Peace has returned to both sides of the mirror, but not without each of its own set of problems. Starlight is being held hostage by Queen Chrysalis, unknown to anyone, while her doppelganger has taken her place to learn more about the girls for her own agenda. Meanwhile, Sunset has her own counterpart to deal with, who will stop at nothing to get the answers she needs.
It was another peaceful day in the small town of Ponyville. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and cool, and happiness was all around. Or, at least, it had been going that way.
The peaceful atmosphere was soured with the arrival of a very large airship (no, not that airship) that came down in the center of town, right next to Town Hall. Some ponies ran off and closed their doors; others stayed and watched with curiosity. A landing ramp and out came a motley crew of griffins, diamond dogs and a few ponies as well. Raiders weren’t unheard of in these parts but they usually stuck towards the southern end of Equestria.
“Alright listen up ya worthless gits!” one of the diamond dogs said, presumably the leader since he appeared to be the largest of them all. “We’re going to make this very simple: we’re going to be taking a few loans out of your treasury inside your fancy building. Cause no trouble and we’ll be out of your manes in no time. But if anyone tries to be a hero well…I don’t really have to spell it out do I? Now then, where’s your dear representative of this town?”
Silence hung throughout the square. Suddenly a voice called out, “Which one?”
“Which one? I mean your leader!”
“Uh…you’re gonna have to be a bit more specific,” another pony said.
“Dude, obviously he’s talking about Princess Twilight…”
“No, I’m pretty sure he means Mayor Mare…the princess doesn’t rule this town!”
“Wait a minute, so why is her castle here again?”
“Yeah, I don’t remember the mayor giving her a building permit!”
“Something about planting a seed and then a giant castle just-”
“Enough!” the diamond dog captain yelled. Once everyone went quiet he smiled. “Considering your dear Princess is out of town at the moment, which I am quite aware of, your mayor will have to do since she has keys to the vault. Now where is she?”
“Unfortunately, the mayor can’t be reached right now but I can take her place.” The captain suddenly whirled around and he saw a group of six ponies, one in particular he instantly recognized. “We’re going to make this very simple captain,” Princess Twilight Sparkle said. “We don’t take kindly to raiders in any place, especially Ponyville so we’ll give you a choice. Leave now and never come back, and we’ll be fine. But if you feel like putting up a fight well…do we have to spell it out for you?”
The diamond dog looked as if he were about to faint. He looked to one of his subordinates, an earth pony. “I thought you said today was the day she was leaving!”
“I did sir, honestly!”
The captain growled. “If you think I’ll turn and run with my tail between my legs you’re quite mistaken princess!”
Twilight sighed. “That’s too bad. Honestly, I first thought this was going to turn into a big fight scene where we beat up the bad guys as usual but…honestly Ponyville has been through enough the past couple of years so…Rainbow Dash will see you on your way out.”
“Wait what!?” The captain didn’t have time to react as a rainbow blur suddenly crashed into their ship. In normal circumstances, the pegasus in question would’ve probably just bounced off the side of the ship and probably broken a few bones and probably would have damaged a wing in the process. But Rainbow Dash was no normal pegasus.
It wasn’t her peak speed, but she was going about the speed of sound, which was enough to break right through the ship’s exterior and at exactly the right she caused the ship to explode, launching the crew into the atmosphere and far, far away from Ponyville. “Curse you Twilight Sparkle!” the captain yelled as they disappeared into the distance.
The ponies outside cheered for their princess, even though the credit pretty much went to Rainbow. “Honestly, Ah’m surprised that went as easy as it did,” Applejack said, rubbing her chin.
“Considering what I had to put up with a few weeks ago, I’m still not in the mood for fighting,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. As soon as Rainbow reappeared, Twilight sighed. “Did you really have to blow up the ship?”
“What? I had to cause a little excitement for the crowd,” Rainbow grinned.
“Well, on the bright side now I won’t have to cancel my two o’clock appointment at the spa,” Rarity said. “I say we all celebrate with some much needed R&R.”
“I do like the sound of that,” Fluttershy said.
“And maybe a party?” Pinkie suggested.
“Ah guess it couldn’t hurt, even though we just had one about three weeks ago with Starswirl and the others.”
“Ha! Yeah, the look on Starswirl’s face was priceless!” Rainbow said. “Aw what the heck, count me in for some quality R&R.”
The girls headed off into town, leaving Twilight behind. “But we didn’t even do anything!” she yelled. No one appeared to hear her as she groaned and followed them. Hopefully things are a bit more peaceful for Starlight…
Canterlot
Things had gone back to normal in Canterlot, or at least as normal as things usually were around here. The girls of Canterlot High were currently in the music room, which thankfully was open even during the summer months, mostly playing songs that they had written recently. Their audience consisted of one Starlight Glimmer at the moment.
“So…how long have you all been in a band?” Starlight asked.
“It’s only been about…two months maybe?” Sunset shrugged. “Technically Twilight and I are the newest members.”
“That’s…pretty impressive,” Starlight stated. “If you could score a record deal with a music studio, imagine the amount of money you could earn!”
“Yes, except with the constant rate of strange occurrences that happen around I doubt we could balance all that out darling,” Rarity stated.
“Plus I don’t think it’s what we really want to do, more just a hobby,” Twilight added. “Especially since senior year is coming up.”
Everyone suddenly got quiet. “Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up then,” Starlight apologized.
“Nah, it’s fine, Ah think we all just realized if this stuff keeps happening, how are we supposed to focus on our own futures?” Applejack said.
“Honestly, I never really thought about it,” Sunset sighed. “I guess this all comes back to me coming here in the first place.”
“Come on, this again?” Rainbow asked. “Look, what happened happened and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. Besides, we’re in this together now.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Starlight said.
