> Her Sunlit Lineage
>  by Graglithan The Greater
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Talking with Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful sunny day.

Sunset was reclining on the couch, reading a book. To say she was doing it for her enjoyment would only be a half-truth. However, killing time was her ultimate motive, for the amber teen was waiting for someone to arrive. Someone specific and necessary to her plans for the day. Plans to let the woman who took her into her home know just how appreciative she was of her stay. And that plan required a green thumb. 

So it was a good thing Fluttershy and Applejack had two to spare. They might be enough to prevent Sunset from destroying the garden by accident.

The sounds of footfalls drew her from her reading, and she glanced up to see Celestia coming down the stairs with an exasperated sigh. “Sunset, I’m headed to the store. Luna ate all the cookies again, and we’re out of flour.” The sound of retching could be heard from the stairwell, and both of them winced. 

Despite her current state, Luna was still well enough to add a quip on the matter. “'Twas worth the stomach ache! Not one snickerdoodle shall remain uneaten!”

Sunset chuckled and shook her head, sitting up on the couch. “It’s been over a month, and I’m still not used to her acting like that.”

Celestia facepalmed as she did the same. “She truly is an overgrown child.” Looking at the fire-haired teen, she smiled warmly. “Can I trust you to keep the house in one piece?”

Sunset huffed and crossed her arms, and her book was left sitting on the couch as she did so. “Hey, I’m older than I look. I think I’m responsible enough to house sit.” 

With a chuckle, the older woman looked back up the stairs. “It’s not you that I’m worried about.”

Shouting from the bathroom, Luna was still clutching the toilet. “You’re not much better, Tia!” 

Sunset was having a hard time not laughing at the two of them arguing.

Turning to the amber teen, Celestia sighed. “You know, my offer from earlier still stands.”

“I know, and I do want to know just how long you’ve known about Equestria. I just think it’d be better to talk about it when we don’t have company coming over.” Sunset waved as she leaned against the wall. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Celestia gave her charge a quick nod, before opening the door. She had to stop herself from walking out immediately though, as she had managed to catch Fluttershy mid-knock. “Oh, good evening, Fluttershy. Sunset said you would be coming over, but I didn’t expect you to be here so soon.”

The butterscotch girl had her backpack with her, sitting securely on her back. Giggling a bit, Fluttershy nervously brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Good evening, Principal Celestia. Is Sunset available?”

With a nod, Celestia stepped to the side and let Fluttershy in. The two teens were immediately talking with each other as the pearlescent woman grabbed her purse. “You two have fun. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Bye!” Sunset gave a quick wave as the door closed. “So, shall we get started?”

Sliding her bag off her shoulders, Fluttershy opened it up and pulled out the fertilizer she had brought with her. “Absolutely. Applejack should be here in a little bit to help.”





Thankfully for the two, they didn’t have to wait very long. It was only five minutes into their gardening that Applejack arrived and brought some more tools with her. Sunset even managed just to mangle a pair of tulip bulbs while they were at it! She didn’t even know how she managed to do that. The sight of Sunset’s section of the garden was enough to delegate the amber girl to supply duty and take away her trowel.

Secretly, they all were happy with that. A comical stream of tears could have been superimposed over Sunset’s face at that moment, and no one would have thought them out of place.

Applejack wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow, before sitting back and admiring her work. “Gotta say, Sunset, by the time Spring rolls in, this here garden will be bloomin’ faster than ya can blink!”

“I hope so.” Sunset sighed as she brought over a few more bulbs. “I really want this to look good for Celestia’s birthday.”

The orange farm girl nodded as she looked over the garden for a second. “Hey, Sunset?” The amber teen looked over, curious. “What’s it like, living with Celestia? Ah, mean, it’s gotta be a little weird, what with her being our principal and all.”

Oh, Applejack, you have no idea. Sunset’s thoughts echoed the look on her face, a mix of wincing and looking to the side, grip getting a touch tighter on the bag of tulip bulbs. “It’s... different than you’d expect.” The fact that Fluttershy was adding to the growing collection of ‘you better explain’ stares that Sunset’s been collecting from Celestia, made her smile nervously. “Well, for one, she’s a bit more laid back when she’s not at school if only a little bit. There’s also the absurd amount of time she puts into making Ruby Goldenberg machines.” Sunset frowned as another thought popped up. “Then there are the pranks she likes to pull. Never obvious, but the moment you find yourself the punchline of the joke, you realize you’ve been bamboozled.” 

“Did you just say bamboozled?” Applejack snickered with a raised eyebrow.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset didn’t dignify that with a response, electing to continue instead where she left off, as a smile made its way back to her face. “More often than not though, she acts like a mom to both me and Luna, but I think that’s just because of how old I am, and how immature Luna is off the clock.” Applejack’s face tightened a touch, and she looked to the garden again.

Fluttershy placed a few more bulbs in the ground as she looked over her shoulder. “She does? Doesn’t that get on your nerves after a while?” She blushed a bit, remembering that Applejack was there. “I mean... I love my mom, but it starts to get to me when she wants to be part of everything and lets Zephyr get away with half of his ideas.”

Sunset could only shrug. “A little, but... to be fair, I never really had a mom growing up, so it’s not too bad. I mean, it’s not like I have anything to compare it to.”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to wince. “Sunset, Ah’m sorry for bringing--”

The amber teen cut her friend off with a wave of her hand. “It’s alright.” Sunset looked at the bulbs she had in her hands with a sigh. “To be fair, I don’t blame her, if that’s what you’re wondering. From what my dad told me, she was ‘sent somewhere she couldn’t come back from.’” A snort escaped Sunset as she shook her head. “Honestly, I know what he meant. I just wish I’d gotten the chance to know her, and for my dad to stop telling cryptic tales of why she wasn’t there.”

“Ah know that feeling a little too well.” Sighing with a small smile, Applejack moved over to Sunset’s spot and put a hand on her shoulder. “Do... do you want to talk about it?”

Sunset got her turn to raise an eyebrow, smirking at the apple farmer. “Weren’t you just trying to apologize for bringing it up?”

A blush danced across Applejack’s face as she rubbed the back of her head. “S-sorry, but, it’s just that talking ‘bout it helped me, and Ah gotta admit that you’ve got me curious.” Applejack looked up at the sky, making a note of a few clouds floating by. “Ah mean... stories about a world full of magic? Why wouldn’t anyone wants to listen ta that when they know, it’s something that actually exists? Heck, All the girls and Ah went there a few days ago! We all want ta hear more about it.”

“Okay, you got me there.” Sunset laid back on the grass, staring up at the clouds, and Fluttershy joined in on their impromptu break. “Well, I guess I could start with that story in particular since I already brought it up. Every time my dad would start the story, it was of how he saved her from falling off the edge of Canterlot.”

Applejack blinked in confusion, tilting her head back some to look at Sunset. “Falling-- How could you fall off of a city?”

Fluttershy grimaced at the thought. “That sounds scary.”

Sunset nodded a bit and chuckled. “Well, when the city’s built into a mountain, easily, but back to the story.” The two friends kept themselves quiet, staring up at the clouds, picturing the events as they were told. “Apparently, my mom was an old friend of his, who had been away for years, before she came back and accidentally slipped past the railing on the city’s edge.” A smirk started to grow on Sunset’s face as she pictured her dad animatedly going about her old bedroom, telling the story and half acting it out. “Dad would go on and on after that about how they had a whirlwind romance that got them both running around all over Equestria as something more than friends, from Las Pegasus to the Alpaca mountain range.”

Fluttershy snorted in a somewhat Pinkiesque manner as she held back a laugh. “Alpaca. Did they make good cheese?”

Sunset was starting to wonder if her eyes would roll out of her head like Celestia said they would with how much she’s been doing that lately. “Yes, and I know, Equestria has a thing for being punny compared to this world. And yes, they do. Best cheese ever.”

Still giggling a bit into her hand, Fluttershy blushed. “Sorry, I just find puns funny. Blame my dad.”

Applejack chuckled a bit and adjusted her hat. “Then go and date Flash. You’d be set for life.”

The two other girls both jumped, and Fluttershy started to stammer face trying to both turn red and pale at the same time. “W-What!? Wh-Why would I ask out Flash!?”

“Well, he’s apparently hot enough to catch an interdimensional princess’s eye and made Sunset the most popular girl in school just by dating him, so Ah think that gets him some points in his favor.” Applejack kept chuckling as she got comfortable again. Got a hunch it wouldn’t really work between the two anyhow. 

“How exactly do you know that?” Sunset narrowed her eyes a bit as she leaned her head back.

“His Pa brought him over one day after Flash done goofed and ruined some of our fences. Granny had him fixin’ it, and Ah swear that man wouldn’t stop saying’ puns for the life of me.” Applejack shook her head. “They were so bad, Ah think one of our trees toppled.”

“Can I get back to my story, please?” Sunset crossed her arms and rolled onto her side to glare at Applejack for a moment.

Applejack raised her hands. “Right, right. Sorry for interrupting, Sunset.”

Huffing a bit, Sunset got herself comfortable again and rolled a few inches closer to Fluttershy. “Anyways, after a year of adventures, the two fell for each other and soon, I was on the way.” Sunset grimaced for a moment, trying to figure out how to properly word the next part of the tale. “Now, neither of them expected me to be, er, magically gifted, when I was born, let alone a unicorn at all. Dad’s a pegasus, and Mom was an earth pony. And a detail about baby unicorns and pegasi is that when Equestrians are still newborns... our magic is a bit uncontrollable.”

Fluttershy blinked in surprise, her embarrassment temporarily forgotten. “Wait... you mean you couldn’t control it at first?”

A wry chuckle escaped Sunset as she focused her attention skyward. “More like infants just do what they want. A multiversal concept I hear.” An echo of pain echoed behind her eyes as she stared at a pegasus shaped cloud. “Just... in Equestria, it can be a bit more dangerous for anypony involved, or even nearby, when they surge.”

Applejack and Fluttershy shared a glance, before sitting up and looking to their friend. The shy girl put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Y-you don’t mean...?”

Sunset sat up and pulled her knees closer to her chest. “Dad says he never blamed me, not even once. The three of us were in the Royal Palace at the time. Something to do with a summons from the princess and Princess Celestia isn’t somepony you ignore. My mother was in the middle of talking with the princess when I had a surge that took her from us. It was only thanks to the princess that I didn’t tear the capital to the ground. The surge was one of the biggest ones to ever happen in recent history.”

Applejack felt the urge to take her hat off as she and Fluttershy both moved closer to hug Sunset from each side. “Sunset...”

It was an embrace Sunset accepted for a moment, before gently pulling herself from their arms and giving a sad smile. “It’s alright. I’ve had time to get over it.” A sigh escaped the amber teen as she stared at the freshly planted garden. “Still, that moment... it hurt my dad. Not physically, just, he couldn’t bring himself to stay in Canterlot after that. There was too much heartache tied to that city. So, we ended up moving all the way to Baltimare to just get away. He started a hot air balloon service, and it’d be years before I ended up getting selected by the princess as her pupil. Coincidently by a second surge that thankfully was less disastrous.” Sunset ran a hand through her hair as an annoyed grimace spread across her face. “After that, it was pretty much just one egotistical choice after the other that lead to me getting stuck here.” 

The three stood up and started heading back inside. All the while, questions buzzed in the heads of Sunset’s two friends. Fluttershy had her hand to her mouth from worry. “Do you think the princess recognized you when you first became her student?”

Heading to the couch she started her morning with, Sunset sat down and shook her head. “I don’t think so. If she did, she didn’t say anything about it.”

Applejack sat down with her and looked to her amber friend with concern. “Have ya told the others?”

Sunset gave another shake of her head. “Just you two, and you just brought up a good point.” Looking at her hands, a sad smile started to spread across her face. “I really should tell them more about my life back in Equestria before I left. Especially with all that keeps happening because of it.” Sunset looked to her friends and chuckled. “It kinda makes me wonder how my dad’s holding up just thinking about it. He always was a pretty big goofball.”

Fluttershy twiddled her fingers for a moment before turning back to Sunset. “Well, um... do you think Twilight would mind if you went to visit?”

Sunset flinched a bit, rubbing her arm as she looked away. “I... Fluttershy, I don’t feel ready to do that. I want to, but--”

A gentle, butterscotch hand landed on Sunset’s thigh. “You’re scared of what the princess will do?”

A slow nod was all Sunset could do to answer. “Yeah.”

Fluttershy and Applejack shared a look before the two joined their friend to comfort her. “We understand.”

It was then, that Applejack perked up, an idea striking her mind. “Maybe you can just go for a while and just talk with yer pa?” At the confused look she got from Sunset, the apple farmer raised a hand. “Ah mean, no one said ya had ta talk with the princess. Maybe you could just slip over, and Twilight could go with ya to see yer pa.”

Sunset perked up a bit, mulling over the thought. “You really think she’d be okay with that?”

Applejack smiled wide as she patted Sunset on the back. “Sure as sugar she would! If being a princess is as hard as Ah think it is, then she’ll probably jump at the chance to help a friend like Winona going after a squirrel on a summer day!”

Fluttershy muttered under her breath. “I really wish she’d stop doing that.”

Sunset smiled after a moment of looking down in thought. “You know, you’re right. I probably should go back and talk to my dad. Hopefully, he still lives in Baltimare. It’d be hard to find him if not.” Tapping her chin, Sunset hummed. “A trip like this might take a while, so if I do this, then I would be gone for almost a week. We were all going to go on that Camp Everfree trip the school was offering Spring Break, so that wouldn’t be a good time.” Her two friends stood up and stepped to the side as Sunset started pacing if only to keep their toes out of her path. “I may need to ask Celestia for a week of excused absence, but what if something happens while I’m not here? Even if we can pony up without playing now, the Rainbooms would be down a person and might not be enough if some new magical threat shows up.”

A hand on her shoulder got her to stop and look at Applejack. “Don’t you worry about us Sunset. Ah am more than sure that we’ll be able to tackle whatever hocus-pocus pops up if it does.”

“You sure?” Sunset grimaced for a moment. “It’s just... I’m not sure how many people might have done what Twilight did and detected the magic coming from the portal, or worse, managed to accomplish what Starlight did and use the magic.”

“And if they do, we got the two girls ya just mentioned on our side.” Applejack gave a smirk and a thumbs up. “Leave it to us, sugar cube.”

Sunset smiled and got a hug from both of her friends. “You girls are the best.” 

Fluttershy sighed a bit. “I really want to go with you, but I have to make sure Zephyr isn’t doing anything stupid while our parents are out of town.”

Both Sunset and Applejack inhaled sharply as they winced. “Ouch.”

A second sigh and a nod was Fluttershy’s response. “Yeah.”

Applejack looked at the clock and jumped a bit. “Shoot, Ah best be off, or Ah’m gonna be late. See ya later Sunset.”

As the apple farmer was leaving, Fluttershy started to follow, only to pause and turn around. She gave Sunset a quick hug that was maybe slightly tighter than it should have been, and when she let go there was a faint blush on her cheeks. “Bye Sunset.”

Fighting back a blush of her own, Sunset waved her two friends off. “Bye Applejack! Bye Fluttershy! Thanks for the help today!” With the click of the door shutting, Sunset sighed and flopped back onto the couch.

“You know,” Luna’s sudden appearance behind her made Sunset jump out of her seat with a totally-not-a-squeak, “I’m pretty sure Tia would let you go if you asked. I’m sure she would be more than thrilled that you were visiting your family.”

“Really?” Sunset asked once she got a hold of her heart rate. Luna gave a brief nod before Sunset noticed a detail about the older woman. Namely, the large cooking pot she was clutching to her stomach. “Um... did you get all of it out of your system?”

Luna pulled her large pot closer to her chest and took a deep breath. “No. I’m probably going to continue in a minute, but after hearing you and your friends just now, I couldn’t just sit by without giving some advice, so I took the precaution of the pot.” A micro heave made Sunset move just a touch farther away from Luna. “That being said, I’m going back upstairs.”

As Luna did just that, Sunset went to her room and pulled her journal out of her bag. She had to sit for a moment to figure out how to word her letter, but she eventually did write to Twilight that night.
> Temporary Separation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset tapped her foot nervously as she waited at the front of the school. After talking with Twilight, the princess one, last night about her latest idea, she’d gotten a somewhat different reply then she'd expected. It turned out; Applejack was entirely correct about how Twilight felt in regards to some time off from being a princess. 

A little... too correct.

Glad she brought her journal with her, Sunset went back to her bag and pulled it out. All of this waiting was starting to make her impatient, but she couldn’t exactly force her friends to show up. She didn’t have the magic or know the spell to summon somepony for that matter. To do so would also probably be a violation of some privacy laws, at least in Equestria. 

The sound of a car pulling up got Sunset’s attention, and she smiled as Rarity pulled up to the school. “Sunset, darling! We came as soon as we could.”

Hopping out of the passenger seat, Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Is something wrong? Applejack mentioned that this had something to do with Equestria, but she wouldn’t go into detail.” She paled for a moment as a thought struck her. “I didn’t damage the portal after all did I!?” 

Sunset shook her head and laughed a bit at Twilight’s panic, pulling her friend into a quick hug. “No, Twilight, the portal’s fine. I promise.” Letting her lavender friend have some space, Sunset fiddled with the journal in her hands. “I was... just going to head back to Equestria for a bit. To see family.”

“What?” All three of their heads turned as they saw Rainbow run up to the three of them, quickly followed by Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy. “You’re headed back?”

“Yeah, I’ve been feeling kinda homesick lately. It’s been years since I’ve seen my dad, longer than my time here in this world to be honest.” Sunset looked at the journal for a moment before handing it over to Twilight. “I just wanted to let you girls know where I was, in case something happened.”

Pinkie frowned and hummed. “But aren’t you, like, a super wanted pony who’s guilty of treason and was exiled until further notice?” The group collectively shot Pinkie a small glare. “What? She technically is!”

“I wouldn’t worry about that too much,” Sunset smirked as she poked the journal. “I think the last entry in there shows that I got some level of permission.” Seeing their curious looks, and having one of her own, Twilight opened the book and flipped to the last entry. The message that was written there drew a snort from the lavender bookworm, which was soon followed by many snickering faces as they read along.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU! If I see another petition right now, I’m going to go legitimately insane! I’m already beyond tired from a few recent events, and really would like a break. I don’t care if I just got back from the Crystal Empire, this castle is driving me nuts!

Your friend, Twilight.

Closing the journal, the girls all shared a quick laugh at the expense of the lavender princess. Twilight wiped a stray tear from her eyes and smiled. “Wow, that kinda makes me glad I’m not a princess.”

Sunset snickered and raised an eyebrow. “Right? I can’t believe I wanted that life. After all the complaining I’ve gotten from the princess every time I talk with her, I think getting kicked out of Celestia’s tutelage was probably the best thing to happen to me, and I didn’t even realize it.”

Rainbow smirked a bit and put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Course, we’re pretty sure you’d have preferred not getting a laser to the face.”

“No kidding.” Sunset glanced at her shoulders for a moment, before looking over at the girls. “That reminds me though. While I’m gone, I have a favor to ask.” Seeing their curiosity stoked, the amber teen blushed a bit. “Do you think you can help me figure out how old Celestia is?”

The group all stared at her and blinked for a moment. “Wait... what?”

Applejack tilted her head a bit and scratched behind her ear. “Can’t ya just ask her?”

Rainbow nodded in agreement and waved a hand to the side. “Yeah. Don’t you live with her?”

An indignant gasp escaped Rarity as she frowned at her friends. “Applejack! Rainbow! You two should know better than to ask a lady her age!”

Seeing the three starting to argue, Sunset facepalmed and groaned before putting an end to it with the use of a well-timed clap. “Rarity, this is just so I know what to put on her birthday cake,” The amber teen gestured to Rainbow and Applejack, “and I already tried what they suggested. That’s why I’m even asking this of you girls. Every time I’ve tried to figure out how old she is, Celestia comes up with yet another way to dodge the question, or any digging I do comes up with nothing. Luna’s not much better, but she skipped the wordplay and just jumped out the window.” At their wide eyes and dropped jaws, Sunset raised a hand and pinched her nose. “First floor, not the second.”

“W-well, I can safely say it’s still a tad extreme.” Twilight adjusted her glasses nervously, before taking a quick breath and smiling at Sunset. “I’ll see what I can do, Sunset. I may not have my lab, but I’m still pretty good with a computer.” 

“Thanks, girls. This all means a lot to me.” Sunset was quickly pulled into a group hug, getting a laugh out of the girl before she caught sight of the time. “Girls, I need you to let me be free. Twilight’s going to be miffed if I’m late.” All six of them gave a sheepish laugh as they disentangled themselves, and Sunset added one last thing. “And thanks for talking with me before I head through. I... I probably would have chickened out if you hadn’t.”

Rolling her eyes, Applejack started lightly pushing Sunset towards the portal. “C’mon Sunset, you’ll be just fine.”

Walking over, Sunset rested a hand against the shimmering stone surface. “I know, but, I can’t help it. I keep feeling like this is going to cause more problems than it solves, and I won’t be here to help.”

Applejack smiled and gave a thumbs up. “And Ah told you, we got this.”  

All Sunset could answer with that wouldn’t keep her from going through was a quick nod. “I trust you.” 

As she slipped through the portal and into Equestria, it left her friends standing in the courtyard alone. It also had another effect on the group, one she undoubtedly didn’t intend on causing. The group tensed ever so slightly at her words; an unperceivable, but present shift.

Rainbow coughed into a fist and rubbed the back of her head. “So... does anyone want to hang out or what?”

Rarity nervously picked at her knuckles. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”

Applejack scratched the back of her head, a blush growing on her face. “Ah was gonna head back to the farm and tend to the sprouts. Them seeds Ah got from that other me sure do grow fast.” She frowned and rubbed her chin. “Though, there is those three that have me worried. Lookin’ a might frightening compared ta the rest.”

Rarity hummed as she looked between the statue and somewhere down the road. “I was about to work with that fabric I got before Sunset asked us to come here. I had just finished, er,” Rarity looked nervous for a second before smiling, “brainstorming! Yes, brainstorming.”

“I don’t really have any plans... at least, not anymore.” Fluttershy sighed, looking a bit saddened. “I guess I could go to the animal shelter and see if they need any help, but I already asked the day off... And then there’s Zephyr too.”

“I was going to ask Sunset if she could help me with some of the recipes that Pinkie sent me.” Pinkie pouted a bit with a whimper. “But, since she’s off in Equestria for a while, I guess I can work on them on my own.”

The silence that took over the group was astonishing. For five of them, it served as an eerie reminder of what it was like a month ago, and the sixth couldn’t help but remember the time spent back in Crystal Prep.

So it was with a hint of unease that Twilight smiled a little too widely and stepped out of the group. “Well, I guess I’ll hop on that research Sunset asked us to do. Ready Spike?”

A rustle from her bags preluded a purple and green puppy to stick his head out of the zipper and let out a yawn. “Ready for what?”

A sigh escaped the lavender girl as she felt a small twitch at her lips. I’m still not used to the talking dog part of all this. Though getting actually to get some feedback from Spike is rather nice. Twilight smiled more genuinely, pointed into the air, and started for the town library. “We’ve got some research to do!”

Spike blearily blinked before sighing. “Can’t I take a nap first? You carry me around in your bag all the time, and it’s actually really comfortable in here.”

“Um, Twilight?” Fluttershy immediately turned to join her. “Can I go with you for a bit? My home’s on the way to the library, and I need to check on Zephyr.”

“I don’t see why not.” The lavender bookworm gave a quick nod, and the two were headed down the road and out of sight.

With nothing else to really do and no reason to stay at the school for the day, the others shrugged and went off to do their things, all except for Pinkie Pie. The pink girl stood there looking at each of her friends headed off in different directions before letting out a drawn sigh. “Well, today’s gonna be greeeeeat.” She perked up and inhaled as an idea struck. “I know just the way to solve this funk everyone’s in! I really hope I got enough ingredients though.” In a blur, the last person in the school’s courtyard dashed off to do something known only to the collective essence of The Pink One.

If any of them had stayed behind, they might have caught the few wisps of magic floating from the statue’s base.
> First Train to Baltimare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say the portal to and from Equestria liked to mess with its travelers would be an understatement. To get from one side to the other without being fired like a cannonball was a trick that only one pony had managed to perfect to the degree of just walking through with ease.

Sunset Shimmer wasn’t that pony, but with a showing of minimal practice, the amber unicorn only stumbled for a moment as she exited the portal, even as she stood on her hind legs. She took another moment to remember she needed to be on her forelegs too, before promptly falling on her face. “Ow.”

Her ears perked up at the sound of hooves approaching her, and some muffled giggling. “You okay?” A purple leg moved into her line of sight, and Sunset couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Just peachy, Twilight.” Accepting the offered hoof, Sunset let the lavender princess pull her to her hooves with surprising ease. “Uh, okay, you’re a lot stronger than you look.”

Smirking a bit, Twilight splayed her wings. “While I’m starting to dislike the workload severely, there are some perks to being a princess.” The two started walking out of the study, and Twilight turned her head towards her amber friend. “So, your dad lives in Baltimare?”

Chuckling, Sunset nodded as she looked a bit embarrassed. “Yep. Sorry for springing this on you all of a sudden by the way. I honestly didn’t expect everyone to be so eager for me to have a reunion with him.” 

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Twilight added with a raised eyebrow. “You of all ponies, deserve to have a moment to reconnect with family.”

Sunset’s smile was beginning to become strained as they walked the crystal halls. “I know but... I’m worried something might happen over there. Sure, the girls say they can handle it for a week, but what if something insane and magical happens? None of them are from here, and there’s no way they could know just how potentially dangerous magic can get when it’s wild and out of control, and they could all get hurt an--”

A hoof poked Sunset in the muzzle shushing her with a friendly boop from the princess as the two stopped for a moment. “Sunset, don’t worry. If anything does happen, I’m more than positive that at least one of those seven girls will try to get in contact with us. It’s why I’m having Starlight and Spike forward anything from the journal to us while we’re in Baltimare.”

“But what if they do need our help, and we’re too far away to get to the portal in time?” Sunset started to look over her shoulder back down the hallway, nervously tapping her hooves in a little dance. “Oh, who am I kidding? Something magical’s probably happening right now! I need to head back, but what would they all say if I just jumped right back through? Oh, what do I do?”

Twilight’s wing rested across Sunset’s shoulders, making her look to the lavender princess. “Trust them. They’re your friends. You can do that.”

Sunset’s ears folded back as she looked down in embarrassment. “I do trust them, but... I don’t want something I brought over there to get them hurt.”

Sighing, Twilight kept them moving through the castle, where they soon found themselves at the main doors. “There’s something else, isn’t there.”

Sunset couldn’t bring herself to look the princess in the eye, as thoughts about her friends came uninvited. “It... it kinda felt like they were rushing me through the portal. All of them. Applejack, Fluttershy, even Celestia. I know they’re just excited for me to go back home and visit my dad, but It felt like they couldn’t wait for me to leave.”

Leading her friend out the door, Twilight gently stroked Sunset’s back as they walked through town. “Sunset, I think I know what’s going on with them.”

Sunset’s ears perked up as she turned her head towards Twilight. “Yeah?”

A small smile graced the Princess’s face as she recalled a memory of friends. “I think that your friends might still feel a bit guilty about how they’ve been to you lately.”

Surprise took over Sunset’s features. “What? But, I forgave them all already! Honeyed Tartarus, it was a month ago!”

Nodding calmly, Twilight looked towards the approaching train station. “True, and by our standards, that’s more than enough time after an apology to move on. But something I’ve noticed is that it’s hard to move on from something even when forgiven if you can’t forgive yourself.”

Sunset winced a bit and followed Twilight up onto the platform. “Don’t I know that.”

Pulling her wing away, Twilight gave a fuller smile. “Give them some time. Maybe after you get back home, you can talk to them all about it. I had to do that with my friends after the wedding fiasco. Celestia knows that we were a perfect example of not forgiving ourselves for a time. Took a six-way intervention to fix things, and boy was that awkward when we all realized what was happening.” She giggled a bit at that particular memory. Awkward was indeed the only way to describe it.

Taking the opportunity to change the topic to something less depressing, Sunset turned to Twilight. “Speaking of,” Sunset raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit, “did your brother actually marry Cadence? Like, the same Cadence that I was a petulant jerk towards for years?”

“Yep and they now both rule over the Crystal Empire and have the cutest and possibly the most destructive daughter in existence as of recent events.” Twilight nodded as she paid for their tickets. “Two for Baltimare, please.”

As Twilight was getting the tickets, Sunset looked incredulous at her from behind. “Destructive?” A laugh escaped the amber unicorn as Twilight levitated a ticket to her. “How bad could a newborn be?”

Twilight’s eyes stared deep into Sunset’s soul as she turned back to face her friend, ticket floating next to her. “She shattered the Crystal Heart, an ancient artifact that was keeping the raging cold of the northern blizzards at bay, almost freezing the entire empire solid, and was only stopped when Starlight and her old friend Sunburst came up with a spell that solved everything.” The stare instantly stopped as she smiled and waved a hoof idly. “But everything turned out alright in the end, and Flurry is such a cute baby that Pinkie and I offered to babysit for her if Cadence ever needed a hoof.”

Sunset had been forced to sit on her rump, ears folded back, from the sheer intensity of the stare she had been leveled with. Her ability to respond was so stunned that half a minute passed before she could say anything. “I have no words. I mean, my dad said I was a terrifyingly powerful foal, but that’s on another level!”

Twilight shrugged nonchalantly as the train started to show itself in the distance. “Well, Flurry Heart is an alicorn,” Twilight’s eyes deadpanned for a second as she stared off into space again, “somehow, so there is that.”

The stupor Sunset had been stuck in ended as she shot to her hooves, jaw dropped. “She’s a WHAT!?”

The lavender princess blushed and rubbed her foreleg. “Yeah... probably should have mentioned that first.” 

The train pulled up to the platform, the conductor calling ponies to come aboard and the arrivals departing. They all moved around the two magical prodigies. “All that time... All that time I put into becoming a princess... and Cadence just pops one out?” Sunset’s eye started to twitch as she held her head with a hoof. “How is any of this fair?”

Smiling awkwardly and feeling a touch of sweat dripping down her face, Twilight’s gaze moved to the ponies walking around them for the first time, realizing she inadvertently had half of this conversation out in public while trying to console her friend. This was not in her plans and was detrimental to being a supportive friend, and she needed to fix this. “So.... to the train?” Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship; master of social interaction she was not, and her incredibly awkward smile showed it at that moment.

Numbly, Sunset nodded and turned to the locomotive. “Yeah, I... I need to sit down for a while. The train would be perfect.”

Walking aboard, the two found a booth quickly enough, before Sunset collapsed in the seat. “Is it wrong that I’m instantly regretting doing this?”

“Let’s try getting your mind off of your worries.” Sitting across from her, Twilight pondered for a second before perking up a bit. “Why don’t you tell me more about your dad before we meet him!”

Sunset frowned for a moment, before sitting up herself. “Well... I told the girls back home that he was a bit of a goofball, and how he and mom went on adventures across Equestria, but I didn’t go that far into detail about either of them.” She glanced out the windows and spotted some drifting clouds. “My dad’s name is Hot Air. He’s a pegasus with an amber coat like mine and a turquoise mane. His cutie mark is a set of red updrafts under a balloon.” 

“I guess that’s where you get your colors from.” Twilight giggled a bit despite the glare leveled at her. 

“So I’ve been told.” Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes. “Mom was an earth pony named Sunny Days. I... never got to meet her, and unfortunately, the only picture we have left of her is in sepia, so I don’t know what color her coat or mane was. I at least know they’re brighter colors, but that’s about it. I do know her cutie mark was something involving a sun, kinda like mine, but I only could see half of it, so I’m not sure.”

Sympathy spread through the Princess as she scooted a bit in her seat to comfort her friend. “You ever ask your dad?”

A scoff broke free from Sunset’s lips. “Of course I did. I was an aspiring young filly full of magic and curiosity who wasn’t allowed to cast spells too advanced. What else would I do about it?” She glared at the window for a moment, memories of disappointment coming forth. “Every time I did he’d answer with another fantastical story and dodge the question. I was easily distracted back then, so more often than I’d like, it worked.”

Twilight looked about the train cart awkwardly. This... wasn’t how she expected this trip to go. It was just supposed to be some cute, friendly banter. Talking about family counted, right? Her thoughts caught up with her, and she also realized that maybe she shouldn’t have been pressing the topic, to begin with. Still, she could salvage this, and sate her curiosity, and comfort a friend in the process. “Do you think he’d--”

Sunset cut Twilight off by pressing a hoof to her lips and looked tiredly back to the princess. “Twilight? To be honest, I don’t want to bother him with it right now, or even think about it. I just want to see my dad and let him know I’m doing okay.”

Blushing sheepishly, Twilight moved back over to her original spot. “Alright.” The two sat in silence for a bit, before Twilight tried to start another conversation. “The train’s going to take a while to get there.”

“Then I’m going to take a nap.” Sunset started to get comfortable, shifting her weight to lay on her back. When that didn’t work, she rolled over and put her legs under herself, finding it far comfier. Laying her head down on her forelegs, Sunset cracked open an eye to look at Twilight. The princess was looking rather embarrassed, and a touch on the sadder side than Sunset would have liked. Internally sighing, Sunset looked over a bit more. “Say, Twilight?”

Perking up from her funk, Twilight’s eyes and ears were all trained on the tired unicorn. “Hm?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow and waved a hoof to the room. “How did you manage to time me getting here so well with the train showing up?”

Twilight chuckled nervously and rubbed a hoof. “There are perks to being a princess.”

A smirk grew across Sunset’s face. “You were doing anything other than paperwork, weren’t you?”

Twilight pouted and crossed her forehooves. “You look at those forms for sixteen hours straight and not want to burn them.” Chuckling a bit to herself, Sunset just went back to her nap and let the train carry her towards a meeting she inevitably was going to have at some point.

But her thoughts were another matter. Maybe Twilight had a point, and her dad would finally tell the full story about who her mom was and not any more half-truths.

She guessed she'd have to wait and see.
> Rainboom Reflections
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


~Meanwhile, in Canterlot City~


After Sunset had headed into the portal, and the Rainbooms all went home to do their own things, Rainbow Dash was left in the worst possible situation. She was alone with absolutely nothing to do, and her motivation to do anything was tanking just as fast.

This had left her lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

Rainbow had tried playing some video games, only to feel so little excitement she just ended up dying in-game repeatedly to even the easiest of enemies. She pulled out the Daring Do books she owned, but her mind kept wandering away from the story after a few words, and Rainbow would find herself still staring at the same page she started at. Even playing soccer in her backyard did nothing to help.

For Bow Hothoof, soccer star extraordinaire, this was somewhat worrying.

Just this morning, his girl was feeling just fine. She’d told him that she was going to go and hang out with her friends for the day. His confusion and surprise were laced with his worry when he saw her come back in a funk, motivation gone.

Which brought Bow to where he stood now, just outside his daughter’s room. “Uh, hey Dashe-kins. Would you like some dinner? I made your favorite spaghetti!”

Rolling over, Rainbow stared out her bedroom window. “No thanks.”

Bow frowned and let out a sigh. “Alright. Let me know when you’re feeling hungry?” When Rainbow grunted in response, Bow closed the door and headed back to the kitchen, a dejected gaze in his eyes. “Windy, how I wish you were here right now.”

Alone once more, Rainbow rolled onto her other side and sat up in bed. Her eyes lazily moved over the room before she stopped at the sight of her closet. Getting up, she headed over and pulled it open. At first glance, it would look like anyone would expect, with sports shirts and pants hanging in a haphazard disgrace to organized sorting.

Those didn’t interest Rainbow at the moment. What did, was the box that was tucked away in the upper corner. One that she’d managed to hide from even her parents and planned on keeping it that way. 

Inside, was a collection of items she deemed worthy of such secrecy. From embarrassing momentoes of moments she enjoyed but didn’t want to get out that she did, to the newest additions to her collection. Daring Do books from Equestria were cool and all, but like her actual copies from her world, didn't interest her at the moment. Pushing them to the side, she pulled out her target. If you could only see the top, you’d wonder what Rainbow would be keeping a glass jar for. 

