Sunset finally has time to recall what happened during the Battle of the Bands. Surely she was mistaken when she had turned into a Phoenix??
After a run in with the Dazzlings where they reveal exactly how much they knew about her past, Sunset did exactly what anypony back where she came from would do. She sang a song about her feelings, letting it all out. What happened at the end of her song though is what is bothering her. She knew her friends at the time transformed anytime they played music... she didn't realize that she could transform too. The problem? She transformed into a humanized phoenix not a humanized unicorn. In an attempt to learn why she would transform into that, she runs away back to Equestria to do a little investigation into the matter. With her friends from both sides of the portal trying to find out what's bothering her, and give her a helping hoof, I mean hand, can she find out the truth behind Sunset Shimmer...?
Sunset Shimmer waved goodbye at the retreating backs, before turning to close her locker. As her hand landed on the cool metal door, an image flashing through her mind. An image of her wearing a simple blue top, a pair of fiery wings and a matching tail spreading out from her as she floated up into the clear late afternoon sky...the school's roof inches below her. Gasping, she curled her fingers into a tight fist, struggling to settle her breathing. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down from the bewilderment that flooded her. She was an unicorn for crying out loud! She shouldn't have turned into a humanized phoenix of all things that day. Rubbing her forehead as she felt yet another headache coming on from thinking about all of this, she closed the cold metal door, her mind numb as she locked it.
Principal Celestia walked over to her just then, concern dancing in her eyes. "Sunset? Are you alright?"
"Oh...me?" Sunset glanced around as if to look for someone else named Sunset, though she knew she was the only one at this school. "I'm fine Principal Celestia." Sunset tucked a loose strand of her red hair behind her ear, forcing a smile on her already strained face.
"Perhaps I should call Cakes..." Celestia referred to the kind couple that Sunset was living with at the moment.
Sunset shook her head quickly, already moving to leave the building. "Have a great weekend! I've got to go... and really, contacting the Cakes will not be necessary." Sunset ran out of the building, her heart pounding loudly as if to protest her rather hurried escape from her principal.
Shoving her way outside to the brisk autumn afternoon. Pulling her red and yellow scarf closer to her face, she ducked her head down as she hurried down the steps...nearly running right past the statue of the Canterlot High Mascot, the Wondercolt. Slowing her steps down, she stared at the statue, the statue that was a portal back to her home realm. Shaking her head, she turned away from it, muttering to herself as she did so. "Come on Sunset... no point in going back there. I'll just write to Princess Twilight if I really want to know." Doubt nagged at her, reminding her that it's been months and she still hasn't figured out what exactly happened that one time.
Sunset blew a loose strand of hair away from her face, even as she pulled out her phone, already pulling up a group chat. Hi guys! What's the plan for this weekend?
Oh! Didn't I tell you? Shining Armor and Cadance just had a baby! I'm going to the baby shower this weekend, down in the city and I'm spending the entire weekend with them. A text popped up almost immediately, the name Twilight Sparkle next to it.
Sunset frowned, she knew about the new baby, but she didn't realize that Twilight was going to be gone the entire weekend because of her! Okay...have fun! What about the rest of you?
Sorry sugar cube. My cousin needs help bringing the harvest in this year around. Maybe you can help? Apple Jack texted her back, already making it very clear that she was a bit busy this time around.
Before Sunset could text back, another one popped up. Oh dear, I am afraid darling that my dear parents have bought tickets to a fashion show in the city and it's a three day event. I'm already on the road to go there.
Sunset sighed, before sending out a inquisitive text. Rainbow?
Can't. Been grounded for eternity. I need to get my grades back up... or else my folks are gonna pull me from the teams.
Sunset nibbled the bottom of her lip for a few seconds, before sending a nervous text out. What about you Fluttershy? Are you too busy to hang out with me this weekend?
I am so so so sorry, Sunset! But I just got an internship at the Zoo and I start tomorrow. I am really sorry!