“Well, after the whole thing with Midnight Sparkle blowing up the statue some of the magic from Equestria has…well let’s just say it’s kind of leaked into this world,” Sunset explained.
“Hence all the weird stuff that’s happened?” Starlight asked.
“Eh…honestly after with what happened at Camp Everfree I’m not really sure what occurred first,” Sunset groaned slightly.
“Okay, real talk, can we stop with the history lessons and get back to jamming?” Rainbow asked.
“Not so fast ladies!” The girls suddenly looked towards the door and saw Trixie standing in the doorway with her guitar accompanied by her band mates. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has come for practice and would kindly like for you all to give her and her fellow band mates some space.”
“Uh…we were here first,” Applejack pointed out simply.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Trixie didn’t realize this room has a first come, first served policy,” Trixie rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’ve all hogged most of the time available here.”
“We’ve been here for only thirty minutes!” Rarity snapped.
“And how often did you get to play in here during after hours!?” Trixie snapped right back. “That’s right, every day! Just because you’re all saviors doesn’t mean you get to hog everything, including the music room!”
“Okay, let’s just take a deep breath here,” Twilight said. “Maybe we should just let Trixie and her friends play for once. She’s not exactly wrong.”
“The hell with that!” Rainbow yelled.
“Seriously Rainbow, I think Twilight is right on this one,” Sunset said.
“Yeah, and I think Trixie can just find somewhere else to play considering we got here first,” Rainbow rebutted.
“Fine, if you won’t give it up, then we’ll just have to settle this personally,” Trixie said. “Music duel.”
It was quiet for a few moments before Rainbow burst out laughing. “Seriously? We already dueled once Trixie and look how that turned out.”
“Trixie is aware,” Trixie growled. She then smirked. “However, things have changed recently. One moment.” She then set up her guitar to the speaker one of her friends dragged along before doing a quick sound check. “Behold… The Great…and Powerfully Improved Trixie!”
She then thrummed the strings as the girls were hit with a blast of sound and she started to glow. Suddenly, she had pony ears and a long flowing tail matching her hair.
“Did…she just pony up!?” Pinkie asked.
“H-How!?” Sunset and Twilight both said.
“It only happened recently, even Trixie cannot really explain it,” Trixie shrugged. “We were practicing in Trixie’s garage when the event happened and…well needless to say at first I almost had a panic attack. But as you can now see, I’m just like you seven.”
“Oh please,” Rainbow scoffed. “So you got ears and a tail. Congratulations. But I’m still the better guitarist here.”
“Care to put your money where your mouth is?” Trixie taunted.
“…Pinkie give me a beat.”
“Huh?” Pinkie asked.
“We’re doing this right here, right now so give me a beat Pinkie! Also, AJ maybe a little help too?”
“Ah’d love to say no but somehow you’re going to make me do this anyway aren’t ya?” Applejack asked.
“Do we really have to do this?” Fluttershy asked.
“Why not?” The girls looked over towards Starlight. She then shrugged. “I’m still kind of understanding how everything works here so…why not let them battle?”
“I…guess it couldn’t hurt?” Sunset said. “Just don’t blow anything up…especially any speakers.”
“Fine, fine, as long as it gets this stupid competition outta the way…” Applejack grumbled.
Pinkie started up with a beat for a few measures before Applejack entered in on her base. “You know what, I probably don’t even have to pony up for this,” Rainbow said. “I’m still going to beat you Trixie.”
“We’ll see about that,” Trixie replied. “But where are my manners? I should let the expert go first.”
“Fine by me,” Rainbow grinned. She let her ears and fingers do the work as she started strumming chords, mostly to get warmed up but partly to let herself get into the music itself. Once she got a feel for it, she became a little more daring, or perhaps she decided to show off as her hands and fingers started going across her guitar almost on autopilot.
“Hm, not bad for a novice,” Trixie said. “But are you good enough to match up, beat by beat.”
“Try me.”
Trixie grinned as she strung out a long stream of chords, impressive for any guitarist to pull off, but Rainbow wasn’t surprised considering she knew just how good Trixie was. Not wanting to be left out, she responded quickly, matching with Trixie’s tempo. The harmony they produced was impressive to say the least.
It went back and forth between the two girls and while Rainbow had to admit she was impressed, she wasn’t willing to show it outwardly. “Ha, is that all you got Trix?”
“Don’t be silly,” Trixie scoffed. “A showgirl always saves the best for last.”
“Yeah sure thing, now it’s my turn!” Rainbow quickly pressed on the pedal to her amp and suddenly played a more raw melody that echoed throughout the room. Trixie was ready for a counter tune which she pulled off almost too easily. However, Rainbow kept going, hoping to catch Trixie off guard and soon things were turning in her favor.
Now that she knew she had Trixie on the ropes, Rainbow decided now was the time to finish this. “Ya know Trixie, I’ll give you credit: you’ve gotten better since last time. But I’m still going to show you how it’s done.”
She cranked up the volume on her amp and performed her coup de grae. The sound was loud enough to be heard by the entire school, if school were still in session. Trixie looked overwhelmed and not sure how to respond as a couple of strings on her guitar broke. Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie kept going until the final chord which suddenly caused the speakers to explode and the room was filled with purple smoke, something that Sunset could only conclude was Equestrian magic. So much for not destroying the equipment…she thought.
Once the smoke cleared, they saw that Trixie and her band mates were strewn across the wall. Trixie’s hair was strewn all over the place and the look on her face was a mixture of surprise and extreme confusion. Her ears and tail were now gone.
“Well, I guess that settles that,” Rainbow said confidently.