The question was one quickly answered by the sight of its contents, for within the glass was a small, self-sustaining stormcloud. Not big enough to cause damage, but not low enough to dissipate by Equestrian standards. On the side, there was a note from Rainbow's counterpart; one she took the time to read, every instant she pulled her souvenier out.


Loyalty is like Lightning.


It’s Fast, Flashy, and Fierce, but it also can hurt somepony if you’re not careful.


So remember who your friends are.


A sigh escaped Rainbow as she gently smacked her head into the jar, getting a small bolt to jump an zap against the glass. “The other me sure knows how to give a pep talk.” Setting the jar on her desk, Rainbow sat down and stared at the little arcs of lightning dancing across the dark grey cloud. “If loyalty’s so fast, where was mine a month ago?”

Putting the jar back in her closet, Rainbow went back to her bed and flopped down, missing as a wisp of magic phased through the shoebox and disappeared inside. 





In another home elsewhere in the city, Rarity stared at her sketch pad. For hours, she had been trying to come up with the perfect design to utilize the fabrics given to her. The fabric bolts in question were busy collecting dust off to the side of her room, gems glinting in the light. Her counterpart had been generous when giving them to her. There was a bolt for every color she could think of needing, especially with a friend like Rainbow. “If that girl would just let me design an outfit for her, she’d probably shake the impression the school had on her sexuality.”

With a sigh, she shook her head. “No. Focus Rarity. We’re working on the apology dress for Sunset, not getting Rainbow’s public image straightened out.” Resolve regained, the fashionista turned back to her sketch pad.

Its blank pages stared back.

With a frustrated groan, Rarity let her face land upon the pages with a resounding thud. “Why? Why can’t I think of anything!?” Her sketch pad was thrown from the desk in her frustration as she stood.

The door squeaked as it was opened slightly, and Sweetie poked her head in. “Rarity? Is everything okay?”

Rarity turned to respond but paused when she saw the nervous look in Sweetie’s eyes. Several emotions warred for a moment within her heart, before settling on guilt. Not wanting to scare her sister more, Rarity gave a gentle smile as she tried to calm herself down with a hand over her own heart. “I’m fine Sweetie, just, suffering from an artist block at the moment.”

“Oh.” Sweetie looked at the floor for a moment before risking a glance back to her sister’s sketch pad, which now was strewn in the far corner of the room. An idea came to mind, but she was a touch hesitant before sticking her head a little further into the room. “Would you like to come and watch some TV?”

Normally when upset, Rarity wouldn’t accept and would continue focusing on her work rather than join in watching television. Even when frustrated, Rarity was usually able to pump out ideas left and right with blocks being only an occasional bump in the road. Even on especially bad days, Rarity was under the notion that cartoons were for children and did little to help with relieving one’s woes.

Normally, Rarity wasn’t thinking about the sight of Sunset crying on her knees in the middle of the school hallway, and how it was her fault.

Smiling through her inner turmoil, Rarity nodded. “I’ll be down in a bit.” The sight of Sweetie smiling and heading downstairs sent a small spike through her heart that forced her to grimace at the feeling. Her gaze moved to the sketchpad, where one of the previous attempts could be seen from the fallen pages. “Oh, Sunset... I want to give something to you, to make up for what I did. So why is it that all my attempts at generosity fall so dismally short?”

Leaving the room, she missed the magic floating in through the window and engulfing the bolts of fabric, before fading away.





The walk home with Twilight had been relaxing. The cold air, the friendly banter about how she planned on uncovering Celestia’s age, all of the words that flew over Fluttershy’s head, it just helped ease her thoughts, even if only until she got back to her house.

And especially after she entered the building.

Fluttershy sighed as she looked at the state of her home. Once neat and organized, there was now a trail of various stains on the floor. Following the path of culinary death, lead her to the sight of her brother Zephyr cooking... something.

The scent alone was enough to make her cringe. “U-um, Zephyr? What are you making?”

Looking over his shoulder, Zephyr smiled a bit. “Oh, hey Flutterbutter! I was just reinventing how to prepare some food for dinner.”

Fluttershy looked down at the skillet in his hands, a suppressed a shudder. “It’s um... nice?”

Nice was not the word. While sauteeing the onions, Zephyr had somehow managed to reduce them to a brown paste. On top of that, what other ingredients that had once been in the meal were either burned to ash or cooked to the point of joining the onion in mush city.

Zephyr didn’t seem to think it was so sad though and moved it into a bowl. “I read that this method of caramelizing onions is far better than the old way.”

I think several studies would beg to differ. Fluttershy felt a twinge go through her body at the thought, before sighing. “Um, Zephyr, maybe you should--”

Zephyr instantly threw the pan of food away and started going through the fridge again. “You’re right, I definitely should try something else. Sauteeing onions ain’t anything new, and I’m honestly too awesome to be bothered to cook anything.” Grabbing a carrot, Zephyr left the fridge open as he walked to the living room and flopped on the couch. “I take it you’re cool with cooking for the both of us big sis?”

Fluttershy’s eye twitched as she took a deep breath. “Zephyr. We talked about this. You need to start learning how to take care of yourself.”

Zephyr blew a raspberry at the thought. “Oh please, I got all the comfort I’ll need right here at home.” The lanky teal teenager scratched at his pitiful amount of facial hair, barely even qualifying as a coat of peach fuzz, that he refused to learn how to shave off.

For how long though? A sigh escaped Fluttershy as she walked into her family kitchen. Collecting and cleaning all of the pots and pans that Zephyr had made a mess of, she could feel a vein throb. I really wish Zephyr would just grow up already. He’s not even that much younger than me, and I’m almost old enough to move out!

The tone her thoughts carried made the same twinge from before have a second go at her. With a sigh, she rubbed her face and thought about the dream catcher she got from her counterpart. Despite what she had said, Fluttershy knew that those primaries were not any that fell out naturally. Even though it had to have hurt to pull out her feathers like that, she still did it just to make sure her gift was just right.

Her thoughts moved to Sunset, and how seeing her smile and be happy usually warmed her heart. Why couldn’t I be kind like that when it would have mattered most? 

Had she been upstairs, the magic gently merging with her dreamcatcher would have been hard to miss.





Pinkie’s eye was twitching as she glared at the cookbook before her. Never before had a pastry been able to beat her, yet here she stood unable to complete the recipe she thought, no, the recipe she knew would be needed to cheer her friends up. But batch after batch had come out looking somewhere in the spectrum of undercooked, burnt, or this unholy halfway where the center was mush, but the outside was char.

“It's just, flipping, CUPCAKES!” Pinkie screamed as she flipped the latest batch of failures into the garbage, totaling her attempts at somewhere between thirty and forty. “How am I messing up!? I’m an awesome baker!” Her hair deflated a bit, and her frown turned from one of fury to sadness. “Aren’t I?”

Sighing, she went back to her kitchen’s island counter and slumped against the cold marble, despite it being littered with the remnants of her prior attempts. On the countertop, propped up with a few other books, was the cookbook she got from her counterpart. “Maybe I skipped a step? No, I know I read it all and did everything the book said.” 

And she had. Several times in fact. “Guaranteed to give a pony a smile,” it said. 

All Pinkie wanted it to say was the secret to making these darn cupcakes.

Pinkie turned away from the book towards her equipment. “Did I mismeasure something? No, I’m the best at measurements. Oven temp? No, it can’t be that.” Amidst the cracked eggshells and milk jugs, her hair fell limp around her, only barely holding onto its curls. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Pinkie.” The pink girl jumped in surprise, flailing wildly as she fell back onto the floor. From her prone and somewhat worrying spot on the floor, she looked up at Maud, who looked back down. “It is almost time for dinner.”

Gasping, Pinkie shot to her feet and pressed her hands into her cheeks. “I’ve been so busy trying to get this recipe right that I forgot to make dinner!”

Maud casually put a hand on her sister’s shoulder and kept her from running into a frenzy of cooking. “It is alright. I ordered pizza.”

“Oh...” Sitting back down, Pinkie slumped with a dejected sigh. “Sorry for making you have to do that Maud. Limey’s probably mad about it too, isn’t she?”

Maud didn’t seem fazed by the statement, though that would be a given when talking with the Persian-bluish-grey girl. Instead, she sat down next to Pinkie and put a hand on her shoulder. “You seem troubled.”

“I am.” Pinkie’s hair lost the fight and its curls in one pitiful sound of a deflating balloon. “Sunset said she trusted all of us even after how we all left her and now the girls are all mopey and sad and I wanted to do something to cheer them up and make them all laugh but I can’t get the recipe that the other Pinkie gave me right and now I even messed up dinner and I can’t do anything right.”

“That’s not true.” Maud gave her sister’s head a gentle pet. “You always know just how to make a person smile, and always have a bright smile of your own.” A small smile graced her lips as Maud continued to brush her hand through her sister’s hair. “You just need some time to rest and let yourself frown. No one smiles all the time. You and your friends just need some time to yourselves.”

Sniffling, Pinkie nodded into her sister’s hand before pressing her face into Maud’s shoulder. “Thanks, Maud. You’re the best sister ever.” She continued to cry into her sister’s shirt before Pinkie started to nod off from the exhaustion of making thirty to forty batches of cupcakes in rapid succession on top of crying her eyes dry.

Maud just lifted her sister’s slumbering form and carried Pinkie to her room. This wasn’t the first time Pinkie had baked herself into slumber, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. It was as the pink girl slumbered that a bouncing ball of magic landed in her mini-party cannon and rolled down the barrel.





Applejack sat on her porch, staring out at the trees her family prided themselves on. Each tall apple tree stood proudly amongst their kin, waiting for the cold weather to fade and spring to come in full force. For Applejack, it was a time when she had little work compared to the rest of the year. Little work, left more time to think.

The thinking part was unfortunately what she was doing right then, even if she didn’t want to.

Her eyes were boring straight through the woods and harvest, landing somewhere in oblivion. Applejack’s mind, however, was replaying the same moments over and over again.

You’re our friend.

Spread all the secrets you want, we don’t have to listen!

I trust you.

Applejack sighed as she rested her eyes and let her head fall onto the porch banister. “Sweet merciful lord, how am Ah supposed to respond ta that?”

“Respond to what?” Looking up, Applejack saw her little sister standing in the front door looking confused.

Waving a hand, Applejack turned back to the trees. “It’s nothin’, Bloom. Head on inside.”

“AJ, yer the worst at lyin’.” Sitting down next to her sister, Applebloom frowned with worry.

“Yeah, Ah guess Ah am.” Applejack chuckled dryly, before taking off her hat. “Lot of stuff’s been going on lately, and Ah learned a lot about Sunset in the process.” Turning to her sister, the older farm girl smiled sorrowfully. “Did ya’ll know she never knew her ma?”

“She didn’t?” Applebloom’s eyes widened before she found herself frowning in thought. “Wow, Ah never would have thought.”

“Neither did Ah.” Taking a moment to breathe, Applejack idly rubbed her knuckles. “She only grew up with her pa, and that stopped when she went to be a really high up student or something with her world’s ruler.”

“Well, that explains why she was all high and mighty since she showed up.” Applebloom raised an eyebrow for a moment before frowning. “She musta been really lonely...”

“Yeah.” Applejack and Applebloom both sat in silence, staring off into the orchard. The peace wasn’t disturbed by either for some time. They simply sat there, processing the information or going over it all again in their heads. It was the older sister that broke the silence after some time. “Want to know the worst part?”

“Huh?” Applebloom turned to her sister, worry in her eyes.

“Just this morning, Sunset went back to Equestria.”

“WHAT!?” Applebloom stood up and stared at her sister in shock. “B-But why would she do that!?”

“She’s going to go visit her pa.” Applejack looked tired, now that Applebloom got a good look at her eyes. “As Sunset was leavin’, she said she trusted us to take care of everything while she was gone.” A wry chuckle escaped the farm girl. “Can Y'all believe that? After everything we did to her, she still trusts us.” Applebloom’s eyes remained wide as she stood there, rendered dumbstruck by the way her sister had reacted. “Ah don’t think Ah deserve it, honestly.” Applejack turned back to the orchard, looking older than she was. “Ah certainly wouldn’t give myself the time of day if’n Ah had that happen ta me.”

Applebloom found herself looking down at her shoes. “Yer not the only one who messed up sis.”

A sigh escaped the older farm girl as she stood up to move closer to her sister. “Bloom, for the last time, Ah already for--”

“It ain’t that!” Applejack jumped back at the shout with a flinch, even as Applebloom hastily covered her mouth. The little farm girl hadn’t intended to yell, but she couldn’t back down now, even if she couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “It ain’t that, AJ. Ah know ya forgave me, but that doesn’t make me feel any less guilty. And Ah am guilty, whether or not ah like it.”

Kneeling down, Applejack smiled at her sister, using a hand to make her look up into her eyes. “Ah guess that makes two of us then.” The two sisters hugged it out, both feeling sorry for the other. They stayed that way for a time, before breaking it up and heading for the door. “Now, let’s head on inside and call it a night. Those saplings have been growin’ like weeds, n’ if they keep it up, Ah’ll need yer help ta plant them all come tomorrow.”

“Right!” 

As the two apple sisters headed inside, a single wisp of magic moved into their barn and merged with something within.





Twilight liked to believe she was an excellent academic. The task of finding out someone’s age was a trivial one. Just some cross-referencing from file to file and, possibly maybe, delving into sections of documents that most definitely were likely private. But that was illegal, so she was taking the less dubious route and checking the locations such information would be readily available.

Closing yet another tab in her internet’s browser, Twilight rubbed her tired eyes and leaned back into her seat. “How? How can it be this hard to learn how old someone is!?”

She had checked the CHS website and got one age, then to doublecheck she went through any social media profiles and found several more pieces of information that didn’t match. More so, none of the ages could be anywhere near accurate! There was entirely no way that Celestia was older than Granny Smith, not when she looked like she was only just reaching her thirties!

Was magic involved? No, that can’t be it. Sunset only got here a few years ago. If it were magic, Celestia would have had to be exposed much earlier, and also have an incredibly specific result as a consequence of contact.

Spike yawned from the bed. “Can’t you just save this for later, Twilight? It’s late and I’m tired.”

Twilight looked at the clock and winced a bit at the reading of 11:30. “Your right Spike. I need to get to sleep if I’m going to get to CHS on time tomorrow.” Shutting her computer down, Twilight stretched and yawned as she climbed into bed, and Spike moved to curl up next to her. "Still... why would Celestia keep her age hidden like this?"

Rolling his eyes, Spike huffed. "Maybe she just doesn't want to have a cake covered in way too many candles? I've seen how mom always has to force a smile when Dad cracks those forest fire jokes."

"I doubt it's that Spike." Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the puppy. He always had an innocent way of looking at things, especially now that he could speak his mind. "But you're right. I can save this for later."

As Twilight got ready for bed, she remembered all the events that led up to Spike being able to talk. Finding the strange readings, going to CHS, meeting all of the girls who became her friends.

Becoming Midnight Sparkle.

She shuddered for a moment, taking a moment to look and see if she’d disturbed Spike before reaching down and petting him. The feeling that the magic had filled her with had been indescribable at first. Now that she had some time to think back on it, shocking, burning, freezing and painful were the choice words she’d use. Feelings she felt a twinge of from her eyes, and a whisper in her head.

You won’t be rid of me.

Twilight shook her head and dispelled the thoughts as best she could, before thinking of something else that had happened that night. The one event that helped save her.

Take my hand, Twilight.

In stark contrast to being transformed, Sunset’s magic helping change her back had been warm, comforting, and soothing. It helped save her from that icy grip that had consumed her and gave her something she never knew she had needed in the first place.

Friends.

Twilight tried to keep the image of her savior in her head, and her eyes moved to the journal that remained on her desk. Getting a new resolve in her tired eyes, Twilight smiled. “I won’t let you down, Sunset.” Another yawn broke free before she blushed. “Just... after some sleep first.”

As she slumbered that night, a trail of magic moved through her room and floated around aimlessly for a moment, as if confused as to where it could find something to touch. It then started to move towards the pair of glasses sitting on the desk, splitting in two and merging with each lens.
> Hot Air Balloons and Setting Suns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late in the evening when Sunset’s train arrived in Baltimare. The sun was beginning to dip past the horizon, and Sunset herself was jolted out of her nap by the train coming to a stop. With some minor laughter at her expense, Sunset and Twilight both disembarked from the locomotive and headed into Baltimare proper. A street paved in brick clicked under their hooves with each step they took.

“Wow! Everything looks so different!” Sunset’s eyes danced from building to building, jaw dropped. She shook her head and picked up the pace when she realized that she was gawking. “I guess it sinks in just how long I’ve been gone.” 

“Well, is there anything that looks the same?” Twilight smiled as they trotted down the brick road.

Stopping for a moment, Sunset looked around the neighborhood and frowned. “Not at the moment. A lot of these buildings were repainted at the very least. I just hope I can find my old house.” Sunset grimaced as a thought popped up. “And that’s assuming my dad still lives here.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Twilight pulled a few newspapers from under her wing and smiled. “I did some research to make sure your dad was still in Baltimare when you wrote about considering coming over, and he most certainly is. There was an article about him adamantly refusing to sell or move from his home that was published a month ago.”

“Really?” Sunset took the paper, and sure enough, there was a picture of her dad nearly getting close enough to throttle some up and prissy looking unicorn in a suit. “Sweet Celestia, he didn’t get arrested, did he!?”

“Surprisingly not.” Twilight frowned a bit at the paper and rubbed her chin. “For some reason, the stallion wanting to buy the land, Quick Bit, didn’t press charges, despite there being several witnesses.”

“Well, what are we waiting for!?” Sunset picked up the pace and headed around the corner. “I’d rather get there before my dad somehow gets himself arrested!” The two mares darted down the road, weaving between ponies who protested at the two nearly bumping into them. Sunset only came to a stop when they arrived, and Twilight’s jaw dropped at the sight of Sunset’s old home.

Three stories tall, the old mansion like building loomed over any passerby. However, the effect was ruined by the similarly tall buildings surrounding it. Where neighbors had brick exteriors, Sunset’s old home was a striking white and had a parade of old equestrian decor painted along the lower edges. Windows were covering the side of the building they faced, and each had a similar white curtain in them. “You used to live here?”

Sunset hesitantly looked at the door for a moment. “Yeah. Dad always did like the color white. He’ll never admit he likes pink more though.” She had to take a breath to try and steel her resolve before the two trotted up to the front of the building and knocked. “Here goes nothing.” There was the faint sound of hooves coming down the stairs within, followed by grumbling as locks were undone. Several bolts. Enough that Twilight had time to look over at Sunset and for the amber unicorn to give an equally confused look back.

When the door finally opened, and one amber pony stared grumpily out of his abode at another amber pony. Even though the wrinkles building along with his face, the word Twilight would use to describe his visage would be stern. A small collection of scars covered his cheek, one, in particular, going towards his neck. For a pony in his late fifties, Hot Air had quite the muscled physique and looked more like an Earth Pony than a Pegasus. Twilight even noted that there were still a few scars she could faintly see under his fur. The messy and somewhat long mane didn’t help make him look like anything other than a wild pony that had been hiding in the Everfree forest... Or maybe a warrior of old? He did at least put in the time to pull his mane out of his face.

It was the bark of Hot Air’s voice that made Twilight lose focus on the more exceptional details, and realize that the wing she could see past the door, his right-wing she noted, was splayed out. “For the last time, I am not giving up my-” He stopped short as his eyes finally caught sight of exactly who was standing on his porch. Hot Air’s eyes slowly widened as he kept his gaze on one of the two; his wing was slowly folding itself back down to his side. “Sunset?”

Sunset barely managed to smile at him through her nervous glances at her hooves. “H-Hi, Dad.”

A second later, she was enveloped in a bear hug that pulled her into the house. “What took you so long to visit this old stallion?”

“Sorry for the wait.” Sunset smiled as she enjoyed and returned the hug before a frown crossed her face as she pulled herself free. “I’m going to need an explanation though. What’s all this about someone trying to buy the house and you trying to get yourself thrown in jail?”

“Oh, ah, that.” A nervous chuckle escaped her father as he rubbed the back of his head. Twilight caught a glance at his teeth right then and saw a couple had been chipped pretty badly. “Thing about that is some uh, particulars would need to be taken into account for any of that pedlar's talk even to begin to be legal.” Twilight took a moment to look at Sunset in confusion before Hot Air continued. “But enough about all of that. How about you and your friend--!” Hot Air stiffened slightly at the sight of Twilight, his eyes showing a spark of... something before they narrowed ever so subtly. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

The lavender alicorn smiled nervously. There was just something about this stallion that put Twilight on edge. “Um, Yep! That’s uh, that’s me.” She cleared her throat and tried to get some form of composure back. “B-But, please. Just call me Twilight. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Very well.” The glint in Hot Air’s eyes vanished as soon as it came, and he smiled at his daughter. “Why don’t both of you come inside and spend the night? It’s getting pretty late, and you could go and tell me what made you come back to Baltimare!”

“Actually, I was wondering how you were doing. I’ve been away so long...” Sunset trailed off as she looked down at her hooves.

A hoof landed on her shoulder, and Sunset looked up at her dad’s kind smile. “Say no more. Come on in, and we can talk as much as you like.” Sunset gave her dad a nuzzle before entering her old home.

Twilight was a touch hesitant to follow, as when she went inside, Hot Air gave her that same look. Twilight couldn’t pin down just what about it was making her so uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell if it was because of the house or the late afternoon amber glow, but Hot Air looked like a specter within his own home. However, as she got inside, a small gasp escaped her. Now that a doorway wasn't obscuring the stallion, the princess got a good look at Hot Air’s side. 

And more importantly, the most massive scar Hot Air had where his wing should have been.

Before she could say anything about it, he waved a hoof and went into the home further in the same direction as Sunset. “It’s a story I would rather not tell. I would ask you to respect that.”

“Y-Yes, sir.” Twilight’s ears splayed back as she politely moved as fast as she could into the next room after Sunset. When she got inside, the amber unicorn was lounging on a couch with a content smile on her face and her eyes closed.

Cracking an eye open to the sight of Twilight’s nervous gaze made Sunset’s smile fall. “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

Twilight jumped a bit in surprise, before putting on a strained smile. “N-Nothing! I’m fine, really. Just a touch, anxious.” Twilight was hoping that her smile was convincing enough to make Sunset believe her.

Unfortunately for her, the smile she gave wasn’t convincing at all. Sunset hopped off the couch and walked over to her before raising an eyebrow. “Look, you can bring up whatever’s bothering you. We’re friends, and I would rather you be comfortable in my childhood home.” Twilight made to answer, but Hot Air walked in before she could, and the lavender princess locked up.

Hot Air, however, was more focused on his daughter. “Sunset, I know you just got here, but I’ll be just a moment.” His eyes trained on Twilight again for a moment, before he walked off through the house, heading for a back room.

As he did, Sunset’s ears perked up for just as fast of a moment, before she groaned and facehooved. “How did I manage to forget that of all things.”

Nerves and curiosity were warring for control in Twilight’s mind at that point. “Forget what? Is there some obscure cultural nuance in your family and I did something that would offend him? Does he have an irrational fear of the color lavender because of a traumatic event? Does he think if there’s even the slightest thing wrong I’m going to banish him to Tar--?” Sunset’s hoof was planted well within the depths of Twilight’s mouth, silencing her rambling as the amber unicorn gave her friend a deadpan glare. Her hoof was pulled back a moment later, and Twilight blushed with a sheepish smile. “Um, right, sorry. I’ll let you explain.”

“As I was going to say,” Sunset grumbled as she wiped her hoof off on the couch cushions, “my dad, doesn’t exactly like anything that has to do with Celestia. Or anypony for that matter.” She sighed and looked down at her hooves, ears splayed back. “I should have remembered at least that much before letting you come with me on this trip. Now he’s just going to keep being a big jerk as long as you’re here.”

Twilight sat down on the couch next to Sunset and put a wing over her back. “If that’s how he’s going to be, I’ll just have to deal with it.” She frowned, even as Sunset looked over at her in mild shock. “This whole trip was so you could have some time with him. If it gets too bad, I guess I could go into town and see some sights or--”

“No.” Sunset glared at Twilight and pressed a hoof into the alicorn’s chest. “You are my friend. I’m not going to kick you out just so my dad stops being a blockhead for a few minutes.”

Twilight smiled and hugged her friend. A hug that Sunset returned in earnest with a smile. “Thanks, Sunset. That means a lot.”

The sound of a throat clearing made both of them look back to the door, where Hot Air had a raised eyebrow as he stared at the two. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Breaking away from the hug, Sunset shook her head and hopped off the couch. “Nothing much, but is it alright if I ask something?” At his raised eyebrow, Sunset took it as a cue to keep going. “I know how you feel about, certain things, but I would like it if you’d stop giving my friend death glares.”

The room was tense for a few seconds, as no one said a word. Hot Air only stared at an increasingly uncomfortable daughter and the alicorn sitting behind her. It was with a sigh that he closed his eyes and rubbed his muzzle. “I’ll... try.”

Sunset made him jump slightly as she walked over and gave him a nuzzle. “Thanks, dad.”

The stallion let out a hearty chuckle and returned the nuzzle. “Anything for My Little Sunbeam.”

Both Twilight’s and Sunset’s ears perked up before the latter backed away with a blush on her cheeks. “Oh, my-- Dad! I told you not to call me that! It’s so embarrassing!” A small snort escaped Twilight, making her amber friend whip her head around to shoot a small glare. “Oh don’t even start Sparkle! I know your brother had a silly name for you too!”

Hot Air, for the first time that day, let out a hearty laugh and put a hoof on his daughter’s shoulder. “There’s the Sunset I remember! Just took a little bit of prodding to get you back out.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped a bit before she moved her eyes to her dad. “Wait, what!?”

A smirk was growing on Hot Air’s face, showing a hint of mischief that resonated with the look in his eyes. “You didn’t think I’d be all gruff and mean to the newest Princess did you?” He looked over at Twilight and smiled kindly. “Speaking of; this old guard dog would like to say he’s sorry for the ruff introduction.”

Sunset’s eyes twitched slightly, a vein throbbing in her neck before she scowled. “SWEET HONEYED TARTARUS DAD, STOP DOING THAT!” An exasperated sigh left the unicorn as she slumped down. “I thought you were about to behead my friend for goodness sake, and now you’re just making puns!”

Hot Air continued to smirk as he nodded. “It’s what I do.” The amber pegasus trotted over to the other side of the room, opened up a cabinet, and pulled out a large binder. “Now If you’ll excuse me, I need to share a plethora of baby pictures with your friend.” 

Her father showed no mercy. If it was something a parent did to embarrass their child, it happened that evening. Sunset then spent the next few hours trying to get the binder away from her dad, silence his stream of cute baby names, and avoid his cheek pinching, only to realize too late that the scrapbook he had was a fake, and Twilight had been going through all of them back in the living room. Her only thought on the matter, was as follows.

I remember why I jumped at the chance to be Celestia’s student now.





Later that night, the three were sitting at the dining room, enjoying a casserole Hot Air had made. Cheddar and broccoli, with a hint of parsley, steamed wonderfully from the baking pan and their plates. The scent could be found all through the house, much to a certain alicorn’s delight. “Oh my Celestia this is so good.”

“Glad you appreciate my cooking, Princess.” Hot Air chuckled taking a few bites from his meal. “Old family recipe. One tried and true.” He took another bite. “And more importantly, from Mrs. Periwinkle down the road. I am so lucky that she shared her cooking with me when Sunset was growing up.”

A giggled escaped the princess as she tried to focus on her food. “Sunset, I’m so glad I came here with you. Today has been so much fun!”

Sunset grumbled as she picked at her food. “Glad to know my embarrassment was to your benefit.”

“Oh come now Sunset, there’s no need to be a grumpy Gus.” Hot Air’s wing ruffled her mane, making the seething pout she was wearing partly obscured under the messy hair. He looked at the clock, before sighing and getting up. “Now I’ll be just a minute. I need to take care of something right f--”

A violent onset of coughs escaped his throat, nearly making the large stallion fall over. Whatever joy or annoyance the two mares had at that moment was gone as Sunset rushed over to her dad and helped keep him steady. “Dad, are you alright!?”

A few weaker coughs left Hot Air before he stood a little bit straighter and rubbed his neck. “I’ll be fine. Just need to take my meds is all. They’re in my bedroom upstairs.” Twilight stood and joined Sunset in helping get Hot Air to where he was trying to go. When they got to his room, he pushed open the door and moved over to his dresser, pulling out a pillbox and popping some into his mouth with a grimace. “Nasty little buggers.”

“Dad, since when did you need medication?” Sunset looked at him with worry.

“For about two years now.” Hot Air put the remaining pills away, before gesturing to his missing wing. “Turns out, there was a bit more damage than just losing my ability to fly. It was small, but the side of my lung is falling apart. Bless medical advancement the pills help, but I know that they’re only delaying the inevitable. Getting into a fight with that little snot from last week didn't help any. Probably tore it more.”

Sunset’s disbelieving eyes watered as she shook her head. A glance at the hoof her father had coughed into spelled it out for her though, as there were flecks of red in his fur. “No...”

“Sunset.” Her gaze moved to Hot Air’s face, where he looked at her sadly, tears in his eyes. “I know I have told you a lot of half-truths while you were growing up. I also know that you knew I was, and for all of that, I am sorry. I’m sorry for all the lies I told you as a filly. Before you showed up today, I thought I’d never get the chance to tell you the truth, and it was eating me up inside.” He chuckled a bit and looked over at Twilight. “So I think it’s actually a pretty good thing you brought your friend here.”

Twilight blinked in surprise and pointed at herself. “Huh, me?”

Sunset looked equally confused, but with sadness laced in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

Hot Air sighed and looked at the room as a whole. “There’s a reason I hid the truth you’ve wanted to know for so long. It, it makes the stories I told you to seem tame, in comparison, and with how I’ve lied to you, I know I wouldn’t believe a word I was saying if anyone told me the same tale.” He gestured to Twilight with a smile. “But, I know that as a pony as powerful as your friend, you more than likely have a memory spell or two up your sleeve, right Princess?”

“W-Well, yes, but they’re only for emergencies!” Twilight looked uncomfortable at the thought of the spells. “I can’t use them without consent from all parties.”

“And I do.” Hot Air’s eyes got that hint of steel from earlier that day but carried no ill intent. “If I’m going to show you all the truth, I’ll need you to show my memories to Sunset. If need be, you can view them as well.” He coughed again and sighed, glancing at the clock. “But it will have to wait till tomorrow. By then, the medicine will have kicked in, and I can take a fresh dose to hold through the spell.”

“I...” Twilight glanced between Hot Air and the still frozen Sunset. “I understand.” 

No more words were said that night. Twilight helped guide Sunset to the spare beds and tried to be there for her friend. It was a good thing she did, for as soon as the door shut, and she hugged Sunset, the amber unicorn broke down into tears and cried until she could cry no more.
> Meeting on Faire Ground
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset found herself waking at the crack of dawn. A cautious glance at the neighboring bed showed that Twilight was still unconscious, and drooling. The sight would have brought a small smirk to her face in normal circumstances, but all she could do was stare for a moment before hopping out of bed and moving to the window to look outside. The town was painted in an amber glow as if it and the water below was born of fire and flame. Looking down at the street, she could see a pegasus, missing a wing, playing with a small unicorn foal, pretending to be slain when she bopped him on the head with a rubber ball. It was a good memory; one full of joy and happiness.

She didn’t look long.

Sunset instead turned back into the room and walked into the hallway. As Sunset felt the carpet under-hoof, she could see an excited filly running up to her dad with a sloppy macaroni painting she’d managed to get stuck to her hoof unknowingly. A small smile barely got to her face. She remembered crying that day as her dad tried his best to get the art piece off of her.

Bittersweet was closer, but not quite how she wanted to feel.

Looking down the stairwell as she got closer to her father’s room, she could see a young mare arguing with the same stallion from before, though older. She could understand the anger, feel the frustration, and hear the venom from the exchange. That was... the day before she left, leaving only a note behind to apologize for the words said.

And there it was; that regret she wanted to feel.

Regret that she hadn’t spent any time to try and write.

Regret that she didn’t spend holidays in the company of her only known blood relative.

Regret that she wouldn’t have any more time to do so.

“Your face will get stuck like that if you don’t stop frowning.” Sunset jumped as her head whipped around to face her dad, who had a wry smirk as he stood next to her and looked down the stairs. “Not sure what you’re looking at right now. Stairs haven’t exactly changed in recent history. Or do they have magical moving ones and are putting them in everypony’s homes without us knowing?”

Sunset looked down the stairs again and focused on the memory she could see in her mind. “Do... Do you know how long you have left?”

“Nope.” Her dad plopped down next to her and put his wing over her back. “Course, I’m pretty sure nopony does. All I really know about my own time is it’s getting pretty darn close. Tartarus, even without this lung of mine, I’d be betting on the next ten years or so. I’ve already outlasted your grandpa in how old I am.”

Standing up and stepping away from Hot Air, Sunset glared at him. “H-How can you be so jovial right now!? You’re dying, dad!”

Matching his daughter, Hot Air stood and held his head high, giving her a disapproving stare. “And?” Sunset flinched back at the bite in his voice, before he sighed and nuzzled her. “Sunset, I lived a happy life. I met your mother, fell in love, had you, and even if she didn’t get to be here for any of it, she would be proud of you. I can guarantee it because I know I sure am.” Hot Air gave his daughter a hug before the mischievous glint from last night returned to his eye as he nodded his head back down the hallway, and headed to the room Twilight was still slumbering within.

It was then, Sunset noticed he was carrying something on his side. “Uh, dad? Why do you have a megaphone?”

He took a quick glance at Sunset, wiggling his eyebrows, before poking his head into the room and clicking the megaphone on. While Hot Air might not have been able to get his voice very loud on his own, the megaphone covered what slack he had. This all led to one single fact to be proven right that morning.

Sunset’s father was a Troll, and he enjoyed it. “RISE AND SHINE, PRINCESS!”

Sunset was privy to hearing Twilight Sparkle, The Princess of Friendship, Savior of Equestria multiple times over, and the mare who stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life, squawk like a bird as she fell out of bed. Poking her head into the room herself, Sunset caught sight of lavender hooves and wings flailing uselessly as they struggled against the bedding entrapping them.

If asked about it, she would tell you with utter honesty that the sight was probably one of the funniest ones she’d ever seen.

Twilight’s head eventually managed to get out of the covers as her wild eyes looked about in panic. “I’M UP!” The sight was too much for Sunset, and she broke down into a fit of giggles that got the lavender princess’s attention. “Um... Morning?”

“Morning to you too, your highness.” Hot Air casually quipped as he pretended to lift a hat off his head. “I must say, that was the most elegant way to wake up I have ever seen. Such form and grace, it will be remembered for centuries.”

“For Tartarus’s sake Dad, stop!” Sunset got through her giggles before the sight of Twilight’s deadpan sent a new wave through her.

At least, until a smirk of her own crossed her face. With a roll of both her body and eyes, Twilight got to her hooves and moved to the doorway, raising an eyebrow at Sunset. “Good to know you’re in a better mood.”

Hot Air raised a hoof and smiled. “T’is my duty as a father.”

The two of them shared a chuckle before Twilight’s smile fell down into a sadder iteration. “So... You said this might take the whole day, right?” The topic instantly sobered Sunset’s joy, reminding her of present troubles. Knowing that intentionally or not she had stopped her friend’s laughter hurt Twilight, but this was a task that could not wait.

Sighing, Hot Air nodded as he led the two back down the hallway and down the stairs. “I did.” As they descended, Hot Air kept his gaze forward.

Only for him to stop at the bottom and hesitate in thought.

Sunset came down the steps and stood next to her father in concern. “Dad?”