Sunset frowned, suddenly suspicious that her friends were purposefully avoiding her. Did they somehow found out about the time that she didn't turn into a humanized pony? Of course not silly! Now that we're seniors, we need to get ready for college! Which means working on filling out those applications! Maude's finally graduating from college so I will be gone this weekend too. Don't worry! We're not abandoning you!
Okay... I'll just find something to keep me occupied while you're all gone. Sunset punched send, before pocketing her cell phone. "Great... how am I supposed to not think about it now?" Maybe her determination to her use her friends to keep her mind off of it was a bad idea....
"Hey Sunset! Want to hear our new song?" Apple Bloom, Apple Jack's little sister appeared seemingly out of nowhere, waving energetically at her.
Sunset hesitated, nibbling her bottom lip as she looked over at the three younger girls. "I guess so..." Maybe the CMC could help her keep her mind away from it.
Sunset dropped her bag on the floor in her bedroom, a groan escaping her as she flopped onto her desk chair. While Sweetie Bell was an amazing singer, and she did wonderful, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had no music talent. Yet. Maybe instruments instead of singing..?
"Sunset?! That you!? How was your day at school?!" Mrs. Cake called out suddenly, reminding the young unicorn turned human that she wasn't alone.
"It was great Mrs. Cake! Thanks for asking!" Sunset hollered back, before pushing herself off of the chair. She was most likely needed to set the table for dinner.
As she moved away from the desk in her room, she glimpsed a closed envelope sitting on the edge of her desk. Confused, she picked up the envelope and headed to the kitchen. As she walked into the warm, brightly lit kitchen, she held the envelope up for her guardian to see. "Hey, Mrs. Cake do you know anything about an envelope that was sitting on my desk?"
Mrs. Cake looked up from where she was stirring a pot of stew, blinking sweat out of her eyes. "No... maybe Mr. Cake put it there."
"Is he home right now?" Sunset pulled a chair out, sitting down next to the double high chair that the Cakes' twins were sitting in.
Mrs. Cake shook her head, turning back to what she was during. "He's working in the bakery right now. He'll be back in a few hours."
Sunset frowned, staring at the innocent slip of paper. Where did it come from...?
The second Mr. Cake walked into the kitchen for dinner, Sunset held up the mysterious letter, figuring he would tell her where it came from. Mr. Cake glanced briefly at it as he hung his jacket up. "Never seen that before. Where'd you get it?"
Sunset felt her heart pound as she lowered her hand. "I found it on my desk in my room. I was hoping you knew something about it since Mrs. Cake didn't."
"Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance." Mr. Cake pulled a chair out to sit down in.
Sunset sighed as she flopped unceremoniously into her seat. Mrs. Cake placed a bowl of stew in front of her. "Sorry dearie. How about you eat some dinner?"
"Okay... I just don't know who could have sent me a letter, or why they would place it on my desk in my room and not in the mailbox with the rest of the mail." Sunset mumbled to herself as she picked her spoon up, stirring it absently as she stared at the letter.
"Oh for crying out loud! Just open it already Sunset... it ain't gonna jump up and bite ya if you do!" Mr. Cake groaned, rolling his eyes at her.
Sunset sighed, before carefully sliding the envelope open. A single piece of paper fell out, landing face down. Sunset picked it up, flipping it over so as to read it. As she scanned the words on the paper before her, she felt all color drain from her face...
Not everything in the Past is as Clear as Day. You must find the Truth before it is too Late!
"It's not signed..." Sunset weakly told her guardians as she curled her fingers around it, crumpling the paper.
Mrs. Cake frowned, looking over her pale complexion. "What does it say, dearie?"
"Nothing...it says absolutely nothing." Sunset hurriedly lied through her teeth. She had no idea what the note was talking about and wanted to wait until she did before confiding in anyone.
Sunset crept out the front door silently, pulling her hood up even as she flipped her flashlight on. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she wanted to see if Princess Celestia knew anyone that had this particular handwriting. Sunset was aware that her hunch could easily be wrong, but with the way it just appeared in her room, she suspected Equestrian magic was a hoof here. Which meant a little trip to her old home...
