a second thought Sunset sighed contently and opened her eyes, only to be surprised by who, or more, by what was in front of her. A honest-to-goodness pony. It made sense that she was brought back to Equestria after she had already met Princess Luna, but having it verified was another matter entirely.

And not only some random pony, but a unicorn mare Sunset knew since she was a tiny filly. To think that she was still part of the medical staff brought more old memories to the surface. It seemed Dr. Gentle Soul had aged since the last time Sunset saw her.

The doctor's cutie mark was a forest green sphere of slightly moving energy, surrounded by four small red medical crosses. She had an arylide yellow colored coat and a pale light cornflower blue mane in the form of a ponytail.

Now that she thought about it, Sunset Shimmer never understood how humans got the idea to name a hairstyle 'ponytail'. Did one day a drunk human look in full concentration at the rump of one of Earth's creepy looking ponies and thought: 'Wow! That tail looks like the hair of my girlfriend!'? It made no sense to her.

The older unicorn's lilac eyes focused on her patient, now that Sunset wasn't covered in a blanket she gave a nod of approval. "I see you look healthy enough to move. The medicine and spells worked like a charm. Let me make last check-ups to make sure that your body truly recovered enough."

When the examinations started Sunset noticed immediately that she wasn't in a hospital, what she believed would be the case. No, the current surroundings had a bittersweet touch of their own, "My room. I can't believe that it looks exactly the same since the day I left Canterlot," the mare said somberly.

A few small bookshelves filled with books, big tomes and scrolls, beside a huge study table with many sets of prepared ink, quills and paper gave the room a studious atmosphere. The theme of the room was clearly Sunset's mane. Cushions, a couch, the bed sheets and even the bed itself were colored and decorated in color schemes of red and gold.

Gentle heard the remorseful whisper and smiled in encouragement, "Yes. Princess Celestia declared your room off-limits for everypony the day you disappeared. I can't say how glad I am that you are okay Sunset. I feared the worst after the princess announced that you 'lost your way and decided to take your own path'. I rarely saw her this close to breaking down when she shared the news. I'm sure not one day went by without Princess Celestia lamenting your absence. And I should know, I'm one of a very few ponies who were actually informed about your special connection between each other. Working with the royal head physician had its perks."

Gentle Soul gave her former favourite filly a hug, one the former student gladly returned, "H-how? How can you just forgive me for everything I did to everypony? I was one of the worst and most arrogant pricks in all of Canterlot Castle, maybe Canterlot itself. I don't understand why mom ordered you to be my-"

"Ordered?" Dr. Soul chuckled quietly, "It is true that Princess Celestia wished that the first face you would see after your awakening should be a for you familiar one, so she asked me to do it. I could have declined her request, but I accepted it in a heartbeat. I always saw the real Sunset Shimmer beneath the act, a young mare who yearned for the recognition of her mother and her fellow ponies. A mare who lost herself in her own desires at one point in life, somepony who tried to overplay her own shortcomings with rubbing her 'superiority' into others' faces. Pretty much like every average bully."

"If you knew what crimes I committed you wouldn't say that..." Sunset answered stubbornly.

"That may be the case, but I have no reason to judge you for events of your past. Or are you still having the desire to become an alicorn by any means? Do you see other ponies still as beneath you?" Gentle inquired patiently.

"Of course not! I learned my lesson! Or so I hope. I don't know! I thought I got it, that I proved myself. But it... it didn't end well for me. And I can’t blame the others for rejecting me, I was a terrible pe-pony. I guess I'm just very disappointed that the five girls who I thought of as my best friends in life abandoned me as well."

"Then it is these fillies' loss. Now to a much more important topic." the older Pony’s expression hardened, "Where were you? When I saw you the first time I wasn't sure if you would survive. I never encountered such wounds nor the curse that was put on you. Princess Celestia told me that Windigos were responsible and remained vague at best about your whereabouts. How is that possible? I thought these monsters were a myth or extinct."

Telling other ponies about the human world wasn't the smartest option, a half-truth should do in the younger unicorn's opinion, "I can't say much about the place I met them. I wandered from place to place, far, far away from Equestria and the inhabitants were the strangest beings I ever met. But somehow similar to ponies. Not quite the same, but similar. And I can barely believe it myself. I thought they were gone for good as you did and the next thing I know is that I'm attacked by living myths," Sunset admitted sheepishly. It frustrated her when she was clueless.

"Perhaps somepony brought them there? Or they used this place as a new hunting ground?" Gentle Soul suggested.

"Of course! It's like with the sirens! But who could be that old and still knew about the human world to ban-" Sunset could barely stop herself from facehoofing, "...mom."

"Oh! I completely forgot that I had an order to inform her highness in the moment you awoke. Please make yourself comfortable until the princess arrives."

Not even a few seconds after Gentle Soul left came a knock from the window, but it didn't sound like a hoof. "Strange..." Sunset thought in confusion and turned her head to face the window. A to her familiar looking phoenix wanted to come in.

The unicorn hoped desperately that she wasn’t dreaming right now. "Ph-Phila?! Is that you?!"

But how could she let the phoenix in? She felt too weak to stand up, still. Philomena noticed the mare's expression and face winged, literally. She pointed with her longest primaries at her forehead.

"My forehead?" After her eyes noticed the proud horn on her head Sunset's cheeks darkened in embarrassment, "Right, I'm a unicorn again."

She used her magic to open the window from the distance. The beautiful bird landed on the bed and eyed her with amusement. A few cawing sounds intensified the mare's unnatural cheek color; "Laugh it up! I KNOW I have a horn, I just... daydreamed. No reason to tease me like that, jeeze." Sunset could have sworn that Celestia's pet smirked much more than it should be physically possible with a beak.

A pregnant silence ruled undeniably.

The once self-centered bully and bane of CHS threw herself at her first real friend in life and cried into the bird's chest, "I'm so sorry for everything I did! I missed you so much Phila!"

The proud animal embraced the mare with her wings and 'said' something into Sunset's ears, "How can you say that? I neglected you and our friendship for my own selfish goals. Nothing is fine! I was so blinded by my ego that I completely ignored you. Please, let me have this, I really need it."

The phoenix motioned for the mare to continue.

Sunset looked down in shame, averting her eyes, "I can't even begin to describe how sorry and disgusted I am about what I did. I never took your own feelings into account and tried to solve everything my way. You warned me that I went down a dangerous path, but refused to listen, because I was too prideful and stubborn."

Philomena put a comforting wing around the mare's barrel. "I was so sure of myself and my way of handling things that I never dreamed of the possibility that I even could fail. I snapped at mom when she refused to make me an alicorn. She said that an ascension had to be earned and that it was nothing that could be given for free. I didn't want to hear any of that and focused entirely on my studies to find a way to prove myself as worthy for ascension. I wanted her approval."

She laughed bitterly, "I never thought about the meaning behind her words and let my frustration and anger get the better of me. I shouted at you that I wouldn't need you anymore when you confronted me about my behaviour shortly before I left Equestria."

Sunset looked deeply into Philomena's own sorrowful eyes, "I want us to be best friends again, I want to say how sorry I am and that I was wrong. You always had my back since the first moment we met and I repaid your loyalty with anger and your kindness with distrust. You are very important to me and I want you back in my life. Phila, can you forgive me?"

The regal fire bird gave a single, but firm, nod. Sunset wept into her best friend's chest.

After what felt like an eternity the door opened and a certain white alicorn stepped into the scene, "Sunset?"

"I apologize that I had to cut our last meeting short, but important matters of state needed my immediate attention. I hope you are well this fine morning, Lord Deluxe," Celestia said sincerely sorry.

Perhaps there were a lot of moments when she questioned the intelligence of Canterlot's nobility, but there were ponies who deserved their title and worked hard for Equestria's society. Tight Deluxe, despite his mannerism, counted as one of them.

The chubby noble chuckled in plain good humor, "Of course Your Highness. I understand that you have more important duties than simply listening to the concerns of your subjects. Now, I think you wanted to talk with me about my bill. I believe we-"

The door slammed open and the royal head physician, Gentle Soul, stormed into the throne room and kneeled besides her fellow unicorn. Lord Deluxe was completely baffled, "Princess! SHE is awake."

A blinding flash of golden light later the two mares were nowhere to be seen.

Raven Star, the personal assistant of Princess Celestia, was a unicorn mare with black fur, a long waving silver mane and tail and ocean blue eyes. Her Cutie Mark was an elegant formed white quill with an old looking piece of parchment beneath the quill's tip. The corners of her mouth showed the faintest touch of amusement.

She stood to the princess’ left the whole time and took the sudden disappearance of her ruler with practiced ease. The middle-aged mare walked in all her hard learned professionalism to the side of the shell-shocked noble and levitated her clipboard in front of her. Her voice smooth, but completely neutral, "Lord Deluxe, I assume that you want to make another appointment with Princess Celestia? Lucky for you I have a free slot for you in three months time. Would that be to your satisfaction?" Raven was truly Celestia's personal assistant by heart. “Or I’m sure Princess Luna would have time to speak to you as early as tonight.”

The usually well-trained, stoic and unmoveable guards couldn't help themselves and had to laugh at the Lord's facial expression.

"Sunset?" Princess Celestia said a little shaken.

Would her daughter hate her for having been neglected all these years? What should she do? It was always a dream of her to have Sunset Shimmer back at her side and now where this moment arrived she didn't know what to do. Many scenarios raced through her mind how a meeting between them would look like and most ended with a very angry and reclusive unicorn mare.

The alicorn honestly didn't expect to come upon such a scene in front of her, but appreciated it no less. Her former student and her pet phoenix were hugging each other like in the old times. It was always a secret wish of her that destiny would one day lead these two to each other once more, that their friendship would blossom anew. Words couldn't describe how happy she was for the pair.

The mare in question was frozen at place. There she was, Princess Celestia, Bringer of Dawn, Alicorn of the Sun, immortal ruler of Equestria... her mother.

Her body was on autopilot. Sunset pushed her blanket aside, Philomena gave her space and the still weakened mare nearly stumbled, because her legs weren't used to her weight after three days of rest. They felt like jelly, but Sunset clenched her teeth together and pushed forward, her sheer will overruled the outcry of her protesting flesh.

Then she fell.

"S-Sunset! You have to rest! I can-" Celestia couldn't finish.

"NO! Stay there! I swear to everything that is holy to me, if you are a hallucination of my imagination I will buck Aunt Luna so hard in the face that she will have a headache to next Nightmare Night!"

"She must have met my sister already," the diarch mused and sat down. Watching her Little Sun struggling so hard was tearing at her heart, but she knew the unicorn needed to do this on her own. For herself.

She was in agony, but Sunset couldn't care less. She forced her body to obey and lifted one leg after another, wobbling on them. When the younger of the two ponies was certain that her balance returned she walked slowly, testing her strength. Her speed increased, what started as careful steps became a trot and the trot turned into a sprint.

Before she could fall again Sunset jumped, directly into the loving embrace of her mother.

"She is really here," both thought at the same time in pure bliss.

Celestia held her personal sunshine to her chest, enjoying the tranquility together with her, hoping that this wonderful moment would never end.

Silent sobs broke the silence. Suddenly it was an uncontrollable river of tears that streamed down Sunset's cheeks, she cried and cried and couldn't stop. It was real, everything was real. But most importantly, her mother was real.

Princess Celestia, known for her emotional control, the product of millennia of life experiences, followed her daughter suit. Solely to a lesser degree. She pressed her former student harder to her body, for the irrational fear that her daughter would disappear again if she let go.

Calming words were whispered into the amber mare's ears. Promises of love and family were never this clear before for Sunset Shimmer. All thoughts about Anon-a-Miss and the human world were forgotten, because they didn't matter right now.

After all these years she was finally home.

Author's Notes:

Edited version uploaded: 09/12/17
Proofreader: Javarod

Greetings my avid readers!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

You didn't expect three chapters, right?

And I want to thank Javarod very much at this point for his suggestions and helpful ideas. Thank you! Just that you know, a part of Sunset's backstory in chapter 8 was his idea, I simply approved of it. Same for Chrysalis appearance in 7.

And for everybody who didn't notice it, or didn't read it in the blog... if nothing is written at the very top of thee Author's Note concerning an editor, then it's the uncensored "me-version". But I write always at the very top of the box the name of the editor and the date when it was corrected for a final time before I re-copy and save it into the chapter.

Just so that you know now for the future.

Thank you very much for reading and stay tuned!

Chapter 10 - Sunset's Decision

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It was early in the morning, the sun barely greeted a new day and a calming tranquility lay over Canterlot Castle.

Sunset Shimmer stirred sleepily from the invading rays of sunshine. She just had the most wonderful dream, where she woke up in her private room from her time before she had abandoned everything she knew, especially her mentor, Princess Celestia. But the best part of this dream was the heartfelt reunion they had. Like in the old days where they could have had moments as mother and daughter, far away from the curious public eye.

"I wish that dream could be re-" the unicorn's pillow had just moved, and it was soft. Sunset opened her eyes, and got a face full of white alicorn fur, paired with a white-feathered blanket in form of the immortal ruler's right wing.

It wasn't a dream! She felt like tearing up again, "And here I thought everything only happened in my imagination," Sunset thought happily and snuggled a little with her mother.

Maybe she was already a grown mare, but she couldn't care less about her already damaged reputation right now.

Celestia woke up as well from her daughter's movements and small cuddle attack. Yawning, she looked down at her little Pony in pure motherly love, "My Little Sun, I see you are awake."

The alabaster mare nuzzled the amber unicorn's neck.

Her former student pouted in embarrassment, "What did I once say about this nickname?"

The monarch's grin was playfully confused, "Hm? I think there was something, but after such a long time I can’t seem to remember any important details. Besides, what are you going to do about it, order me to stop?"

Sunset had nothing, but it wasn't important anyway. She put her head onto the Sun Princess' barrel. "By royal decree I hereby declare that we are allowed to sleep in today," she mumbled tiredly.

Princess Celestia laughed lightly, "Oh believe me, I tried. But Raven would kick me out of my bed if I burdened her with more work just because I want to sleep a little longer. My faithful assistant did that once."

That got the smaller pony's attention, "And you didn't toss Raven into a dungeon? Or banished her? Or banished her to the place she was imprisoned?"

The alicorn rolled her eyes, "Why do my subjects always think that I would do something like that? Was I ever anything else than benevolent to them?"

Sunset considered her words, "Well, you are old, like ancient old. An Equestria without you is practically unthinkable. Then there is the fact that you are an immortal and very powerful alicorn who can raise and lower the sun itself like it is the most mundane task. And the history books in the Royal Library contain many legends about an everlasting wrath you unleashed upon your enemies in the past."

Celestia groaned in annoyance at being reminded of her youth, "Once. I did that just one single time. I swear, I was a young inexperienced mare and thought in much more archaic ways as a fresh ruler. My first response to one of the gryphon noble’s planned invasion of Baltimare was to declare war on their country as a whole. Luna and I shattered their army with ours and that was the only time we did something like that. You act too rash one time and the historians will never let you live that down."

The amber coated unicorn giggled, "Face it mom. You will always be the intimidating big bad ruler who smites ponies where they stand should they anger you. You had a bad idea, acted on it and now you will have to live with its consequences."

Suddenly Equestria's ruler had a twinkle in her eyes that gave Sunset a bad feeling, "Is the pot calling the kettle here? I am certain there was once an ambitious young mare, with an ego as big as Mount Everhoof, who thought she could overthrow me with a transformed and mind controlled teenager army of bipedal beings." The sarcasm in her voice was so subtle that most would have thought that Celestia was serious, "But I'm certain those colts and fillies would have conquered the capital like a storm eventually, that is after they finally learned to walk on four legs without stumbling of course, or after you gave them a short introduction in how to use the naturally given magic of their new pony tribe, or any other race of Equus they would have turned into."

Sunset's cheeks turned the color of her mane, "I-I don't want to talk about it! I was drunk on power and didn't have a clear head at that time, OK?!"

The alicorn chuckled at the smaller mare's expense and sighed afterwards to speak about more serious topics, "All joking aside, Sunset. There are certain things we have to talk about. Some will involve the other princesses as well, but first of all-" She hugged the surprised unicorn with all the love she could muster, "-I said it yesterday and I say it again, I'm eternally sorry that I didn't act like the mother you wanted. No, the mother you deserved. This grave misunderstanding shall change from this day on, please forgive me."

Sunset remembered it well, she literally cried herself to sleep. May this embarrassing event never leave the castle, or so she hoped.

She lowered her head in shame, "I-it wasn't your fault. Yes, I always wanted your attention, that you would see me as your equal, as your d-daughter. You adopted me after I lost everything as a little filly and I thought the only way to earn your love was to prove myself as somepony worthy of princesshood." She sighed heavily, "We both know how I ended up. Now I see that my methods were just stupid and acts of a spoiled brat."

The ancient ruler's expression was painted in sadness, "We are both at fault. The more you grew up the more I established a professional student-teacher relationship, because it was an old pattern I always followed through with every of my students. Despite the fact that you were in a much more special position than every pony before you. A grave mistake I realized much too late."

Her daughter didn't know what to say and simply laid her head between Celestia's forelegs.

The solar princess continued with more calmness in her voice, "After Luna was released from the Nightmare my dear sister claimed herself responsible night after night for what happened, as you do right now. But you know what my Little Sun?" Sunset shook her head, feeling fuzzy inside at being the target of such a kind and warm smile, "Our past is not today. It doesn't have to define us, but the lessons we learn from it shape our present and guide the changes we want to bring the future."

Celestia embraced Sunset with her huge wings, "I don't say that you were innocent of your actions, because in the long history of Equestria you are only one of many ponies who fell victim to their own talents and pride, and I fear you won't be the last. You thought you deserved to be an alicorn, but refused to learn that it wasn't something I could give you like some kind of birthday gift."

Sunset lowered her ears in regret, "Yeah, I see that now. I should have used my abilities for more than feeding my own ego."

The ancient ruler smiled brightly, "And this newly gained attitude of yours is proof that you truly learned from your past mistakes. I'm so proud on you and what you accomplished in such a short time. Twilight told me everything about her second visit of the mirror world and how you played an important role in defeating the sirens." A thousand-yard stare filled the monarch's eyes after she said the last sentence.

"Mom?" Sunset asked worriedly.

Her daughter's voice pulled Princess Celestia back to reality, she blushed. A rare event the ancient alicorn only allowed to happen in her most private moments, "Forgive me. The sirens are just one of many errors of judgement Star Swirl and I made and that you and Twilight had to fight them reminded me of this fact. We believed this other world could be used as a prison for every being for whom a place like Tartarus might not enough to hold them."

The amber mare raised an eyebrow, this topic held her mind for quite some time, "And why is that? I think a dimension literally serving as a prison is a much better idea instead of using the human world as Equestria's dumpster for very dangerous threats," she stated bluntly.

The royal mask returned in full force, "I couldn't. Sirens and Windigos both feed upon hatred and negative energy. Imprisoning them in Tartarus, a dimension filled to the brim with potent magic and the vilest of creatures, would have been like Elysium for them. They would have become too strong to be contained, even for Cerberus, and nopony could have stopped them." She shook her head in resignation, "No, the world behind the mirror was the only solution without turning to... permanent measures. And I was sure it was the best option at that time."

"How come? I mean from what I gathered the Dazzlings could survive all these centuries without a problem thanks to their gems," Sunset added thoughtfully. Then her eyes softened, "And it is only us, mom. You don't need to hold up your mask as the great, all-knowing, untouchable ruler of ponykind when we are alone."

Celestia sighed in slight annoyance, "Sorry, old habits die hard, especially for somepony as old as me. But to answer your question, Star Swirl invented the mirror and went through it to test it out." A fond smile graced the ruler's features, "He was always fascinated by the concept of other worlds, a scholar by heart."

"He must have been a great stallion. I wish I could have met him," the unicorn said kindly.

The princess nodded fondly in agreement, "Indeed. After his return he explained to me that the inhabitants of this world were strange beings unknown to us, but highly intelligent with a culture of their own. And most of all, the mirror changed everypony who crossed over into one of them and that there was no magic to be used, a crippling experience for every magic user. Many years later I verified his findings for myself and hoped that every magical threat could be contained in the future without any source of power they could draw upon to cause any more harm. But it seems this world wasn't as void of magic as we both thought, otherwise the Windigos would have ceased to exist completely and the sirens' gems wouldn't have worked their dark magic."

Sunset was silent for a few seconds to think about what she was told and said jokingly, "At least those are the two only threats you banished to Earth, right?"

Celestia's eyes widened a little. She didn't answer.

Her daughter took a spot in front of the unmoving monarch, pronouncing every following word, "Am - I - right?"

Sweat started to appear on the infallible alicorn's forehead.

"Mom... what did you do?" The unicorn's tone was flatter than human Rainbow Dash's chest.

The Princess of the Sun gulped nervously, "There was this one situation 560 years ago with a necromancer and I didn't know what else to do with somepony like her who wouldn't see reason. You see, I was without the Elements of Harmony to that time and I hoped that she would learn to respect life in a world bare of magic-"

"ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

Luna snapped her head in the direction of the room her sibling and her new niece were in. In this very moment she held court as long as Celestia was indisposed. Her eyes were filled with purpose.

But Raven Star, who helped the lunar monarch in these daring times, noticed the serious expression of her second princess, "Your Highness, is something wrong?"

Luna snorted, "Neigh! My Luna Sense is tingling." There could not be any better explanation in the dream walker's head.

The black unicorn mare raised an eyebrow, high, "Beg your pardon? I don't think I understand."

"I can sense if my sister has as the new slang goes, 'bucked up'. After many centuries of living with her I developed a connection no younger sister should have... so much blackmail material."

Now both eyebrows reached orbit.

The alicorn groaned in boredom, "You are no fun Raven Star. Fine, I admit that I heard a loud voice from the direction of Sunset Shimmer's chambers."

The mare accepted the answer without a question. She knew about Sunset Shimmer and the delicate nature of her relationship with Princess Celestia. It was part of her job to stop rumors from spreading and containing them. And the rumor mill concerning a certain 'heavily injured long lost student' worked scrupulously these days.

Nosy ponies and foreign dignitaries would have a field day if the ones behind the gossip declared Sunset to be Celestia’s 'hidden daughter'. Maybe it wasn't truly a lie, but such things would make the work for Equestria's government much harder.

And in extension, hers.

Harmony Castle, named after its origin, stood in all its glory in the outskirts of Ponyville. The current three inhabitants had a long overdue discussion, in the opinion of a certain dragon and a pink alicorn.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was not a happy bibliophile, in fact, she was near a mental breakdown.

"Come on Twilight, I'm sure Sunset is fine. Princess Celestia is with her. She couldn't be in better hooves," Spike said confidently.

"Spike is right. Remember the breathing technique I taught you, that will calm you down. And please, you really need to sleep," Cadence reminded gently.

The frazzled mare looked ready to fall asleep where she stood. Her mane would give Rarity an aneurysm, not to mention the bloodshot eyes which spoke for a clear lack of rest.

Twilight Sparkle glanced at her former babysitter and tried to follow the instructions, "It doesn't work!" She lowered her ears at the shocked eyes because of her raised voice, "I'm sorry. I really appreciate your concerns Cadence, but what about my BBBFF? I thought you already returned to the Crystal Empire, won't the crystal ponies miss you?"

The crystal princess in question rolled her eyes, "Oh, I wish. You wouldn't believe how independant most of the citizens of the empire are in comparison to Canterlot's nobility. It is rare that I have something to do that needs more than my presence." She narrowed her eyes slightly at her ladybug, "And don't think I will abandon you after how you’ve acted since your return from the mirror world. Besides, Shiny is fine, but nice try."

The purple mare blushed.

Spike raised an eyebrow at that, "Really? I always thought politics aren't his thing, no offense."

"None taken. While he is quite capable of protecting the empire, I know the finer points of politics isn't something he is fond of. I hope my husband is fine..." Cadence commented with a bit of worry in her voice.

Was he alright without her? She was sure that Shining Armor missed her dearly.

Meanwhile in the Crystal Empire...

"Follow me, brothers and sisters! We shall achieve victory and punish the vile trolls for taking the mine!"

The ten other guards around him cheered in unison.

Shining Armor rolled the dice, revealing a ten.

Brave Spear, the Dungeon Master of Ogres and Oubliettes, saw the number and looked up what would happen next. They played the 'stallion version', so Shining called it, where more violence and stronger enemies awaited the adventurers. Much better challenges than the Evil Squizard.

That censored version was for foals anyway.

"Your Highness, your plan succeeded. The surprise attack caught the trolls off-guard and the mine was cleared with only a few casualties," Brave informed everyone at the table.

"We shall mourn the dead at a later time. Another victory on our campaign against the Troll Empire!" the armor wearing prin-paladin exclaimed in joy.

It were times like these when he could be the hero and was able to show his true skills. It was balm for his stallion pride that at least in a fantasy world he would be the pillar of justice and courage. The glory was his!

But there was no time to think about such things right now, he had an empire to stop and a legacy to create.

"Should I introduce her to our friends? NO! What was I thinking!? She just suffered a great betrayal by the ones she thought of as her best friends! Who, I might add, look exactly like them! How insensitive of me!" Twilight shouted her ideas out to help her traumatized friend.

"Calm down. You read the letter the princess sent you, Sunset was awake for a short time yesterday. I'm sure she will be fine the next time she wakes up," Spike assured her optimistically.

The youngest monarch's eye twitched and she looked in regret at her faithful assistant, "How can I calm down when I failed her so miserably?! I'm supposed to be the Princess of Friendship for Celestia's Sake! I never thought about what Sunset might have needed the most from HER perspective! I just enjoyed myself at the Fall Formal, told the counterparts of the girls to show her the Magic of Friendship without giving her a second glance and left in a hurry!"

The Alicorn of Love nuzzled her sister-in-law affectionately, "Twily, don't beat yourself up about the past. You couldn't have known that Sunset Shimmer would meet so much resentment."

Twilight refused to listen, her voice took a somber tone, "I had a lot of time to think about my own role in all of this in these last three days and I can't believe how much I neglected her. Princess Celestia has stayed at Sunset's side ever since our return, leaving Princess Luna to handle the nobles 'problems'. Somepony I consider one of my best friends was in a coma and everything is MY fault! I should have asked her if she wanted to return to Equestria with us, instead I left her behind. I'm a terrible friend!"

She would lie to herself if she said that the once prized student of the Alicorn of the Sun didn't feel a little jealous of the amber unicorn. Twilight always scolded herself in the past for such thoughts, but in the end her happiness for the two outweighed her negative feelings by a long shot.

Now Spike hugged his unofficial big sister as well, "I think you are too hard on yourself. Yeah, you kind of left her in the human world behind. I mean, wow, a unicorn without her horn? For years being forced to live in some magicless alien body? Even after everything that happened? That must have been pretty terrible for her. Like clipping a pegasus' wings off or taking away an earth pony's ability to use his hooves-"

Twilight winced at every turn he counted another point, it made her feel even more terrible. She never had to think about this crippling experience of not being able to use magic, because she could always return home after a short time. And it helped that there was, on both occasions, a major problem that needed solving giving her something to occupy her mind.

The crystal princess frowned strongly at the dragon, "Not helping."

Spike laughed sheepishly, just now noticing the glare he received and what he said, "Sorry... but if it comforts you, being a dog isn't as pleasant as you might think. I always had the urge to mark my territory... or to hump the other Rarity's leg..." He whispered in the end quietly to himself.

"What did you say? I didn't understand the last part," the Alicorn of Love inquired curiously.

The baby dragon moved his hands in a panicked manner, "Nothing!"

The pink pretty pony princess was suspicious and narrowed her eyes.

Twilight lowered her ears, not listening to their banter. Her mind raced around and searched for a way to work through the current events, "Spike has a point though. I simply thought that the girls of the mirror world would be exactly like our friends here without even considering the differences like their age, upbringing and personalities. The human culture is much less... harmonic than ours, nor as forgiving as we are accustomed to it from Equestrian standards. I never thought about what that could mean for her." She growled to herself, her anger with the student body of CHS, especially the five human teenagers she trusted with her friend, returned in full force. "I was so sure that they would forgive her, if given enough time. Especially after the Battle of the Bands. I guess I was wrong."

Spike came out of a near closet, wearing a full-body pillow armor, just in case his next idea caused an incident with the tired, but stubbornly awake mare in question, "Perhaps you could visit Princess Celestia and Sunset to see how they are doing? I'm sure they don't mind and it beats sulking around like you did for the last three days."

The alicorn's eyes widened in realization and joy, "SPIKE! That's a brilliant idea! I should visit them immediately!"

A bright flash blinded the pink mare and the ferocious dragon.

Cadence blinked in surprise, "Did she just teleport from Ponyville to Canterlot despite her tiredness? I'm not as skilled in magic as Twilight or Sunset, but I'm certain that was reckless and dangerous."

The young assistant could only nod his head in response.

Both wondered what Twilight's state of mind meant for her aim.

"What do you mean you banished a necromancer to earth?! Who does something like that?!" Sunset demanded to know in disbelief.

Princess Celestia coughed slightly, her voice neutral, "There is no reason to shout, my faithful student. You make the guards outside nervous."

The way she was addressed caught the amber unicorn off-guard. If the situation wouldn't be so dire she would have teared up after hearing those three words again after such a long time.

The alabaster alicorn continued, "I assure you that we will talk about the human world and everything it entails in due time. With the other princesses."

Sunset could only sigh in response, "Fine... but don't think you are off the hook! And-" She averted her eyes and her voice grew softer, "-were you serious with what you said? Am I still your student after everything I did to you? After I abandoned you and your teachings?"

Celestia considered asking what 'off the hook' meant, but she had a good idea, "I never planned to kick you out, nor releasing you as my personal student. I just wanted to give you some time for yourself and planned to send you to Ponyville after you calmed down, when the time was right. You were, and still are, my precious Little Sun, my prized pupil."

The two mares shared a heartfelt hug, when suddenly another thought entered the smaller one's sharp mind, "Wait a minute. Ponyville? Does that mean you expected from ME to pursue the path of becoming the Princess of Friendship before you took Twilight under your wing?"

The princess stared off into space once again, putting her thoughts together. “Those many years ago when I refused to make you an alicorn was not a matter of what I wanted, but what was in my power. Harmony knows how one is chosen for ascension, but I had known that it might happen to you if you used the Elements, much as it happened for myself and my sister. My plan was..:”

The door opened and Princess Luna entered, interrupting Celestia’s tale, "Dearest sister, we have returned! We took a break to ensure that thou are-" She saw the very much not sleeping Sunset, teleported herself on the now protesting bed and hugged the overwhelmed unicorn like a disguised Pinkie Pie, with bone-crushing affection, "Niece! Thou have awaken from thine slumber!"

The smaller pony's problem of lacking fresh air became apparent, "N-need t-... to breath!"

"Oh! O-of course," Luna said with reddened cheeks and let go.

Sunset coughed a little, "Please don't do that again. And why do you talk like that? I'm certain you spoke like everypony else in the modern tongue the last time we saw each other. So why suddenly the archaic dialect?"

Celestia developed a very friendly smile, "Yes, dear sister. I always wondered why a certain pony always seems to think I wouldn't know that she speaks like that solely to annoy me."

The Princess of the Night sighed in defeat, "At least I had my fun as long as it lasted."

Her older sibling giggled at that, "I guess I can tell you now that I always knew that you learned the modern language in quite a short time. You were not as quiet as you thought when talking with our subjects in the past."

Luna snorted in indignation, "Ms. Fluttershy's lessons worked quite well, thank you very much."

"Flu-Fluttershy?" Sunset inquired in a sad tone.

The white alicorn put a wing on the smaller mare's shoulders, her voice calming, "Don't worry. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are a welcoming bunch. Don't let your bad experiences because of the Anon-a-Miss incident ruin your chances of finding new friends."

Sunset Shimmer was shocked, "How do you know about Anon-a-Miss?!"

And so Celestia and Luna told Sunset everything they knew, from Discord's involvement since the very beginning to the present. No detail remained unmentioned, not even the meeting of everybody personally involved in Principal Celestia's office, nor the end of Balthanel, the Frozen King.

"Wow..." Even that word was the understatement of the century, no words would do her feelings justice in the moment.

Many emotions reigned over her face during the explanations. How should she feel? Happy that her mother and Twilight came through the portal to help her? Touched that Cadence and her aunt wanted to come as well, had they not been needed to keep Equestria's citizens calm? Shocked that the Spirit of Chaos himself saved her life with his intervention? Terrified from what Celestia did to Canterlot Park? Or perhaps surprised that the girls really wanted to be forgiven?

But she couldn't understand at all why Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo created Anon-a-Miss for such petty reasons. It was never her intention to 'steal' the girls' siblings.

In the end hot fury came out on top, mostly because of the students of CHS, "I can't believe them! Those bucking hypocrites! They fed Anon-a-Miss with material and KNEW they were responsible if the informations should become public knowledge! And they STILL had the audacity to accuse ME of being a monster?! A cold-hearted she-demon?!"

The sisters shared a concerned look, "I know it is a lot to take in my Little Sun." Celestia kissed her daughter gently on the forehead. "Let us get something to eat. You haven’t had a decent meal in days. And there are haycakes with my name on it."

The lunar monarch snorted in amusement, "Your sweet tooth is unbelievable."

Sunset shook her head and couldn't stop herself from smiling, despite her current turmoil of feelings. Some things would never change. On another note, homemade haycakes would surely hit the spot.

The siblings made their way to the door whereas the fiery maned unicorn tried to move her weakened legs to leave the bed, when suddenly a brilliant lavender flash appeared above her, followed by a screaming and flailing Princess of Friendship.

"Ponyfeathers..." the mare in the wrong place mumbled to herself, before another alicorn landed on top of her.

They were caught in a compromising position. Twilight Sparkle noticed it immediately and put Big Mac's red fur to shame, jumping to the side, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know where I would end up, I mean, I KNEW where I wanted to appear, but not in somepony's room. Please forgive-" She looked up to face the unfortunate victim, just to see a blushing and bewildered Sunset Shimmer.

Most importantly, she was awake.

Tears filled the youngest princess' eyes like fountains, "S-Sunset, y-you are awake... YOU ARE AWAKE! OH MY GOSH!" She tackled her friend into the bed, soaking the bewildered mare's chest, "I'M SO SORRY! I should have been there for you! I will never let you down again, I swear!"

"I missed you, too, Twilight. Thank you for believing in me," the unicorn replied with equally wet eyes.

The immortal sun diarch didn't know what to think about the awkward situation beforehand, but decided now to look at the duo with an happy expression.

Princess Luna in the meantime said the first thing that came to her mind, sounding completely serious when facing Celestia. Only the older alicorn saw the wink, "I'm not sure what to think about that, sister. Lord Night and Lady Velvet's descendants seem to have a thing for my nieces. First Prince Shining Armor proposed to Cadence out of nowhere and now your ex-student just teleported herself into Sunset's bed." Her voice raised on volume, "We sense a pattern!"

Celestia decided to tease the duo as well, instead of scolding her sister, much to the purple princess' misfortune, "Indeed sister. It seems Princess Twilight had secret desires for my daughter all along. Something she never shared with us before."

Twilight did a Fluttershy worthy sound and stumbled over her words, "I-I don't feel like that at all! I swear!" She looked worriedly at Sunset, "Not that you aren't attractive of course, hehe. In fact you are one of the best looking Unicorn mares I ever saw-"

The pony in question made the third strike, a smug grin graced her features, "Thanks for the compliment, I didn't know you swung that way and I'm not sure what to say to be honest, but be assured you are not hard on the eyes either."

The alicorn's fur had an unhealthy shade of red now.

The family trio laughed wholeheartedly.

"Calm down Twilight," Sunset said between chuckles, "You are really making it too easy."

The Princess of Friendship's eyes widened, "Ohhhh... that was a joke! Obviously it was! And I here thought you would be serious, silly me!" She looked around nervously, "I am rambling again, aren’t I?"

Three heads nodded.

The balcony served once more as Philomena's entrance, the phoenix took a seat on Sunset's shoulders and cawed happily.

Sunset smiled at her foalhood friend, "Phila, you are back! I hope you enjoyed the morning sun?"

"Like always. You wouldn't believe how dull it can be when you have rarely anything else to do here. And I can only prank the staff so much without getting in trouble with Celestia." Philomena replied though nopony except the only unicorn in the room understood her.

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes, "You are a phoenix. What did you expect?"

The proud bird answered in one word, "Entertainment." She glanced behind her friend, "You should be careful, this strange purple pony looks at you like a crazy mare, again."

The amber mare barely turned around and two big orbs of scientific wonder ogled her like a rare specimen, "Did you just speak with a phoenix?!"

The amount of uncensored glee was frightening.

"Yes?" Sunset answered unsurely.

That wasn't enough, "But only Fluttershy can understand animals thanks to her special talent! And she said it once herself that she has only a rudimentary understanding of their language, and has to rely mostly on reading their gestures. How can you do that!?"

Sunset didn't really know what to say, her voice clueless, "I-I don't know. I could talk with Phila since the day I hatched her. I'm certain I can't speak with any other animals like that, or at least I haven’t met any I could so far."

Celestia cleared her throat to get Twilight's attention, "We believe Sunset is bestowed with the great gift of understanding the phoenix language thanks to her connection to the element of fire and her being the one who hatched Philomena's egg. That is all we can guess." Her eyes showed pity for the unhappy looking mare, "Don't worry too much about it. Not every mystery of magic or life can be answered with a satisfying result my once faithful student."

"But-but-but... SO MANY QUESTIONS!" came the immediate desperate response.

The door opened a second time and an unhappy looking Raven Star stepped into the room. She glared at Luna, "There you are Your Highness! Your break is nearly over and we have still many ponies to handle!" After her rant the black unicorn remembered the other problem she wanted to adress, "For some reason a very pushy Princess Cadence is asking around about the whereabouts of Princess Tw-" She saw the missing alicorn, "Nevermind."

The secretary of Princess Celestia left the room with a huff and shortly afterwards an angry Mi Amore Cadenza, with a twitching and pale baby dragon on her back, stomped purposefully in front of her sister-in-law and poked with her hoof into Twilight's chest, "What were you thinking?! I feared you teleported yourself into a building!"

Spike groaned, "I will never fly with you again Cadence..." He held his stomach in pain and got a glance of his surroundings, "Did we miss something?"

Twilight felt like being scolded again in magic kindergarden, "I thought it was a good idea?" she offered quietly.

The pink alicorn rubbed her temples in frustration, "I love you to bits Twily, but-"

"C-Cadence?"

The Princess of Love turned her head to see a certain former bully from her teenager years, "S-Sunset?!"

"I-it's good to see you. So I heard you rule your own empire?" the amber mare started awkwardly. "Stop stammering like a filly! You are a better pony now! Mom and Twilight forgave you, you just have to apologize to Cadence and hope she does as well!"

She hoped her self-motivation would work.

"Y-yeah, the Crystal Ponies are... nice." Cadence replied in the same tone. "Come on Cadie! This isn't the mare who bullied you in the past anymore! She needs your support!"

Twilight Sparkle's former foalsitter felt very upset about the whole ordeal with the human world and wanted to help her, maybe... future-friend? Still, actually facing the unicorn was another thing entirely.

Nopony knew what else to say until Celestia broke the uncomfortable silence, "I didn't expect all princesses to be here without an official summoning, but this is perfect. There are a few things I have to share with you, but-" The ancient mare looked with concern, and if Sunset saw it right, fear at her Little Sun, "-what do you want to do now? Before we can decide for a common course of action we need to know how your own standing is concerning the mirror world. You are the greatest victim of the last two weeks and it is your decision alone how to proceed. Be assured I will follow and respect your decision, no matter what it will be."

Cadence and Luna agreed silently with a movement of their heads.

That was the moment Sunset feared the most since her awakening. Would her opinion be accepted? "I... well, that is a tough order. Auntie Luna and mom told me about what happened, everything." The Princess of Friendship was the target of her concern, "Twilight, I'm eternally grateful for what you did for me, seriously, I am. You and the girls saved me from a very dark place when you stopped me. Hay, you even forgave me after I pretty much attempted to k-kill you. I-I hope you won't think I'm somehow ungrateful for what you-"

The book-loving alicorn winced at hearing the ugly word, but gave nonetheless a smile of acceptance and understanding, "You don't need to justify yourself. After everything what happened I have to agree with Prin-" a polite cough was heard, "-Celestia that it has to be your own decision in the end. And I have to admit that the whole Anon-a-Miss incident goes beyond one of my usual friendship lessons." She sighed, "I should have been more involved, instead I consigned you to be cared for by the others to learn about friendship simply based on the fact who the girls were."

Sunset lowered her head before facing everypony once more, tears built up in her eyes, "Honestly? I hated the time after the Fall Formal. Not for how cold the students and teachers acted around me, I deserved it after years of lying, blackmailing and threatening. No, what annoyed me the most were the Rainbooms themselves."

The princesses and the dragon were surprised by this revelation. Spike voiced his opinion this time, "Why? I had the impression they really wanted to befriend you."

The unicorn laughed dryly, "Exactly. I just couldn't believe them, you know? I mean I targeted them for years and made their school lives pretty much a living Tartarus whenever I felt like it. I even destroyed their friendship, because it suited my plans. And what happened after all that? After everything I did to them? They straight up told me that I was forgiven." She snorted angrily, "I was convinced that this had to be a cruel joke just to spite me. What normal person forgives his tormenter after years of abasement? No, I told myself that they only helped me as a favor for you, Twilight."

"What changed?" the purple pony inquired softly and put a wing around Sunset's back.

Sunset chuckled, "I did. They just wouldn't give up, but what held me back for the longest time was the fact that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were never tired of reminding me of my past mistakes again and again. Rarity did it as well, but not so much. Only Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were silent in that regard. After many weeks of ignoring them I finally gave it a try. And I liked it. My first slumber-party." A tiny smile was visible on her lips.

"Oh! I remember MY first slumber-party! It was with Applejack and Rarity and after solving a few problems it was a great night!" Twilight exclaimed fondly.

"Yeah, because you weren't the one who had to clean up the mess of leaves, branches and mud the next morning," Spike added with a deadpan expression. His caretaker blushed in embarrassment.

"You thought that you found something very important and for the first time life took a turn for the better," Luna analyzed empathically.

Sunset sniffled, "Yes, friendship. I'm no expert in it, but even I know that such a bond can only work out if build upon trust. It felt like a hunt and I was the prey when Anon-a-Miss posted the first secrets. Suddenly everything I did for them, the Battle for the Bands, the charity events I took a part in, it all didn't matter anymore. I was the one behind the name and no matter what I said or how much I pleaded my case, I was already guilty in their eyes."

"But at least those five stayed at your side at the beginning," Celestia stated stoically.

The amber unicorn nodded, "I could live with it, you know? I thought as long as the girls believed me I could easily manage. But then one day they jumped on the bandwagon and declared me guilty as well. I-it hurt so much and still does. A part of me always hoped that everything was only a horrible nightmare and that I would wake up, free of Anon-a-Miss and all the accusations."

Cadence ignored her earlier emotions and put her own wing on the now crying mare in compassion. "A-and now I ask myself ever since, was our friendship just a necessary deed they had to do out of obligation? H-how can we be friends if it only needed a badly made account that practically screamed framing to rip us apart? They cast me out of the group and no amount of begging helped me. It was like they waited for an opportunity to kick me out, the moment when I would slip."

"Shh... everything will be fine. You will see, no matter how dark the times are, there will always be a new dawn," Celestia promised.

The usually very confident protégé was only a crying mess by now, "I-I don't know if I can ever truly forgive them. I-I just know that the friendship we had can never exist in this form again, too much damage was done. I don't want to cast them out of my life, not if they are truly sorry for what they did. But it will take a lot of time and patience. From all sides."

Twilight was proud of Sunset and asked the most important questions, her cheeks already wet from her own tears, "So you want to give them a second chance despite everything what happened? But do you really want to return to the human world?"

A longing could be seen, Sunset Shimmer decided and her heart was filled with determination, "I will give them a second chance, just not now. I can't face them without possibly doing something I would regret. Maybe one day. But no, I finally understood that Equestria is my real home." She looked hopefully into her mother's eyes, "If you will have me, I would love to live here once more with you. As a pony, as your student and as your daughter."

Cadence and Twilight left the bed and not even a moment later Sunset found herself swept up in the hooves of the alabaster alicorn. Luna watched the scene in front of her in joy.

Aside from the day her little sister returned, this was the greatest day in Princess Celestia's immortal life. "Nothing would make me happier, my Little Sun."

Chapter 11 - Mission: Discossible

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Sunset Shimmer, a name the other Element Bearers only knew from the stories they heard in the past from the Princess of Friendship, was in a magic-induced coma since two days and their best friend Twilight wouldn't calm down. She was searching through every shelf of the library in her castle for any book that may help with whatever she needed. The five friends weren't really sure what exactly.

Even Spike had his claws full, he and Cadence made it their task to remain at her side until this infamous mare hopefully awoke from her worrying state. And to keep an eye on the lavender alicorn.

But they were told not to worry by the crystal princess.

Fluttershy and Rarity had their weekly spa session in this very moment. It was a last chance for them to escape the everyday-life before Hearth's Warming Eve. Soon their fellow ponies would take a break to celebrate the foundation of Equestria with family and friends in tranquility, love and friendship.

"Fluttershy, darling, I'm always positively delighted when it is you who invites me to the spa. Celestia knows I need it from time to time with my workload. But I have one question dear..." Rarity started slowly, lying on her stomach while Aloe, one of the spa owners and hard-working earth pony mare, massaged her shoulders.

"Yes?" the shy pegasus inquired curiously in her soft voice, relaxing in perfectly tempered water with a nice smelling scent made of ice orchids and honey.

"What is Discord doing here?!" the white furred unicorn exclaimed in sheer irritation.

The draconequus in question wore a for him very plainly colored bathrobe that looked suspiciously like a certain fashionista with white plush and a royal purple curled hood. Across the chest was written: 'Do it fabulously, Darling!'

The business mare saw that and was too surprised until now to say something, but enough was enough, "And stop mocking me!"

Discord pulled the cucumber from his mud mask and glanced in amusement at the annoyed pony from his chair, "Moi? I would NEVER do that to Fluttershy's friends! I'm redeemed, don't you remember? I decided to get to know you others better at my best friend's request. So here I am, thinking like a Rarity, looking like a Rarity and even behaving like a Rarity!" With a snap of his fingers a giant drama couch appeared and he threw himself on it while dramatically declaring, "Oh! How hard it is to be generous in life! I feel like my deeds are never appreciated by the ponies who matter the most to me! It is simply the Worst! Possible! Thing!"

Fluttershy couldn't contain it any longer and giggled cutely. Aloe held a hoof in front of her mouth to suppress her own laughter, before excusing herself, feeling like it would be wise to give their best customers a little space.

The Lord of Chaos celebrated with raised arms, "Success!"

"Darling! Do you think this uncouth behaviour is funny?!" the unicorn wanted to know in dramatic despair.

"O-oh! Sorry Rarity, but Discord means no harm. He really tries his best to earn our friendship... and forgiveness," she replied kindly.

He nodded eagerly his head, "She is right. I learned my lesson and besides, I did something that should have caused Tartarus to freeze over. I saved Tia and her sweets induced flanks, as well as her side-kick, Sunny Two!"

"Could you please never speak again in such a manner about Princess Celestia's... posterior?" Rarity requested politely.

"I think this description fits quite well. I mean you can literally see how the plot thickens!" the draconequus joked.

"Discord-"

"I mean it is your decision if you find her bootyful. Everypony has different tastes," he continued. The Bearer of Generosity could have sworn that her eyelid did more than to twitch.

"Discord..."

"Yes?" he inquired innocently.

The blushing butteryellow pegasus winced at being the center of attention all of sudden before she answered, "That's not very nice to talk about the princess like that, especially now."

Rarity's eyes softened immediately and the draconequus rolled his own, "If you insist. I still can't believe it that Purple Smart didn't mention my heroic deeds in front of you." He was sincerely insulted.

The unicorn mare did an unladylike snort at being reminded of his gloating before they entered the spa, "Oh please! How do we know that you’re not simply trying to impress us with filigreed tales? Twilight told us everything after her return about what occurred in the mirror world, and that you had a helping role in it on some instances, I admit. But I find it very hard to believe that you stalled the legendary Windigo king himself in a stand-off and bought Princess Celestia time to rescue Princess Sunset Shimmer."

The trio switched locations during the conversation. They left the warm up room, and moved to the sauna to let their sore muscles recover. Searching for gems, even with magic, and taking care of animals were much more stressing activities for the body than somepony might think.

"P-Princess Sunset Shimmer?" Fluttershy asked in surprise.

The fashionista looked almost offended, "Why, of course! She is the daughter of Princess Celestia, this makes her by default royalty. I can't WAIT to meet this mare! Granted, she stole our friend's crown in the past, but I'm willing to forgive her if Twilight says she changed. I wonder what kind of pony she really is."

Discord mumbled something to himself and chuckled.

Before they could continue the sauna door opened and a refreshed looking Rainbow Dash entered. The daredevil shouted behind her in gratitude, "Thanks for the hooficure, Lotus!"

Rainbow Dash turned around just to witness the smuggest expression she ever witnessed upon her fashion-loving friend's muzzle. It shouldn't have been possible, "R-Rarity?!" She screeched in panic and glanced to her left, "Fluttershy?!" What are you girls do-Discord?!"

The aforementioned Spirit of Chaos floated around the athlete with a judging expression on his face, "My, my, it seems something has changed about you, my chromatic friend. Is it your mane? Your hooves? Or maybe this adorable wardrobe?"

The winner of the Best Flyer Competition and all around pony of action looked extraordinarily flushed, having been caught in a moment of weakness. The tortoise looking green slippers on her hooves along with a purple bathrobe, draped over her freshly groomed coat, made her score of 'awesome points' sink to a new low in front of her friends. Or so the pegasus feared in her mind.

"Ohhhh Rainbow Daaaash~" Rarity sang with way too much glee, "I can't help but notice that you are participating in, how did you and Applejack call them? Oh, yes! 'fru-fru activities'."

The skyblue pony in question chuckled nervously, "W-what are you even doing here? I thought you had your spa day always every thursday."

Fluttershy replied instead, "Uhm, that was kind of my doing. Sorry Rainbow, I asked Rarity if we could meet today. You see, I met Discord after he came back from the mirror world and-" The suddenly appearing frown on the speedster's face worried the shy mare, "Dashie? What's wrong?"

The athlete snorted in distaste and anger, much to the confusion of her friends. Her planned attempt of saving her reputation was forgotten, "Sorry, I just can't stand being reminded of my counterpart right now. I would love nothing more than to show her my opinion of what she did. I'm bu-" Rarity coughed, "really peeved that she abandoned one of her best friends. She is supposed to be the Element of Loyalty for Luna's Sake!"

Rarity hummed in agreement, "True. Our counterparts didn't cover themselves in glory indeed. But I fear we don't have much room to complain either."

"That should be interesting. Do tell," Discord added curiously.

Shame made itself known in the unicorn's voice, "I don't like to dwell on the past, but I felt myself reminded of the Royal Wedding after we were told about Anon-a-Miss. When Queen Chrysalis disguised herself as Princess Cadence nopony knew something was amiss, except Twilight. She is our friend and we didn't believe her, thinking that she acted like an overprotective little filly who didn't want to share her older brother's attention."

Rainbow cringed hardly, "Yeah... not our proudest moment."

Fluttershy lowered her head and ears, "We were awful. Even worse is that we didn't suffer any mind control, unlike her brother." She gasped, "Do you think Sunset Shimmer reminded her of what we did to her?"

Rarity shrugged her shoulders, "Who knows. But we chose a stranger above our friend, like our counterparts chose not to support theirs. I have to confess that I was blinded by the opportunity of making a dress for royalty and the sentiment that a princess couldn't do wrong, but that is no excuse."

Discord laughed joyfully, "Oh, that is just precious! What a wonderfully chaotic coincidence that such an event happened in both worlds!" He noticed the silent glares of the mares around him, "Well, some ponies don't seem to be able appreciating the irony."

The shy pegasus lay down and mumbled to herself, "If there was only a way of helping everypony..."

Her chaotic friend overheard it and added neutrally, "What makes you say that my dear? Star Flank said it herself loud and clearly that she can't simply look past what they did and I'm certain Sun Flank Two will be in anything other than in a good mood when she wakes up."

He nearly said 'if', but did stop himself in time. A Windigo's touch was no laughing matter, even for him.

Fluttershy was a little surprised that somepony heard her, but replied no less in her timid way, "Uhm, I'm not sure, but I think they need a little push in the right direction. They are confused and angry at themselves, but have no way of showing how serious they are about apologizing as long as Twilight and Sunset refuse to meet with them."

"Well, duh! After the stunt they pulled I'm pretty sure those two have every right to be sour," Rainbow Dash said, stating the obvious.

Discord stroked his goatee thoughtfully, "So you think some outside help might break the ice between both sides? Is that what you are getting at?"

He had to admit that he didn't like at all how the humans treated Sunset Shimmer, but who was he to talk? After his latest betrayal, which nearly doomed all of Equestria, refusing to offer a second chance couldn't be his course of action. The amber unicorn and he were like redemption buddies!

Discord already planned to open a club. Entrance only for former psychopaths who wanted to conquer Equestria for themselves of course.

The animal caretaker tilted her head slightly in confusion, "Perhaps? Twilight told me that she had the impression how my counterpart showed the most remorse, but I know myself and-"

A literal light bulb appeared above the draconequus, "Hold it! I have the greatest idea!" He lifted the squeaking mare up in his paws, "You are nearly as brilliant as me!" Letting her down, "Now, if you would excuse me, I have plans to execute, wars to win, cupcakes to bake and chaos to spread. Toodeloo~!"

The three friends had a bad feeling about this.

Rarity ended the pregnant silence, "I think we should call it a day. I fear the heat is getting to me."

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy couldn't agree more.

His name was Discord, Agent Discord, the mission clear. But how should he start?

"What would Fluttershy do?" he asked himself like it was the most important question in life. Right after the second most important question in life: “Did I feed the cotton candy bunnies in my garden?”

The disguised entity stood in front of Canterlot High School, the scene of crime, ground zero, the place where he would start his investigation! Yes, he could have used his magic to stal-look at what the humans were doing right now in his very own discordovision set before he came to this world, but where would be the fun in that?

This place was thin on magic, so he couldn't do whatever he wanted like it was the case on Equus. Well, challenge accepted.