Hot Air rubbed the back of his head as his lips pulled into a thin line. “Say, uh, Sunset? I know I promised to tell you today, but... Would it be alright with you if we went on a small trip first? Just a few stops around town.” He twirled a hoof against the ground and shrugged a bit. “Spend some time with my little sunshine.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed as she tapped her hoof. “Dad, you said we’d be talking about mom.”

“And we will be,” Hot Air hastily added with a nervous smile, “I just, think it’d be nice to show you some of the things she liked; to help explain her better.” When his daughter’s glare failed to subside, he sighed. “I promise this is going to involve me telling you about your mother. I just didn’t want your entire time here to be only about her. I want to hear about what you’ve been up to.”

For an uncomfortable amount of time, Sunset stared at her father. The silent judgment of her gaze was making both Hot Air and Twilight nervous, and Twilight wasn’t even the subject of Sunset’s ire. It was with a drawn-out sigh that the amber unicorn closed her eyes for a moment. “Fine, but you are going to tell me about her.”

It was as Sunset’s father nodded and headed for the front door, that she felt a hoof land on her shoulder. Looking to meet Twilight’s gaze, Sunset could feel the concern radiating off of the princess. “It’s alright Twilight. I figured he’d do this before telling me anything.” The amber unicorn smiled a bit as she tilted her head towards the door. “Now come on. Even if he keeps dodging the question, I can at least give you a small tour of Baltimare at the same time.”

Nodding, Twilight followed her friend outside before they walked over to where Hot Air was waiting for them. “So, where are we going first?”

The same grin from when he woke up Twilight crossed Hot Air’s face as he started down the road. “I figured the first part about Sunny Days to explain would require some assistance, so we’re going to see some friends of mine.”

“Well, while on the way there, you can still answer a few questions,” Sunset added as she trotted to get closer before slowing back to a walk. “For one... What was she like?”

“Alright, I suppose that’s fair.” Hot Air chuckled for a moment before looking up in thought with a hum. “Where to start? Your mother was a really curious mare, both in personality and how she acted. She found everything she saw fascinating, and I mean everything.” The three rounded a corner, passing a street performer juggling a bunch of rings. “She would go crazy over the littlest of things; ice-cream, paved roads, and most of all, magic.”

Sunset blinked in surprise, before looking down in thought as she walked. “Really? I mean, I always had an interest in learning about magic, but I never thought Mom would have.”

“It’s not that surprising.” Twilight shrugged her wings a bit and smiled. “When Trixie first showed up in Ponyville, a lot of the town gathered for her performance. After all of that and the Ursa incident, I’d have a few ponies come by asking to see some tricks. Even now that I’m a princess, there are a few who stop by.”

Hot Air smirked a bit. “That may be true, but Sunny Days was something else. She’d watch ponies going about their days with starry eyes and a beaming smile. Even simple feats of levitating a cup of coffee made her light up brighter than a star. Really unnerved a few ponies out before I got her to tone it down some.” As trees started being seen at the far end of the street, Hot Air’s ears perked up. “We’re almost at our first stop!”

Hot Air wasted no time leading Sunset and Twilight to the far edge of town, where instead of water and docks, a mild amount of forestry rose from the dirt. The path they walked looked well worn, but Twilight continued to ponder just where the stallion was taking them. “Sunset, do you know where we’re going?”

Sunset glanced over and shrugged for a moment. “Honestly, I have no idea why dad’s bringing us out here. Last time I was here, it was just some clearing.”

Hot Air chuckled as the sounds of merriment could start being heard behind the trees. “Well, there’s been a few new faces in town since you ran off and got yourself under the princess’s wing.”

Twilight and Sunset shared a confused glance before the three ponies turned down the last bend in the road. The Princess and former student both went wide-eyed as they beheld what now resided in the once-abandoned clearing.

Tents, stalls, benches, and a few ponies filled every inch of land. Each pony present was dressed in old-timey tunics and sacks. Some donned capes, others caps, but all were talking in fake uppity knightly accents. Hot Air walked to stand in front of his daughter and waved a hoof towards the crowd. “Welcome to the local Renaissance Faire!”

“Baltimare has a Ren-Faire!?” Sunset’s jaw dropped as she dumbly walked forward, she let her eyes land on a stall serving roasted vegetables on sticks.

Chuckling, Hot Air tossed them a few bits, and they happily gave him a roasted corn cob, which he gave to Sunset. “Yep, it started thanks to the friends of mine I want you to meet.”

Twilight was looking around with a twinkle in her eyes as she smiled. “The accuracy here is astonishing! I mean, sure, there probably were a lot fewer tents like these, but the details in clothing and food are incredible!”

A snort escaped Hot Air as he walked forward. “Sunny buns would readily agree with you there princess.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, even as her corn cob hung from her lips for a moment, before floating away in her magic. “Uh... This food’s good, but not that good.”

Hot Air blinked for a moment before rubbing the back of his head. “I um... Meant your mother, Sunset. Not you.”

A hot blush grew across the amber unicorn’s face as she went back to eating her corncob, though at a much more sedate pace.“Oh.” At her friend’s raised eyebrow and smirk, the amber unicorn waved her corncob at her in aggravation.

Through her chuckles and dodging of rouge corn, Twilight perked up a bit and walked a little closer to Hot Air. “So, Sunset’s mom enjoyed being here?”

Hot Air gave a small nod and kept leading them through the Faire. “I took her once to a Ren-Faire over in Manehattan, and she stared slack-jawed at nearly everything. She told me of all these stories she’d been reading of knights and princesses, swooping in and whisking them away to a happily-ever-after. She was completely giddy about near everything she saw.”

The lavender princess nodded for a moment before a stray thought crossed her mind. With a mischievous smirk, she glanced at Sunset before turning back to Hot Air. “So, I take it she liked the fact you were in the guard?”

A wistful smile crossed Hot Air’s face. “Part of the reason she loved running around Equestria with me. Loved seeing me in uniform almost as much as she did seeing me out of it.”

“Can we, I don’t know, not talk about my father’s romantic life?” Sunset heavily blushed and scowled as she finished off her corncob and chucked the stick in a nearby bin.

“Oh come now, it ain’t that bad.” Hot Air chuckled.

A voice from the side caught their attention. “You're right, it ain’t that bad.”

Looking over, Twilight and Sunset noticed a somewhat chubby blue earth pony and a lanky red unicorn leaning against a pole. The two stallions were both getting along in their years, but still had some vigor in them. “That thick-skulled buffoon would need one in the first place!” The latter of the two quipped before they both broke into boisterous laughter.

“Oh haha, very funny.” Hot Air rolled his eyes before looking towards his daughter. “Sunset, Princess Twilight, meet Line Writer and Stage Play.” He turned back to the two and gave a small glare. “As for you two bozos, this is my daughter and her friend.”

The chubby one, Stage Play, tipped an imaginary hat and grinned. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, your royal highness.”

Line Writer did likewise, but paused and gave a casual wave to Twilight. “Oh, and you too, Princess Twilight. An honor.”

Sunset snorted a bit as she suppressed a chuckle at the sight of Twilight’s deadpan. It was after a small nudge from the amber unicorn that Twilight at least rolled her eyes and cracked a small smile herself. “It’s nice to know my dad’s not turned himself into a hermit.”

“Not for lack of trying.” Stage Play snickered as he rested a hoof over Hot Air’s shoulder. “I swear, Line and I had to pull his stubborn flank out of that house more times than we could count since we moved into town.” He frowned a bit at Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “Course, you hightailing it to Canterlot and never writing back certainly didn’t help.”

Hot Air frowned as he jabbed Stage Play in the side. “Hey now, go easy on my daughter. She was probably studying hard as ever.”

Sunset pursed her lips and looked to the side nervously. “Uh, yeah... Studying.” A few beads of sweat were starting to trail down the side of her face as she tried to casually not talk about that particular topic.

Line Writer smiled as he rubbed his chin, like some Machiavellian villain going over his latest scheme. “So, old friend, what brings you to our slice of the world? You’re not planning on joining our performances tonight, were you?”

Hot Air chuckled as he waved a hoof. “Nothing like that. I was just wanting to ask for some help explaining some stuff.”

The two blinked and shared a glance before smiling softer than their previous grins. “I take it it’s about Sunny?” Hot Air’s head fell a bit, but he nodded, and Line Writer shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, first the daughter you two had, then you talking about your wife. Today’s sure full of surprises, ain’t it Stage?”

“Sure is.” The two sat down and looked over to Sunset and Twilight, motioning them over. “So, what say you, fine mares, to a bowl of ice-cream while we spin our story?”

Twilight and Sunset both shared a quick nod before they and Sunset’s father followed the two over to the concession stands.






~ Meanwhile, back at CHS ~


Star student Twilight Sparkle trudged her way towards the main entrance’s steps. Bags were heavy under her eyes, even as one twitched in time with the strands escaping her usually neat hair. Her usual dress was at least in an acceptable state but was still rather unkempt for her.

It was with a long sigh that she plopped down onto the steps and rested against them, staring towards nothing, even as she pulled her notes out of her bag, and let Spike poke his head out. “Spike...just...how? How, can it be possible, for someone to hide this much of their history? I couldn’t even find her age on the school’s homepage!”

Spike scratched his ear and raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe she just asked for some privacy regarding age? I don’t see what’s the big deal.”

Rubbing her head with a tired groan, Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Spike, this complete lack of findings is driving me nuts. This could take me forever just to find her age if I stick to online searching, and Sunset’s going to be back in a week!”

He tilted his head curiously. “You could always just ask the girls to help you figure this out. I’m sure they’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“No.” Twilight’s shoulders went stiff for a moment, and she found herself feeling almost as insecure as she did in Crystal Prep. “I... I owe them a lot. I don’t want to ask for more.”

Spike stared at her, brow furrowed and lips pursed before he sighed and shook his head. “Alright, but I still think you should talk to them.”

The studious young scholar smiled and gave the puppy a quick hug. “Thanks, Spike.” Letting the canine hop back into her bag, Twilight put her notes away before standing back up. “Now we just need to wait for the others to show--”

The moment she turned to look forward, she let out a squeak of terror. A mass of pink hair stood before her, with a single tired eye glaring through her at something off in the distance. However, her cry also seemed to knock the entity out of its daze, as the eye blinked a few times before focusing on Twilight. “Oh, good morning, Twilight. Did you sleep well?”

Twilight took a moment to get her heart back under control before taking a second glance and recognizing the face behind the hair. “F-Fluttershy!? What’s with...?”

A yawn left the butterscotch girl’s mouth as she staggered towards the front of the building. “Zephyr made a mess of the house. Had to clean it. Couldn’t get any sleep after. Everything smells of burned onions.”

Twilight followed Fluttershy up the steps and watched in concern as her friend tried to push open the pull doors. “Maybe we should take you to the nurse.” When Fluttershy failed to respond, Twilight frowned. “Fluttershy?”

A soft snore was all the answer Twilight got as Fluttershy’s head leaned against the door’s glass.

“Well dang, by the looks of you two, Ah ain’t the only one that couldn’t sleep a wink last night.” Twilight turned around and saw Applejack walking over from the parking lot. Her eyes had the look of someone who’d spent the past few hours wrestling with a wild animal before being forced to get ready to show up somewhere, showing just how tired she really was.

“Make that four of us, darlings.” Rarity walked over wearing a pair of shades. At first glance, she looked as awake as ever, but the moment she stood close enough and turned to the side, the bags under her eyes were noticeable. “I stayed up all night trying to come up with something for Sunset, but I couldn’t think of anything.”

“At least you had something to think about.” All but one turned to look at Rainbow as she joined in on the conversation. “I kept tossing and turning all night. I even tried that one thing Rarity told me about. Uh... What was it called? Camel Mile Tea?”

Rarity rolled her eyes for a moment, before wincing. “Chamomile?”

Rainbow blinked for a moment before smiling and looking at her friend. “Yeah, that stuff! I made a cup, and it didn’t really help, so I ended up dumping it in the sink. Turns out I’m not that much of a tea drinker.” Shaking her head, Rarity let out an exasperated sigh.

“Well, anyone seen Pinkie yet?” Applejack scratched the back of her head, letting out a yawn. “Usually she’s the first one here.” A moment later, the pink girl in question was spotted rounding the corner at a sedate pace.

And all four of the conscious girls felt their jaws drop.

Pinkie’s hair was almost completely smooth as it fell limp over her face. Only the very tips of hair held any curls, and her color looked muted from how it usually was. Even her clothes looked duller than usual; the hot pinks and baby blues looking more like her sister Maud’s frock.

When she got close enough, Pinkie gave them all a small wave and smile. “Hey girls.”

“Dang Pinks, you feeling okay?” Rainbow frowned as she reached out, only to hesitate in putting her hand on Pinkie’s shoulder.

Pinkie lost her small smile and sighed. “Not really.” The girls all shared a concerned glance with each other before Pinkie shook her head. “I just need some time by myself. I’ll be alright.”

“You sure, Sugarcube?” Applejack frowned, eyes filled with worry.

Pinkie’s small smile returned as she nodded. “Yeah, I talked with Maud about it last night. I’ll be fine.” The sedate party girl walked over to the doors and helped wake Fluttershy for a moment. “I’ll see you girls at lunch.” The remaining four frowned to each other before sighing and heading in themselves.

As they each split off to go to their lockers, Twilight sighed. Looks like it was a good call not to ask. I might just be on my own for this one. Movement inside her bag made her amend that last thought. Well... Not totally on my own.
> Distorted Reflections
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was short work for the group to find themselves with their icy treat of choice after visiting the concession stands. Sunset had a bowl of ice cream notably smaller than the rest, but she did eat an entire corn cob a moment ago, so that was to be expected. As for the other four ponies, they each had a regular sized bowl. Sitting down at one of the offered tables, Stage Play and Line Writer waved to the other side for their guests to sit.

“So,” Sunset raised an eyebrow, “How, exactly, do you know my dad here?”

“Well, the three of us were in the same platoon in the guard.” Line Writer smirked. “I was enlisted as the guard’s lead playwright, and Stage Play here was our best actor.”

“You bet your hooves I was.” Stage laughed. “I could do a mean dictator impression.” He pointed to Sunset’s dad and smirked. “Course, even the minor roles had to go through training and do the minimum guard duty. That’s where we ended up becoming friends.”

Sunset nodded a bit to herself, before looking back to Stage Play. “And my mom?”

The stallion laughed that boisterous laugh from earlier, before wiping a tear from his eye. “Well, we most definitely didn’t know her as intimately as your old man over there.” Stage Play put a hoof around Hot Air, who gave him a deadpan glare. “What we do know, is that she was one terrible actor.”

Line groaned and rolled his eyes. “Oh don’t get me started! I asked her to play a minor part one time, and somehow she managed to cause the entire tent to collapse on both the performers and the audience. I was giving refunds for the rest of the day, and got latrine duty!”

Hot Air smiled and jabbed his friends in their forelegs. “Hey, she made up for it in passion.”

“Passion doesn’t pay military grade fines, Hot.” Line sighed and shook his head. “That’s why when you two wanted a second chance after we got enough of our performers back to try again, I had to say no. I almost got court-martialed that week.”

Twilight hummed in thought before she turned to Sunset. “That does beg the question, though. Just what was your mother doing at a military performance?”

Stage Play perked up for a moment and frowned as he looked to Sunset. “Hey, what exactly did this brick headed idiot tell you about her?”

Sunset and Twilight blinked in surprise before the former slowly put her spoon down for a moment. “Well... he said they were childhood friends, and fell for each other, before going on a bunch of adventures across Equestria.”

The two performers shared a single glance, before narrowing their gaze at the slightly sweating Hot Air. It was Stage Play that had a hoof on the table as he turned first. “You, lying, sack of manure!”

Hastily waving his hooves, Hot Air tried to scoot back some. “H-Hey! You both know that we couldn’t just up and say anything about it!”

Line scowled as he started closing what little distance was between the three of them. “So you brought her and the princess here and got us involved? Didn’t want to tell the truth yourself after telling another tall tale?”

“STOP!” The three froze and turned to Sunset, who had slammed her hooves into the table. “We are taking this somewhere less public.” Looking around, several ponies were talking in hushed whispers and staring at the group in worry and interest.

The three stallions all shared a glance with each other, two heated, one shamed, before the two performers led the other three towards a tent. Inside, there were several crates scattered about. Stage Play stayed at the entrance, giving a nod to Sunset. “I’ll stay here and keep any unwanted eyes from getting in.” Sunset nodded her thanks as she and her father, along with Twilight, headed deeper inside. 

It was when the din of the crowd outside started to die down, did Sunset turn to face her father with a heated glare. “No more beating around the bush. Just how much of what you told me about mom was a lie? Was she even a childhood friend? Did you two ever actually travel Equestria?” Sunset’s eyes felt like they were burning as she snorted and stomped her hoof. “Has everything you’ve told me been a lie, and you thought you’d pull these two in on it? Is that it!?”

Hot Air narrowed his own eyes as he faced his daughter. “That’s not it at all!” The two starred in silent anger before Hot Air let out a sigh. “I... I knew if I tried to do it alone, I’d--”

Line Writer scowled as he shook his head. “Don’t make any excuses, Hot.” Walking over to the stallion, the former guard jabbed him in the chest with a hoof. “You’re telling her, and that’s that.” Line Writer took a step back and glanced at Sunset, giving her the briefest of nods.

Sunset was about to dive into chewing out her dad again, but Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. A warm trickle down her cheek made her realize she even had tears in her eyes at all. Were her emotions getting that out of hand? It was with a minute of deep breaths that Sunset got her clam again. “Dad.” Calm, but not happy. That was a fact clear as day with the tone of her voice as Hot Air felt his ears fall back. “What exactly is it you’ve been keeping secret about my mother.”

Hot Air fell back onto his rump as he let all his fight leave him. “Your mother was... deeply connected with certain events. We were under a royal order to keep quiet about it, because of how sensitive the information was.” He scoffed for a moment as he shot a small glare to Line Writer. “Heck, we still are under a royal order of silence.” With sadness in his eyes, he looked back to Sunset. “It’s why I’m not sure if telling you about this is such a good idea.”

Twilight felt her neck and wings stiffen. “If that’s the case.” Sunset turned to her friend, somewhat shocked out of her anger by the neutral tone it had taken. “Then by royal order, I demand you explain yourself, Hot Air.” In that one command, Twilight had made it clear that it wasn’t just Sunset’s friend the pegasus was answering.

For that moment, Twilight had left the stage.

It was Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria that stood next to his daughter, and she was giving him a direct order.

Hot Air glanced at his daughter, but like Twilight, her eyes had moved onto him and was waiting for his response. It was with a sigh that he looked to the ground as he began to tell his tale. “We were guarding the treasury at the time. Just another boring day, watching dust float through the air and standing utterly still. Next thing we know, there’s a loud boom echoing from inside. At first, we thought somepony had teleported in and rushed inside to apprehend the unicorn in question.” It took Hot Air a moment for him to look his daughter in the eye. “We found a young mare lying unconscious on the ground instead, lacking any form of a horn.”

Twilight looked to her friend for a moment, seeing her glare at her dad, before looking back to the stallion in question. “You’re saying that she was teleported into the treasury?”

Hot Air shook his head and scuffed his hoof into the floor. “No.” He glanced at Line Writer, who only motioned back to the two mares, before somehow managing to slump into himself more. “There were some different artifacts in the castle at the time, and Starswirl himself made many of them. Sunny Days... fell out of one of them.”

The tension was palpable. Twilight was shocked by that bit of information. Her mind kept trying to bounce this new revelation around, but it just wasn’t sticking. A glance towards Sunset was all she could do. 

Sunset stared down at the ground with wide, haunted eyes, however. There was a slight quiver in her voice, but she looked towards her father’s hooves. “Was... was it a mirror?”

Both Hot Air and Line Writer blinked in surprise, sharing a glance before the pegasus nodded with some hesitation. “U-Uh... yes, Sunset how do you know about--?”

Twilight waved a hoof, cutting him off. “Hot Air, please continue your story.” It may have been a bit rude, but the princess figured Sunset would need a moment. 

“Y-Yes your highness.” Hot Air cleared his throat and took a breath, staring towards his hooves. “After taking her to the infirmary, Celestia was informed of what happened. The princess wasn’t able to see her at the time, as her new aide made a mistake and caused her to have a mess of scheduling errors. Because of that, a retainer was to watch over Sunny until the mirror activated again in thirty moons. I was chosen for the job by my commander.” Hot Air rubbed the back of his head and looked to the side. “That’s where most of the lies end and the truth begins, Sunset. I did save your mother from falling off the edge of Canterlot once upon a time. She wasn’t the best at balancing with four legs for a while. After that, it was just waiting for the portal to open again, and I had to satisfy her curiosity to keep her--.” He stopped when he finally got enough courage to look towards his daughter.

Only to see her still staring down at her hooves in shock. “Sunset?”

Sunset’s eyes flickered about as she tried to think about what she’d been told. “She was... from the human world?” It just didn’t seem possible. This had to be another one of Dad’s stories, right? It had to be another lie, but then why did his friends have to force him? How did they even know about the mirror portal? Was it an act? Were they in on it? Was he telling the truth?

For some reason, that last thought scared Sunset the most.

Twilight felt awful seeing Sunset like this and put a wing over her friend’s shoulders, before turning to Hot Air. “I think it would be better to continue this at your home, Mr. Air. After we give Sunset some time to herself.”

“I...” Hot Air watched as Sunset was lead out of the tent by The Princess of Friendship before he let out one last sigh, and turned to his college. “Line? Thanks for keeping me from chickening out. I knew I could count on you two for that.”

“You always were a coward.” Line Writer smirked a bit, before patting the pegasus on the back. “Take care Hot.”






~Meanwhile at CHS~


The second period of the day was soon coming to a close, and Twilight’s head was resting against her desk. All day she’d been seeing spots dancing across her vision at random. Sometimes it was making her friends and some students blurred out, sometimes it wasn't.  Worst of all though, was when it would be blocking the teacher’s writing mid-lecture. “Ugh... Why didn’t I take that coffee Cadence offered?” 

A hand rubbed her shoulder, and Twilight looked up to see Applejack struggling to stay awake alongside her. “C’mon now Twilight, ain’t even noon yet. See if ya can hold on till lunch, and we’ll get ya bright and starry-eyed in no time.” 

Applejack didn’t know it, but that was a poor choice of words. As soon as the farm girl said them, Twilight could see more flashes of light dancing around her friend. The studious lavender girl could swear that they were taking on the color of Applejack's skin as well.

Twilight, however, could only groan as she put a hand over her face. “Please don’t mention stars.”

Understandably, Applejack only looked confused as she raised an eyebrow. “Uh, pardon?”

Sighing, Twilight took off her glasses to rub her somewhat sore eyes. “Applejack, I’m so tired right now I keep seeing stars every time I look down the hallway. Some are so bright they make my eyes hurt.” Still dreary, Twilight went to put her glasses on, only to pause and stare ahead at the class. “Wait.” Something was different, and not just because the room had the same smooth blur her unaltered sight usually had. There was a detail missing though; one that was bugging her to no end. Raising her glasses in front of her, she looked through the lens towards the front of the class, making a note of the spots returning.

When she lowered them again, the spots were gone. Up, spots. Down, gone.

Spots. Gone. Spots. Gone. Spots. Gone.

Applejack stared at her friend continuously lifting and lowering her glasses, getting progressively more awake with each pass, her eyebrows knitting together as she frowned. “Twilight, somethin' the matter?”

The farm girl had to lean back as Twilight shoved her glasses into her friend’s face. “Applejack, tell me what you see.”

Hesitantly taking the glasses, Applejack looked them over before sighing and putting them on. “Ah don’t get what yer--” Applejack’s eyes shot open as she looked around the room. The whole classroom looked crystal clear, but that’s not what was catching her attention.

All over the room, specks of light, each about the size of a golf ball, were dancing around as if they were fairies. An absurd number of them were landing or hovering around Twilight, and a glance at her hand showed there were a bunch on herself as well.  

Applejack's throat felt a touch dry as she took off the glasses and looked to her friend. “Woah, nelly...”

Twilight nervously swallowed as she took the glasses back, and set them down on her desk. “So... you see it too? With the glasses on?”

Applejack nodded and looked towards her hands. Knowing there was some sort of invisible little lights dancing around her left a somewhat unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Twilight, what in tarnation did Ah just see?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight sighed as she fiddled with the glasses for a moment, face scrunched in concentration, “but I think it might be best if I don’t wear my glasses until I figure out exactly what happened to them.”

Frowning, Applejack raised an eyebrow. “But don’t you kinda need ‘em? Last Ah checked yer blind as a bat without ‘em.”

The lavender girl gave a deadpan stare for a moment before sighing. “Don’t worry. I have some contacts in my locker. I’ll wear the glasses for now, but I’ll switch them out before lunch.”

The sound of the teacher clearing her throat got the two to look up and see that the entire class was staring at them along with Ms. Harshwhinny. “Girls, I know it can be hard to explain just how blind you are to someone without glasses, but please stop goofing off. My class is still in session until the bell rings.”

Amidst the chuckles and giggles of their peers, Twilight and Applejack both blushed and lowered their heads for a moment. “Yes, Ms. Harshwhinny.”

As Ms. Harshwhinny went back to the lesson, Applejack glanced back to Twilight. “Meet at lunch?”

Twilight gave a quick nod in return. “Emergency meeting at lunch.”
> Worrying Doubts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at her childhood home, Sunset was busy locking herself in her room. She’d been there since the moment they had gotten back, and despite any attempts to get her to leave, she had yet to open the door.

It was after the latest attempt that Twilight came back downstairs and found Hot Air sitting on his sofa, staring at a photo that rested in the feathers of his wing. To say she had mixed feelings about the situation was an understatement. The worry for her friend, the frustration and confusion towards the stallion who was her friend’s father, all of them danced about in her head, and she knew that it had to be far worse for Sunset.

Just how? How could he lie to his daughter for so long?

“Princess.” Hot Air’s somber tone snapped Twilight out of her thoughts. “Thank you, for earlier.”

Twilight was taken aback for a moment, blinking in confusion. “What for?”

“For getting onto me back in the tent.” Hot Air turned to look at the princess, a rueful smile on his lips as he set the photo down. “I probably would have kept shoving my hoof in my mouth if you hadn’t.” He sighed and turned to look out the window again. “I’ve been too afraid to admit the truth to Sunset for so long, that I haven’t been able even to be truthful to anypony anymore.”

The young princess’s confusion only grew as she walked closer. “Then, why thank me?”

Hot Air’s eyes moved back to the photo, and Twilight could see it was the same one of Sunset and her mother that she’d seen earlier that day. “Because now that I got even a little bit out, I know Sunset’s going to force me to say the rest eventually.” A grunt escaped the stallion as he stood, and started for the stairs, only to stop in the doorway and look over his shoulder. “Line said it best. I’m a coward. I always have been, and I probably always will be.” Hot Air let out a chuckle as he shook his head. “It’s a good thing Sunset takes after her mother and not me.”

Twilight could barely bring herself to speak. The princess was hesitant to trust Hot Air, yet he sounded sad and resigned. He admitted that he had problems with lying, but she couldn’t figure out just how much of what he just told her was truthful. “I...”

“You don’t have to say anything, Princess.” Hot Air waved a hoof as he pulled himself up off the couch with a grunt. “As soon as Sunset comes out to talk... You have my permission to use the memory spell I asked about, as long as she agrees.” He glanced towards his missing wing for a moment before turning back to the princess. “I might have trouble telling the truth anymore, but a spell like that’ll force it out of me, and I have a feeling she’ll go for it.”

For the lavender princess, her breath caught in her throat, and a concerned grimace began to form. “Hot Air, casting the spell, if anything goes wrong, there may be consequences. Spells like these can easily become two way, jumble memories, deteriorate minds or worse if not handled by somepony with the talent for it. While I may be a princess, I only received the bare minimum training for this spell. Are you sure you want to risk that?”

The ease at which Hot Air nodded only made Twilight’s worry grow. “Whatever happens to me doesn’t matter. Sunset deserves the truth, and it’s high time I stopped beating around the bush.” Trotting past her, the grounded pegasus started for the stairs, pausing at the bottom of the steps. “I’ll be in my room when she’s ready. Just,” a sigh passed through his lips again as he shook his head, “please, make sure she knows the risks too.”

The atmosphere left in the room was far from homely, and Twilight discomfort was quick to agree. Eager to get the earlier topic of conversation off her mind, Twilight headed up the stairs herself and went back to Sunset’s door.

In Twilight’s opinion, the gentle tap of her hoof on the wood echoed far more than it should have. “Sunset? Can I come in?” At first, the door remained closed, leaving Twilight’s heart to sink, only to creak open gently as the princess was about to leave. Inside, she could see Sunset laying on her old bed, looking out the window. The amber unicorn had her back to Twilight. The princess closed the door behind her and walked up to her friend, and placed a hoof on her back. “Sunset?”

Sunset’s eyes moved to her hooves before she looked to her friend with tears glistening in the light, seconds from falling. “Twilight, which world do I belong to?”

Surprising Twilight, as it turned out, may have been a family trait. This time, however, her worry quickly had the lavender mare frowning. “What?”

Sunset’s gaze turned back to the window as she stared at the ponies passing by, completely unaware. “Since we got back, I’ve been thinking; about all the implications of what Dad said. If my dad is from here, in Equestria, but my mom came from the mirror--.” A trembling doubt began to show in Sunset’s heart, as a tear hit her hooves. “Did I ever belong here in Equestria? Or did I belong in the human world all along? Am I some kind of anomaly that doesn’t belong in either? Is this the reason I could never find anything on the second version of me in the human world; because there wasn’t ever one, and I’m the only me?” She tried to hold it back, but the dam continued to break as a second tear streaked down Sunset’s cheek, chasing the first. “What am I, Twilight?”

Wrapping a wing around her friend, Twilight pulled Sunset into a hug as she sat next to her. “You’re my friend, Sunset, and that’s all that matters.”

Sunset continued to sniffle as she wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck and tightened the hug. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Anything for a friend.” Twilight smiled a little and let the hug loosen until she only had a wing resting on the amber unicorn’s back. “I think getting your mind off this would do some good.” Wordlessly, Sunset nodded and wiped her face of any lingering tears. “Would you like to let your friends know about your mother? It’s been a while since they’ve heard from you.”

Sunset thought about it for a moment, before looking over to Twilight. “I was wondering if the girls would be willing to do something for me.” The princess raised a curious eyebrow. “I was hoping they might be able to find out anything about my mom. If she was from the human world, there should be some trace of her disappearance.”

Twilight tilted her head a bit, and her ears perked as a particular detail caught her attention. “If?”

The amber unicorn frowned and turned back to the window, glaring at nothing as she levitated a piece of paper and quill from her desk, and started writing. “I... I don’t know what to think right now. I mean, yeah, I just had an emotional breakdown over it, but Dad lied to me so much I don’t know if he was actually telling the truth back in the tent. For all I know, this could have been yet another story he made up to dodge the question.” Sunset’s glare softened as she sighed and used a quick flash of magic to dry the letter's ink. “That wouldn’t explain how he knew about the mirror though, and the thought that he told the truth right then-- it scares me, Twilight. More than I thought it would.”

Twilight pursed her lips and took the letter from Sunset. With a nod of confirmation, she teleported the message away. The room was silent for a time; just the two of them on the bed, looking outside. Neither could bring themselves to break that quiet, though both of them hoped the other would soon.

For Sunset, her thoughts were answered, but not in the way she hoped. “Your father gave me permission to use the spell while you were in here.”

Confusion crossed the amber unicorn’s face as she turned to look at Twilight. “What? Didn’t he already agree to that last night?”

Twilight nodded, frowning in thought. “He did, as well as this morning, which is why I’m now rather apprehensive about using it. It’s possible he just forgot after what happened today or was trying to hint that I should use it already, but not-so-subtly.” The alicorn trailed off, looking at the doorway nervously.

“If his memory is starting to fail, this could further degrade his mind into a rapid onset of dementia.” Sunset finished for her, as all the lessons from her time in Canterlot echoed in her head. If there was one thing she could thank Celestia for, it was hammering in the importance of learning how a spell could potentially fail before trying to cast it.

A grim nod was all Twilight could do in response. “That’s one of the ways this could go wrong, yes, but there’s another problem.” Sunset looked confused as Twilight looked over. “The specific spell we need for this was designed to require a stable mind to work properly. When cast on one that’s failing, or even a pony who can’t focus on the memory properly, the spell might supplement itself with the caster’s mind, or in most cases, the third party intended to view the memories, instead and make a two-way link to ensure stability.” 

Sunset’s fur got a shade paler as her eyes widened. “B-but that would mean--”

Twilight looked her friend in the eyes and gave a sad nod. “Your father would either see my memories, or your memories, as you see at his.”

“He’d see all of all the things I--.” Sunset throat felt dry as she tried to swallow. She searched through Twilight’s eyes for any sign she was lying; an act that unintentionally made her feel a small amount of guilt. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not sure exactly how the spell will react Sunset. With all of those risks on top of his current health, I don’t think I can bring myself to cast the spell in good conscience.” Hopping off of the bed, Twilight took a moment to look over her shoulder with a small smile. “We can double check your family’s history on your father’s side to see if he has any ties with somepony else that had memory failure, just to be sure though.”

Frowning with worry, Sunset sighed and hopped off the bed herself. “Well, that’d be a better use of time than pouting in my room all day.” Following the lavender princess out of the room, Sunset took one more glance around. “We’ll check up with Dad’s doctor, and see where to go from there. Sound good?”

Twilight nodded with a more genuine smile and opened the door. When they left the room, however, their train of thought was brought to an abrupt end. The moment they turned into the hallway, both stopped in their tracks and blinked in surprise, before Sunset leveled a sizable glare forward. 

For standing before them, Hot Air was holding a stethoscope to the wall and was staring back in equal surprise.

The older pegasus gave them a sheepish smile as he chuckled. “Uh, just checking for mice?”

Moving forward, Sunset stopped just in front of her father. “How much did you hear?”

Lips pursed, Hot Air rubbed the back of his head. “To be completely fair, nothing.” He hoofed over the stethoscope and had a small frown. “They make that look so much easier in the movies.”

“Mr. Air,” Twilight walked over a touch calmer than her fiery friend, “We’ve decided it may be for the best to have a doctor evaluate your current health before Sunset can make any choices about the memory spell’s use.”

Blinking for a moment, Hot Air only stared at the princess before taking a step back and sitting down in the hallway. “Well... I do have an appointment later in the afternoon. I was originally gonna go alone and let you two have the house to yourselves for a bit, but I guess you can come along. Might be a bit hard to explain to the doc why a princess is joining me this time.”

Twilight nodded and looked to her friend. “This work with you, Sunset?”

The amber unicorn kept glaring at her dad before sighing and rolling her eyes. “Let’s get this over with.” As the three headed out of the home, Sunset's eyes darted to the window. I hope the girls can find out something, anything about this.
> Magic and Mysteries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lunch at CHS came far too slowly for Twilight’s tastes, and the moment it arrived she started going as fast as she could to get to the lunchroom without suspicion. Of course, she stopped in the restroom first to switch to her contacts. She didn’t want to risk wearing her glasses any longer than she needed to.

Keeping them in her pockets was worrying enough.

There was only one hiccup during her quick swap. Muffins had bumped into her on accident while exiting a stall, and Twilight’s hair had caught the edge of the sink as she fell. The pins holding her bun in place fell out on impact, and she lost a good number of the small metal clips down the floor drain. Twilight, however, had no time to spend complaining about having her hair down at the moment. Something bizarre was happening to her glasses, and she was 99.99% sure that it was magic related.

This change in attire did lead to another problem she hadn’t foreseen happening any time soon. As she ducked and weaved through the hallways, Twilight noticed that people would not stop staring at her. It was like the Friendship Games all over again. She had a small sigh of relief when she finally reached the lunchroom and headed straight for the usual table her friends chose. Everyone, even Fluttershy, was there eating, though there was a notable blush on the butterscotch girl from whatever Rarity had been talking to her about. “Sorry for being late girls. I-”

Before Twilight could finish, all of her friends turned to look and jumped in surprise. Rainbow even stood up and looked worried. “What are you doing here Princess? I thought you were with Sunset.”