Which was easier said than done. Sunset blinked rapidly, vaguely wondering if the tall fence had always surrounded the school property. Shaking her head, she quickly climbed it, her jacket snagging briefly against the wiring at the top. Gritting her teeth together, she dropped to the ground, nearly losing her footing. Ducking behind a tall bush, she watched as a security guard walked past her hiding place. Way harder than she thought it was going to be.
Sunset closed the door to the elegant bedroom in the palace, panting only slightly over her wild dash through Ponyville, and all of Canterlot, to this particular room. The young unicorn trotted over to where her former mentor was sleeping, hoping against hope that she was right about this...
"Princess Celestia?" Sunset lifted a hoof up, gently prodding the sleeping ruler. "Princess Celestia I need your help with something..." Sunset used her magic to lift her mysterious letter up for the dozing princess to see.
A soft moan escaped Princess Celestia as she rolled over to crack one eye open to see who was in her room. "Wha... Guards!" Sitting upright, she turned to look to her bedroom door...only to find her sister sitting there eating popcorn while blocking the guards from coming in.
"You might wanna check who it is that you are yelling for the guards for." Princess Luna nodded her head towards the young unicorn.
Princess Celestia blinked slowly, before adjusting her gaze to the nervous pony standing by her bed. "Sunset Shimmer? What are you doing here?"
Sunset could feel her ears press themselves flat against her head. "Well you see this letter appeared out of nowhere for me and since, obviously Equestrian magic was used to get it to me I was wondering if you could tell me who wrote it..." She once again held up the piece of paper for examination.
Princess Celestia used her magic to turn on a lamp near her bed, examining the writing closely. After awhile, she shook her head as she pulled back. "Sorry Sunset. I do not recognize the hoofwriting." Pausing, she finally registered the reason why her guards haven't responded to her call. "Luna what are you doing here?"
"I figured if Sunset is sneaking about to see you in the dead of night that it might be interesting to see what you're reaction would be."
"You've been spending too much time in Pinkie's dreams."
Sunset coughed, taking a step back as she glanced between the two royal sisters. "Right... I think I better get going. I have things to do in the morning and people will notice it if I'm overly tired."
"Good night Sunset." "Next time wait till morning or something...."
Sunset stifled a yawn as she rolled over, blinking sleep from her eyes. Saturday Morning and she had no idea what she was going to do today beyond help the Cakes with the twins. Sighing, she sat up...just as a bright flash of light came from her desk. Alarmed, she sprang from her bed, climbing down swiftly to where the light came from. When she arrived at her desk, she found a plain package with her name written across it sitting on top of it. A shiver rippled through her as she looked down at the package, realizing that it had the same writing as the mystery letter. Carefully picking it up, she rolled it in her hands, trying to guess what was in it. Taking in a deep breath, she carefully unwrapped the package.
"Sunset! Time for breakfast!" Mrs. Cake called out the same time that Sunset glimpsed what was in the package.
"Coming!" Sunset sat the package down, hurrying to join the Cakes for the meal...
Sunset probably beat a record on the fastest time eating one perfectly made vegetarian omelet, and Belgium waffles piled high with fresh slices of peaches and whipped cream. Grabbing her glass of orange juice, she quickly drained it within five seconds.
Mrs. Cake placed a plastic bowl of cheerios in front of Pound, raising one eyebrow upwards. "In a hurry today Sunset?"
Sunset coughed, quickly sitting down her glass so that she could concentrate on not spitting up her juice. "Sorry... just you remember the weird note, letter thing that I got yesterday after school? Well, I can now add a mystery package to the list. And it's from the same person."
Mrs. Cake sat down in front of her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, what do you know so far about whoever is sending these to you?"
