It was a bright, sunshiny day in Ponyville, and Princess Twilight Sparkle was not happy.
Just the other evening, the town’s Nightmare Night celebrations had been interrupted by the arrival of a ship from another dimension, and then its departure with Spliced Genome, the alicorn who had stayed with Twilight for some weeks. It had taken every bit of self-control she’d had not to react with extreme hostility to the new arrivals when she’d realized why they were there, and she was still just barely restraining herself from teleporting to some barren wasteland and letting loose with everything she had.
After the ship had left, Luna and Celestia had called for chariots to bring themselves and the diplomats from Hesturland back to Canterlot, and Twilight had gone back to her castle to think. She had spent most of the rest of the night in seclusion, gathering her thoughts and attempting, with only limited success, to calm herself. How she’d eventually managed to fall asleep with such a restless mind, she still wasn’t sure.
Things hadn’t improved much since then. Just a few minutes after she’d woken up this morning, she’d gotten a dragonfire letter from Celestia asking that she and the others come to Canterlot to meet with her, and she was trying yet again to calm herself.
A knock came on the door as she paced. “Twilight?”
“Come in,” Twilight responded. A moment later, the door opened and Spike entered, causing Twilight to smile. Maturing as he was, he was still her special little guy, and his presence was something she greatly appreciated. “Hey, Spike.”
“Hey, Twilight.” Spike looked rather concerned. “Look, I know you’re upset about everything…”
“‘Upset’ is putting it mildly,” Twilight said dryly. “Those… urrrgh!”
“If you’re thinking along the lines of what Luna did the first time she met Blueblood, go right ahead,” Spike replied. “I’ve heard worse.”
“I still need to have words with her about using that kind of language around you,” Twilight replied. “But you’re right… I know Celestia and Luna meant well, what they did, but I’m still mad at them for just letting Spliced go.”
Spike placed a claw on her withers. “She was an adult mare, Twilight,” he said quietly. “It was her choice, and much as I’m going to miss her too... I just wish she’d at least said goodbye before she went.”
Twilight smiled at him. “Thanks, Spike.”
“Now come on, we’ve got to get ready.”
A few hours later, the seven mares and one dragon had arrived in Canterlot, and had been escorted into one of the private meeting rooms. Celestia and Luna were both waiting for them, and once the eight were seated, Celestia cleared her throat. “Twilight?”
Twilight looked up at her. “Yes, Celestia?”
“We need to talk about what happened last night.”
“Yes,” Twilight said flatly. “We do.” She gestured to everypony (and dragon) else in the room. “I have a good grasp on everything that happened. But I’d appreciate it if you could explain your reasoning to all of us.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow at that before looking at everypony in the room. “I think that could be best said in private, Twilight.”
“I’d rather you say it where all of us could hear,” Twilight replied. “I’ve already shared a great deal of what I learned about other dimensions and Powers with everypony here - and Spike,” she added, giving him a fond smile. “They deserve to hear what you have to say.”
Celestia still looked hesitant, but felt a hoof on the back of her neck. “Tell them, Celly,” Luna said quietly.
“All right.” Celestia took a deep breath. “Last night, I found Genome laying next to the statue of Nightmare Moon. She confessed that she was a monster, that she’d ended the lives of untold millions with her creations - viruses and diseases that she’d made and spread. At that moment, I knew I could not allow her to remain with you any longer.”
There were gasps of horror from around the room, and Celestia continued. “There are ancient laws regarding how to deal with criminals from other dimensions. I am bound by these laws, just as all Powers are, including the six of you,” she said as she waved at Twilight and her fellow Bearers. “Had I refused to turn her over, those from Genome’s dimension would have had free legal reign to take what they believed was their due from our dimension.”
Twilight nodded. “Go on.”
“When she confessed, Genome told me that even if I did the absolute worst I could to her, it was far less than she deserved. She also asked that I tell you to forget about her, as she felt you didn’t need to be tainted by association with her.” Celestia shook her head. “I was prepared to simply have her locked away in one of our most secure prisons, ones that we had hoped never to have to use. But when her people came for her, I had no choice but to let them take her. Furthermore, she willingly surrendered to them, her only conditions being that they leave all of us alone and not punish us for her crimes.”