Twilight blinked dumbly for a moment before tilting her head. “... huh?” 

Applejack cleared her throat and put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, slowly pushing her back down into her seat. “Uh, Dash, that’s our Twilight.”

Rainbow, for her part, blushed a bit as she rubbed the back of her head. “Oh.” She gave an awkward laugh and smile as she turned back to her food. “Heh, sorry.”

“That does bring up something though.” Applejack turned to the lavender student with a raised eyebrow. “Ah thought you were just putting in contacts?”

Letting out a frustrated groan, Twilight rubbed her eyes for a moment. “Small accident; lost some pins in the bathroom. I have more in my locker, but this is far more important.”

“Are you sure?” Eyes turned to Rarity as she started to look over Twilight, making the dressmaker aware of what she was doing. “Sorry dear, but I may be in the same boat as Rainbow. The similarities are frighteningly accurate.” A wry smile crossed the alabaster girl’s lips as she rubbed her chin in thought. “Though if I may add, you do look much more confident like this. I recommend wearing your hair down more often.”

Twilight blushed heavily as she frantically waved a hand towards her friend. “Can we talk about that later? We have a magic emergency here.”

Rarity, as well as the rest of their friends who had yet to be informed, all stiffened. “Oh my... Nobody’s hurt; are they?”

Pinkie Pie whimpered a bit and messed with one of the curling ends of her hair. “I hope it doesn't involve making anyone laugh. I’m still feeling kinda mopey.”

Fluttershy’s hands trembled as she adjusted her hair. “Um, if it’s okay to ask, what happened?”

Taking her glasses out of her pocket, Twilight handed them over carefully. “Here, take a quick look with them on around the room.” A small gasp escaped Fluttershy as she did just that, and saw the entirety of the lunchroom through new eyes.

All around the room, focusing on different students, the little lights from before danced around. The number that flew around their table was astonishing, and it was almost like the lights were playing with each other. As she passed the glasses off to Rainbow for her to look through, A detail about what she saw struck her. Everyone had different colors around them, and for the most part, they all fit with the person in question. The ones that didn’t were floating around Pinkie. Amidst the bright white, lavender, blue, orange, and yellow of their group, the lights hovering around Pinkie were a dull pink, that shimmered every now and again, like a stage light that needed a new bulb.

Fluttershy was brought out of thought when the glasses finished their rounds and Rarity looked at them curiously. The fashionista was scrutinizing every detail she could, before looking to their bookish friend. “I thought you said this was an emergency, Twilight.”

The table was silent for a split second before they all turned to the alabaster girl “H-Huh!?”

Twilight’s eye twitched for a moment before a hair sprung out of place. “How does this not qualify as an emergency!? My-” A glance at the other tables made her realize that the other students were starting to look at them with varying degrees of interest and worry. Lowering her voice, Twilight hissed her frustrations. “My glasses are somehow magic right now!”

Rarity let out a small sigh and tapped her palm with the glasses in question. “Well darling, I can see this being a possible point in our favor. While these might not be aesthetically pleasing on most individuals, you being one of the exceptions of course, if something magical were happening we could follow the magic to its source and solve the problem faster. This little development could be quite the boon in the long run.”

Twilight shook her head as worry danced in her eyes. “That’s assuming what’s being shown to us even is magic at all. We have no idea what exactly the glasses are showing us.”

“Ah’m with Twilight on this one.” All eyes turned to Applejack as she frowned in thought. “Ya make a good point Rarity, but last time anyone got ahold of a magic doohickey and ran around using it-- uh,” the farmer winced as her lavender friend looked away for a moment, “Things didn’t turn out so well, an’ could have gone much worse. More importantly, we ain’t got Sunset over here in case a repeat happens to someone else.”

Raising an eyebrow, Rainbow casually leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed. “Well, then why don’t we just break ‘em and call it a day?”

The table as a whole turned to the colorful soccer star with looks of shock. “Rainbow!”

Rainbow threw her arms up and frowned as she let her chair fall forward again. “What? Breaking the Siren’s amulets worked on them, so why wouldn’t the same make Twilight’s glasses normal again?”

“Because I need these to see,” Twilight emphasized as she pointed at her angry eyes, before sighing and propping her head on the table with an arm. “Why does my eyesight have to be so horrible?”

“Maybe it would be best to just keep them somewhere safe for now?” Fluttershy stared at the glasses in worry, fingers gently touching against her lips before curling down into her palm. “You wouldn’t have to wear them, but there wouldn’t be a chance for anything bad to happen either.”

The group descended into silence, each pondering how to proceed before Pinkie looked up from her food. “I think we should go with Fluttershy’s idea. We can wait for Sunny to get back, and then do some kinda magic thingy to fix Twilight’s glasses.” Murmurs of agreement spread through the table shortly after.

Applejack looked at her friends and saw how the mood kept dropping. “Let’s talk about something else for now.” Turning to Twilight, the farm girl raised an eyebrow. “Did ya find out how old Celestia is yet?”

A long groan left Twilight as she slumped more. “No.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyebrow rose to match her farming friend’s. “Seriously? How hard can it be to find someone’s age?”

The bookish girl’s exhaustion could be seen in her eyes as she rubbed the sides of her head. “I have looked everywhere I can think of for any information I can. There's- I can't explain it. Nothing is matching anything else. Absolutely nothing!” Reaching into her bag, Twilight pulled out her laptop and opened her notes, showing the girls what little she found. “Either there were several generations of her family with the name Celestia and none of them added a number after their names, or someone keeps altering and shifting the dates! Trying to find anything on Luna wasn’t any better. It just doesn’t exist past ten years ago, and she’s only been the Vice Principal for the past six years.”

Humming in thought, Pinkie narrowed her gaze for a moment, before her eyes shot open. “Did you try any books?”

The whole table paused as Twilight blinked owlishly for a moment, only to turn and stare at Pinkie. “Huh?”

Pinkie leaned back in her seat some as she looked up in thought, utterly missing the curls slowly came back into her hair. “Well, I noticed from a lot of the parties I’ve thrown, that when it comes to principals, they usually went to the school districts they’re in charge of when they were younger, and I mean they really loved to show their old photos from their high school graduations, so maybe you can find Celestia in an old yearbook and then it can tell you when she went to high school and use that super sciencey brain of yours to figure out how old she is!”

By the time her rant finished, her hair had started to get at least half of its poof back, and a smile began to form on Pinkie’s lips. “Hey! I’m starting to feel better! Maybe I can--” With the sound of a deflating balloon, her hair quickly fell back down. “Oh, nope, there it goes.”

During her friend’s rant, Twilight’s eye slowly started to twitch. Not because what Pinkie suggested was outlandish, no. It was because everything she said made absolute sense. She became so lost in mentally smacking herself and being physically incapable of doing so from sheer revelation, that she failed to notice her bag moving. 

At least, until Spike poked his head out giving the girl the smuggest smirk, he could muster. “I told you asking them for help was a good idea.”

Twilight sent a soft glare, made weaker by her blush, towards the smug canine. “Shush you.” A small round of short-lived laughs spread through the table. They all ate their food in silence with Spike stealing a few bites from Twilight occasionally. The atmosphere wasn’t exactly positive, but the cloud of depression that had been looming over most of the group was at least fading into a moderate fog. All thoughts were on figuring out just what to do. They couldn’t leave something magic lying around for someone to mess with and potentially hurt somebody.

“I wonder how Sunset’s doing right now.” All eyes turned to Fluttershy, as she idly poked the pudding they got for dessert. “I hope her day’s going better than ours is.”

Murmurs of agreement were shared amongst the group before Rainbow perked up, and her eyes widened. “Wait... did Sunset give anyone her journal before going through? Last I checked we kinda rushed her back to her world without really thinking.” Looks of realization spread through the group, and faces got paler by the second. “Aw crap, it’s not closed for good is it!?”

Clearing her throat, Twilight got their attention and reached into her bag. She pulled out a rather specific book that instantly got the group to calm down as they saw its sun emblazoned cover. “She slipped it into my bag before she left.” Twilight looked back at the journal and her lips pressed into a thin line. “To be honest, I’m a little scared that I didn’t even notice until I got home that night. Kinda puts everything you girls told me about how she was before you all became friends into a more believable light.”

Spike raised a doggy eyebrow and dropped his smirk. “Are you kidding? I was in your bag, and I didn’t notice!”

Applejack blinked in surprise as she scratched the back of her head. “Twilight, we didn’t know she could do that.”

Rarity hummed in thought as she looked at the book. “Then again, this does make me wonder how she learned to be so deft with her hands. If she could slip a journal into someone’s bag without them noticing,” the fashionista gasped and had a small spark enter her eyes, “imagine how precise her needlework would be!”

The group groaned, and Applejack was left rubbing her face. “Now ain’t exactly the time, Rarity. Magic glasses first, Sewin’ helper Sunset later.”

Thankfully for the girls, any impending argument between the farmer and fashionista were put on hold as the journal began to glow and vibrate. Silently, they all looked at each other before nodding to Twilight, prompting the bookish girl to open the book and see what was inside. She gave the newest entry a quick once over before looking up. “It looks like they had their world’s Spike send the message over. They must not have their copy of the journal with them.”

Fluttershy leaned in a bit, trying to hide her worry. “What’s it say?” 

Clearing her throat, Twilight looked back down to the page and began reading. “Dear Twilight,

One, it’s kinda weird that I’m writing a letter from you to you, and two, Twilight and Sunset wanted to ask if you girls could find out what you can on somepony named ‘Sunny Days.’ The letter they sent me didn’t say why. Only that it involved Sunset somehow and that I needed to write a letter to you since Sunset gave you her journal? Honestly, it looks like she couldn’t focus on the letter when she wrote it, and I’m inferring from context at this point. Most of what she wrote was illegible.

Sincerely, Spike the Dragon.”

Rarity hummed and tapped a fingernail against the table. “A rather peculiar request. I can understand Sunset, but why would the princess want to know about someone on this side of the portal?”

Rainbow nodded and scratched her head. “Yeah, and how would it involve Sunset anyways? Isn’t she from Equestria?”

Twilight looked back after the journal glowed a second time. “There’s a bit more.  P.S. Can I meet the other me sometime?” She could only blink for a moment before sighing. “Yep, that’s Spike alright.”

“And I wanna know what it’s like to be a dragon!” All six girls looked at the puppy, who just pouted. “What? I’m curious.” Twilight rolled her eyes for a moment before turning to get Spike back in the bag.

As that was going on, Applejack frowned in thought. “Either way, what are we gonna do about it? You’re still trying to look for info on Celestia, aren’t ya?”

“Yeah, and we kinda have a magic problem too.” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “Any more stuff and there’d be too much to handle at once.”

Twilight hummed in thought once Spike was situated again. Rainbow Dash had a point, and it was clear the rest of the girls agreed to some degree. The solution Twilight came up with, however, didn’t sit well with the studious girl. “It might be for the best if we split into teams for this. As Rainbow said, there’s just too many problems for us to solve one at a time.” She grimaced as she looked at her glasses one more time, before putting them in their case. “The magic problem can wait. I’ll keep my glasses somewhere nobody can get ahold of them, and we can figure out what to do when Sunset gets back. We should also bring anything from Equestria to somewhere safe so that any other potential magic doesn’t go wild and hurt anyone.”

Applejack perked up and smiled. "We could bring all our souvenirs over to Sweet Apple Acres. Ah can't exactly move the trees Ah got, what with how big they keep getting, but y'all could bring your stuff there, for now, an’ Big Mac can keep an eye on ‘em."

Twilight thought for a moment before sighing. “That’s probably the best option we have. Alright then, we’ll look into Celestia and Sunny Days when we can, and try to get our stuff to Applejack’s.”

Rainbow smirked a bit and chuckled. “Wow Twilight, with Sunset gone, you’re stepping up to the plate like the Princess did.”

Twilight’s face burned a bright red, and the bookish girl sputtered. “What!? But I- I don’t-!” The girls all shared a laugh at their friend’s expense, and Twilight looked down at her food. “I’m just trying to think of what Sunset would do.”

A white hand landed on her shoulder and Twilight looked over to see Rarity giving her a sympathetic smile. “It’s all in good fun, darling. I’m sure Rainbow would have come up with a jab for Sunset if she was here too.” The fashionista then looked at her phone for a moment before grimacing. “It seems, however, that lunch is running short thanks to our little meeting. Shall we see who goes with whom?”

Realizing how short on time they were, the girls dived into their discussion on who would be with who in their research. What they failed to notice, however, was an orange and yellow-haired girl listening in from a table away. “Hmm... stuff from Ponyland huh? I bet G would love to hear about this.” Turning and walking out of the lunch room, she chuckled and pulled out her phone as she started going through her contacts. “Soccer balls just aren’t cutting it anymore.”

Lightning smirked as she turned down the hallway. “It’s about time we got back at you for bailing on us, Rainbow.”
> Hospitable Veils
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Baltimare Hospital was a place in town that had a bit of a unique feeling compared to other medical establishments. Where in most hospitals there was the usual feelings and smells, namely an odd mix of dread and antiseptic scented hope, Baltimare’s hospital was home to a unique set of everyday occurrences.

So much so, that Twilight and Sunset had to take a moment and stare at a pony who had climbed up the side of the building. The sight wouldn’t have been so weird if it weren’t for the fact that the earth pony was climbing with suction cups. “So... is this something that happens often?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing over at Hot Air.

“Yeah, Suction Cup there has been an issue across town. Likes to climb everything he can, regardless of how often it gets him in the hospital. Last time, it was some cleaning products CEO that he tangled with.” Hot Air shook his head and turned back to the front entrance. “The staff should take care of him. Let’s get inside.”

As the three headed inside, Twilight kept an eye to the door for a moment before looking to Sunset. “I’m starting to wonder if Equestria as a whole is as weird as Ponyville, or if it’s just Baltimare.”

Sunset shrugged as she walked. “I guess important ponies attract the bizarre? I sure don’t remember anything like that while growing up.” The two fell into silence as they caught up with Hot Air, who was standing at the receptionist’s desk.

Once they caught up, they could hear the two better. “Alright Mr. Air, Dr. Throb will see you in a moment.”

Sunset’s eyebrows shot up for a moment as she glanced around. “Heart Throb? He’s here?” Twilight raised her eyebrow at Sunset, and the amber unicorn blushed a bit before grinning sheepishly. “Heart Throb was the stallion in school who had mares flocking over him. Uh, let’s say that if I weren’t interested in mares, I’d be worshiping those flanks.” Her grin turned as she got lost in her thoughts. “Might just do it now that he’s a doctor.”

Hot Air just looked back at her with a small grin. “Then you’re in for a surprise when Dr. Throb gets here.” His smile fell a bit when Sunset shot him a low glare.

Twilight looked to the receptionist with a slightly curious glance. The receptionist just shrugged and motioned for the three to take a seat, taking the next patient to walk in shortly after. There wasn’t much talking between the three of them as they sat. Seconds ticked into minutes, but eventually, Hot Air had his name called, and the three stood.

The nurse, however, put a hoof up when Sunset and Twilight tried to follow. “Sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait here.”

Hot Air turned around and smiled. “I don’t mind them coming.”

The nurse frowned and sighed. “Sir, I’m sorry, but you know the rules. I can’t let anyone--”

“Everything alright?” The four turned their heads to see a blue and purple pinto mare walk up clad in a lab coat. She stopped when she saw Hot Air and rolled her eyes. “Hot Air, causing more trouble again?”

Hot Air looked offended for a moment before pouting. “I’m just trying to come to our appointment. She’s the one who won’t let my daughter join me.”

The doctor sighed and rolled her eyes, before walking around the nurse, where they could see her better. “Hot Air, you know the--” She froze the moment she saw the ponies in question, before blinking in surprise. “Sunset Shimmer?”

Sunset just blinked in confusion and raised an eyebrow as the doctor walked out and started to circle her. “Uh... yes?” She jumped in surprise when she felt a hoof brush against her cutie mark, before swiping at the offending doctor’s hoof with her tail. “Hey!”

“Sorry, just checking.” The doctor smiled apologetically before looking Sunset in the eye and rubbing her chin. “I'm surprised to see you are looking so young.”

Blinking in surprise, Sunset felt a small blush dance across her cheeks. “Uh, magical shenanigans?” Sunset offered, taking a step back. “I’m sorry, but, do I know you?”

It was the doctor’s turn to blink in surprise for a moment before frowning. “Oh come on, you don’t even recognize me? I mean seriously, you, me, and every other mare we hung out with spent years chasing my husband’s flank. I even thought we were friends after a while.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed for a moment before she started staring a thousand yards into the void. “Wait. Are you, Neuron Pulse?”

Chuckling and brushing a lock of her mane out of her eyes, Neuron just smiled. “Well, it’s Dr. Neuron Throb now, but yes.” She trotted over to the door leading to the back and turned to the receptionist. “She can come since she’s family, and Hot Air is giving permission, but the princess will have to wait outside.”

The receptionist for her part looked surprised and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” Dr. Throb gave a quick nod to the front desk, and the receptionist sighed, going back to her papers. 

Sunset paused for a moment to look to Twilight, who just shrugged and nodded her head to the door. The amber unicorn gave her friend a quick smile of thanks before following her father into the back.

Dr. Throb and Sunset walked down the hall towards the room that Hot Air was waiting in before Sunset stopped. “Hey, Neuron?” The medical pony paused her walking to look back towards Sunset. “I know this isn’t something I should be asking, but how exactly is my dad doing?”

Sighing, Dr. Throb turned to Sunset with a small frown. “That’s something I can’t give too much detail. Patient-doctor confidentiality and all that. All I can say is that he could be doing better.” She smiled and put a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “However, if the situation changes or Hot Air allows for his medical records to be released to you, I can tell you later.”

“Right.” The two continued their walk to the back and Sunset looked around. There was an encompassing feeling of awkwardness as she kept trying to avoid looking at Dr. Throb. Every time she did, she kept seeing a markless filly half her size trotting around without a care in the world. The same little filly that she’d tease saying that there wasn’t a chance for her to catch Heart Throb’s eye because of how young she was. Only to blink and switch back to the doctor who was walking with her. What she saw was yet another haunting reminder of how long she was gone.

Shaking her head, Sunset cleared the thoughts out as best she could and cleared her throat, getting Dr. Throb’s attention. “So... what field of medicine did you take up?”

Laughing a bit, they stopped at the door just at the end of the hall, and Dr. Throb grabbed the handle. “It’s a bit on the nose, but Neuroscience. I’m the resident Neurosurgeon when not tending to patients due to my thankful lack of necessary operations.” Heading inside, Dr. Throb paused for a moment and held a hoof out towards Sunset. “Wait here for a moment.”

Standing outside the room as the door shut, Sunset looked around curiously. Sitting there in the hall was by no means her first time in a hospital, but something felt distinctly off. The section of the hospital they were in didn’t look like a standard check-up area. The number of nurses nearby also felt like they were trying to prepare for something. Shaking her head, Sunset let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding in an attempt to calm down. She was overthinking it and was getting worked up over next to nothing.

At least, that's what she told herself. The whispering she heard from some of the nurses nearby made that harder to believe.

“Another one?”

“This makes, what, seven?”

“He was doing so well too.”

“I think this one might be the real deal.”

“Now that you mention it, she doesn’t look dyed.”

When Sunset looked towards them, they jumped in their skin and turned back to their work. Her eyes narrowed for a moment before the door opened again and her attention was back to Dr. Throb, who had just stepped out. “Sunset, a word?” 

Her heart sank from the tone of Dr. Throb’s voice.

Sunset gave a small nod, and Dr. Throb sighed. “I have good news. Your father has agreed to let me divulge his medical history to you.” Sunset had a smile start to grace her features before Dr. Throb shook her head, quickly making it fade. “However, that is the extent of the good.” 

Sunset’s throat felt dry as what hope she had bled out of her. “How... how bad is he?”

“The damage that cost him his wing did more than take his flight. Your father has moderate nerve damage in his back and lungs, as well as the mana-paths leading up to his brain. Had anyone noticed sooner, we might have been able to help him, but his condition was discovered several years too late.” Dr. Throb sighed and shook her head as she glanced at the door leading back into the examination room. “The result, unfortunately, is Ether-Vascular Dementia.” 

Sunset felt like the world had broken. “I... I thought that only happened to Unicorns?”

Dr. Throb shook her head and looked Sunset in the eye. “It’s rare, but sometimes it can happen to Pegasi or even Earth Ponies should they be involved with intense bursts of uncontrolled magic. A strong enough surge of foreign magic can cause enough damage to start the degradation.” She scowled, surprising Sunset a bit. “I just can’t believe those morons in Canterlot didn’t even bother to check after he lost his wing.”

Looking confused, Sunset shook her head. “But... he told me it was a boiler accident. It exploded when he was working on repairing it.”

Dr. Throb shook her head. “According to his medical history, Hot Air’s wing was severed by an arc of uncontrolled magic before his discharge from the Royal Guard. The spell cauterized the wound and kept him from dying of blood loss, but the damage was done, and the wing could not be saved, nor could he be fitted for a prosthetic. The records show this all occurred twenty-eight years ago.” A sad chuckle left the doctor as she shook her head. “I can’t believe I’ve gone over his records so much I’ve gotten that memorized.”

Sunset was silent. She sat there, staring down at her hooves as Dr. Throb put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Dr. Throb shook her head and gave Sunset a small smile. “For what? It’s not like it’s your fault he lost his wing or that any of this is happening. You’re doing everything you can just by being here for him.” Even to Sunset, her words sounded hollow. They were more of an automatic response than anything else.

“You’re right.” Sunset rubbed her face and frowned as she looked back up. “It’s just that this never gets any easier.” Sunset glanced at the door with trepidation. “How... how long?”

“By our estimations, he has till the end of the year.” Dr. Throb then trotted over to the door and gave a strained smile. “You can come in if you’d like. If not, then you’re free to wait here or in the lobby.”

“I- I’ll be in the lobby. Could you let me know how his examination goes?” Dr. Throb nodded, and Sunset turned to leave, before stopping and looking back. “It... it was good seeing you again, Neuron.”

“It was good seeing you too.” A final sigh escaped the doctor’s lips before she turned to the medical room. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

The walk back to the lobby felt far longer than it was. Sunset’s mind was going over all the doctor had told her. She wanted to deny it all. As much as she loved her father, he was a habitual liar. But there had to be something true to what he told her, right? No, she knew that was a lie. One she told herself more often than not. Her father lied yet again.

Medical records didn’t.

In the end, it didn’t matter. With the state her father was in, the spell that he wanted cast would cause more harm than good.

Sunset got to the lobby, and Twilight looked hopeful for only a moment, before rushing over to her friend radiating worry. “How did it go?”

Looking over to the door that she’d just come through, Sunset sighed and deflated. “We’re going to have to figure something else out.” No more words needed to be said. Twilight’s posture sunk to match her friend and she wrapped Sunset in a hug.
> Preparations and Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As students started to file out of the school, many groups split apart to head home or work on projects for class. Others went off to jobs to pay for their hobbies with the paychecks they earned. Then there was the handful that did none of the above.

The Rainbooms were part of the latter group that evening.

Instead of heading home, they all gathered around at the statue portal. Twilight attempted to adjust her glasses, only to remember they were in her pocket and frown for a moment at the giggles it got from her friends, to which she could only roll her eyes and sigh. That was, after all, the fifth time since lunch that she’d done that. Eventually, Twilight managed to get them all to stop their giggles and got their attention. “Alright, girls, Teams are as follows.” Turning to her left, she pointed at the first pair of two. “Fluttershy and Applejack are going to see what they can find on Sunny Days. Since Granny Smith has been around longer than anyone in town, she might know something about her due to how she knows everyone.”

Applejack nodded with a determined smile. “While we’re at it, we’ll swing on over by Fluttershy’s place so she can grab her stuff before we head on to the farm.” 

Fluttershy smiled back and adjusted her bag, giving the farmer a wordless nod of her own, before she paused with a frown. “We might have to give Zephyr a lift, um, if that’s okay with you.”

Applejack grimaced a bit but sighed. “As long as Zephyr don’t do anything to cause a ruckus, Ah’ll let him ride in the back.”

“Which brings me to the next group.” Twilight turned to her right. “Rainbow and Pinkie, you’ll be in charge of getting any magic items we were given over to Sweet Apple Acres. Start with both of your gifts, and then swing by Rarity’s to get hers. Once you have them, call one of us, and we'll get you some transportation.”

Rainbow gave a salute and grinned. “You got it!”

Pinkie hummed in thought. “Marble, Limey, and Maud should be home right about now too. I hope the mess I made last night isn’t too much trouble for them to clean up.”

Twilight gave a quick nod before looking at Rarity. “While you all do that, Rarity and I will be working on finding Celestia’s age.” She turned back to the group and gave a determined smile. “With our combined attention to detail, we should be able to find out an age range, if nothing else.”

The group gave a shared nod before they all broke off to do their own jobs. Before Twilight could get far, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Twilight, darling?” She turned back around to see a worried look on Rarity’s face as she watched their friends walking down the sidewalk. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to trust Rainbow and Pinkie with this? Wouldn’t it be better to have Applejack and Fluttershy gather everything? The three of us are the only ones with vehicles at the moment, even if Fluttershy’s currently unable to borrow her mother’s van.”

Twilight sighed, and her smile from earlier fell as the two started for Rarity’s car. “Normally, no.” At Rarity’s surprise, Twilight turned her gaze to Pinkie’s increasingly distant silhouette, grimacing in worry. “When I looked at her through the glasses... something was off. With that, and how Pinkie’s been lately, I want someone there for her.  Especially since we have to split up for the moment to get everything done.” Her eyes moved over to where Rainbow walked along with Pinkie, and Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “And if there’s anyone I trust to stay by a friend, it’s Rainbow.”

The surprise on Rarity’s face bled into a wry smile as she raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’ve never had a friend before? You seem to be getting a good grip on the subject rather quickly.”

Twilight blinked a bit in surprise, before putting a hand to her head. “I, never really noticed that. It’s almost like the thoughts are coming naturally.” 

Rarity laughed as she unlocked the passenger door for Twilight. “Well, the other you is the one and only Princess of Friendship. That might have something to do with it.” As Twilight sat down, Rarity went over and climbed in the driver's seat, a frown taking over as she let her head rest on the wheel. “Makes my behavior look rather poor in comparison.”

At Twilight’s confusion, Rarity sat back up and turned to face her. “Remember how we told you about that little trip across the mirror?” Twilight gave a hesitant nod. “Well, according to the other me, out of a set of six artifacts, I was meant to be the one wielding the Element of Generosity.” A sad sigh left the fashionista as she started the car and started to back out. “Looking at my recent actions towards Sunset, however? I’ve been anything but generous.”

At that, Twilight felt herself wanting to scowl at the thought but settled for a disappointed stare. “Rarity, that’s ridiculous! You’ve done nothing but give--”

“Darling, how often have I gone with Sunset’s plans, and not our own?” Rarity’s interruption stopped Twilight from even answering as Rarity’s grip on the wheel tightened, and she turned out of the parking lot. “Every time we’ve been hanging out, I always managed to overlook what Sunset needed, in favor of what I wanted. Do I need a model? I pull Sunset or Fluttershy over. What about homework? Sunset’s smart, she can help where I’m lacking.” The green light ahead of them slowly switched to red, and Rarity brought the car to a stop. “That’s not being generous, Twilight. That’s being selfish. Selfishness, I plan to correct as soon as Sunset gets back.” There was a glint of something in Rarity’s eyes that made her practically glow. “I’m going to find out what she wants to do, and I will drag her there, kicking and screaming if I have to!”

Twilight was busy leaning away from Rarity at that moment, eyeing the girl worryingly. “Um, Rarity?”


Snapping out of her rant, Rarity blinked and looked over for a brief moment. “Yes, darling?”

Twilight dumbly pointed at her. “You’re glowing.” 

Sure enough, Rarity looked at her hands and noticed the white glow surrounding her, and a glance in the rearview made her take note of the pony ears sticking out of her head.

“Oh.” Rarity calmly adjusted her mirror back into place and blinked. “So, I am.”

The car was silent as the two waited for the light to turn green. Twilight let out a small cough, before looking away. “We should probably get to the library... and hope that you, uh, ponying up wears off on its own.”

Rarity couldn’t agree more, and the moment the light changed, she hit the gas.





Lightning Dust was not happy.

She had been hoping that she’d have more time, a day at least, to plan out her little scheme. To find a way to maximize Rainbow’s humiliation at her own hands. But no, now she was racing against the clock thanks to the Rainbooms’ plan. Because of course, they were taking it all there. Last time they got involved with that stupid farm, they lost big!

But now wasn’t the time to focus on past defeats.

Lightning Dust headed to downtown Canterlot, cruising along on her Harley. She came to a stop at a quiet alley and entered without any hesitation. In the back, a few other students from CHS could be found, along with others who shared their general appearance. The most notable of the group was the large girl with white hair and purple highlights. Gilda sat on a trashcan, a white stick sitting between her lips, and looked over as Lightning pulled in. 

Along with her in the alley, were two others of note. Rolling Thunder, a purple-skinned girl with light blue curly hair and a scar across her left eye, and Short Fuse, a boy with red skin and fiery hair that lived up to the first part of his name, were waiting against their respective bikes. Rolling Thunder smirked and walked over to Lightning, quickly followed by Fuse. “Hey, heard ya got something planned.” Her accent was thick enough to make anyone realize she wasn’t a Canterlot native.

Lightning chuckled and bumped fists with the purple girl. “You know it.”

The moment Gilda’s eyes locked on to Lightning, however, killed the casualness of the two, making them back away. A growl started in the back of her throat as Gilda pulled the final remains sucker out of her mouth, throwing what was left of the stick away. “You better have a good reason for calling me, Dust.”

“Yeah, I do.” Parking her bike next to a few others, Lightning got up and walked over. “I just figured out a new job.”

Gilda’s eyes narrowed as she hopped off of her perch and stalked towards the athlete. “I thought I told you. The Talons are not doing that crud anymore. Last time we did that, I got sent to juvie and expelled to cover you three sorry losers. What makes you think I’d risk more jail time?”

Lightning put on a cocky smirk. She knew Gilda wouldn’t go for it right off the bat. All she needed to do was sweeten the deal. “Even if it’d bag us millions?”

Short Fuse’s eyebrows rose as he smiled. “Millions?”

Gilda let out a barking laugh before going back to glaring. “I don’t know what you’ve been huffing to even make you think that. What could even begin to get close to that kind of profit in this town? This is Canterlot City, not Las Pegasus, Dust.” Turning away, Gilda started down the alley for her bike. “If you want to throw this idea out, bother Glinda or Gabby. One of them might humor you.” 

Yeah, and the other would break my neck. Lightning added as she had one more gambit for getting Gilda involved. It probably wouldn’t work the way she wanted it to, but she was short on time. “Even if you missed out at a chance to get back at Dash?” Lightning smirked as Gilda froze in place. 

Moments later, she was sharing the looks of fear that were on Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse, as Gilda’s hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her into the air. “I thought I told you.” Lightning’s back was slammed into the wall, as Gilda reached into her coat’s pocket and pulled out a clawed gauntlet. It looked like it was hammered together in the same alley they were standing in. A detail that Lightning was made very clear of when the claws were hovering over her eyes and Gilda leaned in, snarling. “Dash. Is. Off. Limits.”

“Okay! Okay! I totally get you! Bad idea!” Lightning raised a hand defensively, the other gripping against Gilda’s as sweat started to drip down the sides of her face, and her lungs burned. “I’ll cut Dash out of the plan! I promise!”

Dust and Gilda’s eyes were locked for a little bit longer before Gilda dropped Lightning on the ground like a sack of rocks. As Dust gasped for air, Gilda got a fistful of her hair and brought her head up. “If I find you bozos pulling anything to Rainbow or her friends, I will personally make you regret it.” Lightning was shoved back to the ground before Gilda turned back to her bike. Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse both stumbled out of Gilda’s path as she did.

As the roar of Gilda’s bike started to fade into the distance. Rolling Thunder helped Lightning to her feet. “Geez mate, did ya have to get her all riled up? Thought she was gonna break ya neck.”

“Yeah, if she didn’t gouge her eyes out first.” Fuse adjusted his jacket and grimaced.

“Trust me, Thunder. It’ll be worth it.” Lightning rubbed her throat and grimaced before she got a wicked smile. “This plan would be our best job yet!” Lightning ran in front of the larger girl, a wicked smirk on her face. “All we got to do is snag whatever Dash and her friends got from Ponyland, and-”

Short Fuse crossed his arms and leaned back a bit. “Are you crazy? After all that happened lately, I am not about to go and get turned into some freakshow! Not even a million dollars is worth that nightmare!”

Rolling her eyes, Lightning frowned and glared back. “I ain’t saying we use the stuff. We just have to steal it and pawn it off. Imagine the money we could make off of it if they got something good.” For a moment, the two hesitated, and Lightning managed to compose herself. “All three of us would be swimming in cash.”

Rolling Thunder scowled. “Yeah, on a floaty provided by the hospital. You heard G. She’ll tear us apart if we do this!”

Lightning chuckled and pulled her bag off her bike, rifling through it for a moment. “Come on, Thunder, we both know your answer.” She pulled something out and tossed it to Fuse, making the boy’s eyes widen. “And if you think I’d be willing to stand against G unprepared, you’re the one who’s crazy.”

The two delinquents both shared a glance before they turned to smile wickedly towards Lightning. “Alright, mate, we want details. What ya got planned?”

Lightning matched their smiles with one of her own, and the three huddled together. “First, we gotta work fast. The Rainbooms plan on taking all their magic stuff and stashin’ it off soon. Pick one and follow them until they show us where they’re keeping it, and take it if you can. We have to get that stuff before it all gets to Sweet Apple Acres. I don’t know about you two, but I don’t want a second run in with that behemoth they have working there.”

Short Fuse hopped onto his motocross bike and revved the engine. “So, what are we waiting for?”

Rolling raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Uh, how ‘bout the fact the two of us only know Rainbow. The heck is a ‘Rainboom’?”

“Right, you go to CP.” Lightning pulled out her phone and sent a text, making Rolling’s phone go off. “The Rainbooms are Dash’s new band. That’s one of their posters.”

Rolling smirked a bit and looked over each member before picking her target. “That one looks like she’ll be pretty easy to catch. Where can I find ‘em?” 

“Heh, good choice.” Lightning smiled as she sent another text. “She lives around there. You’ll need to get there fast to get there in time.” Lightning narrowed her eyes, and her jaw tightened. “Before we start, I want to make one thing clear.” For a second, Rolling and Short thought that Gilda had come back. There was a fire behind Lightning’s eyes that felt like they’d be burned to ashes the second they got to close. “Dash is mine. If either of you sees her, you tell me.”

Short gulped a bit and gave a thumbs up. “You got it, Dust.”

Stashing her phone away, Rolling Thunder got onto her bike. Unlike Short’s Moto, her Suzuki was customized to give as much speed as possible. A chuckle left Rolling Thunder as she watched Lightning get on her Harley. “If being filthy rich is wrong," her bike roared as the three of them pulled out of the alley and headed into town, "I don’t want to be right.”
> Staring at the Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trip back from the hospital was thankfully as uneventful as the trip going there. Uneventful, however, did not promise joy in the travelers themselves. Sunset refused to look at her father. Any time he would try to start a conversation, she would turn away. He couldn't bring himself to even try talking with Twilight. Princess of Friendship she may be, it was clear she was upset at the moment. He could tell why the two were angry with him. 

He'd done it again.

For Sunset, it wasn't so black and white. Under the dismissal, was hurt. Hurt, from having yet again been lied to, from knowing how limited her father's time was. Along with that hurt, however, was still a hint of love. He was the pony who raised her on his own since she was a foal; the pony who cared for her and made her laugh. She just wished he would tell her the truth for once. So when they reached Hot Air's home and headed inside, Sunset immediately went to her room and refused to leave. Hot Air, for his part, hesitated in getting closer, before sighing and heading upstairs without a word, turning instead to his own room.