But because the God of Chaos knew his appearance would draw unwanted attention, he took the most, Discord nearly gagged, ordinary disguise he could come up with. He was dressed as a janitor, wearing dark blue overalls, a color matching oversized cap that covered his face in the right angle and on the black belt around his waist, the janitor's greatest allies in his opinion.

A screwdriver to make the screws loose, extra strong tape to kidnap whoever you wanted, a wrench to look like he knew what his new job entailed, a whistle for pursuing suspicious strangers, you never knew when someone new appeared. And most importantly, his plunger. It would serve its purpose when the time was right.

But he chose to stay true to his earlier human form, for now. Besides, every good spy knew that the janitor was NEVER the subject of interest. It was perfect.

"OK boys, time to look for what we came for. We'll do it nice and clean," Discord said without a hint of emotion, the transformed man meant business.

"Excuse me!?" the tape exclaimed despite lacking a mouth in a smooth and posh feminine voice very much like a certain fashion designer, one only he could hear.

The Lord of Mischief was sincerely flustered, "And girls. Sorry."

"It is alright dear. I know this grotesque gray does nothing for my feminine image," she replied more calmly.

"Good, good. Now you need spy names." He looked at the tape, "You are Madam Manacle," then pointed at the whistle, "Lieutenant Grumpy." Next was the screwdriver, "Screwy," then the wrench, "Captain Ironpants," lastly the plunger, "and you shall be known as Purple Bookhorse the Second."

"Wait, why do I get-"

Discord rudely cut the plunger off, "Less talking, more searching! Any questions?"

"Aye! Wha' ar' ye talkin' about ye dirty landblubber!? Ye never sai' anythin' to an' of us about findin' anythi' in this forsaken bay! I hav' hal' a mind to keelhaul yer wort'less carcass!" the like a stereotypical male pirate sounding wrench added in very broken sentences.

"STOP TALKING LIKE A MAGGOT! WE HAVE A MISSION AND OUR COMMANDER IS COUNTING ON US!" shouted the whistle like a grumpy drill sergeant shortly before his retirement.

"Duuuude! Your negative attitude totally ruins my vibes! We should all meditate and think about the reason why Dizzy here gave us the ability to question our existence," the Screwdriver replied like someone on the most questionable of substances.

"Why do I even exist in this cruel reality without hopes and dreams which could be accomplished through science and friendship?! Notwithstanding, I can't deny the fact that I have no functioning body parts nor a neural system I could call my own to act on my thoughts," the highly intelligent, but sometimes masochistic plunger voiced lastly in a saddened tone. It was difficult to read her sometimes.

"Do we really live? Or are we only the products of an insane god to help him in his times of boredom and solitude? We may never know as long as we are what we are. But we are in for a riiiide!" Screwy replied in his own unique way.

"WELL! SUCKS TO BE YOU! LUCKILY MY LIFE ISN'T SO FULL OF SHIT LIKE YOURS! LITERALLY! HA!" Lieutenant Grumpy commented in sadistic glee in the direction of the panicking plunger.

"How crude! Lord Discord, I hope this 'internet' didn't corrupt your choice of words for the worse! What would Fluttershy think?" the tape scolded harshly.

The draconequus in disguise shrugged, "Don't worry Madam Manacle, I'm not a fan of such words. As for my dear friend... she would probably blush, or squeak, maybe hiding behind her mane. And then she would scold me like you are doing right now. Why do you think only I can hear you? How would I gather information if everybody could?"

His allies had no reply.

Discord looked around. The whole school area was covered by a blanket of snow and ice, a light snow shower providing a calming winter day. Everything appeared to be in order.

It was scary.

"STANDING AROUND WON'T BRING US THE NEEDED INTEL! WE HAVE TO INFILTRATE THE ENEMY BASE! GO! GO! GO!" Grumpy urged madly.

Only mere moments after the team entered they could all feel the gloomy aura that haunted the building.

"Woah! This place gives me the chills!" Screwdriver ended the silence in amazement.

"The inviting embrace of coldness. Oh how I wish I could feel it, or pain, or heat, or anything at all. Hmm~ pain..." Purple Bookhorse the Second stated blissfully.

"That was the last time I experimented with human humor. You are a disgrace for everything funny and chaotic with your love for self-induced harm. At least I found a few good jokes," The 'janitor' said with a shaking head. He shuddered suddenly, "That is if you dodge some of these websites they have."

"Aye. Th' dark side o' Haytube. Man' sailors lost the'r cours' in its dark and mud'y depths," Captain Ironpants muttered quietly.

"SIR! WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT ORDERS?!" Whistle asked obediently.

"Isn't it obvious? We are searching for human Fluttershy of course!" Discord replied immediately.

"Why her?" Madam Manacle inquired unsurely.

The disguised draconequus' eyes were filled with purpose, "Fluttershy was the only pony who ever tried to approach me after Tia ordered my release. And even if she did so at first because of the task she received from good ol' Sunbutt we became friends later on." His head was raised in confidence, "After Tirek, everypony saw me as a nothing more than a security risk and backstabber, but not her. Now it is time to r-re-repay-" he cringed, "-my debts. That is why we will help human Fluttershy with Sunset Shimmer, do you understand? This will bring me A LOT of buddy points with pony Fluttershy and the others! My plan is foolproof!"

"Dude, that doesn't make any sense and this is coming from a real tool," Screwy added in confusion.

Discord raised his finger in victory, "Exactly! Isn't that wonderful?!"

The D-Team, so they called themselves on the chaos god's request, searched high and low. Be it on the top of the roof, in the air shafts, the gym, or the secret fridge in the teacher's room. No Fluttershy was to be found. They even peaked into the classes, nothing.

"I can't believe it! Where is she?! I can't just appear besides a human I don't see, they don't have any magical signatures to track!" Agent D lamented angrily.

"Lad, yer appear' once in human Celestia's offic' where yer found those dirt' mutineers. Can't yer do it agai'?" Ironpants suggested.

Agent D crossed his arms, "No can do. I just tracked down Sparkle's magical signature that time. Even as a human Equestrian ponies have still their own magic, it is just sealed away."

Discord loved it to discuss his plans and opportunities with unlikely peers who could understand him, if brought on the right track. At least he could bring inanimate objects to life on Earth, otherwise he would have to suffer boredom alone. A sin in its own right.

"Milord, is that how you found those teenagers before the Windigos got to them? Their magical signature?" Tape wanted to know.

The leader of the operation sighed, "I can only find them if they grow ears and tails. They are humans by birth and don't have any Equestrian magic in their souls. It is already difficult enough to locate them when they have their pony appendages. I simply found it curious why so many Windigos appeared at one place and it was a good choice to check, if I dare say so myself." His smugness was tangible.

Purple Smart was convinced he could find them in time, because he was who he was, but the truth was much more dangerous for the human girls' lives when the Spirits of Hatred attacked them. But nothing happened anyway, so he was fine.

"Guys, I have an idea. We should totally check the door where these strange looking humans in suits are standing around," Screwy added in a relaxed tone.

There they stood, two men in black, in color as in clothing, seeming to draw in the light around them. "How did I miss that?" Discord thought dryly.

The Great and Powerful Trixie was nervous and satisfied at the same time. Two days since the reveal of Anon-a-Miss had passed and things had changed dramatically. Nearly half of the victims were told in confidence who stole their secrets by now from what she heard, and lawyers could earn themselves a golden nose with the potential amount of charges.

Truly, she couldn't deny that it made her happy knowing that a few of the greatest victims decided to bring their issues to court.

The expressions on the hick's and the drama queen's faces after the first students told them that they decided to sue the families of the three girls behind the account was priceless! Yes, after she calmed down the Great and Powerful Trixie had sadly to admit that her judgement may have lacked in the past concerning Sunset Shimmer, let bigots be bigots, right?

But a girl could dream.

The source of her concerns stood in front of her like a judge, jury and executioner in one person, District Legal Counsel Chrysalis, bane of the Canterlot City School District.

It was Wednesday and in three days the holidays would begin. Hopefully this woman didn't want to give her an early 'present'.

"Do you know why I called you to this unusually timed meeting Ms. Lulamoon?" A polite cough was heard, "Oh, and Officer Armor of course."

"N-no? Maybe you want to tell Trixie who gave Anon-a-Miss her secret?" Trixie asked hopefully.

Chrysalis smiled wickedly, "Not even close my dear. Besides, we both know you that you are already well informed." The lanky woman put a cellphone in front of Trixie. "Would you please take a look at this interesting piece of footage?"

The teenager could have sworn that her throat went dry as a desert. On the screen was a video that showed how she activated the trapdoor under the Rainbooms shortly before the finals of the Battle of the Bands started.

But something wasn't right with this video, where was Twilight Sparkle? Trixie was sure that she fell in, too.

Teal eyes bored into girl before her without mercy, "Interesting, isn't it? Had you really thought you could get away with such an act and escape me? Did you expect to dodge my trusty workers? No, I know exactly what you did." At the end of the sentence she nearly purred evilly.

Sweat started to appear on the stage magician's forehead, "I-I-that isn't how it looks like! I swear!"

Chrysalis hit the table with a fist, which nearly gave Trixie a heart attack, "Don't you dare mock my intelligence! You think you can just walk around in MY school district and harm other students' lives?! I will show you who holds the leash in this city!"

Shining Armor scowled at his 'partner', "Miss Chrysalis, that is enough. I don't think scaring Ms. Lulamoon half to death will do us any good." He switched his sharp look to the nervous and fearful student in question, "Now as to you. What you did there was assault, potentially battery resulting from negligence. I don't think you truly planned to harm them severely, but you risked it anyhow."

Before Trixie could defend herself the legal counsel continued, "Please enlighten us, what kind of excuse do you have? This fall was nine feet deep and if only one of them landed unluckily enough they could have ended up with broken bones, maybe the neck. You nearly caused a fatal accident!"

Her eyes widened in shock, she never thought about this possibility, "I'm sorry! I just wanted to win the contest! You have to believe me, I never meant to endanger them!" letting her stage persona slip.

Chrysalis walked around the teenager like a predator around its prey, slowly, "Being sorry doesn't change what you did, what you could do in the future. What happens the next time you want to win a contest at all costs? Another act of sabotage? Maybe then with lethal consequences for the fool who runs against you? No, you are mine now."

Shining Armor chuckled nervously at her choice of words, feeling like he had walked right into a mob movie, "What she means is that we decided to let your punishment be a chance to learn from your mistakes without landing in community service or juvenile prison. Originally I planned to ask the students on the footage if they wished to press charges against you, but Miss Chrysalis had another idea, if perhaps a little unorthodox. But her rehabilitation rate is very close to 100% from what I know."

Whether gathering garbage or collecting dirt, the not so Great and Powerful Trixie's mind would comply, "Trixie will do anything! But please don't tell her parents about it, they would never understand! Especially Trixie's dad!"

The teenager had already enough problems with her dream of becoming a stage magician. Her father, a well-respected judge in his own right, had more than a few concerns regarding her future job choice. In his words, "My own daughter won't end up as a clown who lives from showing hocus-pocus!"

She would try to sell them an excuse like a school project if they asked.

The legal counsel's grin was much too wide for her face, "Excellent. Not that you had a choice of course, but it is nice to know that we are on the same page. I will send you more information after Christmas. You will adore the place, it is my own little kingdom of troublemakers who need a... special form of education." Trixie gulped hearing that, while Chrysalis shot a glance at Officer Armor, he didn’t need to know the truth.

The latest addition to her hive, Blueblood, needed a partner, and Trixie would be perfect. This runt would soon learn not to test her patience for too long. Furthermore, she gave her word to the ambassador that his son would learn to behave accordingly. And who needed a military school to teach discipline when her special students, her little drones, were so obedient? Her little Changelings learned to obey, to blend in, to become whatever she needed so they could keep her well apprised about what was happening throughout her schools, her hive.

Now there were a few lingering concerns, but first...

"There is something I like to address, Officer Armor," Chrysalis said seductively.

"W-what?" the sudden change of atmosphere caught the young man off-guard. Trixie felt creeped out by it.

"I can't help myself, but admire your hard work since the start of our collaboration. You don't need Dean Cadence. How about-"

"OH! Look at the time! I should prepare the material for the next student. Please wait here," Shining Armor interrupted, feeling uncomfortable.

The two women looked after the escaping man until the door was closed and the sound of his rushing steps vanished.

The legal counsel chuckled in amusement, "Too easy." She switched her focus back to the younger girl, "I'm certain you noticed something about the footage I showed you, right?"

"W-well, Princess-"

"Princess? So this mysterious double of Shining Armor's younger sister wears a royal title? Interesting," Chrysalis said curiously.

This revelation baffled Trixie immensely, "You know about her?"

The woman laughed openly at the student's dumbfounded face, "Surprised? I said it once, didn't I? Nothing in or around our schools happens without me knowing about it. I must say the transformations and resulting conflicts during the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands were very interesting. Who knew that such a mystical force as magic could be real?"

"If the government knows about magic, then how are the Rainbooms still running around unsupervised?!" the Confused and Shocked Trixie exclaimed.

"Who said anything about the government? I’m just the district’s legal counsel," came the simple answer.

"Huh?" was the only thing she could say.

"The Dazzlings, whoever or whatever they are, tried to mind control innocent students with their powers and those girls stopped them, for that they have my gratitude. My first- and foremost duty is it to protect the school district and its students, a task I take seriously, even creating my little group of students to help me watch over them. They are for the biggest part former troublemakers to be precise.” It was as if the woman stared into Trixie’s soul, “I take this task seriously, as do all of my children, as will you." She paced back and forth behind her chair, "Nobody except me and my most trusted workers know about the truth. It would be a shame if something happened to them, even if five of the group failed one of their members miserably because of a few little spilled secrets. I don't know where Sunset Shimmer and the other Twilight Sparkle are right now, but it isn't relevant to me anyway, not yet."

The magician sank in her chair and stared in shock at the floor, "I... Trixie doesn't know what to say. Most people outside of CHS simply believe that everything what happened here in the last months were consequences of a gas leak or well-made special effects."

Chrysalis grinned knowingly, "I'm a pragmatist and realist, girl. If my subordinates show me undeniable proof, I believe them. Officer Armor doesn't need to know that his little sister has, however that is possible, a twin running around somewhere. I checked his family's background and they never had identical twins. I'm certain there are many facts I still don't know about, but I'm a patient woman. Now go, your second chance in life will begin soon."

The teenager tried to leave, but the legal counsel stopped her, "Oh, Ms. Lulamoon? Just as a little reminder, don't even think about telling another soul about this conversation. It will be our little secret, understood?"

Trixie nodded her head fearfully and left without another word.

Chrysalis sighed and looked out of the window, facing the direction where Canterlot Park once was. The government thought that it was the victim of incendiary, saying that some lunatics were responsible and would soon be brought to justice. Oh if they knew what she knew.

What kind of fire would only burn down a specific area and nothing more? No, she was confident that magic was once more behind this. The woman was at home during the great storm two days ago and saw the golden circle at the sky and what followed. Worse, one of her subordinates reported ghosts of all things. He swore on the grave of his dead uncle that he wasn't drunk and certain what he saw.

She wasn't paid enough for this.

Her mind wandered to Sunset Shimmer, the former bully of Canterlot High, while she waited for Thorax to announce that Officer Armor had arrived with the next student. Such teenagers were always the prime targets of her interest. She could speak from her own experience and laughed internally when she thought about the 'crimes' of this girl.

How adorable. Chrysalis had been at least ten times worse during her prime. She had however been more subtle about it, after all, queens didn’t get their hands dirty, that’s what minions were for.

She had been the very definition of a 'Queen Bee' in school. The student body and teachers alike whispered her name in fear and nobody could stop her. They didn't call her Queen Chrysalis for nothing, it was a name well earned, and a badge of pride for her.

In another part of CHS appeared a well-known Lord of Chaos out of nowhere.

"Dude! That woman has balls!" Screwy commented intelligently.

"Milord, I think you should warn the Equestrians that this human is close to finding the portal. I don't doubt that she searched for Twilight's and Sunset's whereabouts, even if she claimed otherwise," Madame Manacle voiced her opinion worriedly.

"Are you kidding? I reached my good guy quota for the century in the moment I stepped between Sunflank and Balthi. Helping Humanshy is just a bonus. Good will from my side, a sacrifice I'm ready to give," Discord answered proudly. "I don't do all the dirty work for these colorful vegetarians. Besides, she is not a power hungry shapeshifter, so it is nothing to concern myself with."

"SIR! I THINK I FELL IN LOVE! THIS WOMAN IS AS UNFORGIVING AS A BULLET IN YOUR HEART!" Grumpy declared faithfully. If he had his will she could blow his whistle the whole day.

"Calypso..." Ironpants muttered with an unreadable tone.

"There you are!" a new voice shouted in annoyance.

Discord turned his head and froze, Vice-Principal Luna had found him. He hid his face behind the cap, but luck seemed to be on his side. She didn't look up from her clipboard.

The tall woman focused on the sheets of paper in her hands when addressing the man, "You must be the requested substitute janitor while Mr. Proper is on leave after the accident he suffered during his last cleaning session. I know, it isn't really the time to call for new staff on such a short notice before Christmas, but we are in dire need of a new janitor since the amount of vandalism has increased significantly."

"Revolution! Down with the corrupt system! Molten cheese for everybody!" Screwy shouted to his not existing heart's content.

The draconequus used magic to change his voice, now sounding much deeper, "So I heard madame. If you tell me where exactly I'm needed I will start right away."

Luna pointed with her finger to their left, "The women's restroom has a broken toilet, but don't worry, there are no students in there right now while classes are in session. I’m sorry to be so brusque, but I have a lot on my plate since the truth was revealed about, well, I'm sure you know what I mean."

"Yes, Anon-a-Miss. Horrible what happened there. Don't let me stop you Vice-Principal Luna, I will do my job and leave you to your own," Discord assured with rolling eyes, not that she saw it.

She left with an eye-twitch when the name of the MyStable account was mentioned.

"I hoped this moment would come. Your purpose will be fulfilled, Purple Bookhorse the Second," the God of Chaos whispered in glee.

"My intellect tells me to run, but I don't have legs! Curse you, plunger hating nature!" Bookhorse exclaimed to the heavens.

Lyra Heartstrings raised her hand to open the restroom door. It had taken a bit of begging to get a hall pass as Miss Cheerilee didn’t like her classes interrupted. Thankfully she’d reluctantly allowed her to run to the restroom, but not before telling her to make it quick.

Though before she could open the door an angry manly voice came out of the room, luckily for said man she couldn't hear the screaming girl.

"How do you like that?! Do you have enough?! Are you ready to surrender?!" screamed the unknown voice in fury and a touch of insanity.

"Please! Master Discord, I apologize if my attitude caused you distress!" Plunger answered in a half drowning voice.

"Next time you should think twice before you turn someone into a statue! You are lucky that Fluttershy prevents me from going after the original!"

Wait, what? Statue? And what had Fluttershy suddenly to do with all that? What original? Many questions were in Lyra's head, but her bladder needed a quiet place, and fast!

"You abuse me, because you can't go after Princess Twilight?! Help! He is insane! Worse, I feel violated and somehow I don't mind!"

"YOU SHALL BE MISSED SOLDIER!" Grumpy commented, saluting mentally.

The voice cackled madly, "YES! Beg for my forgiveness!"

A loud splashing sound came from the restroom.

"Oh please! Please! Please! Please! I need to gooo! And why is a man on the girl's toilet anyway?!" the mint colored student thought in panic. Oh how her stomach revolted!

Finally the door opened and Lyra felt like a monster just stepped in front of her. A giant of a man, taller than even Principal Celestia. He was clearly wearing the working clothes of a janitor. In his right hand a completely wet and abused plunger, with a lot of scratches on the surface of the rubber-made bell, as well as the wood.

But the worst were his eyes, unforgiving yellow orbs with unequally sized blood red pupils. An unnervingly toothy smile graced his features.

Then the stranger spoke, "You can go now. I repaired the little troublemaker. But maybe you can help me..." squeezing her shoulders with an uncomfortable force, his tone grew serious, "Where is Fluttershy?"

"M-music r-room, 107! Rainbooms! Band practice! Pleasedon'thurtme!" she pleaded and squeezed her eyes shut.

Lyra stood still, waiting. After nearly a minute the girl opened her eyes in fear, just to see nothing. The man was gone without a trace, like he never existed in the first place.

She whimpered and looked down, it seemed she didn't need to go anymore.

BonBon would never let her live that down.

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy tried to spend some quality time together with their instruments after already having finished their classes for today, but the results were more than below the expectations.

The chromatic athlete sighed in disappointment, "It just isn't the same."

Pinkie nodded in somber agreement, "Yeah, without the others it's just not as fun as it was used to be. And I feel like I lost my punch to bring joy and laughter these days, no matter what I try." Her hair was less puffier than usual.

Fluttershy put her tambourine on a nearby table, looked in sympathy at the young party planner and hugged her friend briefly for moral support, "It's not your fault, Pinkie Pie. Most people simply have to deal with some issues right now and can't laugh that much in their situation." She stared down in pity, "I feel sorry for Applejack and Rarity, I hope they are alright."

Only two days, and still... the aforementioned duo, with the permission of Principal Celestia because of their special situation, were staying at home for the remaining three school days with their families.

The news of Anon-a-Miss true identity spread like a wildfire in Canterlot City.

The fashionista's parents were lucky as it could have been possible, since most of their clients lived outside the country. The few they knew in town were separated in their opinion. One group didn't want to conduct business any longer with people whose family reputation was tainted, whereas the rest didn't really like it, but accepted that this happened. For them they were children, just children, no matter how misguided.

Then there was the matter with Sweetie Belle's punishment. Rarity demanded to be present when Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks talked with her little sister.

Applejack's family was another case entirely. The bulk of their products were sold at the markets in and around Canterlot, most of whom bought the Apples' products for their high quality.

But a lot of CHS' students, victims of Anon-a-Miss, were related to those paying customers.

Many of them immediately decided to buy their apples and other produce from now on somewhere else after what their children had to endure. Eight lawsuits were on their way, and more would surely follow. Sweet Apple Acres had already lost too much money to stay out of the red, and if that continued for too long they were in dire trouble when it came to holding onto Sweet Apple Acres.

The Flim and Flam Emporium already had its greedy eyes on their land to expand.

Fluttershy knew that these consequences were the fault of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They sowed what they reaped, a dark cynical thought for her, but an unwanted truth she had come to terms with in the last two days. She could understand that Rainbow Dash decided to cut her ties with her biggest fan for the time being, but she didn't like it.

Deep down Rainbow blamed herself the most for what happened with Sunset as the supposed-to-be Element of Loyalty, or so she explained in private. The teenager needed to vent her frustration and the very purple-haired freshman who betrayed her was the best target in the moment. It was saddening in Fluttershy's eyes.

"That sucks! I wish we could somehow do something, ANYTHING! Applejack told me that her cousin Braeburn and her grandfather Grand Pear offered to donate something, but those mules wouldn't accept!" Sometimes the Apples' pride and stubbornness caused the chromatic girl to despair.

Pinkie glimpsed at the clock and her eyes widened in shock, "Already this late?! Sorry girls, I have to go now. I promised Maud to help with her Christmas rock decorations this year. Bye!" A silhouette of dust was the only reminder that she had been there.

"I guess I will do... something." Rainbow Dash groaned, "Whatever, I'll make some phone calls and see if I can convince a few people to spare AJ's family."

The shy girl smiled encouragingly, "That is very nice of you Dashie."

The teenager laughed falsely, "Well, I already screwed up my relationship to two of our friends, if I can even call myself that anymore. It can't get much worse, right? So I guess I can at least help the others," she commented sarcastically and left.

Fluttershy hated it when her childhood friend wallowed in self-pity.

She glanced to her right and walked to her backpack, the item it contained always causing her hope and distress at the same time. Taking the item out Fluttershy stared at the imprint upon the bookcover, Sunset Shimmer's symbol of a two-colored sun, "We should have listened to you."

The timid butter skinned human wished there was something they could do, but a more important question was on her mind: 'Did Sunset even want to see them again?'

"Psst!" a new voice hissed from somewhere.

Fluttershy hid behind her backpack, "H-hello? I-is someone there?"

"Down here!" replied the clearly male voice. It was familiar, but why?

She looked at the source of the conversation and froze. Normally it would have been Fluttershy's dream to meet a living talking flower, but one summer Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie convinced her to play the game 'Darktales' with them. The poor dear could never look at flowers the same again after going through every single timeline.

What happened next didn't help her nerves at all. The little strangely brown and white colored sunflower with yellow and red eyes in front of her feet said joyfully, "Hey! I know it has been a while since our last meeting, but it's me, your best friend!"

She opened her mouth widely, screamed, making barely a sound and fainted on the spot.

"Hmm... I saw many things in my long life, but I never would have thought that I witness the day when Fluttershy doesn't like flowers," Discord said utterly baffled.

Fluttershy could have sworn that she just had the worst nightmare.

"Oh wonderful! You are awake!" someone said from her left.

When her vision cleared she recognized her surroundings immediately. It was CHS' infirmary. A tall man looked down at her, she knew him, "M-Mr. Discord?! What are you doing here? W-why am I in the infirmary?! Did something happen? W-where is the f-flower?" she fired one questions after this confusing awakening.

With a big smile he asked in honest confusion, "What flower?"

Fluttershy blinked.

Discord did as well.

She blinked again.

He didn't miss a beat and did it the second time, twice.

"N-nevermind," she muttered timidly.

"Nevermind what? You make no sense!" he exclaimed, still smiling.

She tried another approach, "W-where is Nurse Redheart?"

"Oh you mean my lovely assistant? Why, she is right there, see?" the God of Chaos replied chipperly.

Fluttershy nearly jumped in surprise. A somehow very gray looking Nurse Redheart was standing in front of the bed she was lying upon. The nurse outfit was gray instead of white and her hair which was in a bun didn't look better. Redheart's eyes were pits of purple helical vortices. It looked scary.

"What happened to her?! Is she OK?!" the girl queried in panic.

"I don't know what you are talking about, she is fine. You can ask her yourself, tell her nurse." Discord ordered kindly.

The woman bowed and stated in the most monotone tone, rivaling Pinkie's older sibling, "As you wish Your Handsomeness." She switched her focus to the girl, "I am fine, as His Excellence just said."

Fluttershy gave him a deadpan glare.

The man coughed in defeat, "OK, you got me. There is the slight possibility that I enslaved her free will so that I could wait for you to awake in peace and quiet."

"WHAT?!" she shouted in horror.

The Lord of Mischief held his hands in a calming manner, "I'm kidding! Sheesh, I thought you humans appreciated dark humor. But enough of the nurse, we are here for you!"

Discord snapped his fingers and he reappeared in a big armchair, wearing a suit, small round glasses, with a clipboard in his hand and a pencil in the other. Right beside a completely lost Fluttershy.

It seemed to her that Pinkie Pie had found her match when it came to being random.

His tone was suddenly very calm and professional, "I hereby declare our first session open. Tell me, how did you feel after Sunset Shimmer nearly died because of the Windigos and your negligence?"

She whimpered.

He noted something on the paper, "I see. It seems my question was too direct, let us try something else. Are you sincerely sorry for what happened during the Anon-a-Miss incident?"

"YES!" She blushed in embarrassment at being so forceful, but something told her that this man didn't mean any harm, "Mr. Discord, sir..." Another thought entered her mind, "Uhm, I just wanted to thank you for saving us. Principal Celestia told us how you were from the same world like Sunset and Princess Twilight. What kind of pony are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Much to her confusion he laughed wholeheartedly, "THAT was a good joke! I knew you had it in you girl! And just Discord is fine."

"T-thanks?" Fluttershy didn't know what to make out of the response.

Discord stayed in his act, it was inspiring, "Don't mention it, I'm just doing my job. I can tell that we don't need any more silly questions and can go straight to the results. Here, free of charge."

The girl looked at the paper in front of her and squinted with her eyes. Was that a dancing rubber chicken?

"Now tell me. What are you ready to do to get back in the ponies' good graces? Just say the word my dear," the God of Chaos wanted to know.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and thought carefully about the answer. What was she ready to do?

Since they day they abandoned Sunset Shimmer she had always a bad feeling in her stomach. Something about the whole story always felt fishy, but the girl had never the courage to speak up. No, it was easier to swim with the stream than against it. She mostly followed the majority of the girls blindly.

A huge mistake.

Then there were all the restless nights she suffered because of the crushing guilt of her conscience, now much worse after Sunset's innocence was proven right.

Consequences she surely deserved after being so cruel. The decision was clear.

In the end her heart made the decision, "Everything."

A whiff of madness. A decision based on something completely unpredictable and unstable as fickle emotions. The God of Chaos and Disharmony couldn't help himself but smile in expectations. "Your wish is my command."

The duo disappeared and nothing remained except the unconscious body of Nurse Redheart.

Chapter 12 - Rainbooms meet Draconequus

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Her eyes were closed in fear for the whole time, not sure to where Mr. Discord would take her, since the girl was afraid if she was honest. She opened them again and saw something unexpected.

Fluttershy was... a ghost? Or so it looked like if her pale bluely illuminated skin and translucent body were anything to go by. She wanted to scream. And where was the man who took her with him? Did he lie to her in the end?

Fog appeared on the ground and a familiar figure with greenly glowing shackles around his body came to be. He seemed to be a haunted soul as well.

Discord's voice sounded gravely and echoed in the air surrounding them, "I am the spirit of the chaotic past, present and future! Oh Ebenezer Shy, you will have to pay your debts in order to be forgiven for what you did to Sunset Shimmer!" The disguised God of Chaos spoke normal again, a mirthful undertone could be heard, "Do you want to see your tombstone now or later? I can assure you, it is lovely!"

The teenager didn't know what to say after witnessing this scene, "H-huh?"

The mad man chuckled loudly, "Don't worry, we can start soon enough with our quest. There is something I want to see first to rub it in a certain princess' face. She caused quite the ruckus and normally Celestia claims to be so well-behaved." He spread his arms dramatically, "I'm so proud!"

His discordoversion was nice and well, but nothing could replace the satisfaction of admiring chaos in person from up close.

Noticing just now her environment the animal lover blinked in astonishment. An ashen ground and black burned tree stumps were the only things that greeted them. And were those houses in the far distance?

"W-where are we?" Fluttershy inquired unsurely.

"Why, Canterlot Park of course! Or what is left of it. Come," Discord ordered casually. The girl complied, not sure what else to do.

When they reached the top of a hill the unlikely duo could see the extent of the aftermath from the battle. She was always a little curious, never having the chance to check on the damage because of the investigations that started immediately after the storm cleared two days ago.

A lot of different kinds of people were running around the ashen wasteland. Police, military, criminologists, scientists and more studied and discussed the damage while reporters watched and shouted questions from outside the cordoned off park. Fluttershy was certain that she even recognized the most famous face and voice of Canterlot Radio, High Song. Her long azure hair adorned with an amber streak was a dead giveaway.

The Spirit of Chaos teared up and wiped his nose with a brightly coloured polka dotted handkerchief that had appeared from nowhere, "It's beautiful! So much restlessness, worried thoughts about what the future could bring, uncertainty and false conclusions. Searching for the wrong questions, asking the wrong answers. Sunflank truly outdid herself this time. What does the jury say?!"

To their left sat three more Discords at a long table in colorful suits, brilliant orange, dark green and royal blue. They were shuffling through the cards in front of them before raising their chosen number into the air.

All three showed a six.

Original Discord commented slyly, "What can I say? I'm hard to impress and the devil is in the detail. She was always sloppy in her performance when it was important to be creative."

The oldest of the Rainbooms couldn't share the man's joy at all.

Still, there was something that bothered her dearly as she was watching the people around them, "Why don't they see us?"

Discord waved with his hand in a dismissing gesture, "Oh, that is nothing special. Only a little trick that will hide our presence from the humans. On this way we don't need to bother with the authorities during 'Mission Mustard & Ketchup'."

"Mustard and ketchup?" Fluttershy inquired in confusion.

He rolled his eyes in exaggeration, "Oh come on. Isn't it obvious girl? Who do you know with red and yellow hair?"

She felt a little sheepish now.

"I mean take a look at this! We can do whatever we want and they won't notice a thing, we are not even there for them. Observe, my faithful human!" Discord said jokingly and stepped in front of a kneeling scientist who took samples of the scorched earth, before he stuck his own head into the head of the man like it was an illusion. "Looks pretty empty to me. I think we have here a clear case of airheadedness," the draconequus announced from the inside in an analytical tone.

Fluttershy's skin took an ill coloration.

He lowered his head until he was in the stomach region, "Aha! This liver has seen better days, I knew he was hiding something. But no secret will remain if I, Discord, am on the case!"

The girl shook her head from the approaching dizziness, "C-can we go now? I think it is very rude to look into other people's bodies without permission." Then she mumbled to herself, "And gross..."

Discord surrendered in exaggeration. "OK, OK, if you want to spoil my fun-" Suddenly his relaxed and joyful attitude vanished like Apple Cider during Cider Season. A deadly silence befell the atmosphere.

Fluttershy noticed his shift of attitude, "Mr. Discord? Is something wrong?" It scared her how focused he glared to a certain direction south of them. Normally he was always joking, never taking anything seriously.

"Stay here," he ordered, and not even a second later he was gone.

"Oh my gosh! What do I do?!" the student of CHS asked herself panicky.

She knew that he was surely capable of defending himself, but what if he found something bad? Something mean? Maybe something evil?! No, staying at the sidelines and doing nothing led to her losing Sunset Shimmer and the friendship of Princess Twilight. She would be... assertive!

As Coach Iron Will once taught her to be so in sports, but her grades weren't the best to this day regardless. Roseluck still gave her a stink eye every now and then after what happened in dodgeball. Fluttershy felt guilty for the concussion she caused ever since.

Tracking him down wouldn't be too hard, she just had to follow the raising coldness. Hopefully Rainbow Dash's cardio training would pay out.

The dark alleys of Canterlot Downtown District.

It was an unpleasant environment for people without the necessary coin to pass through the area unscathed or enough protection, be it muscle, weapon or otherwise. The CCPD had its hands full with the inhabitants of this part of the town. Illegal deals and prostitution were booming business models here, not that the authorities could prove it.

A howling cold wind, occasional barks of dogs and a dubious looking neighbourhood added to the picture of uneasiness

Icewhisper, once the captain of King Balthanel's forces, stood in such an alley, overfilled trash cans as her only witnesses. Now that her monarch was gone, they had to hunt on their own, without any true leadership. May that wench Celestia die in agony!

Luckily those humans were easy prey. So careless, not knowing that their time had come.

Around her were her newest victims. Quite similar to Diamond Dogs on Equus now that she thought about it, if their looks, especially their skin and eye color as well as their thickly built forearms, were anything to go by, not really fitting for a human. Or their facial proportions for that matter. Moreover it seemed like all of them wore a necklace with a big fake diamond as centerpiece.

The smallest, a dwarf of a boy, with short puffy black hair, wearing a white winter jacket with grey sleeves, brown jeans and grey sport shoes.

Then there was the biggest of them all. Muscled, roughly looking brown colored hair and covered by a green winter jacket with grey sleeves, light blue jeans and black boots.

Their bodies hadn’t moved an inch since everything started.

Icewhisper giggled maliciously. Both dead already after her first attack, how pathetic. They couldn't survive the icy cold and proved themselves as nothing more than mere food, not remotely worthy of the gift. Their souls were trapped in their bodies, waiting to be devoured.

But most interesting was the last of the humans, someone who survived the initial ambush.

He seemed to be their leader and was, much to her delight, still alive, freezing and refusing to die. This young man would make a nice addition to their thinned out ranks. Such a strong will was welcomed. He had spiky steel blue hair and wore clothes consisting of red and white shoes, dark blue jeans and a red jacket with white sleeves.

Rover tried to stand up, looking with hatred at the Windigo in front of him, not knowing what his brothers state was and still clinging to hope. He was trying to hide his fear.

How foolishly brave. His hatred was delicious for the undead.

Speaking of, the corrupted soul was huge in the teenager's opinion, at least two heads taller than Fido. She looked like a malnourished transparent woman made of ice and air, her chest and nether region covered by some kind of cloth. Pits of sky blue energy instead of normal eyes were watching him closely.

It unnerved him greatly, but Rover was always prideful and wouldn't give this thing the satisfaction of cowering in fear.

Icewhisper clapped her hands mockingly, making no sound, "You know your resistance is futile, right mortal? Staring at me like that won't save you." Her voice sounded surprisingly smooth and clear like bells, but had an unnatural echo.

"S-screw you, you walking icicle! What did you do to my brothers?!" he screamed in utter fury.

The sadistic being decided to have some fun, giving him hope now just to take it away in his last moments before turning him was just too tempting, "Your brethren are fine, for now. They are slumbering." She glanced at her fellow soldiers, "Windfang? Graysky? Please enlighten our human that I tell him the truth."

Both slightly smaller Windigos chuckled unnervingly.

"Our captain speaks true," Windfang confirmed in a guttural tone. Greysky nodded his head in support.

The leader of the Diamond Dog Brothers closed his eyes and sighed at ease. His siblings were still alive, but what now? Suddenly the teenager felt something on his lips. He stared in shock and deep disgust at the Windigo captain. She was kissing him! He felt violated, something evil forced itself in his body, Rover could feel it.

Black veins appeared slowly all over his skin and it became incredibly difficult for him to breath. Their lips parted.

Icehwisper laughed in amusement, "What is it, boy? Didn't you like it? I thought dying by a woman's touch was every man's dream! I even gave something to you."

He coughed, "W-what are you talk-"

A loud sound of something heavy crashing into the cold ground filled the air.

They turned their heads and saw something right out of a cartoon, only more brutal. Where formerly the two guards stood were now two burning but undamaged pianos stuck in the ground. Their bodies smashed to pieces.

"What in the Great Blizzard's name?!" Icewhisper exclaimed angrily.

Something wasn't right, normally her kind could easily reform the physical appearance, but they clearly perished. She stepped a little closer to inspect the flames and hissed loudly, "Dragon fire!? How?!"

"Haven't you learned anything when Balthi died? How disappointing..."

Someone grasped her throat with one hand and lifted the shocked Windigo into the air, as if doing such to a damned soul was the simplest of tasks, before Icewhisper could even turn around. This being in human flesh wore the most surreal looking suit she ever saw and a red bow tie that ceased to exist if she didn't put her mind on it.

"I knew I felt something chilly. I was burning to meet you!" Discord said gleefully.

Icewhisper gawked in fear at the man in front of her, knowing instinctively who that entity was, "Bringer of Change! What are you doing here?! Why are you helping those lowly humans? I thought you don't care for the lives of mortals!"

The mad spirit grinned wickedly, "Oh that is a title I haven’t heard in centuries!" His smile widened, "I think you didn't get the memo, you see I altered my approach a little bit. I even helped Sunflank with defeating your king, it was a doozy! But no, I couldn't care less about what happened here. I just don't like you, please don't take it personal. Grogar and I never saw each other eye to eye and I always loved to break his toys. All that doom and gloom is just not funny."

Death was absolute, no second laugh before it was over. Discord had a good reason for never killing his foes, no matter how annoying. It was a simple observation from his side. What was life, if not the purest form of chaos? Being born, growing up, trying to defy fate and causing changes to the world around you, no matter how small. Like a ripple in the wide ocean. Being alive meant causing chaos, like bringing disorder to make the environment your home and domain.

No, the worst he would do was banishing the target of his annoyance to another dimension with creatures never seen before. Just a few weeks ago he found some strange looking plane, thanks to his discordovision, with puppets whose purpose it was to entertain the young. Oh how delightfully irritating they would be for the ponies of Equestria.

His captive grunted in exhaustion, trying to escape futilely. Cute.

Her continued existence was in jeopardy and the Spirit of Hatred knew that, "W-wait! I'm certain we can reach an agreement! Perhaps we could share the humans, mankind creates more than enough chaos on a daily basis to make you unstoppable!"

Just when Captain Icewhisper thought she got him to think about her proposal a hot pain shot through her very being, "W-wha-?!"

She looked down to see a gleaming dagger in her chest. Her body shattered like glass into a million pieces before the Windigo could even utter a sound to curse the God of Chaos for what he did.

Discord spoke neutrally, "Don't ever assume to know what I want." He raised both eyebrows in a thoughtful manner, "Sometimes I don't even know it myself."

And as if he would fall for such an obvious trap! Of course Past Discord would have jumped at the opportunity of ruling an entire planet as its supreme god, ignoring all risks. But it wasn't as easy as most would think in relation to his person. As an embodiment of chaos itself he could absorb its energy from his surroundings, true.

But such power had a side-effect.

He would not only gain unlimited strength by mankind's endless quarrels, but taking in the emotions, connected to the actions that caused new entropy to emerge, to boot. They were part of the full package and a good part of this species caused disharmony in relation to hatred, bloodlust, greed, insanity or other negative feelings.

Never! The Lord of Chaos wouldn't be corrupted like Sombrero. But what could somepony expect by a crystal addict?

Discord found it hard to admit, but a certain butter yellow pegasus had changed his view on chaos, even a small portion was now enough to spice things up for him. And having somepony to laugh with or being appreciated instead of feared were new experiences for him, somehow it felt good.

Well, it was certainly appealing.

A coughing fit interrupted his musings. He turned around and found its source immediately, "Oh, you are alive! And here I thought you had a killer party!" He laughed dryly. "I really have no clue why you humans like black humor so much. It is much too serious to be funny in my humble opinion."

Rover lifted his head up in fear and croaked with a hoarse voice, "W-who are you? What happened with these things?"

The draconequus raised a finger in a lecturing manner, "This, my near dead friend, is a good question, worthy of an answer. We all had a little chat and in the end we came to a shattering conclusion. None of them even said goodbye. Can you believe it?"

Another row of bloody coughs was the answer.

Discord sat down cross-legged besides the leader of the Diamond Dog Brothers, ignoring the snow beneath them, "You are right. I should have insisted on a good last handshake." He glanced in pity at the dying human, his voice took a much more serious note, "I fear there is nothing I can do for you buddy. Your soul is poisoned to the core and I can only end your suffering to make sure that you won't be resurrected as one of them. Do you understand me?"

Rover put his head down in resignation, "W-what is about my brothers? This h-" another cough, "-hussy said they would be fine. Did she say the truth?" He dearly hoped that Fido and Spot would make it.

The God of Chaos knew from the start that the two humans in question were dead as doornails. But he didn't feel like playing around in this situation, making fun wouldn't do it now. This mortal was desperately clinging on his life, solely to get certainty before he would fade.

Should he break into a song? On second thought, he wouldn't even make it through the refrain.

A faint smile was on his face, "Don't you trust me? I'm hurt! But you can rest peacefully." Discord leaned his head closer and spoke in a quiet conspiratorially tone, "Just between us, they will most likely need strong painkillers and a lot of soup against the cold when they wake up."

He received a pained chuckle, "I see... thank you for saving them," was the only sentence Rover uttered before the last shimmer of life vanished from the teenager's eyes.

"Well..." Discord said and stretched himself, popping a few bones in progress, "...time to clean up."

With a snap of his fingers all three corpses were consumed by brilliant white flames until not even ashes remained.

"I should look for Humanshy," he thought purposefully, already asking himself how much the poor dear must be worried.

Another voice stopped him from leaving, "That was very kind of you, Mr. Discord."

Standing in front of him was a very sad, but somehow relieved looking Fluttershy. She was a little out of breath.

The disguised draconequus would be surprised that she caught up to him already, if he, as the Master of Surprises, would be surprised at all. Of course surprising him was much of a stretch, yes. Not even a twitch!

Discord composed himself like the dashing being he was, "Me? Kind? I think you misunderstood there something. I lied to him before I burned the boy's body to nothing. So, how much did you see and how did you find me?" He was relieved that this wasn't pony Fluttershy, she would have fainted, most likely.

Ghostshy held a fist in front of her chest, as if in struggle with herself. "Uhm, I arrived here when you... defeated that W-windigo woman. I just took the direction you were looking at and Downtown is south of the park, traffic or buildings weren't really important thanks to your magic, Mr. Discord."

The mentioned man laughed in a faked haughty tone. "Aha! I helped you without even thinking about it! My genius proceeds me."

"And yes, you lied. But..." She stopped talking, lowering her head.

"Yeeees?" the Spirit of Chaos inquired curiously and gestured with a hand to go on.

"D-doing what you did was the right decision, I think. You gave him hope and let him pass away in peace, letting him believe that his brothers were still alive. You showed him a last act of kindness. A-and I know you didn't have to do that! So, uhm, thank you," Fluttershy smiled shyly.

Discord raised an eyebrow at that, "Oho? I always believed you girls were all about being honest, loyal, yada yada and all this boring stuff?" A smug grin painted his features, "If I ignore what you did to Sunflank Jr. that is."

Fluttershy flinched in shame, "Y-yes. That is kind of a problem where Applejack and I don't always see each other eye to eye when it comes to our supposed-to-be elements. I noticed that Kindness and Honesty don't always follow the same goal. Not that I hate Applejack of course! But sometimes a bold lie is simply the much kinder option than the truth, but Applejack is... too stubborn to accept that." The girl whispered the last part of the sentence, not that the mad god didn't hear it anyway.

He chuckled fondly, "You remind me of your Equestrian counterpart."

"I-I do?" the teenager asked in wonder.

"Of course! Both of you have an unconditional love for animals and are blessed with a strength that isn't necessarily expected." His smile faded, "And both of you know how short life can be because of your chosen path as future veterinarians. Nature is not always kind, in fact it can be very cruel. A fitting role as a Element Bearer of Kindness. I could bet that except you young ladies nobody and nopony would be able to do what needs to be done when facing a gruesome sight from your circle of girl-pals from the get-go." He bowed for an added effect.

Fluttershy blushed furiously, "Oh my. I never saw it that way." Silence. "Uhm, Mr. Discord? What do we do now?"

The God of Disharmony rubbed his hands in glee, "I'm glad you asked my shy companion! We are going on a field trip." His suit was suddenly replaced by a ranger outfit, reminding the young human of Daring Do, "Onwards!"

"Wait!" she exclaimed fastly.

Discord groaned, "What now?"

"W-we have to take the girls with us! They should get a chance to show how sorry they are, too," the timid girl pleaded with big eyes.

The draconequus considered. If he took not one but five humans to Equestria... Discord made up his mind. He couldn't miss THAT opportunity! "You have there a compelling argument. I shall accept your request my dear. Show us the way!"

Even though they left the alley behind after the Windigos were taken care of the God of Chaos could have sworn that the unnatural coldness he felt before never disappeared.

"C-can I open my eyes now?" Fluttershy wanted to know fearfully.

Discord scoffed, playing offended, "I think my aim was as good as it could have been expected, pinpointing specific persons is not so easy in this world, I can assure you. Besides, we only landed in two kitchens, one cellar, two bedrooms and three bathrooms. It could have been worse. Why, did you see something to your liking?" His grin couldn't stretch more in the moment. "You can look now~"

She whimpered. The young student would never get the burnt in images out of her mind. Luckily they were still invisible, but that didn't make it much better in her opinion. She heard and saw things no woman should witness when men firmly believed they were alone, or so she convinced herself.

Their newest location seemed to be promising. Fluttershy never visited many of the different rooms of Rarity's house, but she recognized it as her friend's.

All walls were decorated in two shades of purple with violet roses upon them. The double sized bed with the sleeping mask on the pillow, stitched with three little blue diamonds, a lot of fashion magazines on the night table and the photo frame upon it with all of them in the outfits they wore during the Fall Formal were proof enough for her. Princess Twilight was in it.

Fluttershy frowned in disappointment. They never took any group pictures with Sunset Shimmer, did they?

"Tell me again, why can't we just pick up your friends and go?" the draconequus inquired in boredom.

She played with a strand of her hair, "W-we can't just kidnap them. What would their families think? My parents are visiting with my brother a new art convention for three days in Fillydelphia, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to come with you Mr. Discord, but I'm not sure about the others." He rolled his eyes at her continued politeness.

In Zephyr's words, his muse told him to expand his horizon beyond Canterlot City.

"Oh, come on! You can't do this to me! It's completely unfair!" a familiar high-pitched voice shouted in annoyance.

The door jumped open and Rarity stormed into her room, clearly in a bad mood, followed by an angry looking Sweetie Belle.

The fashionista turned around to face her sibling with barely contained fury, "I will tell you what is unfair young lady! It is unfair to all the students, who never did anything to you, how carelessly you posted their secrets online. It is unfair that you destroyed a lot of lives just for your own selfish desires. It is unfair that you blamed Sunset out of jealousy and made her the victim of a level of abuse that put the aftermath of the Fall Formal to shame!" Her eyes shimmered wetly, "It is unfair that you, my own little sister, took away two wonderful friends from me, who probably don't want to see us ever again. I am at fault as well and will pay for my own shortcomings, but YOU three started it."

Sweetie Belle recoiled as if struck by a hand, "B-but how many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry?! I never expected that our plan could end like that. Please! You can't just separate us! Can't you convince mom and dad somehow-"

Rarity would have none of it. "A sorry won't turn back time or change what happened! And how do you thing I should approach them Sweetie Belle? Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna suspended you three for at least two months for your own safety! Do you really think the students of CHS will forgive you for what you did? I don't say I like their decision, but our parents are right. You won't be accepted again in Canterlot High and it is most likely the best course of action to send you to another school. This city has more than enough."

Fluttershy remembered. Applejack told her on the phone that the parents of Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom came to an agreement. They should be sent to different schools for the time being. They could still meet each other in private, but no principal would allow all three at his school after hearing about what they did.

"Ahh... trouble in paradise," Discord commented in amusement. The disguised draconequus added slyly, "We should make ourselves known," before he vanished.

A knock came from behind the door.

Sweetie Belle squeaked in shock and jumped forward, hiding behind her sister, "R-Rarity! Did you hear that?! Someone broke in!"

The fashionista was frozen in a state of surprise and fear from the sudden sensation of a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to a degree. One of the her best friends was smiling at her in encouragement, so there had to be a logical explanation, "F-Fluttershy, Darling! Do you mind telling me who is behind my door and... HOW DID YOU COME INTO OUR HOUSE?!"

The now half deaf teenager winced at the jarring tone and high volume, "I'm sorry Rarity, but I think I may have a possibility to apologize to Sunset and Princess Twilight, if you don't mind. Or, uhm, Mr. Discord has."

Rarity furrowed her eyebrows, an unladylike gesture, but necessary when confronting this such an unexpected change of events. The opportunity of finding Sunset Shimmer and the princess to apologize sounded certainly like an appealing offer, but what about her sister? Sweetie Belle would insist to come along.

What would this man, pony, whatever he was, do about her?

Speaking of the devil and he entered, with black sunglasses and a short metal tube in his hand. Discord looked like the fittest specimen of a secret agent.

The youngest of the three girls whispered unsurely, "S-shouldn't we call the police?" Nobody reacted.

It was so bizarre that the two sisters didn't rightly know what to do next. The disguised draconequus stepped with an uncaring frown in front of Sweetie Belle, pushed a button on his tube and a bright violet light blinded the freshman. Swirls replaced her pupils, like it was the case with Nurse Redheart.

He spoke authoritatively, "When we are gone you will think that your sister is on a trip with her friends for an uncertain amount of time and you are fine with it. Where are your parents and when will they come back?"

"They left yesterday again and are trying to negotiate with their clients who are still unsure if they want to cut off any further business because of Anon-a-Miss. Mom and dad should be back in three days," she replied obediently.

"Splendid! See Fluttershy? No pro-uhm, I mean..." Discord cleared his throat and returned to his persona. A second purple flash renewed the effect on Rarity's sibling. "Your answers are sufficient little girl. Remember to eat your chocolate to stay healthy-"

"Excuse me?! I don't care if you saved my life, but you won't put any of your bad ideas in Sweetie Belle's head, you ruffian!" Rarity swore with crossed arms.

A third flash.

"And your vegetables, unburned."

The fashionista put a hand on her forehead, as if she was trying to prevent the mad god's antics from getting to her, "Breath Rarity, you know Pinkie Pie." She glared in annoyance at their potential benefactor, "I will gladly accept this offer, but please don't ever play with my sister's head again, Mr. Discord." An idea came to her mind, "Even though I'm thankful that you solved this issue without causing too much chaos. You have my thanks for your discreteness." A cheeky smile adorned her face.

His expression was a picture of indignation. He looked like he wanted to accuse her that she just committed an affront of the highest level. It was worth it.

Discord recovered quickly and returned the gesture, "But of course! I aim to please." He glanced at Fluttershy, "Where next?"

"Rainbow Dash lives at 69 Cloudsdale Avenue."

The two teenagers vanished, but Discord remained and looked impishly at the hypnotized Sweetie Belle. He blinded her once more, "You are really sorry for Anon-a-Miss and that is why you decided to cook for your sister from now on until the day she snaps. If that happens, my little fellow troublemaker, you will remember to send Rarity my regards. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Greatness," was the immediate answer.

"Good... oh, and vote for Discord!"

Rainbow Dash wasn't a happy camper. She faced her wallpapers of the Wonderbolts, one of the most famous units of the air force and known for their stunt flying.

Would they even take someone as disloyal as her?

She grumbled in mental exhaustion. "AHHH!!! What can I do?! I should be training right now, impressing others with my awesomeness, but no! I just HAD to behave like an idiot and thanks to me Sunset is gone!"

The girl thought briefly of Scootaloo and growled to herself. The last thing she heard was that her 'greatest fan' was grounded for four months, not allowed any longer to play with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom until the aftermath of Anon-a-Miss was resolved and was forbidden from using her scooter for as long as her parents saw fit.

Not that it mattered to her. Well, not much. Perhaps she should forgive the girl at some point, but not now nor in the near future, the betrayal ran too deep.

This must have been how the eggheads were feeling after what they did. What she did.

Maybe Fluttershy would give her the journal if she asked nicely? For some reason her childhood friend hoarded the book like a treasure and held firmly on it. But she had to do something, anything to make it right again.

Rainbow left her bed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. Moping was so not cool.

She glanced back to her former position and froze. There on the bed lay her motionless body. The full sized mirror besides her showed a transparent and strangely glowing reflection of her current self.

The most girlish scream escaped her lungs.

A quiet whisper echoed from everywhere, "Rainbow..."

"W-who is there?!" the teenager demanded to know in panic.

"Psst! Behind you," answered the voice, now much clearer.

Rainbow Dash had to look up, only to face a being that seemed to look like the Grim Reaper. If not for the fact that the usually known scythe was replaced by a long cotton candy looking cane that had a skull with a jester's cap on its tip.

The mysterious figure pulled his hood back, revealing himself as this strange man she met in Principal Celestia's office. His smile was much too chipper and kind of disgruntling for her taste.

