> Reconciliation
>  by DigitalPhoenix
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Getting Ready
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, Twilight. 

I've decided it's about time I come home for a visit. I have some things that I'd like to take care of, and with the portal acting up, I figured that the sooner I get this done, the better. Would it be okay if the other Twilight and I stay with you in the castle for a few days?

Of course, the guest rooms are always available, and I think it's wonderful that you'll be coming back. I'll have everything you need ready for you when you arrive.

With that, Sunset set about packing the few things she was going to need for her mini vacation, seeing as how most of what she had couldn't be used across the portal. Applejack should be by anytime to pick up the journal for safe keeping; she didn't really trust anyone else with it. Maybe Fluttershy, but she'd been spending a LOT more time with Rainbow as of late, and Sunset really didn't want Rainbow of all people snooping around one of her most private outlets.

Sunset herself was, quite honestly, of two minds about this trip. She had a small feeling of homesickness during the Friendship Games, and probably would've returned to Equestria if things hadn't turned out the way they did. Now, she was very excited to go back, to finally be her normal self again, and to see how much the land has changed since she'd left. Not to mention meeting up with the family she hadn't seen for ages.

She was also extremely nervous, though. She knew she'd have to explain where she's been and what has happened to her mother and siblings. and she wasn't sure just how much she was comfortable with regaling. Of course she'd have Twilight there for support, though that alone would also raise a billion questions. Having a girlfriend who looks identical to royalty isn't going to do her any favors.

Then there was the caveat of Princess Celestia. Sunset had already assured herself that she'd cross that bridge another time, but she wasn't the only one who could initiate a reunion. While unlikely, the possibility that the princess would get word of her return and decide to come see her was something that Sunset certainly dreaded. It probably wouldn't be too hard to get the news from Twilight, and Celestia knew Sunset well enough to know that she would put it off as much as possible.

There was a lot for Sunset to consider, but she had four days that she would be staying there; best make good use of the time while she had it. Considering the extra energy still pouring from the portal, she assumed it wasn't the best idea to make frequent use of it, lest she only make things worse. It was probably for the best, anyway. She'd spent enough time trying to make this world feel like home; she didn't want to establish a sense of limbo between the two sides.

Sunset packed the last of her items and zipped up her small backpack, slinging it over her back as she ambled to her door. She opened her front door to find Applejack just about to knock, her hand still up to where the door was.

"Oh, uh, hey Sunset. Already leaving?"

Sunset handed her the journal. "Yep, it's time to go. Just make sure your sister doesn't get a hold of that. I'll never hear the end of it from Princess Twilight if she did."

"Speaking of which," Applejack replied as she accepted the journal and placed it in her knapsack, "how are ya gonna tell the two Twilights apart? They're gonna look a might similar when ya get to the other side, an' I doubt calling them both 'Twilight' is gonna make an easy time of things."

"Twilight told me she and the princess have already figured something out. What it is, I have no idea, but I trust her word for it."

Applejack shrugged. "Well, alright then, I hope you enjoy your trip."

Sunset watched as Applejack walked away. "I hope so too," she muttered to herself before setting off for Canterlot High.





Twilight hurriedly packed her travel bag, her excitement evident in her frantic movements, She and Sunset were staying in Equestria right up until school started. That meant four days to explore the land and study magic in its native form. She'd already learned some basics from Princess Twilight during her last short visit, but it was mostly theory rather than application. Despite her powers in her own world, she still hadn't managed to levitate anything in Equestria; she chalked it up to attempting to summon the power from an unfamiliar appendage.

She was glad to have Sunset to go with, though. She knew she'd need her there to curb her natural scientific tendencies, otherwise she'd turn the whole trip into a research project, and she didn't want to do that. Not only because she simply wanted to enjoy Equestria for what it was, but also because she didn't want to overshadow Sunset's reason for visiting with a mountain of questions.

Some of her less inept colleagues at Crystal Prep always asked her why she didn't try and research Equestrian magic as her contribution to the scientific community, and her answer was always two-fold. First, she'd had her taste of that before, and she wasn't too keen to replicate it, Not to mention the fact that if Sunset still couldn't understand the machinations of magic within this realm, what possible chance did she have? Magic didn't seem to obey conventional data patterns, and Sunset usually had to chime in with some Equestrian mathematics for everything to make some semblance of sense. That alone made it nigh impossible for her to even attempt.

Second, even if she was able to understand it herself, it would be unwise to demonstrate it to the world at large; actually, no, it would be absolutely reckless. Sure, there may be a lot of good it could do for the world, but the risk for herself and her friends was too great. If word got to the general public of what they were capable of, they would no doubt be turned into scientific guinea pigs. It was one of the reasons she was glad that the portal's magic had stayed confined to the city; if it spread anywhere else, she could only imagine the havoc it would unleash.

Snapping herself out of her deluge, she quickly triple-checked her carry-on for everything that she needed, then hurried over to the portal.





Sunset stood outside the portal, waiting for her girlfriend to arrive. She had been here for about five minutes already, so it surprised her that Twilight hadn't yet arrived.

Her thought was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps coming her direction. Peering around the statue, she saw Twilight running to meet up with her.

"Sorry, I"- she paused to catch her breath- "I didn't realize you'd already be here."

Sunset smirked. "How many times did you check your bag before you got here?"

"Only, like, once or twice... maybe a few more as I was on my way." Her response was followed by a series of giggles from Sunset. "I have to be absolutely sure, okay? This is my first time staying in Equestria, and I am not about to miss out on anything because I forgot some of my equipment."

Sunset's face quickly became stern. "Woah, woah. I thought we already talked about this. We're not turning this trip into a scientific excursion."

"I'm not, but I'd still like to gather some data. Testing influxes on the other side of the portal, as well as any ambient magic in the realm, simply to help get a better understanding of how things operate here. It would help to have some data comparisons, wouldn't it?"

Sunset thought about it for a moment. It did make sense, seeing as how 'data' on Equestrian magic was practically nonexistent. Nobody had bothered because it was rather innate to the majority of the populace. Magic was something that simply was, and not many studied it in that manner. It was less of "what is this power capable of" and more like "what am I capable of with this power".

The train of thought reminded her of the last time she tried to collect data on magic. "Fine, but just be careful. Magic doesn't always react well with conventional data equipment."

Twilight gave her a thumbs-up, intentionally over-exaggerating her movement. "Can do!"

"You try way too hard to be adorable sometimes, you know that?"

Twilight stuck her tongue out in response.

Sunset simply shook her head. "Come on, best not to keep the princess waiting any longer. Just a heads up, it's a little easier if you lean forward as you enter."