It was a few hours later that Sunset joined Twilight in the living area and sit down on the couch. There was no chance of interruption, as Hot Air could be heard snoring upstairs. Regardless, it was silent between the two until Twilight spoke. "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know," Sunset muttered as she got up and sat properly. "The memory spell was pretty much our only plan. We can't use it on dad without scrambling his brain into goo. His mind is already fading slowly, and we have no leads on anything about my mother!" She sighed and looked down at the collection of pictures of her family, back when it was whole. Or at least, when it was as close as it would get to being whole. "I'm just getting tired of being led in circles."

"Don't worry. We will figure something out." Twilight started to pace and mutter to herself. "Maybe I could figure out a way to stabilize his mind long enough for the spell to work?"

Sunset rolled her eyes and snorted. "Twilight, if there were a spell for that, Ether-Vascular Dementia wouldn't be an issue for us right now."

"Oh, right...hmm..." Twilight's pacing resumed. Her muttering was now silent enough that Sunset couldn't pick out much of what she was saying. She couldn't help but shake her head at the princess. While she knew that Twilight was trying to help, this was a problem that magic couldn't fix. 

The thought itself usually would have felt so foreign to her, but Sunset guessed that was the effect of living in a magicless world for so long had on her. She would have to find a different solution. Maybe an old record book? No, they might end up digging through weeks of papers to try and see only a few that they needed. As plan after plan was scrapped, an ache made itself known. Sunset's hoof unconsciously made its way to her chest as she found herself desperately wishing she knew if her friends had found out anything.

It was then that a single word from that thought struck her. 

Friends.

She took another look at the photo album that was on the table and brought it up with her magic. There they all were, picture after picture of Sunset and her father, in some cases both at once. The further back she went, the younger she became. She turned to the walls and shelves around the room, looking at each photo she could find. One picture stuck out to her more than the rest, sitting framed on the side table. A tired but happy Sunny Days resting in a hospital bed, an ecstatic and probably panicking Hot Air gushing over her, and a bundle of joy, sleeping in her mother's hooves.

"Twilight." Sunset looked up, only to blink in surprise as her friend was still pacing around the room and muttering. "Twilight!" The purple alicorn kept her pacing up, deep in thought over a spell matrix or something. Sunset rolled her eyes again and inhaled. "TWILIGHT!"

"Gah!" Jumping a few feet in the air and instinctively unfurling her wings, Twilight hovered for a moment and looked around, before noticing Sunset looking at her with a deadpan. "Um... yes?"

"Come down here for a sec." Sunset waited for Twilight to land before showing her the pictures again. "What do you see?"

Twilight squinted as she looked at the photos with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you want me to find here Sunset. I'm only seeing your father and occasionally pictures of a rather adorable foal."

Blushing a bit, Sunset glared at Twilight. "Not the time, Twilight."

Sporting a blush, Twilight sheepishly grinned. "Right, sorry."

Getting back on track, Sunset pointed at various pictures. "Look closer. In each of these, who is in the frame?"

Twilight hummed in thought, as she looked over each one. "Well, there's you, Hot Air, and a few have both of you."

Sunset hopped up from the couch and was starting to smile. Picking up the photo with her mother, she gave it to Twilight for a moment. "Now look at this one."

"This is... the one photo you have of your mother, right?" Sunset gave a quick nod, and Twilight looked closer. Her eyes widened as she stepped back. "Wait, how are all three of you in the shot?" 

"Exactly!" Sunset put the photo back down and turned to Twilight. "If all three of us were in the photo,"

"Then who was holding the camera!" Twilight finished with a look of realization. She paused before she facehoofed and sighed. "Wow, I can't believe I didn't think about whether or not your parents had friends we could ask instead. I'm supposed to be the princess of this stuff."

"Don't worry, we all occasionally take turns holding the idiot ball, as Applejack once so elegantly put it," Sunset smirked as Twilight gave a small glare. The two kept looking at each other before devolving into a fit of giggles, that fell further into a pile of laughter. "Now, we just have to figure out who was taking the pictures."

"I think we have a fairly good idea of who to talk to for that." Twilight frowned as she glanced at the stairs that Hot Air had retreated up. "He did take us to them earlier."

Sunset and Twilight shared a nod before they started out of the room. "I'll let dad know we'll be out for a moment." She started for the stairs, only to flatten her ears and flinch back when a loud snore ripped through the house. "Or not, I guess. Forgot how hard he sleeps." 

Twilight smiled a bit as she waited at the door. "It's probably his medicine. I read about the treatments they offer for various conditions while I was waiting in the lobby at the hospital and how a lot of the chemicals used have the added effect of being somewhat powerful sedatives at times."

A second snore made Sunset wince as she turned away. "It sure sounds like you're right." She quickly joined Twilight at the front door and flashed her a determined smile. "It's time to pay a visit to the Ren-Faire again."





Leaving Hot Air behind, for the time being, Sunset and Twilight headed into town. They arrived at the Faire with no trouble, but there was something off as they walked among the tents. Some of the ponies operating them looked worried; others confused. Some ponies were walking around, looking for something. Sunset shared a look with Twilight as confusion spread to them as well.

Twilight walked over to one of the stalls and tapped on the counter, getting the vendor's attention. "What's going on?"

The poor mare at the counter sighed and waved a hoof to the ponies searching. "The Faire's main performance was set to start almost half an hour ago, but we haven't been able to find Line Writer anywhere." 

Twilight blinked in surprise and leaned back a bit. "What?"

Sunset trotted over and frowned. "Do you have any ideas where they might be?"

The vendor shook her head and sighed. "We've looked everywhere. It's like they ran off or something. Stage Play's got everyone to start looking for him, but we can't find anything."

Twilight hummed in thought before looking around. "Does Stage Play have an office?"

"Check tent seven. Stage Play should be in there. It's the closest thing he has to one." The vendor pointed down to a tent close to the theater that had been set up down the path.

Sunset gave the mare a nod. "Thank you." Wasting no more time, Sunset bolted down the path, Twilight hot on her heels.

When they entered the tent, they were surrounded by various costumes and changing mirrors. Pacing in the middle of it all, was Stage Play. His eyes were darting about as he bit at one of his hooves. Sweat trickled down his face, and he kept muttering to himself with each glance at the clock that sat on one of the makeup stations. "Oh, sweet Celestia, where is he?"

"Stage Play!" The poor earth pony jumped out of his skin and whirled around, only to sigh with a bit of relief when he saw who had startled him. "Oh, it's just you."

Sunset stepped forward and looked at Stage Play with a worried gaze. "Stage, what's going on? We came over to talk with you and Line Writer, but the ponies outside said he's missing." 

Stage Play slumped with a shaky breath as the mares both approached him. "He is. He said he had to do something before the performance could start tonight, but he hasn't come back! We were supposed to start--" He gasped and pulled at his face. "Half an hour ago!? If he takes any longer, we'll be giving out more refunds than we can afford!"

"What do you mean?" Sunset raised an eyebrow, noticing the earth pony stiffen try to turn away.

Eventually, the pony sighed and turned to face her. "The Faire's... not doing well. We've been barely making ends meet, and the cost of owning this plot of land has been draining what we do make. Our performances are our big selling points, but the problem is that Line Writer keeps the master copy of any scripts he writes. Sure, there are the ones that go to each performer, so they know their parts, and he usually leaves a second copy with me so I can be the narrator, but without the master copy, I can't fill in as a narrator because he didn't leave me anything!"

Twilight and Sunset both let out a short whinny before the princess frowned. "Why the heck would he do that!? That has to be some of the most counterproductive--"

Sunset stuffed a hoof into Twilight's mouth and frowned. "That doesn't change the problem here, Twilight. We can harp on Line Writer's management later." She turned back to Stage Play with a determined glint in her eyes. "Do you think he left a copy anywhere?"

"It's possible, but he usually gives them to me directly." Stage Play then started to look through the dressers and desks, only to stop when he felt a hoof on his shoulder. 

"I know this isn't the time," Sunset started, staring him in the eyes with a frown, "but how long have you known about my dad's dementia?"

Stage Play froze, before sighing and pursing his lips. "For a while now. I promised him I wouldn't tell you about that, but since you asked, I guess the cat's already out of the bag." He gave her a weak smile before nodding. "How about after the performance, I tell you what I know. That sound fair?" As Sunset gave an appreciative nod, Stage chuckled. "Gotta say, Your dad helping us is probably why Line hasn't run us under yet."

Sunset's reply was cut short by Twilight shouting. "Found it!" A stack of pages floated up from a between the tent's wall and one of the mirrors. "It was taped back here, along with these." Twilight's magic brought out an envelope and a hefty tome. All of it was placed before Stage Play and Sunset.

A glance at the title of the book made Sunset raise an eyebrow. "Memoria Mystica? Why would a playwright need this?"

The stallion frowned as he squinted at the envelope, and opened it. A quick scan of the contents made his eyes widen, before quickly falling into a scowl. "That bucking idiot."

"What is it?" Sunset glanced at the letter before Stage Play let her take it from his hoof. "Line went to talk with my dad about the memory spells?"

Twilight took a look at the book's contents, flipping it open to where a bookmark was present. "Specifically, Professor Cranium's Cerebral Cartography spell, it seems."

Stage Play blinked for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "The what now?"

Not hesitating for even a moment, Twilight started going over the text. "It's a spell that lets you dive into the mind of a pony and wander at your leisure." She moved the book over to Stage and let him read. "It's different than the spells allowed by medical professionals or the royal guard. The restriction was due to the risk it put on both caster and target. When the spell is in effect, any damage done inside the mind to either party is permanent. This lead to it being banned across almost all of Equestria and forbidden from common practice."

Sunset felt a chill run down her spine as a scowl formed across her face. "He better not try to use any magic on my dad."

Twilight nodded and looked over at Stage play. "Do you mind if we borrow this?" Stage shook his head, and Twilight took the book, letting it float in her magic. "We need to get back to your father's home." 

Both mares bolted from the tent, galloping past ponies left and right. As they left the Faire, Sunset thought over everything. How hadn't they seen Line Writer when coming over in the first place? At some point, they should have run into him on the way to the Faire, yet they hadn't seen even a passing glance of him. She shook her head, gritting her teeth as she redoubled her speed.

Something wasn't right, and she could feel it.
> Parks and Reminiscing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Back in Canterlot City


As Rainbow and Pinkie walked down the road, the silence was near deafening. All either of them could hear was the sound of their footfalls and the occasional car passing by. To a passerby, it was clear at least one of them wanted to talk. The other, however, looked lost in her own world. Eventually, they started to cut through a park to reduce the time between the school and Pinkie's place.

So it was with a hint of hesitation, that Rainbow finally worked up the nerve to say something. "So, uh, how did classes go for you?"

"They were okay." Pinkie shrugged a bit and looked to the side, looking at her reflection in a nearby pond. "It's just... I really wish this wasn't so hard."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow and looked over at her pink friend. "What's hard?" Putting a cocky smirk on her face, the soccer star pounded a fist on her chest. "If this is about taking care of stuff while Sunset's gone, we got this!"

Pinkie sighed and shook her head. "It's not that, Dashie." Fiddling with the curls at the ends of her hair, Pinkie looked into the pink locks in thought. "Everyone acts like they're doing okay, but I know they're not. Applejack. Rarity. Fluttershy. Even Twilight. Everyone's putting on a brave face, but none of them can bring themselves to smile for real. I don't know what's bothering them exactly, but I can tell they're not happy." What few curls were in her hair slowly started to bleed out entirely as a stray tear fell down her face. "I... I always know how to bring a smile to someone's face." A hiccup betrayed her as she stopped walking. "So why can't I? Why can't I make my friends smile?"

Dash stopped in her tracks as she turned to face her friend. She looked around with a grimace, before sighing and pulling Pinkie to a nearby park bench and sat down with her. The two did nothing much for a moment after that. They just sat there and let the wind blow by. "I did something stupid." 

"Huh?" Pinkie looked over in surprise at Dash, confusion dancing in her eyes.

With a sigh, Dash let her head fall forward as she hunched over, elbows resting on her knees. "Before...Before Princess Twilight showed up. Back when we were all at each other's throats?" Pinkie gave a hesitant nod, and Rainbow looked forward at the water again. "I may have joined a small-time gang."

"WHAT!?" Pinkie shrieked, before covering her mouth and giving an apologetic glance at a couple she'd startled on the other side of the lake. Once they were back on their way, she turned to Rainbow again. "You did what!?"

Rainbow was busy sucking in a strained breath as she looked away and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, it... wasn't my proudest moment. We all rode around Canterlot during the late hours, when most people were asleep. Most of the time, it was just that. Me riding on a nice bike in the dead of night alongside people I thought were old friends." She scowled and looked down at her hands. "Then... then they started to do things I wasn't cool with. Enjoying the rush of wind on your face was one thing. Vandalism and theft were another."

Pinkie could feel her heart stopping as she let out a small gasp. "Dashie."

Rainbow continued, regardless of the ache starting to form in her chest. "The last thing I heard them planning was a raid on Sweet Apple Acres. They were going to steal all of the hard cider Applejack had been making that year and whatever cash they could while they were at it. I tried to talk them out of it, but they weren't going to back down. Some of them were talking about using a hostage if they didn't get any money immediately." Her face tightened as her eyes stared through her hands and into the past. "I may have been mad at AJ, but... even I knew her family needed all the money they could to get by, and Applebloom didn't deserve to go through that. So, I bailed and went to the cops to let them know what was going down." Looking away, Rainbow let out a sigh herself and found it harder to sit where she was. "Ever since, I've always had that in the back of my head. It doesn't help that Lightning Dust is part of the Soccer team."

Pinkie wanted to put a hand on Rainbow's shoulder but instead found her holding onto one of Rainbow's hands. "Lightning Dust? She...?"

"Yeah. Dust was the one who came up with a lot of the 'plans' we did. Honestly, I think she just has an adrenaline addiction. Her ideas always got more and more insane." Pinkie stared at Rainbow for a second, before a snort managed to come out her nose. Rainbow for her part raised an eyebrow. "What? Did I--" The moment her earlier sentence clicked in her head, Rainbow deadpanned and rolled her eyes. "Oh haha, Pinkie. I'm serious. There's something wrong with that girl. She kept trying to do things that put more than just us at risk. She even stole a set of spike strips from the cops!" Rainbow pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, pulling her hand away from Pinkie. "There were other people that could have got hurt by what we did, and in the end, I wasn't able to keep one of them safe."

Pinkie's throat felt dry, but she scooted a bit closer to Rainbow. "Who?"

"Gilda." Rainbow looked out towards the park from under her bangs, eyes unfocused. "She and I had been friends back in elementary after she transferred over from Griffonstone. So when she offered me a place when all my friends were gone, I didn't question it. I was just happy to hang out with an old friend. To have someone there for me." Her grip on her knees tightened a bit. "I just wanted to keep people from getting hurt. I went to talk with her, to explain why I did what I did, but when I went to her place, I find out she'd been sent to juvie along with a few others after they caught everyone. She took all the blame, just to keep them all from going to jail. She wanted to protect her gang, her family... and I caused her to be in the crosshairs. After everything was said and done, I poured more time into the sports teams. It took me being willing to step down from my top spot to convince Spitfire not to kick me."

When Rainbow felt a hand on her back, she looked up to see Pinkie's sad eyes looking back. "Dashie, why didn't you tell any of us?"

Shame washed over Rainbow as she looked away. "Cause... I was afraid you all would look at me the same way you did Sunset. The same way I did.” Letting out a wry chuckle, Rainbow put a hand over her face to try and hide the tear that had trailed down her cheek. "Some friend I am." Pinkie stood up, and in an instant, Rainbow found herself hauled up off the bench and trapped in a bearhug. "Wha--!?"

"I... I want to say that we wouldn't have done that." Pinkie muttered into Rainbow's shoulder. "I really really really do, but after everything that's happened, I can't." Rainbow shook for a moment, before Pinkie's grip tightened, making her wheeze a bit. "But that doesn't matter! We all learned something from what happened. I made a Pinkie Promise to myself not to make my friends cry ever again after that night. So while I might have a hard time smiling at the moment, I won't let my friends frown or beat themselves up!" Pinkie broke the hug and held Rainbow at arm's length, hands on her shoulders. "You were only trying to keep Applejack's family safe, and you did what you needed to do! I'm sure if we found Gilda, she'd be willing to talk, no problem!"

Rainbow Dash stared in shock for a moment, before a small smile started to creep onto her face. "Thanks, Pinks. That means a lot."

"No, problemo!" Pinkie beamed for a moment, before hugging Rainbow yet again. "Guess I just needed to get that off my chest too, cause I'm feeling loads better now!" There was a small flash of light before Pinkie paused her return to Happyland and started feeling her face. "Huh, that's weird. I feel really tingly right now.” 

Rainbow raised an eyebrow before her eyes moved up to the top of Pinkie's head, and her jaw dropped. "Uh. That might be the reason you're feeling tingly Pinks."

Pinkie reached up and into her hair, only to find a pair of pink pony ears sticking out of her head. A second look at herself made a note of her extended hair. There was also the far more noticeable pink glow that surrounded her entire body. "Hey! I ponied up!"

"Aw Yeah! At least we still got magic on our side!" Rainbow high-fived Pinkie before she paused and chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Also, uh, could you not tell anyone about all of that? I kinda don't want AJ to chew my ear off. That, and I made us waste a lot of time with that emotion dump, and we still need to get to your place."

Gasping exaggeratedly, Pinkie grabbed Rainbow's wrist. "You're right! I need to let Maud know that I'm feeling better!"

"That's not what I--" Before she could finish, Rainbow started to dangle through the air as Pinkie took off, dragging her along with. Whatever she had been saying, was lost to the wind as the duo disappeared from the park. 





At the Pie family home, Limestone grumpily threw yet another bag of garbage into the trash. Each one had been filled with either empty bottles of cleaner, broken eggshells, and other debris from Pinkie's cooking rampage. An entire bag was even dedicated to the remnants of her failed attempts, which was the one she had just gotten into the trash. "Why are we the ones doing this?"

Maud remained neutral as always, putting some clean dishes away and starting on the next load. "Pinkie fell asleep mid-baking again and had to go to school. We're cleaning this up to be nice."

Limestone growled as she slammed the trash can lid shut. "Pinkie needs to clean up after herself!"

Through the increasingly one-sided argument, if only because it was hard to tell if Maud was actually arguing or not, Marble sat and watched quietly. A part of her wished that Limestone wouldn't shout so much, but she understood where it was coming from. Pinkie was kind of messy, and while the grey girl never said as much, Marble was happy when they finally got separate rooms. However, at that moment, she was more worried about how sad Pinkie looked when she left that morning. It wasn't like her sister to be so dejected and unmotivated. It reminded her of what Pinkie was like when Granny Pie passed. 

Marble shook her head and sighed, instead choosing to focus on her sisters, who were here at the moment. Limestone's shouting drowned out most sound, but while trying to pay attention to the arguing, Marble's ears picked up the sound of something rattling. "Hmm?" She looked around, trying to find the source when her eyes widened at the sight of the trashcan starting to tremble.

Limestone and Maud had moved their discussion on Pinkie's mess into the same room she was in, and Marble hesitantly moved closer. "I am just saying that Pinkie should at least help more! We can't keep babying her because she 's,--" Limestone's rant stopped as Marble tugged on her arm. "Hey, can't you see we're talking here!?" Marble's finger shook as she pointed at the garbage can, making Limestone give an annoyed roll of her eyes. "What? It's just garbage! You can't tell me you're now scared of that too!"

Maud was about to tell Limestone to calm down when she felt something bump against her foot. Looking down, she spotted one of the failed cupcakes from Pinkie's baking last night. Picking it up, Maud looked as confused as she turned it over. She could have sworn she had already collected them all and gotten rid of them.

Then it trembled in her hand, and the burnt outer shell cracked.
> Sunspots
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and Sunset arrived at Hot Air’s home, and they instantly felt their blood run cold. The door, which had been shut when they both left, was currently wide open. They shared a glance before moving silently into the home. Twilight peaked into the living room, seeing nothing disturbed, as Sunset headed for the stairs. When she was at the top, she could hear someone from the direction of her father’s bedroom. Gulping back her nerves, she slowly made her way closer and took a peek inside.

Her father was fast asleep, drooling on the pillow as he snored. Next to him, however, she could see that Line Writer was busy going over a few hastily scribbled down notes, green magic holding them aloft. He was scowling as he did, before grumbling to himself. “Figures I’d have to use a hot spell for this. It will be worth it in the end, though.” The notes were put away, and his horn lit again as a beam struck Hot Air between the eyes. From the point of impact, a holographic image of a door slowly grew, before it rested next to the bed. Without any hesitation, Line Writer opened the door and stepped through. 

Sunset ran in as the door started to close, horn alight. Her magic tried to grip onto the door, but she didn’t have enough power behind her horn to get a grip. “No, no, no, no!” She looked at her Dad, still sleeping, but his face started to scrunch up in discomfort. “Twilight! Get up here!” The sound of hooves pounding on the stairs preceded the princess before she burst into the room panting.

Twilight looked at the restless Hot Air for a moment. She then gasped at the sight of the ethereal door in the middle of the room. “We’re too late.”

“Twilight, why can’t I get this bucking door open!” Sunset grunted as she tried to force it open again.

Twilight pulled the spell book out of her bag before taking a moment to read it’s contents. “The book says that only somepony with exceptionally high levels of magic can open the door by force from the outside. The pony that cast the spell can pass with ease.”

“Then how do we get him out?” Groaning, Sunset stomped her irritation into the carpet floor as she finally stopped pulling. “We can’t just leave him in my dad’s head!”

“We have two options. One, we get the guard involved and have even more ponies running through your father’s own memories. Two,” Twilight looked hesitant, before sighing. “One of us will need to hold the spell, while the other goes in to stop him from causing any damage.” 

Sunset stared at the door for a moment before narrowing her eyes. “Twilight, open the door.”

Lighting up her horn, Twilight’s magic bled into the handle, turning it a light magenta. “Are you sure?”

“My dad has continuously lied to me all my life.” Sunset’s face scrunched as she stepped closer to the doorway. “I know at first, his intentions were an attempt to spare me the pain of knowing what happened to her. The problem is that he never stopped, and I don’t think he can anymore.” She looked over at Twilight, a reigned determination flashing through them. “But he’s still my Dad. When I felt alone, he made me feel loved. His memories might finally let me know who my mother was, and I’ll rot in Tartarus before I let some old idiot destroy them and take him away from me.”

Twilight matched her stare for a moment before the door was pulled open, and an audible whine came from her horn. A bead of sweat dripped down her face as she held the passage open. “Just... be careful, okay?”

Sunset gave her friend a quick nod, before diving through the doorway and into her father’s mind. Twilight let go of the spell as soon as Sunset was through, and fell to her knees panting. Looking up, she could see any traces of magenta were gone from the door. She hauled herself back to her hooves and moved to the side of Hot Air’s bed, looking at him in worry. If he was going to be alright, it was going to be up to Sunset now.





The detail that Sunset noted the most after hopping through the spell-made doorway was how similar it was to going through the portal back to CHS. There was a lot of spinning, colors, and nausea, but she at least got to stay a pony this time. With a thud, she landed on her face in a patch of grass. “Ow.” Pushing herself up, she gave her head a quick shake. Despite the landing, she didn’t feel much of an ache.

Looking up, her jaw dropped.

Starting a few yards before her, was a sheer drop from the place she landed. That was not what garnered her attention, however, as floating in sight was several masses of land. Islands of grassland and forest, flying through the sky atop masses of cloud. The one she was standing on had a single tree, providing shade from an overhanging sun.

“Wow.” Sunset took a tentative step as she looked around at the islands, walking along the edge of the island she stood on. “This... is my dad’s mind?” Something moving in the distance managed to catch her attention, and with a bit of squinting, she saw a blue hot air balloon floating towards another island.

More importantly, however, was the stallion piloting it.

Line Writer, who had yet to notice he was not alone in Hot Air’s mindscape, moved the balloon further into the distance, much to Sunset’s chagrin. Sunset almost took off after him, but skid to a stop at the edge of the island she was on before stupidly plummet to her demise. Looking down, she noted how if she did fall, she never would have stopped falling. There was simply nothing below her. A blue void that matched the sky above her. 

Looking around her current island again wasn’t much better. There was nothing here but the same tree providing her shade. Nothing but dirt, grass, a tree, and the door leading out of the mindscape. “BUCK!” Sunset slammed her hooves into the tree with a kick and started stomping as she paced. “How am I supposed to follow him now!?”

That’s when she noticed a flower that wasn’t there before. Curiously, she looked it over, before the petals split open, making Sunset jump back in surprise. Inside the leaves was not a flower, but a flower shaped hole in reality. Inside, she could see something was happening between some ponies. Curiosity fought back control from her surprise. Lifting her hoof, Sunset tentatively touched the flower, and her eyes went white.





Blinking the spots from her sight, Sunset squinted as she looked around. Gone was the island, and she found herself standing instead in the Royal Palace. Her heart leaped into her throat, as a pair of guards started down the hallway, but when they didn’t pay her any mind, she began to follow them. “Um, hey, can I get some help here?” The guards continued to ignore her as they walked. “Hey! I’m talking to you--”

Sunset, in an attempt to get their attention, tried to grab onto one of their tails. Only when she came into contact, her hoof fazed right through, and she stumbled. She stood there in shock for a moment before it clicked in her head. “A memory. I’m inside a memory right now.” She looked around again and frowned. “But which one?” 

Seeing nothing else she could really do, she followed the guards, before rounding the corner and spotting her father in full armor, looking much younger. Of the two guards going down the hall, the older one stopped and stared him in the eye. “Private Hot Air, report.”

Her father saluted. “Nothing to report, Captain. The Treasury is secure.”

The older guard nodded with a grunt. “Return to your post. A patrol will relieve you in ten.” Hot Air lowered his hoof and went back to his spot at the door, and the rest of the guard walked away. Sunset, however, stayed behind and waited.

The moment that the old guard was gone, Hot Air slumped a bit and let out a long sigh. “Old decrepit stuck up holier than thou-- If only I could punch him in the face without getting discharged.” He grumbled and leaned against the wall with a disgruntled glower. “Guard duty is bucking boring.” Sunset found herself stifling a giggle. For some reason, this version of her father felt all too real. It was almost humorous with that pout he was making. The memory of Hot Air sighed as he rubbed his head with a hoof. “I could leave for like... five hours, and I could bet bits nothing would happen.” He rolled his eyes and sighed again. “Yeah, like I could also bet bits that I’d end up talking to myself while standing here. Good going, Hot Air.”

Sunset was almost feeling sorry for him at that moment. The sound of crashing came from within the room, making Sunset jump. Hot Air immediately jumped to attention and rushed inside. “Halt! Who goes... there?”

Sunset ran in after him and winced at the sight of several old relics topped over. Half of these were ones she had read about but never got to see herself, having been destroyed prior. Underneath them, she could see a single pink, almost white, hoof sticking out of the pile. There was a groan from the pony in question, and Hot Air moved to start picking up the debris. Sunset’s eyes fell to the one relic in the Treasury that made her heart stop, and realize just where she was.

At the back of the room, facing the pile of ruined history, was a mirror.

Her eyes slowly moved back down to where Hot Air was moving broken relics. It was almost painful how she couldn’t move anything herself to help. Slowly though, she finally got to see something she had wished she could for years. The coat of the pony was a pale shade of pink. Her mane’s color looked to be pulled straight from the fullest pink roses. One eye was closed, a small trail of blood coming from a cut by her hairline. The other, violet in color, was busy looking up at Hot Air in shock. 

Sunset’s voice was no more than a whisper. “Mom?”

There she was. Her mother. Oh how Sunset wished that she was able to interact with the memory. She would have used her magic to pull her mother into a hug right then and there. To cry into her shoulder to keep the tears from streaking down her cheeks. To talk with her and finally learn what kind of pony, no, what type of person she had come from.

The memory continued regardless of the unicorn’s wishes. Sunny Days looked around in confusion and groaned out her question. “W-Where, am I?”

Hot Air looked just as shocked as she did, but tried to offer her a hoof. “Ma’am, are you alright?”

The moment she saw him, Sunny’s pupils dilated as she leaped back in surprise. “Talking horse!” Unfamiliar limbs tangled under her, and with a less than dignified squawk, she fell over and hit her head on a shield that was on display. A loud gong to echoed through the castle as she fell over with a slump.

As more guards came in and Hot Air tried to explain the situation, Sunny Days was picked up and taken out of the room. Sunset took a look at her flank, finally getting to see her cutie mark in full. Upon her side was a blazing sun, similar to her own, but there were a few differences she noticed. The corona around her own mark was wavey, and two-toned. Her mother, however, had a dull yellow core to the cutie mark, as well as a paler corona surrounding it in uniform waves. Had it not been for the color, the cutie mark would have matched Celestia’s pastel orange sun.

Sunset wanted to follow, but before she could take a step, a white light blinded her.





Blinking again, Sunset found herself back on the island from earlier. In front of her, the flower that had grown was now a pure yellow lily. “That was...” She knelt down to try and touch the bulb again before noticing another difference.

Stretching from her current island to another was a large mass of vines. Each vine could have easily dwarfed a pony as they curled around the base of her island. All along its length, she could see other lilies growing periodically. She glanced at the flower again and smiled. “So, that’s how it’s working.” Taking a step onto the vine, she tested it, before galloping down the path she now had set before her. 

She’d learn about her Mom, save her Dad, and catch Line Writer at the same time.
> An Honest Offer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a personal level, Fluttershy was honestly amazed. It had taken him more than half the drive to their home for Zephyr to find himself kicked into the bed of Applejack's truck. That didn't say much, as it was a thirty minute trip by foot. Regardless, it didn't stop her from scowling to herself in embarrassment and from the growing headache she'd had all day. "I'm... sorry."

Applejack, who'd been keeping eyes on the road with a glare, shook her head for a split second. "Shy, it ain't your fault your brother's a horn-dog." Her glare darted to the rearview mirror, where Zephyr's head could be seen peeking in, bruised cheek and all. "Let it be known though, that if he ever tries that again, ah'm breakin' his arms."

As Zephyr's head ducked back at the glare, Fluttershy sighed and rubbed her face. "If your brother doesn't first after he hears about this."

Her glare lasted for a moment more before the farmer sighed and turned back to the road. "To be fair, I half expected him to try and get me to hook him up with Dash. She seems to be more his type from how he acts around her."

A scowl formed on Fluttershy's face as she looked out the window. "She's his obsession at this point. He might have a chance with her if he planned to do something with his life instead of using our parents." She winced and held her head as another throb lanced through her eyes.

Applejack, for her part, felt her jaw threaten to drop as she got onto their street. "Wow, Fluttershy. That's harsh, even for him."

Fluttershy's eyes widened as she jolted up in her seat before she looked down and hid behind her hair. "I-I'm sorry."

The truck was silent as they made their way down the road. Quiet, and uncomfortably awkward for the both of them. Applejack rubbed the back of her head for a moment, before glancing over at Fluttershy. "You, uh, want to talk about it?"

Shaking her head, Fluttershy gave a small smile that felt as fake as it looked. "No, it's okay. I just haven't been feeling well lately."

Slowly coming to a stop, Applejack's truck parked at the curb in front of the Shy residence. "Ah got some aspirin in the glovebox if that'll help."

"No, I um, I already took some before I left home." Fluttershy glanced at her house for a moment, before unbuckling and stepping out of the truck. "I'll be just a minute."

"Take yer time." With nothing else to do, Applejack waited in her pickup and tapped on the wheel as she looked around. Sure, she probably could have walked in as well and helped Fluttershy, but she had the distinct feeling that was precisely the opposite of what Fluttershy wanted. Besides, there wasn't anything wrong with waiting if it let her friend have a moment.

That was until she was reminded of who was sitting in the bed of her truck right then. "Uh... hey, Appleback, right?"

Applejack didn't think today would be the day she learned what it felt like to be Rainbow Dash when Fluttershy's brother was around, but she was proven wrong quite quickly. "It's Applejack."

Zephyr at least had enough brains to catch the venom in her voice, if not to realize he should probably stop talking. "I know you don't exactly like me, but if you'd be willing to pass me Rainbow's phone number, I'd--"

He flinched back as Applejack opened her door, unbuckled, and started to glare at him, ready to hop into the truck bed and throw him into the lawn. "You really want to push it after I threatened to break your hands off?"

Zephyr's body shook like a chihuahua as he pressed his back into the opposite side of the truck and raised his hands. "N-Not really."

Jabbing a finger at him, Applejack growled out her next words. "Then learn to keep em to yourself, and off of my friends and me." At his fearful and frantic nodding, Applejack snorted and turned back to get into her truck. Zephyr took that moment to book it and head into the home, away from the girl who wanted to murder him. 

She was feeling relieved at the sight of him running away until Applejack stopped in her tracks and blinked in surprise when she noticed someone new standing nearby. "What in the--?"

Standing at the front of her truck, was a familiar sight, though, in Applejack's opinion, it was not a welcome one. An arctic blue ponytail, lighter blue skin, and magenta eyes, one of the infamous sirens stood, twiddling her fingers nervously. When she saw Applejack was looking at her, she awkwardly smiled and waved. "Um... Hi?"

Applejack's scowl somehow managed to intensify. "You again!? Ah thought you learned your lesson already!" Her shout was enough to make the siren shrink back.

The siren cleared her throat and tried to smile as she stepped closer. "Like, I know you probably don't like me and stuff, but I was wondering if you'd, like, let me ask something?" 

Eyes narrowed, Applejack snorted and crossed her arms. "And why should I do that?"

The siren gave a small defensive shrug as she flinched. "U-uh... because I'm hopelessly lost right now?" 

The two kept looking at each other for a while before Applejack finally sighed and rubbed her face. "Alright. What is it?"

"Have you seen my sisters lately?"

Applejack blinked a few times before raising an eyebrow. "...What?"

The siren took a ridiculously deep breath. "Well we were supposed to be going into town because Adagio said she had a super amazing idea that we needed to go tot he library for but then Ari started being a miss moody pants and ran off and then Dagi told me to go after her and make Ari come back but then I lost her somewhere down the road and when I tried to go back to tell Dagi I couldn't find Aria anywhere she was gone too,  and I started looking around for either of them but now I don't really know where I am and really really really could use some help." She then gave a pair of puppy dog eyes that almost rivaled Applebloom and her friends. "Please?"

Suddenly, it occurred to Applejack that if she hadn't been friends with Pinkie, she might not have ever been able even to understand what had just happened. Rather than dwell on that further, she shook her head and looked back to the siren. "Why bother us? Last I checked, weren't we part of the reason you lost yer powers? If anything, Ah'd say you'd want nothing to do with us as much as we want nothing to do with you."

The puppy look doubled down with a small trail of tears. "You're like, the first person I could find that didn't immediately run away when I tried explaining things."

Applejack could feel a headache coming on, but sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Well, could you tell me your name? I don't reckon I ever caught it."

Instantly perking up from her funk, the blue girl offered a hand and beamed. "Sonata Dusk."

"Applejack." She gave a curt and quick handshake. 

The two stood there for a moment before Sonata smiled again and went back to pleading. "So will you please help me?"

Applejack held up a hand, cutting off Sonata. When she looked at the siren in the eyes, there was apprehension, dancing behind them. It reminded Applejack of eyes she'd seen before, just after the Fall Formal, and again only a few months ago. Eyes she hadn't given the benefit of the doubt to, and almost lost a friend as a result. With a sigh, she leaned back against the truck and let her head collide with a thunk against the window. "Ah'll be honest, part of me wants to tell ya to take a hike and not come back, seein' as ah don't trust ya as far as ah can throw ya." Sonata started to deflate a bit, looking down at the sidewalk, before Applejack raised a finger. "But, Ah also got a pretty hefty reminder recently that ya can't get trust, without givin' some in turn. Ah also reckon you wouldn't be this worried if it was a lie." She looked over at Sonata with a stern frown. "Now, my friends and I got some stuff to take care of real fast, but Ah'll see what we can do ta help when we're done. Deal?"