Discord put a hand on her left shoulder and said in a happy tone like something fantastic just happened, "Congratulations Dashie! You died!"

Her jaw unhinged, "What?! That doesn't make any sense!"

He chuckled in good humor, "Of course your death doesn't make sense! The day I make completely sense is the day I retire and announce Pinkie Pie as my replacement as the God of Chaos! Or goddess in her case."

Now she was truly terrified. The draconequus let a camera appear in his hand and took a picture of her face.

"Mr. Discord! That isn't very nice to scare her like that!" scolded a similarly ghostly looking Fluttershy from the left. A very amused Rarity stood besides her.

"Oh Darling, I didn't know you could be so feminine," she teased mercilessly.

Rainbow gasped in shock, ignoring the fashionista for the time being and teared up a little. "Oh my gosh! Girls! D-don't tell me this guy got you too!"

"Uhm, no. Mr. Discord just wanted to... prank you. We are fine Rainbow," the timid animal lover replied uncomfortably.

Rarity supported their friend, "Fluttershy is right. We may have the chance to apologize to Sunset and Princess Twilight! That is why we came here unannounced. And I want to apologize for our intrusion. Believe me-" she glared hotly at Discord "-I know how surprising this must have been for you."

Fear and shock vanished instantly and untamed fury filled the chromatic teenager's body.

Before she could explode in anger the mad man interrupted her, "Oh look at the time!" He pulled his right sleeve up to his shoulder and revealed at least 15 different watches in various shapes and colors, "It is already quarter past fish!"

A popping sound later and only the empty house remained, nearly empty.

On the other side of the ajar door were Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof, the parents of Rainbow Dash. Whereas the mother had a plate with sandwiches and milk in her hands, her husband stood beside her with the newest edition of Daring Do and the Stone of Destiny.

It should be a surprise to cheer their daughter up.

"Honey, d-did you see what I did?" asked a very perplex Bow.

"Y-yes." Windy locked eyes with the father of her favourite girl, "Do you know what that means?"

He nodded grimly.

The expressions which would have been normal reactions for normal parents after their only child disappeared into thin air disappeared slowly and were replaced by the creepiest smiles imaginable on both faces. But completely normal for Rainbow Dash's parents if something new happened to their only flesh and blood.

The duo had already a new place in the secret hall of fame, to document Rainbow Dash's 'accomplishments', in mind. They screamed proudly, "1ST VANISHING ACT!"

"Aaaand done! Maud we did it! Your decorations rock!" the hyperactive party planner shouted in excitement.

Maud smiled gently, not that it was visible for not-Pies, "Thank you for your help Pinkie Pie, I appreciate it."

Limestone Pie, or Captain Grumpy, as Pinkie called her older sibling around Christmas and New Year because of her sour attitude, was sitting in her favourite chair. She was polishing Holder's Boulder, the family's heirloom. It was a grey reddish granite stone in the shape of an egg, big as a coconut.

Her opalish gray hair was more short and messy in back, but had a well-combed bang at the front, a contrast to her sisters’ long hair, Maud's smooth and straight, Pinkie's long and curly. She wore her black sleeveless top with a symbol of a lime and two rocks on the front and dark blue shorts.

The cold never bothered the strong-willed, but very impulsive young adult.

"Finally!" Limestone commented in annoyance. "Marble and mom are preparing the tree and father will be late. I have the responsibility as long as he's gone and I'd like to be finished before he returns."

Pinkie rolled her eyes, "Yes, Limey. You are the boss, we know."

Maud was the oldest of the four Pie siblings, but let Limestone call the shots, she didn't mind. As long as her sister's demands were realistic. The woman pulled her pet rock out of her pocket, "What do you think Boulder?"

She listened closely and chuckled dryly. "You don't say. Boulder says that Holder's Boulder is... stuck up."

Limestone groaned, "Tell Boulder he can get over himself and stop behaving like a little pebble." She glanced briefly at the grandfather clock, "Let's see... next item on the list is-"

A giant blue hole in reality opened suddenly in the Pie Family's living-room. Four big and bulky Discords, in full football gear, trotted out of the dimensional disturbance.

Nobody had anything to say, too stunned from witnessing this unexpected event. Even Pinkie Pie.

They shouted the same syllable over the whole time of their short visit at the same time in an overly dramatic way, "HO - HO - HO - HO!" Each grabbed one of Pinkie's legs and arms and held her up above them like a sacrifice, running back into the opening without a care in the world.

The rip closed.

After nearly two minutes of silence Limestone shook her head like a wet dog, "What in the Philosopher's Stone name was THAT?!"

Maud blinked, "I think Pinkie told me about this man. He saved her from the Windigos."

"Are you kidding me?! You really believe Pinkie's tales?! First she had supposedly a showdown with a demon, who was later her friend! Then she and some school students faced off against three women in a boring band contest, who were in reality some banished entities only known from Greek mythology. And NOW she told us a story about cursed ghosts of all things that feed on hatred. It's ridiculous!" the second oldest ranted angrily.

Maud was unmoved in her faith, "I believe her, you should, too. How do you want to explain otherwise that our sister was just kidnaped by four identical looking men who looked like they just escaped an asylum?"

Limestone facepalmed forcefully, "You know what? I don't give a damn! I will call father and tell him that we have to start dinner without Pinks!"

The eldest of the four sisters walked to a window and looked up at the cloudless night sky after her younger sibling left, "Good luck, Pinkie Pie."

Sweet Apple Acres, their last stop. The team stood in front of the Apple's main house

Pinkie Pie laughed wholeheartedly, "Did you see the hilarious looks on their faces?! I will never forget Limey's!"

The party planner imitated her sister's frozen expression of somebody who was one small step away from an aneurysm.

Rainbow Dash was still annoyed about the stunt Discord pulled on her, "I mean who in the hell thinks it would be funny to trick someone into thinking that she died?!"

The disguised God of Chaos looked at his fingernails in disinterest, "My chromatic friend, humour has a wide range of all kind of genres. I have no prejudice when it comes to those things. Admit it, you are just fuming about the fact that I got you good."

"Oh yeah?!" the teenager challenged, closing distance between the two.

A literal halo appeared above Discord's head, "See?" he pointed at a very... unique sight.

A few meters away from them stood a little red skinned mini Discord, with a huge hunch. On the the whole body covering coat were written the words 'Discord's prejudice' in boldly printed letters.

Then it talked, "No! Stop judging me! The eyes, the eyes! You are all ugly, not me!"

A finger snap later the little guy disappeared again, he snorted, "Artists, always so dramatic."

"Can we look for Applejack now? I want to forget what I just saw," Rarity asked sweetly.

Everybody nodded and together they searched for their friend, when they heard a sobbing sound.

"It's fine Appleseed. Ah admit Ah was very disappointed by yer behaviour, but Ah could never be angry on one of ma' children," said a heavenly soft and kind sounding woman.

"I don't think we should intrude. That is Apple Bloom's room and it sounded like her mom," Fluttershy whispered, even though the spell was still intact.

Discord hummed to himself, "Huh, the parents are really alive. A diversity from Equestria, interesting." He switched his attention back to the five girls, "You can look for your friend on your own. The spell will fade when you find her and it is your wish to reveal yourself."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at his dodging behaviour, "And what about you?"

"Oh you know, research!" came the joyful answer.

The chromatic athlete gagged in disgust, "Bah! Egghead stuff. Let's go girls."

Pinkie Pie cheered and hopped up and down, "Soon we'll get the team together again! Yippie!"

They all left to search for their missing cowgirl, except Fluttershy.

"Can I help you?" he queried much too warmly.

A staring contest between the two occured for nearly 20 seconds.

The girl blinked first, "Uhm, I'm not sure. I heard what you said to yourself and I was just wondering..." Discord held up a hand up to stop her before she could say more.

He teleported and reappeared with a framed picture in his hands, causing a little shriek to emerge from the girl. "You mentioned it yourself, my dear. Honesty and Kindness don't always follow the same goal. I hope your apple farming friend knows tact and when it is wiser to keep the truth hidden about certain matters, in case she meets her counterpart. I fear it would only awake displaced emotions and desires that could never be satisfied, if you know what I mean."

Discord let her have the frame.

The teenager glanced questioningly from the confusing enigma of a man to Apple Bloom's room and back at the picture. Her eyes widened and she gasped, holding her hands in front of her mouth. The frame disappeared before it reached the ground, "I-I will talk with her about it. Thank you for letting us know."

She truly was. Fluttershy felt very sorry for the other Applejack.

After the last Rainboom left the God of Chaos to his devices he decided to take a look and entered the youngest Apple's room, through the wall of course.

The interior was way too plain for his liking. An apple-shaped clock? How predictable. But his focus was now on the woman besides Applejack's little sister.

Pear Butter was in the prime of her beauty. She was half a head taller than Applejack and her brilliant turquoise eyes radiated kindness and motherly love. Her outfit consisted of dark brown cowboy shoes with fringe on the topside, reaching to her upper shins, a perfectly sitting white shirt with sleeves to the elbows and a big black belt that held her light green cloth trousers in place.

Her wavy gamboge colored hair was flowing around her shoulders and a turquoise hair band held a small portion of it at the middle of the back in a similar style to her eldest daughter.

Discord was wondering if her presence could have changed certain outcomes in Equestria. So many possibilities!

Apple Bloom calmed down a little, looking at her mother in regret with tear-filled eyes, "A-Ah never wanted it to end like that! Anon-a-Miss was ma' idea and now the farm is in danger because of me!"

Buttercup, a nickname her husband Bright Mac gave his wife when they were young, stroked her daughter's head to calm her further, "Shh. It's fine, we are just facing hard times, that's all. We will pull through, Ah promise. Don't worry yer little pretty hard about it." She kissed Apple Bloom on the forehead, the youngest Apple giggled with a blush. "Oh? What was that? Ya need more kisses?" More small attacks followed on both cheeks.

Now the freshman laughed in embarassment, "Mom! Stop, Ah'm not a little girl no more!"

Apple Bloom surrendered herself into her mother's warm embrace.

Discord loved nothing more than disharmony and chaos, but even he could appreciate the uncensored affection of a mother to a certain level. It had something innocent even he didn't like to corrupt during his old days. Of course the draconequus did it out of amusement, but it always felt a little wrong to break such a bond.

Pear Butter put some distance between the two with outstretched arms and looked her girl straight in the eyes, "Ma told us about Anon-a-Miss and why ya did it, but Ah never asked with everything that was goin' on lately. Tell me, why didn't ya try to talk with yer sister about it?"

The oldest crusader lowered her head and snorted, "We were so sure that Sunset Shimmer only acted like she wanted to be a better person. Ah wanted ma' sister back, because Applejack spent all her free time with her." The youngest sibling began to stutter a little, "A-and it was clear to me that she only tried to mani-pu"

"Manipulate, Appleseed."

“Yeah, that. Ah thought she only wanted to fool Applejack and her friends to get her revenge for the Fall Formal." When she saw Pear Butter's raised eyebrow the young farmer tried to justify herself, "She was awful mom! Sunset Shimmer was falser than a fox in a hen house, Ah tell yah! For years she only acted nice when she felt like it to get what she wanted and Ah thought Ah needed to do somethin' about her." She sighed in defeat, "That was another reason Ah came up with the idea of Anon-a-Miss."

The mother of three children hummed thoughtfully, "Ah understand ya, believe me. But ya didn't answer ma' question. Why did ya never tell yer sister about how ya feel?"

Apple Bloom was stunned, why indeed? "Ah... Ah never thought about it. It was obvious to me that Sunset Shimmer was a bad person, like she always was in the past Ah guess."

Pear Butter crossed her arms around her daughter's stomach and pulled her closer. "Ma' cute silly girl. Ah think it's time that Ah tell yer a little story about our family. Did ya know that yer grandma and grandpa hated each other before yer father and Ah married?"

"What?! How?! Granny Smith and Gran Grand Pear never argue!" the youngest Apple declared in sheer disbelief.

A heavenly laughter filled the room, "They don't like to be reminded, but it's true! So, how should Ah start?"

Pear Butter and Bright MacIntosh couldn't be happier in their lives. They would finally get married. Nevermind that the young woman was devastated not even a few minutes ago.
A week ago her father Grand Pear was the bearer of horrible news, the Pear Family would move from Canterlot City to Vanhoover. It hit the pair harder than anything. Not that someone knew about their secret romance anyway, thanks to that old feud between the Apples and the Pears.
Their families were rivals to the core, always trying to outsmart the other.
What Pear Butter didn't know was that Bright Mac asked Mayor Mare, an old acquaintance of the two, to meet him the night before the Pear Family moved at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. He brought the very depressed love of his life with him.
And it was perfect in Pear Butter's opinion. No fancy ceremony, just a secret get together with their closest friends, Burnt Oak and Chiffon Swirl, nowadays known as Mrs. Cake, as their witnesses.
But if she was honest, the young daughter of Grand Pear felt underdressed. Mayor Mare, Burnt Oak, Chiffron, they all wore suits or dresses and looked their best. Only Bright Mac and she were still wearing their working clothes. Of course because the in the dark kept bride didn't know about this surprise, they had no wedding rings at their disposal as well. But it wasn't important as long as they would officially be pronounced husband and wife.
But fate decided to make it harder for them. Granny Smith and Grand Pear found the couple before it could come to their first kiss as a married one.
Both, the patriarch of the Pear Family and the matriarch of the Apple Family, were furious and agreed that such a bond was unacceptable.
It didn't matter to the young lovers. They finished their wedding despite their parents' misgivings on this matter, but the bride's father wouldn't give up so easily...
"Pear Butter, enough of this nonsense, we're movin'! And YOU gotta stick with yer family!" exclaimed an annoyed Grand Pear. This marriage was a bad joke!
He left without another word, sure that his daughter would follow him soon enough.
Pear Butter couldn't leave, her family was now right here as well! Hopefully her father would see reason. "But the Apples are ma' family now, too."
He stared at her in great shock with wide open mouth, Granny Smith reacted the same way.
Bright Mac used this golden opportunity that his mother wasn't prepared to hear such a declaration either and took his rightful position besides Pear Butter as a loving husband to make his father-in-law understand that they were serious. His eyes showed pure determination, never was something more important in his life.
Grand Pear recovered and glared at the pair with narrowed eyes. "Ya can't be serious. Are ya choosin' to be an Apple over bein' a Pear?"
Buttercup teared up in despair, her eyes filled with tears. Would her father truly go this far because of a stupid feud? "Are ya' makin' me choose?"
This sorrowful question hit the patriarch unprepared, he recoiled a little, but not for long. What was this farce?! Didn't his daughter see that she ruined her life with her decision?
He was certain that she would give up on the Apple boy when he remained strong and wouldn't move an inch from his position, "Yes, Ah am."
Tears were now running down the bride's cheeks in streams. So this was it? Her family would fall apart, because her own dad was too stubborn to see how happy Bright Mac made her?
He didn't give her a choice in this case. This man made his decision, and she made her own, "Then yeah, Ah guess Ah am."
Bright Mac put an arm around her in comfort, thanking his wife with all his heart for deciding to stay with him.
Grand Pear snapped in anger, not able to accept defeat, "FINE!"
He turned around, planning to leave Pear Butter behind. She would soon feel the consequences of her actions. An Apple and a Pear? Preposterous!
At first Bright MacIntosh wanted to soothe his love's pain from the loss, but she didn't deserve such a cruel fate. So he ran after his father-in-law after pleading his mother and their friends to take care of Buttercup in his absence.
It was a matter of pride, honor and honesty.
After what felt like an eternity he caught up with the older, but surprisingly agile and fast man, "SIR! WAIT!"
Grand Pear stopped abrupt and fixed the young Apple with hateful eyes, "What do ya want?! Isn't it enough for ya to take ma' only daughter? Do ya have to gloat it about it, too?!"
Bright Mac took his hat and held in front of his chest, as if he was paying his highest respects and put all his heart and conviction into the most important speech of his life, "Ah would never dream of it, sir. Ah swear Ah tell ya the honest truth that Ah never met another woman as amazing as yer beautiful and intelligent daughter and it would be the greatest honor to me if ya would give us yer blessin'. Ah know we should have told y'all about our relationship, but we were afraid of the consequences and that our families wouldn't approve of us.
"We're madly in love with each other, have been for many years by now since we were young. And never even once did Ah have another woman in ma' heart except yer daughter. Ah want to spend the rest of ma' life on Earth with her until the very end and we want to create a wonderful family, children with the blood of Apple and Pear in union." He kneeled in front of an unreadable, but still glaring Grand Pear, "Ah know that both families never liked each other, but please sir, Ah'm beggin' ya, consider yer opinion about us. Don't let this foolish feud get between ya and yer family. Buttercup needs ya, yer daughter needs ya, her father.
"We want for our future children nothin' else than the best, but Ah want them to meet both of their families, not only the Apples. They are as much Pear as Apple and Ah'll be damned if ma' wife has to live from this day on with the knowledge that she chose me, but lost her own father for it. Our children, yer grandchildren, deserve to know about their family history, from both sides. Sir, nothing would make me happier than knowin' that they won't only have a grandmother, but a lovin' grandfather as well. If not for me, then please do it for ya daughter." Bright Mac bowed his head in a pleading manner.
Many feelings switched places in Grand Pear's mind and heart. But to whom should he listen?
His mind and logic dictated him that this relationship was against everything he was taught and knew. Pears and Apples were never anything else than bitter enemies. Family business above all else.
His heart meanwhile had the opinion that it was time to move on from generations of rivalry, that this young man, this Apple, in front of him was the love of his daughter's life and that all his stubbornness wouldn't change her feelings for him.
And he always dreamed about being a grandfather one day. It was an easy decision. How could he have been so blind for all his life?
The pregnant silence between the two men was broken by a fateful sigh and a head shake from Pear Butter's father. He chuckled dryly, "Boy, did ya know that the true reason why the Pears and the Apples hate each other is lost to time? We only know these days that our families were always enemies and that this was enough reason to continue the feud. Once a bad fruit, always a bad fruit."
Bright Mac stood up and denied the question, "No sir. Ma never told me about it, only that Ah should stay away from yer family because of bad history."
For the first time during the evening the patriarch smiled at the groom in approval, "Stop callin' me sir, boy. Ah see now that ma' daughter loves ya more than anythin' else and that ya're as much a part of this family as every Pear. Ah can appreciate someone hardworkin’ and honest. Ya wanted ma' blessin' above all else? Ya can have it." His voice became much more serious again, but a mirthful undertone was noticeable. "But ya gotta promise me somthin' or ya can forget about yer plans with ma' daughter. Understood sonny?"
He gave his outstretched hand.
Bright Mac nodded his head sharply and returned the handshake with force, "Ah promise, whatever it takes."
Now he couldn't grin brighter, even if Grand Pear tried, "Ya will call me 'pa' from now on."

Apple Bloom couldn't believe what she was just told. "And that all really happened?"

Buttercup smiled warmly, "Yes, Appleseed. If not for yer father's bravery and honesty Ah fear y'all wouldn't even know about ma' side of the family until today. Do ya understand what Ah want to tell ya with this story?"

The young girl scratched unsurely her head, "Ah think? Granny and Gran always disliked each other, because this was what they were taught all their lives. That changed when-" Her eyes widened in realization. "-when pa and ya ignored the past. Y'all gave it a try, even if y'all were told otherwise!"

A proud nod, "This Sunset gal' ya didn't like was always known as a nothin' for good liar and a bully, but one day ya sister and her friends stood up to her and showed her another way. We never forget when we are wronged and it's easy to remind the one responsible how bad she was. But much harder is it to move on with yer life and startin' to realize that a person can become better, if ya give it a try."

The freshman wasn't sure if that was possible in the case of Diamond Tiara.

Apple Bloom cried quietly into her mother's chest. "A-Ah can't believe how stupid Ah was! Ah was so focused on what happened in the past that Ah never thought about the chance that Sunset Shimmer could move on." She hugged Pear Butter even stronger in desperation, "Ah'm such a horrible sister! Ah never tried to understand Applejack and always did what made ME feel better!"

Pear Butter gave her daughter a last kiss on the forehead before she left the bed, "How about some apple fritters?" she asked kindly.

The youngest Apple sibling didn't need an invitation. "Ya betcha!"

They left for the kitchen holding hands.

A brief thought about discussing her punishment came to her mind, but in the end the founder of Anon-a-Miss decided against it. She didn't need a second lecture about responsibilities and consequences for your actions. The young girl just hoped that they could hold onto Sweet Apple Acres, even working for the ones she wronged was a possibility to make it easier for her family, maybe it would work.

Hopefully the new school could be a new start for her. It still saddened her that she had to leave CHS, but Apple Bloom understood slowly that they caused too much damage to remain there. A brutal, but necessary life lesson in her case.

If only her big sister could forgive her one day.

Discord was leaning against the wall during the entire conversation, listening to every word. Moving on from the past? A lesson well meant, the difficult part was to really do it. After Tirek he felt it on his own how hard it could be.

He left through the same wall and discovered something hilarious. A sulky Applejack sitting seemingly hiding behind the small drawer besides the door, her eyes glistened, "Let me guess. You heard the last part of the little mother-to-daughter chit chat?"

The cow girl stood up, putting her hands in her pockets and glared mildly at the happy entity. "Eeyup, but that's none of yer business. The others are waitin' downstairs, Ah just came here to make sure that ya didn't try anythin' funny. Ah don't trust ya, no matter what Fluttershy says."

Applejack yelped in pain when her cheek was pinched by the God of Chaos like a grandmother did it with her grandchildren in some movies.

Discord grinned mockingly, "It is adorable how you think that you could stop me, but you are certainly invited to fail."

She rolled her eyes, "The others told me all about this great plan of yours. If it works and we can apologize to Princess Twilight and Sunset, then Ah'm game."

It was time to leave.

On the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres opened a giant rift made by Chaos Magic. And every Rainboom was ready to go, Fluttershy having left the journal in the Apple household for safe-keeping. Bright Mac and Pear Butter were informed in private about the teenagers' plans and they made it very clear to Discord that he would be held accountable for any dangers their daughter suffered.

Not that he cared about it, but he could admire their bravery.

When asked why they were so accepting of magic both parents confessed that they found their neighbour in his own house, frozen to death. A Windigo was flying above him when it fed. They ran home immediately. Applejack was much more disturbed to hear about it than the rest of the girls, now knowing how near the Spirits of Hatred were.

Only Rarity was very unhappy after she was not allowed to pack more things for their journey. How rude, she only wanted to pack light luggage of perhaps five suitcases!

The part-time diva was not satisfied at all, "But what about all the perils our coiffures will have to face in this unknown world? What when the inhabitants' body products are unhealthy for our tan?! Imagine the consequences!"

Applejack gave the fashionista a deadpan look, "Rares, yer skin's literally white as snow, Ah don't think ya have to worry about yer tan."

Rarity nearly swooned, "Exactly! Imagine what impurities could do to my fabulous appearance! I would be ruined! One of the first humans who ever came to a new world, looking like she never heard the word 'soap' before in her life!"

Eyes were rolled.

Rainbow Dash voiced her own misgivings about the God of Chaos, "Does nobody else think that we shouldn't trust this guy so blindly? Is that portal thingie even safe?"

Pinkie Pie laughed at her chromatic friend, "Oh silly Dashie! We are five young and desperate teenager girls who follow a creepy and loco old man to another world where nobody could hear or help us if he really planned something evil. There is nothing wrong with that!" Her sincerely joyful smile didn't leave her face for a second.

Discord should be insulted by such innuendos, but what was he if not flexible? "She is right, you can trust me. I will take good care of you when we reach my van with tons of sweets and cute little bunnies. And it’s completely harmless, you just won’t end up as ponies like it would happen with Star Swirl’s little creation."

The athlete took two steps from the duo for good measure.

Applejack shook her head, "Who wants to go first?"

To the girls' surprise the volunteer was Fluttershy of all people, "I want to do it, if you don't mind."

Discord clapped his hands enthusiastically, "That's the spirit! Go on my dear, I'm sure you will like your destination."

The animal lover took a deep breath, thinking about their common goal and vanished in a miasma of swirling dark colors.

After a few moments Pinkie Pie wanted to take her turn, "Now me! Now me!"

Then the God of Chaos felt it and teleported the group to the side, barely in time. A lot of ice lances hit their last position.

A Windigo made its appearance, tall, but clothed in ethereal robes, instead of armor like most of his fellow spirits, with glowing magic runes upon them in the old language of Unicordian. The undead sounded male, glaring intensely at Discord, "For Captain Icewhisper!"

The mad spirit didn't make it far before burning chains surrounded him and ended his existence.

Discord snorted a little surprised, "What do we have here? A conjurer! So that was the strangeness I felt in this alley. I didn't think one of them survived the banishment, their kind is even more dependant on magic then the rest of those freezer burns." He laughed smugly, "Problem sol-"

His portal began to create cracks in reality, one of the lances must have hit it. Or so he believed. Chaos Magic is naturally unpredictable and even the smallest of changes, like a Dark Magic filled spell, could do the job. Worse, it suddenly started to suck in its environment.

So chaos plus darkness equaled something like a black hole? Go figure.

"Woah!"

"Tarnation!"

"Wahh!"

"Hurray!"

The four girls disappeared into the destabilized portal, but he had something more important to do in the moment. Like stopping the entire world from being destroyed.

With all his might Discord forced the Dark Magic out of the portal and stabilized its magical matrices, healing the cracks in progress. It was tiring.

He gulped heavily out of tension. The destination of the portal was set and Humanshy reached it safely, so that was good. And regarding the rest of the humans... where did they end up? They could have landed anywhere now thanks to the alteration of course, from 100 yards south to the Dragonlands.

Much worse, he was using his abilities to prevent reality from breaking apart!

But he was never one to curse personally, no matter how bad his situation was. Dignity and all that. So Discord gave the whistle that had appeared in his left hand, Lieutenant Grumpy, the honor, "SIR! NOW YOU FUCKED UP!"

Chapter 13 - Unexpected Temptation

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A rip in reality came to be in the magical land of Equestria. The animal lover stumbled out of it just before it flickered a few times and fell apart, no longer able to hold its stability.

It was horrible for the young human. It just felt so strange, like time had lost all meaning in there. When she looked around a tranquil winter scene presented itself in all its snowy glory.

Fluttershy gasped in wonder. "It's beautiful!" she thought joyfully.

The cosiest and prettiest cottage the teenager ever saw stood in front of her. It was like something out of a fairy tale. In the end she didn't know how long she truly stood and admired the scenery, but it had a charm you couldn't find at home.

She blinked in surprise. Was that a bunny with a scarf around its neck? She never saw something like that before, but it looked incredibly cute.

Those and more thoughts raced through Fluttershy's mind until the curious white rabbit stepped up to her, as if judging her very presence. It sat upright, crossed its paws in front of its chest and repeatedly hit the ground with its back leg, as if waiting for a reaction of the human. Was it glaring at her? Despite the awkwardness in the air the little cutie reminded her of her own pet bunny at home, Angel.

She went down on her haunches to look less threatening, "Hey little guy," the girl started with her soothing voice, "what are y-"

The door of the cottage opened and the teenager had to contain herself not to squee to the heavens.

It was a cloudy day in Ponyville, though that was to be expected with the weather schedule for this week. An order for a light snow flurry had been placed with the local weather team to create a fitting atmosphere for the upcoming Hearth's Warming Eve.

Fluttershy sat in her cottage, enjoying a nice cup of lavender tea. She glanced around and sighed internally, winter always made her home lonelier. Such was nature, most of her animal friends had to hibernate during this time. But at least she wasn't completely alone, her pony friends excluded of course. The pegasus was happy that Angel never wanted to hibernate, keeping her company instead. He was a special little bunny indeed.

Speaking of, he seemed to be spooked. "Angel Bunny, is something wrong? Was the salad not to your liking? I was sure that I got it right this time."

Her pet rolled his eyes at his owner's cluelessness, hopped to his basket, put the red scarf Rarity made around his neck and paused in front of the entrance. He was staring at her expectantly.

She bent her head to the side in confusion and came up with an idea why he behaved like that, "Oh my. Do you need to pee?"

Angel facepalmed, sometimes it was hard to be the only intelligent one in this household. He pointed at the door, then at the pegasus and back at the door, gesturing wildly with his arms afterwards.

Fluttershy let him out with an unsure expression on her face. Just what made Angel suddenly so skittish? Did he drink too much? "Remember to clean your paws when you are finished."

There were way too many days in his life when Angel Bunny seriously questioned his owner's sanity and gave her a last mock salute before he vanished into the cold.

The animal caretaker put another piece of wood into her little fireplace. Flickering flames, crackling sounds of burning wood, tea, life could be wonderful. If not, much to Fluttershy's chagrin, for a certain draconequus who occupied her mind since his disappearance this morning.

Deep inside, so she tried to convince herself, was Discord a friendly individual, just very misunderstood. He simply needed a chance or two to prove himself... OK, perhaps even more. But that was what friendship was all about, right? Giving somepony… someone, another chance in life to learn from his past mistakes to become nicer and more approachable.

It didn't sit well with her how excited he became about the misfortune of Twilight and this other mare, Sunset Shimmer, when he got an idea to help. Her tummy was telling her that something bad would happen. But what was he planning? Hopefully nothing mean.

She needed to talk with Applejack for a long time to convince her friend that Discord didn't intentionally try to ruin her crops when he switched the Apples' water supply for their trees with liquified chocolate last summer. It was supposed to be a little prank, so he claimed. Pinkie Pie loved it if his antics ended with cotton candy clouds though.

After relaxing a little in her chair she glanced at the cuckoo clock hanging on the wall. Where was Angel Bunny?

"I should look for him before it gets dark," Fluttershy thought worriedly.

She flew up to the clothes hooks and took a pair of fluffy pink ear muffs and a light green scarf with her. The Bearer of Kindness was always a little stricken when it came to summer and winter. Normally a pegasus was much more resistant to the weather in order to fly at high altitudes, no matter the temperature. It was necessary to manipulate the sky without much problems.

That didn't mean nothing could harm them, but a lightning bolt for example was much less lethal for her tribe. It reminded her of Ditzy Doo, who was lucky that she was a pegasus with her tendency for clumsiness, otherwise the cross-eyed mare's cloud related accidents may have ended badly for her by now.

Alone the thought made Fluttershy sad.

The mana pathways of her pegasus magic, more specifically in her wings, were hypercharged. Her problem made itself known with the denser development of receptors for processing stimuli in her skin and feathers. Cold and hot wind currents let her body react much more violent. A condition known as pegathermia. She only went outside during the summer when it was absolutely necessary.

Fluttershy screamed his name into the cold, meaning her volume was perhaps slightly above household noise level. Finally she spotted him, "Angel, there you are! Come inside, the Everfree Forest is dangerous at ni-" Fluttershy couldn't say more before she was hit by a crushing hug.

Even much stranger, whatever it was, sounded and looked exactly like her, if not for not being a pony. And the cooing voice was a tad younger, "Aren't you just adorable? I've never actually seen one of you ponies before. I can't believe that you are so cute!"

The hug loosened only because the creature had chosen to pet her now. Whatever it was, it stood much like a minotaur while it petted the madly blushing pegasus. It felt unbelievable and much nicer than it had any right to be. Fluttershy groaned in the back of her mind. Of course! This had to be her human counterpart from the mirror world.

Twilight gave them all an accurate description of how they looked like, but something was off about the human's outer appearance, "Uhm, c-could you-eep!"

Her other self was in animal heaven and hugged the equine even tighter, "Oh my, you can really talk! That's just so incredibly wonderful. I-I just don't even know what to say!"

So this must have been how Spike felt when she met him and Twilight for the first time in Ponyville. How the tables had turned.

"D-do you mind letting me go?" the pony requested timidly.

Humanshy gasped and pulled back in shame, fighting the desire to cuddle more, "I-I'm so sorry. I just didn't know what to expect and you are so fluffy and small and huggable and... uhm, sorry, again."

Now that the girl could get a more level headed look at the to her hip reaching equine she stared in awe at her counterpart, "Are you... me?"

"Y-yes, my name is Fluttershy." The equine sighed and shook her head in frustration, "It's alright, it felt n-nice." She stammered the last word, feeling unsure about the sensation of being petted, "Let me guess. Discord?"

That question awoke the teenager's interest, "You know Mr. Discord? Uhm, I mean yes, he brought me here to help with an... issue."

"Let's go inside so we can warm up and talk," pony Shy suggested with a gentle smile.

The human nodded, wringing her hands as she followed the cottage's owner with quick steps, "I hope you don't mind me being here at such a late hour. I really don't want to intrude."

Meanwhile Angel put a paw on his forehead in a dramatic way and mock-fainted. Now there were two of them. What did he do in his life to deserve this?

"It looks even better on the inside," the student of CHS complimented in admiration, "I always dreamed about living like this." She felt a little uncomfortable about receiving such hospitality as a complete stranger and took a sip of the hot cocoa. Her eyes widened in delight, "It tastes amazing."

Equestrian Fluttershy took the words in stride, "Thanks. And yes, I know him. Discord is my friend, but he can be a little difficult to be around. I apologize if he did something inappropriate."

A closer examination gave the Bearer of Kindness interesting insight related to human fashion. She was no Rarity, rather just a model for a very short time, but she was certain that the fashionista would want to know every detail about their clothes.

And her counterpart's body was literally covered by it. Forest green horseshoes were on her hooves... On second thought, surely they were called something else. Her… not forelegs, arms were what minotaurs called them she believed, with hands at the ends rather than hooves. While they’d been outside, her hands were covered by some yellow fabric, with separate covers for each... finger when they were outside. Then there were her legs, which were engulfed by tight looking forest green fabric. The pegasus didn't know what to make out of it. Or the girl's upper body, having two mounds of flesh on her chest, similar to a female minotaur, just much smaller. She wore over her upper half a white gown, more or less. It seemed to be less formal, with... her Cutie Mark on it? Indeed, the small image was stitched upon the fabric on the right side. Strange. She even had a cyan green... something she wore outside over the gown-like piece of clothing and a dark pink scarf.

Human Fluttershy shook her head dismissively, "No, not at all. He was very nice, if kind of strange. He reminds me a lot of Pinkie Pie. Mr. Discord even saved me and my friends from-" Her eyes turned to pinpricks, realization and panic hit their mark. "MY FRIENDS! Oh no, where are they?! T-they should have been directly behind me!"

The mare was caught off-guard by the shouting and retreated behind her mane, "Y-your friends?"

Her human counterpart left the comfortable couch and ran up and down in full blown fear, "Did Mr. Discord's portal fail? Did I do something wrong? Ohhh, I knew this chance was too good to be true."

A noise of flapping wings brought her to a halt. The next thing she saw and felt was fur and hair. Normally her situation was reversed, but this time an animal, her own counterpart no less, was hugging the teenager to calm her down.

After at least five minutes the embrace ended and Human Fluttershy giggled when the soft mane tickled her nose. She scratched her equine version behind the ears to show her gratitude and earned herself quite an unexpected reaction, but she didn't mind. It was commonly shown by Applejack's horses.

Equestrian Fluttershy hummed blissfully and leaned her head further into the girl's hand. "A little bit to the right please... lower, if you don't mind. Hmm~"

Her tail started to swing a little.

Fluttershy didn't know that ponies could be this adorable, her heart nearly couldn’t take it. The other her was a such beautiful pegasus.

"I didn't know you had a thing for being touched by yourself. Fluttershy, you never cease to surprise me, you naughty little pony," a new but familiar voice echoed through the cottage, laughing at what he saw.

Both Fluttershys squeaked and jumped from each other with red faces.

Discord appeared above them in a recumbent position, supporting his head with a claw and a highly amused smile on his face. For the first time the human saw his true form.

"Mr. Discord?! W-what are you?!" the student of Canterlot High inquired in excitement. She was always fascinated by all kinds of animals, fictional or not. But the teenager never heard before from an animal made of so many different parts.

The God of Chaos took a proud pose, "It seems I have an admirer! I am a draconequus of course! But what should I expect? I'm one of a kind. Oh, and I like the new half human half pony look, very convincing and fashionable. Take a look!"

Now the mare knew what was bugging her about her counterpart, humans didn't normally look like this.

Confused by the mad spirit's statement Humanshy looked in the wood framed mirror that suddenly emerged from the ground to see that he was right. Fluffy equine ears sat upon her head, butter yellow wings passed through her upper clothes just enough to move freely without destroying them, her hair had even its ponytail-like extension.

"B-but how?" she asked unsurely. That explained the tingling on her back, but she just thought it were goosebumps! Instead, she saw her wings.

Discord floated to the ground, "Isn't it obvious my dear? Your Elements granted magic can now finally flow freely through your body in a dimension full of potent energy. It is no longer restricted by the poor atmosphere of your own world."

A bonus to him was that the humans were traceable at last.

The teenager hadn’t been able to pony-up since the whole Anon-a-Miss business started. She thought they had lost their magic for good after they abandoned Sunset and Twilight, as well-deserved punishment.

"Discord!" Pony Fluttershy screamed scoldingly like a disappointed mother.

Mentioned mad spirit's cheeky attitude vanished and was replaced by a tense expression. He put his focus on the small pegasus, who flew up to his face, her front hooves at her sides, eyes dangerously narrowed.

The equine pointed with a hoof at the former villain, "What do you have to say for yourself, mister?!"

Discord chuckled awkwardly, pulling nervously at his neck with a claw like it was a collar. The scaled patch of skin stretched like one, "Would it make it better if I said that I had nothing else than the utmost best intentions? I even brought you milk!" A bottle of milk appeared in his paw, the label was decorated with a sad smiley face of the draconequus.

The mare was not amused

Human Fluttershy shook her head lightly, while getting her priorities straight. She closed the distance between her and the God of Chaos in an instant as well, "Mr. Discord, where are my friends? Why aren't they here?!"

He glanced between the two emotional females and couldn't come up with a punchline that would diffuse the situation for him. One was clearly angry with him, but why? He simply tried to help after all. The other looked near tears, if her glistened eyes were anything to go by. Worried sick for her friends' well-being.

A distraction of greater proportions was needed, something bold, something cocky, something unexpected. Discord snapped his claw behind his back... and a squeaking Rainbow Dash made her entrance.

She fell flatly on her muzzle, "OW!" The last thing the Wonderbolt aspirant knew was that she was napping on a cloud before being ponynapped. Rainbow looked up and saw the trio, "What the hay is going on here?!" The ever so loyal pegasus flew between her childhood friend and the freaky, kind of like her friend, looking creature that was something between a minotaur and a pony, "I don't know what you are, buster, but nothing hurts my fr-GAH!"

Human Fluttershy was squealing this time for real and cuddled the stuff out of the chromatic mare, rubbing her cheek against the athlete's fur, "Dashie, you are so cute as a pony!"

Rainbow Dash grumbled about being treated like a pet for nearly three minutes, bringing about quite a bit of laughter from Discord. Fluttershy meanwhile explained who and what the creature was while stealing envious glances at the two of them.

Finally the teenager released her hold on the cerulean pegasus. Her rosy face and pained smile told stories about her embarrassment, "I-I really need to learn to control myself, don't I?" This world would soon be the death of her. There was only so much adorableness she could take.

Discord grinned slyly, "Come on my dear, you haven’t even seen the foals yet."

Alone the thought made her squirm on the inside. Fluttershy was torn between disciplining herself, because it was ethically and morally wrong to go after sentient children despite the strong wish to cuddle with a baby pony.

Rainbow inspected her wings for damaged feathers, the next preening session would take forever. She stared dryly at the human, "You think?" Then she glared at the God of Chaos, "You DO know that our local egghead doesn't want to see them for now, right? And I'm sure the same can be said about the other princesses."

Before her counterpart could sulk Pony Fluttershy admonished gently the other mare, "Rainbow Dash, I know you don't like what they did, but they deserve a second chance and it speaks a lot for them that they left their own world behind just to show how sorry they are. I don't want to excuse their behaviour, but it is a start in the right direction." Her eyes were pleading, "Somepony has to take the first step."

The weather manager of Ponyville was dumbfounded for a few seconds, sometimes it was simply astonishing how much her shy friend had changed over the years. Then she surrendered with a shrug, a smile and a sigh, "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right."

The draconequus cleared his throat, taking the opportunity of the much calmer Fluttershy duo, "I admit that I may owe you a few explanations."

A snap of his claws later he wore a white lab coat, a piece of chalk flew at his side and a big blackboard filled the room.

The Lord of Disharmony tried to sound like a storyteller, "Imagine a portal made by my humble self," the chalk drew sphere and a smiling human Discord figure with a crown on his head besides it.

"Now imagine how said portal, only theoretical of course, lost its stability after a stray lance of Dark Magic hit it. I, of course, did my best to protect the other girls in the meantime."

A sketch of the other four Rainbooms as a group was made. They were smaller, hugging each other and huddling together in fear behind a determined, big and muscled Discord, who wore a long cape with a giant 'D' on it. A bubble was protecting the group, while lots of deadly looking lances tried to penetrate the shield around them. Windigos circled their future prey.

The third picture showed the rip he made in reality with a lance in it, its formerly smooth outline now drawn in waves.

His voice took a dramatic touch, "I tried everything I could, but alas the portal created something never seen before by mortal eyes. Your friends were sucked in before I could react and I had to save the world like the always helpful entity I am."

Rainbow Dash snorted.

A fourth sketch visualized a helplessly flying Rarity whose speech bubble was filled with a 'My hair!’, Applejack's screaming head was looking out of the portal, recognizable because of her headgear. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were gone. Discord held his hands high in the sky and they were drawn as if they were surrounded by a blinding light. The Windigos lay defeated around him, with crosses as eyes.

Everything returned to normal with a snap of his fingers, and he exclaimed joyfully, "The end!" before bowing in front of his small audience, "Thank you all for believing in me, without your support and my know how it wouldn't have been possible! It was a pleasure. Autograph sessions until the end of time, between now and yesterday."

They could have sworn they heard clapping sounds in the background.

"W-where are they?! Take me to them, please!" Humanshy shouted panicky

“Not the worst idea. Twilight will throw a fit if she sees you here in Ponyville,” Rainbow Dash commented from the couch, completely ignoring Angel’s death glare.

"Discord..." the Equestrian version said in mild annoyance.

The draconequus interrupted her incoming lecture, "No time my dear." He tossed dramatically the protesting teenager over his shoulder and announced in full hero mode, "Discoooord to the rescuuuue!"

Both vanished, their bodies popping like soap bubbles.

The cyan pony rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I have much more important things to do anyway." Rainbow Dash yawned, she needed to catch up with her interrupted nap time. She brought a cloud from the outside into the animal lover's living-room, "Wake me up if my awesomeness is needed."

Fluttershy could only shake her head at her childhood friend in good humor. But she wouldn't want the chromatic pegasus in any other way.

Her door was suddenly slammed open. A wild Pinkie Pie had appeared.

The creator of the legendary Sonic Rainboom grumbled tiredly and glanced briefly at the intruder before she went back to sleep. Seriously, what did a righteous mare have to do here before she could take a well-deserved nap?

Pinkie was searching in every corner and ran madly through the entire cottage before she came to a stop in front of her two friends, although only one of them was still awake, “Girls! My Pinkie Sense was telling me that somepony new arrived in Ponyville! I looked aaaall over the town and found nothing! I’m so confused, that never happened before!”

Fluttershy examined what was left of her door and could only sigh softly. She wondered if Applejack was still free this evening.

"And Ah tell y'all, Ah know where we're goin'! Ah'm never lost!" human Applejack screamed over the snow storm.

Nothing could fool an Apple's sense of direction.

"Darling, you are insane! We need to find shelter from the storm before we freeze to death!" Rarity retorted immediately and glanced at the unfazed girl besides her, "And why do you look absolutely unfazed by the weather!?"

"T-tell me your s-secret!" Pinkie Pie pleaded with a trembling voice.

Wind and snow were unforgiving, they could feel the cold despite their thick clothes.

The fashionista wore now an elegant black coat with a big stuffed hood to protect her face as best as possible, royal purple fringed knee high winter boots, black thermal leggings with three blue diamonds sewn onto the right thigh, fine black gloves and an indigo colored belt. Beneath her jacket a fashionable long-sleeved midnight blue shirt.

Pinkie’s outfit consisted among other things of pink boots with blue edges around the top, a yellow jacket and an amber colored beanie that was somehow able to contain her ears and a big portion of her hair in a logic defying way. Three balloon shaped bobbles, one yellow, two blue, were dangling from the left side. Red and white striped leggings, a violet skirt and a white shirt with the same symbol of the three balloons upon it completed everything.

Applejack had a red and dark green checked jacket over a forest green shirt, normal blue jeans with a black belt and a red apple-shaped buckle. For the winter, she wore stuffed dark brown cowboy boots and red gloves. Her favourite hat was a given.

Only Rainbow Dash wore something related to winter sport. She wore a ski worthy outfit to be precise, meaning a white and dark green striped winter beanie, red snow goggles, a black winter jacket with stripes in the colors of the rainbow on the sides and the end of her sleeves over a steel blue shirt, padded black trousers with the same rainbow stripes and to a little over her ankles reaching blue half-boots.

But what surprised them the most, besides their freezing location, was the fact that they were all ponied up. Magical hair extensions, ears, even the athlete's wings, it was all there.

Rainbow simply shrugged cluelessly with her shoulders, “Chillax Rarity, I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I guess it’s a little cold, but it could be worse.”

“Are ya serious? It’s like we stepped into a freezer, Dash,” Applejack commented in disbelief.

Another mystery they had no answer to, but two much more important things were on their agenda. Finding shelter and their missing friend Fluttershy.

“G-girls! I-I think I see a l-light over there! And it’s c-close!” Pinkie Pie informed hopefully and ran ahead.

“Darn it Pinkie! Ya don’t know what it might be! Wait up!” the cowgirl admonished harshly as the rest gave chase.

They didn’t expect to find an entire city under a pink bubble. Not having much of a choice, except freezing to death, they looked carefully for some sort of entrance. Strangely there was none, did they need a special invitation? Or a password?

“Wahh!” Rainbow exclaimed in surprise when she fell.

“Oh dear. Are you alright?” Rarity inquired in concern.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I just tripped over something big. Help me out here, it looked strange,” came the immediate reply.

The quartet dug a little and stared in a mix of wonder and uncertainty at the culprit. It seemed to be a long sharp tipped curved crystal. It looked like a disfigured horn. But it was the color that unnerved them most, a rich blood red.

“Well, paint me brown and call me a pony. That thing looks like the real deal. Maybe some kind of ruby?” Applejack guessed thoughtfully.

Rarity looked enviously at their chromatic friend, “You don’t think we could share?” She held her hands up in a surrendering motion when Pinkie and Applejack glared at her, “I didn’t mean to sound greedy about it.” Rarity looked apologetically at Dash, “Sorry Darling, I just never saw a jewel of such a size or exotic beauty. I fear I lost myself there for a moment, please excuse my forwardness.” The fashionista lowered her head in honest shame.

Rainbow Dash grinned, “There is nothing to forgive.” Now she smiled from ear to ear, and her voice took a higher pitch, “Can you believe my luck!? Soooo awesome! Imagine how much money I could get for this baby when we are back home!”

Pinkie adapted more to the cold, but she could have sworn it was a little warmer, now that they were directly in front of this, whatever it was, “What is if someone reaaaally misses that thing and just lost it?”

The athlete snorted, “Really Pinkie? It was buried under like a ton of snow! I’m sure we were just very lucky to find it first. Finders keepers, losers weepers and all that.”

Rainbow took the crystal, careful not to cut herself and put it into one of the bigger pockets of her jacket.

“Stop! Who are you strangers? And more importantly, what are you?” a casual, timber male voice demanded to know.

They slowly turned their heads and couldn’t believe their eyes, two small honest to good horses, or ponies from what the Rainbooms remembered, looked up at them.

Both wore shiny platinum colored metal armor around their bodies from neck to tail, well, the tails poked out of a hole. And then there were their helmets, like right out of a history museum, the hooves enjoyed protection by specially crafted horseshoes. It gave them an appearance similar to the soldiers of ancient Greece or the Roman Empire.

One was the male pony who spoke with them, surely the bigger, more… angular one. He had a cyanish gray coat, brown eyes and a short mint colored tail.

The female pony was easy to identify because of her long eyelashes and her more feminine frame, perhaps the longer dark gray tail was a sign, too. She had a dark sea green coat and purple eyes.

But the coat of both equines didn’t look like made of normal fur, but smooth crystal, or at least it had a very crystalline shine. And it was fairly easy to take them seriously thanks to the long spears they pointed at the girls.

Pinkie Pie voiced her opinion nonetheless, ignoring the sharp objects, “Uhhhh, shiny! And cute, too! Just look at you!”

The mare blushed, but her male colleague remained unfazed. “Madam, don’t think you can sweet talk your way out of this situation. I never saw anything like you before and we observed your suspicious behaviour for quite some time now. In the name of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza, I must ask you to come with us for further questioning.”

“Whoa! Hold your horses!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed nervously. The guards weren’t amused. “Sorry. But what are the charges?”

It was now the mare who replied, her voice a mix between scratchy and aristrocratic, “Being a potential threat to the Crystal Empire. A unit of unknown possibly hostile creatures arriving by unknown means, and certainly not the Friendship Express, otherwise you wouldn’t have come from the east.”

“Friendship what now?” Applejack asked, completely dumbfounded.

The crystal pony continued, “And then we have your suspicious activity, you inspected the shield before beginning a survey of its size. If you were visitors, you simply would have entered.”

They didn’t know that was possible. How embarrassing.

But the chromatic teenager wouldn’t let such an insult slide, “Are you kidding us?! We-”

Rarity tried to save the situation and put a hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder to calm her down, “Please officers! I think there is a huge misunderstanding.” She made a little curtsey, “My name is Rarity.” then gestured to her friends, “And these are Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. We are humans and come from a far away land. I don’t think you heard of it before, if you don't recognize what we are in the first place.”

The stallion stepped forward, his eyes narrowed, “That may be the case Ms. Rarity, but do you think we are stupid?”

Her eyes widened in shock and worry, “W-whatever do you mean? I can assure you that these are our names. I didn’t lie about our identities, if that is what you are worried about, good sir.”

His partner rolled her eyes, but gave them a scowl as well, “I am Private Fresh Step, this is Corporal Steel Hoof. We witnessed both how King Sombra was defeated by Spike, the Brave and Glorious and Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza. Everypony was present when Her Highness gave a speech afterwards. She introduced the Element Bearers to us all. And guess what?”

Pinkie jumped into Fresh Step’s face, “You had the bestest, most amazingist of parties?!”

Steel Hoof pointed his weapon at the party planner and entertained the thought if they were mocking their intelligence. It made him angry, “What kind of morons do you think we are? They are ponies from Equestria you imbeciles, not whatever you are.”

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down, “We get to choose? What kind of morons are there?”

The rest of the group groaned, before shouting in unison, “Pinkie Pie!”

Her equine ears folded down for a moment before she suddenly pulled a brown bag out of her hair from beneath her beanie, “Ohhh Officers~!” Reaching in, she took a some of its contents out and held the temptation right before their eyes, sugarcubes.

“Why do Ah have a bad feelin’ about this?” Applejack whispered rhetorically to herself.

The pink girl kneeled down and looked deeply into the crystal ponies' eyes, her voice uncharacteristically slow and understanding, “I’m sure all this guarding around must be tiring for you. I mean, standing at the same place the whole day or walking the same route over and over again without a break sounds extremely boring. In fact, you look like you could need a well-deserved reward from your Auntie Pinkie Pie.”

Fresh Step and Steel Hoof felt a little nervous now, glanced briefly at her friends behind the teenager, who seemed to be quite shocked themselves from what they just witnessed, and back at Pinkie.

She had now half lidded eyes and winked playfully at them, “However, I think we all know that you want to taste my sugar. So, what will it be? Trick or... treat?”

“Ah can’t believe ya just did that! What in tarnation where ya thinkin’?!” Applejack shouted in fury and shame, her cheeks were burning.

Pinkie chuckled awkwardly, “Hehe, well, you see. They were ponies and I had sugarcubes and… well...” She didn’t really know what to say.

“Why?” Rarity grabbed the party lover’s shoulders and fixed her with a twitching glare, “Why?!” The fashionista vigorously shook her friend the entire time when she vented her frustrations. “We came here from our WORLD to look for a way to APOLOGIZE! And where are we? Contained in prison as a potential threat to the Empire! We’ve been charged with trespassing, bribery and attempted SEDUCTION of two Royal Guards! Pinkie! SEDUCTION! Do you have ANY idea how many things are fundamentally WRONG with what I just said?!”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes were still rolling, “Err-”

The fashionista closed the distance between their faces, nose to nose, “TOO MANY!”

Rainbow Dash meanwhile did her own thing. She held onto two bars of their prison cell and pressed her visage against the cold metal, “We have civil rights! I demand to speak with the one in charge here! And a lawyer, too! A good one! We are like the first humans who ever took a step into your kingdom! Did you never hear of diplomatic immunity before?! We are like ambassadors of our race or something!” They were already an hour in this place! An hour!

A door opened in the distance and closing steps echoed through the dungeon. Clopping sounds.

Steel Hoof stopped in front of their cell. “It is your lucky day ladies. The prince wants to see you. Follow me and don’t try anything funny.” He attempted to glare at Pinkie Pie, but failed for the most part. His cheeks glowed red, “T-that goes especially for you, you succubus! For your information in case you forgot, Prince Shining Armor is happily married!”

The brave stallion led them the entire way to the throne room. And kept a great distance to a certain pink teenager.

Rarity couldn’t believe her friend. Whatever gave her the impression it would be a good idea to do what she did would remain a mystery to her forever. At least she could admire the Crystal Palace this time. Under better circumstances.

The designs and the entire interior were marvelous!

“Would ya look at that. The entire palace is really made of fancy crystals. Ah never thought that such a place could exist,” the cowgirl admitted in admiration.

“Here we are,” Steel said stoically. He gave Pinkie Pie a last glare before he left.

They stood in front of a giant double door of hypnotizingly bright amaranth colored crystal. Two armored guards flanked the door, and while the design was the same as the earlier guards, the colours were different.

“You may enter. The prince and his guest are waiting for you,” one of the guards from the right informed in a smoky voice, he looked a little older than the other. When his wrinkles were anything to go by.

Though they wondered who that guest could be. Perhaps Sunset or Twilight?

“Thank you kindly, sir,” Rarity replied politely.

Rainbow Dash was still looking at the door, of course somebody as awesome as her could do exactly the same, “Yeah, what she said.”

Applejack tipped her hat in acknowledgement.