Twilight nodded, and they both stepped through the portal.
> Unexpected Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset emerged from the portal into a dark room, the faint light that slipped through the curtains just barely outlining the bookshelves along the walls. She carefully took a few steps forward, trying her best not to trip from the lack of visibility.

"Strange that Princess Twilight has the curtains drawn. I know she can be a bit of a shut-in, but cooping herself up in a dark castle doesn't really seem like her."

Her solo conversation was interrupted by a thud behind her. She turned to find her Twilight dazed on the floor, her eyes comically spinning in her head. It was hard to make her out in the faint light, but something about her seemed... different.

"You okay down there?" she asked as she extended her hoof to her marefriend. Twilight attempted to take it, though it took her a few tries to correctly wrap her own hoof around it.

"I'm fine, just still haven't gotten used to traveling through that thing." Twilight took a glance around the room. "Why is it so dark?"

"Beats me," Sunset replied as she turned towards the door of the room. "I figured Princess Twilight would've been here to greet us, but I'm guessing she's either busy with her duties or she lost track of time." Sunset cast a small light from her horn to illuminate the path in front of them. "Let's see if we can find her somewhere."

As Sunset and Twilight made their way through the crystalline corridors, they found that every room they came across had their curtains drawn tight to the windows surface, letting in as little light as possible. It gave the castle an overall more foreboding presence than it ought to have had. It's like walking through a dungeon or something.

They reached a grand door that scaled the entire height of the hallway that contained it, decorated with green stained glass and a black lattice web strewn throughout.

"I think we've reached either the foyer or the throne room, though I'm not sure which." Sunset glanced around at their other surroundings, searching for any other indication of where they might be. "Really wishing Princess Twilight gave me a map of this place before we arrived."

She slowly used to her magic to open one of the large doors, revealing a room that somehow had even more light drawn out of it, the only luminescence coming from Sunset's own horn. Upon their entry into the room, the massive door behind them slowly creaked shut, sounding a large boom when it fell into place.

"I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this." Twilight slowly moved behind Sunset.

Sunset made sure to stay close to Twilight, in case something was amiss. "Hello?" Her voice echoed across the room.
At least we know we're in a large area. "Is anyone there?"

Both Sunset and Twilight were suddenly startled by a flash of light, a loud bang and a chorus of voices shouting "surprise!!"

After rubbing the momentary blindness from her eyes, Sunset observed the now illuminated room around her. Princess Twilight and her five friends were there, along with Spike and a mare she didn't quite recognize, though Sunset took a guess that she was the pupil Twilight had recently taken under her wing. The entire room was decorated in traditional Pinkie Pie manner for a celebration, and strung across a higher portion of the room was a banner emblazoned with the words "Welcome Home!"

Home.

Her attention was brought to Princess Twilight as she stepped forward. "Sorry about the lights in the castle, Pinkie went a little overboard when I told her we wanted to throw you a surprise party."

"Oh, it's no big deal, it's not like you nearly scared the living daylights out of us or anything," Sunset replied sarcastically.

Pinkie popped down from the ceiling in her usual manner. "Sorry! I just really, really, really wanted to make it a surprise. That and I've been really busy with, like, super duper big parties as of late. I'm still in an over-the-top mindset I guess."

Princess Twilight simply rolled her eyes. "Well, aside from that, I do believe some introductions are in order."

"Princess, I already know who most of the guests are."

"But they are still different ponies anyway, so I will still introduce you." Princess Twilight gestured to each of her friends in turn. "This is Spike, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and my student, Starlight Glimmer."

"Starlight, huh? Guess our naming conventions are quite popular." Sunset remarked.

"And this"- Twilight gestured to her counterpart -"is Midnight."

"Wait, what do you..." Sunset turned to her companion, taking note of her altered appearance for the first time now that some light was cast on her. "What happened to you?"

Midnight gave a small smile. "Surprise."

Sunset turned back to Twilight. "Before you ask, I don't know why it happens either, I had no idea who she was the first time until she spoke to me." Twilight stated before Sunset could ask.

"Alright then, so we're calling her Midnight then?" Sunset smirked as she pulled her marefriend next to her. "I think I'll call her Middy."

Midnight's face immediately turned crimson.

Both Rainbow and Applejack looked on with confused looks. "Is there something we're missing here?" Rainbow inquired.

"Right, this is actually Twilight from human world." Sunset explained.

Rainbow leaned in towards Applejack. "Great, now there are two of them." she remarked, to which Applejack responded by elbowing Rainbow's gut. "Ow!"

"Anyway," Sunset interjected, ignoring Rainbow's glib remark, "we are... in a relationship now."

The room fell so quiet one might hear a feather drop. All eyes fell on Princess Twilight, wondering how she would take the news of one of her best friends dating her inter-dimensional counterpart.

No one had any need to worry. "That's wonderful! I'm glad to hear that you two were able to work things out in the end. Speaking of which, though, if you have the time, Sunset, I would like to discuss your burgeoning abilities sometime during your stay."

Sunset gave a simple nod.

"Great! Well, then, let's celebrate!"





For the most part, the affair was very similar to those Sunset experienced in the human world; just a small gathering with friends, everybody enjoying themselves in one form or another. Pinkie was currently out on the dance floor with Twilight and Midnight, Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting at a table holding a casual conversation, and Rainbow and Applejack were having some form of contest with Spike as a referee; Sunset didn't really care to pay attention to what the challenge was. Instead, she found herself conversing with Twilight's student.

"So, protege to the princess of friendship. What does someone have to do to get a position like that?"

Starlight shifted uncomfortably against the wall. "It's something I still prefer not to talk about. Let's just say I took a dark road, and reality had to beat me into the ground for me to change."

"Trust me, I can relate. A magical artifact turning me into a she-demon, then having to be blasted into the ground by a rainbow laser just to knock some common sense into me." Sunset chuckled softly. "A tale I've recounted so many times to so many people, it's become rather mundane."

"No transformation for me. No rainbow laser, either, just a brief glimpse of a very dim future."

Sunset turned to Starlight. "And what have you done since then?"

"Reunited with an old friend, made some new ones, and saved Equestria and its most powerful from an evil changeling queen." The last accomplishment brought a small smile to Starlight's face.

It almost hurt Sunset to one up her. Almost. "Pffft, that's it?"

Starlight suddenly turned with an incredulous look. "What do you mean 'that's it'? What have you done since you turned around?"

"Let's see here, helped stop three evil sirens from brainwashing an entire school, making five new friends in the process, stopped a power-crazed human Twilight from literally ripping the boundaries of the two worlds apart, and helped that same Twilight overcome her past trauma to aid us in stopping another power-crazed human from trapping us in a camp for eternity." Sunset smirked at Starlight's dropped jaw. "Oh, and I got a girlfriend."