“Are ya happy now?” Applejack glared at her. “Ya just fried one of our speakers and sent three of our classmates into a wall. They’re probably deaf and have a concussion. All cause of yer damn ego.”
“Applejack, I really don’t think you understand the idea of ‘first come, first served’,” Rainbow pointed out.
“I think the better topic to discuss is how the heck did Trixie pony up?” Twilight asked. “I thought only the seven of us could do it because of those geodes we found?”
“Well, the geodes are this world’s Elements of Harmony,” Sunset pointed out. “Well, at least that’s what we think. But maybe we’re not the only ones who can actually pony up.”
“That’s true, we did see Starlight pony up even though she’s not one of the Elements,” Rarity added.
“Well…I’m not bragging but I’m kind of a pretty powerful unicorn,” Starlight chuckled slightly.
“Um…girls?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t mean to interrupt but…do you think we should make sure those three are okay?”
The girls then looked to Trixie and the others. “Oh…yeah, make sure we didn’t cause any damage,” Sunset said.
“While we’re at it…anyone want to chip in to buy a new speaker?” Rainbow asked sheepishly.
Once the girls found out that Trixie and the others hadn’t sustained any major injuries and were able to walk it off (Trixie looked absolutely disgusted, despite her best intentions to hide it), the girls ended up playing for another hour before deciding to call it a day and head home. Starlight had been spending the last few weeks crashing at Sunset’s apartment and naturally the two of them walked home together. “I’m starting to think these kinds of things are becoming normal for you girls,” she commented.
“When you live in Equestria, nothing is out of the ordinary,” Sunset chuckled. “But I don’t get why Trixie of all people would now have the ability to pony up. I guess Equestrian magic is running rampant more so than we thought. I should probably get a hold of Princess Twilight…”
“Well, is it really a bad thing?” Starlight asked. “I mean…I don’t know this Trixie but the other Trixie and I are best friends…maybe there’s a connection.”
“Maybe,” Sunset said. “Then again, it’s probably not a big deal. So, think you’ve finally adapted to this world?”
“Mostly,” Starlight shrugged. “I admit so many things about this place amaze me.” She then pulled out the smartphone that Sunset got for her. “Like this phone, we could never send messages this fast. Or contact one another from long distances.”
“Yeah, Equestria could learn a thing or two,” Sunset said. She then paused and sighed. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about this crazy theory, but let’s say one day the portal between worlds closes for good. Twilight said Starswirl was the one who ultimately created the portal but magic over time begins to fade and…” She paused when she saw Starlight’s confused face. “Sorry, the point is, I would have to make a choice between being here or going back to Equestria and it’s not a simple choice. My friends are here, but whether I like it or not, Equestria is my true home. What choice is the right one?”
“If you want my honest opinion,” Starlight said. “You have to realize who you are. You’re Equestrian Sunset; truly you don’t belong here. I know it sounds harsh but if things had been different in the past you probably never would have set foot here in the first place.”
“I know,” Sunset said. “Maybe you’re right…hey are you hungry? I can go and get us pizza but you can head back to the apartment if you want.”
“Sure, I’ll see you in a bit?”
“Yeah, hopefully won’t be too long.” Sunset took off right on the adjacent street as Starlight watched her go. Her smile faded into a frown of annoyance as she punched a number into her phone. The phone on the other end rang twice before someone picked up.
“Star, long time no talk. I was starting to think you got lost somewhere.”
“Sorry about that DD, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to be by myself,” Starlight huffed slightly.
“It’s no big deal,” DD said. “So how’s your little investigation going?”
“It’s exactly as I thought,” Starlight said. “These girls have abilities that would have supernaturalists squealing with joy. More than that, it seems like their influence is spreading to others in their school.”
“Okay, I get that this is a story we want to get out, but what exactly do we gain by exposing them?”
“People need to know what’s going on,” Starlight said as she started walking the opposite way towards the apartment. “They may be heroes, but what happens if they decide to use their powers for evil purposes? The proper authorities need to detain them. If there’s even a slight chance that they could use that power for evil-”
“This is a damn witch hunt. You really think anyone is going to believe us?”
“I’ll make them believe us…”
“Somehow I believe that. Just be careful alright?”
Starlight smiled slightly. “I know how to cover my tracks…”
“True. You wouldn’t be the leader of the Equalists otherwise.”
The call ended and Starlight kept walking, the smile now staying on her face. To think only a month ago she was still in the planning process of this whole operation. Now she was in the thick of it, with enough information to set the media on fire. Of course, the girls would probably not be arrested, they hadn’t done anything illegal but she knew the proper agencies in the government would keep an eye on them nonetheless. It was kind of ironic now that she would have to rely on the same group of people to help her that she was currently at war with.
The Equalists are a group of cyberactivists (most would call them “hackers” which wasn’t inaccurate but Starlight liked the term “cyberactivist” better) that, as their name stated, believed in equality for all citizens, whether it had to deal with politics, economics or civil liberties. They had “gone to war” with the government on many occasions and won every time without giving away their location. Even the best hackers the government could find were no match for their skills.
But how did this all connect to the other world, and how did she get there? The events that led to that Starlight kept to herself, because even the most out there people wouldn’t possibly believe her. She could remember everything clearly.
Two Months Ago…
“I’m telling you, this is huge!” Starlight almost yelled to her fellow hackers as they were sitting in the large room surrounded by monitors and desktops. “There are multiple witnesses and plenty from both Canterlot High and Crystal Prep took videographic evidence that shows everything!”
“You do know most things these days can be edited in?” DD, also know as Double Diamond, asked, looking doubtful. “Come on Star, plant monsters from another dimension? Even the tabloids don’t get that ridiculous.”