The throne room was a giant impressively built hall with many pillars. A wide royal purple carpet covered the ice blue crystalline floor from the door to the throne. They could see their reflections every step of the way.

But only the fashionista admired this fact.

On the cushioned crystal throne sat who could only be Prince Shining Armor. He wore a military uniform in gold and purple, which gave them the impression that he was maybe at a certain point in his life a leading officer of their army, or still is if the medals were any indication.

He had a white coat, moderate cerulean eyes, moderate sapphire blue hooves and a mane and tail in three shades of blue, Rarity wasn’t sure what colors exactly.

The fashionista kneeled in front of him, “Your Highness. It is a pleasure.”

She felt like in a dream where she always played princess herself. The parties of high society must be simply divine at this place!

Rainbow Dash and Applejack grumbled, but followed her example. Pinkie Pie didn’t want to make her friends any madder at her than they already were, so she decided to play along, for now.

The co-ruler of the Crystal Empire cringed internally at seeing them kneel. Now he knew what Cadence meant when she said that it made her feel uncomfortable when the crystal ponies and others bowed to her, sometimes making it a contest who could do it lower than the rest to show how respectful they were.

“Alright, please rise. I think there are a few things we have to discuss first. For example why I received a report in which is written that two of my guards captured four strangers who tried to… seduce them,” Shining started calmly, but clearly perplexed.

“W-what?!” a new voice squeaked from it seemed behind the throne.

It sounded frighteningly familiar to the present Rainbooms.

The unicorn sighed heavily, “And here I hoped to get that out of the way fast without any unnecessary distractions.” He glanced behind himself, “You can come out now.”

Fluttershy came into view and looked with widely opened eyes at her fellow humans, her head felt hot, “Y-you tried to s-se...eep!”

She couldn’t even blink before her friends glomped the poor girl.

“Fluttershy! You are alright!” Pinkie exclaimed gladly.

“We missed you Darling! We thought you landed somewhere in Equestria! All on your own!” Rarity supported dramatically.

Shining cleared his throat, “Could we come back to the topic at hoof, please? I know who you all are and what my sister and wife think about you. But I listened to what Ms. Fluttershy had to say and while I should leave you in the dungeon for what you did, I guess I could give you rooms in the castle until my wife returns from Canterlot. She’ll want to talk about what you did here and to Sunset Shimmer at home in your world. Hopefully I won’t be banished to the couch for an indefinite amount of time when she finds out that I didn’t consult her first.”

The girls had to giggle at the last part, not knowing that he was deadly serious.

“That’s mighty neighbourly of ya, Yer Highness,” Applejack added thankfully.

“Uhm, Prince Shining Armor is Princess Twilight’s big brother and Princess Cadence was her baby-I mean foalsitter. I think you should know that, because that might explain why Mr. Armor’s wife is angry with us as well,” Fluttershy said quietly.

Rainbow stopped the girly stuff and looked judgingly at the unicorn in front of her, “Soooo, you are the egghead’s brother and hooked up with the one who watched over her when she was young? Respect dude, but do you really think you can help us?”

Rarity wanted to faint, Fluttershy facepalmed and Pinkie Pie and Applejack already feared that they would see the empire’s dungeon a second time.

But Shining Armor gave the chromatic athlete his best deadpan expression, “Yep, you are Rainbow Dash’s counterpart, alright.”

Chapter 14 - Dark History

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When Spike was finally asleep after what was for a baby dragon a very trying morning, it was time for a royal meeting. Now that all four princesses and one daughter were available, at Celestia’s request the topic was of course the human world, what Equestria had done, and what they would do now.

It was time to act.

First the matter concerning the Windigos. Even without their king they remained dangerous and now those cursed spirits haunted the other Canterlot. It became a consensus quickly that the fallout after Anon-a-Miss couldn't be used as an excuse to avoid responsibility. The princesses agreed that Equestria should take care of them before too many innocents came to harm, because the wraiths were their problem to begin with and their continued existence put too much at risk.

For that preparations would have to be made.

Next was the necromancer Sunset had discovered. Cadence and Twilight were greatly horrified to hear that a master of the forbidden arts once roamed Equestrian ground.

Luna’s opinion was more vocal, not caring that the sisters weren’t alone right now, “Tia, hast thou lost thy mind?! Thou should have disposed of this vile creature in the moment thee were aware of thine enemy’s nature!”

It made her sick to think about all the innocents who most likely lost their life because of the necromancer’s thirst for life energy. A wielder of such corrupting darkness could amplify his power by draining a soul of its birth given magic. An addicting obsession nopony could ever escape.

Celestia flinched internally at the harshness of the lunar monarch’s tone, but she would have reacted the same if she had not known the truth. “I know it sounds terrible, but… she never used her abilities to devour a soul, as far as I know. Her intentions were noble and her actions more the results of a hideous crime than a hunger for eternal youth.” To anypony else, her voice was epitome of neutrality, “What do you know about the Noble Revolutions?”

They all wondered about who exactly she was talking about. Meanwhile the Princess of Friendship clopped her hooves together excitedly, "I read about it!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Switching to what Spike referred to as 'Twilight lecture mode', she began, "The Noble Revolutions, also known as the Shadow Wars, because everything happened without the knowledge of the public until much later, started around 613 years ago and continued until about 504 years ago. During it, the most influential noble families and their vassals fought each other for dominance and power. Horrible sins were committed, like poisoning, ponynapping, sometimes even assassinations. The problem was that most crimes were performed by mercenaries, typically expensive non-Equestrian mercenaries worth every bit. Those who were occasionally caught never gave away their clients’ identities. But after over a century the ponies responsible were finally identified and arrested. Laws were changed after this to reduce the nobles' influence, specifically the dissolution of all baronies, duchies and other dominions within Equestria. Also the shadow government known as the Solar Council was dissolved and laws passed to dissuade the formation of such groups in the future. Luckily the nobles never tried to dethrone Princess Celestia, but were still eager to dispose of political enemies with different views on how the country should be led."

Cadence sweat dropped, "Twily, only you could talk about the darker parts of our history with a smile."

The lavender alicorn blushed, slumping a little as she scuffed a hoof on the ground, mumbling sorry.

Sunset hummed to herself. "Hm, if I remember correctly then the unicorn nobility was led by House Blueblood to that time, whereas the pegasi had House Lightning at the top. The heads of the representing houses were Blueblood VI and Lightning Strike when everything started. The Bluebloods were furthermore the descendants of Princess Platinum and the Lightnings came from Commander Hurricane, two of Equestria's founders," she added thoughtfully.

Princess Celestia smiled benevolently, "As expected by two of my most prized pupils, you are both correct. But, there are things you have to know in order to understand what happened… things I didn’t want to become public knowledge. Much like I did to protect Luna, there were things that I’ve kept out of public knowledge, some out of respect for an old friend’s desire to keep his family safe, some to keep Equestria from falling apart. Perhaps the time for such secrets has passed, perhaps not, but there is no reason to keep them from family or fellow royalty.”

Equestria wasn't always the bright and peaceful nation it was today. As my sister knows, there was much strife with our neighbors before her fall. The darkest time though was perhaps after her fall. With a broken heart I ruled, doing the best to maintain the image of a kind and noble ruler. It would be nearly two centuries before I got over it, nearly a quarter of that before I found myself gifted with this castle. A shining tribute to my greatness, one I thanked them for profusely before hiding away. If they could hang such a monument high upon the side of Mount Canterhorn for me, surely they were far more capable of ruling than myself. I believed my little ponies were capable of ruling themselves, but I had failed to recognize the greed festering in the offsprings of those who had done so much for Equestria in its early days. I neglected to recognize how much they needed me.

“Sister, how could you have done this?! We fought so hard to create peace between the three tribes!” Luna shouted. “How could you have neglected it?”

Celestia looked at the floor in shame, “I lashed out in hate at you... in fear, and I abused the Elements. I didn’t want to go on, and I didn’t think I deserved to rule any more.”

Luna hugged her sister, “You were always the better, more approachable one of us, you shouldn’t have forgotten that.”

Nuzzling her sibling the alabaster alicorn said, “I know… now, but at the time... The Royal Guard was shattered, the Night Guard dissolved, and many of the Solar Guard were as disillusioned as myself. So much needed rebuilding that I thought I could trust others to do it.”

During my absence, the nobles used their authority to found the Solar Council, a society of the most powerful unicorns devoted to the betterment of Equestria. Through it they planned how to consolidate their power, how they would divide Equestria for themselves. The laws we passed to encourage ponies to spread far and wide were used to carve Equestria up between the noble houses. As those same nobles controlled the official government, it gained much more influence. It was here that they cleaved our proud nation apart. Through the land claim process we created, they divided much of the land up into duchies, one in which earth ponies toiled the land with no true claim on it.
It was shortly after my return that a new problem manifested itself, fireblight. A disease that withered apples and other fruits on the vine, it had the potential to cause mass starvation. Had I been of a clearer mind, perhaps I would have realized that it was only affecting certain duchies, a pattern I missed at that time, but I was distracted by other matters that the Night Guard was assisting me with.

Luna’s eyes went wide, “Didest thou not say our Night Guard was dissolved for our treachery?”

An enigmatic smile crossed Celestia’s face, “Officially yes, but I turned to your scattered children, asking for their help. Churches and others brought misery to all those they saw as heretics, especially the thestrali. They were quite happy to help me cleanse the land of that blight in return for the reward I offered them.”

Luna sighed in relief and smiled gratefully, “It is good to hear that my children helped, I was worried that they might be punished for my mistakes.”

“I would never punish them for our mistakes. As you saw, they were ready for duty shortly after your return.”

The Princess of the Night chuckled amusedly, “Yes, I understand I have one of your agents to thank for that. You had him visiting Hollow Shades for years before my return, and then he oversaw their re-training here in Canterlot. But why Hollow Shades?”

“Where better than an abandoned city to hide them? Besides, should those things my little ponies fear there prove to be real, who better to fight them? But, as I was saying, the fireblight was endangering Equestria’s food supply, and the best minds of the land… What I thought were the best minds, were powerless to stop it. I foolishly trusted the ‘experts’ that the nobles trotted out, not knowing they were the ones behind it. It was one Wyken Pippin Apple who offered his aid. His family's Earth Magic was strong, and without him the problem might have led to a famine. As thanks for his help in saving Equestria’s food supply, I awarded him land, along with the title of ‘baron’. The Barony of Everfree was from this point on their domain.”

“WHAT?!” Twilight’s mind was blown. “Applejack’s family is of noble blood?! B-but the history books! There was never anything written about them!” Her friend never told anything about it either!

Cadence could only nod in shocked agreement.

“Huh, I didn’t see that one coming,” Sunset commented dryly.

Though Luna didn’t seem to be astonished at all, “Why should this surprise you? Dame Applejack and her family have shown nothing but modesty despite their deeds since my return. This is a quality of many earth ponies, all of whom eschewed titles even before my fall.”

Now it was Sunset's turn to be surprised, "'Dame'? Wasn’t that a ceremonial title to reward great deeds for the realm?” And here she thought that such old titles wouldn’t be bestowed any longer these days."

The lavender alicorn chuckled at that, “Yes, I remember her reluctance at being knighted. In fact I think only Rarity was enthusiastic about her title. I suppose this is how Sweet Apple Acres was truly founded and to think that the Apples owned the land already centuries ago is amazing!”

Though rather surprising for them was Rainbow Dash’s point of view, who had the opinion that their knighthood was nice, but couldn’t compete with being a Wonderbolt, or so she explained. Twilight barely knew the girls at all after defeating Nightmare Moon, but now it was another matter entirely.

She nearly snorted out loud at the memory. Now it made sense why Fluttershy was overly concerned at that time and wanted to know if her foalhood friend was sick or ate something bad.

"You really want to tell me that you and your friends are all official knights of Equestria?" the only unicorn in the room inquired dryly, still baffled by this reveal on the inside. She barely prevented her jaw from hanging.

Twilight nodded bashfully.

“Indeed, it happened after the defeat of Nightmare Moon,” Celestia said with a smile, “but actually the land I gave them was far more than the orchard they have. The received title to the lands surrounding our old castle, the city of Everfree City, and the land around, much of which had come to be known as the Everfree Forest. They shared it with other families over the years, happy to give my gift back, despite my assurances that it was theirs to keep.” Seeing Twilight’s curiosity, she gave her former student a coy look, “I suppose while some might dispute it, it would be fair to consider the Apples the true founders of Ponyville.”

But, the Noble Revolution came when the delicate balance of the three tribes crumbled. My reward for solving the fireblight threat had finally given the earth ponies power to disrupt the plans of the largest noble houses.
When House Lightning and House Blueblood tried to change Equestria by implementing laws that would have benefited them the most, the three most influential earth pony families, the Apples, Oranges and Cherries, blocked every attempt, because their own tribe would have gotten the shortest end of the bargain.

Luna grumbled under her breath, "I still don't understand you sister, but now that this topic is breached once more I want an honest answer this time." She was visibly displeased, "Why didn't you disband the houses as well? Their treacherous behaviour should have been punished accordingly. They clearly had only their own well-being in mind, not that of our subjects, their crimes alone would have justified such a step."

The sun raising princess sighed deeply, "Lulu, you have to understand that I couldn't bring myself to disband the houses, because they served loyally for the greatest part of their history, even if rarely without ulterior motives, something you well know. They were high nobility of the realm and the leaders’ foals, Blueblood VII and Lightning Star, did their utmost best to make amends for the crimes of their parents when everything was over. Blueblood convinced most of the unicorns to surrender their ill gotten land, dispersing it to the ‘peasantry’ who had give it its value. Lighting convinced the pegasi to create the weather system that we use to this day. Of course there were those that resisted, and we had to root them out first. Has somepony else a question?”

Cadence raised her hoof shyly, "Well, I have one. I asked my history teacher, but he couldn't answer me at that time. Why exactly did the war last for over a century? Mercenaries aside, it surprised me that they could do such things for that long even if they were largely ruling the country."

The Alicorn of the Sun frowned at nothing in particular, already having unpleasant events of the past in her mind while looking at the Princess of Love, "Not that the nobles of the present aren't intelligent, but their ancestors were much more cunning, colder in their calculations and more merciless in the execution of their plans. The main problem was that they always seemed to have an alibi, witnesses. Other ponies, nobles or not, would declare themselves as such and swore that the suspects attended some sort of social event, ate at their favorite establishment or were seen on the other side of the country whenever something happened. These are only three of many examples I could name you. What was lacking was undeniable evidence."

Her niece put her wing on the now sitting mare's back, "There is more, isn't it?"

"I guess bribery wasn't the only problem you had to face?" Sunset added emphatically.

Twilight felt very bad for her former mentor, too and would never admit to herself, but a small part of her celebrated on the inside, because she could finally hear the perspective of somepony who witnessed this era. Untold, and even worse, unwritten knowledge!

Celestia shook her head in resignation, "Sadly, no. Sometimes nothing major happened for longer periods of time, only silence as if whoever was responsible simply stopped or disappeared. Two attacks could happen with a buffer of one week or years between each other, it didn't matter. They were... patient, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. And I couldn’t punish the nobility as a whole, not without risking an economical and political uproar..."

But of course the earth ponies weren’t free of the desire to expand their businesses either. Many of the lesser houses made promising deals with the Bluebloods and Lightnings, for a price, typically very favorable land leases.
All this happened subtly under my muzzle, leaving me to find out when it was much too late, until the Noble Revolutions truly started. A blindness I regretted to this very day, for it had cost me a very promising student. Moonlight River.

“Your student? W-what happened to her?” Twilight inquired in bafflement, fearing the answer.

A nostalgic smile crossed Celestia’s lips for a few seconds before a deep sadness dominated her features, “Were there another personal student who had the potential to ascend, aside from Sunset and you, then it was Moonlight. One of the brightest unicorns of her time. I like to tell myself that I couldn’t have known, but in the end it is the responsibility of the mentor to make sure that his apprentice doesn’t go astray on a dangerous path from which there is no coming back.”

Sunset frowned, this mare reminded her a lot of herself. But what did it have to do with their current topic concerning the banished necromancer? Or the events of Noble Revolutions for that matter? Her eyes widened in dark realisation, she had an idea and it didn’t sit well with her at all. Luna had a similar reaction.

The longer the conflicts lasted the more extreme the nobles’ efforts became to achieve victory over their peers.
And the noble houses’ biggest thorn remained, the Apple Family.
In time Blueblood VI and Lightning Strike became older and their dreams never came true, no matter what they tried in the past. Their plans were threatened and they were running out of time, literally. The possibility of dying of old age before they would be able to witness the Equestria they desired was an unavoidable end when nothing changed.
A dangerous combination, for those drunk on power would never be able to admit defeat.
In a last desperate act to end the earth ponies interference, the Solar Council decided that eliminating the head of the Apples, Roxburry Russet, was the best plan.
To put the Apples at ease, an earth pony family, the Pears, new to the barony and unhappy with the small amount of land they were given, was asked to host a dinner. Should negotiations go poorly, they were promised a large piece of land in northwestern Equestria to expand further.
The traitors wanted to let it seem like they were framed in case somepony would connect the dots. To this end they sent a pegasus who was promised a promotion to weather manager for the barony. Roxbury Russet and his son Ribston Pippin were invited. Food and drink were served, with the pegasus bringing a bottle of quince cider he was given for the event. A rare and special drink, that was more special for being laced with concentrated manticore venom.
The meeting went well, but ended early as the two Apples felt a bit ill. Nothing was thought of it by Harrow Crisp Pear, and so he wished them well. Their departure was followed by the pegasus, with plans to continue the meeting soon. It was not until Roxburry was found dead in his bed the next morning, while his son was unresponsive.
The death of a baron required an investigation, one that would be done by the Royal Guard this time. Harrow Crisp was brought back to Canterlot for questioning. Protesting his innocence, he did answer their questions about the meeting and the food served, the bottle of cider of particular interest to the guard. A drink far too rare for a simple weather pony, the guards were quick to collect the empty bottle from the trash.
Nopony had known it, but Ribston had a marefriend, one who would not accept the Apples' decision. I arranged for him to be brought to the best healers in Canterlot, but all the doctors said there was nothing that could be done. While he could be sustained with magic, as he had been for the last month, he would never wake up. It was with a heavy heart that Wyken made the decision to lay his grandson to rest. During that month however, his marefriend toiled in the library feeling that she was quite capable of bringing him back, for she was-

“It was your student, Moonlight River, wasn’t it?” Cadence interrupted seriously.

Celestia gave a firm nod, “Indeed. Racism was, much to my shame, common under most of Equestria’s nobility during this era. Old flames of arrogance and self-aggrandizement kindled anew during the Noble Revolutions, something I hoped was extinguished a long time ago for the most part. Relationships between different tribes were very frowned upon, because it would soil-” She spoke the word in disgust. “-their bloodline.”

Luna snorted in fury. “I can see how much of an headache their behavior must have been for you, dear sister. We would have punished those fools for their insolence most fiercely!” The Princess of the Night switched to her archaic dialect when saying the last sentence.

Twilight wanted to make notes at first, but her former mentor requested of her to simply listen, because the Apples wouldn’t like it when their family secret became public knowledge once more. She respected it.

Her ears folded down in sadness, “I-I couldn’t even imagine how it feels like to stay hidden and to hope that the pony you fell in love with survived the night, never knowing what happens next.”

“Must have been really tough for most ponies. I mean a hidden world full of secrets and where it is important to always be two steps ahead of your opponents sounds like a political nightmare,” Sunset mused, trying to imagine who it must have been to that time.

Her mother nearly groaned very unroyally, but instead went with a light sigh, “You have no idea.”

"How did you find out who was responsible in the end?" Cadence asked with held breath.

When everypony was gone Moonlight River snuck into the Pears' barn, not trusting their sudden hospitality after years of jealousy and distrust on the Apples' legacy. There she heard them talking about the meeting and why it took place, the promised land. She was fearful that something might still happen to Ribston and Roxbury and tried to warn them, but she didn't know about the poison at this time, how it already fulfilled its hideous purpose.
Nevertheless Moonlight informed her mentor about the meeting and what she found out thanks to her wide skill set. She was always a very talented unicorn, but her magic was at its best when it came to healing and analyzing.
And for the first time they had a real hint on the manipulators behind everything.

“Buck yeah!” Sunset celebrated and held her forelegs in a victory position from her bed, but blushed strongly when all eyes landed upon her, was it from shock or amusement at her blunt choice of words. “S-sorry.” The only unicorn cursed the corrupting human street culture in her mind.

“I wouldn’t say it like that, but I share my niece’s sentiment. Your student gave you quite the chance with her actions to finally end this farce,” Luna said to her sibling and grinned slyly at the amber mare.

The grim expression on the ancient ruler’s face ruined the joyful atmosphere.

For years they were cautious, but in the end they failed, because time was against them. After many interrogations and testimonies the Noble Revolutions were finally at their end and Blueblood VI and Lightning Strike landed in prison.
Blueblood died in there on old age, a fitting punishment for somepony as him and Lightning took his own life, his pride wouldn’t allow it to suffer in prison.
But there wasn’t a happy ending for everypony.
Many years went by, and still, Moonlight’s love of her life never woke up from his coma. Medicine, herbs or magic, nothing could bring him out of his state. It broke my student on the inside, because they wanted to create a family at one point.
She tried everything in her power to help Ribston Pippin, taking journeys to beyond Equestria in order to find a cure, but her research and endeavours remained fruitlessly.
Her desperation pushed my student finally over the edge when Wyken decided for a date and that it would be for the best if they put his beloved grandon to rest, stopping the spells that kept him alive.
Nopony would have expected the outcome of their decision, not even myself. A necromancer was born.

“...Moonlight could never accept the Apples’ decision. In her sorrow and determination to save him she turned her focus to books about Dark Magic in the Royal Archives. In hope to find anything that could help her she studied the forbidden arts and I didn’t find out about it until she was already too far gone. I regret to admit that I granted her access with my blessing, because she pleaded for a last chance to rescue Ribston and I couldn’t bring myself to say no.” The alabaster alicorn’s eyes were wet by now.

Cadence looked down in understanding, her tone soft, “Love is a… fickle thing. It can make us overcome the greatest obstacles in life and grant us a strength we never thought was possible. But at the same time it can be responsible for the destruction of entire kingdoms and bring suffering over everypony if we let it guide our every decision without thinking about the consequences.”

Luna’s voice didn’t give any clues on her emotional state, “Necromancy is a curse in disguise. At first it may appear like a blessing, because it grants you power, immortality, immunity against physical harm and no illness nor poison can bring you down. But in the end Dark Magic always demands a great price from its wielder. One's own sanity or soul in most cases, not rarely both.”

Sunset Shimmer didn’t know what else to do and tried to give her mother a hug, if not for being much smaller and still a little unfamiliar to her old body. It was a wobbly attempt. She normally wasn’t a pony for showing emotions all the time and tried to uphold a certain reputation, but a big speech about a better future didn’t come to her mind either.

Celestia smiled and appreciated the kind gesture, putting a wing around her Little Sun.

Twilight tried to look everywhere else except at the two mares in each other’s hooves. She felt slight discomfort. “P-princess? How did you find out about Moonlight River?”

Celestia stood up silently and sat down in front of the room’s window, facing away from the rest, “At the day the life support spells for the poor stallion were to be stopped. The nurse wanted to make a last check in the morning, but his body was gone, bed included. I came immediately after I was informed and felt the unmistakable touch of Dark Magic in the air. I tracked the residual darkness back to its source and found Moonlight at her home, bent over Ribston’s body where she was trying to cleanse the poison with her new magic. But in her eagerness she underestimated what damage necromancy can cause to the psyche of a mortal, or his soul. She was indeed able to cure him, but when he woke up this… thing… wasn’t Ribston Pippin Apple anymore. Of the honest earth pony I came to know was nothing left, only an obedient husk. A mindless thrall.”

Twilight, Sunset and Cadence gasped in shock. The trio looked visibly sick to the stomach.

The Princess of Love had to stop herself from crying at such tragedy, “S-she only wanted to save the stallion she loved and in the end it was her who truly took his life.”

They could literally hear the regret in the solar monarch’s voice, “I should have seen the signs, but I thought that Moonlight knew when to stop on her own. When she saw what she did, my once faithful student was convinced that I sabotaged her somehow. In a blind rage fueled by hatred at the world for the loss of her beloved, she attacked me.”

Luna grimaced, “This naive mare destroyed his soul and what made him what he was. May the stars grant him mercy.”

“And how did you banish her to the human world? Did you know that the mirror was open to that time?” Sunset asked carefully, still feeling ill.

Celestia turned around and took her former position besides her daughter before answering, “I did, so I lulled her into a false sense of security, pushed her through the portal and disrupted the magic linking it to the other world. Despite the sins Moonlight River committed, I couldn’t bring myself to execute her, because she was in the end only one of many victims in a greater scheme of self-centered nobles. No, I saw it as a last act of mercy to give her a chance to live the rest of her life in peace in a world where she was no longer a danger for others and most importantly, herself. To give her closure.”

Sunset wasn’t convinced, “How were you so sure that she wouldn't be dangerous anymore? From what I understood your student was no longer herself.”

“A fair point, but I was blinded by... hope. Star Swirl hypothesized that Dark Magic loses its power over the wielder if it can’t magically interact anymore with the victim’s mind and soul.” Her mother sighed fatefully. “A dimension bare of magic sounded like a good idea to me. But after everything that happened? The sirens survived for all these years, so did the Windigos. Now I fear what I may have unleashed upon the human world all these centuries ago.”

The newest ruler gave her former teacher an encouraging smile, but her voice sounded nervous, “Well, as the Princess of Friendship I have to admit that I have absolutely NO idea what to do if your friend in need becomes a soul destroying necromancer.” She chuckled awkwardly and calmed down after taking a big breath, “But for what it’s worth? I think you made the right decision, Princess Celestia. You wanted to give her a clean slate where nopony would know her, in the belief that she may recover in time.”

Sunset nodded in agreement, “Twilight is right. We don’t know if Moonlight River is still alive or not, but we can keep our eyes and ears open. You know, just in case.”

“Nopony would have accepted her anymore in Equestria or anywhere else for that matter. Especially the Apple Family after what she did. We can only hope that your former student didn’t cause too much damage,” Luna gave to consider thoughtfully.

Cadence simply commented with a well-meant, “We will support you auntie.”

Celestia listened to what the other mares had to say before coming to a final verdict, “I think we can agree that Moonlight’s whereabouts have to be investigated, although the Windigos need to be our top priority.” She looked between the two youngest of the group, “But to switch to a much brighter topic. Sunset, you should take a time out after everything you went through. Many things changed during your long absence and I can’t think of a better pony to show you around than a good friend. After breakfast though.” The eldest alicorn gave the duo a playful smile.

Twilight voiced her opinion about this task before the amber unicorn could say anything, “Of course!” She stared gleefully at Sunset. “I guess we should start here in Canterlot. You missed quite a bit when you were… well, you know. And I know exactly where we need to go first. The most important place of all!”

The fiery mare chuckled in good humor at the excited face of her friend. “Let me guess. The library?”

Her future guide gasped in not even remotely hidden delight at the chance of visiting the Canterlot Library again, “How did you know that? But yes, first we eat something and then I’ll make a checklist to be sure that we don’t miss anything!” Twilight hugged the other mare, smiling kindly. “And this time we are together in this. I shouldn’t have given you the impression that you were put under the girls’ watch to learn about friendship like some royal punishment. That is not how it works, true friendship can’t be forced… and I’m sorry for that.”

Sunset blushed with a vengeance, “I-I shouldn’t have overreacted either. How about this, we agree that we both messed up and have a great day instead?”

Princess Celestia radiated with pride, seeing the two of them like this warmed her heart.

Cadence wanted to say something when suddenly a snowflake magically appeared in front of her, a special form of communication and creation of the crystal ponies. It slowly unfolded itself to make the message visible. “Oh! It’s from Shining Armor!”

“Shining Armor? He is your… husband, right?” Sunset inquired unsurely.

“He is my BBBFF!” Twilight answered instead. “What did he say?”

The Alicorn of Love giggled, “Only that he misses me and when I plan to return to the Crystal Empire. And I think he is right, I stayed to make sure that you wouldn’t do anything crazy as long as Sunset was indisposed.”

A round of amused laughter was the reaction at the lavender mare’s pouting face at being patted on the head from her former foalsitter like a good little filly.

The crystal princess and Sunset Shimmer looked awkwardly at each other, “You are of course welcome to visit us at any time if you want as well. I know our past interactions were less than…nice. But I hope we can get to know each other on better terms now and maybe become friends.” An amused smile adorned Cadance’s lips, “And this time you are formally invited. We don’t need to make the guards nervous again with another wild goose chase in the middle of the night.”

Sunset rolled playfully with her eyes at being reminded of the last time she ‘visited’ and returned the favor. “I make no such promises, it’s good exercise after all.”

Before she left the room the pretty pink pony princess glanced back innocently, “Twily? I think we should introduce Sunset to our holy ritual. It is just fair, after all you were both taught by Celestia when you were young.”

“What are you talk-” the former bully nearly yelped from the sudden invasion of her personal space.

Mentioned alicorn appeared in the confused mare's face, quite literally thanks to a teleportation spell. The glee in Twilight’s voice caught her off-guard, “You will love it! My friends think it’s a little silly, but they don’t understand the importance of our traditional greeting as much as we do. But first things first!” She looked into Sunset’s uncertain orbs like her life depended on it. “Did you ever hear of an old foal’s book with the title ‘The Ladybug and the Breezie?’”

Sunset was completely lost, “Y-yes?”

The interrogation wasn’t over, “Did you read it entirely?”

“Err, yes?” Did she miss something?

Her supposed-to-be family didn’t help at all, they were looking at her in well-played pity. Luna even bowed her head and closed her eyes as if paying one’s last respect to her niece.

“Traitors! All of them!” Sunset exclaimed in her mind.

Twilight meanwhile squeaked in joy, completely obvious to the scene behind her back. Finally somepony with good a taste in literature! “Take that you neighsayers!”

She was always certain, all those self-proclaimed ‘educators’ obviously didn’t have a clue about what they were talking about in the past. Whoever said that a good foal’s book needed colorful pictures, big letters and much less than 752 pages? All these poor fillies and colts didn’t know what they were missing!

Chapter 15 - Royal Privileges & Duties

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A young royal duo, one an officially crowned alicorn princess, the other the unofficially adopted unicorn daughter of Princess Celestia herself, was walking through the busy streets of Canterlot. The capital of Equestria, center of culture and heartland of politics. Truly, its sights and architecture were a testament of ponykind.

Sunset had to admit that she missed her old home more than she thought. Not really the better part of its citizens though. The amber mare lost count how many ponies bowed their heads in what was at best questionable respect for the Princess of Friendship, but the higher nobles clearly had their difficulties and it felt forced for Sunset.

Some didn’t even acknowledge their presence at all, having held their heads high enough that she entertained the thought if they may have problems with their necks by now.

And every single time it was the same with her friend and savior. Either she returned the gesture with a short nod of her head, discomfort visible on her face, or she tried her best to look unfazed. The lavender mare even seemed to be glad when these snobs ignored her entirely.

Despite her royal status her friend wasn’t above showing her flaws and living out her quirks, instead of creating a false mask of perfection, a very admirable trait most could learn from. But Sunset was sure that the librarian of Canterlot Castle nearly suffered a mental breakdown.

Additionally such attitude can very well end in a disaster or with undesired consequences if faced with the unforgiving battlefield known as politics.

“You know, I love a good book like every other mare. I mean I was, or maybe I still am, I’m not entirely sure, one of Princess Celestia’s personal students. Studying magic is one of my greatest passions, but even I have to ask… was it really necessary to analyze and criticize the flaws of Mrs. Scroll’s system and how she should rearrange the books after topic and alphabet instead of topic and author?” the unicorn inquired, trying to sound as nice as possible.

She nearly called the alabaster alicorn her mom in public. It was annoying to her that she had to keep it a secret in the past, but it had to be done. An adopted urchin wouldn’t have been accepted during her youth. And she didn’t feel like pushing for an official adoption now, since many ponies, especially the nobles, would immediately think that Sunset only desired power and hadn’t changed at all from what was known of her past self.

A female Blueblood, alone the possibility made her cringe.

Now that she thought about it. Humans used something called the Dewey decimal classification for the cataloging of their book stocks, always. Ponies and other races however used whatever arrangement system suited them the most at the moment.

Strange.

The lavender mare raised an eyebrow, followed by her right front leg in a lecturing manner, “I mentioned the advantages as well and besides, Dusty Scroll and I know each other since the first day I set hooves into the Royal Archives as a filly. She was always happy when we talked with each other and when I gave her pointers on how to improve her system.” Her eyes widened in panic, “Not that her organizing skills are bad of course! It’s just that books deserve our utmost respect and commitment.” Her tone became more and more passionate. “It is the most important task of every civilization to teach its knowledge to the next generations. And a good organized and well equipped library is the foundation!”

It helped of course that she already gained years of experience as a librarian herself, even after becoming a princess. Spike claimed that she would overdo it, but there was nothing wrong with rearranging the entire library every two weeks.

One couldn’t be prepared enough for a book emergency! What if the old system didn’t meet the necessary standards to solve the problem?!

At one point Twilight stopped moving and gave her little speech in a volume that bystanders could listen in without even trying, in the middle of the Canterlot Boulevard. Most didn’t understand their youngest ruler and continued with their lives.

Sunset blushed strongly from embarrassment and smiled sheepishly at the confused citizens who stared at the odd scene in bewilderment and interest. “W-well, look at the time. Do you have a good tip for a nice place to eat? I have to admit that I feel a little hungry.”

Twilight thought about the request and if their schedule could allow it, then her tummy rumbled. Her own cheeks lightened up, “I-I guess there is more than enough time, we kind of rushed through breakfast.”

Sunset’s response was a well-made ‘are you serious?’ expression, “We could have taken more time, but somepony had the opinion that we should hurry so that she may finish her third checklist.”

Her friend coughed falsely, trying to act as if nothing happened. “There is this newly opened restaurant I heard a lot about, the critics were positive at least for the most part. I have never had the opportunity to visit it myself though. I think it is located somewhere in the Culture District.”

“Then let’s go!” the unicorn exclaimed in a much too chipper manner. Being the target of so many gossip material awaiting eyes and ears got on her nerves.

They were ambling in silence until they arrived in the Canterlot Gardens. When they were out of earshot and had left the most crowded part of the city behind Sunset continued in a more serious tone, “Twilight, I think you severely underestimate the consequences your words and actions can have on the average Equestrian.”

The alicorn didn’t understand the issue, “What do you mean? Do you still think my words hurt Mrs. Scroll’s feelings?” She snorted at such a ridiculous thought, “I can positively assure you-”

Sunset groaned at her friend’s thickness, “Let me rephrase it. When you discussed something with her as filly, it was adorable. When you did it as a grown up unicorn and mom’s student, you left a nerdy impression and your opinion was maybe taken into consideration because of your role as a scholar. But now? As a princess and alicorn? Your word can literally be taken as the law itself by most and has the power to decide fates or if a new trend is fashionable. In the moment you spoke against her system Dusty Scroll most likely expected that she will lose her job and be replaced by somepony you thought of as more capable as herself.”

The bluntness of the amber mare left Twilight speechless for a few seconds. It was never a concern of hers at home. “B-but I can talk freely with everypony in Ponyville and nothing changed!” She added in annoyance for only herself to hear, “If I ignore the fact that except my friends everypony calls me ‘princess’ these day," and continued more vocal, “I know about my role as a ruler, but until now I never did anything big like opening a new museum or judging a contest. Mayor Mare makes all the decisions or public appearances to represent Ponyville and I don’t interfere with her work. She makes a very good job and I wouldn’t dream of undermining her authority.”

Her fellow scholar didn’t let her walk away without further questioning, “Oh? Since your ascension, how many things changed in comparison to your time before princesshood? You know, new shops, restaurants, a growing population, things like that.”

Twilight didn’t respond and looked down with a frown, her eyes slightly widened, “S-she is right. I never thought much about the implications…”

Ponyville grew from a remote, rustic village to nearly the size of a small town since her ascension. A lot of ponies moved there in the last months. And then there was the growing infrastructure. They got new craftspony shops, four new grocery shops, a fabric store which was like a second home for Rarity, a huge Bowling Alley, bars, even a Hay Burger!

She loved eating there, but now that she truly analyzed the implications? Hay Burger was the most famous fast food restaurant chain in all of Equestria. Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Vanhoover, Canterlot, Manehattan, Las Pegasus, it only opened a new branch in the biggest and most important places… like the home of a princess.

There were even rumours about Farmers Savings and Loan reorganizing as ‘Ponyville National Bank’.

Sunset saw the distraught face and panicked on the inside, she was scolding herself, “Great job Sunset! Can’t you be any more insensitive to your friend’s feelings?!”

She looked around, making sure that nopony was watching them, luckily there were only a few ponies in the Park District at this time of day. And not a curious bystander near enough to notice them immediately. Who knew, in the end some overeager citizen might call for the guards, thinking Sunset did something to the Princess of Friendship.

“I don’t need this kind of new start! Thank you very much!” she commented sarcastically in her mind.

The Canterlot Gardens were charming in their own way and a favourite spot for couples in love. With marble made brick paths, a lot of rare and common trees all around them, a perfectly trimmed carpet of grass and exotically cut hedges. Of course you couldn’t forget the many fountains decorating the scenery.

But it was winter, so its beauty lay dormant until the next Winter Wrap Up, covered by snow in the moment. Only the paths were cleared of it.

Sunset used her magic to levitate the catatonic alicorn behind a big winter heath with purple flowers. A fitting camouflage for the Princess of Friendship. “I am sorry Twilight.” She drew a circle on the ground with the tip of her right front hoof like a foal who was caught in the act of doing something bad, “I guess I still don’t know how friendship works. I should have considered your feelings before I opened my big mouth, and for that I want to apologize.”

“I-I can’t…” Twilight mumbled with a high pitch.

The older mare nearly missed it. “What do you mean?” she inquired softly. What got her friend so spooked?

“This!” the newest ruler exclaimed emotionally and pointed frustratedly at the pair of wings on her back. “I was always… content with what I had! Studying magic, being a unicorn, having fun with my friends and family, making Princess Celestia proud, it was all that mattered. Now look at me!”

Sunset didn’t know what to say yet, a little stunned by the rant and simply continued to listen.

“I already had enough difficulties with accepting my new title as a ‘dame’, even if only a formality more than anything else. I wanted to become an archmage, like Star Swirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever. A scholar of magic, nothing more! Or a librarian of the greatest knowledge containing archives. Suddenly I found myself in some kind of weird limbo dimension and the next thing I know is that I have wings on my back.” Her eyes took a shine of desperation.

“From what I understood an ascension can happen if somepony does something worthy of becoming an alicorn. Didn’t mom explain to you why you got your wings?” the amber unicorn asked calmly.

Twilight’s mood sank further, “She did. Well, more that she showed me. How I, in her words, earned my wings through everything I did in my life and the friendship lessons I learned. But that is exactly the point I don’t fully understand. I did everything Princess Celestia asked for, because I wanted to prove myself worthy of my position as her personal student. Even learning about the Magic of Friendship was just a project for me. A huge one, one that changed my life, sure, but in the end nothing Equus shattering, just being a good pony.” A small, but sad smile came to her lips, “I admit that I had a lot of fun learning about friendship and all its nuances, but I never expected that it would ultimately lead to me ascending.”

Sunset gave her friend a sly grin to cheer her up, “Don’t worry about it. I think you did well. I mean you managed to talk sense into me. And that alone is worthy of becoming an alicorn.”

The Princess of Friendship couldn’t help herself but laugh at the dramatic undertone of the unicorn when she put a hoof on her shoulder, saying the last part in all seriousness the amber mare could muster.

She sighed lightly, “I just… I don’t mind being a princess, but I wonder why Princess Celestia never asked me if I even wanted to become a ruler. I, well-”

“Felt cheated out of the destiny you wanted to claim for yourself?” Sunset quickly asked with regret in her voice.

A silent nod, not trusting herself to not say something the bookworm would regret later on.

Eyes were rolled, “Yeah, that’s mom for you. Her divination ability can be a real pain in the flank when it goes off. It shows her when a pony she meets has great potential and it triggers her curiosity. She encourages and supports you to work hard for your dreams, to look where it will lead, more or less subtly. But I’m certain that she didn’t want to force you into your present condition like in some grand scheme. Nor was it her doing. Mom only gave you a push, but you made the decisions which led to the result.”

It was in this case literally impossible to disappoint her mother, because what she saw wasn’t set in stone. Sunset once met a young pegasus stallion from the poorer parts of Cloudsdale who had, according to Celestia’s sixth sense at least, a bright future ahead of himself. This pony could become the next and most skilled Wonderbolt Captain in Equestrian history if promoted in the right way.

Then he lost both of his wings because of an encounter with a manticore, the reports claimed that he saved a lost foal from being eaten. From that day on he became one of the best flight instructors for young pegasi and had a keen eye for future talents himself.

Destiny could be cruel.

“H-how can you be so sure? I want to believe in my mentor’s teachings, I really do. But all the evidence and the special assignments I received point to the conclusion-” Her nose was booped, making her cross eyed for a few moments. She glared mildly at the one responsible.

Sunset gave it her best to keep a serious facade, trying not to giggle. “Look Twilight, I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with all the concepts she tries to teach us when you are forced into such a situation against your will. And I don’t think that whatever higher powers granted you wings would force you either if it didn’t judge you as worthy and ready of its gift. Mom even admitted to me in the past that she has no idea how ascension really works... I was just too stubborn to accept that. Life happens, it only depends on you and your decisions what you make of it.”

Specifically the last sentence was something Sunset read once in a fortune cookie, not that she would ever admit it.

Twilight was still filled with uncertainty and lowered her head, “I guess. I just don’t want to act as if I am better or more important than others.”

This situation reminded her of her first meeting with Trixie when Spike tried to convince her that using your abilities for something good didn’t make you an unlikeable braggart. But wasn’t that different?

She felt her cheeks grabbed by two hooves to face the encouraging expression of Sunset Shimmer, “You said it yourself after the sirens were defeated, we can pull through everything with friends at our side. And I will always see you for who you really are.” Her eyes softened significantly. “The same goes for everypony else close to you.”

Then something happened Sunset didn’t expect, Twilight started to weep and pulled her into a strong hug.

“Err, is everything alright?” the unicorn inquired unsurely. She never had to deal with a situation like this before and didn’t rightly know how to react.

What was wrong this time?

After a minute the alicorn calmed down for the most part. “I-it’s not your fault. You are trying to help me with my insecurities and the only thing I do is to complain like a little filly,” Twilight confessed ashamedly. She gave Sunset a sincere smile of gratitude.

The older mare waved her off, “Don’t sweat it. I did much worse things in my life to be mad about.”

The once power hungry Sunset Shimmer wasted so much time driving people apart, only to satisfy her own ego and to play princess of a high school. She shook her head in self-disgust.

Twilight tried to return the favor with an attempt to cheer her up, “Perhaps, but you are a better pony now. I admit that you were in a... bad place, but it is in the past.”

Sunset answered with a deadpan expression and counted with imaginary fingers on her right hoof, “Let’s see. There is blackmail, terrorization, years of mental abuse to establish myself as the top dog of CHS, attempted regicide during the Fall Formal, enslavement, theft of an important magical artifact which was crucial for the national security of Equestria. Oh, and I tried to overthrow you and the other princesses, so in short treason.” Her eyes glistened with tears. “I really don’t know how you could forgive me this easily. I should rot in the deepest, darkest dungeon for all the crimes I committed. Ponyfeathers, in the human world I wouldn’t see the light of day again for a very long time for all the things I’ve done. I-I was a literal she-demon!”

Occasional nightmares were a constant reminder of the pain she suffered during the transformation process and how Sunset was trapped in her own body, being damned to watch from afar. It felt like she was burning alive in her own form of Tartarus.

She never understood why Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna kept everything a secret. She did enough to earn herself juvenile prison at the very least, if not much more. Even without involving magic.

“I can’t speak for anypony else than myself, but I saw it in your eyes when the Elements purified you. You never wanted things to go that far and seemed lost and terrified after what happened. I knew that you could change your ways for the better,” Twilight replied encouragingly.

It caught Sunset off-guard when her friend started to rub her cheek against hers, followed by body against body. Slowly. She chortled, but returned the gesture nonetheless.

The lavender alicorn didn’t understand the reaction and raised an eyebrow, “Is something the matter?”

“I just thought how touchy and open we ponies are when it comes to body contact or modesty as if it is nothing major. When we do that as humans I can promise you that at least nine of ten will declare us a couple.” Sunset snickered further.

Twilight was surprised by this… and interested, “How come? Don’t they comfort each other as well?”

“Of course they do, but not physically. Anything more than a hug and you can’t blink as fast as rumors about a hidden relationship will spread. I swear, humans are the most prudish and pent up species I ever encountered with all their clothes and rules about ‘being decent’. If you show too much skin it is seen as an unspoken invitation to flirt and oogle. Some people are already in a hormonal overdrive when your midriff is showing.” A small magic joke came to her mind, “And don’t get me started on swimming season, your chest is like a natural mind control spell, depending on the situation,” Sunset informed her while clearly highly amused.

Though she had to admit that her first few beach visits as a more grown teenager during summer went straight over her head. Only later she found out that wearing a bikini was like an unofficial beauty contest where the best looking females showed off what they had. For the whole world to admire, but not to touch.

She wasn’t aware until these days that a well-formed bosom was the master key in human society.

The Princess of Friendship meanwhile proved once more why her love life was duller than the rock farm of Pinkie Pie’s family, “That explains everything! When Flash Sentry once bumped into me in Sugarcube Corner I spilled my drink all over my clothes and he stared at the flesh mounds on my chest like in trance! I didn’t know that they could hypnotize male humans!” She frowned, “But I thought that world didn’t have its own magic?”

Sunset Shimmer heard many things in her young life, but rarely was the phantom pain this strong. The unicorn blinked, and again, “I just… don’t know what to say to your observation.”

Twilight continued her rambling, “I made a lot of notes about humans, but nothing on their sexual behavior or preferred body parts when it comes to intercourse or appeal. In comparison, every tribe has its own erogenous zone. The horn of a unicorn, the wings of a pegasus and the soft underside of an earth pony's hoof. Now only the question remains if human stallions are the only gender with characteristics of a hermaphrodite. However, I’m not certain about the success- and fertility rate when you take the very variable, but not really impressive sizes of their reproductive organs into consideration. I think… Why are you laughing?!” Twilight pouted at the rude behaviour.

Sunset needed time to calm down, her cheeks even hurt a little. How this mare could hold a scientific lecture about such a topic with greatest seriousness would remain a secret. “N-nothing, sorry.” She wiped a last tear from her eye, “But we’ve gotten off topic, the point I wanted to make earlier is that you should consider that your title as royalty has many benefits, but is coupled with at least the equal amount of expectations. Ponies will look up to you and even if you don’t see yourself as important, they do.”

A heavy sigh of mental exhaustion escaped Twilight’s lips, “No pressure, right?”

Her friend gave a playful push, “Nah, it’s much worse.” and smirked at the sheepish expression she received. “There is nothing wrong with acting casual when it’s only your friends and family, but you are a walking beacon of hope for the citizens of Equestria. Just act the part, be convincing. Mom does pretty much the same when the nobles are bugging her during Day Court with new... bills. Smile and be the soothing presence they need. Try to take into consideration what others might assume or expect before you speak.”

The Princess of Friendship rolled with her eyes, “Me? Calming presence? Have you met me? Besides, I feel really uncomfortable about the whole 'special treatment' act as it is. I don't want things for free or much better products than the average citizen just because of my title."

Sunset nodded sympathetically, "I know what you are trying to say, but see it from their perspective. They know that you will protect them in times of great danger, in return they want to thank you in their own way. Take for example the Solar Guard. Mom never leaves the palace without an escort, even though nopony would be mad enough to attack her in the middle of the day. They’re proud of the work they do, they want to protect her, even knowing the danger connected with their job. Or a special spa treatment, great food, your title has its advantages and disadvantages, you just have to deal with both sides."

Twilight had to process what she was told. She wanted nothing else than a change of topic, for now. "You know what? We are alone right now, the perfect chance to practice one more time before we search for the restaurant.”

Sunset didn’t like this smile, this smile was the product of pure evil. “I refuse and you can’t force me.”

Twilight’s lip trembled, “Please~! I showed you how it is done many times into the smallest detail. It needs training to get it right. The timing and our voices have to be in sync for the Ladybug Dance to work!”

“No!”

The youngest princess lowered her ears.

“Don’t think that will sway me!”

Then her features were filled by the puppy dog eyes in perfection.

“I said n-no!”

Twilight whimpered and let her wings droop.

“OK! OK! Fine, I’ll do it. But be aware that I will smother you in your sleep if you ever tell a soul about it,” Sunset threatened, deadly serious.

Not even a second later the lavender alicorn was back to normal and smiled again. “I will take my chances. But I fear that Cadence will find out anyway, she always knows.”

Sunset groaned, she really fell for it, “Let’s get this over with before I change my mind.”

They did the routine, though the amber mare had clearly difficulties with the speed of her dance partner. At least their voices were mixed together well enough.

“Sun-shine! Sun-shine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!~”

The blushing unicorn would surely die of embarrassment if somepony ever witnessed her in such an act. “I’m certain that the last shards of my dignity just left the sinking ship...”

The Friendship Express, bane of everything masculine, an invention made of sugar and cotton candy. Surely the God of Chaos and Disharmony himself must have sent visions of madness to torment its creator to the point that he caved in and finally constructed it.

“Dear passengers! We will arrive at the Crystal Empire in three hours at the latest. Enjoy yourself and sample the empire’s newest product. Crystal Candy, the perfect union of chocolate and ice berries!”

Most ponies listened to the nice female voice and were eager to taste something different, well, the tourists at least.

However, the Princess of Love, Mi Amore de Cadenza, looked out of the window with purpose. Her stare rested on the capital of Equestria, by now only a distant dot.

The undeniable feeling that she just missed something of greatest importance never left until her arrival at home.

“See? That wasn’t so bad for our first time, right? I had a lot of fun,” Twilight complimented slyly.

“I’m glad you liked it, but don’t think I will do that again in a public area. I hope nopony saw us,” Sunset answered with red cheeks.

They left their hideout and did their best not to stumble over any hidden vines.

“You worry too-” a loud coughing sound interrupted the lavender ruler.

They turned their heads and came face to face with an older unicorn couple. Both, the mare and the stallion, looked at them in surprise and disdain. And as if they solely heard the last sentences they spoke.

The mare wore expensive golden earrings, a silver necklace and an old-fashioned dark green dress over her aquamarine colored coat. Her eyes were cerulean and her tail long and well kempt, the mane was reaching to the lower back. Both in a faded yellow. Her posture demanded respect.

Her husband wore a dark brown tuxedo as well as black horse shoes made of cloth, his body as tall as Twilight’s and covered by dark gray fur. The amber eyes were small, but held an intensity nopony could miss. A white side parting mane and a matching tail made the snobbish picture perfect, though the white beard under his chin gave him a more intelligent appearance.

“Why, I never! During my youth we mares could contain ourselves until we were inside our own four walls. It is truly a disaster what has become out of the present generation. Lifting their tails left and right, how shameful!” the older mare complained, her voice clearer and younger than expected.

“My beautiful wife is right. I must say that I’m greatly disappointed by your inexcusable behaviour, Your Highness. I thought that a pony of your status would have more class. Certainly, this mare is an eye catcher, no doubt, and may have desirable traits… for a commoner. But you shouldn’t let such an escort as her near you. Just imagine all the illnesses she must have,” the older stallion added with an unfriendly tone.

“Grayhoof, my dear, let us take our leave. I can’t stand being near this unicorn, I feel like she may open her uncouth mouth at any time and spread her simplicity,” the mare requested arrogantly.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer could only look after the departing couple with jaws hanging open, their heads easily rivalling the color of the amber pony's mane.

But the reasons differed, one blushed out of embarrassment and unparalleled shock, whereas the other pondered if Canterlot Park had enough earth beneath the grass to bury two bodies.

“Sister! Did you know that Mage Meadowbrook wrote a book about the possibilities of how the poison of Flash Bees could be used to treat hornrot or the featherflu? ‘Tis most interesting.” A flash of sadness entered Luna’s eyes, “She disappeared at the same time as the other Pillars, like our beloved mentor. I wonder what happened to them.”

The Royal Sisters waited patiently for Sunset and Twilight to leave the library in order to start their own project. At first they feared that the Princess of Friendship would conduct a sleepover in the library. They entered the hidden, restricted section of the Royal Library behind the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing and began a wild search.

Celestia was lucky that her court was much less crowded during this time of year, Raven would inform her when somepony requested an audience or an emergency occured.

But right now was the Princess of the Sun half buried by multiple books, scrolls and tomes. “Lulu, focus! There must be something we missed!”

The younger sibling stroke her chin with a hoof, “For what do we have to look out exactly? It may narrow down our search. You simply informed me that we have to find something that can function as a conduit to trigger my newest niece’s ascension into the rank of an alicorn. I don’t think it is that easy, or did you find out the secret behind the whole process?”

“I don’t and it is frustrating. I just thought it could work out again in this way, like it happened with Twilight,” Celestia replied dryly.

Luna tilted her head. “Well, where did you find the conduits for their ascensions?”

Celestia hit the table with her head before she looked up again to face her sister, “With Cadence I didn’t, she did it on her own, I seeked her out when I felt her ascension. After that, I made a plan for it if happened again, and took on the most promising students. For Twilight, it was here in this library. In one of Star Swirl’s old diaries there was an unfinished spell to find the most powerful magic in the world. I had hoped that we may find another spell that I could send to Sunset to finish it when the time was right. An assignment for my student to complete.”

The lunar monarch wasn’t convinced, “I don’t think that this would have ended in satisfying results.”

“Why not?” the older sister inquired curiously.

“While Cadence was lucky, ascending because of her unfailing love for her fellow ponies, Twilight completed her spell, because she had no other choice. Your former student switched the destinies of her own friends and she had no idea what might happen afterwards. Sunset has a sharp mind and I’m certain she can add up the clues when she receives a mysterious and to this day unknown book, combined with the background knowledge of how ascension worked for Twilight. Next there is the necessity that we must find a spell requiring enough power to activate the process if finished, then it has to fit your daughter’s character and lastly I question the efficiency if she already knows what this is all about,” Luna explained analytically.