Starlight slowly regained her senses. "That last one doesn't count."

"Sure it does, I got a girlfriend and you got a mentor, it's not my fault you got the bad end of the stick."

Starlight simply raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how she could possibly stand to be around you, you seem insufferable."

"Well, when you've become a literal demon, there's not much worse you can get."

Starlight put a drink down on the table, turning towards Sunset as she did. "Okay, honest question. How can you talk so casually about that? From what I understand, that was the darkest point in your life, and yet its suddenly material for casual banter? What gives?"

Sunset sighed as she thought of how to explain herself. "I suppose the main reason is circumstance. In the human world, Twilight's friends are... not very subtle. When we were trying to figure out about the sirens, my past constantly came up in conversation, even from her Royal Highness herself, and not in a very positive way. They weren't lambasting me for my actions, but the last thing I needed at the time was to be reminded of what a terrible person I was before, especially since I was trying so desperately to be better."

"Then, we won. We saved the day, I became an actual part of the group, and I guess I felt so proud of who I had finally become that I didn't care who I had been before. I had righted myself for all those who I had wronged in the human world, and while some took a little more convincing, there was absolutely no doubt of the kind of person I was after the third time I helped save the day. The more good I did, the less the bad mattered. That's not to say I'm completely over it. I still have a lot to make up for here, but I'm hoping that I'll make that milestone, someday."

Sunset sat down in a nearby chair. "The other thing is, the more I think back on it, that demon wasn't me. I never dreamed of conquest. My dream, and my ambition, was to prove myself in Celestia's eyes and become an alicorn princess just like her. I let that get ahead of me, and did some terrible things to try and make that happen, all culminating in stealing Twilight's crown. When I put it on that night, something strange happened. I felt its power, but there was something else, something that frightened me. That one moment, more than any friendship beam, proved to me that my path was the wrong one."

"Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if it had been worse, if I somehow had the potential to succeed in that conquest, or even just surpass Twilight and her friends. In hindsight, the whole thing was a stupid plan, but my mind was warped so much that it didn't matter. It felt like I was there, but not in control of my thoughts and action; a spectator in my body. It still scares me to this day, because I'm not the only one it's happened to, and I can only imagine how many more innocent lives will be twisted by the rogue magic."

Starlight couldn't think of how to respond. Sunset's fall and redemption hardly echoed her own, but it far surpassed what she had been through and, frankly, made her own scruples seem absolutely petty in comparison. She had to be shown exactly what her actions would result in, rather than the fear of the consequences convincing her to change course. She honestly couldn't tell if Sunset's story made her feel better or worse than before, but she knew for sure that she'd be looking to Sunset for advice in the future.

"You've done so much for the human world. I wouldn't be surprised if after all this time, Princes Celestia finally deems you worthy of your dream."

Sunset lowered her gaze to the floor beneath her. "Honestly, I don't think I could ever accept it."
> Reunited
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The party only lasted until about midday, giving Sunset ample time to visit her family in Canterlot before the day's end. Twilight and Pinkie guided them to the Ponyville train station, Pinkie conversing with Midnight about what sort of party conventions existed in the human world. Twilight, on the other hoof, was discussing something far more important with Sunset.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked as they trotted along.

"Absolutely," Sunset replied despite her nerves. "It's been too long, and I have a lot to account for. They at least need to know why I won't be around."

Twilight fell silent for a moment, carefully phrasing her next query. "Will you ever return for good?"

"I don't know if I could anymore. I've spent so much time and effort in making a new home on the other side that I don't think I have a place here. That and I can't just abandon Midnight, and I highly doubt she'll be willing to give up everything she's worked towards for a fantasy realm of pastel-colored magic horses."

"So what are your plans, then? The human world doesn't seem like it has much to offer in terms of your potential."

Sunset chuckled. "I'm getting a slight sense of deja vu. Pretty sure it was just a few days ago I was having this conversation with Midnight."

"Great minds think alike." Twilight joked.

"Since when did you get an ego?" Sunset asked before sighing softly under her breath. "I don't know what I'm going to do. For now the plan is to help Midnight with whatever she plans to do, and try and prevent any magical apocalypse." Sunset glanced towards Twilight. "Speaking of, what's your idea with the portal anyway?"

"Oh, right! I'm waiting for Starswirl to return from an excursion so he can study the portal and perhaps tell me what might be going wrong with it."

Sunset's eyes widened as the name-drop dawned on her. "Wait, Starswirl? As in Starswirl the Bearded??"

"The very same. We freed him and the rest of the Pillars from Limbo about a month back."

Sunset hung her head in defeat. "Why do you always have to do the impossible?"

Twilight smiled to herself. "it's a natural gift."





Sunset couldn't remember the last time she had ridden a train. Almost everybody in the human world used cars or motorcycles, and while they did have trains, Sunset had never ventured far enough outside of the city to ever require one.

Midnight, however, was absolutely fascinated by the locomotive; more specifically, its ability to function without input from a conductor or technician. She surmised a spell determined its destination, and said spell would be recast at every stop. Sunset was only half paying attention to her theorizing, though, simply content to let her throw out ideas during the trip while she contemplated what exactly she was going to tell her family. I only hope they still live in the same home.

It was a relatively short trip, and before long Sunset found herself wandering the familiar streets of Equestria's capital.
Despite her time away from the city, she still managed to remember her away around, even able to point out where some buildings no longer stood or where new ones had been established. It became even easier as they approached her old neighborhood.

Midnight wasn't as keen on the city as her girlfriend. While the architecture was certainly something to marvel, and the sheer number of unicorns performing magic was something she always delighted in seeing, the general color palette of the city was perhaps a bit too conformist. Almost every building had a similar color scheme of white, gold and purple, and it only served to make her appreciate the more unique buildings over the simplistic homes.

Sunset's home, however, was something else. Midnight never expected that one small change could mean so much, but the simple act of changing out the traditional violet for a bright orange gave her abode the appearance of a brightly burning star. A strange variant of roses adorned the front lawn, a soft blend of red and orange petals highly contrasting the green grass that sat around them. A small spire rose above the home, with a telescope sitting atop its balcony.

"I'm gonna take a guess your family loves space," Twilight surmised.

"Considering the only pony who knows anything extensive about it is Princess Luna, it's no surprise." Sunset chuckled softly to herself, remembering the many nights she spent in that tower stargazing.

When they reached the door, Sunset raised her hoof to knock before hesitatingly slightly, then steeling herself and rapping her hoof against the door three times. Two familiar voices resounded from the other side.

"Sunflower, could you get that?"

"Okay, mom."