“I have to agree with Diamond,” another male close to DD’s age said, looking anxious and suffering what looked like lack of sleep. “People are going to think we’re getting desperate.”
“You too Party Favor?” Starlight asked. “What about the rest of you? You think I’m being desperate?” There were seven of them total and the four other people chose not to say anything but the looks on their faces was enough of an answer. “Fine, I’m going to get answers on this with or without your help. And once I find them, no one, and I mean no one will be able to cover this up.”
She left the room in a hurry, slamming the door in the process as she climbed the stairs to the main floor of the building they were located. Once she found the exit doors and opened them, she breathed in fresh air, already used to the stale air and the assortment of smells that accumulated over time in a cramped environment. Maybe it was too good to be true, maybe she was wasting time on what could be fiction. But she wasn’t going to stop, and they all knew how stubborn she could be.
Suddenly, her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen and saw that it was a private number. It was enough to send up red flags. She could just ignore it but against her better judgment she hit the receive button. “Hello?”
“You want information?” Starlight froze. What the hell…!? “You’re looking too broad. You need to find a connection.”
Well no shit, Starlight thought. “Who is this?”
“The girls are the key.” The caller suddenly hung up and Starlight could only stare at her phone. This was a burner phone, no one should have been able to track it. But even if the government had found out about her, they would’ve shown up and taken her somewhere, not call and offer free information. Still, her words of advice were enough to intrigue the girl.
After that, Starlight looked through the reports she found and slowly found her connection. Canterlot High was the focal point in all this, more specifically a group of girls. They were right in the middle of every event that had taken place.
As time went on, she was finding out more and more information. Camp Everfree and then sometime later there was an event where the Canterlot Orchestra was upstaged by what people thought was a prank. Starlight recognized one of the girls who was playing a keytar from pictures she had gathered. Starlight didn’t believe in coincidences, certainly not this many. But it was what happened only a few weeks ago that truly changed everything.
It had been about eight o’clock at night when Starlight had left the building that was the Equalists’ HQ and was heading back to her small apartment downtown when the strange phenomenon took place. There was an alleyway that she always used as a shortcut to get home and she always recounted how quiet it was, often putting her on edge.
As she was walking, a loud boom erupted in front of her, as if an explosion had gone off. The sound alone was enough for Starlight to jump and fall onto her butt. When she looked up, there was no flames, no char marks. Instead, she saw absolutely nothing in front of her, or so it appeared at first. Looking closely, she swore she saw ripples, as if a body of water was sitting right there.
She got up slowly and cautiously approached it, apprehensive that something would come out of it. She got closer and with a cautious hand, she reached out to touch it. It didn’t feel like water but her hand was passing through something. Taking a deep breath, she continued forward and went through.
What had happened next was something Starlight would never forget. In that one second when she crossed over, many things happened. Her body structure seemed to change, her bones melting and reconfiguring, although it didn’t seem to hurt at all. She was certain she had blacked out because the moment she woke she was lying in what appeared to be grass.
She got up slowly and wiped the hair out of her face away…only to look at her hands and suddenly realize she had no hands. She looked at both and saw she now had hooves and despite all this, she didn’t break down into hysterics or start screaming but she was unnerved nonetheless. Breaking out of her confusion, she finally took a look at her surroundings.
It appeared to be a rainforest of sorts, humid enough to cause her hair to stick to her neck. She saw a river nearby and slowly got up, going over towards it. What she saw in the reflection confirmed everything.
Starlight could remember she was both fascinated and horrified by what she discovered but it wasn’t until she saw the large bug that she realized she was in alien territory. At first, she thought it was going to kill her as it said something about revenge but as it stared at her, it realized something was off. Something was…different. Starlight decided to be honest and explained who she was and how she got there. The bug seemed doubtful at first but then told her that it had been noticing strange occurrences as well. Getting off of her, the bug introduced itself as Chrysalis, former queen of the changelings (she didn’t actually use the word “former” but Starlight deduced as much) and she was out for blood against what appeared to be Starlight’s doppelganger. While Chrysalis didn’t understand much of or why there was another world, she was able to explain that here, in Equestria as she called it, there were no “humans”, only Equestrians and other similar creatures.
She then showed off her ability, turning into an exact replica of her with her exact voice and everything. Starlight had to admit she was becoming more and more curious with this place. It was then that she came up with an idea: since she was looking for her doppelganger, she could take her place while Chrysalis could have her little revenge. The look on Chrysalis’ face was golden as she looked a mixture of glee at the idea and disgruntlement that she didn’t think of it herself. And with that, the planning had begun.
It was about a week later that the two came face to face in that alleyway. Chrysalis had lured the other Starlight into her trap and she had been able to disarm her. The whole idea of magic was new to her and Chrysalis was gracious enough to teach her for the past week. She was impressed that she was able to take down a unicorn as powerful as her doppelganger with the limited knowledge she had.
After that, Chrysalis was more than happy to take the poor unicorn away as Starlight took her place. She had to admit, she did feel a little sorry for the unicorn but her passion for knowledge of this place outweighed her guiltiness. As it turned out, she wouldn’t be staying in this “Ponyville” for very long, as the one known as Twilight said. Chrysalis had explained about alicorns, as well as her relationship to this princess and her friends. As for Starlight, she blended in quite easily.
And now, she was back home, with these other people that apparently were her “friends”, and she was starting to learn more and more about the connection between the two worlds. Now is the time to destroy that connection… she thought with a wide smile.
Three weeks. If Starlight’s calculations were correct, she had been trapped in her prison, wherever that was, for about three weeks now. She should’ve been dead by now and admittedly, she wished her body would just give out on her but part of her was too determined (or stubborn) to give up. Chrysalis was certain that her plan would succeed, and Starlight was more than willing to wait and see it blow up in her face.