"Well, it has to be someone from Equestria since there is definitely magic being used here." Sunset drummed her fingers on the table, a thoughtful expression taking over her features. "But I went and talked to Princess Celestia last night and she doesn't know who could have sent that to me."
"You went to..." Mrs. Cake shook her head, rolling her eyes skyward. "Do we need to have another talk about sneaking out past curfew?"
Sunset quickly shook her head, clearing her dishes from the table. "No thank you Mrs. Cake. I was just thinking, everything points that past wise, everyone's past is similar to that of their counterparts. Which means, if I'm just getting these notes and packages, then my counterpart is probably getting the same ones. Find her, and then I have a partner in figuring this out!"
"You...want to go looking for your counterpart? Are you sure about this?" Mrs. Cake arched one eyebrow upwards, clearly surprised about this plan that her young charge had.
Sunset shrugged, turning the sink on to rinse her dishes. "Well, it's more like a part of a plan than an actual plan. I just figure if my counterpart is going through the same things that I am right now, then if I can help her figure it out, I'll know what is going on in Equestria too!"
Mrs. Cake sighed, before pointing out one small flaw in her half-baked plan. "It's gets confusing with two Twilights, how are we supposed to tell two of you apart?"
"Nicknames?" Sunset shrugged, already moving to the archway that connected the kitchen to the rest of the house. "We already refer to the pony Twilight as Princess Twilight, and when I'm writing to her I refer to Twilight as Sci-Twi. I'm sure we can figure something out for us." With that said, she ran back up to her room to get dress for the day. She had a counterpart to locate!
Sunset smiled at the security guard that was guarding the entrance to the new art exhibit. He arched one eyebrow upwards, before finally unclicking his walkie-talkie. "I have a young lady that claims she is one of the artists that donated to the exhibit. Is there a Miss Sunset Shimmer on the list?"
"Yes there is. High School Student at Canterlot High, youngest artist to submit her art to the exhibit." A voice crackled over the walkie-talkie.
Sunset felt herself relax, while feeling completely ridiculous. According to the research she did on her way to the art exhibit that, thinking things over she totally forgot to tell her friends about... oh well. Three weeks means that they have twenty-one days to visit it if they want to. Anyways, according to her research, there is one more private academy in the city besides Crystal Prep. A school that makes Crystal Prep before Cadance took over look like a fun place to go and learn. Since none of them have had any run-ins with her counterpart yet, she could only guess that she was at this third school...and hopefully already had Sunset's appreciation of art and is planning on sneaking into the exhibit, like what Sunset would do before she ran away. Not that Princess Celestia knew she snuck out all those times to go see art exhibits...
The guard ushered her through the door, into the clean large warehouse like room where all the art was exhibited. Moving across the empty room, the exhibit doesn't open for another thirty minutes, she walked up to a large poster sized painting of a familiar group of friends, though it was what they would look like if they were actual super heroes with secret identities. "Now I just wait..." She paused, wrinkling her nose in realization of the weirdness that this whole thing was. "For me to show up to admire the work of others... oh boy."
Sunset was never so happy that she could just blend in a crowd, none of the guests stopped to ask her what her thoughts where or anything on the painting that she had spent weeks working on in secret from her friends. Scanning the crowd, she was able to tell when her counterpart showed up by the confused reactions from the security, several of whom glanced back at her as if to confirm that she was inside already. Sunset took a deep breath, doubts suddenly assaulting her. What if she was mistaken and her counterpart didn't have anything of the sort going on in her life... or worse! Didn't believe her about the whole interdimensional travel!? Giving herself a good shake, she squared her shoulders and walked over to where security was gathering around a rather nervous scared looking teen that had her hair, eyes, even skin tone. Only, she wasn't wearing the same outfit as her. While Sunset was wearing a brightly colored shirt with her cutie mark on the front, skin tight jeans, leather boots, and her lucky leather jacket, her counterpart only had the leather jacket. The rest of her outfit consisted of a plain white shirt, worn jeans that had holes in the knees, and sandals that desperately needed fixed.