The door swung open, revealing a unicorn with a brilliant golden coat,  a soft ginger mane done up in a braid, and green eyes. Her cutie mark was a large sunflower with blazing petals, shaped much like the flames that adorned Sunset's own mark.

The young mare gasped as she saw who was standing before her. "...S-Sunset? Is that you?"

"Hey, little sis."

Sunflower took off into the house, squealing with delight. "MOM, MOM! You'll never guess who's at the door! come her quick! You too Comet!"

She ran back to the door, an older mare and a stallion slowly following her hoofsteps. Sunflower was eagerly jumping in place as the other two made their way over.

"Sweetie, this had better be-" The older mare stopped and held her hoof to her mouth in shock. "Sunset?"

Sunset smiled sheepishly. "Hi, mom. Long time no see."

Sunset felt herself pulled into the house as her entire family embraced her in a group hug, her mother and sister having tears streaming down their faces. They stayed there for a few minutes before Sunset was finally able to take a couple steps back.

"I know I've been gone a long time, I haven't really kept in touch, and I have a lot of explaining to do, but first, I'd like to introduce somebody." She turned to Midnight, gesturing her to come forward as well. "This is my marefriend, Midnight Sparkle."

Midnight gave a slight wave of her hoof, her cheeks red from the mention of 'marefriend'. "Hi everybo- er, everypony."

Sunset's mother, a mare with a cherry coat and rose-pink mane, wiped a tear from her eye. "Well, welcome to the family, Midnight. My name is Dawn Shimmer. I'm Sunset's mother. This is her brother Comet Streak, and her sister Sunflower."

Comet, a rather skinny stallion with a light amber coat and brilliant red mane, stepped forward and extended a hoof, which Midnight carefully took. "A pleasure to meet you, Midnight. Wasn't expecting Sunset to come back home with a marefriend, but I'm happy for you two nonetheless."

Sunflower gave a small greeting as well, but seemed more preoccupied with seeing her sister again, as she bounced around Sunset asking question after question.

"Easy, Sunflower. Geez, you're acting like a little filly again." Dawn attempted to hold Sunflower in place, to no avail.

Comet shook his head at the rest of his family. "Sunset, why don't you and Midnight get settled and I'll grab something to eat."





Midnight was rather hesitant to try a 'hayburger' as it was called, but after some encouragement from Sunset and her own first bite, she was surprised at how much she actually enjoyed it. It was still unlikely that she would ever try something back home.

"So, where shall we start?" Dawn inquired. "You lost touch for about six years now, surely some interesting things had to have happened in that time."

Sunset shifted in her seat, trying to figure out where she should begin. "First, has Celestia told you anything?"

Comet spoke up next. "Only that you had begun a special brand of studies elsewhere, and even then she wasn't too keen on details. Didn't give us a progress report until about a year ago, and even then she only said that you were 'doing wonderfully'."

Sunset glanced at Midnight, who gave her a small nod, and then turned back to her family, her heart slightly sinking at  the though of what she was about to do. "It's very complicated, and I can't spare all the details. You have to promise to keep this a secret, though. Princess Celestia doesn't want word getting out about my studies."

The three in question swore to secrecy, after which Sunset continued. "Where to start... about four years ago, Princess Celestia introduced to a special mirror, one that was a gateway to a parallel world. I wanted to know more, but Celestia said that when I was ready, she would tell me more about it."

Sunset paused for a moment. "When I finally went through the portal, the world I happened upon was so strange. There was no magic, no monsters, and no ponies."

"Sounds boring," Sunflower interjected.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "There were familiar faces, though, like a counterpart to Celestia being a principal of a school, and Princess Twilight and her friends were all students, though Twilight attended a school elsewhere. So, Princess Celestia tasked me with studying this world, learning as much as I can."

"I lost track of time very quickly. Days became months, then years, and its gotten to the point where I've made such a life across the portal that I don't know where my home is anymore. It became worse when magic started seeping through to the other side. It doesn't behave the same, and more often than not seems to overwhelm and corrupt those it touches.
My mission to study was overthrown by the necessity to protect the world from magical threats."

"I wish I could've kept in touch, but it's near impossible to create any sort of contact between the two realms. The only outlet to here I had was a journal to Celestia, which somehow ended up in Princess Twilight's hands."

She looked at each of her family members in turn. "I'm really sorry I was gone for so long, and that I couldn't let you know what was going on. It took a lot of convincing for me to come back for just these next few days, and I honestly don't know when I'll come back again."

Sunset felt a hoof on her shoulder, coming from her mother. "Oh, don't be like that. Sure, we were worried when we didn't hear from you directly, but Princess Celestia assured us that you were alright. and just know that whenever your mission should end, you'll always have a home here."

Comet leaned forward from his place on the couch. "So when did you meet Midnight here? I assume by the surname she is related to Princess Twilight in some way."

Midnight laughed nervously. "Well, you could say that. I'm actually her counterpart from the other side, though for some unexplained reason, my appearance alters whenever I cross over."

Both Dawn and Comet held wide-eyed looks at the revelation.

"...oh sweet Celestia, my sister is dating Twilight Sparkle! This is so cool!" Sunflower, hardly containing her excitement, started bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Enough, Sunflower," Dawn got the young mare to relax, then stood up from her seat. "Well, now that we are caught up, how about we go out and celebrate?"
> Better Unsaid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the city of Canterlot was nearly as natural as its smaller neighbor, the parks were still a sight to behold. Large green expanses dotted with patches of radiant flora, and cobblestone paths lined with small statuettes gave the area a regal aura. It wasn't much compared to the private castle gardens, but Sunset often times preferred the simplicity.

She was currently resting underneath one of the larger oak trees, watching Midnight conversing with her two siblings. Sunflower was still bouncing around, excited as ever, and it made Sunset wonder how the mare could only be over a year younger than her; she seemed to have a boundless energy that rivaled Pinkie Pie, though lacked the party pony's propensity for breaking physics.

Comet, by contrast, was far more reserved. He shared Midnight's enthusiasm for learning, and still spent many of his nights looking through the telescope and charting the stars. Unfortunately, he was sometimes a bit too passive, unable to take a side in an argument or retaliate against smaller grievances. Sunset was certainly glad he didn't have to deal with any bullies growing up; Celestia knows how much damage that could've done.

Sunset found her mother coming over to take a seat next to her. "I think they like her," Dawn said as she levitated a sandwich to Sunset, who happily took it in her own aura.

"I'm just worried they might like her too much. Not gonna let my siblings try to steal my girlfriend." Sunset took a bite of the hay sandwich.

Dawn chuckled. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about that, dear. Neither have really given a thought to romance anyway. I can only imagine the disaster my home would be in if Sunflower ever brought someone home."