Celestia sighed fatefully, “I thought about the same outcome, but I didn’t want to accept it. It is just… Sunset has earned her wings by now. She learned every lesson I tried to teach her with flying colors and took to the role of leadership like my Little Sun was born for it. But Sunset lacked two of the most important qualities a ruler needed, compassion and a heart for the plight of your subjects and others. She learned these lessons and even played a crucial role in defeating the legendary sirens, blessed by the magic of the Elements of Harmony. A feat worthy of an own glass window in the Memorial Hallway.”

Luna put her left wing around the other mare’s back, “Have faith, dear sister. Sunset will find her destiny, one way or another.”

The ancient ruler giggled. “Since when do you give such good advice? I guess I should listen to my sister’s words in this case.”

Her younger sibling nodded sharply and took a pride pose, “Indeed, I am not Luna the Wise and Glorious for nothing,” then ignored her reaction effortlessly. “Was this the sort of humor ponies of this age find amusing? Sometimes I am still not sure.”

The alabaster alicorn facehooved.

“Sunset, I understand your anger. In fact, I feel very peeved, too. But you can’t plan a cloak-and-dagger operation to dispose of them,” Twilight scolded, but had a playful smirk on her lips.

Obviously the amber unicorn wouldn’t really harm anypony, but it was the principle that mattered. And she had to vent her frustrations somehow after being degraded in such a manner, “You are right. The sewers are not a good place to hide the evidence.” She hummed in thought and grinned at the alicorn, “You said that your Fluttershy had a pet bear as a friend, right?”

Now the lavender mare nearly stumbled from shock, “You are unbelievable!”

Sunset’s smirk only grew, “Unbelievably good looking? Yeah, you are right. Maybe I should’ve given them more of a show.” Suddenly her voice was all innocent. “But I really don’t know what you are talking about, I was just checking the available options. Or we could ask Auntie Luna if she can send them to the moon.”

Twilight pressed her muzzle against the one of her friend, “Are you crazy?! Rainbow Dash once joked about it in front of her during the last Nightmare Night and she wasn’t very pleased, to put it mildly.”

Sunset’s inner tattle filly was triggered, “Oh, that I have to hear.”

Her seriousness melted away and the lavender mare had to giggle at the story, “Princess Luna punished Rainbow to a week of the most horrible nightmares.”

The Unicorn raised an eyebrow, highly, “Really? I can’t imagine her doing such a cruel thing.”

“I think it was just her being dramatic, but from what I heard it was really the most horrible weak for Rainbow Dash, or so she claimed. Apparently the princess asked Pinkie Pie for information what Rainbow hated the most and if she knew somepony who would have a good sense of humor. She was referred to Maud,” Twilight elucidated.

Sunset snorted at the thought of a Luna and Maud Pie tag-team, “And then?”

“Well, Princess Luna visited Rainbow Dash every night and changed the dreams with her magic to the very same scene. She was trapped in a colorful land of an of sweets made landscape and singing flowers which played classic music with instruments, strapped to a bed without being able to escape and Maud sat besides her, telling rock jokes or reciting her own rock poetry until dawn.” Twilight grinned ear to ear shamelessly now.

The duo laughed at the mental image.

“I have to admit, that sounds like the perfect punishment if she’s anything like my Rainbow Dash. Are you sure that Nightmare Moon is gone for good?” the amber mare asked between chuckles.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean she is above a little revenge now and then.” Twilight looked up, “I think we found it.”

The Culture District of Canterlot was a melting pot for ponies and non-ponies alike. And very educational. They saw already a gryphon smithery, a zebra alchemy shop, crystal art made by crystal ponies, a few nightclubs led by thestrali and even a museum about the ancient history of Cathago.

“Ten bits say that this place is owned by a minotaur,” Sunset said jokingly.

Twilight nodded in agreement, “You are right. The obsidian pillars which support the finely polished dark wood roof, the sturdy walls of granite and the with bronze made torches lit archway are a dead giveaway for minotaur architecture.”

Her amber friend simply pointed to the right. A small sign was hanging from two chains, with a picture and a name on it. A face of a minotaur bull with the cockiest of smiles to be precise.

The alicorn’s eye twitched a few times, "Seriously, who would name his restaurant ‘Iron Gut’?!"

Chapter 16 - Acting like a Princess

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“Well, let’s eat,” Sunset commented hungrily before entering. Her friend grumbled, but then followed suit.

When they entered the two mares had to admit that the interior was far friendlier than somepony would expect from a race of warriors and hunters, no trophies or weapons anywhere. The wooden walls were instead decorated with paintings of places only heard of or read about by most ponies. There were for example the famous Chalk Cliffs of Tamon. Or the wide steppes of the Sun Plains.

Though Twilight judged the paintings of the Goldhorn Archipelago south of the mainland as the most breathtaking with its multiple islands of varied sizes, white beaches, the clearest blue water and a mysterious looking jungle. One could only guess what unknown sights and creatures awaited the unprepared.

It awoke her inner explorer.

Ornate vases and urns, small and large palms along with vines running across the ceiling gave the restaurant a foreign vibe. But the tables and chairs were luckily traditional Equestrian style, suitable for its inhabitants, so they didn’t need to sit on oversized or oddly shaped furniture.

“Wow, I feel like we are on holiday,” Sunset whispered quietly.

Twilight acknowledged the statement with a short nod. “And look at all these ponies here, I honestly didn’t expect so many visitors. Canterlot’s citizens normally tend to eat at overly fancy places with exorbitant prices.” She glanced around, “Are those goats in waiter uniforms?”

Indeed, the entire staff seemed to consist out of white and black goats, and while perhaps not very intelligent looking, their uniforms made them look professional. Sunset snorted in mild amusement, but she could have sworn that they looked familiar.

“Welcome, Princess Twilight Sparkle! It’s an honor that you would grace the Iron Gut with your presence! Iron Will sees that the reputation of his restaurant is well known by now if even royalty comes to dine in his house!” a very loud, prideful and powerful voice boomed through the room.

They both found themselves quickly in the center of attention.

A heavily muscled giant of a minotaur came out of the kitchen, wearing a black tie around his neck which lay against the grayish cobalt blue fur of his chest, and a tall white toque sat atop his head marking him as the chef de cuisine. He had black eyes with yellow sclera, a small patch of dark cobalt blue hair peeking from under his hat with two thick silver horns framing them. His tail switch and carefully groomed goatee matched his hair. In a nod to his heritage, a thick silver ring hung from his nose, something that many ponies saw as barbaric and caused Twilight to cringe, though she did her best to keep that from showing.

It was the exact same face that adored the sign outside. The Princess of Friendship gasped, wasn’t this the one responsible for turning Fluttershy into a short-time bully!?

Sunset in the meantime finally realized what she was missing, “You are a bull of the Silver Ring Clan! And these are island goats!” The unicorn cleared her throat, blushing from her outburst of emotions. “Please excuse Sunset Shimmer’s reaction, she is pleased to meet Iron Will. Sunset simply didn’t expect to see a son of Nuron beyond his isle. Sunset must say that she is impressed by the decorations of your restaurant.”

He laughed loudly, “Ha! An Equestrian who knows about Iron Will’s culture! But he guesses that is to be expected by the seneschal of a princess.”

The unicorn chuckled in good humor. “No, Sunset Shimmer is sorry to disappoint. She came as her friend, nothing else. But she knows the customs of the minotaurs well. We heard rumors about this newly opened establishment and decided to dine here in peace and quiet, if you understand what she means.”

He noticed the stares of some of the other customers closest to them and gave a thumbs up, “Iron Will gives a guarantee for all of his clients to be comfortable dining in his home, satisfied after their visit.”

The poor lavender alicorn said nothing, lost in her own world. What was wrong with Sunset? Maybe it was normal for Iron Will to speak of himself in the third person, just like Trixie, but Sunset? It couldn’t be contagious, but maybe there was some kind of artifact here, and this was a trap.

In the outside world, Sunset and Iron Will looked at each other in concern, then back at the youngest monarch, who hadn’t said anything for the last several minutes.

“Is she alright? Iron Will is concerned what a frozen ruler might mean for his business,” the owner of the Iron Gut stated worriedly.

The amber mare shrugged with her shoulders, “Sunset thinks so. That seems to happen sometimes from what she has heard.”

Rather than snapping out of it like a normal pony, Twilight jumped and backed up a little, nodding nervously, “Sure, yep, just fine. Are you feeling alright Sunset?” Even as she said this, her eyes roamed the restaurant, her horn giving off the faintest of glows as she searched for traps.

Sunset tilted her head at the strange behaviour, not seeing the glow but feeling the very small draw of mana. Unable to resist, “Sunset can only guess, but could it be that you never visited the more isolated areas of the minotaur kingdom before?”

The lavender alicorn’s lips formed a silent ‘no’ as her horn fizzled.

Iron Will came to the rescue and cleared his throat, “Iron Will thinks that further discussions should wait until you are seated. Please, follow him to the VIP lounge.”

Twilight wanted to outright refuse out of reflex, as she always did when somepony offered her a special treatment because of her title as a princess. No matter what. But Sunset’s words came to her mind.

Smile and be the soothing presence they need. Try to take into consideration what others might assume or expect before you speak.

She didn’t need to look around to know that everypony was waiting for her decision. Iron Will attempted to look as friendly and welcoming as possible, but the tension was plainly written over his face.

Twilight sighed internally, “My life was so much easier before I got wings. How can my opinion be taken in such high regards? I certainly didn’t feel more intelligent or wiser after my ascension.”

“Twilight would appreciate it. Please, lead the way,” she said with forced politeness.

She noticed that while Iron Will didn’t say anything, he seemed to be ecstatic and led them to a more separated area where clearly the more important customers were gathered. They crossed a miniature river over a stony bridge on their way. The calming sounds of water and cushioned chairs awaited them.

On the way Sunset explained shortly that the minotaur clan of the Silver Rings, recognizable thanks to the carved rings on the base of each of their silver colored horns and the silver nose ring, had the quirk to speak of themselves in the third person. As did 10 clans in total, foremost the relatively unknown island tribes as well as many nomads.

It served as a means to be recognized by the spirits of their ancestors while they lived so that they would earn the privilege to pass the White Gate, what their culture described as the door to the realm of the dead. In other words he would deserve the right to be reunited with his brethren after living an honorable life once more. The second reason was that mentioning your own name in your speech would ensure that all deeds would be connected to the right family and by extension its clan.

And it was considered incredibly rude and disrespectful not to speak in the same way if you were a guest of a clan member and in her or his domain. Of course Iron Will didn’t care how they spoke in his restaurant as he didn’t expect that his traditions were known so far from home.

He tried to speak more or less in the first person when he arrived in Equestria to be more approachable for the locals, it felt just wrong. Nonetheless he was sincerely thankful for their attempt to honor such an ancient custom.

Although most citizens of Tauredonien didn’t practice it anymore, they still worshipped Azan, the Goddess of Hunt and believed in the White Gate. But they distanced themselves from many of the older traditions.

It was fascinating for the lavender scholar, the finer details of minotaur culture and their religion was never a subject of her curriculum during her studies.

Their bulky host poured them cooled water from a pitcher that had already been prepared into small glasses and gave them a menu each, “Iron Will hopes you will enjoy yourself. He will send one of his waiters to take your orders as soon as possible. Is there anything else Iron Will can do for you?”

The Princess of Friendship smiled sheepishly, “Yes, but first Twilight owes Iron Will an apology. She overreacted over something a small talk could have resolved before causing a scene.” She thought that this was a good moment as any to speak her mind, "Then there is indeed something Twilight is curious about. She heard of you thanks to her friends, specially a pegasus with the name Fluttershy, you may remember her.”

Iron Will scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “How could he not? Iron Will has to admit that he came to Equestria to teach you ponies how to be more assertive, because Iron Will heard that you are terrible when it comes to conflicts.” He ignored their blank looks like it was nothing. “But he has to admit that Iron Will might have gotten carried away by the opportunity to start a big business in another kingdom. He didn’t expect that this timid mare would find her solace in Iron Will’s teachings to such an… excessive degree.”

Sunset snorted at his statement. The growing greed of a minotaur, if riches were a possible reward, could only be outmatched by gryphons and dragons. Though plenty of Equestrian nobles and merchants weren’t much better in that regard either.

“Well, Sunset is glad to hear that you found another way to make a living,” the unicorn started. “It’s pretty rare to find a minotaur who doesn’t try to sell something related to military or hunting equipment.”

Their host smirked, “Iron Will doesn’t want to brag, but he was always a good cook.” His smile faded a little. “Just not the greatest warrior or hunter in comparison. So Iron Will decided to make the Iron Gut to his second chance when he ran out of business with his coaching courses.”

Twilight was satisfied and let him go. Then she turned her head and looked at her friend, “How?”

A somber, but nostalgic smile graced Sunset’s lips, “I took to every lesson but the most important ones. I grew self-centered and arrogant, seeing others as objects which only served as a means to an end for me in order to achieve my goals, politics. She brought me with her to various diplomatic business trips beyond Equestria, Tauredonien as one of them. All the things she did for me, and I interpreted them as her plan to groom me for princesshood. I convinced myself that I would one day rule alongside the Princess of the Sun, that I didn’t need anything else to be happy in life.”

The Princess of Friendship pouted, “She never took me somewhere else. I was only taught about everything regarding politics during our lessons or when I read about it.”

Beet red cheeks were the answer. “I guess that is another thing I messed up. She probably took that as a lesson for herself after my self-exile. Maybe she feared that you would develop similar traits like me if you were too involved in these kind of affairs.”

Twilight could guess from where the amber mare was coming from. Blueblood was tossed into the world of the silver word at an early age, same as Sunset. And both became… hard to deal with when they were older.

Cadence wasn’t really involved until much later for other reasons. Her ascension meant she needed a more complete education than a simple farming village had given her. And then there was her new horn and the magic it gave her access to. She had a lot of catching up to do with unicorns of her age, lots and lots of it, starting with magical kindergarten.

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad. I was just surprised to hear that the princess took you with her on her trips,” the alicorn assured calmly. “She let me sit with her during court, but only to observe.”

Whenever a noble would approach her younger self, her foalsitter or her family would intervene quickly. They tried to protect Twilight from ponies that saw the personal student of Princess Celestia as an opportunity to boost their reputation.

The next moment one of the amusingly dressed goats was approaching them to take their orders. Both didn’t know if their waiter understood them correctly, but... he? She? Whatever, the goat wrote something down and left again.

“Did you see the casserole in the menu? It looked to die for,” Sunset said in anticipation.

They enjoyed their meals, the atmosphere was wonderful and they told each other about silly things they did as foals to impress Celestia as her newly announced personal students. The duo laughed wholeheartedly when it came out that both of them built a book fort in front of the princess’ chamber in order to protect her.

Camp Sunshine and Fort Knowledge.

“It was delicious,” Twilight commented, sincerely surprised by the good quality, and very satisfied. The hay fries were excellent.

Before the unicorn could voice her own opinion a familiar snooty voice destroyed the atmosphere completely. “You call this disgusting slop food!? Admit it, you were trying to harm me! I will make sure that this insult of architecture will be shut down for good! This, I can promise you!”

They jumped out of their seats to see what the commotion was all about, then the duo saw its source.

Sunset was angry in a blink of an eye, “Those two again?” she whispered venomously.

The youngest monarch didn’t like where this was going at all. “Stay here, I think it is better when we try to talk this out like reasonable adults.”

She was glad that Rainbow Dash wasn’t here.

Her friend grinned slyly, “I didn’t plan to punch them, I would have glared those snobs into the ground until they were crying.” Bowing submissively, “But you have a point, forgive my forwardness. What does a common mare as me know about the finer aspects of society anyway? I am but a simple escort after all. Please do hurry, Your Highness, I will keep the bed warm for you in the meantime.”

Twilight could literally feel how her ears were burning from the remark. And here she thought that Cadence was bad enough, now there were two of them!

“I am Lord Grayhoof and this is my wife, Lady Lightmane. We are close friends of the Blueblood Family and you will show us the respect we deserve, beast,” the older stallion reprimanded coldly.

Iron Will wanted to curse Azan for his bad luck, but that would be blasphemy. Of course it was destined to happen that he had to run into xenophobes. It was obviously only a matter of time until some higher noble was bored out of his mind and needed someone new to take it out on.

He really didn’t want to lose this place. Iron Will had used the last of his money to open it, and he would have to return home without something to show for. Iron Will could already hear the mocking laughter of the other minotaurs his age who made fun of him for wanting to come to Equestria in the first place.

The owner of the Iron Gut wondered how much effort and time he would have to put into the necessary courses to acquire his licenses and when his airship could be bought or built, maybe both. His very last project.

Probably years...

And then there was the problem to keep afloat. In this case he would have to look for a unhibated piece of forest to hunt and search for his food without wasting too much bits. His teachings would finally be put to a test.

But being a cruise director wasn’t really high on his list, more a last straw option. Already keeping the goats happy until they could start with the next project would devour all of the income he earned since the opening.

A last try it was, “Sir, Iron Will can assure you that there is nothing wrong with the soup. He made it personally, none of his assistants could have over salted it.”

Grayhoof looked genuinely mad. “Are you calling me a liar?! You should learn your place beneath your better! And learn to speak Equish properly for Celestia’s Sake!”

“Enough!” called a voice familiar to all that were involved.

The Princess of Friendship was slowly walking towards them, trying to look as regal as possible. It was a worthy attempt, if one ignored the awkwardness in her step. Iron Will could have sworn that she glared at the couple like she knew them somehow.

“What seems to be the problem?” Twilight Sparkle demanded to know. The lavender mare winced as if she hadn’t planned to sound this harsh.

Lightmane pointed accusingly at the minotaur, “Your Highness, we are most fortunate that you are here. This thing tried to poison my husband with an overdose of salt!”

The young ruler sighed lightly before she responded, giving the older mare a dry look, “Then I guess you won’t mind if I taste the soup for myself to verify your claims, right?”

It was Grayhoof who suddenly appeared to be very nervous, “Princess, you shouldn’t put yourself in danger like this. Let one of the guards-”

Twilight ignored him and took a sip, and as she expected, nothing. “It tastes like a normal carrot soup to me. But you made a good point Lord Grayhoof, we should call for the guards. And then you will both answer for disruption of harmony, threatening Mr. Will, blatant racism and the poor attempt to frame him for a crime that never occurred. I heard what you said,” smiling sweetly, “and I am certain that somepony as important as you will understand that such an incident can’t go unpunished.”

Lightmane took a much more defensive stance, in fact she seemed sincerely scandalized, “Your Highness, you can’t be serious! Why would you side with this brute!? His kind promotes barbarism and violence, somepony as him shouldn’t be allowed in our great nation!”

Iron Will was near ready to explode into this mare’s face. She was lucky that his trusty meat cleaver was still in the kitchen. He might accidently let it slip from his hand. Of course he couldn’t say that out loud, ponies didn’t understand such humor at all from what he gathered.

In his culture such a dispute would have been solved by an honorable duel. You didn’t just insult another minotaur’s pride and could expect to walk away unchallenged.

Iron Will imagined that the young princess was most likely grinding her teeth if her expression was anything to go by.

“A nation that is supposed to be built upon tolerance, something you clearly lack, Lady Lightmane.” Most of the curious onlookers gasped in shock, the older pair included. A lone amber colored mare in the background tried to muffle her choking laughter with both hooves in front of her muzzle. “Please follow me outside, we will look for a nearby guard and settle this.” She closed the distance and whispered only for Grayhoof and Lightmane to hear, “And don’t think I forgot what you said earlier. You lacked the context and basically accused one of my best friends of being a harlot.” Her eyes told stories about an approaching storm of fury. And its targets were already chosen.

The two unicorns gulped nervously.

Everypony was mesmerized as the Princess of Friendship led the fearful couple and an amused Iron Will outside. Sunset wasn’t sure if she should be proud or scared.

“I think I just corrupted Twilight’s innocence. I am such an evil mare,” she said to nopony in particular.

“Then in this case I need to express my deepest gratitude, Lady Shimmer. You succeeded where everypony else failed,” a to her unknown female voice said from the side in a slightly sophisticated tone.

Sunset was surprised by the fact that this earth pony seemed to know her. She was middle-aged and wore a white high color with a fancy turquoise cravat at the front. On her nose sat semi-circular blue tinted glasses with golden frames on the upper side. Her coat was a pale light grayish amber, the mane and tail were both wavy and light cornflower bluish gray, with a lighter streak in the middle. Her moderate phthalo blue eyes and a Cutie Mark that showed her clear talent for politics completed the appearance, a tan scroll with a blue ribbon around it.

The mysterious Pony chuckled coyly at her confused face, “May I sit?”

She gestured carefully for the unknown mare to take her friend’s former chair.

Now the protégé of magic received a calming smile. “Princess Twilight should have her hooves full for the time being and I couldn’t resist but notice that it was, well, interesting to see our local monarch and librarian in a place like this. Usually you wouldn’t catch her dead in areas where special treatment was provided for the rich and powerful.”

Sunset put on a neutral expression, “I fear you have me at a disadvantage, madam. Should I know you? I am Sunset Shimmer, but I’m certain you knew that already.”

The earth pony laughed softly, “Where are my manners? My name is Mayor Mare, I’m the mayor of Ponyville.”

Sunset had to keep herself from snorting.

Amusement could be heard in the mayor’s voice, “I must admit it never gets old to see the reaction of somepony who hears my name and occupation for the first time.”

She decided to be friendly instead of hostile, for now. Nothing indicated on some sort of scheme. “What circumstances do I owe the pleasure of meeting you, Mayor? Not that I don’t value this unexpected meeting, but I didn’t know that my name reached the ears of politicians beyond Canterlot. Especially if one considers that I was indisposed for a very long time and took a more inactive role in the last years.”

Understatement of the century.

“Fair enough. For the last two days I participated in an annual meeting that Ponyville wasn’t included in before Princess Twilight ascended. I thought this restaurant would be a good end to my trip before I return to my never ending battle against paperwork.” They both grinned at the small jab against Equestrian bureaucracy. “But I think you know what I am talking about,” Mayor Mare explained, remaining polite and friendly during their entire conversation.

The amber mare remembered her lessons well, “Yes, it makes sense to invite you.”

The Canterlot Conference was a get-together only between mayors of the most influential cities Equestria's, and Ponyville, a mere farmer’s village, was anything but. That was until it had its own princess.

Her mother once told her that it served as a means to improve the relationships between her subjects and hoped that fruitful results would come from this, benefiting the country as a whole.

Sunset never heard of any real breakthroughs. Perhaps something interesting occurred during her absence?

“And concerning your reputation, a pony can’t be the elected mayor of Ponyville for 22 years if one hasn’t a few tricks up her hooves or when you can’t keep yourself up-to-date concerning all relevant developments in and around your jurisdiction. I heard a lot about the infamous Sunset Shimmer, star student extraordinary, debated as a second Clover the Clever, but calculating and cold-hearted to everypony who tries get to know her. I can’t really say that what I heard is true,” the older mare said in a more critical tone.

“Ahh, the titles and homages to my person. Another reason I thought of myself as superior,” the unicorn thought regretfully. “You are not wrong, I really was an awful pony and I paid the price for my arrogance, believe me. I really hope you can see it in yourself to judge me by the present and not the past.”

The mayor’s signature smile came back in an instant, “You must have underwent a rough process of change, indeed. I shall give you the benefit of a doubt. The Sunset Shimmer I heard many unflattering stories about wouldn’t be so… humble and accepting of criticism. No offense.”

A relieved sigh escaped Sunset, but some things never changed it seemed, “None taken. And I’m glad to hear that.” Then curiosity dominated her, “You said that you wanted to thank me. For what exactly?”

“For your positive influence on Princess Twilight of course. I meant what I said earlier, she is more stubborn than a mule when it comes to her new life as a supposed-to-be ruler, no offense to our distant cousins of course. She doesn’t like it in the slightest when you call her by her title and sadly none have managed to convince Miss Sparkle that her princesshood isn’t something we can just ignore only to please her feelings. That is not how it works and stands against everything our decorum dictates.” A joyful twinkle shined in her eyes. “So you can imagine my surprise to see her in action like that.”

Sunset blushed from the unexpected compliment. “I merely gave her a few pointers. Twilight saved me from committing the greatest mistake in my life and we became friends afterwards. I just want to repay her for everything she did for me.”

“Oh? No title this time?” She silenced a possibly panicked response. “I jest, Lady Shimmer. It is good to know that she finally found a pony who managed to make her see reason. I think you are the right mare we waited for.”

The unicorn took another sip of her water. “Waited for?”

“Oh yes. The other Element Bearers are too close to her. If they try to show her status the respect it deserved it would damage their friendship irreversibly and the rest of Ponyville’s citizens, myself included, are not close enough. At least she never accepted our reasoning for addressing her like we do since her ascension.” The mayor enjoyed her own drink that she had brought with her from her original table. “But you seem to be a close friend to her and still have the needed connection with each other and personal upbringing to speak facts Her Highness needs to hear. Your words will be taken to heart without sounding like the product of somepony who only sees her crown, but not the mare behind it.” She chuckled dryly, “Not everypony is suitable for the unique circumstances of our small town and earned her position like Ms. Sparkle did.”

Mayor Mare lost count in how many situations they were saved by the leadership of their newest ruler, metaphorically and literally. The last Winter Wrap Up and the Ursa Minor incident came to mind. Of course the situation with the parasprites could have been solved much better in the end, but nopony was perfect.

Now Sunset understood why her friend always winced strongly like she was hit during the Battle of the Bands whenever one the other girls called her a princess. Her mood soured significantly when she only thought about them, but pushed it into the back of her mind.

“You make it sound like ruling over Ponyville might be a big challenge,” Sunset commented curiously.

“We got better. But I can assure you that she couldn’t have saved herself from work 20 to 30 years ago,” Mayor Mare said with a distant look.

“Hmm, from what she told me Ponyville is relatively safe except the occasional animal attack from the Everfree Forest…” the amber mare added thoughtfully.

“Yes, nowadays. Thanks to newly added magic wards which convince most animals and monsters that there is nothing to hunt, only the more intelligent specimen see through them,” came the further explanation.

Sunset wanted to know more, “And why weren’t they used earlier? A ward or a protection rune aren’t the most difficult things to create if somepony knows how.”

The Mayor looked uncertain, “I don’t know much about the mechanisms of magic, only what I was told. It seems that the natural energy of the Everfree Forest is much more, well, ‘wild’ and ‘untamed’ were the terms. The scholars didn’t know how to deal with it, the entire forest acts completely different from what they are used to. Two years ago a zebra hermit with the name Zecora presented a solution. She lives in the Everfree near Ponyville and somehow understands how it works.”

Sunset wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but for a moment she had the impression that the mayor sounded ashamed.

“But I never heard about any incidents involving huge numbers of animals.” The unicorn was slightly confused. She was certain that the Canterlot Times would have written about it. Especially when a village so close to the capitol was the victim.

Mayor Mare glared grimly at the table. “Our peace is a product of sweat and blood, Lady Shimmer. After its founding, Ponyville was like a free buffet in the eyes of the local predators. The Royal Guard had to fight them off for a very long time. But slowly they understood that we wouldn’t go down without a fight until the attacks nearly ceased completely.”

Sunset felt a story behind the earth pony’s change of attitude, “What happened?”

It shocked her that the mayor had suddenly a snarl on her face, voice filled with contempt, “Poachers. Did you know that a cragadile egg is worth a fortune on the black market because of its exotic appearance?” She snorted angrily. “They stole the eggs of the local population from the Hayseed Swamps and chose to take a break in Ponyville as a stopover. I think you were a filly when it happened if I judge your age correctly.”

The protégé of magic didn’t feel anything else than fury. Even during her worst, poaching always disgusted her greatly. There was a big difference between a hunt to survive from the spoils of nature and the thrill to kill for sports and fortune.

“What nopony expected was that they were unforgiving when it came to their offsprings. They pursued them mercilessly and the poachers hoped that they were safe in our, to this time, small village. An error of judgement that cost many innocent citizens their lives before Princess Celestia herself came to deal with the situation.” Mayor Mare shook her head in resignation. “21 earth ponies and seven pegasi, 28 souls were lost to us. It was without saying the most horrible day in the history of our community.”

Sunset gasped quietly and looked down in sorrow before she locked eyes again. She knew the expression of the mayor well. Loss. Was it a family member? A good friend? She wasn’t sure, but didn’t feel like poking around either. It was clearly a sensitive matter.

She grimaced. Cragadiles were gigantic reptiles that could reach a length of 13 meter, if she translated the measurement of ‘hooves’ into a better scale. Their jaws could bite a pony in two if the victim was unlucky enough. And instead of scales, like most reptiles, the whole body was covered by thick masses of stone and crystal, what made it even harder to penetrate their defense. Not that it would stop them from being much more agile than somepony would expect from a creature of this size.

“I see. Well, thanks for the kind words, Mayor, but there is one thing I would like to know after all. Why are you calling me a ‘lady’?” Sunset asked with a little annoyance in her voice. Was there something the amber mare wasn’t aware of?

The depressing atmosphere vanished and a mysterious smile graced Mayor Mare’s features, “Do you remember the former royal head physician?”

The Unicorn giggled fondly, “Of course. He was an earth pony, the best of his line and one of the stallions I liked the most when I was younger because of his entire name, Head Check Mare. We joked about it when I was sick and always called him Doctor… Mare…” Sunset gave the now grinning mayor a sheepish look. “Seriously?”

The older earth pony chuckled amusedly, “What can I say? Father had a fun night with his colleagues and was very talkative when he came back. But don’t worry, he didn’t say anything he shouldn’t in the company of his friends from what I heard and I promised him not to tell anything. I mean who could claim to be the personal doctor of Princess Celestia’s unofficial daughter?” She bowed slightly, being completely serious. “Your secret is safe with me, Milady.”

Sunset didn’t really know what to say to that, “Thanks, I would appreciate that. But the thing with Twilight was no big deal, really.”

“Oh, but I disagree. You both taught each other lessons you needed to learn. Don’t underestimate the role you played in Princess Twilight’s recent development.” Mayor Mare stood up. “Perhaps we shall meet each other again. Have a good day, Lady Shimmer.”

The amber unicorn followed the mayor silently with her eyes, when a scroll suddenly appeared in front of her. It had the seal of her mother.

The owner of the restaurant looked visibly pleased and happy, “Iron Will wants to thank you from the depth of his well-trained heart. He would have lost everything today because of these two if not for your help. Princess Twilight, you and your friend are welcome to dine in the Iron Gut at any time. Your next meal will obviously be on Iron Will.”

Sunset answered quickly before Twilight could ruin it, “Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer will gladly accept your generous offer. Sunset understands completely how hard it must be for you and we will make sure your generosity will be rewarded accordingly.” She smiled worriedly at him, “Be more careful in the future. Iron Will was lucky that we decided to come by today, but there are more who might try to shut down your restaurant.”

Their former host nodded firmly. “He will. Iron Will is relieved to know that you understand the sacrifice Iron Will just made. Wasting possible income is very frowned upon in his homeland, but after how his last business ended, Iron Will decided to remain assertive as always. Only this time with a pony friendlier touch.”

The unicorn decided to humor him, “Oh?”

He pushed his muscled chest out and tensed his impressive biceps. “Iron Will came up with a new slogan to show how much he changed!” The minotaur bull gave a thumbs up and took the same pose, with the same cocky smile, they saw on the sign, “Iron Will’s my name, cooking for ponies is my game!”

An abridged version of his former motto when he was still a self help guru.

Iron Will entered the Iron Gut when he was satisfied with their reactions, leaving the royal duo behind.

Twilight wasn’t amused and glared at the older mare, “Sunset…”

Her amber friend played the clueless one, “What? I couldn’t let you commit a terrible mistake!”

“B-but accepting a discount of such magnitude is-”

“The right thing to do.” She coughed at the received look. “Honestly? Rewards come with being a princess, and you just accept without discussion in most cases. Not only did we make him happy, and gained yourself a supporter from another country I might add, but we can save bits this way. It’s a win-win for everypony, especially when word gets out that Princess Twilight enjoys dining at the Iron Gut.”

Twilight lips formed a thin line, “That isn’t necessarily a compelling argument. I admit that you point out positive effects from the political and economical side, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Sunset sighed in reluctant acceptance of the other mare’s opinion. “There is no pleasing you, is there?” Another thought came to her mind, it made her grin, “Though what can I say? I am maybe a reformed bully, but not stupid enough to toss something like nearly free food away. Twilight, you still have so much to learn before you can graduate from Sunset’s School for gifted Crown Aspirants.” She sounded like a disappointed teacher.

The Princess of Friendship couldn’t believe how this mare always seemed to have a comeback for everything she said and shook her head. But now to more pressing matters, “And Princess Celestia really didn’t write anything else? Maybe a hidden code or invisible ink?” She read the letter herself at least four times already, but couldn’t make any sense from the message.

Sunset didn’t understand it either, but the unicorn expected a prank at some point. There was no other explanation when her mother acted cryptically. “Well, I guess we have to bite the bullet.” Twilight looked at her like she said something stupid. “Human expression. But there is really nothing else written on both sides.”

Next destination, the Military District.

Chapter 17 - New Squad in Town

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To use their little and unexpected journey efficiently, Sunset asked what happened with Lightmane and Grayhoof. The reaction was funny and embarrassing at the same time.

“You should have seen me!” Twilight pranced in front of her friend from joy. “I didn’t know I could act so, well, regal! I told them that you are not only my friend, but close to Princess Celestia and that I would inform them about their inexcusable behaviour the next time we meet.” The giddy mare giggled when she remembered their faces. It was only an empty threat after all. “Oh, and the guards took them to the palace for further questioning. Now everything is in the capable hooves of the Royal Court.” She was very excited and proud of herself, eyes gleaming.

Though she didn’t mention that the lavender alicorn made it very clear to them that the couple would pay should they try to escape justice through unacceptable methods. Not really for herself, but because they insulted her friend in an incredibly rude manner.

What she didn’t know was that the amber unicorn kept a secret as well. Sunset didn’t deem it mandatory to inform Twilight about her conversation with Mayor Mare, it would most likely only upset her or undo the process she made with breaking the younger mare’s shell.

Sunset shared her friend’s mood, “It’s good to know that those apple polishers will get what they deserve, but please don’t tell mom about what they did, she might overreact. This includes Luna as well. Besides, I would prefer it to laugh in those nobles’ faces with their dignity intact.”

Not that she wanted them to escape lightly, but it was enough for her to know that they would be punished accordingly. She didn’t know how her new family would react to the fact that they insulted Twilight and her in such a crass manner. Destroying whoever opposed her reminded the unicorn way too much of the old Sunset Shimmer, who would have enjoyed their social annihilation.

The Princess of Friendship smiled facetiously, “Of course not, I would never do such a thing! I am a princess after all and have to pull my own weight. It would be completely ridiculous to do something like that in an attempt to verify my call of judgement in the process. Hehe… hahahaha!” Her laugh was as fake as Mayor Mare’s hair color.

Sunset’s eyebrow reached Applejack level of orbit, “Twilight, what did you do?”

“Would it make it better when I say that I forgot about your new relationship to Princess Luna and now honestly regret what I did?” the alicorn asked rhetorically, her voice barely above a whisper.

Night Glider and Black Watch were pure blood thestrali and proud to serve. Truly, doing the biddings of the Lady of the Night was the highest of honors. They stood in front of Luna’s chambers, but their shift wasn’t as quiet as the duo had expected it to be.

“Do you know why the Princess is cackling like a mad mare?” Night Glider queried stoically.

A true guard never left his post nor displayed emotions, professionalism above all else, no matter how scary their charge behaved.

Black Watch showed the same skill of self-control, “I thought I heard the sound of a dragon candle. It seems somepony wrote her a letter.”

They possessed the heightened senses their tribe was known for, keen eyes and sharp ears. A needed advantage as protectors of Equestria when dangerous predators and other beasts left their home to search for prey in the shadows of the night.

Suddenly a, some would say, sadistic joy could be heard in the lunar monarch’s voice, “We shall be most creative! We are not the Mistress of Dreams for naught! Huzzah!”

The two stallions glanced briefly at each other. Wasn’t Nightmare Night just two months ago?

The magical protégés reached their goal, as requested by the ancient ruler of Equestria. The Hurricane Academy, one of the institutions solely dedicated to train the next generations of soldiers.

It was a palatial place made of marble, like many buildings in Canterlot, with four stories and built in a wide u-shape with four great towers, one at each corner. They were tall, second only to the spires of Canterlot Castle with their height. The roofs were made of royal purple glass and the walls decorated with golden frets.

But most imposing was the statue of Commander Hurricane himself. He wore a common armor for the times of old, which only let his eyes remain visible beneath the helmet, his upper legs and hooves remained free of any protective gear. Sharply crafted wing blades and a spear in the right hoof added to his portrayal as the legendary commander of Pegasopolis. His eyes gave off the infamous unforgiving stare, even in stone.

One might be forgiven for thinking the statue was watching them, judging their merit. An inscription could be read on the plinth, one of his mostly used and translated quotes in history classes.

Only fools seek war, for it favors nought the brave nor spares the innocent. Nor does it favor the conqueror, for death is its only love.

“The letter said that we should come here. What now?” Sunset asked impatiently.

“Now you two fillies will give me a hug before we talk business,” a new voice responded warmly.

They turned to see a stallion, one who was clearly a soldier, albeit retired. Age had taken its toll, his physique not as trim as a soldier’s, nor his fur as bright. His moderate amber eyes were as focused as always though, darting in every direction now and then to check the surroundings unconsciously, a product of decades of training. His grayish azure coat instead of an purely azure one was a sign, along with the gray hairs in his dark phthalo blue flat mane and few wrinkles on his forehead. It was strange for Sunset Shimmer to see him without armor, his Cutie Mark uncovered for all to see. A yellow waxing crescent moon with a smaller white waning crescent moon inside.

“Dad?!?”

“Lieutenant!?!”

Sunset and Twilight exclaimed at the same time and gave him a big hug, before they looked at each other with perplexed expressions.

“D-dad?” the amber mare inquired with a squeak.

Her friend could only nod in stupor.

Night Light meanwhile took this opportunity and ruffled both of their manes in visible mirth, “Major now, theoretically speaking. I never thought that I would see the day when you came home. And certainly I hadn’t expected you to become Twilight’s friend.” He grinned cheekily at their reactions. Somepony didn’t simply ruin a mare’s coiffure and escaped unscathed, in most cases.

The lavender alicorn was ready to complain that her father never told her about the seemingly close relationship of the two unicorns when she remembered that she never told her parents about her adventures in the human world in the first place.

Its existence was to this day a state secret for obvious reasons. Or did the princess secretly inform him anyway and all her worries were unfounded? She wasn't sure, a very unsatisfying state of mind.

Instead she simply said frustratedly, “You know each other?”

Night Light chuckled at his daughter's predictable reaction, “As one of Princess Celestia’s former guards, of course I met her student.” He analyzed the appearance of mentioned unicorn, “And I must say you grew into a beautiful mare. As expected.”

Sunset smiled bashfully, obviously a lot of time had passed. Sure, mom hadn’t had a student named Twilight Sparkle when she left, a mare who was probably just twenty years old by now, if not younger. But until she saw Night Light, it hadn’t really sunk in how much time had passed. About five years on the other side of the mirror, but here, home, at least two decades had passed.

“Stayed the whole tour, huh? Always thought you’d get out and start a family. At least I was right about that,” she said as she winked at him playfully, “You ol’ charmer, which one of your many admirers caught you in the end? Merry Belle? Orchard Blossom? Or was it Velvet Glide? Faust knows there wasn’t a guard she didn’t make a pass on, not that you minded the attention.”

He returned the gesture, “Don’t remind me, I can’t remember how many times she got written up.”

“Gross! Stop it you two! I’m not ready to hear about my dad’s conquests!” Twilight interrupted in clear disgust. Hairs were sticking out of her mane and tail.

Even if only meant as a joke!

The old stallion backed off in embarrassment, “Sorry TwiTwi.”

A sly grin slid onto Sunset’s face, one that was downright evil as she looked at her companion, “TwiTwi?”

“Daaaad,” came a very un-princess like whine.

Sunset sighed happily, it was without question wonderful to meet Night Light again. He was her favorite guard. Many a night they chatted when she was supposed to be in bed rather than studying. Unlike the other guards and most of the staff, she saw herself in him, somepony with ambition, brains and a plan to be something else than arrow fodder.

Funnily enough most ponies always thought that his Cutie Mark would symbolize something obvious like a talent in stargazing, and it confused them how such a talent could relate to being a soldier. Sunset was thoroughly impressed when she found out that his magic got a boost at night, waxing and waning with the cycles of the moon. Likewise his senses were enhanced, perhaps falling short of the thestrali, but certainly better than any other unicorn.

With the Night Guard dissolved and the thestrali chased into hiding, the Solar Guard had to take over their role. Many of his colleagues struggled with the night shift, but Night Light stood out by how comfortable he was working overnight. This propelled him up through the ranks, from a wet behind the ears private to Celestia’s personal guard, night shift commander and lieutenant in less than five years.

“So, how did you both... meet each other?” Twilight ended the silence awkwardly.

Night Light smiled at her in a way that Sunset contemplated if she should run before it was too late. “Well, a certain unicorn, whose name shall remain unknown, was very excited and curious when it came to our military during her foalhood. I lost count how many times she tried to improve the cadets’ training schedule. But nowadays only rumors remain of the fabled and much adored ‘cutest drill sergeant of Equestrian history’.”

The picture of an energetic little filly Sunset with much too big shades on her muzzle and a whistle around her neck came to mind. She was trying to ‘glare’ at everypony who didn’t follow her will and commit themselves to maintaining rigid discipline.

Twilight tried not to gush over the level of pictured adorableness, “Awwww~!” and failed miserably. “But I thought you always wanted to become a princess?”

Sunset turned away and buried her face beneath her front legs in shame. She was absolutely sure that steam escaped her burning ears right now, “I was just seven years old at the time and before I aimed for an own set of wings I was fascinated by the military style of life. It was a phase, alright?” came the desperate attempt to justify herself. Turning her attention back to the stallion, “But what about you? I thought you swore you’d get out.”

The old soldier chuckled, “I did actually. After my son was born, I decided it was time. I met his mother, Twilight Velvet, while touring the Canterlot Astronomy Institute. I was quite ready then, after all, with a son, a safer job was needed. Besides, the guard offered to pay for all my schooling, if I stayed as a reservist. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the princess was behind that. Every now and then, I would be called on to help with training, or for other special missions. Eventually I became the unofficial ambassador to Hollow Shades and an honorary thestral. Part time of course, I had my work at the Royal Astronomy Institute, especially when Princess Luna was returned to us. Everything went better than I planned, a dream job, a family, a son who became captain of the guard before marrying a princess and my daughter becoming a princess.” He looked pointedly at Sunset, “Though now it’s time for me to make a dream of yours come true,” his tone becoming more business like.

Twilight’s jaw went on vacation, “You are Princess Celestia’s agent I heard about this morning?! The one who helped out in Hollow Shades before Princess Luna’s return?!”

Her father’s cheeks rosed ever so slightly, “Forgive me that I kept this a secret from you my Little Star, I simply expected Celestia to tell you when you became a princess.”

They both put their focus on Sunset, who suddenly started to grumble to herself, deep in her musings.

Mentioned mare furrowed her forehead in confusion, then it clicked. She stood up and groaned, “Are you kidding me? That was a long time ago!” A bemused stare was directed at Night Light.

The former agent snorted, like he remembered a hidden joke.

“Could somepony please explain what is going on?” the Princess of Friendship asked impatiently, glancing between both parties.

Eventually Sunset sighed heavily. “Alright, listen. I wanted to become a princess with everything it entails, a personal guard included. I told mom about my-” The unicorn blushed in shame, “-demand and was dismissed.”

She received a laughing fit in response, because Princess Celestia was convinced that she was pulling her leg. In retrospect that was pretty bold, even for her.

Night Light gestured for them to move, “Dismissed perhaps, but not forgotten. Let us discuss it on our way.”

The trio entered the academy through a huge wooden double door, reinforced with iron, the guards at either side saluting when they passed them.

“So are you retired now? I can’t imagine it, somepony like you can’t sit still for five minutes,” Sunset asked with a mocking grin.

“Tell me about it…” Twilight murmured to herself in hidden terror.

She shuddered alone from the memory of agonizing laps in the early morning when she was still living in Canterlot. Her father was convinced that she would become pudgy if she did nothing else than to sit and read despite his own academic job. Of course she hadn’t known about his military career or what his overtime on weekends had actually been to that time. While the routine wasn’t as strenuous as her older brother had gone through, it was more than enough for her.

“Retired? They’d never allow it. I helped modernize the Night Guard’s training, worked with Princess Luna’s transition team, and even still help with training, especially the Night Guard,” the stallion said with a chuckle as they walked.

They wandered through small corridors, the young recruits who saw them were in sheer awe from being in the presence of a princess, much to the alicorn’s discomfort. Some of the more juvenile kind whistled after Sunset, but a metal melting glare by Night Light made them run for the hills with their tails between their legs.

“How much do you know about the level of security in Ponyville?” the older unicorn asked neutrally.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably with her wings, “Not this again…”

Her amber friend sincerely considered the answer, “It depends. If Ponyville is still a village or a town, then the mayor decides the type of law enforcement, which can be a sheriff, warden, village guard or another form entirely. A guard unit of up to eight ponies can be assigned to supplement them per mayor’s request or should the princess… princesses, deem it necessary do to the crime rate. The only exception is a royal facility in town, meaning Harmony Castle in this case, which of course would have its own guard. If it grows into what can be considered a city, then it has to accept a temporary outpost of 20 guards while a city guard is trained. A small town mayor can also request a city guard in expectation of continued growth.” Sunset glanced at the alicorn of their group. “I would assume being the home of Twilight it would require at least a small guard unit.”

The Princess of Friendship frowned, she didn’t like where this was going.

Night Light hummed in an unreadable tone, “Yes, that should be the case, shouldn’t it? Ponyville’s very own monarch needs her own division, though my daughter’s new home has sadly no guards to this day.”

Earth ponies were proud and convinced that they could take care of themselves, their stubbornness the stuff of legends. Ponyville was no exception, much to the major’s chagrin. One of many traditions they had, like for example relying solely on hoof and wing power alone during Winter Wrap Up, not allowing any magic, even if it would make things much easier, was that guards weren’t accepted as long as they had a choice. It was proof to them that they could handle their problems without having to depend on the crown's resources.

Sunset had similar thoughts, “Right, earth pony village. But why are you speaking subjunctively?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “I don’t have any personal guards and I don’t need any. Spike and I are perfectly content on our own and everypony can visit the library as they desire, like it was the case before I got the castle.” She gave her father a displeased look, “And I would appreciate it if Shining and you could stop trying to convince me otherwise.”

The amber mare stopped to process what she just heard before she caught up with the duo once more, “Mom never told you to get your own guard?”

Her lavender nodded proudly, “Exactly! Princess Celestia trusts my judgement.”

Night Light didn’t look forward to dashing his daughter’s wishful thinking, but she had to know the truth, “Twily, the princess never told you that, because she knows how you would have reacted. And not in the way she would have wanted it to happen. You adore her too much.”

Sunset added her own two bits, “You would have done it, but not out of your own free will, but rather to please her. Though having your own force is much more important than you might think.”

“Ponyville is a really safe place and we can deal with the occasional animal attack on our own,” the alicorn countered stubbornly.

Sunset bumped her flank against Twilight’s to calm the lavender mare down, “It’s not exclusively about Ponyville, it’s about you. Guards are not only eye candy for the civilians, but serve as a symbol of power. Politicians, nobles, the common folk, salesponies, they will be reminded in this way that you have not only wings and a horn, but the loyalty of your subjects behind you. Ponies who will defend you should the need arise.”

Night Light gave her a kind smile, “Remember what I told Shining during his lessons when you two were younger? ‘A battle’s outcome doesn’t need to depend on brawn and magical prowess alone. If it is possible, try to make your opponent believe that the fight is already decided in your favor before it even started.’”

Twilight glimpsed unsurely between the two unicorns, “You are talking about perception... I-I don’t know. What if Mayor Mare doesn’t approve? If the girls think I believe myself better than them?” She was about to worry herself into a frenzy.

“We went over this. Your friends will continue to be there for you and I have the feeling that the mayor of Ponyville might be more at ease than you think when she knows that you finally decided to take an own guard,” Sunset said supportively. “At worst, she’ll simply want them restricted to protecting you and the castle.”

The last part earned her bemusement.

“And most importantly is your safety. An empty castle is an invitation for every criminal who wishes to harm you or has other malevolent plans. What if the Queen of the Changelings returns for revenge? Another tyrant like King Sombra or Lord Tirek? Guards can warn you in advance before it is too late to react,” he warned gently.

“Or what about another crazy unicorn skilled with magic who convinced herself that you took her dreams away from her and is blinded by revenge as I was?” the senior student joked in a half-serious manner.

Twilight snorted, “Sunset, the chance of meeting in Equestria another pony with the same level of skill as the both of us is ridiculously low. Every strong unicorn winds up studying at Princess Celestia’s school, and the truly powerful wind up as her personal pupil. I was her first student since you, and she hasn’t taken another yet, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Her fellow equines stared at her for tempting fate like that.

She gave them a pleading look, “Are you sure I can’t convince you to let this topic rest?”

Two shaking heads answered the question immediately.

Twilight looked hopefully at her father, “You said that Sunset’s dream would come true, do you mean that this new guard will be created for her?”

Sunset had her own opinion on that, “I’m not even an official princess. Mom and Auntie Luna created it obviously for you.”

“You are both wrong.” The younger mares halted to stare at each other with raised eyebrows. Night Light continued to pace without missing a beat. “This new regiment serves the both of you. We will start small, because I am certain that none of you like it too overbearing at the very beginning.”

“How many?” the amber unicorn queried warily.

“Seven. So it will still be in the limit of eight soldiers,” he promised.

“So we both have the right to give them orders? Why?” Twilight wished to know.

The major chuckled dryly, “Do you want an entire troop formation working for you alone like the Night- and Solar Guard do for Princess Luna and Princess Celestia?” The sore look on her face said it all, Sunset only shrugged. “See? You could work together as a team and coordinate your ideas.”

Night Light led them around like a tourist guide. Multiple classrooms and small libraries occupied the premises. Sometimes Sunset and her father had to pull Twilight forward, but not without the promise that she would get a chance to read the books and scrolls she never heard about before.

There were of course dorms for the new recruits who were required to live here until completing their training. First years students would remain here except for certain holidays, while sophomore and senior cadets could earn a weekend pass for good performance. Nearby were the officer and instructor quarters.

He told them how the Hurricane Academy was set up. Each of the towers contained special equipment belonging to the cadets of the individual tribes serving the kingdom. Earth pony, pegasus, unicorn, thestral. And the u-shape served a purpose, the entire area between its arms was one large training ground with specially crafted areas for every tribe where they could test their abilities to the fullest.

Obstacle courses made of clouds for the pegasi and thestrali with a wide variety of simulated problems which were to be solved and skills to be mastered.

A little quiet spot for the earth ponies to meditate, on this way they would learn to control their mana output and in extension their strength. They witnessed different success rates. Some earth ponies pulverized entire boulders with a single hit whereas others had a problem with damaging beams.

But the two mares weren’t really impressed when they watched what the unicorns were doing. Mostly basic stuff that would be expected. Like the mastery of levitation, weights, shields, swords, crossbows, weapons and objects in general. How to create traps and minor runes. Even the offensive spells weren’t that exciting, arcane bolts of various sizes and density, simple illusion spells. What interested them slightly more was the conjuration training where the goal was to manifest your own magic weapon, shield spells or the offensive use of teleportation.

Though they could respect the ambitious trainees who wanted to become future army doctors, focusing on Life Magic, one of the most strenuous classes.

Night Light saw that and scolded them for their lackluster attitude, reminding them that not everypony could become a highly skilled magic caster or was a protégé.

The two students of the Princess of the Sun had the decency to blush for their bored expressions.

“Why aren’t most of them wearing armor?” Twilight asked in honest interest.

It was easy to identify the instructors from the rest. The members of the firstly mentioned group wore the fitting armor, depending on their affiliation. But the newly trained recruits called vests their own, with different colors belonging to a certain tribe. Purple was for the unicorns, white for the healer as a group, green for the earth ponies, light blue for the pegasi and dark blue marked the thestrali cadets. Then there was a number of ponies who wore plain white armor over their bodies, without any symbols, ornaments or anything else on it.

Sunset replied instead of Night Light, “Because of their curriculum. The training to become a fully fledged soldier lasts three years. The first year serves as a means to separate the wheat from the chaff and the training of your attributes like speed, agility, endurance and strength, be it muscle, mana control or spell casting. The second year is designed as a more special training concerning the skills of your tribe and the offensive as defensive use of your personal abilities. The third year focuses solely on the unit you want to become a part of, that is the moment you get a white armor as a reminder of your future goal, because to receive the official and enchanted version you obviously have to graduate successfully.”

“It surprises me that you didn’t know about that,” Night Light commented in bafflement.

The lavender alicorn rolled lightly with her eyes, “Yeah, thanks to Shiny. I swear he goes on and on and on about this topic whenever he can. I grew tired of military related material a long time ago and began tuning him out. I wonder why he can’t understand that he bores other ponies out of their minds with his endless exposition and never coming to a point. It would be enough to focus on the important details, but it always degenerates into a monologue.”

Her two companions had no words to express their feelings.

The trio entered a quieter part of the terrain and came to a huge pavilion surrounded by water where seven mares in white uniforms were waiting for them in the distance. They all stood in a row and saluted in sync when they saw them approaching.

“Huh? Not that I’m complaining, but how come there are no stallions?” Sunset queried in confusion and amazement.

Twilight stared at her father for an answer to the same question she wanted to ask.

Night Light remained silent, what could he tell them?

“'Tis most astonishing. After the reports of their instructors there are many fitting candidates, but we only need seven.” Luna grinned like a predator and licked her lips in an over dramatic manner. “How about Private Limit Break? He looks easy enough on the eye. And who knows, maybe my niece and Princess Twilight will see something they like?” She browsed through a few more files of the potential future protectors of the realm. “And not only him.”
The Princess of the Sun and her trusty friend remained calm, their poker faces didn’t show a hint on their thoughts. They glanced over the pictures, then at each other, back at the pictures, followed by Luna, only to end their own eye contact.
Both nodded, an important agreement was made. Their daughters had to be protected at all costs.
“Lulu, we came to a decision,” Celestia started like she wanted to be the harbinger of good news.
“It will be seven mares. We can’t risk Sunset and Twilight being distracted from their duties,” Night Light finished with the same sudden cheerfulness.
Luna said nothing at first before she laid her head on the table in sheer disbelief. “You two are unbelievable,” she grumbled. Another possible consequence came to mind, “Oh, and just so you know, I won’t clean up the mess if Cadie finds out about your… ‘concerns’.”
The duo nodded fatefully, they would embrace the storm together.