Before she could blink, Applejack felt like her ribs were being crushed. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Sonata let her death-grip around Applejack's waist die down before dancing in place with a giggle. "I'm going to make you so many tacos!"

Applejack tilted her head in confusion. "What?" 

"Tacos!" Sonata beamed as she went right back to hugging. "They're like, the best food I've ever had since we got banished here and... and, uh..." She let go of Applejack and looked a bit afraid. "W-Why are you using magic? I thought you promised to help!"

Applejack looked at herself in surprise, and sure enough, she was ponied up and glowing orange. "What in tarnation!?" She adjusted her hat to scratch the top of her head for a moment before sighing. "Well, this ain't somethin' ah thought ah'd be dealing with today."

The door to Fluttershy's place opened up, and Fluttershy stepped out. "Okay, I've got the- EEP!" Fluttershy jumped back as she looked at the scene in front of her trembling like a leaf before she fainted.

Applejack winced and walked over, picking up the surprisingly light girl. "Okay... more problems. Yay." Fluttershy was placed in the passenger seat and buckled in before Applejack sighed. Looking to Sonata, she jerked her head at the bed. "Well, hop in."

Sonata giggled as she jumped in the bed of the truck. "You sound like Aria right now!"

"Looks like ah'll drop you off at the library right fast, ah guess." At Sonata's happy cheer from the back, and the rocking of the truck, as a result, Applejack could tell it was going to be a long day.
> Vines of Thought
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Sunset found herself on the second island, she wasted no time trying to find another flower. The island itself had more trees on it and was close to being a small forest. Her diligence was rewarded when she saw the yellow lily sitting at the edge, waiting for her. There was no hesitation from her as she placed a hoof against the petals, being rewashed in the white light.





When the light cleared, Sunset thought for a moment that she hadn’t been sent anywhere. She was still in the forest, but the lily was gone. The thought was dashed quickly when she saw her parents walking through the woods, one a little more wobbly than the other. “So, you came from another world?” Her father asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, It’s the only explanation I can think of.” Sunny Days answered with a small giggle. “I’m not exactly used to being a pony, after all. I’ve also never even heard of lands such as Equestria before coming here.”

“Okay, fair.” Hot air rubbed the back of his head a bit and chuckled. “I probably should remember that more than I do, shouldn’t I?”

Sunny Days smirked a bit and skipped ahead of him. “It would be a start.”

Sunset followed them as they walked amongst the trees in silence. The path through the forest was peaceful and relaxing. She always wondered what kind of mare her mother was. It was heartwarming to see her act with such joy and kindness.

The silence was broken when Hot Air and Sunny Days reached the edge of the woods and looked out over a nearby town, one Sunset recognized as Ponyville. They were still close to Canterlot, but their perch gave them a magnificent view. “So, what was it like? Your world.”

“Well, let’s see...” Sunny Days tapped her chin in thought, giving a small hum as she sat down. “I lived in our kingdom’s capital. We’re not a large kingdom, per se, but we make do, what with being only a few decades old.” Hot Air sat down next to her as she looked off into the distance. “To be honest, your world looks to be farther along than ours. Your capital is so beautiful and full of life! Even the hamlets look to be prospering on their own.” A sigh fell from her lips as Sunny Days let herself rest in the grass. “We truly would be better off if Father would let go of his hatred for the mages.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped a bit as she listened in before she looked down at her hooves in thought. “Farther along? Mages? That doesn’t sound like my world at all.”

Hot Air laid down next to her and gave her a curious glance. “Could you tell me about your family?”

Rolling her eyes, Sunny looked away from him with a small frown. “There is not much to tell. I had Mother, Father, and my sister.” Her frown turned into a slight smirk as she kept thinking. “Though, there was that old coot Starswirl. He recently decided to stay within our kingdom and was very open with the people who talked with him. He did keep his secrets, but he was more than polite and Mother found his company to be quite humorous.” Her smile fell as fast as it had come, eyes filling with sorrow. “Father... did not appreciate Starswirl or his work. More so when he became like a second father to my sister and me.”

Sunset’s eyes shot up from her thought induced stupor, as her head whipped back to her mother. “Starswirl? As in, Starswirl the Bearded? But he was just part of a legend. At least he was in the human world.”

Sunny Days continued regardless of Sunset’s confusion. “He taught my sister and me so many things. Basic table manners, posture, how not to cook, though he would deny that last one.” Her gaze fell back to her hooves, one idly passing over the other as she rubbed where fingers had once been. “But, he always refused to teach us the arcane. He claimed we lacked the ‘aptitude’ for such crafts.”

Hot Air rubbed his chin in thought for a moment before shrugging. “Well, I can kind of agree with him.”

Both Sunset and her mother were shooting a heated glare at him, even if he could only see one of them. “Wow, Dad, way to stick your hoof in your mouth.”

One glare was more than enough to make the stallion backpedal and wave his hooves frantically. “I-I don’t mean anything by that! It’s just that at the moment, you’re an Earth Pony.”

Huffing, Sunny turned and held her nose up as she looked away. “You still have yet to explain that detail to me. What is such an issue about being a certain type of pony that it would prevent me from doing magic?”

Rubbing the back of his head, Hot Air tried to do some damage control. “Well, uh, earth ponies can’t really do any spell casting. Neither could a pegasus, no matter how much they wanted. We can fly, sure, and earth ponies have that innate connection to the land, but if I wanted to sling a spell around, I’d need to have a horn on my head. So we’re both out of luck there.”

Sunny Days pursed her lips as she kept looking into Hot Air’s eyes. “Truly?” At his nodding, she turned back to look at the distant Ponyville. “Hmm. I guess I should have listened to him more.” The somber tone of her voice was not lost, and the two sat in silence for a moment. “Hot Air?”

Hot Air looked over with a raised eyebrow. “Hm?”

Sunset felt her heart stop for a moment when she heard her mother’s next words. “Am... Am I really unable to leave?”

“From what the princess told me, you came through on the very last night the portal was supposed to be open. It will be thirty moons before the portal opens again.” Hot Air put a hoof around Sunny Day’s shoulders as they started to tremble. He pulled her into a small hug, even as her body shook from the tears leaking from her eyes. “Hey, cheer up. It’s not like you’ll be gone from there forever. It may be a while before you can go back, but that means you will one day.”

“I know... but I’m scared-”

Before Sunset could listen to more, the memory started to fade out, and she found herself being flung back.





Sunset stumbled out of the memory and shook her head a bit. “Okay... something’s off here.” Looking to the lily, she saw yet another path made from the oversized roots and trotted across. “One, Mom was talking about things that I am pretty certain didn’t happen within the past fifty years in the human world, seeing as Canterlot City is not part of a budding kingdom. Two, she went on about mages like they were common, albeit unliked, despite that worlds only recently gained magic. And three, I apparently have an Aunt I never knew about, and Dad forgot to ever mention.”

Her hooves came to rest on an island made of sand, and Sunset growled in frustration. “Makes me wonder if any of that was true.” a quick shake of her head was followed by a growl. “No Sunset, this is the one place he can’t lie. Misremember, maybe, but there is going to be a hint of truth in everything.” Glancing around the island, she couldn’t spot a new lily. Sighing through her irritation, Sunset started to wander on it until she could detect something.

That was when she noticed that a chunk of the island’s edge was not made of sand.

Curious, Sunset trotted over and took a closer look. Her breath hitched in her throat as she glanced down. All along the side of the island, the sand had been melted into a sheet of solid glass. A closer look showed the molten sand was slowly eating away at the rest of the island. Sunset stepped back away from the glass and looked out at the rest of the islands floating around her.

She hadn’t noticed at first when she arrived, but she could see them now. Individual islands looked damaged as if a fire had ravaged them. Islands of sand were turning into glass, forests were left charred, and plains immolated.

“Is... is this what his dementia has done?” Sunset glanced down at the glass again and hesitantly reached a hoof towards it. She instantly pulled back when she felt the heat still radiating off of it. More important was how it was starting to spread up the sides. “I need to get out of here.”

Sunset looked around for any signs of how she could continue, spotting a lily back on the previous island. She dashed back across the path the last memory had made for her, but before she could dive through, a specific hot air balloon flew by the island. 

This time, however, Line Writer noticed her. His eyes widened for a moment in surprise, before he glared down at Sunset. “You!? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. What the hay are you doing in my Dad’s head!?” Sunset growled as she glared.

“Cut the act you little harlot!” Line Writer snapped as he leaned slightly over the basket’s edge. “You and I both know that you’re far too young to be his daughter. I don’t know what kind of spell you used to steal her appearance, nor do I care. I will not let some imposter stop me from doing what needs to be done. You will leave immediately if you know what’s good for you.”

“Not without you, I’m not!” Sunset lit her horn, only to find her magic unable to grab onto the basket of the balloon. “You have no more right to be here than I do!”

It was faint, but Sunset caught Line Writer muttering something about being stubborn under his breath. Line Writer’s balloon started to drift off as he lit his own horn. His magic blasted into the island and Sunset jumped back as it left a small crater where she once stood. He glared at the spot for a second before sighing. “I’ve gotten rusty.”

“Get back here!” Sunset ran to the edge of the island and watched helplessly as the balloon floated away. 

She let out a scream and stomped her hooves into the dirt. Sunset sat there, panting as she tried to calm herself down even a little. When her breathing was level, she sat there in thought. “Line Writer and Dad were friends, so why would he endanger Dad’s mind? What would he even get out of this?” Her attention was taken when she looked back to where Line Writer’s blast had hit, and her breath stopped. 

From the center of the small cater, the ground had begun to char. 

“This looks just like the other damaged memories.” Sunset stepped away from the char as it started to spread. “If he’s the one causing this... how long has he been jumping into Dad’s head?” As Sunset contemplated her question, she didn’t like the answer she came to. Regardless, Sunset knew she needed to get away from the spreading magic. When she looked over to her side and spotted the lily from earlier resting in the grass, she dived into the new memory, hoping the destination for this one would put her ahead of Line Writer.
> Hardcover Headaches
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot City's Public Library. A building intimately familiar to Twilight, and one she would frequently visit during her time at Crystal Prep. Today's journey into her favorite location in all of Canterlot, however, was not one she found particularly enjoyable. Thankfully on the trip over, Rarity had managed to get her magic under control, but that did little to help Twilight's current problem.

Thump Thump Thump

The slowly building dent in the wall was a testament to that fact. Rarity, looking at Twilight in worry, shakily smiled as she tried to get closer without disturbing the visibly upset girl. "Now, Twilight, darling, you don't need to be so hard on yourself."

Thump Thump Thump

Rarity waved a hand towards the bookshelves, where one was empty of all books. "I mean, it's not like you could have known this would be the case when we got here."

Thump Thump Thump

Fed up with the lack of response, Rarity started semi-shouting. "Twilight Sparkle stop hitting your head against the wall this instant, you are going to get us kicked out!" Twilight's head whipped towards Rarity, and she held up a finger to her lips as she let out a long shush. In response, Rarity stepped back a bit but kept her frown. "Sorry, dear, but you were starting to make me believe you intended to give yourself a concussion."

Twilight made to comment, only to hiss as her head started to throb. With a sigh, she rubbed her forehead and sat down at a nearby table, quickly followed by Rarity. "No, I'm sorry." A glance back at the shelves, notably the empty one, made her want to scream in frustration. "I just... I don't get it." She waved an arm towards the shelf and looked to Rarity for an answer. "How. How can every last yearbook be gone!? These are one of the many kinds of records that are carefully cataloged annually!"

With a small sigh of her own, Rarity put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I don't understand either darling, but do get ahold of yourself. There have to be other means of solving this problem."





Meanwhile, two women were busy loading a dark blue Jeep with a plethora of yearbooks. The taller of the two looked at every date, making sure they hadn't skipped one, before sighing and shutting the back. Once done, the two drove off, making sure not a single person noticed them.

The Library's custodian who was busy cleaning the windows outside just shrugged and kept working. He'd seen weirder.





Back inside, the two girls were still at their table, where Twilight was finally calming down. "You're right." Twilight took a moment to breathe before looking at the table in thought. "Okay, let's see. Attempted methods of ascertaining the age of Principal Celestia so far would include direct questioning via Sunset, scouring all known social media accounts, and now an attempt at finding a yearbook that has resulted in null." An uncomfortable silence filled the air for a moment more before Twilight looked over to Rarity. "Any ideas about what else we could try?"

Rarity hummed as she looked around for an idea when her gaze landed a doorway across the library. Emblazoned over the door was the word 'Archives.' "I think at one point; the library also had an archive of old newspapers. Canterlot was much smaller until recently, so maybe we can check there to see if there ever was an article involving Celestia in her younger years?"

Twilight hummed as she thought it over herself before getting a small smile. "It's a long shot, but that might actually work! An article, even one from recent years, would have her age attached, and from there we can subtract that from the newspaper's publishing date to get a close estimate to her birth year, and I could calculate her approximate age!" Her smile fell as she kept going over the thought. "Though there is also the possibility of a lie somewhere in the documents. If I compile the information into a scatter plot, maybe..."

As Twilight was going through her brain blast, Rarity chuckled at the sight of it all. Twilight humming to herself, pulling a pencil and notepad out as she scribbled ideas. It was a moment where she felt tempted to pull out her phone and snap a picture of the studious girl.

Until she caught sight of a specific woman with an orange mass of hair as she entered the library.

"...then I could centralize the data and-" Twilight let out a small yipe as her friend pulled the both of them behind the bookshelves. She blinked a few times before raising an eyebrow and looking over in confusion. "Rarity, why are we hiding?"

Daring a peek around the corner, Rarity whispered. "Remember what we told you happened at the Battle of the Bands?" Twilight gave a small nod as she peered around the edge of the bookshelf herself. Rarity took that moment to point at the library's newest occupant. "That, my dear, is the leader of The Sirens."

Twilight's eyebrows shot up as she looked at Rarity. "Really?" Looking around the shelves again, she narrowed her eyes at the siren. "That much hair must be putting a ridiculous amount of weight and strain on her neck's vertebrae. How is she still walking?"

The siren, for her part, sighed and rolled her eyes before looking over at the duo. "Over 1000 years of practice and you two are nowhere near as quiet as you think you are." From their spot only twenty feet or so from the library's entrance, both Rarity and Twilight blushed as they ducked back around the shelves again. It wasn't long after that the subject of their momentary spying walked around the corner and stood with crossed arms. "So, Rainbooms, may I ask why you're following me? I can't imagine why."

Rarity turned her nose up as she huffed and looked away. "We were doing nothing of the sort. We are here for other reasons."

"Reasons that involve the prin-" Her thoughts stopped mid-sentence, and the siren frowned. Her eyes narrowed at Twilight. "Wait... You're not her. You must be this world's Twilight." Her frown turned into a smile as she dragged a finger up Twilight's chin. "Maybe we should get to know each other better. My name's Adagio. I already know yours."

"Uh..." Blushing heavily, Twilight looked over to Rarity for help.

Stepping between the two of them, Rarity glared down Adagio, only getting a smirk in response. "You will stop harassing my friend immediately."

Chuckling, Adagio raised her hands and took a step back. "Alright." Her smirk never faltered as she raised an eyebrow. "You're not getting jealous of me, are you? Flirting with your pretty little princess?" When the only answer she got was a subtle growl from Rarity, she rolled her eyes and frowned again. "Uh, this isn't any fun if you don't have the decency to get flustered." Adagio turned around and with a flick of her hair, started sauntering away. "I've got better things to do anyway."

Rarity scoffed and crossed her arms. "What exactly could a siren find better than irritating people?"

Adagio whipped around and glared with enough hatred in her eyes to make Rarity and Twilight flinch. "How about using this disgrace for public wifi because we can't afford any?" She walked back over for a moment and jabbed a finger at the both of them; her nail was coming dangerously close to Rarity's throat. "Thanks to you Rainbooms, our lives have been on a downhill spiral that doesn't look to be stopping soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find the cheapest functioning van I can on," Adagio shuddered and looked disgusted at herself, "Craigslist!"

The two stood there, dumbfounded as Adagio disappeared around the corner. When they got their senses back, Rarity gently grabbed Twilight's wrist and started pulling her over to the archives. "Let's... let's focus on the problem at hand."

"Right," Twilight muttered quietly to herself as she glanced back for a moment. "Right... magic problem first."

Inside the archives, Rarity let out a small sigh and rubbed her face. Part of her wanted to help Adagio for some unholy reason. Her lips pursed as a thought crossed her mind before she shook her head and banished it. There wasn't any reason she could think of that didn't make her a hypocrite. She was part of the reason Adagio was in this situation after all, so it was highly likely that if she even bothered to offer Adagio help, she would undoubtedly rebuff all of them. Then again, this was the same young woman who, with her sisters, tried brainwashing the school to suck the life out of everyone in the process. They didn't even have the same excuses as Sunset or Twilight of being possessed by their magic.

It was clear by Rarity's lack of reservations after thinking the matter over, which side of her thoughts won. However, a glance at Twilight showed that her decision was one her friend had yet to make. Placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, she smiled. "I wouldn't worry about her too much, dear. She and her sisters have been fending for themselves just fine. She's probably just upset she can't mess with people's minds anymore."

Twilight smiled a bit herself, before raising an eyebrow. "You know, you and the girls never did go into detail about what happened back then. Maybe while we're searching, you could tell me the whole story?"

"Well, since you did run into one of them, it's only fair." Rarity quipped as the two stepped down a stairway, laughter echoing after them as they descended.





Adagio sat at the computer, watching out of the corner of her eye as the two left the room. Once they were gone, she got a small devious smile. "I wonder if the princess's look-alike noticed yet. It's not every day a human has the magic of an alicorn bouncing around inside them." She let out a small sigh and shook her head. "Shame I can't take it for myself. I wouldn't be reduced to doing any of this." Her attention went back to the computer screen when it let out a beep, and her smile fell into a scowl. "OH, COME ON! I just found that one, how can it be sold already!"

"SHHHH!"

Adagio growled at the library attendant who had shushed her, which quickly make the poor guy scurry away in fear. She had more important things to focus on than pathetic mortals and their rules.
> Rays of Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she felt herself entering into the memory, Sunset thought she was starting to get used to the feeling. The new memory Sunset had entered was inside of a home, though she didn’t recognize it very much. Looking at the walls, she could tell it was her dad’s place, but the layout wasn’t something she remembered herself. A glance out the window showed that they were currently in Canterlot, at the very least. “Hmm, wonder what I’ll see in this one.”

The sound of tapping drew her attention to the kitchen, and looking inside, Sunset could see her mother sitting at the table. Far from the happiness of the previous memory’s start, Sunny Days had the beginnings of bags under her eyes as she tapped her hoof against the table.

Hot Air came in a moment later and looked worried. “Sunny? You’ve been in a funk all day. Something bothering you?”

There was a small flinch as Sunny turned and looked away from him. “It-- it is of little importance.”

Hot Air raised an eyebrow as he walked over and sat next to her. “Seeing as you’re talking like a noble again, I’d beg to differ.”

Sunny Days grimaced as she refused to look towards him. “I would rather not talk about it.”

Sighing, Hot Air rubbed his face with a hoof. “Sunny, you know that isn’t going to magically make your problem go away.” Looking towards her in concern, Hot tried to lean around to see her face. “Are you still having trouble adjusting?”

Irritation was beginning to bloom on Sunny’s face as she shut her eyes as her grimace deepened. “Hot Air, please, it’s been a year now. I just-- I need some time alone.”

Sitting back, Hot Air looked over at the calendar on the wall and hummed. “Oh, right. It has been a year, hasn’t it.” He perked up as an idea formed, and he smiled over to Sunny. “If it makes you feel better, this means you’re a year closer to being able to go back home!”

Sunny trembled in her seat, her grimace becoming more strained. “Hot Air, please.”

Hot Air continued, oblivious to Sunny’s rapidly dropping mood. “Imagine just how much your home might have changed. For all we know, your kingdom is thriving more than it was when you left.” He put a hoof gently onto her shoulder. “Your family might even be waiting right now for you to get back-”

There was a resounding smack as Sunny’s foreleg swung out and slapped Hot Air’s hoof away from her. Her face was contorted into a scowl, eyes boring into Hot Air even as angry tears started to trail down her face. “Maybe I don’t WANT to go back!” 

Hot Air stumbled back for a moment, only to fall onto his rump. “S-Sunny?”

Watching it all unfold, Sunset could only stand stunned as her jaw threatened to fall through the floor. “W-What?”

Sunny Days got out of her seat roughly as she started pacing. “All my life, I’ve felt like I was trapped in a cage. It was always ‘Sunny be proper’ or ‘No talking to the peasants, Sunny’ or ‘Why can’t you act like a princess, Sunny.’ I was so tired of it all. Of being a princess. Of the nobles trying to worm their way into my life. Of all the godforsaken suitors constantly harassing me at my own father’s behest!” An unusually heavy stomp left a dent in the floor, and Sunny’s breathing slowly became more uneven. “Ever since I got pushed through the portal... I’ve been free for the first time in my life. I’m not just some display piece put on a pedestal and... and I don’t want to lose that.” There was a choked sob as Sunny landed on her rump, unable to keep her anger going.

“Sunny...” Hot Air hesitantly stepped closer and sat next to her. “What do you mean by pushed?”

Sunny looked down at the floor and wiped at her matting fur futilely. “The day I... came here, my sister and I had gotten into an argument. We had snuck out to talk privately in the garden, near the statues our mother loved to collect. It was there she accused me of hogging all of the attention. That I was keeping our parents focused on me instead of her.” There was a mirthless chuckle as she shook her head. “I couldn’t believe it. She wanted everything I hated and dared to say I was hoarding it like some kind of monster. I said so many hurtful things, things I wish I could take back. The last thing I remember before landing in this world was her shouting how she wished I was gone as she pushed me away.” Sunset noticed the melancholy smile that started to form on her mother’s face. “Well, she got her little wish, and strangely, I also got mine.”

The two of them sat in silence, Hot Air gently pulling Sunny closer with a wing and holding the distraught mare gently. A part of Sunset was thankful for that moment as well. She was still reeling from what she’d heard. “Mom didn’t want to leave? Did she want to stay here that much, even when they were just friends? Just what was it like for her back then?”

Hot Air sighed and rubbed his temple in thought. “I never realized being a royal could be so demanding. From what I could see as a guard, Princess Celestia handles things pretty well, but...”

Sunny Days scoffed and looked down at his hoof, and how close it was to hers. “When your ruler is immortal, succession takes little precedence. It must be so nice for her, not having to worry about any of that.”

The silence returned, but not as long as before. Hot Air, frowned before standing and moving in front of Sunny. “What if I went with you?”

Sunset and Sunny both looked to him in surprise as Sunny shot to her hooves. “What!?”

Hot Air only frowned as he looked her in the eyes. “Back to your world. What if you didn’t have to go back alone?”

Sunny only sputtered as she stepped back in shock. “Hot Air, what are you saying!?” She wildly started to wave her hoof towards the windows. “This is your home! What about your friends? Your family?!”

Stepping forward to match her, Hot Air sighed briefly before his frown shifted slightly. “I’m saying that I, I don’t want to see you go.” Walking towards the window for a moment, he looked down at his hooves. “I know you can’t stay here forever. You have a kingdom to return to. But for me? I’m just some guard. I’m completely expendable. My family’s been gone for years, and well, the guys would understand. Princess Celestia has dozens of guards that could take my place in a heartbeat,” he turned back around. Hot Air smiled with a big stupid grin, “so what’s the harm in one silly toy soldier running off? You’re one of the greatest ponies I’ve ever met, and I want to stand by your side.”

Stunned into silence, Sunny stumbled back a bit farther before she could get another word out. “You-- you would do that?”

Hot Air smiled as he offered a hoof, sincerity in his eyes. “If you would let me.”

Hooves trembling and breathing getting faster, Sunny almost took his offer, only for her hoof to drop back to the ground. “I-- I need to go.” 

Confused, Hot Air frowned as she started to walk around him. “Sunny?”

“I’m sorry.” Sunny hastily went outside and trotted down the street.

Hot Air’s eyes widened a bit, and he muttered under his breath before heading outside himself. “Sunny, wait!” 

Sunset made to follow but instead found herself being whisked away as the memory jumped forward. The ground below her was moving, yet she couldn’t feel the cobblestones under her hooves as she flew down the streets of Canterlot. Time sped up as she made out her father trying to catch up to her mother until it slowed back down around the edge of the city.

Hot Air was panting as he flapped his wings, and Sunny wasn’t getting any closer. For a pony who used to be human, her gallop was surprisingly fast. “Sunny, please, stop running!”

Sunny didn’t stop; if anything, she got slightly faster. “Go away!”

Hot Air banked hard around a corner and tried his best to keep up. Sunset could feel the genuine regret washing over Hot Air as he shouted. “I just want to talk!” 

Sunny narrowed her eyes and glared back at him, keeping her pace going until she got to a fruit cart. “Stop following me!” With a quick buck, she sent an apple flying back that struck Hot Air right in the eye, making him fall to the ground and tumbled to a stop. She spared another glance backwards to see if he was still chasing her.

It was then, as he righted himself and shook his head, that Hot Air noticed where Sunny Days was running. Sunset noticed, too, and her hooves covered her mouth as she watched the edge of Canterlot draw ever closer. Hot Air’s eyes shrank to pinpricks as he tried to warn her. “Sunny! Look out!”

Sunny turned to look forward again but instead tripped on the curb where the road veered left. Head over hoof, she tumbled across the walking path and through ponies until she slammed against the rusted metal railing. 

With a sickening snap and groan, the railing gave way.

Sunny screamed in fear as she clung to the railing, even as metal bent and swung out well past the edge of the cliff. Ponies, who had been nearby, started to panic and call for help. Unicorn nobles were even trying to keep the railing steady with whatever they could. One reached out to help her back over with a rope in his magic, but his control wasn’t good enough to get it close to her. Sunny tried to reach for it, but her hoof throbbed with a fresh bruise from the tumble, likely sprained.

Hot Air groaned as he pushed himself to his hooves, hobbling his way forward through the crowd. His wing throbbed, but he didn’t have time to focus on that. A gasp escaped him as he saw where Sunny was, and he started to hobble faster, flapping his wings to try and get airborne. The gathered nobles, however, were far from helpful, shoving Hot Air this way and that as they tried to get closer themselves, or were intentionally pushing him away. They were saying something, but the memory of their words was muffled.

Sunset watched as the world around her blurred and slowed. She was looking at the ponies around her, now nothing more than silhouettes with white eyes, before seeing how her father’s eyes were shrinking to pinpricks. Turning to where her mother was, her own breath caught in her throat. 

The sound of twisting metal was all she could hear as Sunset watched the railing that her mother clung to snapped clean.

Sunset flew up into the air as her father took off, a faint echo of pain in her shoulder, and Hot Air dived down over the edge of the cliff. Her heart raced as she fell through the air, her mother flailing through the air as she screamed, and Hot Air forcing himself down faster than his wings would allow.

It all froze in place as Hot Air managed to catch one of Sunny Day’s flailing limbs, and Sunset had to cover her eyes as the world turned white once more.





As she returned from the depths of the memory, Sunset tumbled across the grass. Rather than look at her new destination, she looked up at the sky in a daze. “That... that was the day mom fell off of Canterlot. She didn’t just fall, she had a panic attack. She ran.”

A soft giggle came from somewhere behind her. “Well, when you’re having flashbacks to all the suitors you’ve been trying your best to avoid, you do tend to do that.” Sunset’s heart stopped beating before she scrambled back up to her hooves. What she saw made her eyes grow wider. 

There was a small porch connected to a building that was half on the island itself, and half dismantled and floating behind in the air. On the porch, was the standard fair of a small patio swing big enough for two, side table, and silver wind-chimes. What made Sunset stop most, however, was the mare sitting in the swing, smiling with an amused raise of her eyebrows.

“Mom!?”

Sunny Days was startled a bit before her smile fell into a sad state. “Not quite.” She got out of her seat and walked off the porch as Sunset slowly walked closer. “But, I’m the closest you will get the chance to meet while here, so I guess I’ll have to do.”

When the two stood face to face for the first time, Sunset silently tried to find her words. Seeing her struggle, Sunny Days pulled her into a hug, which was quickly returned. “But, but how?”

Stepping back, Sunny waved a hoof at the many islands floating around them. “The mind is a truly amazing thing.” She put her hoof to her chest and looked down at it. “So much so, that just the memories of an individual, are enough to make it feel like they’re here.” The two sat down, and Sunny Days took Sunset’s hoof into her own. “More importantly, is that I know the real me, would be overjoyed to finally meet you, Sunset, and amazed at how much you’ve grown.”

Tears threatened to fall from Sunset’s eyes as she felt her throat go dry. “I-- I have so many questions.”

“I know.” Sunny’s smile held steady until she spotted a balloon floating in the distance, heading their way. She gasped lightly and jumped to her hooves. “But first, we need to be somewhere safe. Line Writer is still looking for me.”

Sunset quickly rose herself and started to follow her mother as she ran back to the porch. “For you? Why?”

Sunny stopped to look back as her hoof hovered by the door. “I wish I knew.” With a push, the interior revealed itself to be nowhere near as dilapidated as the debris in the air hinted. 

Without any hesitation, Sunset followed the memory of her mother inside.
> Pesky Party Pests
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie couldn't help but giggle as she looked over at Rainbow. "Wow, Dashie, you should have me help with your hair more often!"

Rainbow could only give an exasperated look forward as she and Pinkie continued walking. Her hair, while ordinarily wild, was now a complete mess that even she found unacceptable. "Just... let's just get to your place before Rarity finds us or something."

There was a sharp intake of air as Pinkie glanced to the side with a notable amount of worry. "Yeah... Rarity might go a bit overboard if she sees that."

"And would you please pony down already?" Rainbow sighed, putting a hand to her face. True to her words, Pinkie was still radiating magic as they walked, leaving a trail of streamers and confetti where she went. "We're supposed to be helping Sunset keep magic a secret!" There was a moment before she blushed and raised a hand. "And yes, I know how much of a hypocrite I sound like right now!"

Pinkie blinked for a moment before blowing a raspberry and smacking her head. "I knew I forgot something." Pinkie inhaled probably more air than the human body should be allowed before flexing every muscle in her body. The sight of Pinkie having so much muscle hidden in her slightly tubby physique sent Rainbow's jaw to the ground. She swore she could hear some kind of chanting in the background at the sight of such menacing muscles. The surprising display soon faded as she went back to being a regular girl, with the sound of a deflating balloon.

Rainbow lifted a finger, before shaking her head and turning back to the sidewalk ahead of them. "No. Don't ask. It's not worth your sanity." Pinkie just kept giggling to herself about it as she rounded the corner ahead of Rainbow. When she tried to follow, however, Rainbow found herself running directly into Pinkie's back. "Gah, Pinks, what's the holdup?" When Pinkie failed to even turn towards her, Rainbow's general irritation turned to concern. "Pinkie?"

Looking around her friend, Rainbow's jaw dropped.

Covering the entire street from where they stood up to around Pinkie's house, was an army of small furry creatures. They had large round eyes and came in a plethora of colors. Most notable, though, was how the hair on top of their head matched Pinkie with their near-impossible curls. There was absolute silence as both parties just stared at each other until one of the things in the back popped up above the others. "She has returned!"

"Huh?" Rainbow and Pinkie stared at each other for a moment in confusion.

The little fuzz balls all started to cheer, and Pinkie found herself lifted into the air with a startled yelp. The little creatures then started to carry her down the street, shouting, "the queen has returned!" again and again.

Soon, Pinkie found herself standing at her house, on a small podium made from her neighbor's picnic table. "Hey, isn't this supposed to be in Mr. Gumshoe's back yard?" Before she could question anything more, she looked out at the crowd of critters, most of which gasped and started to bow. One was a little slow, though, and got pulled down into a bow when they were noticed by the one next to them. The whole of at least four yards was covered in party tables, streamers, and balloons.

Only one of the creatures remained upright, ambling as it presented Pinkie's mini-cannon to her. "Party Queen."

"Party Queen, huh?" Humming as she took the party cannon, Pinkie spun it on a finger with a grin that radiated enthusiasm. "I like it!"

Rainbow, however, only just made it over to the 'stage' and looked around at the horde with worry. "Pinkie, what are these things?"

Pinkie was about to shrug when one of the pink creatures hopped up onto the seat of the picnic table and looked up at Rainbow. "We Party Goblins, rainbow one." There was a flurry of motion before Rainbow found several spears made from various items pointed at her throat. "What about rainbow one lets them speak to Queen so freely?"

Darting between Rainbow and the spears, Pinkie gave a shaky smile and held up her hands. "Woah! Easy there! No need for that." Stepping to the side, she moved her hands to gesture to the still shocked Rainbow. "Rainbow's, like, one of my best friends!"

The goblins all started to talk amongst themselves, and many looked confused. "Rainbow one is friends with Queen?" "Queen has not queen friend?" "Is rainbow one Queen too?" "But what Queen of?"

The goblin that had stepped up earlier narrowed their eyes. "Only Queens be friends with Queen. What Queen are you?"

"Uh..." Pinkie looked around hastily before looking up at a cloud that was floating by. "Storms! She's uh, Queen of Storms. Yes."

Rainbow looked over at Pinkie with some concern. "Pinkie."

The crowd all started to mutter louder, some looking at Rainbow fearfully. "Storms!?" "We no like storms." "They scary!" "Why Queen friend with that Queen?"

Pinkie quickly got an idea and waved a hand at the clear sky. "She also gets rid of them! I mean, she wouldn't be a good queen of storms if she couldn't make a nice sunny day as well, now would she?"

The more assertive goblin glared even more at Rainbow. "...So the rainbow one makes nice days for parties?"

Before Rainbow could even answer, Pinkie smiled nervously. "Yes?"

Then one spear was back to being pointed at Rainbow. "Prove! Make rain! Prove, Queen!"

Rainbow put a hand over Pinkie's mouth before she could dig their hole any deeper. "Alright then! Just uh, one moment!" The two stepped away from the picnic table, and Rainbow smiled. "Pinkie, you know that little voice in people's heads that tell them to stop?" She then started violently shaking Pinkie's shoulders. "You don't have one!"

Pinkie flinched a bit and raised her hands. "I'm sorry! I just got carried away!"

"Way away!" As the two continued to bicker amongst themselves, the clouds overhead started to darken and swirl, drawing the goblin's attention.

Pinkie looked anywhere besides Rainbow as she pondered. "What if we tell them the truth that you're not a queen? Maybe they'll be nice and just let you leave."

Rainbow's eye twitched a bit as she pointed both hands at her chest. "Are you kidding? They'll skewer me!"

Pinkie started to chew on her fingernails as Rainbow put a hand to her head and closed her eyes. "I know, but they're getting suspicious, and if we don't come up with some kind of magic weather thingie, they'll find out! Can't you think of something?"

A growl left Rainbow's throat as she barely stopped herself from pacing. "I'm trying! I just-" Overhead, the weather was starting to get worse, arcs of lightning dancing amongst the clouds. Goblins were beginning to panic as they stared up at the sky. 

Pinkie grabbed Rainbow's shoulders, spinning her around before trying to jumpstart Rainbow's brain by smacking her in the head. "Come on, think! Think think think think!"

"Would you just-" Rainbow threw her arms up, knocking Pinkie back a step and shouted. "STOP!"

The word echoed through the street, and everyone watched in awe as the storm that was building up rapidly started to swirl back into a single spot. There was a poof and the bright blue sky once more shone above. There was a full beat of pure silence as both Pinkie and Rainbow turned around, only to see all the goblins kneeling.

Pinkie smiled a bit and nudged Rainbow with an elbow. "I think they're starting to like you, Rainbow!"

"Gee, thanks." Rainbow stared up at the sky with a worried look on her face. "That wasn't normal."

Before they could ponder the strange weather any longer, the lead goblin raised his spear. "Now, with the return of Party Queen, and the friendship of Storm Queen, we begin Celebration!" There was a loud cheer from the horde before they pointed towards Pinkie's house. "Bring forth the sacrifices!"