They shared a laugh at the outrageous thought before falling silent. After a moment, Sunset felt a hoof on her shoulder, and looked to her mother.

"You still have a lot to tell me."

Sunset's pupils shrank, and a chill ran down her spine. "W-what do you mean?"

Dawn gave her a warm smile. "I can see in your eyes that you have weathered a lot more than you let on." She paused for a moment. "That, and you're not exactly the best liar."

Sunset hung her head, unsure of what to say now. How much did her mother know? How could she tell? Was it just mother's intuition or...

...

"Mom, is anyone in our family... psychic in any way?"

Dawn smirked. "No changing the subject, young la-"

"Mom, this is important."

Dawn's smirk dropped the moment she saw Sunset's expression, a mix of pleading and serious. She sighed  as she brushed some hair from her face. "Psychic, no, but our family does have a history of being more intuitive with our surroundings in some form. Most chalk it up to part of our special talent, hence why you won't find it in any official family records, but I personally think it's something else."

"Your sister always tells me about conversations she has with the flowers. When she was younger, we thought it was just an overactive imagination, but there's no doubt now she hears voices from her garden. Who or what they are is still a mystery, but they seem to be entities all unto themselves."

"Your brother comes and goes with the stars. He was the one who confirmed Nightmare Moon's return a few years back. Celestia had called him in to study the star patterns, and he was hardly there for a day before he told her of a vision he had. She knew she had to send Twilight somewhere to make some friends, and Comet acted as her counsel. He never got to actually put forth anything, but somehow, by reading the stars, he could confirm to Celestia that she was making the right decision."

"As for myself, it's nothing special. Just a deeper connection with family. It was handy for whenever you three decided to get into trouble, or were dealing with something at school. Saved me many a headache."

Dawn turned to Sunset. "What does this have to do with anything?"

Sunset contemplated how best to explain. "My friends and I were at a summer camp when a surge of Equestrian magic left behind several geodes, each granting myself, Midnight, and the rest of our friends new abilities. Midnight gained basic magic, though she's only been able to levitate back home so far, and I..."

"It started as just being able to touch someone and see thoughts, memories and emotions. It helped me many times during a crisis when I had to find out what was going on, but then it just started to grow. Soon I was hearing thoughts without contact, sensing and broadcasting emotions, and now it's gotten to the point where I no longer need the pendant for my abilities to work."

Dawn sat wide-eyed as she took in everything her daughter had said. "Full-on empathic powers?" She gave out a small laugh. "Never thought I'd ever hear of something like that. Learn something new every day, huh?"

"It's not really something to joke about. I've had way too many problems because I couldn't get it under control." Sunset looked towards Midnight. "I got really lucky to have her."

She returned her attention to her mother. "I know there is a lot I haven't said, but I never lied. Everything I said was true, just... missing some details that I can't bring myself to discuss yet. For now, I'll just say that my time with Celestia and after wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows... mostly because of me."

"I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, and I've been spending the past year or so trying to make things right, one step at a time."

Dawn brought her hoof around her daughter, pulling her into an embrace. "Sunset, we all do things we're not proud of. As long as you're trying your best to do good, then none of it matters."

She stood and called the others over, Sunset hearing her mutter something about a surprise. She saw her mother return with a camera, announcing a family reunion photo.

"Oooh, come on, Sunset, you can stand next to me!" Sunflower declared.

"Actually," Sunset pulled Midnight to her side, "I've already got someone to stand by."

"Oh, I couldn't. This is your family photo Sunset, I wouldn't want to intrude."

Midnight felt another hoof on her shoulder, turning to face Sunset's mother. "And you're part of the family now."

Sunset could've sworn she saw a small tear down Midnight's face before the shutter went off.





The train ride back to Ponyville was rather calming compared to the hectic day that preceded it. All Sunset knew was that she really wanted to go to bed; she was absolutely exhausted.

"So, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Midnight inquired as they departed the Ponyville station.

"Can't think, too tired."

"Seriously Sunset, we should plan ahead. Today went well enough since we knew exactly what we were doing, so we should make sure that tomorrow goes just as well!"

Sunset sighed. 'Well, until I get up, you could see if Twilight is willing to teach you some magic."

Sunset swore will never see a face more adorable than Twilight's excited expression.

When they reached the castle's front entrance, Sunset reached out to open the door, only to find it quickly swinging her direction.

"Woah!" she shouted as she jumped away from the door.

"Oh, sorry Sunset, I just, uh, saw you coming and figured I'd greet you. I didn't realize you were already at the door."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Uh, thanks? You know, it's kinda hard to get in when you're standing in the door like that."

Sunset noticed Twilight's eyes darting around, never settling on who she was talking to. "Well, actually, Applejack is having a bonfire with the others, and I figured you might want to join them!"

"No thanks, I'd rather just go to bed for the night."

"Oh, well, uh, sorry, but you can't, because... the room is being renovated! Yeah, that's it..."

Sunset stared at Twilight intently, trying to get a read on what the pony was hiding. Sure, she could've just used her abilities, but she didn't feel comfortable prying into her friends minds. Not to mention it was actually kinda funny watching Twilight squirm under Sunset's gaze.

"The guest room is being renovated?"

"Yep."

"All of them? It's a pretty big castle, I'm sure there's another room we could stay in." Sunset attempted to take a step forward, only to be barred by Twilight again.

"NO, trust me, you don't-" Her thought was interrupted as she felt herself enveloped in a golden aura and pulled back into the castle chambers, a small "meep" being the last thing that escaped her lips.

With the entrance no longer barred, Sunset moved into the castle's foyer. "Twilight, what exactly is going-"

Her heart dropped through her stomach as she saw who else was standing, waiting for her.

Princess Celestia.
> Face the Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset remained frozen in place as her former mentor held Twilight in her magical aura, Twilight smiling sheepishly from inside. Sunset couldn't even bring herself to speak, her entire body trembling on the spot.

Princess Celestia released Twilight, gently placing her behind her, and stepped forward to Sunset. Sunset's first instinct was to back away in tandem, but her legs remained glued to the floor. She could only watch as Celestia approached, and Sunset resigned to lower her head away from her mentor's gaze.

She knew it was still there, still on her, silently judging her. Why else would Celestia go out of her way to find her?

She felt a hoof gently lift her chin, bringing her eyes back up to meet Celestia's. The princess's face was not one of malice or prejudice, but of great sorrow, which did little to ease Sunset's guilty conscience. She once again opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came through.

Sunset suddenly found herself embraced by her mentor, which somehow managed to stupefy her even more. Only when Celestia spoke did the fear in her heart start to crumble.

"I have missed you so much."