“Believe it or not, the princesses and I were amazed, too. Who would have thought that the seven best choices from our graduates are all mares? But in the end their files spoke volumes about their potential,” he lied professionally.

Both friends accepted the explanation without further questioning.

After their arrival one of two waiting unicorn mares saluted before saying in a calm and very educated voice, “Sir! We all thank you for this opportunity and I want to say in the name of our group how much of an honor it is to be selected as the first squad of this new branch.”

Night Light returned the gesture and pride could be seen in his eyes. “You earned it as seven of the best graduates this year had to offer. Now, let me introduce you to Princess Twilight Sparkle and Marquess Sunset Shimmer. Their protection is your duty, and you will obey their orders, and only theirs. Not me nor anypony else of a higher rank can give you orders unless explicitly allowed by them.”

Sunset growled in a very unpony like manner, “She didn’t...!”

“Who? What?” Twilight asked

Leaning in closer so only the princess could hear, “Mom. She gave me a title. Have you ever asked her why she’s not a queen?”

“After the Changeling attack.” she said with a nod, “The Princess said it was because their can only be one queen.”

The amber unicorn snorted, “That and princess sounds friendlier, especially if you leave off a part of her title. Her and her sister are grand princesses, Cadence is probably a princess, just a princess, and you’re probably a sovereign princess, while your friends are dames. Marquess means I’m just below you in royal rank if she’s still using the old unicorn system.”

Twilight nuzzled her, “She means well, she probably wants ponies to get used to you being a royal before she officially adopts you.”

With a sigh, “Can’t I just have a normal life,” she asked rhetorically

When the two finished speaking they caught a, “Cool! Does that mean not even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna can call the shots? Sounds legit,” from a pegasus who said it in a relaxed manner.

Twilight’s eye twitched at the casual tone concerning the Royal Pony Sisters, but Sunset laughed it off, “OK, I admit that I like her already.” Raising her voice, “Well, they outrank us, so it depends on them to whom you’re loyal to.”

The Princess of Friendship wasn’t convinced, “Seven fresh recruits right from the academy? Are you sure we don’t need at least somepony with more experience?

The older stallion chuckled, “That is the main reason why they were chosen, after all, you’re not the same kind of princess that Celestia or Luna is. Your new guard deserves fresh blood and not us old fogeys. Each of these lovely ladies stayed true to her character, but still displayed a proper level of skill and professionalism when necessary. They represent the next generation, integrity and courage as befits the guard, but similar to you, they aren’t limited by tradition nor settled in their ways. That makes them the perfect first candidates for this project.” He looked at his newest graduates, a much more professional attitude replaced his formerly pleasant aura, “Of course I expect your utmost diligence concerning this task nonetheless. You seven are trusted with the protection of two very important ponies and failure is not an option, not even in your worst nightmares. Understood?”

The chosen soldiers snapped to attention and saluted as one, conviction and faith laced their oath, “Sir! Yes, Sir!”

Sunset gave them a reassuring smile, “I would prefer to know names instead of having to call you by your rank alone. Who wants to start?”

The unicorn who spoke up first stepped forward with grace in her step. She was beautiful by pony standards and held herself like a noble mare, but lacked the arrogance most possessed. She had light turquoise gray fur, a short, well-groomed grayish mulberry colored mane with raspberry streaks and longer flicks of hair framing the sides of her cheeks. A slightly curled tail and dark indigo eyeshadow gave the impression that this unicorn wouldn’t necessarily prefer combat, but judging her by appearance alone would cost her foes dearly. Her Cutie Mark was a flaring yellow sun.

She gave a delicate bow, “My name is Corporal Sunny Flare, Milady. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Corporal?” Sunset inquired in slight wonder.

Her guard nodded respectfully, “Yes, I was chosen as the unit commander as I finished top of my class. I will be responsible for the unit’s day to day operation. Of course you and Princess Twilight have the final say and can decide otherwise if you so desire.”

The alicorn’s eyes roamed over the group before she smiled at Sunny, “We will take your words into consideration. Thank you for your honesty.”

She didn’t state her rank as a fact and admitted without hesitation that they could give the role of leadership to another guard at any given time should they deem it necessary. It spoke for an upstanding character.

Next came the energetic earth pony with a big smile, “Private Lemon Zest, let’s have a great time!”

Lemon had light brilliant amber eyes, the fur was pale light grayish amaranth and her tail and shoulder long mane were wild looking. Both were tricolored like a tropical fruit, light pistachio with pale, light grayish green and light brilliant lime green streaks in them. She wore expensive looking headphones around her neck. A slice of lemon tart as her sign.

A second earth pony took her place with an unreadable expression of neutrality, reminding Sunset and Twilight of Maud Pie to a degree, but then she smiled softly and had a little more emotion in her voice, “Lady Shimmer, Princess Twilight, my name is Private Sugarcoat. Please excuse our friend’s lack of seriousness, she means well, but sometimes her brain isn’t as fast as her muzzle.”

The smaller mare in question glared at the blunt guard.

Sugarcoat had grayish orchid colored eyes, light phthalo bluish gray fur and an impressive pair of twintails as a mane. Her tail longer than expected by a mare of her calling. Both were light opalish gray with light arctic bluish gray streaks in between. Her Cutie Mark was confusing for her new superiors, a magenta colored pair of lips, formed like they were about to say something.

Another unicorn laughed melodically, “Girls, you really should stop teasing each other like that. We are all here to serve the same purpose after all. Can’t you see that you make us look bad in the front of our future superiors you featherbrains?!”

Sunset and Twilight recoiled at the sudden change of character. At first this mare was friendly, sweet and cheerful, next thing they knew she stepped closer to the duo of earth ponies, had her eyes narrowed threateningly, almost angry, and her voice became hard and accusing.

“What the buck was that?” Sunset whispered in wonder for only her friend to hear.

“I have no idea, mood swing?” Twilight replied back in a similar volume, analyzing the situation with fascination.

The Cutie Mark was surely fitting, a purple pulsing heart in a blue concentric heart, giving the impression of two different heartbeats.

“Hi! Private Sour Sweet, at your service! Everypony who thinks that they can mess with you will have a really bad time, trust me,” the crazy unicorn promised ominously.

The two friends nearly missed Sour Sweet’s introduction, because they were caught up in their own thoughts regarding this interesting mare. And it sounded like she meant business with the last part.

Though it seemed all candidates were special in one way or another.

Twilight’s stand took a more nervous touch, “Thank you for the offer, but I think we can handle-”

Sunset saw that their eager new guard was distracted with her brutal demonstration on an innocent boulder in the unlikely case of royal harassment and jogged her right hind leg into the lavender alicorn’s flank. “What Princess Twilight means to say is that your enthusiasm is appreciated, Private Sour Sweet, but we would prefer a more diplomatic way to handle our affairs, if possible. Of course you have free reign should a situation get out of hoof to do your job as you see fit. As long as we don’t order otherwise.”

“What she said,” the Princess of Friendship added in a friendly voice with nopony noticing her glare at the amber mare.

Sour Sweet bowed deeply, her calmer half came out again, “Of course, Your Highness. I believe Commander Hurricane himself said ‘We should not seek war, but we should be prepared to show our enemies why they should not have sought it.’”

She had a moderate rose mane, made in a ponytail of all things, with lighter moderate rose and grayish aquamarine streaks, moderate indigo colored eyes and the same grayish aquamarine as eyeshadow. Her fur was a pale, light grayish gold. Though her actual tail was smooth looking and similar to Sunset’s, just less curly.

One of the last remaining two pegasi flew in front of them and made the perfect salute, “Private Indigo Zap reports for duty! I am your mare if you need a pegasus for dangerous missions or a quick reconnaissance of a situation. Nopony is faster than me!” she announced with an ego rivaling Rainbow Dash.

This mare reminded Twilight way too much of that Lightning Dust character she once met a long time ago. At least her tricolored styled mane, in dark cornflower blue with moderate cerulean and moderate arctic blue, as well as her first impression did the job.

“We have to make sure that she doesn’t share the same uncaring attitude if it comes to her supposed-to-be teammates and fellow ponies,” the youngest princess thought worriedly.

She trusted her father’s judgement, but safe was safe, “Following orders and succeeding with your mission is important, yes. But what do you think? Are you really able to handle everything on your own?”

The pegasus smiled confidently, “I am convinced that my fellow soldiers and I can handle ourselves and together we can achieve anything. I can’t speak for others, but I graduated here to make a difference. Helping the innocent and serving the crown is reward enough for me. Though I won’t complain if I can push myself even further to improve and to kick major flank.”

The alicorn relaxed, that sounded harmlessly enough.

Indigo Zap’s eyes were a brilliant gamboge, her Cutie Mark a yellow lightning bolt and her fur a moderate indigo. The tail as roughly made as her mane. From all guards she was the second tallest after Sour Sweet.

Now the most exotic pony of the septet, a thestral mare who looked like she would fall asleep at any second with a constant shift of attention. One moment her shoulders and head stood high, then she nearly stumbled forward from sleepiness.

Their first observation concerning the mare's appearance was certainly the fact that a white armor clashed terribly with her dark gray coat. Her mane was short and flat at the back, but styled upwards at the front, the tail medium long. Both colored in a dark persian blue with a streak of light grayish persian blue. Sharper formed eyes, slitted golden orbs and black leather wings on the back were a testimony to Princess Luna’s most ferocious servants of the night.

Twilight nearly giggled from anticipation. She never had the chance to talk with one of their kind. They were so fascinating! While all ponies were omnivores, only the thestrali and two other tribes supplemented a typical plant-based diet with meat. For pegasi it was the occasional fish, because their bodies needed a lot of proteins only meat could provide, while the thestrali took advantage of modern trade and ate a diverse variety of meat. And then there were the alicorns, but Twilight herself never consumed meat before.

Though Fluttershy refused to eat what was once a living being. From what she knew her friend was the only pegasus who didn’t follow the call of her body, what made itself known sometimes in her flight performance. She tried to counter the effects with nuts and other plants, but it wasn’t the real deal. Of course, she didn’t see it as a problem as she was uncommonly happy for a pegasus with remaining grounded.

Most theories and historical reports indicated that thestrali were a result of hundreds of years of evolution and the harsh circumstances the ancient pegasi had to live in, especially during the night. The sky wasn't as safe as most believed.

Sadly they were ostracized because of their appearance and more aggressive behaviour, meaning they didn't mind to resolve a conflict by battle. In response they forged an alliance, their own tribe, an own country. Thestrylvania in the mountains bordering Pegasopolis.

“Twilight! Focus!” she admonished herself.

And then there was the urge to touch those adorable ears, they were bigger in comparison to the other tribes and extra fluffy around the top.

The thestral yawned cutely, tears decorating the corners of her eyes. Her voice was young and had the distinctive archaic and strong accent most of her kind still had, a holdover of their original homeland and culture, “Please forgive me. As you surely know, I am normally nocturnal.”

Sunset snorted at the dry complaint, “Good morning to you, too. You know it is already afternoon, right?”

Another yawn. “Exactly.” She squinted her eyes, “So much light, and how can you stand the heat during the summer? I mean, is this a day pony thing? Being cooked medium well? I don’t know how you can take the Sun Witch’s torture. No offense of course, I was just wondering and nopony has ever answered me my question to this day.”

Night Light shook his head. He had hoped that the hardened fronts between the ponies of day and night could be slowly shaken with this first of many steps.

A thestral in a guard not primarily connected to the realm of the night.

But it would take more time to overcome ancient differences. It was one of his main goals to build bridges when he was still an agent in Hollow Shades, the success was much more attainable than expected.

He knew she didn’t seriously mean it at all, but she was more an exception than the rule.

Sour Sweet and Indigo snickered quietly at her sense of humor. At least their sister in arms didn’t wear an enchanted blindfold any longer. Her eyes weren’t used to the sun at the beginning and needed their sweet time to adjust.

Twilight had the same difficulties, “I am certain that you are the perfect candidate for the night shifts.”

Her amber friend poked the now snoring thestral. “Wow. I think she just fell asleep on us.”

Night Light facehooved, positioned himself in front of the sleeping mare’s face and took a deep breath, “Private! If you don’t show your superiors the respect they deserve immediately I will make you do wing push-ups for one hour straight!”

The exotic pony squeaked and lowered her ears in shame. “I am eternally sorry, Sir! My family celebrated our graduation the whole night until dawn and I didn’t get much sleep, but I will accept any punishment! Of course that won’t excuse my behavior, but I just tend to be snappy when tired.”

Her new princess waved it off, “Don’t worry, I know the negative effects of all nighters better than most.” She ignored her father’s expression, “But what is your name?”

“Silent Glide, Your Highness. And I wish to serve you and Lady Shimmer with all my heart,” the thestral swore sincerely.

"How come? We will gladly accept your proclamation, but why do you want to be a part of our guard? You said it yourself, your kind is nocturnal," Twilight interviewed further.

Silent sighed in disappointment, "My kin is obsessed with tradition, for my family has been part of the Night Guard before the Night Mother’s banishment. So much has changed in that time, I think we should, too.” Her desire to be a guard of another ruler was a sensitive subject for her parents. “I am convinced that you two are the right ponies to follow. In fact I got my Cutie Mark during one of our training sessions in the middle of the day."

Sunset and Twilight blushed, it felt somehow special to receive such a compliment by her.

Lemon saw that as her cue to fangirl, "Since her eyes got used to the sun our buddy can see the smallest of details from what feels like everywhere!"

The Thestral's Cutie Mark consisted of two stars peeking over a cloud like a pair of watchful eyes.

“Alright, I think that-” Sunset started before she thought that something was missing, “Wait, wasn’t there another pony?”

“Are you sure?” Twilight inquired carefully. It felt like her mind wanted to scream at her for not noticing the obvious. But what?

Night Light, who observed their reactions silently to this moment, laughed at their cluelessness, “Alright, I think that is enough, please show yourself again.”

A seventh and final mare appeared suddenly like she decided to come back to life, the smallest and most innocent looking of all.

“What happened?! It was like I forgot she even existed!” the Princess of Friendship exclaimed in surprise.

The small Pegasus bowed in sincere remorse, “Please excuse my boldness, Your Highness. I didn’t want to cause you or Lady Shimmer any distress. It was just that Major Night Light asked me for a demonstration of my special ability beforehoof. I’m Private Wallflower Blush and I am a Windwalker,” she said in a soft voice.

Sunset and Twilight gasped. This meant that she was a pegasus with a higher affinity for the element of air! They only read about her kind in books, but she used their unique ability. On this way a Windwalker was able to camouflage his very being with the wind around his body and it made it very hard to remember such a pony even existed if you didn’t focus on him directly.

A quote of Star Swirl described this ability very well.

Trying to remember a Windwalker if he doesn’t want to be found is like trying to focus on a specific wind current with naked eyes. Their existence is literally gone with the wind and only training of the mind or a strong bond with the pegasus in question will lessen the effect.

Already Wallflower’s mane would give Rarity an aneurysm, it didn’t look bad or scruffy in the sense of the words, but it had a natural touch of morning bedmane in its style. Same with her tail, which just added to her personal charm and the unique moderate aquamarine was a pretty unmistakable color, too. She had additionally light greenish gray fur, grayish tangelo colored eyes and a Cutie Mark which symbolized the pegasus’ ability to become unnoticeable. Moderate sky blue wings, partly hidden by a white misty shroud.

“Wow, your training really paid off! About time, it was annoying to forget you every few weeks,” Sour Sweet commented in relief and annoyance.

Wallflower blushed, “Y-you have to thank Major Night Light for that.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Private, your dedication brought these results,” he stated as a matter of fact. Then Night Light saw the knowledge demanding faces of Sunset and Twilight. “Being a Windwalker isn’t something easily controlled. Ask your new guard.”

The small pegasus frowned, “It is like a curse in disguise in my opinion. Before I trained in the Hurricane Academy, I had no control about it. From my perspective, nothing ever changes in this state, I can still see myself, touch things or interact with the world around me like a normal pony.” She shivered a little, “I thought that everypony avoided me for the greatest part of my life and that something was seriously wrong with me, only my parents acted normal.”

“So you need to actively control it?” Twilight asked in sympathy.

Wallflower nodded sadly, “Yes, Your Highness.” The Princess of Friendship was about to correct the mare for using her title again, out of habit, but saw the shaking head of Sunset in time. “It was disturbing to witness how classmates I knew for years suddenly looked at me like we met for the first time in life, as if everything we did meant nothing to them. Or that even ponies I guided through the sights our land had to offer greeted me and asked if I was new. It’s not like you really know if you are a Windwalker or not.”

Though the green pegasus still wasn’t sure how it could be that this one mare always seemed to remember her if nopony else did. Well, when she took part in one of her expeditions or guiding tours. Flutter… something. Wallflower only heard her name a single time.

Still, it was just a hobby. Her prior job as a nature teacher only served as a workaround to earn bits so that she could pay the rent during her academy days.

It made her happy that she finally decided to follow her dream of becoming a healer, or ‘Life Surgeon’, as they were called. Her fear of being once more ignored or not accepted by her fellow equines was taken away to a degree by this kind mare who always told Wallflower to never give up.

Her second superior wasn’t convinced, “But didn’t it occur to you that your condition of not being noticeable had maybe a bigger reason behind it?” Sunset criticized mildly.

She gave an apologetic smile, “To be honest Milady? I didn’t know that Windwalker even existed. Flight School doesn’t cover a topic like this and only later I found out about it thanks to a doctor of the academy. They examined me throughly before I could even qualify for service and during this session he noticed that my mana was different from normal pegasi.”

He may have helped her immensely and she was truly grateful, but he was the rudest and grumpiest stallion she ever met in life. And all the painkillers Doctor Horse swallowed for some reason couldn’t be healthy either, bad leg or not.

“I took the Private in after I heard about her special condition to teach her mana control. It wasn’t acceptable for me that such a young mare suffered from something what should be considered a gift,” Night Light said before he glanced at a nearby sundial. “I have to go. Every decision from now on is up to Princess Twilight and Marquess Shimmer.”

He expected great things from all of them.

The herd of mares thanked the major for everything and said their goodbyes. He left with nostalgic thoughts on his mind, "Ahh, being young again with the wish to make the world a better place. Good old times before your passion wastes away to routine, hopefully they can maintain their level of motivation.” It was sad how many promising souls became dull and ended with a stick between their flanks.

When he was gone, eager eyes were switching constantly between Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle.

“Alright. First of all, we need a name, a good one. How your armor will look like can be decided at a later point from the both of us. Has somepony any ideas? And don’t worry about insulting our feelings, your opinion is valued, no matter what you say,” Sunset started the brain-storming.

“Really? But we are just soldiers, Milady,” Indigo answered in astonishment.

It was Twilight who smiled warmly, “Exactly, you are our first unit and should have a right to decide as well how you will be named from now on. It is only fair.”

“The ‘Shadowbolts’? I always found the costumes awesome!” Lemon Zest commented excitedly.

Silent Glide rolled her eyes. Only her sun adoring cousins would love it to wear skin tight suits. Perhaps it was a fetish?

Sour Sweet snorted in distaste, “Seriously? That sounds like the name of a band of chronically depressed teenagers.”

The only alicorn of the group raised a hoof, “I have an idea. How about ‘Friendship Guard’?

Awkward silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Sugarcoat voiced her uncensored opinion without a hint of judgement, “Sure, Your Highness. If you want us to be the laughing stock of Equestria and beyond we can go for it.”

Sunset, Silent, Indigo and Lemon had to stop themselves from laughing at Twilight’s expression of pure indignation.

Sunny Flare clicked with her tongue, “I think we should take another approach. The Night Guard serves Princess Luna and the Solar Guard serves Princess Celestia, so why don’t we choose a name related to something Princess Twilight and Lady Shimmer are connected to? Perhaps the Magic Guard? Or the Arcane Guard?”

Sunset shook her head in denial, “No, that sounds way too corny and predictable, sorry. But thanks regardless.”

Cawing sounds came suddenly from above, where a certain phoenix roosted atop the pavillion and was listening in the whole time.

The majestic bird’s foalhood friend was almost disappointed, “Phila, that was weak and just sad. You can do better.”

“What did she say?” Twilight wanted to know.

The seven guards were stunned meanwhile, because their new boss could talk to a phoenix.

“That we should call our troop the ‘Phoenix Guard’,” Sunset replied with rolling eyes.

Though what she didn’t know, the other mares had another opinion entirely.

“Dude! It’s fantastic!” Lemon exclaimed enthusiastically, thanking the avian bundle of flames.

“It just sounds marvelous! And a name you can live with,” Sour Sweet added with a shrug.

“It can only get worse. We should take the name before it gets too cringy,” Sugarcoat said dryly.

“I think I like the name very much. A phoenix is a wonderful being and stands for strength and wisdom,” Wallflower Blush gave to consider calmly.

Philomena pushed her chest out in pride and cawed loudly in agreement as one would expect.

“Oh yeah! Wait until my sister hears about it. Misty Fly will burst from envy!” Indigo Zap supported with a smirk.

“I concur with Private Wallflower, the attributes which are normally connected to such a noble creature are characteristics we should strive for,” Sunny Flare elucidated empurpledly.

Silent Glide yawned behind her hoof, "Fine by me."

Lastly Twilight added, “A phoenix’s life cycle consists of the repeated rebirth from its own ashes. A spark that will never be extinguished under ordinary circumstances. It reminds me of the Elements of Harmony, a spark of true friendship was needed to make them work and I would like our guard to be a force that helps others with their problems and doesn’t give up.”

Sunset surrendered with a sigh, “OK, I yield.” She could accept her friend’s idea. “We have enough military related regiments which are only active in times of strife, a change of pace sounds good.”

It wasn’t like she hated the name, but it was a matter of pride for the amber unicorn. By who the idea was coming from worried her more to be precise. The others didn’t know this phoenix as well as she did, you didn’t just accept her suggestions, you just didn’t. Her self-confidence would only grow exponentially.

“Well, look at that. Seems you are outvoted by your own new followers and the alicorn, but don't be sad Sunny. I’m simply superior to you, always was, always am, always will be,” Philomena said with a playfully mocking tone.

Not that anypony could understand her except Sunset anyway, who had to contain herself from responding. There was one thing they competed in with each other since their youngest days, being snarky without ever being spiteful and always having a retort on your tongue. The art of wits.

And this cursed bird just landed a score.

Cadence sat upon her cushioned throne and took a deep breath. “It feels good to be home again. And I appreciate that you want to inform me immediately about recent development so soon, but I would prefer to keep our conversation short if you don’t mind. I have very trying days behind me and need to retire, majordomo.”

In truth she only wanted to see her Shiny and telling him about the newest developments.

Majordomo Ruby Eyes bowed in respect, “Your Grace, I understand that you must be tired, but I implore you to hear me out concerning this matter. You should know that your husband, the prince, invited foreign dignitaries to stay in the Crystal Palace’s guest quarters until they could meet you. Though I have to admit that they seem… too young for diplomats and I never saw their kind before.”

The Princess of Love smiled soothingly at her trusty assistant’s concerned expression, “I take your words into consideration. Now please, tell me about them and I will see to the appropriate course of action.”

Ruby Eyes was relieved to know that he could count on his empress.

“My Prince, what are you doing under your bed?” asked a crystal guard who was ordered to inform Shining Armor about his wife’s return. “Princess Cadence is in the throne room. Don’t you want to greet her?”

Shining left his safe haven in an instant and coughed loudly as if he didn’t know what she was talking about, “O-oh! I didn't know you were here Bright Coat. I just... checked if the maid did her job well enough. Yes, that was it. And she passed.”

The crystalline looking mare could only blink at this fabricated and most importantly bad lie, “Sir, is everything alright?”

Her ruler laughed falsely, “Of course it is!”

“SHINING ARMOR!” echoed the outraged scream of the Crystal Empress through the entire castle, the walls vibrated a little, and the guard folded her ears down with a wince.

The stallion in question tried his best to appear calm, but the Royal Canterlot Voice combined with his name couldn’t end well for him. A new strategy had to be taken.

Suddenly he gave Bright Coat a sealed envelope, his expression spoke of greatest importance and grim acceptance. “Soldier, hear my last orders. Give this to my parents, tell them that I want to be buried with my comic collection, especially my signed first edition of Captain Equestria. But most importantly, keep my sister safe and protect her innocence with your life. Stallions and colts can’t be trusted with their filthy thoughts and impure intentions.”

The Crystal Guard had absolutely no clue what was happening right now, “Come again… my prince?”

Before he could explain further the door to his room was nearly ripped off by the used amount of force.

“Where are they?!” Cadence demanded to know. Her narrowed eyes promised a great portion of ‘tough love’ for everypony involved.

And not the kind one would desire.

Their by now ignored guard switched her attention between the cowering, but usually so brave stallion and pink rage incarnated. Whatever happened, it was clearly something above her pay grade.

Craziness seemed to run in this family. She heard many rumors about the Princess of Friendship involving her obsessions and questionable decisions when under the pressure of a schedule, but Twilight Sparkle’s brother wasn’t much better in the end.

Chapter 18 - Disharmonic Probation

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“I can’t believe... that you have real bacon. And here I thought... you guys only eat fruits... and hay,” Rainbow Dash said between bites, what caused some chewed meat to escape her mouth.

The narrowed glares of the guards around them remained unnoticed by the teenager.

Fluttershy sighed in shame and Applejack snickered. Pinkie Pie had her plate full with all kinds of food and looked more like a chipmunk than a human with her inflated cheeks.

Rarity, who sat beside the athlete, kicked her blunt friend’s shin. It certainly took away the rest of Rainbow’s tiredness for waking up so early. She yelped quietly from the pain and surprise.

Not that the fashionista cared. She smiled sweetly, “Darling, the Prince granted us the courtesy to dine with him and pardoned us for the time being until the return of Princess Cadenza. Be so kind and show some table manners when in the presence of royalty.” She looked sheepishly at the white unicorn, “Your Highness, please excuse her uncouth behaviour.”

Shining Armor chose to ignore the girl’s rudeness for the sake of his sanity. It still boggled his mind that these humans were other versions of his sister’s friends. Besides, he saw far worse from his hungry, almost starving, sibling after one of her long study sessions when she didn’t put a break into her schedule to eat, “No offense is taken. We weren’t sure what kind of food you might prefer, so we included dishes normally reserved for meat eating dignitaries.”

It helped that the cooks asked their ‘visitors’ what kind of diet they had before breakfast started. He completely forgot about it and would have ordered daisy sandwiches, sweets and fruits.

Fluttershy remained quiet for the duration of the whole meal, but after being patient for the whole time she had to finally satisfy her thirst for knowledge about this world’s animal kingdom, “Uhm, are there many sapient species around these lands? If you don’t mind me asking, Your Highness.”

The former captain of the Solar Guard couldn’t remember the last time his status was addressed in such abundance. “Quite a few, yaks, diamond dogs, gryphons, and more. There are several hoofed races living within Equestria besides us ponies, too.”

“Even cows?” Pinkie asked after devouring a family portion of cornflakes and observing the cheese in front of her like a curious cat.

“Yes, why?” Shining inquired cautiously.

Four friends were caught off-guard by this revelation.

And the farmer of their group was repulsed, “Wait an apple pickin’ minute! How does that even work?” She pointed at the various kinds of milk based products like they had offended her greatly, “Where are these comin’ from?”

“We can thank our neighbours for that, the yaks of yakyakistan. Their milk serves as a trade product and we pay them for it in exchange,” the prince answered patiently like it was the most common knowledge.

The girls’ brains encountered an error and came to a stop. Applejack pushed a nearby plate of freshly made yogurt away from her, slowly.

Fluttershy recovered first, “B-but who milks them?” she asked in a mix of morbid curiosity and the desire to forget what she just heard.

Shining Armor and the crystal ponies didn’t understand what suddenly got into them. These humans behaved strangely, “Well, farmers of course. They go to meet the volunteers and do their job.”

Pinkie’s lips trembled from mirth, “In other words you pull their udders… with hooves?”

He rolled his eyes at such a ridiculous question, “No, we do it with our mouths. What do you think?”

That did it. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie couldn’t hold it any longer and laughed to the fullest.

“I-imagine it for a second Pinks! They’re like-” The athlete stammered and tried to make a serious voice, “-’Is that all what you got?! Pull my udder like you mean it!’”

“That sounded so wrong!” Pinkie had another idea to follow her friend’s juvenile sense of humor and attempted to calm down. It didn’t really work out for her, “D-don’t be shy! There’s a lot more where this is coming from!”

Rarity cringed, wanting to curl up and hide at such vulgar innuendos in public.

Rainbow took over again, “Or what about an udder massage? This is how whipping cream is made here!”

By now they both fell from their chairs.

Fluttershy hid her red face behind hair and hands. The only lady in the room whispered something unintelligible under her breath over and over again like a mantra in order to banish the invading images of perverted bovines.

Applejack was… sulking, “Ah can never look at our cattle again without gettin’ the heebie-jeebies.” She gazed at the duo, heavily annoyed, “Thanks gals.”

No equine in the room understood what was going on, but their prince was surprised by something Rainbow Dash said, “How did you know? It’s true, every spa offers an udder massage. It is a fact that such treatment gives their milk a more creamy quality,” Shining explained honestly.

Rainbow was holding her sides in response, suffering from pain in her diaphragm and slight problems to breathe.

Pinkie Pie though gasped loudly, an eureka moment took a hold of her sugar-induced mind, “That’s it! It all makes sense now! A magical cow means magical milk, which means magical quality, which equals the third law of butter, proves the rule of chocolate, doesn’t contradict my argument that sugarcubes are snacks, plus massages and minus Gummy explains why this cheddar tastes better than any cheese I ever ate!” She leaned closer to Shining Armor and was all business, “How much do you want? Perhaps we can agree on a price.”

A nearby guard pointed accusingly at the pink teenager, “Fresh Step and Steel Hoof were right! You really try to talk your way into somepony’s mind! Nothing you just said made any sense!”

Rarity stopped him with a wave of her hand from further claims, completely unfazed, “Don’t worry, Sir. That is pretty much Pinkie Pie in a nutshell.”

Another guard aided his fellow brother, “Not only is she a pervert, but a slaver, too! She just asked for a price to buy one of our neighbours! Does her evil know no bounds?!”

Pinkie was greatly offended and hurt by such notions, “What?! Are you crazy?! I wanted to ask for a price to get samples of the milk and cheese!”

Applejack coughed, “Err, Pinkie Pie? We don’t have any of them currency on us.”

“Weeeell, what about other services to pay?” the walking enigma suggested cheekily. Perhaps she could give these equines their first human party?

The guards whispered to each other, they knew that she tried to hit on their colleagues, but was this filly really that desperate for a roll in the hay?

Shining groaned quietly, it seemed the rumor mill was running hot once more. Last time it took forever to quell the assumption that the prince felt ashamed and tried to compensate for his magic aura because of its pink coloration.

Cadence liked it though and that was important.

“Guards! This young mare-”

“Woman!” interrupted a once more chipper Pinkie Pie.

“Woman made a mistake and you shouldn’t interpret too much into it. When I catch anypony else who disrespects our guests again, then I can promise you latrine duty for the next couple of months! Did I make myself clear?” the white unicorn warned cooly.

The risk of such unfortunate fate silenced the Crystal Guard immediately.

After breakfast the five friends decided to explore the city, with the permission of their host. But they were forbidden from leaving the empire and had to stay low, no more incidents.

The Crystal Empire was truly a beautiful sight to behold, all the houses and streets were made of different kinds of crystal in many shapes, their colors ranging from amber to overly bright blue to dark purple. Its name was well earned. But interesting, if perhaps predictable, were the chosen names of the various streets themselves. ‘Sapphire Path’, ‘Ruby Avenue’, ‘Emerald Alley’, ‘Topaz Road’, every kind of gem was most likely represented at some place.

Additionally they were something never witnessed before by the crystalline appearing ponies, who observed the quintet from afar. Regardless, despite their unknown origin, enough merchants wouldn’t be stopped so easily from advertising their products to the humans.

There was still one problem they had to face, one that Applejack already pointed out to them this morning. No bits!

“It is the Worst. Possible. Thing! Such fabulous fabric and no money to buy it, a crime against fashion if there ever was one. Just imagine all the designs I could have created with them!” Rarity complained dramatically.

Rainbow Dash had her hands in her pockets, frowning, “I don’t get why Twilight’s brother refused to give us a few coins. He’s the literal ruler of this place and must be loaded!”

Fluttershy glared softly at her childhood friend, “Dash, don’t be greedy. Prince Shining Armor gave us already much more comfort than he had to. Remember, we are not really what you could call ‘wanted guests’.”

“Right she is, my chromatic firebrand! But maybe I can help?” suggested a suddenly appearing Discord. Popping into existence right next to them in his natural form which caused some high volumed shrieks to escape the group.

“So much for staying under the radar,” Rarity muttered while shaking her head, recognizing who that most likely was.

“What in tarnation are ya?!” Applejack demanded to know in fear and wonder.

Her question was ignored, “Did you eat a bad apple? No bells ringing when confronted with my illustrious charm and memorable voice? I am shocked!” A lightning bolt came out of nowhere and hit the grinning God of Chaos dead on, he wasn’t fazed from the light show at all. But it gave him goosebumps.

Civilians left the premise immediately, not planning to become involved in eventual shenanigans.

The animal lover was happy in a second, “Mr. Discord! I thought you left!”

He chuckled fondly, “And missing out on the delicious chaos you humans could cause with your mere presence? Perish the thought!”

That Princess Boring’s brother thought he could order a god around was hilarious on its own. Next time this little mortal would ask him to wash the dishes, like a normal person!

Rainbow Dash balled her fists aggressively, “You! We nearly died out there because of you!”

Pinkie Pie tried to defuse the situation, “Come on Dashie! It wasn’t his fault that this super mean Frosty Pants attacked the portal.”

Discord huffed elegantly. “The nerve! After everything I have done for you! What about the fact that I gave you all the chance to meet Sunflank's sidekick again in order to apologize?”

The sky blue teenager felt a little guilty now for her outburst, “Well, I guess-”

“Or this one time I saved you from the Windigos near the park and prevented your certain doom?” he added like a disappointed father.

Applejack winced in embarrassment, “Shoot. Ya’re right.”

“See? Now, try again. What did you really want to say?” Discord asked with a, now, satisfied grin.

“Thank you, Mr. Discord…” replied the group as one, though only Pinkie and Fluttershy said it with conviction. This, whatever he was, still gave the other three an uneasy feeling.

The draconequus smiled to himself, it was time to have fun, “Hm, ‘Mr. Discord’ sounds way too formal. It makes me feel old as I am. How about ‘Lord Discord’?” They looked at him like he grew a second head. “Nah, you are right, too close to the truth. It should be something I don’t know.” Before any of the girls could say something he continued, “Or ‘Master Discord’, wielder of the forces of chaos and bane of everything mundane.” He spared a glance at Fluttershy, “Of course you are an exception my little human.”

The girl in question narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, “Mr. Discord, please be nice to my friends.” Her interest got the better of her, ”But what did you mean with ‘help’?”

Their benefactor contained an eye roll. Why were both Fluttershys always siding with those other grumpies?

Discord showed them his open paw in response, when suddenly gold coins appeared on it. “Who needs a job or royal connections when you can just create the needed currency out of thin air?” he stated cheekily.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t convinced, “Isn’t that illegal?”

The draconequus flicked his claws and a judge’s robe covered his serpent-like body with a powdered wig atop his head, a cliched image of a judge of old. A big opened tome floated in front of him, the words ‘Constitution of Everywhere and Nowhere - What you never wanted to know’ could be read on the cover.

Discord clicked with his tongue, voice mockingly sophisticated, “Well, let’s take a look, shall we?” He flipped a few pages to the right, mumbled incomprehensibly to himself, flipped a few pages to the left, only to mumble again, “Aha! Here it is. I found a very old law, it says that every god of chaos who creates bits out of nowhere and upsets the economical balance intentionally needs to be brought to justice. As punishment the law dictates that the offender has to ignore said law, because chaos doesn’t care for rules, social norms or regularities.” The book disappeared in a cloud of smoke, “I have spoken.”

The five friends gazed at him, trying to comprehend his madness. None succeeded.

“What? Did you expect a serious answer?” Discord asked proudly.

Rarity was now on a personal mission, trying to find the goal of her search. Applejack noticed it first, “Rares?“

The fashionista blinked at the interruption of her thoughts, “Sorry Darling. It is just that our… chatter during breakfast had at least one positive aspect.” Joy dominated her face in an instant, “Prince Armor hinted on the existence of a spa! I admit that I am curious what kind of services these adorable equines are providing for their customers. But now that the issue concerning our liquidity is solved...” She left the sentence unfinished.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, “I’m game when we’re talking about having some fun. No harm done, right? I mean it’s not like we’re stealing.”

Applejack didn’t like it at all. It was deceitful. Though she could understand the allure, “No can do gals. Ah won’t take a part in this, but Ah won’t tell a soul either. Do what y’all want, but without me.”

“No, thanks. I don’t need anything,” Fluttershy said uncomfortably.

“Mmhhh~! All the treats I could buy!” Pinkie Pie commented, salivating.

Discord was highly amused by their justifications, “These humans are a riot! The average pony these days would call Celestia on me for what I did, they are so adorably innocent in comparison to them.” He cleared his throat to gain their attention, attempting to be serious, “I brought you all here, true, but I admit that the landing wasn’t as pleasant as Mad Airlines promised. As your pilot, guide and chaperone I would like to make amends. Be it bits to buy a nice souvenir,” the draconequus looked invitingly at Applejack, “or something else, just name it. Call it a small wish of your choosing. Just think of something you want to do to spend your forced timeout creatively.”

It felt like the metaphorical deal with the devil to some degree, but Discord never led them astray for as long as they knew him. Or so Fluttershy defended the draconequus, much to his own surprise. It was touching how the shyest one always stood up for him.

“Well, fat chance. We are forbidden from leaving the empire, remember?” Rainbow Dash reminded in a deadpan tone.

“And then there are the guards who were tasked to watch over us to make sure we keep our end of the bargain.” Rarity looked around to proof her point, but strangely nopony was there.

Discord chuckled ominously, “Oh, don’t worry about the unimportant details ladies. Just enjoy yourself to your heart's content and let Uncle Dizzy work his magic. Helping the ones in need is simply what I do.”

Definitely the devil.

“Welcome to the Crystal Paradise! How may I help you?” asked the nice receptionist, a young crystal pony mare with an unrecognizable accent, a shiny silver coat, amber eyes and a short wavy mane, but a longer and smooth tail.

It was admirable how she remained professional despite the appearance of a being she surely never saw before.

“I certainly hope so, madame,” Rarity said politely. “What can you offer a non-pony like me to get rid of all the stress I suffered through in these last days?”

A part of her felt ashamed for being here instead of searching for Sunset and Princess Twilight, but another, larger part reminded her that she had no choice but wait. So why not enjoying herself in the meantime?

“Well, your body has similar proportions to a minotaur. One of our massagers is a certified physiologist and specialized in taking care of a foreign customer’s needs.” The receptionist looked through various documents and the spa’s day planner. “You are very lucky that he has no more appointments today. Please write your name on the list and I will notify him as soon as possible.”

This was another difference between the two dimensions which surprised the humans when they were tossed into prison. There was no such thing as an ID card or other papers in this world. Trust in the honesty of what you were told by strangers was mandatory, perhaps even taken for granted.

Did that mean that identity theft didn’t exist?

But Rarity didn’t want to be in trouble again for using her real name like the last time. And her actions could cause her counterpart problems, something she wanted to avoid. A slight change had to be made.

The mare took a look and smiled brightly at her customer, “You have a lovely name.”

Her gesture was returned, “You are too kind. My mother used to tell he how much of a ‘Scarcity’ I am for her to have, you wouldn’t believe the puns I had to endure during my childhood.”

A short laugh escaped the receptionist. “Believe me, I can sympathize with your situation. My mother called me…” She smiled coyly, “Sensual Touch. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Rarity giggled, barely preventing herself from outrightly snorting in an unladylike manner, “You have my condolence.”

Sensual shrugged, “Well, it could be much worse. There is a reason why my sister is solely responsible for running the spa from her office.” She shook her head, “We both can’t explain ourselves what possessed mother to name her own daughter like that.”

The girl’s sixth gossip-sense was tingling, “I can assure you of my discretion.”

Sensual leaned closer, “Her name is Happy Ending.”

Rarity cooed, “How naughty~”

Pinkie Pie was certain, she landed in heaven. The desserts and other sweet products the crystal ponies had to offer tasted like perfection. There had to be ingredients she didn’t know existed, but what?

Still, this had to wait. Something much more important just happened, like meeting family. And her big sister looked exactly like she imagined her to be! The same gray skin, or more fur in this case, the same haircut, and most importantly, the same expression of unreachable happiness.

“Oh Maud, I am so glad that we ran into each other! And your frock is just cute!” the pink teenager gushed, without a care if bystanders heard her.

The stoic mare blushed a little at the unexpected compliment. Not many things managed to penetrate her calm exterior, but meeting an alternative version of her little sister who wanted to cuddle her like an oversized doll would do the job.

Maud’s saddlebags were filled to the brim with research notes for her rocktorate. Her original plan was it to enjoy a hearty breakfast before she would return to her studies.

But no plan ever survived contact with Pinkie Pie.

As expected by her sibling, she gave her a summary of the reasons why she and her other friends were here and what happened since their arrival. Without taking a breath of course. Though there were details which triggered the Earth Pony’s big sister mode fiercely, alternative version or not, “Pinkie Pie? Who exactly put you in prison? I would like to have a few words with them.”

The human hugged her with force, smiling sadly. “You are really the bestest biggest sister I could wish for, no matter how you look,” Pinkie said with a noticeably touched and much quieter voice than was normally known by her before releasing the smaller mare. “S-so? What do you think I should do? I could reaaaally use your help.”

Maud nuzzled the surprised teenager. And she very much appreciated the furry contact, it tickled.

“Follow your heart, it will tell you what to do. Sunset Shimmer may forgive you, or maybe she won’t. It depends on how much she is hurt on the inside because of what you all did,” the earth pony advised honestly.

Pinkie Pie flinched like she was hit. “But what is if us being here won’t be enough? Usually I would just organize a big party in order to make people smile again! You know how bad I am with handling situations like that!”

The stoic mare nodded in understanding, that was something both Pinkies had in common, “You simply have to hope for the best. But remember, no matter how this will end, your friends and family will be there for you. I will be there for you.”

“I don’t know how I deserve you,” Pinkie stated with wet eyes.

A kind smile graced now Maud’s face, “Don’t worry. I can be the rock in your life to lean on, preferably quartz. The same can be said about the Maud in your world.”

The human girl laughed quietly, “Your jokes are as hard to swallow as I expected them to be from you as a pony.”

“Of course. Boulder has liked my jokes since the day he was a pebble.” She took him out of her pocket and stared at her pet rock, “Next month we will celebrate his 20th birthday… they grow up so fast,” Maud explained passionately, for her standards.

Sometimes Pinkie was worried about her bestest of siblings. She knew that her relative preferred to surround herself with rocks, because they didn’t judge her, even as a human. But then again she had no real room to talk either, her ‘pet’ was a toothless alligator plushie.

The party lover hugged her equine sister once more, just tighter, “Thank you Maud! This is a reason to celebrate!” But first she had to drink her still untouched hot chocolate, so she did. It was sensational. “Oh my gosh!”

Pinkie’s fine motor skills suffered in her state of enforced hyperactivity, the cup fell out of her hand and nearly shattered on contact with the wooden floor. If not for Maud who caught it in a way that even the physics defying teenager had difficulties to understand what she just saw.

“Nice catch! My wife made these,” the crystalline salespony informed from behind the counter.

He was a pudgy stallion with a dark ice gray coat and a white mane in the form of a cinnamon, the tail short and stubby. His black eyes conveyed warmth.

Pinkie Pie blushed strongly, “I-it was an accident! I didn’t mean to do that, I swear! Your chocolate just tasted so incredibly good that I lost my head for a moment!”

A disarming smile came to his muzzle, “Don’t worry. Nothing happened.”

Maud acknowledged the crystal pony’s calmness, “I would have paid for the damage,” and took a glance at his nameshield, “Mr. Pastry.”

The owner of the bakery rolled with his eyeballs, “It’s alright Miss. I never had a customer quite like your… sibling.” The duo's sisterly interaction baffled most equines. “I think she pulled in more sales than I would normally earn in a day.” Pastry gave their table an amused look. “What would you like to test now?”

Pinkie grinned over both ears. “Strawberry ice chocolate, please!”

Maud nodded in agreement, “Wise choice, Boulder approves.”

Witnesses around them already gave up, they simply couldn’t figure out how this strange creature managed to drink 15 different kinds of hot chocolate without jumping through a wall. Or having a heart attack.

Mr. Pastry wore it openly as a badge of pride that his bakery offered 20 different recipes of hot cocoa during the winter season, from all around the world. The army of empty cups on the siblings’ table spoke volumes about the quality.

Pinkie licked her lips happily before taking a notepad and a pen out of her hair, scribbling something down, “Dark chocolate from Zebrica, check!”

The decision was final, she wouldn’t take a single coin she didn’t earn herself through honest work. But the opportunity to learn about the farming methods of another species was too much of a present not to accept.

A teleportation later she found herself in a green wonderland full of life, the exact opposite of the frozen wastelands she was in before. Animals made themselves a home at every corner and Applejack stood on the top of one of two small mountains which granted a breathtaking view over the flourishing valley beneath.

But only in the distance, close to the dominating monuments of nature, another picture entirely presented itself. Most of the trees had been chopped off and a parched riverbed ran between them. Though the space between the mountains looked like some kind of battlefield as well, smashed fruits were rotting around, luring insects and rodents.

What happened next was something she would take into the grave. The owners of various pumpkin fields and other kinds of crop, which decorated the entire area around the girl, spotted her and accused Applejack of being a ‘mutant spy from them rotten McColts’, whoever they were.

Being called a vermin and receiving squishy fruits to the face was no experience she wanted to repeat any time soon.

After the bombardment ended the leader, some old mare who introduced herself as Ma Hooffield, demanded to know what her intentions were. It was clear as applesauce that these families disliked each other to the blood for some reason.

“And Ah tell ya! Ah don’t know any McColts! Ah didn’t even know y’all live here until ya and yer kin attacked me!” Applejack exclaimed heatedly, by now fed up with this spy nonsense. Though first she needed more information, “Where are we anyway? Ah’m only here thanks to the help of a… whatever he is.”

Ma Hooffield raised her voice, a thick scottish accent colored her words, “Likely story ya pony mutant! That’s exactly what a good-for-nothin’ McColt spy would say! Everypony around these parts knows the Smokey Mountains and that the west mountaintop is Hooffield territory!”

“Not the brightest candle in the holder, isn’t she?” Applejack thought dryly. “Why are ya callin’ me ‘mutant’ all the time?”

The earth pony pointed at the evidence upon her head in annoyance, “Tryin’ to be smart, aren’t ya?”

Applejack chuckled in embarrassment, “That’s a long story.” She decided to take another approach, outstretching her hand as a sign of peace, “But Ah think we met on the wron’ foot. Name’s Applejack and Ah came here to learn from y’all, as a fellow country gal ma’self.”

Ma Hooffield was suddenly much calmer and grunted, staring at the hand like a newly discovered bug. “Why didn’t ya say so from the start? No McColt spy would ever understand a thin’ about farmin’.”

“But Ma! What if she’s just tryin’ to trick us?” asked a second what seemed to be mare. With a body made of muscles and a voice belonging to somebody who surely ate iron nails for breakfast.

A lanky stallion grumbled at his second cousin twice removed, “And what do ya think we should do? Puttin’ her in there?” He nodded in the direction of what could only be described as an incident waiting to happen.

An insult to every architect.

Of course Applejack noticed it in the moment she arrived. Every ‘house’ on this mountain looked like something made by a ten year old who had built his first tree house. Though on the other mountain besides them resided the exact opposite, a product of construction skill. A giant fort.

What were the odds?

“Let me guess. McColts?” the teenager queried curiously, looking at the wooden creation in wonder.

How these equines were able to handle tools with their hooves to a certain degree like humans did with hands defied all logic.

Ma gritted her teeth, “Those gosh darn woodpeckers think they’re so special, because they’re good in buildin’ things.” She spit on the ground in distaste.

Applejack saw a pattern, “In short, y’all are great when it comes to growin’ food, but can’t build a simple shed. And the McColts are the exact opposite.”

“And? What is it to ya?” the matriarch of the family wanted to know like an inquisitor.

Applejack was simply confused by the open sharpness in Ma’s tone. “Why aren’t y’all workin’ together with the McColts instead of fightin’ them?”

A chorus of loud gasps filled the air. A stallion even fainted from shock.

“Are ya out of yer mutant mind? Hooffields and McColts are sworn enemies since four generations,” Ma Hooffield replied in bemusement.

Applejack shook her head. “Look, y’all could grow crops and the McColts do the constructin’. Isn’t that much better than hatin’ each other’s guts?” Though the farmer felt bile in her throat, caused by the bitter irony of this situation, “Ya lyin’ hypocrite! Ya didn’t give Sunset a darn chance when she needed yer support and now ya try to lecture other folks?!”

A second round of indignation followed suitly. The stallion from before woke up for three seconds before fainting once more.

Ma Hooffield circled around Applejack, as if trying to figure out her motivation for saying such things in the first place. “Becomin’ friends with those backstabbers? Next ya wanna tell us that there’s a new alicorn.”

“What’s an ‘alicorn’?” Some of the earth ponies laughed at her cluelessness.

The leader of the family silenced her kin with a gesture of her hoof, “Ya must be the worst spy Ah ever saw or tellin’ the truth.” She sighed ashamedly at being such a bad host if that was the case. “How can ya not know what the three princesses are? Were ya livin’ under a rock?”

Applejack wasn’t certain what that meant. Was Princess Twilight something they didn’t saw before?

Ma Hooffield took her thoughtful expression as a sign to end this senseless discussion, “Ya chit-chat will bring us nowhere. But Ah’m a reasonable mare. We can show ya all about the earth pony way to live, if ya promise not to tell them city folks about us when ya return home. Take it as an apology for bein’ downright rude. Normally we don’t get any visitors.”

“What?” came the eloquent question.

A colder atmosphere took hold of the conversation. “Ah don’t expect from a stranger to understand, but we were cast out for still believin’ into the teachings of our ancestors and just want to be left alone.”

It would explain why Ma Hooffield’s kin lived in the middle of nowhere.

“Ah’m not sure Ah understand. Are ya tryin’ to tell me that ya family never leaves this here valley to trade goods with others?” Applejack couldn’t imagine such a way of life. No contact to any form of civilization? How was that possible?

“We Hooffields are one of the oldest earth pony houses and we always refused to let new blood into our tree. Call it foolish, but that’s how we decided to live. One of the very few things we can agree on with the McColts. Accept our terms or leave,” Ma explained with solemn finality.

The human teenager just noticed now that every of these ponies looked very similar. In many shades of maroon or brown with unkempt and frizzy manes and tails, available in all age groups. Only that Ma Hoffield had white hair and looked clearly like the oldest member of their small society.

Even more disturbing, there were at least three in between who looked like special cases.

Then it dawned on her, eyes widened by the realization, “Y’all family? Like family by blood?” At least over 30 Ponies surrounded her, all much closer related than she ever thought possible.

Everypony nodded in confirmation.

“Them hicks!” Applejack shouted in her mind, feeling dizzy all of the sudden from this revelation.

He promised that the Neighagara Falls would offer tranquility and rare wildlife, no matter which season. And she wasn’t disappointed. Fluttershy observed her surroundings for hours by now. It was cold here, but well worth it, the pictures and sketches she could make were of high quality.

It was very nice of Mr. Discord to give her a camera, material to draw and even an encyclopedia about the various animals around these parts, many of which were mythological back home.

She had the honor to witness a good number of noble creatures. Like the majestic azure phoenix with a plumage of different shades of blue and white colored flames at the wingtips, or a dire wolf with a size three times bigger than the common wolf from earth for example. But some animals were already known to her, too. A snow fox, some squirrels, arctic owls.

It was lovely and the sounds of the rushing waterfalls behind her had a calming effect on the meek girl.

Fluttershy sighed in bliss. “I wish our world could offer such magical wonders. I never had such fresh air to breath either.”

She walked around a giant of a tree before arriving at a meadow. Suddenly a pink bunny jumped out of the high grass, Fluttershy squeaked from the unexpected encounter. “Oh my!” The critter had widely spread black antlers on its head, a strange combination of colors. She took the book from her bag and found what she was looking for in an instant. “You are a jackalope!” Fluttershy exclaimed joyfully.

Although the presence of this lepus caused some questions in her head, “Strange. According to the book they normally hibernate during winter. What is it doing here?”

As if reading her mind it closed the distance between them and looked up at her with innocent black eyes.

Fluttershy couldn’t resist the little guy’s charme, “Awww~!”

In the moment she held her hand close to pet it everything changed. Its eye color switched from black to blood red and sharp teeth were shown to underline the treacherous act of aggression.

“You are a vampiric jackalope!” the teenager shouted in panic and stumbled backwards.

And just in time, it nearly bit into her hand.

She turned around to run, but found herself surrounded by the jackalope’s furry friends. They seized her up and glanced at each other as if debating silently who may have the first turn. Dinner was served.

Fluttershy whimpered fearfully, “P-please! I-”

A mighty roar interrupted her.

What looked like a giant crossbreed between a lizard and a mammal entered the scene, easily twice as big as a pony. Something she never heard or read of before. Nearly its whole body was covered by scales, violet at most places and a sickly green on the underside from the stomach to the end of a long tail. The claws were sharp, the legs athletic and lethal lilac thorns, ordered in a straight row, greeted prey and enemies alike from its neck to the lower back. Its upper body though was protected by thick midnight blue fur and the massive predator’s head reminded clearly of a big cat. Its teeth, cat eyes, fluffy lynx ears and nose had the same sick green color scheme as some of the scales.

The jackalopes started to growl immediately, some would say hatefully. And much to Fluttershy’s surprise they ignored her entirely.

“Perhaps I can slip away?” she reasoned hopefully.