When she first woke up in her current prison, which she guessed was somewhere underground but couldn’t pinpoint where exactly, she found her limbs and horn were encased in the same material that the queen’s former throne consisted of. Guess the queen had some left over, she had thought bitterly. Her magic was canceled out and she couldn’t move her front or hind legs at all.
And of course it was at that point that Chrysalis showed herself, grinning maniacally and enjoying the scene before her before bragging about her “greatest plan” had come to fruition. She had felt no need to keep anything concealed as she explained about her human counterpart who managed to blend in without any incident. The situation was dire and anyone else would have given up and accepted their fate, but Starlight wasn’t going to give up on her friends. Eventually someone was going to figure things out and she was putting money on Sunset since she had the ability to read people’s thoughts (even if her counterpart knew that fact, avoiding Sunset’s touch would raise suspicions as well).
As Starlight soon found out, Chrysalis wasn’t the only rogue changeling. She didn’t go into details, but Starlight suspected there had to be another hive somewhere in Equestria and since these changelings weren’t affected by the power of giving love, they were still loyal to her every word. Now she was their source of food. In a sick twisted way that would’ve impressed the old Starlight, she was fed things that most ponies would’ve died for (how the changelings managed to steal all this food Starlight had no idea) and would ultimately be drained of her love. Again, she could’ve refused to eat and eventually would die of starvation but she wasn’t going to give Chrysalis the pleasure of doing that and, despite everything, she wasn’t willing to see these changelings starve.
Today would be like any other day. Eventually a guard would bring her food and practically spoon feed it to her. After a short while, a group of them would come and “feast” on her, leaving her mostly drained until being fed about six hours. The constant cycle of eating and being drained was wearing her down more than she would’ve liked and she could only imagine Chrysalis was enjoying every moment of it.
Much to her surprise, the former queen was the first to greet her this morning. Compared to when Starlight last saw her, Chrysalis looked more her regal self. No doubt consuming Starlight’s love had been enough to restore her strength and apparently some of her sanity. “Good morning,” she said quite happily. “Did we sleep well?”
“Oh yes,” Starlight scoffed. “A wonderful two hours…”
“Only two? Hmm, if that keeps up, that will affect my subjects’ future meals,” Chrysalis said with slight amusement. “I suppose if worst comes to worst I can just knock you out with a simple sleeping spell.”
“Alright Chrysalis, I’ve been patient up to this point but I need to know, how is this going to end?” Starlight asked. “You’re just going to keep me here and use me as a food bank?”
“Ah, so that’s what you think this is?” Chrysalis hissed in delight. “Well, you’re not wrong, you’ve been a valuable resource for us but your contributions aren’t being wasted. I already have plans, plans that involve your friends of course.”
“Gee, don’t tell me it’s kidnapping,” Starlight said, rolling her eyes. “That worked out so well the last time.”
“I will ignore that jab, considering your lack of sleep, but no it’s much more than that. In fact, your friends will be the ones doing most of the work, getting rid of those princesses once and for all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ll have to excuse my absence of late; I’ve been running a few errands. Your friends seem to be in good spirit I must say.”
Starlight felt her heart jump. “What did you-!?”
“Oh don’t worry, I didn’t lay a hoof on them…actually that’s a lie I did but I assure they’re quite fine…for now at least. Tell me Starlight, you’re an expert on dark magic right?” Starlight turning her head was enough of an answer for her. “I must say, knowing how to remove one’s cutie mark is very advanced magic. But I have no wish to strip ponies of what makes them happy, so I’ve come up with a better idea, one that I admit your counterpart inspired me with.”
Starlight felt her blood run cold. “No…you can’t…that’s a spell that even I would not have dared use!”
“And why not, worried that you would be replaced?” Chrysalis sneered. “But imagine, the Elements of Harmony bowing to my will. A force that none of the princesses could possibly be able to stand up to.”
“Even if you did manage to create clones of them, they won’t have the power of the Elements,” Starlight said.
“Oh, I will find a way around that, don’t you worry,” Chrysalis said. “I’m in no rush; I’m quite enjoying all this, despite the circumstances. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this short still so much to do.”
“Chrysalis, don’t do this. Dark magic like that is unpredictable! You could end up destroying everything!” But Chrysalis was already gone and Starlight was left there with dread slowly filling her thoughts.
Outside Canterlot
Beyond Canterlot spanned miles and miles of flat highway and not much else between Canterlot and Manehattan. A 2005 Acura NSX was currently speeding close to a hundred miles an hour, despite the speed limit sign specifically saying sixty-five but the driver either didn’t see the sign or didn’t care. For Sunset Shimmer, it was usually the latter.
There was hardly ever anyone on this road since the freeway was a quicker way to get into the city but she didn’t feel like dealing with traffic. A lot was on her mind and nothing soothed her better than cruising down an open road in her car. Sunset took a quick puff of her lit cigarette as she glanced out the window through her thick sunglasses while the radio blasted music.
It had been a long time since she last stepped in Canterlot. She had thought that she had been forgotten after all this time, but apparently that wasn’t the case now. Sunset knew she didn’t have any siblings, especially a twin sister. But she saw her exact self in that picture and no one, no one, could look exactly like her, not even with plastic surgery or the like.
Sunset had to ease her foot off the gas slightly as the thought was making her now go over a hundred. The stress was getting to her, especially since she had already gone through half a carton of cigarettes in one morning. Guess I’ll have to make a pit stop.