Sunset's shock at those words gave way to a waterfall of tears as she buried herself in their embrace. Twilight, like Sunset before, stood rooted to the spot, staring at the spectacle taking place before her. She even noticed a few tears from Celestia as well.

As Sunset calmed down, her biggest question managed to slip out. "How did you know I was here?"

Celestia gave a small smirk. "Oh, I have my informants." She casually glanced behind her to watch Twilight connect the dots and suddenly run off further into the castle. 

"SPIKE!!!!" was all that could be heard as she galloped away.

Celestia chuckled softly to herself before returning her attention to Sunset, watching as the young mare heavily debated what to say or do next. Before Sunset could say anything, however, Celestia decided to give her some reassurance.

"I know you've been afraid to face me again, but I want you to know that what happens here is up to you. I only wanted to be able to see you face to face again. If it's still too much for you, you are free to walk away." To prove her point, Celestia stepped away from Sunset, allowing her an unobstructed path into the castle's chambers.

Sunset's hooves still refused to carry her anywhere, the typhoon of emotions swirling inside her trapping her nerves and muscles in stasis. The very moment she had been dreading for the past year was upon her, yet she didn't feel frightened; she wasn't really sure how she felt. She completely forgot that Midnight was still standing behind her ,who had decided it better that she not intervene in the situation.

The sudden decision thrust upon Sunset didn't help to calm her nerves. Both Celestia and Midnight were waiting on her to decide if this was to be just a simple hello, or a chance for her to lift the thousand ton weight off her chest. She certainly wasn't confident that she could possibly convey everything that she needed to, but she was here; might as well at least try.

With her course set in mind, she very slowly took a single step towards Celestia and took a deep breath, still averting her gaze from her mentor.

"When I was you student... I can't imagine I could've been more disappointing. I was arrogant, selfish, and so caught up in my own ambitions that I never really took in what you were trying to teach me. You saw it, and you tried to make me better, but I still never listened. I dreamed of things far beyond what I deserved, and I've done a lot of terrible things to try and make them happen."

Celestia didn't say a word, instead opting to let her former student say all she needed to.

"Then... I abandoned it all. You dismissed me from my studies with you, and I betrayed what little trust you might have still had in me. I came here and ruined the lives of anybody and everybody I came into contact with. I became exactly what you were trying to teach me not to be."

"Then I stole the crown, and Twilight, who is everything you wanted me to be, had to come and put an end to my reign of terror, and I made her go through hell for it. I did whatever I could to try and take that crown for myself, and when I finally had it, I thought it would give me everything I wanted."

Tears began to wash down her face as the memories resurfaced. "I was wrong. The crown warped me, it made me into something worse than I already was. I was terrified when it began, and only then did I realize where my path had taken me, but I couldn't stop it. When I wore that crown, it felt like I was a spectator in my own body, and Twilight had to literally blast me into the ground to save your home."

She finally managed to look up at Celestia, her eyes red and puffy from her crying. "I was so ashamed of myself for all I had done. Since that day, I've been trying so, so hard to make up for everything that I had ever done. I took it upon myself to help fend off the magic that I had brought into the world. I feel responsible for every disaster that my friends go through. I've been through so much, yet I still feel like it's not enough. I've repaid the debt I owed in the human world, but I couldn't begin to imagine how much I have to do to even come close to having a place back here."

Celestia gave her a sweet smile, one that Sunset herself hadn't seen since she first became her prodigy. "You have already done enough, Sunset. Some loose ends to tie up here remain, yes, but you have redeemed yourself, especially in my eyes." Celestia leaned down to her, placing her wing across the young mare's back. "You haven't yet mentioned all the good you've done across the mirror, and I think it's a wonderful idea for you to indulge in those memories for a little while."

Sunset was beside herself at how quickly Celestia seemed to have forgiven her. Surely her crimes warranted more disappointment than that? Unless what she had done was really important in Celestia's eyes. "How... How much was enough?"

Celestia still held her warm smile, despite Sunset's frankly unnecessary query. "Twilight told me much of what you did. Saved another realm at least three times, showed another the very same kindness that was given to you"- Midnight blushed at the mention- "and constantly showed that you were willing to right your wrongs." Celestia paused for a brief moment before continuing, "all of which was just icing on the cake."

Sunset was completely dumbfounded. How was all that just extra? Nobody else was convinced by her sudden penance after the fall formal; surely Celestia wouldn't have been either. "So what changed your mind?"

"An attitude that you have demonstrated every day since Twilight returned after her first trip. Where once you were driven by selfish desire, you now hold the fear of 'letting everyone down', as I believe."

Sunset remained silent for a few moments, the conversation she held with Twilight in Pinkie's kitchen replaying through her mind at the mere mention of the words. On the one hoof, she found it hard to believe that such a simple conversation could've changed Celestia's opinion, but on the other, it somehow... made sense. That night she had nothing to hide; she poured a little of her heart out to Twilight, and they found a new appreciation of each other because of it. It was likely that description alone coming from Celestia's prized pupil that made her truly believe Sunset had changed for the better.

Celestia turned and began to venture further into the crystalline halls. "I suppose we should find Twilight and Spike before she does anything rash. Perhaps you'd like to catch up some more along the way, Sunset? Maybe introduce me to your starstruck friend there?"

Only now did Sunset remember Midnight had seen and heard everything, which brought a fresh wave of red to her cheeks. "Oh, right, of course!"





They found Twilight giving Spike quite the earful in the map room, Spike hardly listening as he could tell by the way they walked in that he had made the right call.

"I told you things would be fine, Twilight. Geez, cut me some slack sometimes," he said as he strolled out of the room.

Twilight looked at Celestia and Sunset surprised. "Wait, so are..."

"Yes, everything is settled Twilight. Although,"- Celestia put on a mock authoritarian visage- "it is rather disrespectful to abandon your company in such a manner."

Both Sunset and Celestia chuckled as Twilight fell into old habits and started both profusely apologizing and panicking. After realizing the joke at her expense, her face turned extremely red. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Not yet, Twilight. We were hoping you'd join us for a conversation. I'd love to hear more about your own misadventures as well as Sunset's."

Twilight sighed and sat at her throne, knowing all too well that denying such a request would be nigh impossible. She couldn't say she didn't enjoy herself, though, especially considering Midnight's reactions to most of the tales they told.

Sunset was enjoying it even more. She couldn't remember the last time she simply had a friendly chat with Celestia, let alone one that had the royal so invested. She seemed very intrigued by every detail Sunset could spare, even pointing out some embellishments made by Twilight during her own recounts, which Twilight vehemently denied. She also saw a rather odd glimmer in Celestia's eyes when she mentioned that Midnight was, in fact, the human Twilight that she had saved and cared for throughout the past six months. Something I'll have to ask about later.