She bowed. “Quite frankly, I’m glad to have somepony like that back in the hooves of those who would ensure she’s kept safely away from the populace - and away from my little ponies.”
Twilight glowered, and for a moment, the others could see what looked almost like flames around her. “She was my friend, and you’re glad she’s gone‽”
Celestia gave her a sad look. "Twilight. Spliced Genome was a mass murderer. She killed millions with her plagues, and-"
"You think I don't know that?"
Celestia, taken aback, blinked a few times. "What?"
"I figured out she must have done something horrible a long time ago," Twilight said quietly. "As I told you in that one letter I sent a while back, she talked casually about warfare and the kinds of weapons they had in her world - weapons that could destroy entire planets. When I described some of what I'd learned about the most powerful weapons that existed from the human world I went to, she said they were smarter and better restrained than her own people for not wanting to use them." She shook her head. "I knew then that she must have done something horrific to end up where she did, and when I took the time to think about it, I guessed it must have involved a lot of deaths. When the ponies from her homeworld came here and confirmed it, that just proved what I'd suspected."
"Then how can you stand up for her?" Celestia asked, a bit sharper than she'd intended.
"Because I also saw how she was changing," Twilight said. "And in case you’ve forgotten, I was there when she surrendered - I saw her asking for clemency for all of us. If she truly didn't care, would she have done that?" As Celestia started to speak, Twilight cut her off. "No. She gave herself up to protect us. And I don't think anypony would have done that unless they were truly repentant."
"Twilight, I know you like to see the best in people, but-"
"Celestia." Twilight looked her right in the eye. "You once told me that you'd watched me grow up, how I've changed and matured. You'll always be my teacher, no matter how... peeved I am at you for certain things. But right now, I need for you to trust that I know what I'm doing."
She took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and slowly released it. "And I know we've had an effect on Spliced. I know she's changing for the better. I know that in her heart of hearts, she was really a friend." She gazed sharply at the elder Princess. "And I also know that if I could freely cross over to her dimension in order to stand up for her, I would. But with our status as Powers, I can't. Nor can I send Spike or Starlight - Spike’s still underage, and besides that, I don't trust Hesturland's leaders not to try something to endanger them. Or to tamper with any message I might try to send over."
Twilight took a moment to calm herself again, then looked up at Celestia. "Until and unless I can personally confirm otherwise, I will continue to consider Spliced Genome to be my friend. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go somewhere else for a while."
And with that, she telekinetically lifted her friends, and the eight vanished in a flash of light.
Looking at the spot where Twilight had stood, Celestia lowered her head. "Oh, Twilight..." she said sadly. With everything I’ve done… how did I lose your faith?
Seven ponies and one young dragon rematerialized in Twilight's castle, and Twilight slowly levitated them to the ground. When she'd done so, she cleared her throat. "Girls... I need to be alone for a while."
"Twilight-" Spike started, and Twilight's face softened.
"Hey," she said softly as she drew him over. "It's okay, Spike. I'm going to be okay. I just need a day or so to cool off. Someplace away from Princess duties, where I can just be a normal civilian for a while." She smiled. "Once I get packed and go, take care of the castle for me while I'm gone, okay? And you know how to reach me."
Spike smiled up at her as he figured out what she meant. "Sure thing, Twilight."
“Oh, and one more thing. Discord!”
The draconequus in question popped in, wearing a butler’s suit. "You raaang?"
“Discord.” Twilight looked up at him. “I’m heading through the mirror. And from what I’ve been told, I’m pretty sure doing so won’t leave an opening for an alternate Lord or Lady of Magic to come here, but you’d know better than anyone else. So, is it safe?”
Discord nodded, snapping his suit away and for once looking serious. “The two worlds were linked almost from the moment of Creation and, while not quite reflections of one another, they have undergone a form of parallel development and are intrinsically bound together.” He looked thoughtful. “Should a Power from this world leave it for a completely different world for a time - you visiting Spliced’s world, for example - it would leave a gap in this world. The mirror-side Twilight, having linked to you as a Lady of Magic, could cross over and fill that gap with her very presence protecting this side from intruders. But, that would leave her side open to another Magic from Outside.” Discord tapped his claws. “So long as both local Magics, or Honesties or Kindnesses or the like, are present in one or the other of this particular pair of worlds, another of that Power cannot enter from Outside.”