"Glad to see that you could make it cuz." Sunset patted a security guard on the arm. "It's okay boys, she's my cousin. I invited her to come visit the exhibit."
The guards immediately relaxed, taking a small step back from her. Grabbing her counterpart by the arm, she made a beeline for the corner nearest her own masterpiece.
"Who are you? Why did you claim we were cousins? I don't have any cousins! Why do we look the same? I love your outfit by the way." Sunset's counterpart blurted out as she eyed the young unicorn.
"Yeah, I'm your counterpart from a different dimension...." Sunset started to explain to her newly found counterpart...
The second Sunset burst out laughing, wiping a mock tear off of her face. "That's a good one."
Sunset felt annoyance flare up, but quickly tapped it down so that her counterpart didn't see it. "You've been received a mysterious letter in the mail...and a package arrived today." Sunset hoped that she got her theories correct...or else this was mightily embarrassing, and she was back at square one.
Her counterpart's face fell, shock flashing across her features. "Wha... either you're the one that sent those, or you're telling the truth."
"I'm telling the truth. You live with your mother, who insists that you not only go to a private school that only accepts the best, but that you have to be better than the best." Sunset fought a shudder at the mention of her cruel mother. The Cakes were far better than she had ever been.
Her counterpart paused, uneasiness crossing her features. "Okay...if what you say is true and your not just trying to trick me.... what was the one thing that changed my life on my fourth birthday?"
Sunset grinned, suddenly glad that her counterpart decided to ask a question that no one would know the answer to. "Easy. You snuck out the house and hide from your mother in a nearby exhibit hall. What you weren't expecting was for an art show to be taking place there at the time. You fell in love with what you had seen and vowed to grow up to, not only to meet your mother's ridiculous expectations, but to be the best artist that the world has ever seen." Sunset gestured around the art exhibit, a grin crossing her features. "Reason why we're here. To see what the newest art trends are, well. You're here to see that. I'm here in hopes of running into you and to see how many people like my paintings."
"You mean you entered your own art into the exhibit?" Her eyes widened in surprise at that, before she remembered that she was supposed to be confirming whether or not she was who she claimed to be. "The only way for you to know that is if you really are me. But I can't call you by my name...and if you have art here the security here knows your name. Which is also my name....wow this is confusing." Sunset's counterpart rubbed the back of her neck, worry creasing her brow.
Sunset grinned as she slung her arm around her shoulders the same way Rainbow Dash would when encouraging someone. "Don't worry....all we need are nicknames. How does Sunny and Stormy sound?"
"Great... but which one of us is Sunny and which one is Stormy?" No sooner than the question slipped out than a patron tripped, their drink sloshing out all over her outfit. A yelp escaped her as she grabbed her shirt, frantically trying to shake the purple juice out. "You fool! Look what you just did!"
"And now we know who Stormy is...Chill. It was just an accident." Sunset grabbed Stormy by the arm, pulling her along towards the bathroom. "Come on Stormy, let's get you cleaned up."
Stormy waited till they were in the Ladies Room, before she yanked her arm free, whirling around to stare at her counterpart in shock. "How can you be so calm about that?! You know what Mother will do if she sees this!" She gestured to her outfit, panic still in her eyes.
Sunset shook her head, already unzipping her backpack that she had brought with her. "Relax. Lucky for you, one of my friends at my school has taught me a very important lesson about fashion."
"Mother doesn't like me to have friends...and if her counterpart is anything like her, you aren't allowed to have friends either." Stormy rubbed her arms, worry creasing her brow.
"Then it's a good thing that I don't live with her anymore. Haven't for a few years now." Sunset dug into her bag, looking for something.
Stormy was silent as she observed the difference between her and Sunset, her gaze soft. "So...about that important lesson on fashion..?"
Sunset grinned as she stood up, holding up a clean light blue shirt with little slightly darker glitter hearts scattered across it. "In case of an emergency, always have a spare outfit on hand."