As the hours waned, Celestia decided it was time to return to Canterlot and retire for the night, giving Sunset one last note of assurance before she left.

"You can always come by the castle if you wish. I'll inform the current guards of your name, and they will let you in. I'd love for you to visit more often."

"I'd love to," Sunset replied, the biggest grin stretched across her muzzle. With one last hug, Celestia took off into the night sky.

Sunset couldn't be happier.
> A Strange Tour
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset awoke the next morning within her guest room, which was designed much like the rest of the castle. A full-sized bed sat against one of its walls, with a small crystalline nightstand off to one side. Across the room sat a dresser with a mirror hung above it and, of course, a large bookshelf filled to the brim with some of Twilight's more 'casual' stock of literature. Opposite its entryway was a single large stained-glass lattice window, slightly ajar to allow the cool summer breeze in during the nighttime hours.

Stifling a yawn, Sunset lazily trotted over to the mirror to brush out her mane when a large bang rang throughout the castle. She swiftly galloped out of the room, following the noise to Twilight's main library. Upon opening the door, a large wave of books washed right over her. Poking her head above its surface, she found both the princess and Midnight buried under the entire library's stockpile.

"What happened in here?" Sunset asked as she pulled herself above the books, levitating several of the tomes back to the shelves.

"Oh, nothing, your marefriend just managed to knock down my entire collection trying to levitate a single book back into place," Twilight remarked, her voice dripping in playful sarcasm, much to the embarrassment of her counterpart.

"It's not entirely my fault, you know," Midnight poked her head above the sea of pages, "you need stronger foundations for your shelves."

"I'm not the one who built this place!" Twilight retorted, her face sporting an overly-incredulous look before she turned away and stated matter-of-factly, "It was a gift from the Tree of Harmony."

Sunset began to levitate more books back onto the appropriate shelves. "Sure, Twilight, blame all your problems on the ancient magical tree, that'll get you somewhere," she taunted with her usual smirk, earning herself a look of ire from the princess.

"You're not helping, you know," Twilight sighed as she returned to re-shelving her stockpile as well. "Doesn't matter anyway, Pinkie should be here any minute to give you a tour of Ponyville."

Sunset and Midnight shared a look of concern and confusion before turning back to Twilight. "Why aren't you giving us one?" Midnight inquired.

"I'm not because I have to head out to Canterlot for a royal summit in an hour. We're negotiating some new deals with the Changeling Hive." Twilight studied the bindings of some of her books before putting them off to the side for browsing later. "That, and I have an entire library to re-shelve now."





Pinkie arrived shortly after in her trademark manner and proceeded to gleefully drag the two visitors along for the ride. She bounced back and forth as they made their way through the rustic town, pointing out several notable locales (and some less notable), and introducing them to practically everypony they met. Midnight found herself enjoying all the sightseeing, but Sunset's mind was in another place.

Something felt off here, but she couldn't place what it was, nor could she chalk it up to imagination to assuage her paranoia. Something about everypony they came across. Sunset ran down a checklist of possibilities within her head, hoping to narrow it down to something more specific.

From what Twilight has told me, there aren't any rogue changelings left save for Queen Chrysalis, so that rules out that option,  she pondered, slowly deciding it better to focus on the characteristics that caught her attention, rather than spend time trying to hypothesize. Everypony looks and sounds normal, far as I could tell. Man, it's been too long since I've been here. She idly glanced at her surroundings, taking in the natural view of her homeworld before refocusing on the task in her head.

What is throwing me off so much? Have I just been in the human world for so long that equine nature is somehow unusual to me? It was a thought she didn't want to ponder, but she had been gone for several years...

"Sunset?"

Hearing her name from her marefriend snapped Sunset out of her reverie. She glance over at Midnight to find both her and Pinkie staring at her.

"You seem to have drifted into la-la-land for a little bit there," Midnight remarked. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Sunset did her best to imitate a shrug, nearly falling forward from the attempted gesture. "Guess I've been gone a bit too long, I still seem more accustomed to my human form than this one."

"That seems... odd," Midnight remarked, deep in thought for a few seconds before we arrived at our final destination.

"And here we have Sweet Apple Acres," Pinkie decided to pause (for dramatic effect) "where we decided to host a surprise get-together for you!" Pinkie announced excitedly as the rest of our pony friends came out from the sides of the entrance. That is, until a loud confetti cannon sent them all cartwheeling back.





All in all, it was a rather subdued affair, despite present company. Pinkie spent most of her time encouraging each of them to dance in turn, no matter how many times she was turned down. Rainbow and Applejack spent most of their time in their little competitions, Rarity and Fluttershy took the chance to catch up on a few things, and Sunset just sat back with Midnight and enjoyed the chance to relax.

"Wish we could do this more often," Sunset commented, watching as Applejack one another horseshoe toss, much to Rainbow's chagrin. "I missed being home like this."

Midnight turned her attention away from the sickeningly sweet entourage of snacks Pinkie had brought to the event. "I wouldn't mind coming back again. There's still so much I could stand to learn here, maybe even begin to understand how magic works, both here and back home, and how-stop laughing."

Sunset could only giggle at Midnight's enthusiasm, as well as her attempts to jot down notes with her magic, when she noticed Pinkie had managed to convince Rarity and Fluttershy to partake in dancing with her, putting on a relatively lively tune that fell more into their style than her own. Sunset resigned to simply watch, but as her eyes turned to Rarity, it finally occurred to Sunset what had thrown her off during the tour.

It was the way everypony moved. Rarity had a very distinct movement pattern, and despite being in Equestria, Sunset could tell when she's strayed from it. She still couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different, but a cursory examination of both Fluttershy and Pinkie confirmed her suspicions, the subtleties much easier to notice now that she knew what to look for. Quick glances at Rainbow and Applejack continued to verify the theory, though none showed any knowledge of the change, nor any indication as to what exactly was shifting their movement.

It seemed both she and Midnight had some research to do.
> Studious
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike walked into the castle's main library to find several tomes swirling about, surrounded by various hues of aura. Sunset and Midnight had decided to dedicate the last day of their vacation to learning whatever they felt necessary, with Twilight and Starlight's help.

"I got those muffins you requested, Twilight." Spike said as he ducked underneath an unusually zealous book, glancing over at the violet mare who claimed it.

"Sorry, still not used to the horn just yet," Midnight said as she began sifting through the pages of her prize, a rather elaborate spellbook that Sunset quickly recognized.

"You're probably not going to be able to attempt anything in there, those are some very high-level spells," she said as she gripped the book in her own red aura.