He popped into a form Twilight recognized, and she cringed to see her Canterlot High outfit on him. “Due to the close links between these two worlds though, it’s perfectly safe for both of you to be on the same side together - that won’t leave a gap in the overall setup, like visiting another Equestria or its mirror-side world entirely would. There was one case where something went a little wonky in the connections and a gap was left, but that was due to extenuating circumstances in which Harmony itself was not fully in balance and had been playing around with things. You won’t have to worry about that here, I guarantee it.”
He popped away his outfit and bowed to Twilight. “Enjoy your vacation, Twilight.”
Twilight smiled. “One more thing. What did you think of Spliced Genome?”
Discord froze, then turned solemn. “All I can say,” he said quietly, “Is that she had been hurt very badly. And while she could have been a threat, her mindset in this world was such that she didn’t want to be one, even before she had your examples to learn from. And in the time she was here, she learned far more about what it means to be a good person than Celestia is currently willing to acknowledge.” He raised a claw. “I’ll see you for tea next week, Fluttershy. Ta-ta!”
With that, he was gone.
Twilight looked at the others. “Girls, Spike?”
“Yes?” Applejack asked.
“While I’m gone… I want you all to think about Spliced. What we saw of her, what you think about the kind of pony she is. I want your honest opinions, the good and the bad. And when you’re done… I want to go over them, just to see what else we can learn from the experience.”
Once the others had acknowledged her and left, Twilight and Spike headed for Twilight’s room, Starlight following them. Inside, she got out her saddlebags and several large books, which she tucked inside. Then, the trio headed for the Mirror Room.
In there, Twilight retrieved the old journal, the one with Sunset’s Cutie Mark on it, and began to write.
Dear Sunset,
This will be the last message you receive from this journal. Not because I’m cutting off contact, but because as close as this one’s getting to being full, I’ve made several new pairs. One set will stay empty and be used exclusively for keeping the portal open after this, and the other sets are for you and the other girls to keep in touch with me. Though you won’t actually need to use the first of those for that purpose for a few days.
I’m coming for a visit in a very short while. I’ve missed seeing you in person, and we’ve got a lot to talk about.
Your friend,
Twilight Sparkle
With the glowing letters that signified the message had gone through, Twilight set the journal into its slot on the device she’d added to the Crystal Mirror, and activated it. When the device had powered up, she looked back at Spike and Starlight.
“Take care of yourselves,” she said. “And I hope the other Pinkie doesn’t try to get me to make out with myself this time.”
Spike threw her a salute, a cheerful grin on his face, and Starlight gave a faint smile. Then, the two watched as Twilight walked through the Mirror.
When she was gone, Spike turned to Starlight. “So, what’re you going to do now?”
“Well, I’d better be off to write that report Twilight wanted,” Starlight said with a sigh. “I don’t know how much she’s going to like it though - I know she thought of Spliced as a friend, and I know that mare gave herself to protect us all, but to be honest? I still don’t like her.”
“Twilight never said you had to like her,” Spike pointed out. “She wanted honesty. And as grateful as I am for much as she helped me, even I think she was kind of creepy at times.”
Starlight nodded. “Point taken.” Then she blinked. “And what did Twilight mean by ‘I hope the other Pinkie doesn’t try to get me to make out with myself this time’?”
“Apparently, when Twilight went over the last time and met the other her, Pinkie kept trying to get them to kiss each other and stuff,” Spike said with an eye-roll. “She thought it’d be funny for some reason. Both Twilights disagreed.”
“Oh-kay.” Starlight still looked confused, then shook her head. “I’m not even going to try and fathom how that Pinkie’s mind works - I have a hard enough time figuring out our Pinkie.”
“You and me both,” Spike replied as he looked around. Setting one journal on a nearby table, he pointed. “That’s the one Twilight said she’d be using to contact us in case something comes up. She’s got an alarm spell set up on it so we should hear it anywhere in the castle, so keep an ear out for it. ”
“I will,” Starlight promised him.
With that settled, the two headed for their rooms, their minds whirling.
Sunset Shimmer bit her lip nervously as she waited by the base of where the Canterlot Wondercolt statue had once stood, looking down at the message Twilight had sent her. She had sprinted out of the house and run most of the way to the school to meet her friend, but even with her best speed and as many blocks as she'd had to go, she couldn't be sure that she'd gotten there before Twilight had...