She wasn’t always like this. Years ago, Sunset was the perfect model of a successful student and part of a wealthy family. Everything was perfect back then, at least until the night of the accident. Sunset was fifteen and in the backseat of the family’s luxury sedan as they were coming back from a movie. It was in the middle of winter, meaning darkness fell earlier in the night and one always had to keep an eye on the roads even if there wasn’t snow on the ground.
It was right at the turn that the accident happened. Another car was speeding and presumably lost traction on the road and slammed right into the front of their sedan. The windshield smashed completely; Sunset could still recall being showered with glass. The sounds could be recalled as well: glass smashing, metal crunching and even her own screaming.
The last thing she could recall was the ringing sound in her ears from her head hitting the back of her seat hard due to whiplash before she blacked out. When she finally came to, she was being pulled out of the car by paramedics. The ringing was still in her ears but she was able to hear herself as she asked where her parents were. Their silence was enough of an answer and it was at that moment when she went into shock. Everything had changed that day…
Sunset took another puff from her cigarette before tossing the butt outside the window. The innocent girl she was died that day. Depression set in and so at a young age she turned to drugs and alcohol. She knew her mother would’ve been both heartbroken and disgusted to see how she turned out now but it was, at least to her, a coping mechanism for her, even if it was going to kill her one of these days.
Sunset didn’t have any immediate family that could take her in (Sunset knew there were but none of them apparently wanted anything to do with her; her parents were the only decent people in her family it seemed) and suddenly she went from the rich girl to the foster child. Technically, she had money to her name but she wouldn’t be able to access it until she turned eighteen. Money wasn’t an issue with her but attachments were. She went through three different foster families and she was returned to the system each time and eventually once she turned eighteen she managed to get a hold of the money in her name and left the system completely.
It wasn’t easy to live on her own: she managed to afford a decent apartment in the middle of Canterlot of all places for awhile but eventually the costs caught up to her. It wasn’t long before she had to give up her lease and save what little money she had left. That was when ‘Ol’ Dusty’ came in.
Dusty wasn’t a name most regular folk knew, but the criminal underworld and almost all law enforcement certainly did. Dusty had his own little empire but it wasn’t through a corporation, through drugs or even weapons. No, Dusty’s organization consisted of people who were the best of the best at what they did and the occupations varied from hacking into bank accounts to what Sunset did best, which was running the table in major card games.
She was very good at reading people, noticing every little tick that occurred when one had a good hand or a bad hand. In poker, it was common to raise bets significantly to scare other players into folding while the bluffer slowly earned more and more money. Sunset could notice a bluff a mile away and had challenged in plenty of rounds, always coming out victorious.
But she wasn’t stupid. Winning games repeatedly drew a lot of attention from the staff so she would purposely lose a certain amount of money to reassure them it was just a stroke of luck. Once she got to the target amount, she’d leave and cash in her chips for the day.
It was this that caught Dusty’s attention. The two ended up meeting face to face one night after Sunset had another big night. He was very polite and while Sunset was on edge, she decided to hear the man out. He’d been paying very close attention to her the past couple days and he wanted her as part of his crew. Naturally, Sunset was suspicious and told the man she was fine as is. Dusty in return warned her that she was getting a lot of attention from other groups, including the many casinos she had attended and that put a target on her back. However, no one messed with Dusty so in a way he could grant her immunity. That and he could offer up much better living spaces than what she had now.
Thinking back on it, she realized how naïve she had been. It was too good of a deal to refuse but she should’ve done exactly that. Maybe he would’ve left her alone after that, maybe not. Now she was number one on his shit list.
The majority of the money that came in went to Dusty himself. He didn’t actually use much of it but said it was “insurance” in case of emergencies. However, a certain percentage was given to everyone to use as they liked; after all, they were getting free room and board so it wasn’t a bad tradeoff. Unfortunately, Sunset got greedy.
Instead of putting the money asked into Dusty’s account, Sunset kept her winnings for herself. The amount she had won guaranteed a luxury lifestyle for a number of years. Not only that, but she was getting tired of being someone’s worker. What Sunset didn’t realize was that once you got into Dusty’s business, you don’t get out.
Sunset knew she’d have company at The Golden Apple and she knew what happened then guaranteed how fucked she was. Of course, this just happened to coincide with the revelation that someone was impersonating her. She still wasn’t sure why.
Her stomach started to growl and as she looked down she saw she was starting to run low on fuel. Luckily, there was a gas station in about five miles and she finally eased down to the speed limit since she knew she was approaching the city limits.
She soon pulled up to the empty station and started filling up as she went inside the small store. She picked up a bottle of juice as well as a sandwich and a honey bun as she heard a small ding that signaled someone had just come in. The cashier up front looked like he wanted to be elsewhere but at least smiled when she came up to the front.
“That everything?” he asked as he scanned her items.
“Yeah.”
“Whoa, is that your ride outside?” Sunset glanced at the tall man who apparently just came inside. “That must’ve cost you a penny or two. Very good condition too. How much did you pay?”
“How about none of your damn business?” Sunset replied sweetly.
“Easy girl, just curious,” the man shrugged. “But I have to admit, the car says a lot about you, a lot of things I like.”
Sunset knew where this was going but decided to play along even as she rolled her eyes. “That I have a better taste in cars than you do?”
“Yow, so feisty…I do like to see that in women.” He went up to her slowly and reached out his hand. Sunset suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, only to send him onto his butt with a hard fist to his face. The man cried out in pain as blood leaked from his nose as he covered his face in agony.
“You know, you really need to work on your pick up lines,” Sunset said as she took out her wallet. She then looked to the cashier. “How much is all this?”
The cashier gulped slightly. “Um…$8.47.”
She then pulled out a ten. “Keep the change, I’m sure you put up with this shit everyday.” She grabbed the small bag and went towards the door, only to stop as she heard the man continuing to groan. She then walked back over and pulled out a twenty and threw it at his feet. “You’re probably gonna need that for the doctor.”