"I love it! It's so sparkly... I mean... ew. That's way too girly for me." Stormy struggled to keep her face neutral, excitement dancing in her eyes.
Sunset snorted, before tossing the shirt at her counterpart. "Remember... I am you. Just go into one of those stalls to change." As an after thought she quickly added, "You can keep the shirt."
Stormy clutched the fabric close to her chest, before looking up at Sunset, with tears in her eyes. "Thank you... I wish that I really did have a cousin like you. That would be wonderful!"
"Tell me about it." Sunset grinned as she zipped her backpack back up. "I'll go wait for you over by the painting of superheroes."
"Okay... wait. That's the one that I found you by." Stormy arched one eyebrow upwards.
"I know. That one is my painting. I wonder if you can tell by looking at it what kind of strokes I used..." Sunset teased her, before ducking out the bathroom.
Sunset decided that this could be fun. At least the cashier looked as if she were about to have a heart attack at the sight of two of her. Grinning at her, Sunset leaned against the counter, a wry smile on her face. "I'll have your Veggie Power Menu Burrito and let's go with a medium drink with that." Turning to face Stormy, she tried, and failed miserably, to keep her face straight. "What do you want Stormy? Anything here sound good?"
Stormy glanced briefly at the menu, before opening her mouth...and making a request that surprised Sunset. "I'll have the Veggie Power Menu Bowl. I guess as long as she doesn't find out, I'll have a soda with that."
"Anything else?" Sunset had to give Trixie credit. She really could be the best actor anyone has ever seen, now that she was over her shock at seeing Sunset with her counterpart.
Sunset shook her head, pulling out the amount of cash needed to pay for the menu items. "No... just can you double my usual order of cinnamon twists, Trixie?"
"Sure thing Sunset... though I must say... you have to explain to me later why you're hanging out with the, uh... you from this dimension." Trixie raised one eyebrow in question, she was rather good at that, as she filled out the order, pulling out two medium to go cups with Taco Bell's logo on the side.
"Later. Come on Stormy. Let's get our drinks." Sunset rolled her eyes at her, slightly, nosy classmate.
As soon as they were both sitting down, with lemonade in their cups, Sunset blurted out the question burning at the tip of her tongue. "I didn't know you were vegetarian. How did that happen?"
Stormy snapped her head up, surprise flashing across her features. "You're vegetarian. Why are you surprised that I'm vegetarian? I thought we were the same person?"
Sunset blushed, before explaining what she had meant by that. "We are. However, none of the counterparts here are vegetarian too. I mean..." Taking in a deep breath, she silently reminded herself that she knew this conversation was going to come up no matter what she did. "The dimension I come from, there isn't any humans. Everyone there are animals. Cause of that...we don't eat meat at all. I kinda find the idea..."
"Totally nauseating. I used to eat meat. But then I...there was this one class where we learned about the different biologies of a variety of animals." Taking in a shaky breath, she fiddled with her straw. "I guess you could say that I no longer could look at a piece of steak the same after dissecting a frog and discussing the various organs used to keep a cow alive." Stormy shuddered in horror at the thought, her gaze worried.
"Sunset! Your order is ready!" Trixie suddenly yelled across the room towards the two identical girls.
"That's my cue. I'll be right back." Sunset pushed her chair back, angling herself towards the pickup counter.
Sunset came back to the table, dropping the tray full of food onto the table in front of Stormy. "Okay... now that we have food to put in our tummies... we've got a problem that we need to fix."
Stormy removed her Veggie Power Bowl from the tray, picking up a spork to eat with it. "What problem might that be?"
"The fact someone is trying to contact us and is making a big deal about our pasts... going as far as to claim that it isn't what it seems." Sunset drummed her fingers on the table as she used one hand to lift her Veggie Power Burrito to her mouth to take a large bit out of it.
"Oh that... um... the package.... mine was a....uh..." Stormy shifted slightly, clearly uncertain how to explain what it was to her counterpart.