With a brief noise and a ripple of magic across the portal, Twilight suddenly emerged, carrying a backpack and looking relieved when she saw Sunset. "Oh thank goodness..."
Sunset smiled at her friend. "Good to see you again, Twilight."
"Good to see you again, Sunset," Twilight said with a happy sigh. "Life has been downright crazy this last month or so, and I need some normalcy for a change."
Sunset blinked in surprise. "And I'm guessing this has to do with whatever you said you had to talk with me about?" She gestured to the journal she was still carrying.
Twilight nodded. "But I think we need to be somewhere not so... public first."
"Sure thing." Sunset tucked the journal back in her own pack. "Come on, we've got quite a walk ahead of us."
"We're not staying here?" Twilight asked as she gestured towards the school building.
Sunset shook her head. "It's Saturday, school's closed."
"Right." Walking next to Sunset as the two headed for the sidewalk, Twilight looked at her. "So, how's everything going on your end?"
"It's been kind of quiet, ever since we won that Chance to Prance contest," Sunset said. "I told you about everything that happened at Camp Everfree, right?"
Twilight nodded. "I'm glad the other... well, me, is doing better - I know all too well what it's like to have a monster haunting your dreams. Not from personal experience!" she added. "But I know somepony else who did." Before Sunset could ask, she continued. "And I do want to take a look at those geodes you all got there at some point - I wonder just how closely they're linked to the Elements back home." She looked contemplative.
"Considering we've got seven of them and there are only six Elements of Harmony, I'm kind of wondering about that too." Sunset looked at her curiously. "This world's Twilight has been curious too, but even if she is feeling more confident about magic after what happened at camp, she's said she doesn't want to get too obsessed with it again. I... kind of told her a little about what happened when I got obsessed with trying to figure it out, and all I ended up with was a huge mess." She looked a little embarrassed.
The pair walked in silence for a little while, Twilight looking around and marveling at everything. She'd visited this world only three times before, and the first and third times she'd never really left school grounds. While the second visit had let her see more, she'd mainly focused on her friends and less on the surroundings, even when they'd gone to the amphitheater where they'd held the Battle of the Bands. Now though, Sunset couldn't help but smile at her wide-eyed wonder.
It was nearly half an hour after they'd left the school before they reached Sunset's home, and Twilight looked around it in amazement. "Wow..."
Sunset nodded. "Probably not as fancy as where you live, but it's home. And it's a lot better than where I lived when I first came here."
Twilight looked at her curiously.
"I came over with little more than my saddlebags and the fur on my back, remember?" Sunset told her. "I had to... well, I was kind of hiding out in an old abandoned warehouse for a while, until I figured out how to turn what few bits I had into cash. Plus some funds that the last owners left there. I was desperate!" she added, seeing the look on Twilight's face. "I did what I had to survive... plus, I was kind of evil then."
Twilight shook her head. "I don't blame you for that," she said with a sigh. "But... if you were having that kind of trouble then, how'd you get this place?"
"I did a lot of research, invested wisely and ended up with enough income to get and maintain this place - helps that it was relatively cheap." Sunset set her backpack down, then headed up the stairs, checking something on one of her nightstands. "Plus, Snips and Snails chipped in after I... intimidated them into helping. I've paid them back since then," she added as she came back down. "So, what's the big news?"
Twilight nodded, then found herself a seat. "This is... going to be complicated."
Settling in next to her, Sunset looked at her. "I'm listening."
"I just spent a month with an alicorn from another dimension living in my castle."
Sunset's eyes widened. "What."
Twilight nodded. "Apparently, there was a portal of some kind on our moon, and it led to another dimension. Not a stable one like the mirror - Princess Luna examined it, and apparently it's... broken somehow. But this mare, Spliced Genome, managed to get through it and wound up on Equestria's moon, and Luna sensed her and brought her down. And once she and Celestia had talked with her for a while, they arranged for her to come and stay with me so I could learn everything I could about her and help them decide whether to let her stay or not."
Sunset blinked. "Oh-kay."
Twilight sighed, more to herself. "She was more than a little rough around the edges, and after what we learned about her history - both personal and her world's - I don't blame her. But even still, she became my friend. And now she's gone. Her own people came and took her back. And Celestia let them."