“You crazy bitch!” the man suddenly snapped as she went towards the door. “You’re fucking crazy!”
She paused again as the automatic doors opened for her. “Yeah…I get that a lot.” She then got back into her car and opened the bottle of juice, downing it all in a matter of seconds. She then took a bite of her sandwich as she started the engine and roared out of the station back onto the highway.
Twilight was in her study, currently looking over another day’s worth of paperwork which contained a mixture of legislation that Mayor Mare wanted her to look over, special events that needed to be planned out in town almost a month in advance and of course letters from foreign dignitaries wishing to meet and greet with her. It was just like any other day and while Twilight usually went through it all with a positive attitude, today she just wasn’t in the mood. I have to give Celestia and Cadence credit, I’m not sure how they can keep doing this on a daily basis.
She then looked at the journal that was on her desk, the one that she used to communicate with Sunset Shimmer. It had been awhile since she really got to hang out with the girls in the other world, even though she was there just a few weeks ago but considering that was an emergency (like every other time she was there) it didn’t really count. In fact, she hadn’t heard anything from Sunset in awhile but it didn’t particularly bother her. She had been busy herself.
Truthfully, she was feeling kind of lonely in the castle. Sure she still had Spike and she could easily go find and hang out with the other girls but it wasn’t quite the same as it was with Starlight. The two of them had a lot in common and it was more than just her being Twilight’s student. She was starting to wonder if this was how Celestia felt when she first sent Twilight off.
Don’t be ridiculous Twilight, she told herself. She’s going to be back soon, it’s not like she’s gonna end up staying over there. But what if she did? What if somehow the other world appealed so much to her she would come back and-?
Twilight shook her head. She was doing it again, always thinking about some worst-case scenario. Starlight had already made it clear that she didn’t really want to leave. And besides, it wasn’t like she was just going to leave Trixie and Maud behind. She then shuddered slightly as she made a mental note to not allow Starlight to take Trixie over there, ever. She had been tempted to write and say how everything was going but every time she came close to writing she would stop herself, thinking she sounded like she was desperate to have Starlight to come back.
Twilight sighed as she got up. Her mind was too distracted to continue signing papers. Maybe a stroll through Ponyville would be enough to clear her mind. Or even a casual flight up in the clouds.
Suddenly, Spike came in looking like he was going to be sick. “T-Twilight I don’t know if I ate one too many gems or perhaps the Princess-” He then belched loudly as fire shot of his mouth and a letter quickly formed.
“That’s strange, usually you don’t feel that way unless you have multiple letters coming through,” Twilight said as she took the letter with her magic.
Spike breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe a bad connection?” he asked sheepishly.
“I think the other world’s rubbed off on you too much,” Twilight joked as she opened the letter. As she expected, it was from Princess Celestia.
Dear Twilight,
I’m afraid something has just come up. We’ve had multiple reports of strange phenomenon occurring over parts of Equestria, all saying that they appear to be portals of some kind. I think you and I both know what could be seen on the other side. I’m writing this letter as a word of caution for you and everyone else in Ponyville and any neighboring towns. Luna and I will investigate this matter and if you do happen to see anything please write back at once.
Love,
Princess Celestia
P.S. If it’s no trouble, perhaps you could get in contact with Sunset about this? I have a feeling her world may be experiencing similar events and perhaps she can provide some insight?
Judging by the look on her face, Spike could tell what the letter had said. “It’s bad isn’t it?”
Twilight gave a small nod. “It sounds like the two dimensions are coming in close contact with another. I’m going to get the girls and I think the best place to start is the Everfree Forest. I’m hoping we don’t have to use them, but just in case perhaps we should have the Elements of Harmony. Spike, I’m going to need you to stay here.”
“Seriously, we’re facing a potential crisis and you want me to foalsit the castle?” Spike asked, looking annoyed.
“I need you here in case something bad happens and we may end up needing both Sunset and Starlight,” Twilight reminded him.
“Oh…okay that makes sense.”
Twilight then grabbed the journal and a quill and opened it to the next blank page.
Dear Sunset,
Now, don’t panic but we may have an issue on our hooves. Princess Celestia just notified me of unusual tears in space which are apparently connecting the two worlds. Have you seen or heard anything like this? Please respond as soon as possible. And also make sure Starlight hears about this too.
Your Friend,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight sighed. “Well, so much for going for a stroll. Spike, if Princess Celestia happens to send another letter, just tell her we’re investigating the matter and Sunset’s been notified.”
“Got it.”
“I just hope things aren’t as bad as they sound. And here I thought we’d go at least another week without any trouble.”
Canterlot
Sunset wasn’t sure exactly when the feeling hit her; perhaps it was went she saw the faint outline of the city or perhaps it was the sign that distinctively welcomed her to Canterlot. It was the feeling any person gets when they haven’t been home in such a long time and at the same time realizing how much had changed. It only reminded her of how much of an outcast she was, despite recent events.
She had finally decided to follow the signs that told her to slow down and obey the laws of the road. The last thing she wanted was to be pulled over. Giving away her fingerprints was not an option.
Sunset currently was wearing sunglasses and a cap to keep her identity hidden. She couldn’t help but glance at all the different shops, most she didn’t recognize from the last time she was here. I guess things really have changed…
However, there was one place that still remained. Donut Joe’s Diner was still on the same corner of Main and Orange Street. She could remember all the times she had gone here when she was younger, mostly with her parents. Sunset smiled to herself. That was one thing about her parents: even though they were rich they never found it beneath them to go somewhere more middle-class. And, her father once admitted, the place had really good donuts.