Pinkie and Rainbow's eyes went wide as their jaws dropped in shock. "The WHAT!?" 

A procession of goblins started out of Pinkie's house. The first wave was holding a large cast-iron cauldron and timber that they quickly set up in the lawn and filled with a water hose. The second wave, however, held all three of Pinkie's sisters, bound and gagged as they were carried over. Maud was stock still, staring impassively. Marble was shivering in fear. Limestone, however, was putting up the most struggle, going so far as to gnaw on the ropes in her mouth. "These three raided eggs! Now, they are sacrificed in name of Queen!" A smaller procession followed out of the house last, carrying a furious girl that could rival Limestone's anger with her own. 

Both of them recognized her instantly. 

"That's one of the sirens!" Rainbow whispered, trying not to let herself be overheard.

"I'm pretty sure her name is Aria." Pinkie hummed in thought before the lead goblin pointed at the still bound siren.

Pointing to the last sacrifice, the lead goblin looked a little unimpressed. "This one trespass, then she kicked Davie. Not bad as other three, but still sacrifice worthy."

The goblin crowd all turned to one little goblin in the back, a green one, who just looked around for a moment and gave a small wave. "Hoi."

Pinkie darted between the cauldron and her sisters, arms spread wide. "You can't sacrifice them!"

The goblins all looked confused as the lead goblin frowned. "Why not!? They commit crime, they sacrifice!"

"Well, for one, three of them are my sisters!" Pinkie threw her arms over at her bound siblings, making all of the goblins gasp. "I'm not sure what happened, but if they really did start messing with your eggs, there's no way they meant to." Pinkie paused for a moment and hummed. "What do your eggs look like anyway?" A small blue one walked up and held two halves of a burnt cupcake, but the center which had once been gooey was utterly gone. Pinkie's eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh my gosh! I made all you guys!" She rubbed her chin and hummed. "No wonder you see me as your queen."

Rainbow felt her eye twitch. "Wait, you made these guys?!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie held up the two halves of the shell and put them together. "I um... I was kinda trying to bake a lot of cupcakes using that cookbook the other me gave us, and all of them came out all burnt and gooey. I thought I'd just messed up the recipe, and cause I was all sad, Maud said she would get Limey and Marble to help clean up for me." There was an indignant scream from behind one of the gags. "Which reminds me, Thank you sooooo much for agreeing to help Limey!" The yelling, though muffled, somehow got louder.

Rainbow sighed and gave her friend a small smile. "Pinks, you don't have to do that. Yeah, we're all a bit bummed and mopey, but seriously, we just had a conversation about this."

The lead goblin looked like they were getting increasingly agitated. "So, these three not sacrifices?" They jabbed their spear towards Aria, and one of their eyes twitched. "What of this one? Sacrifice?"

"Of course not! That's just silly." Pinkie waved a hand with a smile as she started to pull Aria away from the goblins holding her.

"WHY NOT!" Lead goblin shouted and stomped as Pinkie hesitated for a moment, shooting Rainbow a glance.

Rainbow looked around herself before an idea struck her. She straightened her back and pointed upward with as much pomp as she could. "The sky is not in position for this sacrifice!" 

The goblins all started to look up at the sky, confused. Pinkie, as she moved behind Rainbow, looked over. "Like she says. Sky. Can't do it." Once Aria was next to Pinkie's sisters, she leaned back in for a moment. "Not today."

Lead goblin threw his spear into the air, and it landed with a clatter behind them. "But we have party! Party without sacrifice is no party at all!"

Pinkie's eyes widened. "You've never had a party without a sacrifice involved!?" She looked up in thought for a moment. "Then again, you are, like, a few hours old? That's not too surprising." It was then that an idea struck her, and her smile grew five sizes. "That's it! I, as your Queen, will just have to teach you how to have a superfabutastic party!"

"Queen teach party secrets?" Two of the goblins in the crowd started to talk, quickly spreading to murmurs of agreement amongst them. "I like that idea!"

"But... but sacrifice!" The lead goblin, who was quickly falling out of that role, limply gestured to the still bound quartet before slumping in defeat. "Just want to break something."

Pinkie just smiled as she reached into her hair and pulled out a classic staple of any of her parties, and flicked her arm casually. The goblin looked up at the rainbow coloring of the piñata with a look of surprise as it flew through the air and wrapped around one of the banister rails, where it remained dangling. They stayed that way until they found their spear put back into their hand, and Pinkie held up a blindfold. "Bet you can't break it without looking!~"

Former Lead took a look at the blindfold, and piñata before their eyes narrowed. "Untie Sacrifices. We break colorful paper ball." There was a cheer as the lead goblin was blindfolded, and the other goblins all started untying the other four. The moment she was free, Aria began to bolt down the road, screaming about how Pinkie was absolutely insane. 

So, nothing new compared to some of Pinkie's previous first introductions, but that was another story.

After she watched Aira vanish into the distance, Rainbow looked back at the goblins with a small frown. "You think you got this one, Pinkie?" When Pinkie gave her a solid nod, Rainbow cleared her throat. "As much as I would love to stay for your party, I must return to my uh, domain. Some matters require my attention."

The goblins all gave a series of farewells, and one asking if she'd do the windy thing again. Rainbow patted that one on the head nervously before she finally managed to break away from the crowd and headed for her house.





Aria panted as she pressed her back against the brick of whatever building she'd managed to get to. It took her a good thirty seconds of heavy breathing before she dared a glance around the corner. When she saw nothing, she put a hand to her head. "Party Goblins. That crazy girl actually summoned Party Goblins." A shudder ran down her spine as her thoughts continued. "Worse, she commanded them into behaving and letting me go." 

She looked at the nearest intersection and started for the library. "Buck this town, I gotta get out of here before it burns to the ground."

What Aria didn't notice as she ran, however, was the state of one of the houses she passed. From the outside, almost everything looked perfectly fine. Its front door told another story as the frame had cracks by the handle and the telltale signs of a crowbar being used.

Inside, the home looked like a tornado had gone through it. Drawers upturned, furniture pulled apart, debris in every direction like someone looking for the T.V. remote. The same held true for the bedrooms, in which one still held the sole occupant of the building.

Posters and Trophies lay scattered across the floor, and several pictures had the faces gouged out. Notably, all of the ones containing the family members with colorful hair that won all of the awards.

It was in that wake of destruction that Lightning Dust looked at the jar in her hands with a hint of awe and a manic grin. "If that's what cracking the lid does, I can't wait to see how much I can make off of it."
> Fiery Fillies and Fatherly Follies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset could hardly believe what was happening. Here she was, sitting next to her mother, getting ready to have a cup of tea and talk, all while technically inside her father's head. Sunny Days was trying to help calm her down out of the shock that was still rolling through her, she knew that much, but it didn't help.

Especially not with Line Writer still out there.

Sunny took a sip of her own tea before smiling softly. "I am sure you have lots of questions for me."

Sunset jumped a bit in her seat before looking down at her own tea. "I... Where do I even start?"

"I think a good place to start would be where both your father and I could answer." Sunny sighed down towards her tea. "It's a shame, but I'm only able to remember what he remembers, being a part of his mind and all that."

A glance down at Sunny's flanks was all Sunset needed for her first question. Where Sunny Days' cutie mark should have been, it was missing pieces and looked shattered. If she was honest about it, her eyes hurt when she tried. "What happened to your mark!? I-It was just fine in that first memory!"

Sunny Days glanced at herself with a sigh. "A side-effect of dementia, I'm afraid. With the loss of your father's memories, I'm slowly fading myself. The one you saw likely wasn't even accurate."

Sunset glanced over at the window next, looking out at the porch they'd come in from. "What about Line Writer? Is he the one who started all of this?"

Sunny shook her head. "Sadly, no. If he was, then we would have somepony to blame for all this. Your father's dementia was already progressing before he set hoof here. In fact, this is the first I've seen him." Pausing, she put a hoof to her chin in thought with a bit of a pout. "Well, not technically true, seeing as there are memories of the four of us talking, but you know what I mean."

Sunset looked around the room, frowning in thought. If that's the case, then why is he doing this? It just doesn't make any sense! Sunset shook her head with a sigh before she turned back to her mother. "Where are we right now? I don't remember this place."

Sunny perked up and beamed. "Oh, a fun one! This was the home your father and I lived in for a few years. We spent an exceptional amount of time here!" She paused to give a conspiratorial glance towards Sunset. "Especially once you were on the way."

Blushing a bit, Sunset cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, didn't need that last bit."

Giggling, Sunny nuzzled into Sunset's cheek. "Oh, there's nothing to be embarrassed about my Little Sunrise. If anyone were, it would be your father. My mood swings and cravings made me force him into some of the most awkward moments of his life." A devious smirk crossed her face. "Like explaining to Princess Celestia why I was pregnant at all when he was supposed to be 'guarding' me." She put her forehooves to her mouth and kicked her legs in the air as she failed at hiding her laughter. "Oh, but he did a good job guarding me, though. All night, every night."

Sunset's blush only got worse as she covered her face with a hoof. "Topic change, please!"

Still giggling, Sunny waved a hoof. "Sorry about that. Some of your father's more prominent memories of me were showing."

Groaning, Sunset looked up at the ceiling and glared. "Honied Tartarus, Dad, WHY!?"

"Stallions are going to be stallions, Sunset." Sunny sang as she took a sip of her tea. "Now, what's something else you'd like to know?"

Sunset's mood started to dip as she thought it over. Her heart sank as she came to her decision. Sunset looked down at where her mother was seated, unable to look up at her. "How... what happened to you? Why were you gone all my life?"

Sunny didn't even flinch, only setting her cup down and standing up. "That is one I would have to show, rather than tell. Come with me."

The two walked towards a wooden door. It was on the other side of the room than the one Sunset had entered. With a small push, Sunny Days opened the door and lead her to a different island. Sunset's eyes widened at the sight of what could only be hundreds of lilies, many of which were withered. Sunny stopped at one in particular. "I was using these to help you get over here, but this memory is the one you need to see." As Sunset walked closer, Sunny smiled sadly. "He wanted to tell you so much about this day, but you were still so young in his eyes. He felt that if he did, it would only be cruelty upon his little filly.

Sunny looked over at Sunset as she took a step back. "But you're a mare now. You have every right to know. He realizes that now."

Sunset could only look between the flower and her mother. This... this was going to answer one of her most pressing questions. But she already knew the answer, right? She knows she came to the correct conclusion. So why was doubt starting to wiggle its way into her mind? Did... did she even want to see the truth?

A deep inhale and Sunset let out a calming breath. She had already come this far. Turning back now would only leave her wondering again with the addition of knowing she had come so close. She'd been asking for this for years.

It was high time she knew the truth.

With only a moment of hesitation, a glance shared between her mother and herself before Sunset's hoof touched the flower, and her world went white.



When her vision returned, Sunset was standing in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. Her heart jumped into her throat when she spied Celestia sitting at attention. Still, her panic started to die down when she realized that the Celestia that was before her, couldn't see her. With a hoof to her chest, Sunset exhaled a breath she didn't know she had held. "Right, right... memory. Scared me for a sec there."

Her attention turned instead to the ornate doors leading into the room as they soon were pushed open, and two ponies started walking down the carpet. Sunny Days and Hot Air looked like they'd seen better days, and hadn't seen any sleep for some time. Her dad had bags under his eyes and a slightly delirious look to him. While Sunny Days looked tired, she at least had the composure to not let her eyes droop too much. 

That was when Sunset noticed a small bundle held to her front by a simple cloth, that had a little orange horn sticking out of it.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she walked alongside her parents as they got closer to the throne. It was surreal, looking down at a foal version of herself, but Sunset couldn't deny it. That foal was her, colors and all, happily asleep as she snuggled into her mother's chest fluff. The motherly smile that was on Sunny Days' face as she nuzzled her foal gently made Sunset smile, both memory and visitor alike.

When the precession was a respectable distance from the throne, they stopped and gave a quick bow. "Your highness."

Celestia smirked a tiny bit, one only the guards or somepony close to her would notice. "I take it that parenthood has treated you well?"

Hot Air rose back up and gave a quick salute, even as he started to tip sideways. "Absolutely your Highness. Never felt better!" Sunset had to suppress an amused snort until she noticed that Stage Play and Line Writer were part of the guard on duty, and the former was having trouble doing the same. However, she noticed how Line Writer was oddly quiet at the sight.

Meanwhile, Sunny Days rolled her eyes and giggled at Hot Air's antics. "About as well as expected. My little Sunrise here has done everything she can to keep us on our toes." She paused for a moment before smiling. "Er, hooves."

"Sunrise?" Sunset quirked an eyebrow at that. "I don't remember Dad ever calling me that. Not even as a nickname."

Princess Celestia gave a knowing smile herself as she stepped off her throne and down the steps where the two stood. The smile was short-lived, as it was smoothly replaced by one more somber. "I take it you have come to your decision?"

Sunny Days and Hot Air both nodded as the air grew a bit tense. "We have your Highness." Hot Air put a hoof on his beloved's, and they shared a glance before he turned back to the Princess. "I'm going with her." While they talked, Sunset noticed how Line Writer's neck stiffened a bit from his post, but she was more focused on her parents at that moment.

"I see." Princess Celestia gave him a small bow, making the tired Hot Air blink in surprise. "Then by the authority of the crown, you are at this moment honorably discharged, former First Lieutenant Hot Air. Equestria gives its gratitude for your service." A round of salutes from the guards brought a smile to Hot Air's lips. His eyes moved over to his two friends, and he gave them both a quick nod. He looked a bit concerned at Line Writer's posture, but his attention was drawn away when baby Sunset cooed.

"Looks like somepony's awake." Sunny Days smiled down at her daughter and shifted her a bit with a foreleg, giving the foal a quick nuzzle. She blinked a bit before giggling. "I'm going to have to start talking like I used to, or mother might think I've gone mad." 

"I think she'll have something else to focus on." Hot Air raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "I also am praying that royalty isn't opposed to babysitting."

"I am afraid that may be the least of your worries at the moment. It is time we addressed the other reason I called you both here today." Princess Celestia turned to look at one of the guards, who bowed before turning and ushering in a familiar mirror, placing it near the group. "As it stands, the portal to your world would normally remain open for three days. However, something on the other side has begun to disrupt our connection."

Sunset's jaw dropped alongside her family. "What?"

"I am not sure what is causing it, but a great deal of magic is being pulled through into your world, enough to create a vacuum of aether. Starswirl, in his crafting of this device, added several fail safes. One of which is if this event were to occur, the portal would close off prematurely."

Sunny Days looked at the portal with worry, before a determined frown crossed her face. "How long do we have?"

"An hour, at most." Celestia's head dipped apologetically as she looked towards them. "I am truly sorry that I am unable to give you the time to gather your belongings, but time is of the essence. If you are to return to your world, you must hurry."

Sunny Days glanced at her foal before Hot Air put a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, we'll be okay. I'll keep you safe. Promise." She smiled and gave him a kiss, before the two gave one last bow to Princess Celestia, and started walking closer to the portal. However, as they got near, the portal trembled as a bolt of magic crossed its surface. The two jumped back, using their bodies to try and shield Sunset's younger self, only an arc made it past them and struck her horn.

Sunset could only watch in horror as her infant self suffered through a forced magical surge. Bolts flew across the room as the rampaging magic coursed through her, pulling her from the safety of her mother's hooves. Sunny Days tried to grab ahold of her again, only to take a blast to the chest that sent her flying back.

And straight into the portal.

Yet again, Sunset experienced time slowing in the memory world. She watched as shock, horror, and fear danced across both her mother and father's faces, and Sunny Days passed through the mirror's surface.



Sunset gasped as she stumbled back from the flower, staring at it while heaving ragged breaths. She turned to look at Sunny Days, seeing her smiling sadly. "It... it wasn't my fault?"

Sunny shook her head, helping her daughter to her hooves and pressing their cheeks together. "It never was. We never learned what happened to me, or what caused the portal to malfunction, but after losing me, Hot Air did everything in his power to calm you down. Even as a bolt of magic tore his wing from him, he was only thinking of you. But his heart needed something to blame, which is why he held such contempt for Celestia all those years. She was almighty, so why could she not save his wife?" Tears brimmed at the corners of Sunset's eyes as she started to choke up, her heart clawing its way free from her chest. 

Hooves wrapped around her as Sunny Days carefully hugged her crying child. "I know you want to cry, but now is not the time." She pulled back and wiped away some of Sunset's tears. "You need to leave this place. It is not safe."

"What?" Sunset shook her head as she sniffled. "But... Line Writer can't find us here, right?"

"No, Sunset, that is not what I fear." Sunny Days looked out over the lilies and into the sky, and Sunset followed her gaze.

Her heart shattered instantly.

Several islands were rapidly turning to glass, their progression visible to the naked eye. When Sunset turned back to Sunny Days, she only received a sad smile. "That memory was the one thing helping your father hold onto his mind. He wanted desperately to make sure you knew the truth one day."

"No... No, no, NO!" Sunset shouted, tears streaming down her face. "He can't be giving up! I-I never got to tell him about all the amazing things I've seen! A-All the wonderful friends I've made! I.. I..!" Sunset's body shuddered as she tried to regain some form of composure. "I don't want to lose him... He's my dad... I love him."

Sunny Days put a hoof to her daughter's cheek and smiled. "Then go. Leave his mind and return to his side. He needs you now, out there, more than ever."

Sunset threw a hoof towards the glassing islands. "But what about Line Writer? We can't just let him stay here!"

"He is likely noticing the deterioration as well." Sunny led Sunset back inside and through the room before she found herself again on the porch. "Line will be heading for the exit as we speak. If he leaves first," Sunny's voice faltered as she shuddered, a crack forming in her hoof. Sunset wanted to rush over at the sight of her mother in pain, but Sunny shook her head and frowned.

"I have no doubt he will leave you trapped here."
> Kindness' Limit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was with a small groan that Fluttershy returned to the waking world. Still a bit dazed, she tried to move only to find herself buckled into her seat. 'When did I get back in the truck?' She also noticed they were heading farther into town in the direction of Rarity's place. The fancier buildings and businesses all blending together as they drove past. A momentary thought made her heart leap into her throat, and she looked around frantically until she found her dreamcatcher sitting on the truck's dashboard. With a small sigh, she reached over and picked it up.

A motion that grabbed Applejack's attention. "Oh, yer up!" Fluttershy looked over at Applejack, who had a relieved smile on her face as she kept her eyes on the road. "I was startin' to get worried for a sec there. Ya fell over like one of them faintin' goats the moment you saw Sonata."

Fluttershy smiled as she quickly put the dreamcatcher around her neck. 'I should make sure I don't lose this. Just in case I faint again.' It was after she made sure it was secure, that Fluttershy blinked in confusion with a tilt of her head. "Wait, who's Sonata?" Applejack just pointed a thumb towards the back of the truck, a more amused smile on her face. Fluttershy turned to look back and jumped in surprise, clutching at the dreamcatcher.

Sonata, for her part, could have done something other than press her face into the glass with a giant smile, but she was just too happy and thankful. "HI!"

Fluttershy weakly pointed at Sonata as she turned back in her seat. "Um...A-Applejack?"

"It's fine, Fluttershy." Applejack shrugged and shook her head. "'Parently her sisters are as reliable as your brother. Done ditched her, and she needed a ride to find at least one of 'em, so we're heading for the library to drop her off."

"Oh." Fluttershy looked down at her feet, lips pursed. She felt it again as she agreed with the comparison, that twinge of pain lancing behind her eyes.

"Yeah." Applejack chuckled a bit and raised an eyebrow. "Sure is a talker, though. I swear if you hadn't started stirrin' she'd have given Pinkie a run for her money."

Frowning, Fluttershy looked over at Applejack. "But, when I came out, you were..."

"Using magic?" Applejack raised an eyebrow, to which Fluttershy nodded. She took a moment to sigh and focused her eyes back on the road. "Yeah, not sure why I was either. One sec, Ah'm tellin' Sonata that Ah'm willin' ta give her an honest chance, the next, magic's pourin' offa me like water on a duck's back."

Fluttershy smiled a bit at the simile, but couldn't stop her eyes from darting back to where Sonata was currently breathing on the glass and doodling tacos. "If you're giving her a chance, then why is she in the back of your truck?"

Rolling her eyes, Applejack let out another sigh, sounding a touch more exasperated this time. "Again, she could give Pinkie a run. I told her she could have a back seat, but she insisted she got the bed. Somethin' about it being more fun that way. Between you and me, I ain't fightin' that fight. Tried it once with Pinkie herself. Never again." Applejack looked over at that moment and noticed the slight cringing of Fluttershy's face, and switched to a concerned frown. "Fluttershy? You sure you're feelin' alright?"

Was she? Fluttershy kept telling everyone she was, but that didn't feel true. Her head hurt a lot lately. Ever since Sunset left, she'd been feeling like this, she realized. At the mental image of the fiery-haired friend, Fluttershy started to turn her thoughts to a more introspective direction. "Do... do you think I ever really gave Sunset a chance?"

Applejack's frown turned to a more sympathetic one as she glanced at her friend. "Shy, there ain't no re-"

"Yes, there is!" Fluttershy's head whipped around as she snapped at Applejack. It took her a moment before she realized what she'd done, and another lance of pain ran through her head. Shamefully, Fluttershy turned to look at her feet again. "I... I think for the longest time, I've been angry at Sunset. Ever since she started bullying me, I hated her more than anything, but I couldn't admit it to myself. I just kept wondering why she would be so mean to me for no reason." Fluttershy's grip tightened on the door panel, and her hands trembled. "Then, when we all got back together, I was supposed to be the 'nice' one, but when Sunset stopped being a bully and became our friend, my thoughts were anything but." Another bolt of pain hit her, making her teeth grit down. "I kept thinking if she could be like this all along, why did she spend years making my life miserable? How could I just move past that like it never happened?" Then like a dandelion's seeds flying away, all of her tension left her as she slumped forward, shoulders quaking. "I guess... I'd convinced myself I had, for a while at least. The Battle of the Bands, enjoying her first-ever slumber party... I-I wanted to believe I'd been wrong. That she really was nice..." Fluttershy's throat started to feel tighter as she remembered the past month. "B-but then we all just- just threw her aside! We didn't even try to listen to her! She was crying, begging us to listen!"

A sob caught itself in Fluttershy's throat as she put her head in her hands. "And I enjoyed it."

"When it came out that she was innocent, I felt disgusted. I-I had been exactly what she used to be. I hurt someone who saw me as her friend, as her family even." Applejack flinched at that but said nothing. "I don't want to be like that ever again, but I keep feeling angry at little things, and it hurts. I was starting to get better, but-" Fluttershy's composure crumbled as she started to silently sob. She moved one hand to clutch the dreamcatcher like it was her only lifeline.

Applejack reached over and placed a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder, snapping her attention away from her thoughts. "But then Sunset dropped that little bomb on us before she left. Right?" Fluttershy nodded, sniffling back a few of her tears. "Fluttershy, it's okay to feel like that. Everyone has moments they get mad. Sure, we were out of line, and there ain't no excuse for that, but we can always be better moving forward."

Before she could continue, there was a tap on the back window that led to both of them looking back at Sonata; through the rearview in Applejack's case. They saw her pointing at the pack of motorcycles that were headed their way from behind. At Applejack's raised eyebrow, she opened the sliding panel on Applejack's window and frowned. "Do you, like, know those guys? They've been following you for a while."

"Huh?" Applejack looked into her side mirror, and a few of the cyclists sped past, slowing down before her. Worse, was the spike strip they were holding between the two of them. The message they were sending was clear. Pullover, or lose your tires. When she looked at the griffin design on their backs, her face instantly fell into a glare. "Dagnabbit! It's these guys again."

'Again?' Fluttershy looked out the window only yelp as one of the cyclists drove up next to it and was brandishing a crowbar.

As the truck slowed, Applejack kept her eyes on the guys surrounding them as her hand moved to the door controls. "Fluttershy, whatever you do, stay in the truck and keep the doors locked."

When the truck stopped, and Applejack started to reach for the door, Fluttershy reached over and grabbed her arm. "Applejack, you can't-!"

Applejack looked over and had steel in her eyes. "Sonata is in the bed of my truck Fluttershy. She ain't got anything between them and her, and I promised to get her to that library." She gently put her hand on Fluttershy's, before slowly pulling them off of her arm. "Ah ain't got a choice right now."

Even after she'd pulled over and parked, the motor gang continued to circle her truck, going as far as driving on the sidewalk. They kept this up until one of them stopped and pulled her helmet off. "Well, if it isn't the Apple girl again." Rolling Thunder taunted as she leaned against her bike, hand on her hip. "Do ya want to go another round just from seein' us?"

"Unless you want to get humiliated again, I suggest you get goin'." Applejack growled and cracked her knuckles.

As the two started to square off, Fluttershy hastily hid the dreamcatcher down the front of her shirt. It was a vain hope, but it was all she could do with how many of the gang members were surrounding them. They were mostly too busy watching their boss square up against Applejack to pay much attention to her.

Rolling Thunder chuckled and cocked an eyebrow. "Now, why would I do that after goin' through all the trouble of getting your attention?" Rolling rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Course, it wasn't my idea to square off against you again, but ya just had to be toting around your little friend there. It would have been so much easier if you just let her walk."

Applejack glanced for a moment towards her truck, before resuming her glare at Rolling Thunder. She even took a few steps to the side to stand between the two of them. "Ah don't know what Sonata did ta rile you up, but-"

Rolling Thunder starting laughing madly, interrupting Applejack's threat. "You think I'm here for the bimbo!?" Her face twisted into a sneer as she snapped her fingers. "Nah mate, I was talkin' bout your little friend there." 

Applejack's head whipped around as she heard the shattering of her passenger window and Fluttershy screaming. She started to rush around the truck as two of the bikers began unlocking the door from the inside. "HEY! You get yer hands off a-!" Her charge stopped abruptly as she felt something sharp stab into her back, and an outrageous amount of pain fire up her spine. The pain was enough to send her sprawling across the hood of her truck, gasping for air.

Rolling Thunder only chuckled as she held up the taser and walked over to the downed farmer. "Now, it came to our attention that you and ya friends have a few special items that Lightning wants. I also heard that ya were gonna go and stash it all away soon." She lifted Applejack's head by her hair and tapped her chin with the taser. "So, figuring that ya just made a pitstop at her place, she's gotta have hers on her, right?" 

Fluttershy could only watch helplessly as she was held by one of the bikers with an arm around her neck. She was too scared to even faint anymore. Everything about this was wrong. Today was wrong. It had to be a nightmare. Just another nightmare. She didn't even notice as the dreamcatcher started to glow ominously under her shirt. There was a jolt through her again, only this time, her body went slack.

Applejack was unceremoniously thrown to the ground, and Rolling knelt down next to her. "So, where is it? What special little toy did you bring home?" Applejack tried to push herself up, only to have Rolling stand and stomp on her hand, making her cry out in pain. "I'm waiting!"

Growling through her teeth, Applejack grabbed onto Rolling's ankle with her uninjured hand. "Let. Her. Go."

Rolling just laughed as she kicked Applejack's hand away. "Or what? You'll glare at me while another shock runs through your back?" Rolling pulled the trigger on her taser, and Applejack screamed as another jolt went into her. She glanced back at the truck, where Sonata was busy cowering against the cab as a few of the bikers started to climb in. "What do you think, boys? Should I get the third wheel in on this too?" She looked back down at Applejack with a chuckle, "I wonder how long you'll keep quiet with both of you on the ground."

Rolling was about to continue when she felt a chill run through the air. She paused for a moment, looking up at the sky for a second before one of her goons caught her attention. "Uh, b-b-boss?" 

"What!?" She snapped, only for him to point behind her. The guy looked absolutely terrified, and so did the few who were turning to look at the same sight he was. It was when she turned around to see what the big deal was that she shared their terror. "Holy..."

Where the biker had been holding a terrified Fluttershy in a headlock, he now desperately tried to get his arm free. With an eerie calm, she casually held it in place. The very air rumbled as a faint glow spread from her chest to the rest of her body. Her hair was covering her face, and there was a subtle blue glow coming from behind them. As her head lifted to look forward, her hair parted to reveal the glowing, vacant eyes underneath.

As she let go, the biker was knocked back as massive yellow wings sprung forth from her back, dwarfing the rest of her body. Feathers gently fell as she took a step forward, bursting into motes of light where they landed. From the impacts, various animals began to appear. From mice to rottweilers, they sprung forth and waited for their master's commands with the same haunting eyes.

Rolling Thunder's eyes couldn't get any wider. She hastily dropped her first taser and pulled out a second one. As she aimed, something darted by, scratching her hand badly and making her lose her grip. When she looked around for the taser, a hawk perched itself on Fluttershy's outstretched hand, giving her its prize. With little care, Fluttershy dropped it into the jaws of the rottweiler, who crushed the device remorselessly.

It was then one of the bikers tried to do something and took his crowbar and charged her. He was swiftly taken down by a Doberman that lunged from Fluttershy's wings. It snapped its jaws onto his weapon and yanking him down to the ground, where it pinned him, growling into his terrified face.

Fluttershy threw her arm up as she flapped her wings, gracefully moving into the air with the hawk. From above, she looked down upon the bikers, many of which were frozen in shock. The light was steadily leaving the roads around them, shadows building overhead. It was then that they noticed it was not clouds that were starting to darken the sky. Rolling's heart began to race when she took in the sight of an actual murder of crows and ravens flying above. Her eyes moved to alleyways and any side streets she could think of, only to see more glowing eyes form from every shadow and window they could. In every direction, she could see them waiting for someone to move. Entire packs of dogs growled from behind doors. 

Applejack felt someone pulling her up, and looked over to see a terrified Sonata trying to help her and pulling the darts from her back. "In the truck." Her simple command was followed to the letter, and Sonata had both of them quickly locked in the cab, broken glass forgotten.

Fluttershy pulled an arm back over her chest, and Rolling turned to her gang immediately. "BAIL!"

Fluttershy's arm swung forward, and the birds immediately began their attack, flying past her like living missiles. Many of them found their targets, latching onto bikers as they tried and failed to get on their rides and tripping them, pecking and clawing at what they could. The animals that had been still until then all darted in, joining in the assault. Those that managed to escape the birds were met with hoards of rats coming from dumpsters, or dogs and cats latching onto them as they leaped from the windows. 

From inside the truck, Sonata and Applejack watched in fascinated horror as goon after goon was taken down by the pack of animals. Less domestic breeds were starting to appear. Applejack jumped a bit as an albatross picked up one of the bikers and flew off. "Ah don't think I'll ever underestimate Fluttershy again."

Sonata gulped as a black panther lunged off of the truck's hood and into the fray. "Same."

Rolling ran for her bike as fast as she could. A glance over her shoulder showed at least three dogs all coming for her. One of the other bikers was next to her bike trying to start their own, and when she got there, she grabbed him by the coat and snarled. "Out of my way!" The poor fool was thrown straight into the dogs, which all latched onto his arms and legs as he screamed. Rolling mounted her bike, even as birds continued to peck at her head, and revved her engine as she took off.

Fluttershy's eyes followed Rolling as she raced off, wings giving a mighty flap that carried her higher. Many of the animals that weren't pinning down a biker started to fade back into motes of light, only to gather in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, the small ball landed in the middle of the street. The pale yellow light spread as it fell, and a blue mist began to seep out. Where the fog did not grow, the glow looked like stars in the night sky. The spreading began to deform, moving to shape into clawed limbs and an ursine head with glowing blue eyes.

With a mighty roar, the stellar bear that had formed rose and issued its challenge to all. Fluttershy flew down and placed a hand on the bear's face, giving a small smile, before flying up and pointing off in the direction that Rolling drove off. The bear went back down on all fours and bolted down the road, Fluttershy flying overhead.

Eyes wide, Applejack pulled herself up and flinched at the pain in her back. "We gotta stop her." She hastily started to get out of her truck and stumbled, watching Fluttershy fly away. "If Fluttershy keeps this up, she might end up killin' someone!"

Down the road, Rolling's motorcycle flew like a bat out of hell. Her heart was thumping in her chest. A glance over her shoulder made her think she was safe, and she laughed to herself. "Money ain't worth this load of-." The feeling of the road starting to shake under her made Rolling's eyes widen, and she glanced behind herself again.

Only to see the Ursa Minor barreling towards her, quickly catching up, and Fluttershy flying just overhead.

Rolling Thunder slammed on the gas, speeding up as much as her bike would allow. Terror welled in her chest as the Ursa Minor slowly closed the distance in her mirror, its eyes filled with anger. With a single swipe, it shredded the back wheel of Rolling's bike and sent the teen flying. 

Rolling flipped through the air, screaming until she found herself being held by the collar of her shirt by a yellow hand. She hesitantly looked into Fluttershy's eyes, feeling them bore into her soul. Overwhelming fear and panic paralyzed her, as she couldn't tear her eyes away. "Let me go! I-I was just doing what Lightning asked!"

"Then why did you take pleasure in harming my friend?" Fluttershy's voice echoed slightly as the magic coursing through her sparked. "Why did such acts of cruelty make you happy?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I swear!" Rolling was crying as she desperately struggled to get free of the pale yellow grip that trapped her. "I-I was just mad that she beat me last time!"

Fluttershy's eyes narrowed, the glow intensifying as she floated to face the Ursa Minor. "You must learn from this."

Rolling finally found herself able to tear her eyes away from Fluttershy's, only to look down and see the Ursa looking hungrily up at her. Her grip on Fluttershy's arms tightened as she struggled. "I said, I'm sorry! Please! D-Don't do this!" Fluttershy closed her eyes and sighed as she shook her head.

And she let go.

Rolling screamed as she fell towards the Ursa minor. She saw her life flash before her eyes and prayed to any gods she could think of, even as she felt the jaws of the beast closing in around her. 

Only, they didn't puncture her. She could feel the teeth on her back and stomach, and the drool oozing across her skin. She didn't even realize she'd closed her eyes until she cracked them open, and stared right into the eye of the Ursa holding her. With a thud, she found herself on the ground, scrambling away as Fluttershy floated down gently in front of her.

"Leave." Fluttershy's command echoed with power, and Rolling scrambled to her feet and bolted down the road and out of sight. 

When she was gone, Applejack's truck soon arrived, and she nearly fell to the ground herself as she clambered out. "Fluttershy!" The girl turned to look at Applejack and smiled, only for the magic surrounding Fluttershy to fade, and she collapsed like a stringless puppet. Applejack ran over to her immediately only for the Ursa to growl and step over her friend protectively. "W-Woah, there big fella."

Sonata hid behind the door to the truck as she stared wide-eyed. "She made an Ursa Minor!?"

"A what?" Applejack raised an eyebrow but kept her focus more on the Ursa Minor than Sonata.

Sonata shook as she did her best to hide. "It's Equestrian! That's one of the biggest predators in, like, the whole continent. Not even my sisters and I would mess with it, and like, that's not including the mom!"

Applejack paused and felt her legs threaten to fall out from under her. "Are y'all tellin' me this is a BABY!?"

Fluttershy stirred and groaned, blearily opening her eyes. "Applejack?" The Ursa backed up a few steps and gave a tentative nuzzle into Fluttershy's side, making her turn to face it, only to squeak at the sight of its eyes so close. Her trembling was quelled when she felt it lick her face and lay down on its belly next to her. Fluttershy took a second look and saw the Ursa Minor's golden eyes looking up at her. There was no malice, only curiosity, and want for attention. She smiled and gently put a hand to the Ursa Minor's head, petting it as it was lulled into a content rest.

When Applejack risked a step forward, the Ursa growled, only for Fluttershy to stop petting. "Now young lady, there's no need to act like that! Applejack is my friend, and wouldn't ever hurt me." The Ursa whined, but moved a bit and allowed Applejack to get closer.

Applejack, finally allowed to step closer, knelt down next to Fluttershy and helped her to her feet. "Uh, Fluttershy? Ya feeling alright?"

Fluttershy tilted her head a bit and put a hand to her chin. "I think? I feel a bit tired and exhausted, but that's all."