"Why?" Sunset asked. "If she was your friend, then-"
Twilight looked at her, a bitter expression on her face. "We found out that Spliced wasn't just any mare. She was a war criminal."
Sunset's jaw dropped, and Twilight continued. "Apparently, she had the blood of billions on her hooves before they sent her to some prison on their moon - she found the portal when she was trying to escape from there."
"That's..." Sunset looked dumbfounded. "I don't know what to say. Even at my worst, I never..."
"I know," Twilight said softly. "I remember how you let Spike go when I asked." She looked down. "And after everything else, you learned, and changed for the better. Spliced was changing too - it used to be that she didn't care about anypony, but while she was with us, she learned how to. I know for a fact that she never once hurt anypony in Equestria - not permanently, anyway," she added. "And when her people came for her... she gave herself up to them so they wouldn't hurt us."
Sunset shook her head. "That's... quite a story," she said. Then something occurred to her. "You said she didn't hurt anypony permanently?"
Twilight nodded. "Apparently, from what Princess Luna told me later, Spliced kind of panicked when she woke up after she first got brought down. And she... well, she broke Celestia's nose and tried to run off. She fixed it afterward!" she added hastily. "But given her life, I don't blame her for freaking out and reacting like that."
Sunset shook her head again. "I can't even imagine what that must have been like," she said. "But I trust your judgement." She then leaned in. "So... did something else happen that made you need to take some time away from Equestria?"
Twilight nodded. "For one, I'm ticked off at Celestia - she told me she was glad Spliced left, even after how much she had changed. And this is the mare who forgave Discord with no problem, after everything he did to us when he escaped!" She looked disgusted. "Sure, he's better now, but after the way he messed with our minds... it took me a long time to get over what he did to us, and while I've long since forgiven him, it's not something I can forget easily. Not to mention..." she trailed off.
"Twilight?" Sunset asked hesitantly.
Twilight shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't help but remember how much Celestia manipulated things when she asked us to free him, and even if it worked out in the long run, the idea of what she was doing just makes me so angry." She took a deep breath. "It all goes back to something that I promise I'll explain soon."
Sunset gave her a worried look. "Take your time if you need to," she said.
"Thank you, Sunset." For a few minutes, Twilight fell silent, then looked up again. "I found out just how much she's been keeping from us, about the Elements and our place in the world."
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked.
Twilight looked at her friend. "I found out that there are... Powers, beings that act as the source for what they are named after in that dimension. The six of us, who used the Elements of Harmony? We're all Powers in our own right, and together we make up the Power of Harmony. Then there's Discord - he's the Lord of Disharmony, and our joint Opposite. And Celestia had been studying what other versions of her had done to... well, neutralize him and bring him to our side, and the manipulations she pulled off to do it just disturb me." She shook her head for a moment, then continued.
"Aside from Discord, we've each got an individual Opposite, representing another Power. But unlike us, they act independently, and aren't needed to call the Power of Disharmony." She smiled faintly. "Luckily, I've also found out that just because two Powers are Opposites, it doesn't mean they have to be enemies - they can work together peacefully."
"Oh?" Sunset asked curiously.
Twilight nodded. "For example, Celestia is the Lady of Day, and Luna, the Lady of Night, is her Opposite. But they work together - in fact, they have to work together to keep things balanced. My Opposite is the Lady of Technology, and she and I are friends now that we've had time to meet and talk things over."
"Your opposite is technology?" Sunset asked in surprise.
Twilight nodded. "I know, I was surprised when I found out too. But fortunately, it's not as literal as you think and not restrictive at all; I'm not barred from using technology, and she's not barred from using magic. We can work together, cooperating to make the world a better place." She smiled. "In fact, when I met Gear Shaft, she was quite impressed with the device I'd made to work with the Crystal Mirror so we could come from Equestria to here and back, without worrying about the restrictions it used to have."
Sunset sighed in relief. "That's good to hear." Then she looked at Twilight. "What does this mean for this world though? I mean... do these Powers affect us too?"