"Maybe not on this side of the mirror," Midnight retorted, "but I'm rather curious as to whether or not they'd be possible on the other side with the increased ambient magic."

"I wouldn't recommend trying," Twilight interjected, Sunset noting that they were both thinking the same thing. "If magic is continuously leaking through, then it's probably best not to try anything that might draw it out more. We still have no clue what's going on with the portal, and until we do I've decided to take every precaution necessary to slow down the process."

Midnight's only response was the defeated look she now wore.

"Aw, don't be too disappointed. I'm sure we'll figure things out before long," Sunset reassured her. "In the meantime, I'm sure Starlight here could teach you some more fundamentals. There's still quite a bit for you to learn."





Sunset was glad Midnight had taken that offer; it meant she had some free time to investigate her own suspicions.

First things first, she thought as she discreetly pulled out the device they used to track ambient magic around the Canterlot High statue. It had constantly hummed during their stay due to the ambient magic, but now it spiked far higher than it had been, making Sunset certain that magic was leaking through this side as well.

She heavily debated whether she should relay this information to Twilight, or to keep to herself and do her own research. She was certain Twilight could help, but telling her meant she would likely bring her friends into the fray to ascertain Sunset's suspicions, and things could go downhill quickly from there. Besides, she still had no clue what her observations meant.

She decided to continue her own research first, and if she found any leads or connections, she would inform Twilight of them. For now, she levitated down what appeared to be a copy of Starswirl's notes on the matter. It was highly likely that Twilight had read and reread this several times and would tell Sunset of any important info, but Twilight was also prone to missing key details when she was excited, and just owning a Starswirl notebook was enough to make her giddy, so for her own assurance, Sunset decided to examine it for herself.

What she found was... interesting, to say the least. Several pages had completely unrelated notes on them, making his connections hard to decipher; it seemed as though he never worked on one thing at a time, content to just jot down notes on whatever project he fancied at the moment. At the top of one page was a diagram for a portal housing, much like what held the mirror in place, but below it was suddenly the crystal matrices required for elemental empowerment, as well as a note for a reference. It made Sunset's mission much more tedious than she would've liked.

However, she did find some notes relating to the matter, and what it was nearly sent her into panic.





"I don't know what fundamentals Sunset is referring to, I've already learned the basics of how to use my horn, and I can levitate stuff! What else is there?"

Starlight shook her head, only now understanding just how little Midnight knew despite her burgeoning prowess. "I think what she was referring to was the various schools of magic. Learning a spell isn't as simple as memorizing a few symbols or incantations, unicorns can be more adept at some more than others. For example, Shining Armor is more adept in abjuration; more specifically, shield spells."

She continued on to describe them in more detail. She stated that abjuration was the school of protection, usually including shield spells, mana deflection and the more advanced version of a teleport spell that allowed you to target somepony other than yourself. Conjuration was the school of summoning, though its use was nebulous at best, having been deemed as cruelty to those subjected to it. Divination was the school of the mind, and basically summed up Sunset's abilities in one word; it made Midnight wonder if that was Sunset's proficiency or if her empathic abilities came separate from her own magic.

Enchantment was relatively straightforward, though Starlight mentioning that these spells could be applied to ponies as well was a little unnerving to Midnight. Evocation really got Midnight excited, subtly dubbed the school of the elements, its magic used to, as Starlight put it, "create something from nothing". Midnight gathered that it was raw energy manipulation, more often than not transforming into an elemental attack; what kind it was generally depended on the wielder.

Transmutation was, again, straightforward, summed up as transformation magic, and what Twilight most commonly practiced during her time in Ponyville. Midnight found that interesting, wondering what use Twilight would have for such spells before Starlight mentioned the 'mustache' spell, sending both ponies into a fit of giggles.

"And that just about covers all of the ones practiced in the modern age," Starlight finished before a slightly solemn look took hold. "There are also necromancy spells out there, but its been outlawed for centuries, for obvious reasons." That simple declaration sent a shiver down my spine, before a louder voice caught my attention.

"YOU NEVER TOLD ME THIS HAPPENED BEFORE!!!"





Sunset was absolutely livid.

There in the notebook, written plain as day, was a recording Starswirl took of another mirror, noticing its continued use causing deterioration on both sides, as well as a hypothesis that further use would cause the two realms to converge, with no understanding of what would occur after.

And Twilight had access to this information for Celestia knows how long, and never said a word. Now that Sunset thought about it, she never mentioned having the notebook either.

"Why?! Why would you hide this, when this is the best lead we possibly have?!"

Twilight shifted uncomfortably in her position, memories of the other portal seeping back into her conscience, It had been a year or two since those events, but still...

"ANSWER ME!"

Twilight regressed from the shouting, still at a loss for words before stammering out, "I-it was all so vague about it, I wasn't sure t-that any of the hypothesis was relevant. He noticed the same thing we are, and drew a rational conclusion."

"But you never mentioned the consequence! Twilight, if the worlds converge, that would be absolutely disastrous! And here I was only worried that more magic was seeping through, but no, my home is slowly turning into Equestria!"

Twilight found herself without words again as Sunset turned away and stormed out of the room, the gaze of the other two slowly turning to Twilight. The princess herself was unsure of what to make of the situation until Midnight spoke up.

"How long have you had that notebook?"

Twilight elected to remain silent, her own mind battling over whether or not it had been a good idea to keep Sunset in the dark. On the one hoof, the only relevant bit of information held within was the hypothesis of what could occur, and Twilight had deemed it too much for Sunset not to freak out over. She had enough stress on her plate just fighting to figure out what was going on; topping it off with a world-ending scenario just didn't seem like the best choice.

And yet, it would've driven her to take things more seriously. Not that she wasn't already, but when it came down to it, Sunset could use every little bit of motivation she could get. Twilight still got the impression that Sunset still had self-worth issues, and possibly wouldn't see the investigation through to the end unless she absolutely had to.

But to tell her the worlds would collide? That magic would bombard the landscape, reshaping whatever remained of the human world? Everypony now facing a duplicate of themselves?

Or would they?

It dawned on Twilight that Starswirl never mentioned what happened to the populace, and it would be very well possible for duplicates to exist, or for the counterparts to be fused to one another.

But which side would continue to exist?

"Twilight, please."

She was snapped out of her train of thought by Midnight's insistence, sighing as she knew she have to explain it anyway, or they would find out for themselves.

"I've had it for at least a year now, but I didn't want to worry Sunset any more than she already had been. I believed telling her how high the stakes were would only make things worse at this stage."

Starlight and Midnight exchanged glances before turning back to the princess, Starlight stepping forward to her.

"Seems you still have a lot to learn, too."