Sunset swallowed, before finishing the sentence for her. "A tiara. Gold with red rubies in the center creating the image of a blazing sun."
"Precisely!" Stormy nodded her head fiercely before taking a long sip of her lemonade. "Any idea who it could be?"
Sunset nervously laughed as she picked a napkin up to rub between her fingers. "Unfortunately no. After I got the note, I went back to my home dimension and questioned the ruler there on whether or not she recognized the handwriting. She didn't so I highly doubt that her counterpart here, who happens to be my principal, will recognize it either."
"So... we have a mysterious note and tiara that we have no idea where they came from. Maybe we could ask Mother? I mean the note mentioned something about the past." Stormy shrugged.
Sunset quickly shook her head. "No... absolutely not. I rather not alert her to the whole different dimensions and everything. Unless you want her to ruin my life that I only recently got into order all over again?"
"Point taken." Stormy fiddled with her straw, a frown creasing her brow. "What do you suggest that we do then?"
Before Sunset could come up with an answer to that question, her phone buzzed. Pulling it out, she frowned as she realized that it was a text message. I need help. My math homework is written in a foreign language! "Uh... looks like we have to put this conversation on hold for now. Apparently Rainbow needs help with homework."
"Who's Rainbow?" Stormy wrinkled her nose, confused on who that was.
"One of my friends... and no she's not the one the one that gave me the fashion advise. She's the athlete of the group." Sunset quickly typed out a response to send to Rainbow. On my way...as soon as I finish lunch. Hold tight now.
Oh... I'm holding tight alright! I have a test Monday and I don't get half of these things!
"I really hate to eat and run...but Rainbow really needs my help. I'm really sorry." Sunset apologized as she shoved the last bite of her burrito into her mouth.
"It's fine... honestly I wish that I had friends that would ask me for help... but that just ain't going to happen." Stormy picked over her Veggie Power Bowl, slumping forward slightly.
"Have you ever heard of Canterlot High?" Sunset asked as she gathered her purse and drink up.
"Yeah... it's the school that seems to have something destroy half of it once every month. Why?" Stormy gave a slight nod of recognition, but was unaware of the annoyance that flared across her counterpart's features.
"That is so not true... I happen to attend there, and the portal back home is located there. Someone there might know where the tiara came from...at least mine." Sunset shrugged helplessly as she stood up. "Meet me there after dinner?"
"On it." Stormy stood up as well, her bowl now completely empty, drink in hand.
Rainbow frowned as she looked over at her impromptu tutor, confusion flooding her. "You okay there, Sunset? You seem distracted?"
Sunset jumped, startled about Rainbow's question. "What? Oh! Yeah.... I'm fine. Now then if X plus ten times five minus five equals fifty, What does X equals?"
"Uh... we already did that one. It's five." Rainbow arched one eyebrow upwards, confusion dancing in her eyes.
Sunset froze, panic beginning to well up inside of her. "So we did... um... okay next one is..." Her phone buzzed, breaking her off instantly. Pulling it out, she glanced at the message. Dinner is in the oven. Time for you to come home. "I've got to go... Mrs Cake doesn't want me to be late for dinner."
"Okay... bye Sunset!" Rainbow watched as her friend pretty much bolted out the door. Yanking out her phone, she quickly created a group text that excluded Sunset. Guys... something really weird is going on with Sunset... we need to meet up first chance we get!
Stormy glanced around the public high school, trying to figure out where this mystical portal to another world could possibly be. "Sorry I'm late!" Sunset came tearing across the lawn, reaching a hand out to grab Stormy by the arm, her satchel like bag swinging wildly by her side. "I had to help give the twins a bath after dinner."
"I got your text warning me not to bring my mystery tiara. Any reason why?" Stormy arched one eyebrow upwards, clearly puzzled about that.
Sunset shrugged as she made her way over to the giant statue in front of the school. "Simple really... mine is from Equestria. Yours isn't. That and they only need one tiara. Trust me on this."