"I asked Discord about that before I sent you my last letter," Twilight said. "He said that this world has its own Powers, but they're closely enough linked to the ones from our Equestria that it's safe for me to visit. And he confirmed that the other Twilight, and the rest of the girls you and I bonded with, are local Powers." She paused for a moment to take a breath, then looked up. "And considering everything that's happened?" She gazed into Sunset's eyes. "I'm sure you've become a Power too, and while I don't know which one... like I told the girls back home, if you just stay true to yourself, that's all that you need to do. Don't worry about whatever Role you have; odds are that you are already fulfilling it perfectly."
Sunset smiled at her. "That's good to know." Suddenly, something occurred to her. "Our Equestria?"
Twilight nodded. "Celestia and Luna showed Cadance and I that there are a lot of other dimensions, each with their own Equestria or its equivalent, plus their own mirror-worlds like this one, and their own sets of Powers. Most of them are alternates for the Powers I know of in our Equestria, but there are some variants. I saw one where Trixie was Magic, and another one where she was Laughter, for instance. And that's just the tip of the iceberg." She leaned in closer. "You remember Prince Blueblood?"
Sunset snorted. "That pompous plothead?"
Twilight smiled. "Remind me to have you talk to our Equestria's Rarity about him sometime - I think you'd get a kick out of what she has to say. But anyway, one of the worlds I saw had him in my place as Celestia's personal student, and he messed it up so badly... most worlds that I saw, the Bearers had to use the power of Harmony to purify Luna and turn her back to normal. In that one, Blueblood was so detestable and offended every single pony in Ponyville, to the point where Luna broke free from Nightmare Moon on her own because she was so tired of being compared to somepony like him just because they were both royalty."
Sunset covered her mouth, and Twilight could tell she was struggling to keep from laughing. "That sounds like him," she said.
Twilight smiled. "And then there were the times he was the exact opposite. I don't mind saying I was really surprised by those worlds." Then she looked down. "Of course, there are some things I found out at the same time that I wasn't too happy about - like I said before, Celestia has been looking into a lot of those worlds and using what she learned to plan ahead for our future, like what she did to help get Discord on our side. And it wasn't until just recently that she told me about all of it." Her fists clenched. "She kept things secret and played us like pieces on a chessboard, and I'm not happy about that."
Sunset laid a hand on hers. "Did she..." her voice faltered. "Did she do it to me, too?"
Twilight sighed. "Sort of... but not the way you're probably thinking," she said quickly. "Celestia told me that when she first saw the various worlds where you... fell, for lack of a better term, she did everything she could to try and keep you from ending up like those other Sunsets did, and she was so upset when it didn't work out." She looked down for a moment. "In her own way, she did, and still does, care for you... when I came back from here the first time, the first thing she asked me was if you were all right." Twilight shook her head. "After everything that's happened between us recently, there are moments when I'm so angry at her. And then I remember things like that, and I wind up being confused over how I want to feel."
Sunset smiled. "Well, you're more than welcome to stay here until you've got everything sorted out," she said. "Believe me, I know what it's like." Her eyes narrowed. "That... incident last Christmas..."
Twilight nodded. "I wish I could have come here for you then," she said. "I'm glad my advice then helped, but if I could have been here for you in person..."
"You did the best you could, and it all worked out in the end," Sunset reassured her. "That's all that matters."
Twilight smiled gratefully at her.
"So, what else is new?" Sunset asked after a minute of silence.
Twilight thought for a moment. "Well, Flurry Heart's as happy and healthy as ever," she said.
Sunset shook her head. "I still can't believe there's a new naturally-born alicorn in Equestria," she said. "I'm happy for Cadance - which, given our history and how jealous I was of her for being an alicorn when I wasn't, is saying something." She looked contemplative. "I wonder..."
"What?"
"Well, if our Cadance and your brother had a foal together... how long until Dean Cadance and this world's Shining Armor wind up having their own child? I mean, as far as I know they're not even married, though our Twilight says they are close."
Twilight shrugged. "If they do, I'll be happy for them." She smiled. "I'm just glad that the Twilight here has a Cadance and Shiny to be here for her too."
"Yeah." Sunset contemplated. "I wonder how they'd react if they met you."
"I don't know..." Twilight looked thoughtful. "I mean, it'd be interesting, but... how much do they even know about Equestria?"
"Um... not much," Sunset admitted. "Of course, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna don't know that much either, just that you and I come from a world of magic. I'm not sure they even know we're actually ponies over there."