A cringe crossed Applejack's face as she adjusted her hat. "Well, Ah, just wanted to be sure. Not too long ago, ya had magic pouring out of ya like a monsoon."

Jumping in surprise, she moved her hand to her mouth. "I did? Oh my."

Sonata dared another peek from behind the truck's door, eyeing both Fluttershy and the Ursa wearily. "You really don't remember?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "N-No." She gasped as a thought struck her, and she turned to Applejack with her eyes starting to tear up. "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Her eyes fell on Applejack's hand, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. "Applejack, your hand!"

Applejack's mind flashed back to how they had to pull a guy who was being squeezed by a boa constrictor out of the road, doing their best to avoid getting bit as it snapped at them. "I'm fine, Fluttershy. This wasn't you." Seeing Fluttershy start to get distressed, which was agitating the Ursa, Applejack jumped a bit. "Y-you did take out a buncha them bikers, but all the critters ya sicced on 'em only held those varmints down. Ah promise." Though they probably are scared of dogs now, she added mentally.

Fluttershy gently sighed and put a hand to her chest. "Oh, good. But um..." They all looked to the Ursa Minor, who perked up at the sudden attention. "How did she get here?"

Scratching the back of her head, Applejack shrugged. "Ya kinda... made her? Not sure, honestly."

"Oh, my." Fluttershy knelt down next to the Ursa Minor's head and started to pet them again, making the Ursa smile as it pressed into her hand. "Is that true? Did I make you?" The Ursa nodded, much to Applejack's surprise, and Fluttershy smiled. "Do you have a name?" The Ursa shook her head sadly, looking forlorn. "Well, that won't do at all." Fluttershy hummed in thought before smiling again. "How about Stella?" The bear lifted its head and licked Fluttershy across the face, standing and bowling her over as it did so, only to continue as she laughed on the ground.

Applejack chuckled a bit. "Ah guess she likes it." She looked between Stella and her pickup before scratching her head. "Though, Ah don't see how she's gonna fit in my truck. Can't rightly just let her walk off, bein' Equestrian and all that. Ah wonder how Ah'm gonna explain this to Bloom."

Fluttershy got up and gasped. "The Dreamcatcher! I almost for-," Fluttershy pulled the dreamcatcher out from inside her dress, only to feel her heartbreak instantly, "-got... oh."

The dreamcatcher was broken in several places. The wood that had held it in shape had snapped, and now threads were tangled, frayed, or cut entirely. Worse, is whatever caused the damage also tore the feathers she had gotten to ribbons.

Seeing Fluttershy stare down at the broken dreamcatcher in her hands, Applejack put one of her own on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Sorry about your dreamcatcher, Sugarcube."

Fluttershy shook her head with a small smile and put the broken pieces in her pocket. "It's alright, Applejack. I don't think I'll be needing it much more. After that talk we had, I'm sure I'll be sleeping better from now on." 

"Glad to hear it." Applejack and Fluttershy shared a hug before the former headed for the truck. "So... plans on how to get, uh, Stella there to Sweet Apple Acres?"

Fluttershy nodded and turned to Stella before climbing up on her back. "Stella shouldn't have any trouble keeping up with your pickup. Will, you girl?" Stella grunted and let out a snort as if challenging Applejack's truck to try and lose her.

Sonata jumped out of the truck and started to walk away. "Like, you do that. I'm gonna stay away from that as much as possible, cause I don't have many good memories of Ursas. Thank you for the ride, though!" And with that, Sonata ran away, headed straight for somewhere other than there.

Applejack shrugged a bit and sighed. "Well, at least she's headed in the right direction." With that, the two girls headed to Sweet Apple Acres, and individually were trying to figure out how the heck they were going to explain this.
> The Line Crossed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset galloped. As hard as she could, she charged forward down the vines that connected the islands she had been on. All the while, she found herself jumping over patches of glass that were forming, or almost falling from a vine dying as she crossed. She needed to get back to the real world. Back to where Twilight was gathering the guard to catch Line Writer. Back to where she couldn’t get erased by stepping on the wrong spot.

Back to where her dad was barely holding on to his mind.

Her focus slipped a moment, and she almost tripped into a large patch of glass that formed in her path. Gritting her teeth, she leaped over it and landed on the other side, before continuing her charge. It was not long before she could see the door leading out of the mindscape just ahead. She took a moment to breathe and looked around the sky. “Line Writer isn’t here. Hope that means I beat him to the exit.”

Sunset hopped onto the next vine and heard a crunch. Looking down, she noticed her hoof was stuck in the rotted plant. She growled and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. “Oh, come on! Not now!”

“Leaving so soon?” Sunset’s blood froze as she looked over and saw Line Writer smirking as he floated to the island in front of her and landed, calmly stepping off.

“You.” The venom in Sunset’s voice would have put down entire countries if it could. “Just what was worth coming in here and doing all of this!? Why destroy what little of my dad I had left!? What was so important you’d do this to your best friend!?”

“Friend?” Line Writer’s smirk fell some as he started to walk closer down the vine. “Friend!?” He snarled and put himself nose to nose with Sunset, horn burning with magic. “Everything we strove for. Every battle we fought together. He tossed it to the side like it was NOTHING! And for what? A mare who wasn’t even from this dimension? He knew her for less than a few weeks before he was putting more of his time into her than he needed! Less and less, I see them until they’re barely around at all!”

Sunset snarled back and lit her own horn. “And!? So what! Just because he liked my mother, you think he abandoned your friendship!? The only one who did that was you Line Writer, and you did it far worse than you say he did! You spent years pretending to be his friend just so you could do this! How sick are you!?”

“I LOVED HIM, CELESTIA DAMN IT!” Line Writer snapped as his breathing started to get slightly haggard. Sunset was stunned for a moment, as she watched the enraged stallion pant. Slowly, Line Writer’s eyes darkened. “But he chose her. I tried, so long, to forget how much it hurt to see him turn away. She stole everything from me before I had a chance to tell him, and he went with her willingly.” A twisted chuckle slipped out of Line Writer’s lips as his eyes dilated. “So if he misses her so badly, he can join her in the abyss where their disgusting love belongs.” His horn lit up again as he smiled wider. “And so can you.”

Sunset’s legs trembled as she locked eyes with the deranged unicorn. Through the fear, however, she could feel something under her stuck hoof and got an idea. Letting her fear show, she shifted her leg as if she was trying to step away from him. “Y-You’re insane.”

“No, just heartbroken.” Line Writer stepped towards her and stared down with a small hint of disappointment. “You know, a part of me wants it to be true that you’re actually his daughter.” Magic began to gather more towards the tip of his horn as his focus was turned to finishing his spell. “That way, I could get rid of the ultimate product of their love in one-.” Sunset struck as soon as his attention was off of her. With a swift kick, she ripped her hoof free from the vine’s rot and sent a shower of splinters into Line Writer’s eyes. In his pain, Line’s spell fired off and struck the ground behind Sunset as she ducked. “GAH! YOU LITTLE WHORSE!”

Sunset cracked her neck as she lowered her horn and gathered her own magic. “You’re also not getting away with this!”

Line Writer’s bloodshot eyes burned with both rage and pain as he snarled. “And who’s going to stop me? You?” His horn lit up again as he recharged his spell. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be fading with everything else here!”

There was a shimmer in the air around Sunset as she focused on every single spell she could remember from her time under Celestia. “Try me.” 

Line Writer’s magic blasted forward, slamming into Sunset. Only, Line Writer’s eyes went wide as Sunset’s form expanded as a hole was punched through it, before fading into the air. “WHERE ARE YOU!” 

He looked around in anger until a blast hit him in the stomach. The stallion was launched into the air, flipping uncontrollably as Sunset jumped from inside the deteriorating vine’s newest hole, flames licking around her horn and forelegs. “Right here, jerk.”

Knowing this was a fight against time, Sunset started her charge back down the vine and kept her eyes on Line Writer as his horn lit up again, and he screamed in rage. Twisting in the air, he fired a beam of magic that sliced through the air, barely missing her. However, the vine was struck and quickly filled with a series of explosions that steadily caught up to her. Sunset barely managed to lunge her way off of the vine as the plant matter burst into a shower of debris.

Sunset tumbled across the ground, nearly sliding off the edge of the island. She looked to see Line Writer jumping back into his air-balloon and taking off. As she charged back towards him, he started sending shockwaves of magic into the island, making it tremor violently under her hooves. 

Her eyes went wide as the island exploded, and she was launched back into the air. Cold air ripped painfully around her fresh burns as she started to fall. Sunset’s eyes looked up to see Line Writer headed for the exit. Determination flooded through her as she charged a different spell, and fire burst from all around her.

Line Writer narrowed his eyes as the fireball erupted, putting up a shield around his balloon. No sooner did he finish his spell did the flame slam into his protection and knock his aircraft off course. Rather than explode, however, the fireball continued to push him further and further from the exit. When the fireball extinguished, he was face to face with Sunset as flames propelled her through the air, hooves pressing into his magic. 

Sunset reeled back one of her hooves and slammed it into the shield as hard as she could, the fire encasing her body, collecting at the impact, and causing small cracks to start. Line Writer poured more magic into his shield and could feel the strain beginning to get to him. 

Another punch made the shield shatter as Sunset readied for another strike. Before it could land, Line Writer ducked away from the blow and used his magic to grab onto her, launching her downward. Sunset’s eyes widened as she saw one of the glassed islands heading for her, and thrust all four of her legs down, sending a jet of flame to stop her fall. 

As her decent came to a stop before she could impact, Sunset saw that Line was headed for the exit again. A growl escaped her, and she blasted after him, magic licking across her horn still. Line prepared another spell as Sunset got closer, and sliced through the air with several blasts. Sunset rolled and weaved through them as best she could, a few slicing through her sides and cheeks as they streaked past her.

The magic in her horn started trailing through the air as she flew closer until a long stream was flowing behind her. With a flick of her head, the trail whipped forward and struck the basket of the balloon, burning through it with ease. Her second shot at Line Writer was blocked as another shield was summoned, and instead wrapped around him, dragging her through the air as she tried to slow him down.

Enraged at the slowing of his escape, Line Writer did his best to expand the shield. “How do you know this magic!? This level of Pyromancy is forbidden even to the guards!”

Sunset simply glared at him. “You should know who the exception is.” With a quick change in strategy, Sunset changed the direction of her flames. She started to fly circles around Line Writer, making his balloon follow suit. With a flick of her horn, the flame whip extinguished, and the aircraft crashed into one of the islands.

Line Writer pulled himself from the wreckage and snorted in rage. His horn crackled dangerously as his magic started to get out of control. “I WILL NOT LET SOME BRAT BEAT ME!” His magic blasted towards Sunset in an unfocused wave. Sunset was forced to veer off course in her charge towards him and saw an opportunity. 

“Actually, I think you will!” Speeding up, she spun through the air and quickly started to turn towards him as he tried to re-direct his blast.

Only Sunset was slightly faster.

With a solid punch, Sunset’s flaming hooves landed into Line Writer’s chest, knocking the wind out of the old stallion. Sunset, however, didn’t slow down, carrying him through the air and towards her destination. Line Writer struggled against her, glancing over his shoulder to see where they were headed, and his eyes widened.

Only a moment later, did he slam into the doorway leading out of Hot Air’s mindscape, and he could feel the construct behind him start to buckle under the pressure. Sunset kept up her push, and cracks began to form. “No, NO! I spent years finding the perfect spell for this!” He pressed his hooves into the frame and tried to push back against Sunset with his magic, only for his horn to fizzle and spark.

Sunset’s hooves dug a little harder into his stomach. “Years you could have spent finding someone else to obsess about!” In a final burst of magic, her flames exploded out behind her hooves. The pressure finally became too much, and the construct shattered open.

It was but a moment later that both of them were ejected back into the real world, and the tear in reality quickly closed.





Twilight for her part had not waited quietly for Sunset’s return. While she still remained in Hot Air’s chambers, she had sent a letter to the local police station explaining the situation. As such, a small unit of officers was waiting alongside her. The longer she waited, the more anxious she was becoming. “Please, Sunset... you need to get out of there.”

One of the officers looked at her with a hint of sympathy. “Your Highness, if this spell remains any longer-” His words were quickly interrupted as cracks formed on the door.

At the sight of them, Twilight’s heart sank. “No! Sunset’s still in there!”

She started to head for the door when the officer pulled her away from the trembling portal. “Princess! Get back!”

No sooner did he get her away did the portal shatter, and two ponies tumbled out onto the floor. Twilight quickly pulled herself away from the officer and rushed to where they were laying, and pulled Sunset into her hooves. Her heart stopped when she noticed how burned Sunset’s forelegs were. “Sunset! Oh, sweet Celestia, what happened to you!?”

The officer looked down at Line Writer and frowned before he turned to the other officers. “Get a medical team in here immediately. We have three magically assaulted; two with Pyromancy and one through abuse of Divination.”

Twilight couldn’t look away from her friend. Sunset’s burns were quite extreme, and the patterns of the injuries... she recognized them. It was when an officer put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder that her thoughts were pulled from her own memory. “Your highness, We’ll need you to come with us to the station. If what you’ve told us is true, we need to have your statement for the report.”

“I understand.” Twilight gave him a nod and started to follow him out the door as the medical team rushed in from downstairs. “I recognized the pattern of the burns. Sunset was using advanced Pyromancy that only Celestia herself is allowed to teach. She expressly forbids any student from using them unless their life depends on it.”

“That’s good to know. This may help us with our case.” The officer nodded, and the two of them headed downstairs. “Let’s hope your friend regains consciousness soon, so we can hear her side of the story. She may have learned something that will elaborate more on this.”

The officer left, and Twilight waited for the medical team to come down. When they were moving Sunset out of the home, Twilight stopped the responder. “If it’s alright, can I go with you back to the hospital?” The responder nodded, and Twilight joined them in the ambulance. The entire ride to the Baltimare Hospital, Twilight couldn’t stop glancing down at Sunset. The medical team had done their jobs well, bandaging what they could, but the sight still was rocking Twilight to her core. How could one of her friends get this badly hurt? How could she have let it happen? Why didn’t she jump in after her?

Tears started to trail down her cheeks as she gently placed a hoof on Sunset’s bandaged foreleg.

“Please be okay...”
> Starlit Scriptures
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was in the closest she could be too literal heaven. The smell of dusty books and aged newspapers permeated the air of the Canterlot Library's archive room. They did so thoroughly that it felt like the ink was lining her lungs with each breath. The only reason she wasn't going catatonic with joy from being there was the fact that she and Rarity had other priorities distracting them.

Folding an old article from roughly ten years ago, Rarity sighed. "Nothing in this one. Have you had any luck?"

"No." Twilight frowned and grabbed another paper, scanning over the articles on the front page. "There has to be something with Celestia referenced in these! I pulled every paper that had anything to do with Canterlot High that's in here!"

"There's just no way that every single trace of someone can just vanish." Rarity hummed in thought as she pursed her lips. "This is turning into quite the mystery. Perhaps I should have stopped and gotten my Noir outfit before starting our search."

Twilight blinked in surprise before looking over with a raised eyebrow. "You have a Noir outfit?"

"Darling, our search?" Rarity deflected casually as she went back to the newspapers.

"Right." Twilight turned back to her own set of papers and hummed. The two sat in silence for a little while longer before they both let out a long sigh. "This is another dead end, isn't it?"

"It appears so." Rarity tossed her newspaper down and frowned. "This is becoming less of a mystery and more of an annoyance." She looked over at the rest of the archive and hummed. "Perhaps we should focus less time on Celestia, and more on this Sunny Days character instead? After all, if the search on Celestia is proving less than fruitful, it would be wiser to focus our efforts elsewhere."

"I guess..." Twilight muttered as she pouted and slumped.

Sighing, Rarity put a hand on Twilight's shoulder and gave her a smile. "Now, don't be like that, dear. I'm sure what we need will practically fall right in our laps."

The two of them jumped as a hefty tome slammed into the table, followed by a pair of pink hands belonging to a very exhausted looking Starlight. "Hey, girls, how you been?"

Twilight blinked in surprise before smiling. "Hey, Starlight. We've... been better."

Starlight raised an eyebrow at the newspapers littering the table and winced a bit when she noticed that she'd knocked a few to the floor. "Er... sorry."

Twilight and Rarity shared a glance before the latter waved a hand dismissively. "Oh darling, it had nothing to do with the papers scattering. If anything, we were about ready to put them all away."

"Well, that's a small relief." Starlight chuckled as she took a seat across from Twilight. "So what are you two up to?"

"Trying to figure out Celestia's age." Twilight groaned and rubbed her temples. "A task that is proving to be monumentally more complicated by the second." Starlight's mouth opened, and Twilight held up a finger.

"Did Sunset ask you to do this?" Starlight deadpanned with a raised eyebrow. Twilight blushed a bit as her head landed on the table. "So, she came to you too." 

"I didn't realize she'd asked more than just us." Rarity looked a little hurt before she perked up and smiled a bit. "Did you find anything, though?"

Starlight sighed and shook her head with a shrug. "Well, I'd like to say that I'd be some help, but I came up just as dry."

Pursing her lips a bit in thought, Rarity looked towards the book that Starlight had dropped onto the table. "Then, what brings you here, darling? Surely you have other plans for today as well."

"Research for my dad." Starlight patted the cover of the book and smirked. "He needed some help getting information for his thesis, and asked me to find anything I could from the public library on the topic."

Twilight perked up, and her eyes sparkled. "Thesis research?" Rarity's eyes rolled with a small smirk sitting on her face. Twilight didn't even notice as she leaned forward with her hands clasped together. "What's the subject? Is it something I could help with?" Starlight spun the book around for her to see, and Twilight's face fell. "'Lost Legends by Obscure Text'? What would need this?"

"My dad has a Masters in History and Folklore. He needed a bit more on a specific legend to help him go over the finer details. All he had was old tomes that, unfortunately, didn't fare well over time. This," Starlight patted the book and smiled, "supposedly has a bit more info on it, if the librarian is to be believed."

"You can always trust Dusty Pages." Twilight steely replied making both Starlight and Rarity lean back a bit in shock. It wasn't long after she realized just what kind of tone she used, and returned to blushing. "S-sorry. I just... Dusty's one of the best librarians here. Though, I did hear she was planning on retiring soon."

Starlight waved a hand and felt a bead of sweat trail down her cheek. "I-It's no big deal." She turned the book back around and opened up the cover, looking through the contents. "Anyways, I gave up on the Celestia search sometime yesterday. It was clear to me she really didn't want anyone to know how old she is." A chuckle slipped past her lips as she found what she was looking for and started flipping pages. "My bets somewhere in her 50s to 60s."

Rarity let out an indignant gasp. "Starlight! Making bets on a woman's age! That's simply scandalous!" The was a pause before she leaned in with a whisper. "60s to 70s, take it, or leave it."

"Deal." Starlight gave Rarity a quick handshake, then glanced at Twilight for a second before smiling. "But if we're both wrong, Twilight gets the money."

"Can you please not involve me?" Twilight pouted and sighed. "We still need to see if we can find anything about Sunny Days."

"Wait, Sunny Days?" Starlight frowned as she flipped back to the front of the book. "That's odd."

"What is?" Twilight looked at the book curiously, followed shortly after by Rarity.

"I could have sworn I saw something involving that name somewhere in here." Finger gliding down the page, Starlight's eyes scanned each word before she came to a stop. "Yep, 'The Lost Kingdom of Stellaris.'" She rolled her eyes a bit and shook her head. "I read this one before. There was a character named Sunny Days in here. It didn't even focus on her as much as her sister, but it's in here."

Rarity and Twilight shared a glance before turning back to Starlight. "Really? Hm, I guess whoever Sunset wrote to us about must have had parents who really liked folklore."

Starlight winced as she sucked a breath in. "I wouldn't go that far. I talked with dad about that kind of stuff once, and he got kinda... intense. Something about not wanting to curse a child by tempting fate."

Twilight's brow furrowed as she hummed in thought. "I don't know why but... part of me wants to look into that legend. Even if it's only loosely related, we might get a hint at what kind of person we're looking for."

Pushing over the book, Starlight shrugged. "Knock yourself out. I'm gonna go upstairs and see if there's a second copy in the back that I can check out. This one was from the reference section."

Giving a quick wave as Starlight left, Rarity and Twilight both turned to the book as the latter flipped through the pages to the relevant story. "Okay, let's see here.

Long ago, in a faraway land, there was once a kingdom known as Stellaris. Though young, the nation thrived under the rule of Lord Stellar, and Queen Nova. Crops were plentiful, guards maintained order, and peace swept through the very homes of their citizens. 

Despite this peace, however, the king feared the unknown. Anything new, he shunned outright, going as far as to outlaw that which his dislike alone could not halt. The only novelties he welcomed were the births of his daughters, the older, Sunny Days, and the younger, Starry Nights." 

Twilight paused her reading and shared a glance with Rarity. "Is it just me, or does this sound oddly similar to some of those movies Pinkie made us watch?"

Rarity shrugged a bit as a blush crossed her cheeks. "To be fair, I think you and Sunset were the only ones awake by that point." 

Twilight giggled a bit and turned back to the book. "It was upon the birth of the younger daughter, that a seer came to the castle. While the king wanted nothing of her magic, the queen insisted on hearing out the elder. The seer spoke of the kingdom's end. She spoke of the sun's fall to the magic of the moon, and the ruin that would follow. The fearful king's mind jumped straight to his daughters, and in anger, had the seer removed from the castle. 

Thus began the fall of the kingdom.

As the princesses grew older, the king's paranoia coiled around his soul. Desperate to ensure the seer's words never came true, he did all in his power to ensure that his eldest was as powerful as she could be. The elder sister was pampered by the best caretakers, tutored by the greatest scholars, and courted by the noblest princes. The younger sister was left to her own devices, only receiving the scraps of what was left behind. Magic was soon after outlawed, and any found using the craft would be executed.

There was a problem, however, with the king's plan. His oldest, growing tired of her pampering, longed for something to change. Often, she would sneak away for hours, cause trouble, and remain unpunished due to the fear of her father's retribution falling upon those who caught her. It was at those times that her sister was faced with the punishment for deeds she had not even done, pushing her heart into cold darkness.

Time passed, leading to jealousy and resentment that grew within the younger sister's heart every passing day, until one day she had enough. Luring her sister into the garden, the young Starry Nights argued with her sister. Years of pent up emotions flooded out of her and it was then, in the anger and pain, that the magic lying dormant inside the young princess broke free and granted her heart's wish, banishing her sister to lands unknown. But it was not joy that filled the young princess's heart in the aftermath, but the hollow ache of loss and the fear of their father's wrath. Knowing what her father would do, the young princess fled the kingdom with the aid of their tutor. With both his daughters missing, the king ordered his armies to scour the land to find his oldest and kill his youngest. 

Tried as she might, her attempts to make amends with her actions were unanswered. For fortune did not favor the youngest princess. Though taught how to control herself by the wise scholar, the king's men found them, the tutor fell in his attempt to protect her, and the knights chased her to the seaside. With no options, and the weight of guilt clouding her mind, she turned her body to stone as she cast herself into the watery depths. 

With both princesses lost, the queen's heart fell into despair, and the kingdom soon followed, descending into a bloody civil war that left only ruin in its wake. There is hope, however, within the heart of the people, that one day, the princess will return, and their kingdom will be restored."

Twilight and Rarity looked to the next page, where their jaws dropped. Splayed across the page, was a drawing of the two princesses. The first one at the moment she turned herself to stone and fell into the sea. The other, as she was being banished into the base of a statue. The detail that caught their attention the most, however, was the coloration of both princesses. "Hey, doesn't the princess in the book..."

"Look like Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna?" Rarity finished as she stared in shock.

Twilight stood up and closed the book before heading for the stairs. "Okay, normally, I would just chalk this up to coincidence, but ever since I figured out magic is a thing, I'm a lot more open to possibilities." 

Rarity caught up with her and put a hand on her wrist. "Now Twilight, while I agree with that train of thought to a point, I must also remind you that this is a legend well over a thousand years old. Coincidence is still very much on the table."

"But then why else would they keep hiding how old they are!?" Twilight threw her hands up into the air, nearly losing the book.

Sighing, Rarity shook her head and had her hands on her hips. "Twilight, darling, you sound like a conspiracy theorist. Last I checked magic didn't turn people immortal on a whim."

Twilight pouted a bit before pointing in what could have been the general direction of CHS. "Well... Equestria's Celestia and Luna are over a thousand years old!"

"And on that side, they're all-powerful to the point they can move the sun and moon at their leisure," Rarity added with crossed arms and a tapping foot. "Last I checked, our principals don't do that. If anything, they complain about it when they think we can't hear them."

"But so far, it's the only thing that's made some sort of sense!" Twilight groaned and rubbed her face in exasperation. "It would explain why they keep dodging the question. If they're over a thousand years old, they might be doing everything to hide their immortality to live normal lives."

"Twilight." Rarity's tone made her flinch before Twilight felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I thought we agreed we would put Celestia's age problem on hold. All we've found is an obscure legend from who knows how long ago that likely has had several details changed as it was passed along. That isn't enough evidence to come to a solid conclusion, and you're stressing yourself out again. Let's just see if there are any records you can find on anyone named Sunny Days for now, okay?"

Sighing, Twilight rubbed her arm and looked down. "You're right... I'm working myself up over nothing."

"Not nothing, a problem you promised a friend to solve." Rarity gave a smile and pulled Twilight into a hug, which was quickly returned. "It's just that you need to step back for a moment to give yourself a break." The two both jumped a bit as their phones went off. They shared a glance before pulling them out and frowning. "Rainbow? What could-" Rarity gasped and put a hand to her mouth in shock. "Oh, dear."

RD: big prob! 
RD: house got broke into!
RD: magic stuff is missing!

Twilight gulped a bit and shared a scared glance with Rarity. "I think things just went from bad to catastrophic."

The two of them wasted no time leaving the Library.
> Tension
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there existed one thing she hated most about hospital visits, it was that she couldn’t stand the constant beeping from the heart monitor. Yes, it was telling the doctors that somepony’s heart still worked. Yes, it showed that they were still alive. The problem was that waking up to that sound usually meant something went wrong.

Worse was sitting next to it, waiting for somepony to wake up.

Twilight’s ears pressed to her head as she sat in silence next to Sunset’s bed. The doctors had done an excellent job healing her burns, leaving only faint scarring that would fade with time. What scared her most was when they learned just how far Sunset had pushed herself. Her magic was at such critically low levels that even one of Tirek’s victims would have more than she did. The evil centaur at least left enough in the ponies he attacked that their lives weren’t in danger, even if it was only to keep them as slaves for later. Sunset, however, had managed to burn through an exceptionally unsafe amount. The only option was to wait for her reserves to restore themselves naturally since there wasn’t some villain to get her magic back from. 

Speaking of villains, Twilight’s eyes moved for a moment towards the door, and her teeth clenched. Sure, he wasn’t behind it directly. Still, the fact Line Writer’s injuries consisted of less life-threatening conditions made her feel emotions unfitting for the Princess of Friendship. At least he wouldn’t be running away from justice.

Shaking her head violently, Twilight snorted. She didn’t want to think about him. Instead, she focused on the third victim of late. Hot Air, for all he had been through, came out fine physically. The most he complained about was a slight headache, and kept his overall personality, from what the nurses said. It was everything else they were talking about that made her worry.

Twilight’s musing was only going in circles, so she got up and put a hoof on Sunset’s. She wanted to say something, anything, but all her words felt like sand in her mouth. With a resigned sigh, Twilight’s head felt heavy as she walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. Even crying was out of her reach, having long since run out of tears. Taking a seat at the door, Twilight pressed her back into the cold glass and rubbed her face with a hoof. “What do I do?” Asking herself out loud did little to help find the answer to that question. What she would give for some advice from a friend.

The thought of friends made her heart go cold. In all of the excitement and worry, she’d forgotten about Sunset’s friends. “I have to tell them, but how?”

“Princess?” Twilight looked over and saw Dr. Throb walking towards her with a frown. “Do you need a moment?”

“I’ll- I’ll be alright.” Standing, Twilight composed herself as much as she could. “Is there something you need?”

“Not me, no.” Dr. Throb sighed and adjusted her mane out of her eyes. “But when I heard you were still here, I was beginning to get worried.”

Twilight’s head fell back down. “I’m sorry for worrying you.” The two looked at the door to Sunset’s room. “I-I’m just having a hard time figuring out what to do from here.”

Dr. Throb put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and gave her a small smile. “Well, since it seems like Sunset’s a good friend of yours, I have no doubt you’ll figure it out.” Dr. Throb frowned a moment later and looked at her clipboard. “That being said, though, I take it you know her emergency contact? With her father already in our care, we tried to find a second, but her paperwork didn’t have anypony else.”

Sighing yet again, Twilight shook her head. “Unfortunately, no.”

Dr. Throb rubbed her chin as she looked closer at the paperwork. “Perhaps I should forward a letter to Celestia. She was her student at some point, so maybe she-”

“T-That won’t be necessary!” Twilight interrupted. “I, uh, I’ll write to her myself. That way, the message doesn’t have to go through the mail.” She hadn’t meant to be rude, but the thought that Sunset might wake up with Celestia in the room had made her panic.

Dr. Throb narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Princess, if I may ask, Sunset didn’t do anything that could potentially sour her relationship with Princess Celestia, did she?”

A bead of sweat trailed down Twilight’s cheek as she looked to the side. “Uh...”

A sigh escaped Dr. Throb as she put a hoof to her face. “Really, Sunset? Of all the things to do... I wanted to think you’d just graduated early.” 

Twilight gave a sad smile as she glanced back at Sunset’s room. “Does it help any that she feels really guilty about it?”

“A little.” Dr. Throb joined Twilight in looking through the glass. The two sat there silently as time silently passed, interrupted only by the sound of the hospital around them. 

If they could, Twilight’s ears would have pressed back farther. “Celestia’s, not the only one I have to tell.” Dr. Throb glanced over curiously. “Sunset’s been in a rather unique place since she stopped being Celestia’s student. Sure, Sunset’s time there was not the definition of peaceful at first, on her own part, but as of recent, she’s found reasons to call it home. A group of friends that she holds as close to her heart; close as I hold my own.” A trembling grimace danced on Twilight’s face. Morbidly, it was funny. She thought she’d long run out of tears by the time they’d arrived at the hospital. “How... How am I supposed to tell them about this? It was just supposed to be her visiting her dad, not being put into danger! She promised that she’d be back in a week, and it has already been three-”

Twilight’s words were halted as Dr. Throb put a hoof over her lips and smiled, pain dancing in her eyes. “Princess, you won’t get anywhere if you keep going on like this. I’ve seen it enough times to know.” Gently waving a hoof towards Sunset’s room, Dr. Throb turned around to head back into the hospital. “If you’re still worried, you can stay until visiting hours are over. In the meantime, take a moment to figure out how you’re going to tell those friends of hers. You should also look into finding somewhere to sleep for the night.”

Twilight gave her a small smile as she placed a hoof on Sunset’s door. “Thank you.”

With the door shutting behind her as she sat next to Sunset’s bed once more, Twilight sighed. “I have to tell them, but there’s no way I could force Spike to write this.” She hummed in thought before perking up. “I hope the book can survive travel by dragon-fire.” She looked down to the floor next to the bed before blinking. “Shoot, I forgot my bags.”

Thankfully for the staff, it only took a few minutes of her asking for something to write on that didn’t have medical information on it to find just that.





“You had WHAT stuffed in your closet!?” 

Not much time had passed since Rainbow shot her friends the group text. When she’d first made it to her house, only to find the building ransacked, Rainbow panicked and called the police. While smart, that meant her father was notified as well, seeing as his house was broken into.

And it was her father, who was busy staring down at his daughter in both shock and surprise.

Blushing, Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. “Uh, Heh... my bad? Cause well, it technically is, seeing as I gave it to myself. The Equestrian me that is.” Chuckling nervously, she gave the best grin she could. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Sighing, Bow Hothoof could only rub the bridge of his nose and shake his head. “Rainbow, I would normally support you, but keeping something that could level our home in the closet is a bit extreme even for your mother and me.”

“I know, and I-” Rainbow’s brain caught up to the situation, and she blinked a bit in surprise before her jaw dropped. “Wait a sec... That’s what it took to break you out of the ‘eternal supporting fan’ mode you’ve been in for years!? A bottle of condensed thunderstorm being stolen from my room?” 

“I’m also upset you didn’t share something that only my amazing daughter could have managed to get.” Bow pouted a bit, which was both familiar and unsettling at the same time for Rainbow.

“Dad, are you serious right now?” Rainbow groaned and put her face in her hands. The two’s heads rose at the sound of tires screeching. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Applejack’s truck just as it skidded to a halt, quickly followed by Applejack and Fluttershy frantically exiting the vehicle. 

Bow raised an eyebrow and patted his daughter on the shoulder. “I’m going to see if the police figured anything else out. You keep your friends from barreling in to help.”

Rainbow gave him a nod and turned around to meet her friends halfway. When they all came to a stop, it was Applejack that spoke first. “Rainbow, what happened?”

Rainbow sighed and looked over to her friends. “Well... You know those souvenirs we got and stuff? Someone kinda broke into my place and stole mine.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Someone broke into yer place for... books? That was what that other you sent over, right?”

Fluttershy frowned in thought. “I guess since they’re from another world they might... no wait, Daring Do already has a series here. That wouldn’t make sense.”

Rainbow hissed a bit as she sucked in a strained breath. “Not... exactly. Uh, Other me kinda... hid an extra one with the books?”

The deadpan stare fired at Rainbow would have leveled buildings, but only made Applejack sigh in frustration. “Alright then, what are we dealing with? An enchanted whoopie cushion? A magic hand buzzer? Some other form of pranking gone wrong?”

Her eyes slowly slid to the side as Rainbow let out a nervous laugh. “Uh... the second one’s close?”

Fluttershy frowned and put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. “Rainbow, what did you bring over?”

Rainbow froze under the piercing stare, sweat slowly starting to trickle down her face. “Ah, c-come on Flutters, you don’t have to break out the stare.” The stare intensified, and Rainbow winced back. “Okay! I’ll spill! Just stop with the stare!” Fluttershy nodded with closed eyes before tapping her foot and looking back at Rainbow again. “It was, uh, It was a bottle of lightning.”

Applejack blinked and looked concerned. “A bottle of what now?”

Unable to help the small smile, Rainbow’s eyes sparkled a bit. “Lightning. Like, there was a full-on storm in a bottle. It was so cool, cause you could see the bolts just bouncing off of the glass.” Her smile faltered a bit as her mind caught back up with her. “But I knew that if Sunset knew I had it, she’d probably chew me out and make me give it back, so I hid it in my closet and didn’t tell anyone about it. You know, as a reminder to not screw up again.”

“Uh, Ah think it gettin’ stolen is kinda on the side of screwing up again.” Applejack glared.

Fluttershy’s gaze snapped over to Applejack, and her hands found themselves on her hips. “Applejack, that was uncalled for! There’s no way she could have known someone would break in!” Fluttershy turned to glare at Applejack and made the farmer wince.

With a sigh, Applejack rubbed the back of her head. “Yer right. Sorry ‘bout that Rainbow.”

Rainbow waved a hand dismissively. “It’s cool. We’re all kinda on edge right now, so I can’t really blame you. That, and it was kinda stupid to keep that secret from you girls.”

“Have you had a chance to tell anyone else?” Fluttershy worriedly glanced at Rainbow’s house, where the police were starting to exit.

“No, just you two and my dad.” Rainbow blinked before a groan. “Oh, man. The Princess is going to go ballistic if she finds out!”

Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Ah think you mean, when, she finds out. Ah, doubt Sunset’s not gonna tell her about this when she gets back.”

Fluttershy looked around for a moment before looking back at Rainbow. “Rainbow, where’s Pinkie?”

The groan that left Rainbow made both her friends worry. “That is an entirely different can of worms.” She walked over to the curb and sat down next to Applejack’s truck, and the other’s followed. “Can we, like, wait for the others before explaining anything else? Just thinking about what happened at Pinkie’s place is giving me a headache.”