She then pulled into the parking lot. The place held many memories for her and it wouldn’t feel right to grab a bite to eat. As soon as she put the gear into park, she looked into her rearview mirror and froze.
There was a cop car right behind her and the lights were currently flashing. Sunset couldn’t help but curse. “Are you fucking kidding me?”She could tell where this day was starting to go.
With a loud groan she slowly turned off the engineand the radio before putting her hands on the steering wheel. Luckily she made sure to put her firearm in the glove compartment…hopefully the officer wouldn’t ask her to open it.
The door finally opened and the officer came out with a small notepad, no doubt ready to issue a ticket. And yet…when Sunset looked at the officer she noticed something seemed familiar about her. She then rolled down the window as the officer came up to her door. “License and registration please…”
Sunset suddenly stiffened. She knew that voice very well, despite the fact that she hadn’t heard it in so many years. She looked to the officer and it all came back to her. Despite the shades and the hat the officer was wearing, Sunset had no doubt who it was. “…Spits?”
Now it was the officer’s turn to stare at her. It took her a few moments before she finally said, “Sunny?” as she took off her shades. “…Holy shit, is that really you?”
Sunset smiled. “Long time no see, BFF.”
The two of them had settled at one of the booths, both with a cup of coffee and an assortment of pastries were between them. “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Spitfire said as she took a sip of coffee. “Well…I guess that’a not the right way of putting it.”
Sunset then pulled out her phone and went to the texts she had received last night. “This was you, wasn’t it?”
Spitfire smiled slightly. “I was grasping at straws, but I heard a rumor that someone was causing trouble up in Manehattan.”
“And how the hell did you get my number?”
“It wasn’t easy but I have friends in the department,” Spitfire casually said. She then leaned back in her seat. “Considering that you’re here right now, I can guess why. But before you go do something you regret, the girl isn’t impersonating you…well not intentionally.”
“You’re not making a lot of sense Spits.”
“What I mean is she is you, down to her skin, hair, physique, you name it. You sure you never had a twin?”
“Pretty sure you and I would both know that.”
“Hey, I can’t think of any other possible solution. Were you really planning on confronting her?”
“I…” Honestly, she didn’t really have a plan. She’d find her, demand to know who she really was and then…and then… No, I can’t go that far…not again… “I’m still working on that. But enough about me. Look at you sporting the uniform. Looks pretty good.”
Spitfire chuckled. “If you’re gonna charm yourself out of a ticket, think again.”
“For what!?”
“You ran a stop sign a block down from here.”
“Wh-” There was a stop sign? Wait…it was hiding around an overgrown tree. “Oh come on, you’re not actually gonna pull that on me are you!?”
“Well…I guess since you haven’t been in Canterlot for awhile I suppose I could let you off with a warning…” Her face then turned serious. “Are you gonna tell me why you left all those years ago?”
Sunset averted her gaze, looking out the window. “It’s…complicated…”
“Look, what happened to your parents was horrible but you didn’t have to run off like that. Hell, you could’ve stayed at my place if you needed to.”
“It doesn’t matter now anyway,” Sunset sighed. “I don’t know how long I plan on staying here but…I doubt it’ll be permanent.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Spitfire said. “Of course, I wouldn’t blame you. Weird stuff has been happening around here lately.”
“How weird?”
“Like paranormal weird…there’s been a few incidents at the school I’ve heard and one most recently at the Everfree Forest. Of course, it’s just been weird calls mostly. Maybe if I ever become a detective I’ll get to explore the mysteries myself.”
“It’s gotta be better than handing out tickets,” Sunset joked.
“Yeah, especially when you have-” Spitfire stopped as she looked out the window. “Oh crap…”
Sunset looked out the window and saw someone close to her age in uniform coming towards the diner with two coffees in his hand. “Uh…is that…?”
“My partner,” Spitfire groaned. “I kinda left him at the cafe. He was getting coffee.”
The officer came in, looking annoyed as he finally turned to them. “What the hell Spits?” He said as he came over. “I had to wait ten minutes just to get coffee and then you just took off and came over here?”
“First of all, don’t call me Spits,” Spitfire said sternly. “Second, I apologize, I ran into an old friend of mine here. Sunset, this is Sky Stinger. Sky, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sky paused for a moment as if the name rung a bell. “Oh…well with a girl like you I can’t stay mad.” He then smiled as he sat down next to Sunset. “You may not know, but I’m kind of a big deal in the CPD and I’ll gladly show what I’m-OW!”
Spitfire had managed to kick him in the shins while glaring at him. “What he means to say is he’s just a rookie and his mouth tends to get him in trouble more often than he’d like to admit.”
“Oh come on Spits-” Sky then winced as he got kicked again. “Sorry Spitfire, you don’t have to embarrass me like that.”
“I’m technically your superior so I can do whatever the hell I like,” Spitfire smirked slightly.
Sky sighed. “Fine, whatever I’ll behave.”
Sunset rolled her eyes in amusement. “As amusing as this is, I have to get going.” She then got up. “Listen, I’m not sure how long I’m going to be in town so…”
“Hey, you’re not leaving that soon,” Spitfire said. “But there’s one thing…I have to make sure the next time I run into you that it’s actually…well you.”
“Good point…how about this? Address me by ‘Sunny’ and I’ll make sure to say… ‘Side Up’?”
Spitfire snorted. “Sure, we’ll go with that. And if you happen to look at me like I’m crazy I’l know it’s not you.”
Sky looked at the two women confused. “Uh…what are you two going on about?”
“It’s nothing,” Sunset said. “It was nice to meet you Sky. I’ll see you around Spits.” She then walked out of the diner.
Sky then looked to his partner. “So she can call you Spits?”