"Despite the ears and tails whenever you pony up?" Twilight asked dryly.
Sunset shrugged. "They've never asked."
Twilight sighed. "Well, that's one thing I might wind up talking to them about." She looked serious. "I might be seriously irked at our Celestia, but that doesn't mean I'm mad at the one here. They're separate people, after all, so..."
Sunset smiled. "I know - when I first came here, it took me all the self-control I had not to go raging at Principal Celestia like she was the one I first knew. In a way, I suppose that when I started tearing apart friendships here, it was my way of lashing out at her indirectly. I'm past all that now, but still..."
"I understand," Twilight said. "It's hard not to give in to your first reaction and think things through, especially if it's someone that you have a strong emotional connection to."
"Yeah." Sunset was quiet for a moment. Then she looked at the other girl. "Hey, Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"I've missed talking with you, face to face, like this."
"I've missed being around you too, Sunset." Twilight smiled at her, and held out her hand. After a moment, Sunset took it, and smiled back.
"It's good to have you here again," she said. "You can stay as long as you feel the need to."
"I'll try," Twilight told her. "I'll try."
Equestria...
"Oomph," Applejack grunted as she lifted the last barrel up into the wagon, before heading around to hitch herself to it and pull it in towards the barn. As she worked, she thought back on Twilight's request.
She really hadn't had that much personal interaction with Spliced, aside from that first meeting. Most of the times since then had been as part of a group. The other mare had seemed okay at first, though more than a little... well, she wasn't quite sure how to put it. There was a dark center to her, but in her heart Applejack could feel that wasn't all there was to the other mare.
No mare who was truly irredeemable, she concluded to herself, would have willingly given themselves up while asking, first and foremost, that others not be prosecuted for her actions. She had felt the honest truth in Spliced's words when she'd made that request; she genuinely did not want Twilight and the others to be hurt by these newcomers.
She also understood that while some of her friends had been understandably reluctant to trust Spliced, she could tell the other mare was changing for the better the more she was exposed to others. While still far from perfect, Spliced had at least been making an effort to improve herself as a person, and that was something Applejack could appreciate.
Sighing, she saw that while her mind had wandered, she'd reached the barn. Unhitching herself, she went back to work unloading the wagon again.
Ah just hope you're still okay, wherever you are, she thought to Spliced.
Rarity had also been at work, already busy with the new clients that had started to come through the portal as well as several old ones from Canterlot wishing to snoop on the newcomers.
There were already talks about land being turned into a suitable place for their ships to be docked in Ponyville - Canterlot had been deemed too risky as it was a mountain city, as she had heard from one of her visitors - and Gear Shaft was in touch to help in advising the construction and technology being shared with Luna keeping an eye on what was happening over her moon.
Rarity had also kept an eye on the ponies that came from the other world... dimension... place? She still wasn't sure how to call it just yet, but she was starting to form an opinion on their people.
For the most part, they seemed to be good ponies that were in awe of everything in Ponyville. They had acted like Spliced had, completely enraptured by the more natural look and feel of the town, though Fluttershy and Book Balancer, the Hesturland representative that wasn't in Canterlot talking with the princesses, had to make sure that none went into the Everfree Forest after the first few times.
The topic of Spliced of course came up and for the most part, they seemed to feel pity for her and Rarity could understand why. She'd be the first to admit that she and Spliced had gotten off to a rough start (seeing the other mare snap her own neck had given her nightmares for days afterward, and she still had them from time to time), but as she'd gotten to know Spliced, she'd come to see her as... well, as somepony who was trying, at least, to change and help others in her own way. And also to learn tact, taking care not to show her unique talents around Coco; the dear probably would have fainted had she witnessed what Spliced was capable of. She was also relieved that Spliced had never showcased these abilities around Sweetie Belle. Her sister would have either freaked out or... or...
Shaking her head, Rarity sighed. "And now I can't remember where I was going with that," she muttered to herself. "Moving on!"
Thinking again, she reflected on Spliced's last actions before leaving. She could see Spliced had begun to grow great understanding and compassion for others; one didn't give up their own life and freedom for others without having those in abundance.
As she jotted these thoughts down, she heard the bell ring to signal the entrance of another client. Dashing off the last bits and tucking them away, she let out a sing-song "Coming!", then trotted down the stairs to greet the newcomer.