Then all hell broke loose. The halfbreed jumped into the frey and ripped, quite literally, into the jackalopes. Who in turn jumped on the intruder and delivered bite after bite. Although there was no time to admire nature’s beauty in its most primal form. A shame.

She recognized the her given opportunity and tiptoed backwards. However, her attempt of escaping silently was dashed immediately. Fluttershy winced with squinnied eyes and glanced down in dread, she stepped on a thin branch.

Neither the hybrid, nor most of the vampiric monster bunnies took notice of her, except two.

“Eep!” was her scared outcry before she turned tail, the jackalopes on hot pursuit.

The poor girl was sure that she ran for two minutes without a break until she stumbled over a root she missed and fell. “Oof!”

Her followers squealed in delight and jumped at her with bared teeth. Fluttershy crossed her arms in front of her head and braced herself. And continued to do so, but nothing happened. No pain from being bitten, no more growls, just the tranquility of nature.

Fluttershy lowered her arms and looked around. She certainly wasn't here before and the things she left behind waited at her side to be picked up, meaning the sketch book and the encyclopedia. “M-Mr. Discord?”

Nobody answered, but her new location was enough proof to her. Before her arrival she wanted his word not to intervene if not absolutely necessary. She wanted to experience everything without an escort.

Meeting animals was always much easier for her alone.

“Your entrance was so radical. My name’s Tree Hugger and I never saw anything like you before, what are you?” a very relaxed female voice asked.

Fluttershy was confronted with what must be the very definition of a hippie, albeit one with four legs. She was an earth pony with a light harlequin coat, but more importantly did she have a mane and tail made of light amaranth with light vermillion streaks mixed dreadlocks. Her eyes were pale light grayish purple and puffy. A bright headscarf which was covered by stitched flowers completed the picture.

The mare’s ‘Cutie Mark’, she believed Sunset once called them if she remembered correctly, showed a tree with a heart-shaped canopy reminding of the deepest autumn because of its red coloration.

“Uhm… my name is Flu-Fluttershy. And I am a human,” the teenager explained quietly.

The mellow attitude of Tree Hugger was unshakable, “Righteous~! You even have the exact same name like a friend of mine. What a cosmical coincidence.” Fluttershy smiled nervously. “Come, let us recharge our chakra in my humble kingdom and tell me all about your purpose here.”

On their way the unequal duo talked about the most likely reason for Fluttershy’s arrival and what events led to it. She was deeply fascinated by what she was told. Apparently the creature who had attacked the jackalopes was a chupacabra, a beast that ate normally goats as a main diet.

Chupacabras and vampiric jackalopes had always been arch enemies, which was the reason for the attack. “Vampiric jackalopes fed on blood, like nature’s greatest mosquitos. Their nose is quite skilled in finding the nectar of life. But a chupacabra gives them a serious case of bad vibes.”

Fluttershy didn’t get it, “Huh?”

Tree Hugger hummed, still smiling as if in her own world. “You see, they have acidic blood which causes the fluffy vampires to lose all their self-control. But I can understand their inner conflict. Getting your sense of smell destroyed by the scent of somepony’s blood isn’t a good basis for a harmonic co-existence. And chupacabras are very territorial, they don’t tolerate other predators on their land.”

“Incredible, I didn't think that nature would create such forms of rivalry,” the girl marveled.

“I wonder how the chupacabra could even be there in the first place. Normally they don’t live in this area,” the mare contemplated in over exaggerated wonder. “Maybe the universe wanted to save you and sent it to your rescue. That would be completely radical.”

Or a certain draconequus, so Fluttershy mused to herself.

Tree Hugger led her new guest to a cottage. It held a similar appearance to what the teenager saw from her counterpart’s home, though it was darker and looked less decorated with birdhouses and more with bare patches of earth all around.

A funny smell in the air grew stronger the closer they were to the earth pony’s home. Fluttershy’s eyes turned into pinpricks at what she witnessed inside. Plants with many thin, long leaves welcomed her in various sizes and high numbers. The smell increased tenfold and started to cloud her mind.

She knew this plant, not only did she now recognize the smell thanks to its unmistakable appearance, but she read a lot about newest research projects concerning its medical use in human- and animal medicine. Not to mention every school having its certain students who smoked the plant.

“I-is your entire cottage filled with weed?” Fluttershy asked, seriously dumbfounded.

Tree Hugger raised an eyebrow and showed for the first time something else than utter carefreeness, “Weed? Are you talking about my dream herbs? I didn’t know somepony except me knew about them.”

Fluttershy stared at her host. “Dream herbs?”

To show what she meant the earth pony went to a nearby plant and nibbled on some leaves, “I found them a few years ago thanks to their smell. You should try it, they are very calming for body and spirit. I owe them my clarity and I can promise you that I never felt more balanced in my life before fate led me to such delicious self-fulfillment. I can’t imagine a life without them and their message of peace.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure if she should cry or laugh upon realizing that even ponies had stoners.

“Eenope!” Discord answered in a Big Mac voice, crossing his arms in finality.

Rainbow groaned. “Why not?!” she demanded to know huffingly.

The draconequus stroked his goatee, acting thoughtfully, “Let’s see… Oh, yes! It could be the tiny detail that I won’t send you into some forgotten temple in an even older and very dangerous jungle just that you can live out your Daring Do fantasies.”

Rainbow Dash was visibly surprised, “H-how?!”

He smiled knowingly, “Please. Your counterpart fangirls about this book series all the time and I know that you humans have it, too. Spoiler alert~!” Discord gave her a deadpan, “You won’t survive five minutes.”

She didn’t like to be told off like that, “Oh yeah?! I can... I can-” The athlete looked around until her wings came in sight and returned the received sass with a smirk of her own, “I can outfly whatever comes at me!”

Discord leaned down to be on the right height for a good old eye-to-eye stand-off. “Oh? So you want to tell me that you like to live at the edge?”

Rainbow nodded, convinced about her cause.

An unreadable grin adored his features before he snapped his claw, causing an abrupt change of scenery.

“What gives?!” she exclaimed, completely caught off-guard.

The teenager noticed her new clothes instantly, an exact copy of the infamous Daring Do outfit itself. A dark olivine vest, tan colored shorts, sturdy dark brown boots to below the knees and a tan pith helmet with a dark olive band.

At first glance It seemed that they were in some kind of huge camouflage colored tent. A small table with a well drawn map of lands unknown to the human and names written in languages never heard of were to her right. A pen, divider and a compass occupied various positions on the piece of parchment. In another corner was a rainbow colored sleeping bag.

Rainbow Dash gasped in a high pitch, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I look like Daring Do!”

The one responsible for this event polished his paw on his chest as if expecting praise. “Well, what is an adventure without the right touch? Now, go outside and have some fun, just be mindful of your first step.”

She snorted at this helpful piece of information, “Please! I can take care of my-ahhhh!!”

What Discord missed to tell her was that the tent’s entrance led downstairs. A huge cliff to be precise.

He floated besides the screaming teenager, easily keeping up with the speed of her fall, “You have to speak louder! The rushing wind makes too much noise! And maybe you should use your wings, but that is just my own humble opinion!”

His casual observation kick-started Rainbow’s memory that her body was blessed with additional parts to save her life. In a desperate attempt to get hold of the situation she let her instincts take over, as always when she flew.

“Woah!” Dash exclaimed panicky after barely avoiding several trees until she managed to land on the ground, or more crash landed.

She would feel that the next morning.

Discord laughed at what he witnessed, “What a show! Very Wonderbolt worthy.”

Rainbow stood up and gave him the evil eye, “Are you insane?! You are supposed to protect, and not endanger us!”

He smiled innocently, “What’s the matter? I thought you like to live on the edge? Rule number one! As an explorer and adventurer you always have to expect the unexpected.”

“Do you think this is funny?!” she fumed.

The draconequus lost his impish twinkle and stared unimpressively at the teenage girl, “I guess you’re not as tough as you want others to believe when something like that already makes you quit. A shame.”

Rainbow Dash blushed fiercely in embarrassment, “Y-you just surprised me, that’s all.”

He looked up, “Well then, here comes your second chance, Ms. Do.”

She followed his gaze and saw what seemed to be some kind of very large carnivorous bird, easily taller than her family’s house, and it had three floors. Razor sharp claws at the end of its feet and a beak big enough to devour her in one bite were two of the first things Rainbow noticed. The torso was covered in bright brown feathers on the lower half and white around the top, including the head. It had steel blue feathers around threatening looking yellow eyes and the inner side of two enormous wings, which could block out the sun in the right angle. The entire backside from below the neck to the tip of its pinions and the rest of the wings didn’t seem to be protected by plumage, but something else.

“Err, Mr. Discord? Those gray and black feathers are strange. It looks so, well…” Rainbow didn’t know how to explain it precisely, she could be wrong.

“Segmented?” the draconequus helped out. “Yes. This, my dear daredevil, is a southern roc. And what you tried to describe aren’t feathers, but scales in feather-like shapes. Roc prey upon molting dragon younglings while their scales are still soft. And a predator with such a unique diet needs all the advantages it can get when facing fire-breathing food.”

“Why do I have the feeling that it doesn’t want us here?” Rainbow queried nervously.

Discord crossed his arms and lowered his head in thoughts, “Perhaps you look exotic enough that it wants to know how you taste?” She gulped. “Or, but I am not sure, these roc eggs on the rock spur over there belong to our angry looking friend and we are at the wrong place at the wrong time.” He hit his head in realization. “Of course! We are on the other side of the world and it’s breeding season. Why didn’t you remind me of that?”

The roc made itself ready for a swoop.

“M-Mr. Discord?” Rainbow Dash’s bravery broke apart in face of such a deadly threat.

With an outraged battle cry, that sounded like coming from the biggest eagle alive, it dived.

“I mean it’s not like we plan to make us an omelet,” he mused calmly and glanced judgingly at the scared human. "Or do you?"

It approached fastly, ready to rip them to shreds with everything the livid predator and mother bird got.

“Get us out of here!” Rainbow shouted in panic.

Discord raised an eyebrow at her fearful tone, “Are you sure? I don’t think Daring Do would approve of your decision." An ear-splitting screech nearly knocked them down. "On the other paw-”

“Screw Daring Do and save us! Now!” she interrupted harshly.

He held up his appendages in a surrendering manner, “OK, OK, no need to be pushy.”

They disappeared in the moment the roc hit their former position like a living meteor.

Rainbow Dash was laying in her bed, back in her original clothes, breathing heavily.

“Did you learn your lesson?” Discord inquired in a rare moment of seriousness.

She could only shake her head in mental exhaustion, not sure what the God of Chaos meant.

“You wanted to live an adventure like Daring Do, but forgot that this isn’t some fantasy world any longer. Everything that can harm you here, will.” He opened a rip in reality in the form of a door, showing the living-room of his home before he turned his head to look down upon the teenager, “The fun stops when your own death becomes a tangible option, doesn’t it? Remember that the next time you ask for something stupid.”

“I know,” she whispered guiltily though he still heard her. “This whole Anon-a-Miss mess showed me how much of a screw up I am. I just thought I could forget about it, even if only for a short time, you know? Sunset deserves much better friends than me.”

Discord rolled his eyes, “Oh, stop it with the self-pity. You mortals are always so melodramatic when it comes to making mistakes.” He sat down besides Rainbow. “In fact, life is all about making mistakes. If not for them, it would be incredibly boring to even exist, don’t you think? Failure is the needed spice to make things interesting, because without them you would never improve and learn to be a better person. I mean look at me, I am the incarnation of chaos and a god. I thought myself above consequences for the greatest part of my existence and the only thing that mattered for me was my own entertainment. It needed a shy pegasus and a nearly fatal betrayal after many eons of solitude before I finally realized that there are more important things to care about.”

Rainbow sighed strongly, before she stood up and faced the draconequus with uncertainty in her orbs, “You think Sunset and Twilight will forgive us when we show them that we are really sorry for what we did?”

He chuckled dryly, “Girl, you don’t understand. Forgiveness can’t be earned, only freely given. Can you forgive yourself for what you did? Can Sunflank Junior forgive you after you let her down when she was most vulnerable? Can Bookhorse forgive you for betraying her faith in you? To forgive means that you try to banish an event into the past and move on, but it doesn’t undo what happened, or the feelings it created. Saying that you forgive doesn’t equal that you forget, nor that a damaged relationship will ever be the same. Only time will tell what the future may bring, but in the end you will have to accept the consequences.”

Dash listened attentively, but didn’t say anything, she heard that shard of wisdom before. A short glimpse at Discord’s dimension made her question if she saw right, “Aren’t those the guards who were supposed to watch over us?” She blinked in confusion. “And why are they wearing maid outfits?”

Stallions dressed like mares wore the most ridiculous attires imaginable and did chores which didn't necessarily qualify as useful. Their eyes had swirls in them instead of pupils, a clear sign for the girl that something wasn’t right.

Discord’s usual self returned with a vengeance, attempting to block her view, “But of course! You see, I convinced the crystal ponies to help me instead of wasting their precious time with observing teenagers. I decided to renovate.”

Rainbow could catch a few images still, particularly one pony chasing after what appeared to be a rabbit made of dust as his slim body wasn’t really blessed with girth after all. “And breaking things and making dust bunnies is your idea of ‘renovation’?”

She didn’t believe him for a second. This guy could do whatever he wanted from what she witnessed with a snap, literally.

He laughed much too joyfully, “Where is the fun in making sense? Just think about what I told you. But now excuse me, I have to look out for Applebrain and Fluttershy. Bye!”

The door was quickly closed behind him.

Should she tell the others? But then the conversation from earlier shot through her mind and what happened. Rainbow groaned and fell back on the softest mattress in her life, mumbling to herself, “Nah, I won’t risk pissing off some big shot who can most likely turn me into whatever he wants whenever he wants. Not worth it.”

Time for a well-deserved nap.

“A wise choice, indeed,” another male voice suddenly agreed in a deep husky tone.

Rainbow tried to jump out of her bed, entangled a foot in the blanket and landed with the grace of an elephant face first on the ground. “W-who’s there?!” She looked around frantically.

An amused chuckle filled her ears, “There is no need to bow, but I appreciate your thoughtful gesture nonetheless. Please, call me Sombra.”

Chapter 19 - Free

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After Discord brought them back to the empire the four friends were mildly concerned that Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found at their agreed meeting point, normally she complained first when somebody was late. Though even more surprising was that the guards, who were supposed to watch over them, acknowledged their punctual return wordlessly and reported to Prince Shining Armor that they were on their best behaviour.

There was most likely a reason why none of them noticed the girls’ absence, but it didn’t matter to them in the end. You didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, or pony in this case.

Rarity suggested to search their rooms before they declared her missing. And it appeared her hunch was right. Rainbow was sitting in Fluttershy’s room, waiting nervously. After noticing them she proceeded to tell everything about her encounter with the mysterious voice in the crystal.

And to think that she wanted to sell it once they were home...

“Ah don’t know, Sugarcube. That sounds to me like a bunch of hooey,” Applejack criticized warily.

“Yeah! But maybe there really is an evil meanie who does evil things, eats evil food and is now trapped because of his evil behavior,” Pinkie Pie added with a huge smile, using her skills as a detective of the highest caliber masterfully.

“Seriously Pinkie Pie? Evil food?” Rainbow questioned unimpressively, crossing her arms in expectations. She was curious which kind of answer would follow.

“Well, duh! That or he takes evil showers,” the pink teenager explained like it was obvious.

“How can somebody take ‘evil showers’?” Applejack inquired, feeling an incoming headache from such discussions.

Pinkie laughed knowingly, “Oh Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. Two words! Evil. Water.”

Her friends groaned or facepalmed.

Rarity put in her two cents, “I know we are in a world where much we would normally consider fantasy does exist, but are you sure you didn’t hit your head, Rainbow dear?”

The athlete frowned, “I swear! That crystal was talking to me!”

Applejack smirked widely, “So ya wanna tell us that our big bad Wondercolt captain is scared of a shiny talkin’ rock?”

“You have something to say, cowgirl?!” Rainbow exclaimed angrily, glaring at the blond for her attitude.

Mentioned teenager didn’t take kindly to her rival’s fury and became defensive, “What? Can’t take some honesty?”

Fluttershy intervened and stepped between the two squabblers, “Girls, please! There is no need to behave like that.” She addressed her childhood friend first, “Dash, Applejack didn’t want to accuse you of lying. It was meant as a joke.”

“See? Shy’s on ma’ side-”

“And you,” the animal lover scolded Applejack immediately afterwards, “shouldn’t make fun of her. None of us was here when it happened except Rainbow. The least we can do is to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

The competitive duo glanced at each other before avoiding eye contact in discomfort.

“She’s right. Ah’m sorry,” Applejack started remorsefully.

Rainbow called truce with a handshake. “Yeah, me too. My reaction wasn’t cool at all.”

Pinkie Pie hummed thoughtfully, “Perhaps he’s a genie?” She gasped excitedly, “A genie in a gem, that would be superamazing! Three free wishes for everybody!”

The animal lover ended the awkward silence, “I-I think we should listen to what Mr. Sombra has to say before we judge him. I mean he was in Rainbow’s pocket the whole time and never did anything mean.”

Applejack scratched the top her head beneath her trusty stetson, before sighing frustratedly, “Ah still don’t like it, but ya’re right. Scary or not, we can’t be sure as lon’ as we didn’t hear the fella out.”

Rarity nodded gracefully, “I concur. He could be a poor soul in dire need of our help for all we know.”

Rainbow Dash grimaced in uncertainty. “Alright.” She looked pointedly at every of her fellow Rainbooms, “But we keep our guard up, just in case, got it?”

They all supported the athlete’s idea in a heartbeat.

When they entered the blood red crystal was still in the same place as before she left, much to Rainbow’s relief, right in the middle of her bed. The shock of having a talking object in her hand had caused her to toss it away and to bail, posthaste.

“Ah, I see. You brought allies this time. That is fine by me, I very much prefer to explain myself when everypony involved is present anyway," Sombra said calmly. “I imagine you know who I am by now, but common courtesy dictates a proper introduction from me as a gentlestallion. My name is Sombra, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Rainbow pointed victoriously at the gem, “See?! I told you that I wasn’t crazy! This stone is possessed!”

Her friends stared at the perpetrator in shock, mouths slightly ajar.

“I can fully understand your reservations and you have surely many a question which demand answers. I would react the same if our positions were reversed. But I can assure you that it wasn’t my intention to surprise Lady Dash like I unfortunately did. Please, excuse my brusk mannerism,” he replied apologetically.

Pinkie didn’t want to be left out and smiled enthusiastically like the friendliest new neighbour, “Hi! I’m Pin-”

“I know who you all are, Lady Pie. My awareness wasn’t solely confined to the small space I am trapped in. Though meeting each other,” he chuckled humorlessly, “‘face to face’ has its merits I think.”

Rarity swooned, never did she hear a manlier voice. Smokey, smooth, the perfect amount of gravity. Why couldn’t this be a handsome human prince?

Her by now blushing chromatic friend didn’t share the sentiment, “Woah! Don’t get all frisky on us, pal. I still don’t trust you.”

Fluttershy analyzed the situation to the best of her abilities, “Oh… my…”

“Golly! Rainbow was right!” Applejack commented dumbfoundedly, then she glared at Sombra, “And why didn’t ya say somethin’ sooner ya creep!?”

He took the insult in stride. "Only after Lady Dash picked me up and brought me inside the empire’s barrier I slowly started to heal. Thus I couldn’t communicate with the outside world beyond my horn, only listen like a detached party thanks to my magic. I hope this bit of information quells your worries, Lady Applejack."

“Ya horn?! Bu-wha-HOW?! That doesn't’ make a lick of sense!” The farmer wasn’t quite sure what to think of their situation.

He sounded sincere in her opinion, but it was all kinds of creepy still.

Sombra sighed in what could be interpreted as tiredness, “I have no body to appear in to appease your eyes and to proof that I am no threat. What remained of me is sadly what you discovered in the snow. I can only give you my word as an honorable stallion that I’m telling you the truth, nothing more.”

“W-what happened to you, Mr. Sombra? If you don’t mind me asking that is,” Fluttershy wondered pityingly.

The crystal was glowing whenever he said something, “I suffered a most embarrassing fate, oh Kind One, much to my shame. However, you gave me the desperate aid I needed and have earned my eternal gratitude for your heroism, knowingly or not.”

Pinkie was the closest, puppy dog eyes activated, “So you really are a genie and now we can have our three wishes?” she asked hopefully.

A loud chuckle emitted from the horn, ”I always pay my debts, Lady Pie, but sadly I am no spirit who can simply grant another being’s dreams. Nonetheless, I want to help you in return for saving me, such is the least I can do.”

Something felt fishy to Rarity, “And why only us, dear sir? Wouldn’t it make much more sense to talk with the rulers of the Crystal Empire instead of five strangers who, as you surely heard by now, are from another dimension?”

The rest of the girls didn’t think of that, they looked at each other without uttering a sound, she had a fair point.

A long pause followed, for a few seconds they thought that Sombra was silent, because he was caught off-guard by this question, or because he needed to think of an excuse to cover his true intentions. But then he answered in righteous fury, “Because of how unfairly these ponies are treating you! You did nothing wrong and only wanted to apologize to your friends.” A literal growl came from the crystalline appendage. “You landed here because of a windigo’s interference and not out of some nefarious desire to attack the empire. What do you believe they will do if you tell them that you ‘found’ a mysterious horn with a voice in it and brought said unknown object into the heart of the Crystal Empire? Fair Maiden Rarity, they will most likely accuse you and your friends of being enemies of the state! Worse, that you work together with some evil entity behind their backs!”

“Y-you really think so?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“I know so! You have to trust me,” Sombra implored pleadingly. “I had my fair share of interactions with their kind. They act just, wearing a mask of benevolence. But woe betide anypony who dares to question their motives. If you don’t do what they want they will show you their true colors and make you pay for choosing your own path. It is in your own interest to keep my existence a secret, believe me. And I don’t want you to get into any more trouble than already seems to be the case.”

Pictures of long-term imprisonment invaded their minds, but Applejack wasn’t convinced, “And how are we supposed to know that ya didn’t deserve what happened to ya?” she inquired cautiously with crossed arms. “Ah think it’s mighty strange that ya horn was buried under the snow in them frozen wastelands.”

His voice was the allegory of relief, “I am very happy to hear that you keep your guard up. Surely this is the start of a beneficial relationship for all of us.”

This wasn’t necessarily the expected reaction. Rainbow voiced her opinion appropriately, “Come again?”

“Before I explain myself any further I would like to have your word that you may wait with your final judgement until the very end of my tale. Afterwards I will put my fate into your hooves and accept any decision you make,” he suggested humbly.

Crackling sounds disrupted the tense atmosphere, a certain pink teenager with a giant sweet tooth took a pillow and sat on the ground, enjoying an older looking candy bar.

“Darling, seriously?” Rarity queried flatly.

Pinkie had the decency to blush for ruining the mood. “Listening to somebody’s backstory without a snack makes me hungry?” she asked sheepishly in return.

Sombra found amusement in her antics, “Lady Pie. No insult intended, but you would make the perfect jester, worthy of any ruler’s court.”

She didn’t mind at all and could imagine it already, “You really think so?” The part time party planner sighed dreamily, “Earning money by telling jokes and turning frownies into smilies, the punchline of my life.”

Applejack chose to stay on the original topic, “Well, Ah guess there’s no harm in listenin’. Try us.”

Everybody agreed wordlessly.

“As you wish.” He took a few moments to collect himself, “I mentioned that the crystal ponies might accuse you of cooperating with an evil entity, allow me to elaborate,” Sombra spoke neutrally. “I was… at a bad place before I ended up in my current form, well, when it comes to my mental state that is. You should know that I once ruled over this very empire as its king, master and tyrant.”

“What?!” exclaimed the group of friends in disbelief.

“Aaaand this conversation is over, have fun in whatever vault you land.” Rainbow barely turned around before she was held back by her childhood friend who looked at her in disappointment. “Flutters, what gives? He just confessed being evil!”

The pink-haired teenager refused to let go, “Please, Rainbow! We promised to hear him out. I know that it sounds terrible, but there are always two sides of a story.” She stared sadly at every Rainboom in the room. “Didn’t we learn anything from what happened with Sunset? From Anon-a-Miss?”

Applejack smiled nervously, “Sugarcube, Ah don’t think that ya can really compare them.”

Sombra intervened in stoic acceptance, “Lady Fluttershy, I am honored and truly grateful for your trust, but your friends have every right to react this way. I decided to lay myself bare out of my own free will and expected such an outcome. History may portray me as a ruthless monster, but I always valued honesty, only cowards and weak-minded fools have to secure themselves power by resorting to deceit.”

Pinkie supported the animal lover and blocked the door with outstretched arms, “Come on girls! What kind of badie would just confess such a thing to strangers? Nobody is this stupid unless he’s really sorry!”

Rainbow and Applejack were set in their minds and looked at Rarity for advice. She would have to serve as the tie-breaker.

The fashionista rolled with her eyes and huffed in mild annoyance, “Oh, of course. No pressure.” She stared unsurely at the crystal for a short while. “I suppose we can wait and see where this all leads.”

Sombra hummed unreadably, “Your generosity shall not be misplaced, Milady. It is true that I was more of a slaver than a ruler, though in retrospect I have nopony to blame but my creator and myself.”

“Creator? Don’t you mean ‘parents’?” Rainbow commented with a raised eyebrow.

A bitter laugh echoed through the room. “Not every family was built upon the foundations of love, Lady Dash. My creator was a skilled witch, a mistress of the dark arts. I never met my father, he was just needed to be a suitable donor so that she might receive the perfect heir. Ironically her scheme backfired on her when she expected it the least.”

“How horrible! I-I’m sorry that this happened to you, Mr. Sombra,” Fluttershy said in genuine sympathy.

“Don’t be. She was a mad mare in every sense of the word. For all her cunning and intelligence my ‘dear mother’ never thought of the possibility that the very shadows she worshipped could be harmful for an unborn foal,” he replied in great mockery.

“So ya were sick?” Applejack inquired dryly, not buying it.

“That is one way of describing it. Since my birth I suffered by enfeebled health and no matter what she tried my condition only became worse. In all her wisdom she decided to do what a witch can do best, calling for help from the realm of Tartarus,” he explained uncaringly, ignoring the farm girl’s tone.

“I presume that it didn’t work out as expected?” Rarity asked nervously.

“Well, if getting possessed by a demon is the intended goal you can claim success,” Sombra replied with thick sarcasm. “Many different kinds of demons exist in there, umbrum are one of them. They are corrupted spirit like entities with no physical body or regards for life itself, only aiming for annihilation of all existence.” His dislike for them could easily be heard.

“Sheesh! These meanies sound nasty!” Pinkie stated in disgust.

“L-like windigos?” Fluttershy stuttered fearfully.

He snorted at her comparison, however that was possible without a nose and mouth, “Oh, please! Necromancy and demonology are two completely different branches of magic. For one you need the affinity to Soul Magic, while the other requires skill in the field of Blood Magic.”

“You know, when you put it like that it makes me feel so much better,” Rainbow commented sarcastically.

“Is that supposed to mean ya’re innocent? Because Ah don’t believe it for a second,” the cowgirl added warily.

“Of course not, Lady Applejack. Demons who can possess others or magical manifestations of one self’s corruption are only as strong as the host allows them to be. They will try to guide the original owner of the body into false security with honeyed words. Until the moment to strike for a fruitful takeover has arrived. It depends on the strength of your will and mental stability how dangerous they can get. Embarrassingly enough I lost myself to my own grandeur and pride. My fall from grace was an unavoidable outcome,” Sombra admitted self-critically.

Applejack looked down with a grimace, “So this ‘umbrum’ took over, because ya were too full of ya’self?”

The caged stallion rolled mentally with his not existent eyes, “Your summary is a prodigious simplification of context. Furthermore you greatly underestimate the consequences a possession can have.”

“Sunset Shimmer once said something similar…” Fluttershy interrupted thoughtfully. “How actually being overwhelmed by power is something completely different than only hearing about it.”

Sombra hummed in agreement, “Indeed. As for the demon. It starts with smaller things, at first. For example that you are starting to question yourself and your actions at one point from the moral point of view, but a little voice in your head, identical to your own, replies almost immediately. You are starting to feel bad, only to ‘think’ of an excuse with the notion that everypony is just jealous on your talents and deserved it.”

Pinkie Pie laughed falsely. “I guess this ‘voice’ wasn’t just your conscience?” she said rhetorically.

The gem laid still for a few moments before it was glowing again, showing activity, “Be assured that I don’t search for excuses, but a umbrum’s ability to fuse with its host’s soul makes it nearly impossible to determine which thoughts belong to you and when the demon whispers into your ears.”

“Did this monstrosity force you to dethrone Princess Cadenza? I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been for her to flee from her own empire, having to abandon her poor subjects,” Rarity stated in dread.

“Yeah! No wonder you don’t want to be found by her or Twilight’s brother!” Rainbow Dash added accusingly. “Besides, who says that you aren’t still possessed by the demon? Maybe you even ARE the demon, trying to trick us into helping you!”

Sombra didn’t know at first what to make of the fashionista’s statement, “Lady Rarity, if I understand correctly you are talking about the newest ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza." A short nod provided the answer. "I can safely say that we never harmed her nor aimed for her family, though the princess’ name has no meaning to me either. There was no foal with such a name born to the time of our takeover. The Cadenzas were closely related to the empire’s royal house, the Amores, but not seen as an immediate threat. They were… lucky.”

He didn’t deem it necessary to tell the humans about the Amore Family’s most gruesome demise. The umbrum used its darkness and Sombra’s abilities to transform Princess Amore into a crystalline statue, shattering her afterwards into a million pieces.

But her closest relatives had it much worse, in his opinion. The royal heir, Princess Speranza Amore, as well as her grandparents, cousins and older brother, suffered torture for any useful information and a public decapitation as a cruel reward to install fear and terror into the hearts of the crystal ponies. To destroy any embers of resistance before they could even begin to flicker.

He certainly didn’t plan to become a victim of the demon’s own medicine.

“As for your compelling argument, Lady Dash, you would have experienced it already if the umbrum was still in control. Its madness drove us to become the ruler of the empire after all, seeing everypony as lowly peasants and developing an unhealthy obsession with crystals of all kinds. It had quite the god complex.” Sombra sighed, “Believe it or not, I was satisfied with my position as a scholar of magic, ruling was never my intention.”

“Said no murderous tyrant ever!” Pinkie Pie pointed out loudly, smirking at her sceptical friends in victory.

“I don’t quite understand. You said it yourself that such a demon could only be as strong as you allowed it to be. But according to your explanations there should have been no reason for you to fall into madness at all. How could the umbrum take control?” Rarity broached the subject again, sincerely curious.

“Perceptive, aren’t we, Milady?” The teenager blushed faintly at the compliment. “Every year the empire’s citizens celebrated a tremendous event, the Crystal Fair, to express their gratitude for the newborn foals they received during the seasons. The creation of new life in this hostile environment was always seen as a blessing.”

Fluttershy felt touched and teared up, “That sounds wonderful.”

He continued in a more serious tone, “The climax of said festivities is the ‘Remembrance’. During these moments every crystal pony connects with each other over a higher magical bond and together they strengthen the shield you see around us. The very barrier between the Crystal Empire and the unforgiving elements beyond. But I could never participate myself, in fact, I had to endure great pain. Year after year.”

“The umbrum?” Applejack inquired, this time less judgemental.

“Yes. Not only does the Crystal Fair serve as a renewal of the barrier, but it repels all evil as well." He chuckled bitterly. “I can promise you that having your very soul fused to a being of darkness isn’t a very pleasant problem to deal with when the resulting pulse of positive magic hits you. And that is putting it very lightly. Tempting promises of the pain’s permanent end played a part in my downfall.”

Rainbow scowled distrustfully, hands in her pockets, “And why didn’t you just ask this Princess Amore if she could help you?”

He reacted dryly, “Lady Dash, your dislike for me is duly noted. But I did act on this idea of yours and the results were… disappointing to say at least. Her Highness tried her best, but nothing worked. At one point she just gave up and tried to sooth my lot in fate with bestowing upon me the position as her personal advisor. A solatium. She said if even the Crystal Heart can’t purify me then there is nothing she could do, but that I would learn to live with it and make the right decision when the time comes. Something I, as you can surely imagine, couldn’t accept.”

“Didn’t Prince Grumpy mention this ‘Crystal Heart’ at one point?” Pinkie Pie gave to consider with folded arms behind her head.

The chromatic athlete made a dismissing gesture with her hand, “Yeah, yeah, that we should stay away from it for some reason. No clue what the big deal is about this thing anyway.”

That caught Sombra’s interest, but he remained silent.

“And h-how could you escape the umbrum, Mr. Sombra?” Fluttershy questioned timidly, addressing the caged stallion again.

“By nearly being blasted to nothingness, Lady Fluttershy,” he answered with a grin in his voice.

The Rainbooms stared at him, greatly unnerved.

“This is the first time after centuries of imprisonment that I could rejoice in the art of humor and nopony is amused,” Sombra thought sourly. He coughed lightly, “Let me rephrase my poor attempt of easing up the atmosphere. The demon was cast out by the very artifact you just mentioned. It can store the emotions connected to the hopes, dreams and wishes of the crystal ponies, hence the name. It can even serve as a weapon of the empire to destroy darkness. Why exactly is truly worth a book in magical theory on its own…" He noticed the already bored expressions of his audience. "but I divagate. The umbrum and I once encountered Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza years ago. She managed to… obtain the heart before us and restored it to its rightful place.”

Sombra let the information sink in before he continued, “I am not entirely sure why, but this time the Crystal Heart managed to purify my soul from the umbrum, wiping it from existence. Perhaps because the twisted shade was in control, not me. Or, and I think this possibility is closer to the truth, because my body was no longer made of mortal flesh to this point, but the demon’s shadows. You found what the aftermath left of me and the rest, as the bards would say, is history.”

Pinkie hummed longly with lowered head and closed eyes. She nodded sharply, her fully concentrated gaze returned to the former king. “So, Mr. Mysterious Voice. And you are absolutely sure that you are not secretly a genie in a gem?”

Applejack put her arms in the air from sheer disbelief, “For Pete’s Sake, Pinkie Pie! This is what ya’re worried about after everythin’ he just told us?!”

“Of course, you silly-billy! At least one of us has to put her priorities straight!” the party girl replied jovially.

“As I initially mentioned, Miladies, you can now agree on a future course of action and I shall comply,” Sombra reminded fatefully. Not that he had much of a choice.

Fluttershy raised her hand slowly, “I-I think we should help Mr. Sombra after everything he went through.”

Pinkie Pie followed her friend's notion, “Shy's right! It will be so cool! Five besties on a epic quest to save the day!” she exclaimed heroically.

Rarity glared mildly at Rainbow Dash and Applejack, “Not this time dearies. I agree with them.”

The apple farmer shrugged helplessly, “Whatever, Ah guess his whole story sounded honest enough.”

The last of the Rainbooms surrendered after all attention was focused on her, their decision already made anyway, “Fine, we will help. Tell us what you need.”

Sombra would have smiled widely, if he could, “I can’t express my relief in words. When everything is over you shall be rewarded handsomely. You have my word.”

Rainbow stuck her tongue out in disgust, “Seriously, enough of the sweet talking. Come to the point.”

He presented his plan confidently, “I am certain that I can recreate my body, but of course your aid is required." Sombra painted his next words in hope, "You have to place my horn upon the Crystal Heart, and I will do the rest. My spell should, in theory, do what I expect.”

Alarm bells were ringing loudly in Applejack’s head, “Whoa! Hold on there, buddy! What do ya mean by ‘spell’?”

Sombra expected such a reaction. “Lady Applejack, as you may have guessed by now, I was once a normal unicorn. But my horn wasn’t always made of crystal. Its transformation was caused by the umbrum to abuse the Crystal Heart for its own nefarious schemes. It can be used as a conduit now, like the Heart itself.”

“Please explain yourself, sir,” Rarity demanded like a lady.

“There are three choices available when confronted with a powerful artifact which mere existence can cause your doom. First, you destroy it, which rarely works. Second, you hide it far far away from curious eyes and others who seek it. Last, you try to manipulate it so that it will be useless against you. The umbrum failed with number one and tried the second option, how that worked out do you see right in front of you. But it nearly completed a dark spell for becoming invincible. I reconstructed the spell’s purpose and I think that I can use the in the Heart stored energy to build myself a new body,” he explained truthfully.

Rainbow Dash was no egghead by all means, but even she was sure that you couldn’t just make a body out of thin air, magic or not, “How?”

“Do not worry. The Crystal Heart is known for its miracles if expected the least. I only give it the right push so to say,” he said cryptically.

“And if yer great plan fails?” Applejack wanted to know.

“Then there is nothing more we can do and I am stuck. But no matter what happens, you have my gratitude for everything you already did for me. From now on, it is just a bonus,” Sombra replied like he said that the sky was blue.

Fluttershy glanced at the moon outside. “Princess Cadence will come back tomorrow. I-I don’t think that she will let us near the Crystal Heart.” Question Marks on her friends’ faces greeted her in response. “Oh, Prince Shining Armor told me that she preferred it to be called ‘Cadence’ for short before you came to the throne room.”

The former tyrant came prepared, “Fret not. I included her arrival in my calculations. But first things first, who of you lovely ladies is good with creating distractions?”

Every human in the room looked immediately at a happy Pinkie Pie.

The teenager in question cracked her fingers as if in the middle of a warm-up. “Oh goodie! With or without frosting?”

Shining Armor knew that an angry Cadence was bad, but he never expected a silent Cadence to be much worse. By now they sat alone in his private chamber for what felt like an eon, the silence deafening.

“H-honey?” he started awkwardly.

The Alicorn of Love took a deep breath, “Why?”

Her husband stumbled over his words, “W-well! I, err, thought that I could at least hear them out before I did something drastic, you know? I-I mean it’s not like I gave them free reign or anything, they were supervised the whole time. And…” He rubbed his left hoof against the other foreleg like a colt who was caught in the act. “I wasn’t sure what you would do, I was worried that you might do something you’ll regret.”

She hugged the surprised stallion, “Shiny, I. Am. Angry. In fact I’m still mad at these humans for what they did, or more, for what they didn’t do. And I will have some serious words to share with them. But do you know what is much worse right now?”

“N-no?” he answered unsurely.

Sadness and betrayal danced across her features, “That you thought that you had to keep their presence a secret from me, your own wife. Do you remember our vow during the honeymoon? In our hotel in Marelanta.”

He folded his ears down in understanding, “O-of course.”

Cadence sighed woefully, “We promised that our marriage wouldn’t be tainted by big secrets. That we will always be honest to each other. I can understand why you thought that I might overreact, but it still hurts.”

He put his head on the crook of her neck, caressing it softly, “I am so sorry for making you feel like that. I just had the impression that they were sincere in their intention to apologize to Twily and Sunset Shimmer.” Shining teased her with more kisses. “And I wanted to give my beautiful wife a chance to decide besides me instead of judging them on my own.”

Cadence laughed and pushed him away playfully, “You little smooth talker. Don’t think that will save you from sleeping on the couch though.”

He groaned, “Worth the try I guess.” Shining smiled in defeat. “Say it. How long?”

She grinned seductively. “Oh, it depends. First I have to observe for myself if my poor, poor misguided husband learned his lesson that a pair of female watery eyes is no reason to go behind his faithful wife’s back.”

Panic laced his voice, “B-but we are talking about another version of Fluttershy here! I swear this filly knows what effect she can have on a stallion and abuses it mercilessly to her advantage!”

Cadence gasped mockingly, “Oh baby, I didn’t know! It must have been really hard for you to face such odds. But I fear punishment must be given regardless, I think… two days should do.”

The prince snorted at her dramatic display, “OK, understood. I will be hard, but I’ll manage.”

She raised an eyebrow and giggled knowingly. “Please Shiny, we both know that your doll will keep you company in these trying nights.”

Righteous indignation came into play, “Not ‘doll’, they are for fillies. It is called ‘Action Figure’, thank you very much. Captain Equestria is an idol for everypony and should be treated as such.”

The pink alicorn rolled her eyeballs, “Whatever you say, honey.” She collected herself mentally, duty was calling, “Alright, where are they?”

He nodded affirmatively, “Follow me.”

When they arrived at their destination Cadence could only shake her head at her husband’s choice of accommodation, “The ambassador suites, really?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly and knocked on the door. “I hope you all had a fine morning. My wife and me are here to talk. And don’t worry, we just came to chat, you are not in any tr-” Cadence coughed with emphasis, “Can we come in?”

Pinkie Pie ripped the big door open like it was nothing, smiling much too widely at the married couple. “You must be Princess Cadence!” She gasped in joy, ”And you are as pink as I imagined! Sweet, we are like equally colored siblings on a totally not disturbing level! Preach it, sister!” and gave the alicorn her outstretched hand. “It’s so wondertastic to meet you personally! I’m Pinkie Pie! Dashie and I were just expecting you two!” She squeaked at the end.

Cadence and Shining blinked, stunned from the sudden wave of unfiltered pinkieness. The Princess of Love gave her hoof in a returned greeting. “You… expected us?” She then noticed the equine-like features on the hyperactive teenager and the on a chair relaxing athlete. “Are those pony ears and pegasus wings?”

Rainbow Dash tried to hide her tension, fearing what could happen next if the alicorn recovered and simply added a weak, “How is it going, Princess?”

Her worries came true when Cadence took a much more regal stand and displayed her wings, eyes narrowed. “Enough of this foolery! Where are the others? We need to have a serious talk! And how are you even here? I know for a fact that Princess Twilight closed the portal!”

Shining glared at nothing in particular, “I can answer that-”

Suddenly a bright flash appeared in the middle of the room, blinding everybody in the room, when the light disappeared a very, VERY buff looking Discord stood in front of them, having a, for the two humans, anime like and creepily familiar looking blond hairstyle.

The draconequus cackled madly and took an over dramatic pose, “You thought that the humans got here on their own, but it was me, DISCORD!”

Rainbow couldn’t believe it, “Did he seriously make a-”

“Huh?” Discord looked around, changing back to his original self. He pouted disappointedly, “And here I hoped that human Fluttershy would be here with you to witness my first pop-culture reference when your kind is around.”

“What the hay is going on here?!” Cadence intervened, heavily annoyed. “Discord! You did this? You brought the humans here?”

The God of Chaos was all pride and mischief. He bowed theatrically, “But of course, Princess of Pillow Talk! I witnessed all the drama from the very start and then I thought to myself that I, as the reformed villain I am, should help our little interlopers here with making things right again.”

Pinkie Pie snorted behind a hand at the nickname he gave the alicorn.

Cadence stomped with her hoof on the floor, “That wasn’t your call to make!”

An old-fashioned phone appeared in the his claw, he was holding the receiver to his ear, “Yes hello, Discord here? How was that? I shall not act reasonable and do something completely unexpected?” A bashful chuckle escaped him. “Oh my, thank you for the compliment.” The pony couple glowered at him, he scoffed insultedly in response. “Err, do you mind? This is a private conversation. I swear, locals these days.”

Shining Armor had enough as well, “Can we please return to the main issue?” He glared at the girls, “Where are the others? I was told that you all went upstairs after breakfast, but not that you split up afterwards.”

Internally he scolded himself. After receiving reports from all his guards that the humans were on their best behavior yesterday he allowed most of them to go visit their families earlier for the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Eve.

Where were they?

Rainbow Dash got progressively more nervous. “Pinkie Pie? A little help would be nice,” she whispered pleadingly.

The party lover winked in response before she addressed the empire’s rulers, “Well, at first we didn’t want to tell you, because she wanted to keep it a secret. Buuut I guess it can’t be helped.”

Even her friend didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Mind explaining?” Cadence queried suspiciously.

“Our friend, Rarity, has her Girl Days. And Applejack and Fluttershy went with her, because she is very dramatic about it.” Nopony could object against the ‘dramatic’ part, even if they wanted to. The next question was said in a low, conspiring tone, “I’m sure you know how that is, right Princess?”

The two equines didn’t have a clue about what this was all about.

Discord laughed at the ridiculous excuse, whereas Rainbow facepalmed with a vengeance, “Pinks… they are ponies. Not humans.”

“Oh,” was her only answer. “Well, luckily for you your Aunty Pinkie Pie is always prepared to educate you when expected the least.” Her voice took a very serious touch. “One time every month after reaching a certain age something happens to every girl and woman. I call it… the Red Sea.”

Dash snorted shortly at hearing the ridiculous name. She knew that they were both supposed to keep them occupied as long as possible, but her hyperactive friend was really on a roll again.

“Red Sea?” Shining inquired in uncertainty.

Cadence though had a hunch, “Wait, are you talking about the maturing process of human females? Is this like mating season for us mares?”

Her husband blushed fiercely. This was no topic he wanted to hear about.

But the walking enigma had no such qualms, “Much, much worse. This mean curse is known under many names, Red Sea, Puke Days, Pain Trials, All-Around-Excuse or Lust Killer.”

Discord furrowed his eyebrows, something was off about their behavior. “As wondrous as this topic might be. I can see that you are stalling, why?”

The two Rainbooms gulped.

A very panicky looking guard bursted into the room, “Princess Cadence! Prince Shining Armor!”

The former captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard took this as his cue, “Calm yourself, soldier! What happened?”

“T-the barrier protecting the Crystal Empire! I-it’s breaking!” the mare stammered like it was the end of the world.

“The Heart!” Cadence exclaimed in horror. The charged her horn and the ponies were gone.

Discord rubbed his eyes when he saw the haunted expressions of the girls, “Alright, spill it. What did you do this time?”

Rainbow threw herself on the bed, groaning powerfully into the pillow. “Oh, come on! Sombra said nothing dangerous would happen! I knew this guy was bad news!”

Pinkie smiled nervously, “Maybe we can fix it? We could use glue or-WAH!”

Before the duo could blink both of them were held in mid air, directly on eye-level with a twitching draconequus. “Did you just say… Sombra?”

They nodded, clearly afraid of what he would do next.

A few thoughts shot through his head, but two were the most prominent, “Great! I can already feel the boredom of my next penalty when Celestia gets to know about this. And much worse, Fluttershy could be mad at me!”

They managed to sneak past most of the sentries until they found it, thanks to Sombra’s good memory. Floating between two crystalline pillars was what only could be the Crystal Heart.

What nopony knew was that four humans and a blood red horn hid behind a larger crystal fragment that served most likely as decoration.

“This is it? Doesn’t really look like much,” Applejack commented, underwhelmed.

“Don’t let its plain appearance deceive you, Lady Applejack,” Sombra chided warningly. “This inconspicuous object is indeed our goal.”

“What should we do about these scary guards?” Fluttershy asked worriedly and a tad afraid.

Four heavily armored elite guards, with full body armor in comparison to what they usually saw, protected the Heart meticulously. Two were facing away from it, two stared directly at it, almost like statues.

“So, what now?” Applejack spoke out loud what most thought.

Rarity stood up when inspiration struck her. “Idea~” She started to rummage through the belongings she brought with herself in a little makeup bag.

Applejack facepalmed, "Rares!" she whispered harshly, "That's not the time to make ya'self pretty!"

"Oh, hush Darling. Let the professional do her work," the fashionista answered slyly.

“It seems you have a plan to get past the guards, Lady Rarity. I hope you are fast, our timeframe may come to an end soon," Sombra reminded with little patience.

After 15 minutes of makeover she was finished, and looked like right out of a brawl. Colored bruises decorated her face, the eyeshadow even created a convincing illusion of a black eye, her mascara smudgy.

"Wow, it looks so real. I feel almost bad for only looking at it," Fluttershy complimented kindly.

Applejack had nothing. She never expected that.

For a last dramatic touch Rarity went with her hand through her coiffure, making it look a little scruffy. "The disfigurements I have to endure are hopefully worth it."

Sombra saw many things in his life, but he had to admit that was impressive. Bodycare products, used as tools to fool well-trained guards, it was brilliant in its own way. "Your sacrifices shall be remembered, Milady."

"Well, time for a little role-play. Be ready," the part-time diva advised, all business.

When the others were out of sight Rarity left her hiding spot and ran straight for the guards. "H-help! I have been mugged! Ruffians! Thieves!" she wailed expressively.

The four sentries were caught off-guard by the appearance of a damsel in distress. Two of them approached instantly.

"Madam! Are you alright? What happened?" one of the two asked in professional calmness.

She pointed shakily in the direction of the throne room, or at least Rarity hoped it was there. "I-it was awful! I was attacked b-by a group of ponies who were dressed like guards. I overheard them saying that they wanted to rob the treasury, I-I barely escaped them! You have to do something!"

A stallion who remained closest to the Crystal Heart took the initiative, clearly being in charge, "It seems we have intruders." He pointed at the three other guards. "You two! One of you has to inform Prince Shining Armor, the other has to go to the majordomo to make sure that he is alright. And Stone, you are the strongest in close combat. Look for anything out of the ordinary, ask the guards for their identification code and take anypony in custody who resists!"

"Sir!" the trio exclaimed in acknowledgement before they abandoned their former post.

Rarity saw how her two friends sneaked closer to the Heart from the other side. Though its position was higher than expected.

The stallion allowed himself to sigh in relief, "Thank the empress you could escape and warn us in time. Your civil courage, despite you being no citizen of the empire, is an inspiring example for all of us."

The fashionista felt very bad for lying, but it was nearly done. Applejack gave Fluttershy a leg-up, who had Sombra's horn in her hand.

"Oh, you are too kind. But how come you are still here?" she asked in faked curiosity to keep his attention. "By the way, my name is Scarcity."

The stallion laughed at her question. "Sergeant Mollow, at your service. And obviously I stay here to keep an eye on the Heart, so that nopony can mess with it.” Her sincerely questioning expression confused him. “You really must be new here. Didn't your tourist guide already tell you that the Crystal Heart is the very object projecting the barrier around the city? I thought it was common knowledge by now." Mollow never knew that such a level of paleness was possible, it was like this young mare saw a ghost. "Madam, are you alright? Does it still hurt?"

Rarity screamed in betrayal.

"Nice and steady, ya can do it," Applejack encouraged soothingly from below the timid animal lover.

"Only a little closer, Kind One. Just don't look down," Sombra supported in barely hidden glee.

Sometimes Fluttershy hated her extreme fear of heights, otherwise she would have used her new wings. "I-I can do it," she thought to herself in determination.

Closer, ever so closer.

Her concentration was broken by a banshee-like outcry of Rarity, "FLUTTERSHY! DON’T DO IT!"

"Eep!" She placed Sombra's horn upon the Crystal Heart before she fell, Applejack could barely catch her in time.

But then a giant stream of white-dark purple magic shot into the sky, penetrating the suddenly crumbling pink barrier.

"W-what's the meaning of this?!" Sergeant Mollow demanded to know.

Before any of the humans could reply a serious looking Prince Shining Armor, a clearly frightened guard and a very furious and beautiful alicorn with finely polished royal garments appeared out of nowhere.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Princess Cadence demanded to know, rotating her glare between the shocked humans.

"B-but Mr. Sombra never mentioned anything like that!" Fluttershy answered in fear, she felt very lost by witnessing such a turn of events.

The name alone turned the present equines' eyes to pinpricks, their attention switching to the beam of light.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Discord said wisely as he stroke his goatee.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were disorientated from the sudden change of scenery.

Shining Armor sprinted in front of the draconequus, "You have to do something! Sombra is in there! The Heart is in danger!"

Discord judged the scene in front of him carefully, then he shook his head negatively, "I fear there is nothing I can do right now. This magic flare easily rivals an Element of Harmony in sheer power. And I never experimented with such amounts of volatile energy which doesn't qualify as Chaos Magic."

Too much was happening too fast for Cadence to keep up with. What should she do?! What could she do? Then she saw in the corner of her eyes how the five humans helped each other up, equally scared and out of their league.

The Alicorn of Love knew only anger, "YOU!" The Rainbooms were nearly blasted back by the volume of her Royal Canterlot Voice. "Do you have any idea what you just did?! You helped the King of Shadows to claim the only artifact that could have defeated him!"

"Y-your Highness, please! We didn't know that this would happen! We-" Rarity tried to defend their honor, but it didn't work.

Cadence's eyes were two orbs of white brilliant light by now, "So what?! Your foalish naivety most likely doomed the whole empire and my subjects! How could you be so blind and help somepony you never met before in your life?!"

"We are really sorry!" Pinkie Pie answered desperately, tears in her eyes.

The Crystal Princess was deaf to her words, "I don't care how sorry you are, I will make you pay for that! You not only caused trouble after your arrival, but betrayed my husband who gave you shelter and food! He gave you a second chance! And you stabbed him and all of us in the back!"

"Cadie..." Shining thought worriedly.

"Such fury. How unbecoming of a ruler. Did Celestia never teach you how to control your emotions, Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza?" a smooth voice interrupted smugly.

The light cone dispersed and shrinked until only a pony shaped being stood proudly where formerly the Crystal Heart and the pillars holding it were. When the last remains of light disappeared the infamous stallion himself was revealed, confirming the equines' greatest fear.

He was at least half a head taller than Shining Armor and more muscular. His grayish sap green eyes shone in the light, judging, waiting. But what the royal couple and the recently arrived soldiers of the empire caught off-guard were his black, wavy and thick mane, the tail and Sombra's dark gray coat, because they were of crystalline nature, like a natural born crystal pony. That was never the case before. And he didn't wear any armor, no crown, in fact nothing at all. Though the strangest thing about him was the lack of a Cutie Mark. And his horn was no longer the blood red crystal from before, but a normal, even if longer and sharper horn of a unicorn.

Something was very wrong about his appearance, or perhaps it was a decoy. The crystal ponies knew how the King of Shadows was supposed to look like, but nothing fit. No regal attire, no with madness filled eyes and no crooked horn. His formerly sharp teeth were now flat like it was the case with everypony.

"At last, I am finally free," Sombra stated as a matter of fact. He turned to the five humans and, much to the surprise of all, bowed his head gratefully, "Humans, you have kept your promise. Now it is time that I keep mine."

Applejack recovered first and was very angry, "Ya lyin' snake! Ya told us that them artifact could give ya yer body back, not that it would disappear!"

Rarity joined her friend, "Or how about the tiny, but very important detail that without the Crystal Heart the empire would lose its only protection against the icy tundra around us."

He accepted their fury stoically, "I never lied to any of you. My tale was truthful, even if I didn't tell you everything."

Rainbow glared at him, "Smartass."

The attack announced itself in the form of multiple missiles of pink magic, but the dark unicorn protected himself with a light amber shield before it could hit its intended target.

"Sombra!" Shining Armor announced loudly, "You will hereby be held accountable for the many crimes you have committed during your reign of terror, don't expect any mercy! Guards!"

Crystal ponies surrounded him immediately, spears pointed in his direction.

Cadence stepped beside her husband, glaring in lethality at their opponent, power radiating from her body, "Just give up! You can't win this fight!"

"I am sorry to disappoint, but I have to decline your gracious offer, Your Highness. Now, be so friendly and step aside," Sombra suggested politely.

"Never! What have you done to the Heart?!" she demanded to know heatedly.

Sombra looked over his body, and he could feel it in his very being. He transcended beyond the mortal coil of flesh and bones. Crystal and magic sustained him now. "Can't you imagine what just transpired? The Crystal Heart and I are one now."

"That's impossible!" one of the guards declared in terror. "The Heart is indestructible and can't be absorbed!"

The former king sighed at such simplicity. "I studied the Heart for decades, be it for getting rid of it, driven by madness or out of the desire to learn. The founders of the empire once discovered a cave in the middle of this very land. At its end they found a mysterious giant orb made of the purest of crystal, a conduit for emotions and magic as they discovered. Its since then known smaller heart-shape was just the product of the annual feelings the empire's citizen and their rulers poured into it over many years, for a heart is the symbol of hope and love. But what can one expect by a family who calls itself 'Amore'. In short, I reshaped it into the body you see in front of you."

Screams of panic could be heard from all over the city, the broken barrier was fastly noticed by the citizens. As well as big storm clouds which threatened to darken the sky.

"Princess Cadence!" Majordomo Ruby Eyes shouted fearfully as he entered the scene, solely focused on his monarch. "The pegasi are trying to fight off the clouds, but they are too strong! We have to retreat when this continues! What happened to the Crystal Heart?!" He then shrieked, trembled in panic and nearly stumbled over his own hooves after he noticed Sombra.

Cadence knew the Crystal Empire would cease to be without the Heart's protection, but it was obvious that he wouldn't surrender himself, nor the artifact. She lit up her horn and hoped that Auntie Luna's lessons in more battle orientated magic since her wedding would pay off, in a flash she was gone.

Sombra shook his head in disappointment, "How predictable." Not even a moment later a cornflower blue rapier made of magic rammed into his amber scythe from atop, the Princess of Love directly behind it, adding force to the assault. They locked eyes, one contestant filled by the desire to save her kingdom, the other annoyed by such futile actions. "All this raw power granted by your alicornhood and in the end you will still fall prey to one of the most basic rules of combat as so many before you," he lectured in a teacher-like manner. "Experience will always defeat unrefined talent, Young Princess."

She ignored him and hit from different angles, trying to land a strike, but was blocked every time like it was nothing. The dark stallion used the momentum of her last swing against her, ducking under it instead of doing an expected parry. He would have shot her with a projectile of his own magic, if not for Shining Armor who protected his wife with a shield just in time.

Cadence growled at him in frustration, used her wings to gain distance and shouted, "Now!"

The guards advanced as one and activated their with runes covered speartips, crafted as special weapons against magic users, by mental command. They stabbed in his direction, but this time it was Sombra who vanished.

It made the guards nervous, like most crystal ponies they still had fear in their hearts when it came to the former tyrant.

"H-he teleported!"

"Where is he?!"

"Find him!"

Sombra reappeared in front of the five humans, causing them to back away. He merely took two steps before he glanced cautiously at the staring and until now silent draconequus. "God of Chaos, we have no quarrels with each other and we both know what happens if I go without them. I owe them my new life, let me do this."

Discord was fascinated, "So you really have changed. I feel no more darkness coming from you."

Sombra closed his eyes and nodded lightly.

"M-Mr. Discord?" Fluttershy stuttered, this entire situation was way too much for her.

The mentioned entity kneeled in front of the timid girl, putting a paw on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the scared teenager, "Fluttershy, I need you to be brave now. Take your friends and go with him. It is safer for you this way."

"W-what?! No way!" Rainbow exclaimed in refusal.

Another, this time much bigger missile from Cadence was absorbed by the dark stallion's newly erected shield, it cracked a little. Her surprise attack failed once again, "Coward! Return what you stole!" She then glared lividly at Discord. "And what are you doing?! Take him in custody this instant!"

Sombra had enough, "Princess, I won't return the Crystal Heart, because it is impossible. I fused my soul with it, we can’t be separated from each other." He pointed at the Rainbooms. "These five young brave mares gave me another chance to live my own life. For far too long I was held on a leash, be it by my mother, the umbrum, Princess Amore or fate itself. From this day onward only I shall choose what to do, nopony else."

"Do you even listen to yourself?!" Shining replied in utter contempt, "Without the Crystal Heart the empire is lost!"

The prince earned himself an amused cackle in response, "It is no concern of mine. You can call me whatever you want, colt. Egoistic, mad, I don't care. I don't owe this empire or its cowardly citizens anything, I was always feared as the outsider, the scary stranger without Cutie Mark. Princess Amore herself kept me close as her advisor to make sure that I remained in her sight. Whenever I entered a tavern the customers would flee like headless chicken and mothers would pull their foals away from me in fear I might curse them." He snorted aggressively at the memories of his old life. "I was already marked a monster long before my reign even started. But now, now I am finally free."

Shining used Sombra's monologue as an opportunity and tossed one of the left behind anti magic spears at the shield, shattering it.

"You should go," Discord suggested pointedly after he stepped between the royals and the ones behind him.

The former tyrant grunted one more time, illuminated his horn and in a blinding flash the humans and he disappeared.

"Discord, you traitor! You learned nothing from Tirek!" Cadence accused venomously.

"And this is why I hate making promises," the God of Chaos thought to himself in mild frustration. But it mattered not right now, a huge smile decorated his face, "What can I say? I swore an oath to a mother that I would bring back her daughter and her friends when everything was over, I intend to keep it. And you are much too emotional right now to think clearly, Heart Flank."

"They revived King Sombra, I think their actions couldn't speak a clearer language! And I can promise you that Celestia will hear of this!" she countered.

Discord gasped mockingly, "Oh no! What will she do? Scold me, because I was such a bad little draconequus? And here I wanted to help you and bring everypony to safety with a snap of my paw." He opened a rift to his dimension, acting like he was about to enter it. "Fair enough, I guess you don't need my help in this case."

Shining Armor already ordered every guard to help with the evacuation of the empire, but he knew that they couldn't escape the storm on hoof. "Discord, wait! If you really want to help us, please do."

Cadence wanted to retort, but a warning look of her husband ended all objections. She groaned at her situation, "What he said."

"See? You should listen more often to your better half. Oh, and there is one more thing," the draconequus said sweetly.

She really wasn't in the mood for more of his jokes, but bit regardless, "And-"

Discord was suddenly very close to her face, his eyes glowing in an unholy light, the voice deadly serious, "Never, ever, try to order me around again my little pony. I am not some dog who will bark obediently and entertain you with tricks whenever one of you equines call my name. Did I make myself clear enough?"

Cadence was rarely this intimidated before and nodded repeatedly, "C-clear!"

Chapter 20 - Embrace the Magic

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Chrysalis sat in her chair, waiting. Well, it wasn’t her chair per se, nor the office she occupied in this very moment. But Canterlot High had more than enough rooms to accomodate little ol’ her.

She was terribly bored though and hated doing nothing. Entertainment was direly required in the opinion of the legal council, and as a consequence she looked expectantly at one of her most trusted employees. “Thorax dear, as long as we have to wait for the arrival of our esteemed guest, why don’t you tell us what you discovered today?”

The young man in question was as tall as Shining Armor, but leaner, sea greenish black skin fought in a contrast with bright opal eyes and short dark arctic blue colored hair, that was combed smoothly. But like all of Chrysalis ‘veterans’ he wore a pitch black suit, with matching shoes and even finely crafted gloves.

But as his older brother Pharynx was quick to point out, they weren’t a fashion statement so much as they were protection against the risk of leaving evidence of their presence behind.

Thorax glanced briefly at his sibling in question, who simply remained silently vigilant at all times. He stood in a far corner of the dimly lit room. The difference between them didn’t only end with Pharynx being larger than his little brother, nearly reaching to beneath their leader’s chin, but that his body was much more honed, thanks to visibly defined muscles. That and his piercing moderate blue violet eyes represented an intimidating combination. His crimson hair, made in a long spiky ponytail, and very dark gray skin solely added to the unspoken threat. A scar ran over the bridge of his nose.

He flinched at the interruption of his musings and turned back to the task at hand, “Y-yes, of course, Ms. Chrysalis.” He typed away dutifully, “Hm, the tension seems to grow, but the reactions differ greatly now when compared to yesterday.”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at his words. “Oh? So all this nonsense about a secret military project of the government and bioterrorism doesn’t dominate the local community any longer?” she inquired in amusement.

The wildest conspiracy theories went viral after what happened with Canterlot Park, only fueled further by the rising count of dead citizens in and around Canterlot City the days after, corpses, pale as if they looked death itself into the eyes. Mayor Mare tried her best to diffuse any rising buds of mass panic, using all her political experience, but the reports of local print media and news agencies didn’t grant her the favor of playing along.

Thorax furrowed his forehead in surprise and reread to make sure he saw that right, “Err, it seems the arch conservative type decided to call for exorcists of the church after rumors about these ghost-like creatures were spreading. Some people think that they are demons who escaped hell.”

Chrysalis leaned back in annoyance, rubbing the bridge of her nose between two fingers. She motioned for him to go on.

But then Thorax’s, until now, silent sibling made himself known, his gruff voice came directly from behind the computer expert, “Superstitious fools.”

His action nearly caused the geek to jump from surprise.

The young man held a hand over his pounding chest and glared accusingly at his taller brother, “D-don’t do that!” Thorax hated it whenever that happened, surely on purpose.

Pharynx smirked in response, then reviewed another article, “It seems the CPD released first statements of their investigations this morning, advising all citizens to remain inside their homes, if possible, and to not wander alone in the streets, especially during the night.” He sneered in distaste, “As if these abominations would care for walls and doors.”

Chrysalis chuckled shortly at his brutal honesty. “Now, now, Pharynx. They don’t know any better. It is not like they could catch and study them. Besides, none of those bureaucrats would openly admit that the enemies are ghosts.”

For her it was admirable and somehow pathetic at the same time how the local government was trying to protect the citizens of Canterlot City from the reality shattering truth. She always believed that only experience, not sheltering, would cause a growth of character.

But the consequences of the exposure in this case were much too dire to ignore, another approach had to be taken.

Thorax used their little chat to read more, “Conspiracy talk, conspiracy talk… Well, that might cause problems along the way,” he said awkwardly.

“Seriously?” Pharynx queried in mild shock after he skimmed over the story himself.

The younger sibling spoke up again, facing their superior, “Principal Cinch from Crystal Prep Academy claims that one of her students discovered a new form of energy. Apparently this occurred during the Canterlot Park incident.”

Chrysalis’ eyes moved up an inch, “A mere student found a method to measure magic?”

The brothers nodded wordlessly.

In response their leader closed her eyes in stoic acceptance, her turmoil though took place in her mind, “Abacus, you idiot.”

It seemed that the principal of CPA had once more stepped into things beyond her understanding. Sometime her unwavering desire to prove her academy’s superiority and to expand her school’s, and by extension, her own reputation was a real pain.

And then there was Cinch’s unhealthy obsession and her desperate attempts to damage Celestia’s career whenever she found an opportunity. That pitiful woman could hold a grudge for a lifetime, having never forgiven the principal of CHS for being selected by the school board as the face of the Canterlot City School District.

Anon-a-Miss was like a gift from the heavens for the grumpy fossil.

Back then it took a lot of time, cogency and mostly patience from Chrysalis’ side to prevent the principal of Crystal Prep from investigating what happened at the Fall Formal further. But now… “How bothersome.” She looked expectantly at the two siblings, “Show me.”

She wanted to see what kind of student managed to accomplish such a miraculous feat, like detecting magic, on his own.

Thorax turned the screen around. A wide grin decorated her face immediately. “Interesting, very, very interesting.”

Before anybody could say another word the door was nearly slammed open and an annoyed Celestia entered the scene, visibly displeased. “Chrysalis, I do not take kindly to being called like a child in my own school. Not by you. Especially not by you.”

An over dramatic gasp escaped the legal council, “Tia! I am hurt! And here I had hoped we could rekindle old flames.”

Celestia frowned strongly in response, “Cut the act. You obviously want something else. Explain yourself so that we can finish this convoluted business as fast as possible.”

The holidays would begin after today’s last bell, finally. And her sister had already enough on her plate as it was, Luna didn’t need to console angry parents to boot. Many students obviously informed their family after they were told in private who was responsible for the public release of the secret in question.

‘Stress’ wouldn’t even begin to describe the last three days for the co-principals. A few of the more entitled kind of parents even demanded that the ones responsible were to be prosecuted, or at least expelled.

A helpless shrug was Chrysalis' reaction, “Well, how rude. But I guess pleasantries will have to wait in that case.” She gleamed in anticipation, “There are indeed a few topics I’d like to broach.” She held up a finger, “To start with the good news first, you’ll surely like to hear that the police and I have almost concluded our investigations concerning the victims and perpetrators in relation to Anon-a-Miss. Only a few students are left, we will talk with them in due time.”

Celestia sighed in relief, “I am glad that we can put this matter to rest soon,” the principal admitted with less animosity in her voice. “What else?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” came the nonchalant reply.

Worry and distrust dominated Celestia’s features immediately. “I am certain that there is nothing left to discuss. Surely you can understand that she withdrew indefinitely after everything the poor girl had to endure.”

Chrysalis waved her off, “And here I have hoped we established already, after all these years, that you can’t lie to me. Let’s give it another try, shall we?”

Now the principal of Canterlot High barely held back an angry growl and tried her best to appear diplomatic, “Then I will have to repeat myself. She is not of your concern anymore.” Though she couldn’t help herself but to respond in kind, “You and your noisy lackeys should respect her and her family’s desire for privacy, even though we established already, after all these years, that I demand the impossible from you, right?”

Chrysalis ignored the returned jab and folded her hands curiously, “Family you say?”

A brief nod followed. “Yes, her mother picked Ms. Shimmer up and left.”

The legal council hummed to herself thoughtfully, she glanced at one of her subordinates sitting in front of a laptop, “Thorax? What does the database say to our principal’s claims?”

Celestia nearly cursed her luck, she had believed that they wouldn’t investigate about Sunset’s personal history.

The young man came prepared and got what he was looking for with one click, “According to her file, Sunset Shimmer lives alone since she started to attend CHS. The address can be found in a shadier part of the Industry District. We visited the area ourselves to testify everything, it is by all means a dump, and not even really a house.”

“I wonder how a young girl of her age could live there for so long on her own and not be harmed by the local scum. Unsupervised no less,” Thorax added sardonically.

The alabaster woman slammed both hands on the table in front of an unfazed Chrysalis, “You were spying on her?!”

Her dark skinned metaphorical pain in the back chuckled ominously, Celestia didn’t like it at all, “Harsh words won’t do you any good. Call it a verification of information, if you must. The fact remains that she never had a single person to live with.” A threatening undertone laced Chrysalis’ voice, “Did you both know about it? Did you know that one of your students, a minor, had nobody who cared for her well-being?”

She flinched back as if the legal council landed an invisible hit where it hurt most, Celestia tried to treat this topic carefully, “No, we didn’t, I swear. Luna and I verified that her address was in the district, but she hadn’t given us a reason to investigate it.” The principal tried to smile disarmingly, “Surely it is unheard of that a teenager would live in a place like that without supervision. And there was never an apparent reason to distrust Ms. Shimmer’s words either.”

Chrysalis leaned back in her chair, mulling over her next move. “It seems you leave me no choice.” She pulled a drawer open and took a big grey folder out of it. “I have here something you might find worth looking at.”

Celestia took the by time touched object into her hands, reading the inscription out loud, “‘Newspaper History - 2001’? Is there a reason for giving me a ten years old newspaper article?” she asked suspiciously.

Chrysalis nodded grimly, “It should. As for the reason...” while the internet had its advantages, nothing could beat libraries. “I took the liberty and did a little bit of research about Sunset Shimmer, because her file seemed a bit sparse.” She gazed patiently at the now nervous principal, “Go ahead.”

Celestia opened the folder as she was told and spread the cover page over a smaller round table to her right, seeing instantly which publisher made this edition.

Manehattan Times Tuesday, July 14, 2001

A bad feeling crawled up her spine, making the pastel haired woman gulp.

“Please open page three,” Chrysalis ordered, almost softly.

So she did, the headline and its following article covered much of the front page:

Entire family killed in car crash - Fatal end of a vacation
A horrible tragedy transpired yesterday in the late evening at the ramp to the Manehattan bridge!
A small family car was totaled when a southbound van ran a red light, striking it broadside. The driver of the van was a young man who said he had been distracted by his phone. The driver of a little family car, Storm Seer (30), was unable to avoid the impact which killed his wife and daughter. Mr. Storm was transported to the hospital with critical injuries, and died shortly after arrival. “The young man didn’t even acknowledge that he had red! It was terrible, just terrible!” said an elderly woman, who witnessed the crash scene when the accident happened, under a shaken voice to our reporter. The first official statement of Deputy Inspector Noble Mark was, “We are investigating the accident and the driver will likely be charged with vehicular manslaughter. Tests have shown that while he wasn’t speeding, no attempt was made to slow the vehicle or avoid the collision. Our prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved and the family’s friends.”

Celestia couldn’t continue, the possible reason why this old article was given to her became cruel reality the moment she laid eyes on the family members’ pictures.

There she was, young, innocent, a wide happy smile on her tender lips. And then the hair, made of golden and red locks, her shining eyes, everything resembled Sunset Shimmer to a T. The principal didn’t know how to feel, mad, because such a young life was taken away by somebody’s stupidity, or sad, because the Sunset Shimmer of this world had never a chance to grow up properly to begin with.

What occupied her mind the most though was another matter entirely. The gig was up, clearly Chrysalis already knew the truth about Sunset.

The legal council of the Canterlot School District put the article back into the folder, before she looked with tilted head at a wide-eyed Celestia. “Curious, isn’t it? Last time I checked the dead stay dead and don’t just come back.” Strange ghost-like monstrosities aside, shame to him who evil thought. “I even double checked the family’s history. Storm Seer and Firesky never had a second daughter, no affairs either.”

She pierced the principal of CHS pointedly when Pharynx showed the stunned woman pictures of the Rainbooms at the Battle of the Bands, with the Princess of Friendship and Sunset Shimmer on it, before and after their transformation, “I suggest you finally come clean. In fact I have the distinct impression you and Luna are way over your head with this matter.” She leaned forward to get her message across, ”Who are these people?” She was pointing at a certain purple skinned teenager, “Here we have Twilight Sparkle, a student from Crystal Prep Academy who has, quite frankly, no business here.” Switching to Sunset, “And as we both know, she’s supposed to have died almost ten years ago. Obviously something is wrong with this picture.” The legal council purred her next words, “Your turn.”

Celestia had absolutely nothing. How could she? No excuse would explain the existing contradictions when faced with undeniable facts. And she severely underestimated how well-informed Chrysalis was.

Furthermore she couldn’t play innocent when it came to Twilight Sparkle, the human version was obviously alive and well, but no story could explain the teenager’s involvement. Any scheme would backfire right away.

“You wouldn’t believe me if said ‘photoshop’, right?” she inquired rhetorically.

The cold, unamused glare said more than thousand words.

Panic took hold of Celestia’s heart, the truth it was, “Please, you can’t tell anybody about it! I-it’s complicated,” the principal implored emotionally.

“You mean magic?” Chrysalis asked like it was a common question.

Thorax chuckled internally, he still refused to believe in such a thing.

A neutral mien masked the alabaster woman’s thoughts, “And you are not weirded out by this revelation?”

The legal council smiled coyly, “My personal opinion about a physics defying force is not important, but how we will proceed from here on is. My job is to protect the district, something that requires an open mind. We will have to handle this topic with the utmost discretion, if at all possible, no one else can be involved.”

“You are on our side?” Celestia wanted to know in wonder, arms crossed, then she bristled at the possible reasons, “What is the catch?”

Thorax responded instead, perhaps it would help his boss, “P-Principal Celestia, you have to believe us that we harbor no ill intentions towards you or your students. We are currently trying to conduct damage control as best as we can.”

She didn’t expect that the quite nervous appearing teenager would be so eloquent, nonetheless, “What do you know, exactly?”

Pharynx snorted aggressively and glanced at their superior. Chrysalis gave him permission to speak, “Everything, deadly ice ghosts, teenagers who transform into demons or grow horse ears. That laughable trio who could somehow hypnotize people with their voices, that is everything we know. Unless of course you are still keeping secrets from us.”

It should be easy enough for her to dodge the more jeopardizing secrets of Sunset Shimmer and Equestria’s princesses, or so Celestia hoped, “To be honest? I am not certain, but I think nothing else of importance hap-”

The black woman intervened fastly, seeing already which direction their conversation would most likely take, “Do I really have to remind you that you have more responsibilities than merely keeping two, well, ‘foreigners’ safe? People are not ready for this kind of power to be revealed. The whole world already knows about what happened with Canterlot Park and all kind of theories run wild of who or what could be responsible. We both know that most corrupt governments and every dictator or warmonger on Earth would literally walk gladly over any number of corpses to have something like magic at their disposal.”

Eyeballs were lightly rolled. “We’ve lived in peace for three decades. I think you are just being paranoid and melodramatic.” The principal of CHS could tell that this was the wrong thing to say.

And indeed, Chrysalis scoffed in mockery, “Spare me your noise about pacifism and childish make-believe. You know better how our world really works.”

Not contracts, not economical relationships, nor diplomacy were mainly responsible for the current state of peace every citizen could enjoy. Rather the promise the most powerful nations of Terra once made so many years ago. Mutual annihilation, the promise to destroy each other, and most of the planet in progress, with the most terrible weapons possible, should peace ever be in jeopardy because of some insane people who thought it would be a good idea to start the next Great War.

It was only a matter of who would die first and who died second.

Celestia bit her tongue to prevent herself from angering the woman in front of her any further, “As much as I hate it to admit, but she is right. I have duties to my homeland, too. I’m sorry girls, but I can’t keep quiet about the mirror’s existence any longer.” She sighed fatefully, “You win Chrysalis. Just… keep an open mind.”

Chrysalis glanced briefly at Pharynx who understood the nonverbal command flawlessly. He left the office and positioned himself in front of the door like an unmoving guardian, the back of his head visible through the small window in its center.

“What is he doing?” the principal questioned unsurely.

“My dear subordinate will make sure that nobody has even the slightest chance to listen in on us. Lunch break will begin soon and we can’t have it that somebody gets too curious for their own good,” the legal council explained in a no-nonsense kind of tone, like such a precaution was the most obvious step to take.

As if to prove her point, the school bell announced the end of the fourth period.

Celestia gathered herself and exposed everything she knew.

Electromagnetic waves, radiation, heat, cold, pressure, pH determination, even entire scientific fields as biochemistry and cell biology, the measuring instruments in her school lab could help her out as she needed.

Thus, the young scholar amplified most machines’ range and efficiency in order to pick up on any disturbances which could endanger her, often, highly volatile experiments.

It happened a few months ago when exactly two of these instruments, an oscillator and the magnetometer to be precise, picked up on a strange new energy signature she never heard or read about before. Even heart cells or neurons couldn’t produce such harmonic patterns, nor creating such magnificent levels of power, rivaling lightning. Both gadgets went absolutely haywire.

And its sheer purity was mind blowing. Photon-like molecules in states which defied all logic!

Twilight Sparkle knew it was a scientific breakthrough after analyzing these findings. A discovery in a league of its own. Something that could revolutionize... no, solve all energy demands of mankind.

She was in dire need of more samples of mentioned new power, and for that she built a little portable device that should help her on the teenager’s quest for fame, fortune and a free pass into Everton.

She would show all her bullies that a well-educated person wasn’t somebody to laugh about!

*Whimper*

The scholar’s focus was interrupted by heart-melting sounds of a small light mulberry colored dog with moderate harlequin fur on the top of his head, light spring budish gray hair was covering his underbelly, light lime green ears and a little black nose gave him a final touch. Her pet’s moderate pistachio eyes glinted convincingly to add effect.

Twilight picked her official number one assistant up and petted the little troublemaker, “Oh Spike, I know you want to go home, but you heard what Principal Cinch said. We have to look for a way to recalibrate the locket so that we can find out more. And we are almost finished.”

Truth to be told, she wasn’t ready to publish her results, yet. Her first attempt of creating a functioning device to find, contain and to measure energy was a project she worked on relentlessly since her first discovery, many all-nighters included.

Twilight was lucky that she already completed her class’ current curriculum months ahead of time and had nothing else to worry about.

But then the Canterlot Park incident happened and changed everything, much to the girl’s dismay, her schedule included. Tremendous amounts of power had suddenly filled the atmosphere and was afterwards partly absorbed by the locket to its breaking point. The resulting detonation took the unequal duo by surprise when they were in her lab three days ago.

A stray ray of golden energy hit Spike squarely between the eyes, but instead of being heavily injured or killed, a possible outcome she was certain had happened, something far more interesting had occurred.

Her ever loyal friend could talk now.

Spike groaned lightly and spoke in a juvenile voice, “That’s easy for you to say. My last walk was ages ago! And I am hungry. Can’t we just forget about Cinch and have fun instead?” he asked impatiently. “There is this new cat in the neighborhood that needs to be taught a lesson about respect.”

“Spike!” she admonished gently. “We can’t just ignore what happened to you! It changes everything!”

It was simply mind-boggling, if nothing else.

The young canine rolled with his eyeballs uncaringly, “I really don’t know what the big deal is anyway. I mean you humans can talk, too. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that others can.”

Her nose twitched, “It’s because of your vocal cords and how your jaw works.” She held a finger up, preparing for a more detailed lecture, “Additionally, every species can only emit sounds in a certain frequency. We shouldn’t be able to communicate verbally at all. That is why we have an unspoken obligation to identify this new energy as fast as possible.”

That was the reason she ordered him not to speak in public. A talking dog could potentially draw the wrong kind of attention.

He shrugged with his shoulders, “Maybe it’s a miracle? Or I was lucky.“

“Miracle?” She snorted at his sentiment. “I don’t believe in things which can’t be proven by science. What’s next, magic?”

But Spike ignored the ranting teenager and sniffed the air, before he jumped into his basket and warned her quietly, “Cadence is coming! Try to act less like you.”

It was another matter she couldn’t decide how to feel about. Spike was much sassier than most humans she met before in life. “How do you-” Somebody knocked on the door.

She looked astonishedly from the lab’s entrance to her dog, who silently put a paw on his nose, a smug grin adoring his face. Her cheeks reddened faintly.

Twilight tried to compose herself, “C-come in!”

A stunningly beautiful woman blessed with a supermodel-like figure, Dean Cadence, entered the room. Despite the prestigious sounding title, at Crystal Prep, the role was little different from that of Vice-Principal at a lesser school like Canterlot High. But she also had another title, that of sister-in-law to Twilight Sparkle, because she dated her older brother, Shining Armor.

She was lean, very tall and her light purple round eyes practically screamed ‘kindness’ and ‘love’, her brilliant arctic blue eyeshadow merely adding to the picture. Cadence had smooth and perfectly looking pale light grayish cerise skin, the hair long and tricolored in moderate violet, moderate rose, along with pale gold streaks in between.

Twilight didn’t like the analyzing gaze she was given, “I-is something wrong?”

The dean said nothing and came closer gracefully in her golden high heels until both women stood directly in front of each other.

Cadence’s midnight blue coat covered a light arctic blue shirt and was decorated by a brooch, made like a multifaceted light blue crystal heart between gold laces. The intertwined golden necklace of the dean was a present given by Shining Armor as a symbol of their last anniversary. Her sky blue skirt might be too light, unfitting for this time of year, but manageable during school thanks to the warm temperature inside.

Twilight would never be able to pull off such a look without embarrassing herself down to the bone, or freezing to death for that matter. And she was much too skinny in her own opinion.

The dean chuckled teasingly, “Oh Twily, what should we just do with you? Look at the mirror and tell me what you see.”

She did as instructed and had to admit gratingly that her sister-in-law was onto something. Her white lab coat was wrinkled at some places and covered sloppily an equally cared for school uniform. Her pale light grayish mulberry colored skin was dry and haunted by some zits, a consequence when she put herself under too much pressure. Moderate sapphire blue hair with moderate violet and brilliant rose streaks was made in a bun and both, her bangs and the bun, had loose strands of hair hanging out of them. Lastly there were Twilight’s moderate violet eyes, the bags under them were serving as a mocking testimony to an apparent lack of sleep.

Only her big black glasses survived the last few days and weeks unharmed.

She chuckled nervously, “I can explain-”

Instead of being scolded, Cadence hugged the surprised scholar, her voice this time much more serious. “Please, listen to me. We are all very worried about you. Your parents and Shiny don’t want to confront you, because they fear that they might hurt your feelings, but you need to slow down.”

“Cadie, I’m fine,” Twilight answered stubbornly, looking down at her feet.

The normally very patient dean and hobby psychologist had finally enough, “No! You are NOT fine!” She grabbed her sister-in-law at the shoulders, kneeling so that they were seeing each other eye-to-eye and pierced Twilight with an almost pleading expression, “You barely sleep, you neglect your hygiene and one of us has to constantly remind you to eat, because you won’t do it on your own. Whatever kind of mysterious power you found, and I’m very proud on you for accomplishing such an achievement to begin with, it won’t do any good when you are working yourself into burnout.”

Twilight wasn’t sure what made her react the way she did, but it was most likely the mix of scientific excitement and desire to learn as well as mental and physical exhaustion because of how she lived unhealthily these last days.

She backed off and glared at the older woman in visible frustration, “You don’t understand! No one does! I discovered something huge, something beyond mankind’s imagination! It is the same kind of power that destroyed all of Canterlot Park, my experiments proved that! People are disappearing or found dead since then and I am not naive enough to put aside the timing of these two events as a mere coincidence. We don’t have the time to just sit it out and hope that nothing else will happen!”

“Why you?” Cadence inquired softly, refusing to participate in a contest of volume. She wanted to understand her former ladybug. “Twily, you are only 16. You should go out and have some fun in life with your friends or worry about cute boys, not this. Let the grown ups handle it.”

The scholar closed her eyes and shook her head angrily, then she snapped, tossing her arms in the air, “Because I don’t have any friends, never had! Except Spike, and he is not human. Science and the search for knowledge is everything I do have in life!”

She gasped audibly and put both hands in front of her mouth, cursing herself and her tiredness. The eyes wide, praying to the metaphorical heavens that Cadence didn’t listen.

Twilight’s wish wasn’t granted, “W-what?” the dean asked, completely caught off-guard. “What do you mean, you have no friends? You are at Crystal Prep since you were a child!”

“Guess the cat is finally out of the bag,” Spike mumbled to himself. He was lucky that Cadence wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. The loyal canine growled silently, “Stupid cats.”

“I-I..." The teen groaned. "Fine, you got me,” she confessed reluctantly, rubbing her left arm up and down in embarrassment with the other hand. “I really tried. It’s just, everybody at this school only cares for being the best in everything. And I mean, everything.”

Cadence frowned at the unsatisfying answer. Did this mean that the other students were jealous on Twilight’s perfect GPA? Well, if one ignored sports. Though she guessed that the girl’s tendency for clumsiness and her being mercilessly blunt if one said something wrong or was not interested when it came to knowledge played a big role, too. It didn’t help either that Twilight was practically married to her books since she could read her first words.

The dean’s mind drifted away shortly, was being bullied a problem? She couldn’t imagine it, as much as Cadence disliked the spartanic methods of Cinch, the older woman always kept an eye on every student, who managed to expand Crystal Prep’s reputation even further.

And Twilight Sparkle was the brightest mind this private school had to offer.

In the end she decided to let the topic rest, for now, “We are not done yet.” A glance at a nearby clock confirmed her suspicion. “Regardless, I promised Velvet and Night Light to bring you home. Remember, the police advised every citizen to not go alone as long as our current situation isn’t under control.”

Twilight tried to change the topic, “I am done anyway.” She put the newest version of the locket into her bag and called the observing canine with a forced smile at seeing his facial reaction, “Come here boy. Time to leave.”

Cadence could have sworn that the little guy raised an eyebrow in great amusement at his owner. But that would be ridiculous, Spike was only a dog after all. Clearly she already spent too much time down here, no wonder Twily was acting so strange.

Thorax stared at nothing, looking completely lost at the principal’s ridiculous story about fantasy, magic and worlds straight out of a children’s tale. Chrysalis was hiding her desire to plunder her private stash in order to get a strong drink, double of course, masterfully. Triple, now that the legal council thought about what she was told again.

Meanwhile Celestia simply grinned proudly without a care in the world. She didn’t expect their reactions to be that priceless. “I warned you that it would be hard to believe.”

The legal council glared pointedly at the amused principal. “Aliens?”

She received an relaxed shrug in response.

“Creatures of fantasy, unicorns, pegasi, sirens, most likely the whole plate?” Another nod. “And not even real horses, but pastel colored ponies with magical brand marks on their hips?”

Celestia clicked with her tongue, “Yes.”

Chrysalis felt the approaching migraine, “And the statue in front of your school contains a portal to another world where most likely everybody has a counterpart?” she repeated their last conversation like a broken recorder.

“I know, I don’t like it either. Luna and I were thinking about demanding rent once a year,” the principal admitted with a grin.

“The parts with the portal and the parallel dimension would explain a few things. But… Do you think I’m an idiot?!” Chrysalis roared, jumping out of her chair.

“Oh?” the principal mused, playing convincingly clueless. “Would an honest answer suffice?”

Now it was the black amazonian-like woman’s eye that was twitching dangerously, “Careful, Tia. Let us be absolutely clear here. If you are pulling my leg just to protect them, I will come down on you like a swarm and do everything in my power to transfer you to Crystal Prep, where you can serve as Cinch’s personal doormat until the day of your retirement.”

It must have been a record how fast Celestia’s smugness was replaced by sheer horror. “N-no! I’m telling you the truth. What reason do I have to create a lie like ‘colorful ponies’?”

Thorax stroked his chin. “Well, the animal ears those girls have on the pictures do look like they came from an equine,” he added sceptically. “Still, it sounds much too… far fetched.”

The principal didn’t take kindly to being dismissed this easily, “Are you now trying to understand our situation, or not? Questioning my words’ substance won’t change what is true.”

Thorax wasn’t happy with her snappy tone. “With all due respect-”

Chrysalis ignored their banter and decided that it was time to discuss another matter entirely, “Did you by chance read the newspaper this morning?” she queried out of the blue.

“No, I didn’t have the time yet. Why?” Celestia answered curiously.

“One of Abacus Cinch’s students had a small lab accident. Something like that wouldn’t be newsworthy, had it not happened at about the same time as the incident. Oh, and Cinch had been funding her research on a new form of energy the student claimed to have detected.” The legal council smiled thinly and showed the perplexed principal another article on the tablet about Crystal Prep, “One surprise hunts the next it seems.”

Celestia’s eyebrows took a vacation upstairs. “Princ… No, that is the Twilight of our world. Oh.”

Chrysalis smirked falsely, “That is one way of putting it.” The corners of her mouth fell down immediately afterwards. “It appears that Ms. Sparkle put us under more pressure than was already the case. I fear it is only a matter of time before she does something we can’t cover up any longer.”

Thorax nodded in agreement with a frown of his own. “Ms. Chrysalis is right. We are lucky that the article was dismissed by the more reputable scientists of our country, because alone the thought that a mere teenager would manage to discover something nobody else could, is seen as a great insult by most.”

“I am not sure if I like where this is going,” Celestia admitted cautiously.

The legal council walked up to the window purposefully, looking out at nothing in particular. “Thorax, take Pharynx with you and prepare the car.” She waited until both siblings were gone before she addressed Celestia once more. “And you should grab a jacket as well. I can give Ms. Sparkle something she desperately desires, but you are better when it comes to convincing children I have no hold over.” She turned around for a last time when she stood in the door. “You should feel honored, your softness is required.”

Celestia wasn’t sure what this woman was planning, but she was ready to play her part when it would help them to safeguard the portal’s existence.

Though she couldn’t shake off the feeling that the forgot something important.

Luna sneezed, hopefully she wasn’t catching a cold on her last day before the holidays would begin.

The office’s phone ringed for what felt like the 30th time. “Hello, you speak with Vice-Principal Luna. What can I do for-”

...

She growled. “You again, Filthy?! I don’t care how many times you call this number, we won’t suspend our students, just because your daughter's feelings are hurt. And that is final!”

…

She chuckled humorlessly. “That is not my problem. Buy her a toy or something.” The vice-principal scoffed. “I don’t care!”

…

Luna narrowed her eyes, the voice low, “Do not threaten me. I don’t care if your wife is part of the school board, I do not work for you.”

…

Her voice took now a mocking touch, “Oh yes, please. I would love to see how you want to convince the school board to reduce our budget because of something beyond our control. News flash, it won’t happen.”

…

She sighed exhaustedly, “I understand where you are coming from, but you really need to teach your wife a lesson in not only humility, but what is socially acceptable these days. We don’t live any longer in times of kings and nobles.”

…

“Yes. And a good day to you, Filthy,” Luna said neutrally before she hang up.

Her sister promised that she would return soon. Celestia had been gone for two hours by now. “I swear Tia, you better have a damn good reason why you won’t come back.”

Another call, she picked up grumpily. “Hello, here is-” Her eyes widened significantly, “Sister?!” A short pause. “Wait, what do you mean you are with Chrysi?!”

It was an agonizing ride, at least for the dean of Crystal Prep. She was the driver and Twilight Sparkle sat right beside her.

Cadence wasn’t sure how to break the ice either, but the silence between the woman and her sister-in-law was too much to bear. She needed a topic, something that interested Twilight enough to talk.

Then she had an idea, “So, tell me. If we hadn’t found you in your lab thanks to the little light show after your pendant exploded, how did you plan to investigate this new energy on your own anyway? It must have been hard to work on your project without any funds to back you up.”

The young scholar wasn’t exactly keen on talking about this particular matter. She looked up from mentioned device, “Well, I’ve been using my allowance to buy the parts, but now Principal Cinch has offered to pay for it as long as I give her weekly reports. I was going to go to Canterlot High in order to investigate the readings I received, though without a student pass, I would have to stay outside. I thought I could wait for the Friendship Games next year in order to do it secretly when everybody was too busy to notice. Just going along as a ‘fan’, you know? Nobody would have ever known.”

And when she would have finished the locket. Now Twilight had to make due with a prototype, irks and quirks still included.

Cadence, as expected by the teenager, frowned heavily, “Twily, these games were once introduced as a symbol of kinship and sportsmanship between CHS and CPA. Not as something to abuse.”

Despite her misgivings, the dean had to confess that she heard about the rumors concerning her aunts’ school, but didn’t give it a second thought. Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna would have told her when something unexplainable was going on, or so she believed.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the dean’s naive words, glancing at the miraculous machine in her hands again, “Oh please, since more than 12 years nothing else happens than total domination from Crystal Prep’s side in every single competition, paired with obscenely amounts of gloating and an undeniable demonstration that CHS will always be second place. There is nothing friendly about these games.”

The older woman and former student of Crystal Prep herself sighed sadly, “It wasn’t always like that…”

Her sister-in-law nearly didn’t hear anything at all, “Did you say something?”

“Nothing! Just me mumbling silly things. I, err-” she caught sight of one of Twilight’s favorite establishments, perhaps food would cheer her sister-in-law-up, “How about a Hamburger? I can go in and get us a little snack to bite, meanwhile you can have fun with Spike. He tried to get your attention since a little while.”

Cadence parked her car on a big parking lot, leaving pet and owner behind to go in.

Spike whined loudly, “Finally! Twilight, I need to go, like right now. Or you won’t like what happens next,” he warned urgently, dancing on the spot.

She smiled sheepishly at her trusty dog, “O-of course! Sorry that I forgot earlier, I just lost track of time… again.”

Spike gritted his teeth in concentration, “Less talking, more peeing!”

The duo left the car fastly and hid behind the nearest bush, vehicle still in view. It was a most awaited moment for him. “Ahhh~! Sweet, sweet, release.”

Twilight wanted to comment on his theatralic behaviour, when suddenly her pocket was glowing in a bright purple light. She took the locket out and indeed, the entire device showed activity, specially the core in the center, a purple symbol of a star. It was almost as if it tried to fly away, truly mesmerizing.

“Oh my gosh! A signal?! Here?!” she exclaimed excitedly.

The canine though looked back to the car. “Err, Twilight? I am pretty sure that Cadence will come back soon. We should-” he turned around to face his best friend only to notice that she was gone.

He scanned his surroundings frantically till he spotted his owner who just entered a big alleyway and left his sight.

Spike followed swiftly, not wasting a single breath.

The principal couldn’t believe that she forgot about her sister and rushed off.

“Yes Luna, I will. Sorry that I didn’t tell you earlier, thanks for jumping in. Of course we will, bye.” Celestia put her phone away and focused instead on the legal council of the Canterlot School District. “How exactly do you even plan to convince her to stop with what she is doing? We don’t really have the right to forbid her to do research concerning magic, it’s not like there is a law against it.”

They tried to reach the address of their world’s Twilight Sparkle, only problem was, the Canterlot Park incident. Bloggers, independent reporters and agencies from all over the world, as well as bystanders, were flocking to the city in masses to snatch a look at its remains since the day the local citizens' beloved park was erased from the map.

In short, traffic was a nightmare these days. At least Pharynx was driving, so she could put her mind on other things.

“Reliable sources told me that Ms. Sparkle wants nothing more than to be accepted at Everton after graduation. She certainly has the intelligence to succeed. I could convince the headmaster over there to let the girl in early, ignoring certain entrance criteria or other restrictions. In exchange she might rethink her desire to dive into the unknown without considering the consequences.” Chrysalis smiled sweetly at her seatmate. “That is where we are counting on you.”

“Everton?” Celestia grimaced. “Do you really think he will allow that? You know how obsessed he is with rules nowadays.”

The legal council returned the gesture. “If Sombra knows what’s good for him he will consider taking my gracious offer.”

She ignored the principal’s questioning look expertly. This man’s greatest problem was that he felt rules were for other people, especially those beneath him. This had led to some issues in the past and only thanks to Tirek’s and her help did he manage to obtain the position as headmaster of one of the most desired schools worldwide. It would be most unfortunate for his career if someone accidently leaked a secret or two.

Thorax in the meantime wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating or not, but the best course of action was to ask the others, “Isn’t that Dean Cadence in front of a Hay Burger, running around like a headless chicken and behaving like a crazy woman?”

All heads turned instantly to verify what the computer expert saw. It was indeed the dean of CPA, looking like she was crying recently and nervously pacing around her car. The passenger door wide open.

Alarm bells went off in Celestia’s head, “Pharynx, please park the van right next to her. I know my niece, something horrible must have happened when she acts like that.”

“Do as she says,” Chrysalis ordered before he could say anything.

When they stopped and opened the door the occupants could hear the dean mumbling, “What should I do? Where can she be?” She breathed hardly. “Ohhh, Velvet will kill me when she finds out.”

“Cadence?” Celestia asked her pacing niece. On a closer look she could even make out single hairs which were sticking out of the dean’s normally perfect coiffure.

“A-Auntie Celestia?!” the beauty exclaimed in shock and surprise, she looked behind her relative and the formally glad smile transformed into a sneer. “Legal Council Chrysalis.”

The woman in question kept up an unreadable poker face, “Dean Cadence.”

Cadence pointed accusingly at the dark trio, “What are you doing here? Trying to convince another child to become one of your servants?”

“My, what strong accusations. You have no-” Chrysalis looked almost too nicely at Thorax. “Now that I think about it. Could you be a dear and get me a drink? I feel a little parched.”

The younger sibling blinked, then he registered what she had said, “Err, of course Ms. Chrysalis. I’ll be right back.”

He left. Pharynx snorted at his brother’s cluelessness.

Chrysalis cleared her throat. “They are not servants, just students given a unique opportunity to protect their school and its district, something my little swarm does quite well.” Her eyes twinkled in barely contained amusement.

Celestia thought it would be best to change the topic before her niece went on a rampage and put a calming hand on Cadence’s shoulder, “Don’t let her get to you. Now, tell us what happened, I’ve rarely seen you so worried before.”

Panic returned with a vengeance for the dean, “Oh my gosh! I totally forgot!” She stared pleadingly at her aunt, “You have to help me find my sister-in-law and her dog! She was supposed to wait for me in the car, but when I returned they were both gone! Hopefully nothing happened to her, so many people have gone missing or were found dead since the incident.”

It would explain the spilled drinks and food on the ground for more than one person.

“Don’t worry Cadence,” the principal advised calmly. “I am sure everything will be fine. Tell us who is missing and we do what we can to help you.”

Chrysalis nodded at the dean’s expression in her direction, “What she said.”

She knew her aunt was right and took a deep breath. Cadence felt already much better. “Her name is Twilight Sparkle.” Pharynx facepalmed, Chrysalis cursed silently and Celestia simply knew the universe hated her. “Is something wrong?” the dean inquired in bafflement and concern in regards to their actions.

It was the legal council who broke the silence in the finest irony, “You might say that.”

Spike didn’t like it, he didn’t like it at all. All his instincts were shouting at him to run away as fast as he could. “Err, Twilight? I really think we shouldn’t be here.”

They already reached the sixth alley, or so the dog counted in his head.

The young scholar ignored him. “Don’t be silly, you are just grouchy, because you have to walk through deep snow.” She was glad that she was wearing knee-long winter boots. “And according to my locket we are as good as… there.”

There, meant in their case a dead end after turning around the next corner.

Spike gave his owner a deadpan in response, “Just great.”

Twilight looked up from the device to stare dumbfoundedly at the opposing wall, back at the locket, then the wall once more, only to end up groaning. “B-but that doesn’t make any sense! The source of this energy signature should be right in front of us!” She shook her little gadget furiously. “Stupid malfunctions!”

“Well, time to go back I guess. Too bad.” The canine only wanted to leave this creepy place.

Disappointment painted the girl’s face, putting the still glowing pendant back into her pocket, “I think you are right.” She gave Spike a warm smile. “I hope Cadence won’t be too mad at me.”

The duo didn’t even take three steps when suddenly a deep, malicious, slightly male and echoing voice made itself known from behind their backs, “Leaving so soon?”

They froze on the spot immediately, eyes were taking the forms of pinpricks. Both turned around slowly, barely noticing in the back of their minds that their breaths were nothing more but thick white mist by now and that the air felt much more chilling than before.

Twilight literally fell back from shock, not able to rip her eyes from the surreal attraction in front of her eyes. “W-wh-how-but-!”

Her scientific mind couldn’t explain it, in the face of all logic, a ghost was staring back at her. It looked distantly human, if not for being easily three heads taller than the teenager herself, made of what seemed like ice and shaped energy, wearing ethereal and equally glowing rags all around its body. It was not only incredibly tall, but thin, almost malnourished looking, the arms and hands barely visible because of the cloth and legs which were slowly evaporating into swirls of wind the farther she looked down.

But worst were the unforgiving, narrowed two pits of brilliant black energy which represented most likely its eyes.

“What is wrong human?” the spirit asked sadistically. “Never seen a wraith before?”

That did it. Twilight screamed bloody murder and turned tail, Spike closely behind. They never looked back, but didn’t even reach the end of their current alley when another, this time what seemed like armor wearing ghost appeared in front of the terrified duo. Its eyes were hypnotizing, colored in a deep sky blue.

“I fear we can’t let you leave, little one,” a from the second wraith coming, more female, voice stated patiently.

They were trapped.

Twilight looked frantically between the two beings on both sides before she fell to her knees in the icy snow, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “It explains everything, the disappearances, the frozen bodies and why the police never found a clue on the true culprits!”

The biggest question was, how? It should be impossible, ghosts weren’t supposed to exist, they were meant to be a fragment of human fantasy, not real life. She looked at the wraith in front of her, it was closing in.

Spike jumped in front of his owner and charged at the spirit, this thing blocked their path to freedom, it dared to threaten his family and his very being commanded him to protect Twilight.

“S-Spike! NO!” the teenager shouted desperately.

The spirit laughed quietly to herself, hands illuminated by an energy unknown to the scholar. Long and lethal looking icy claws grew from each finger, the nearing moment to strike the loyal dog down was filling the cruel construct of necromancy with glee.

Twilight closed her eyes, she couldn’t look at the imminent slaughter.

“Grave Whisper, that is quite enough,” a melodic, almost seducing voice of a woman intervened like a disappointed mother.

The wraith stopped her spell and ignored how Spike literally jumped through her massless body, landing head first in the snow. He glared up and made eye contact with a woman nearly as tall as Cadence.

“Excuse me, Mistress. I let my bloodlust get the better of me,” Grave Whisper apologized nervously.

Twilight opened her eyes after hearing the newcomer and had to admit, even as a girl herself, She. Was. Gorgeous. In comparison to Cadence this woman in front of her had something she never saw before, if there was ever a moment where she would consider beauty to be timeless, this was it. Long wavy locks of ashen white hair were framing slender shoulders, vibrant magenta eyes, supported by midnight blue eyeshadow, which gave off the impression that it could be possible to lose oneself in them, though it was strange. Her pupils appeared to be unnaturally black, flickering in certain angles of light like shadows.

Still, that detail didn’t occupy the teenager’s analysis for long.

A soft nose, her luscious lips, an inviting smile of teeth as white as pearls and beautifully chiseled dark brownish gray skin completed a picture of flesh-made allurement.

In comparison was her outfit almost insultingly simple. She wore solely a three-layered dress that covered her entire body, but with a generous cleavage to emphasize an already ample bosom. It was colored in three shades, light gray, reddish gray and apple greenish gray. Fittingly did she have a golden necklace with what could qualify as a ruby on it, serving as the showpiece and shaped like an apple.

Twilight never heard that a gem of that size existed, where on Earth did this woman get such an expensive piece of jewelry? It must be worth a fortune.

Finally concluded the girl that this stranger must have a suicide wish, or an immune system to die for, because she wore no shoes, nor socks. Although her feet didn’t seem to suffer from anything, they looked perfectly healthy as the rest of the stunning female.

“Who are you?” the young scholar thought breathlessly.

With sway in every step did the stranger come closer, ignoring the growling Spike consequently.

She presented Twilight an outstretched hand, her voice soothing and warm, “You must be very confused. Why won’t you stand up from the cold ground so that we might converse like reasonable adults?”

The teenager couldn’t believe it, this woman acted like being surrounded by cursed souls didn’t bother her at all.

Twilight chose to take the offer and stood once again on her own. “T-thanks! B-but I-I-”

“Shhh. It is alright,” the unknown beauty said knowingly, taking Twilight’s left hand into her own, caressing its back. It should feel wrong to be touched like that, or so logic dictated her, but instead she felt calm, at peace. “You found something you weren’t prepared for and are obviously out of your comfort zone when confronted with such devastating revelations. Ask whatever you want, I will answer truthfully.”

A promise too good to be true, but she couldn’t ignore the her given opportunity. “O-OK, well, w-what are they? W-who are you?” Twilight asked in fright, staring nervously between the two spirits as if they would attack her at any moment.

Her smile never left the stranger's face. “They are called Windigos. Lost souls of old to be more precise, but this is another tale.” The woman acted thoughtfully. “As for my identity, my name is Moonlight River, it is a personal joy to finally meet you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Mentioned teenager’s brain came to a standstill. “Y-you know me?”

“But of course!” Moonlight exclaimed happily. “Why, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the article about your discovery. A clever girl who managed to discover how to measure magic. Simply astonishing.”

Twilight blushed at being praised like that by somebody who wasn’t family. Nobody outside of her closest circle ever did that without any hint of mockery or jealousy since kindergarten. Or acted like it was to be expected by the infamous protégé, meaning every single teacher and student of Crystal Prep.

A genuine compliment. She choked up.

Then another detail Moonlight said came to the front of her mind, “Ms. River, did you just say ‘magic’?”

Instead of answering the question with words, the older woman did it with actions. Her hand, similar to what the female Windigo did earlier, was engulfed by a crimson aura. Not a second later was Twilight’s locket surrounded by the same energy and flew slowly into Moonlight’s waiting hand.

“HOW?!” was the only word that came out of the usually more eloquent teenager’s mouth.

Moonlight laughed musically and gave Twilight her locket back, like a normal person would this time. “My dear girl, there exist forces beyond what science alone can teach you. I am ready to show you what was kept away from you for so long. In return, I merely require your assistance to find something, an entrance so to speak.”

“Entrance?” the teenager repeated in awe.

Alone the thought of all the knowledge she could learn stimulated her endorphin production to new heights. ‘Happy’ wasn’t enough to describe her current emotional state. And how many books would await her?

Moonlight leaned forward, whispering her next words into the scholar’s ear, her voice was resonating in the girl’s very soul, “What if everything you thought was impossible, could be made possible? I can show you a world full of wonders and opportunities, you just have to accept, nobody has to know about our little agreement.”

Twilight shivered at being on the receiving end of the Windigos’ impatient stares.

The magic user noticed her fear immediately and chuckled knowingly. “Don’t tell me you are afraid when facing death.”

“I-I just, well, how is that possible? I mean no disrespect to religion, but I never cared for theology. I always thought that a soul was just an invented concept to calm people’s minds so that they have something to look forward to after the end,” the teenager explained uncomfortably.

Moonlight River’s smile took a melancholic touch, almost reminiscent. “Being afraid of the end isn’t necessary. Life is short, sometimes when expected the least, too short.” She looked imploringly at Twilight, “There are so many ways to die, the only true death is to never live, to always be afraid of the possible consequences instead of taking a leap of faith. Now, are you ready to take the next step?” A disappointed undertone came into play, “Or did I misjudge your merit? Are you perhaps too afraid and unworthy of the truth?”

Spike wanted to shout at his owner to finally snap out of it and to refuse this insane female, but something invisible prevented him from opening his mouth. Every single cell in him vibrated with sickness whenever he looked at the woman. She just felt wrong, foul.

Twilight thought about Moonlight’s words. Was she truly too afraid? No! She had enough of being humiliated during lunch, of being pushed into the locker by older girls or exploited for her brain only to be kicked aside when she was no longer of use.

Cadence and Shining Armor never understood, they had it always easy to find friends and were admired by the other students during their time. While she was just, a dork. A nerd without friends.

She made her decision, “Please, Ms. Moonlight! Teach me what you know and I will help you to the best of my abilities, I swear.”

The necromancer smiled sweetly, “You won’t regret it.”