"Okay... so where is this portal that you told me about?" Stormy glanced around once more, still not seeing anything remotely portal looking on the school grounds. "Is it inside?"
Sunset scoffed at that, stopping in front of the large statue. "Is it inside she asks? Of course not! You're looking at it!" She gestured to the large statue. "Trust me... it might seem really weird and all that, but! all we have to do is walk through this statue and we'll pop up out of a mirror in a whole new dimension....just um... it will turn us into unicorns when we go through warning..."
"I see... so all I have to do is this?" Stormy walked into the statue, the portal immediately opening up and swallowing her whole.
"Yeah...that." Sunset opened her satchel to check that the tiara was still in there, before following her counterpart through the portal.
Stormy pulled open yet another door, peering quickly into it. "Yet another empty bedroom... are you sure that this place will have a large library somewhere in it?"
Sunset groaned, before checking behind another door. "Positive...I mean this is where Twilight lives, and um...this is Spike's room apparently." Sunset fought a smile as she noticed that the young green dragon was cuddling a doll that looked suspiciously like Rarity's pony counterpart in his sleep. Silently closing the door, she crept down the hallway, looking for yet another door to check.
"You were saying something about how this is where someone named Twilight lives?" Stormy prodded her counterpart, one eyebrow raised in question as she plodded down the dark hallway.
"Oh...yeah. Twilight lives here, and she happens to be a huge bookworm. If memory serves correctly, her home doubles as the town's library." Sunset paused to check behind a pair of double doors. "And I think I just found her throne room."
"Throne room!?" Stormy paused, staring at Sunset as if she had grown a second head.
Sunset glanced over at her, brow furrowing in thought. "Didn't I mention that Twilight is a princess?"
"No...that explains why this place is so big though... is Spike a sibling?" Stormy felt very small all of a sudden as she glanced around, wondering if she should be concerned about patrols.
"Assistant...I think." Sunset wrinkled her nose, confusion flashing briefly in her eyes. "Uh, he's counterpart in our world happens to be a dog... and hers is a just an average bookworm. From what I can tell, Twilight here is basically raising Spike by herself."
"You make it sound like he's still a kid."
"Because he is. Just turned ten if memory serves correctly." Sunset waited patiently for Stormy to open another door.
Stormy peered into the room, her lit horn, thanks to Sunset, lighting up the inside of the room. "Found it."
Sunset quickly slipped into the room, using a more complex spell to turn the lights on. "Come on... one of these books or scrolls should have the answer we're looking for."
"I really hope your right...or else our sneaking around here would be for nothing." Stormy muttered under her breath as she pulled an ancient looking scroll down to read its contents.
"If I scan one more book... I'm gonna scream!" Stormy growled out, voicing the same thought that was circling through Sunset's mind.
Sunset sighed as she dropped the scroll she was skimming into the discard pile... the rapidly growing discard pile if the fact that it was almost half the library was any indicator. "It's got to be in here somewhere.... Spike mentioned once about how Twilight has books and scrolls on all kinds of cultures, which means this tiara has to be in here somewhere." Sunset glanced over at the candle they were using, noting that it had gone down by quite a bit. "We probably should stop for the night and come back tomorrow."
"But we haven't found where your mystery tiara came from yet!" A purple alicorn suddenly spoke up from where she was comparing the said tiara with a diagram in a rather old looking book.
Stormy jumped, a yelp of surprise escaping her as she whirled around to stare at the newcomer. Sunset on the other hand lunged to her hooves, bewilderment flashing in her eyes. "Twilight! How long have you been here!?"
"I...uh, fell asleep reading a really good book. You woke me up when you came in. Figured I might as well help you out." Twilight blushed slightly, shuffling her hooves together as a sign of nerves.
"Twilight...you've gotta go get some sleep." Sunset gave her friend a withering look.
Stormy raised a hand nervously into the air. "Um..? If you're a princess... where is your tiara?"
Twilight stared at her as if she were crazy for half a second, before realizing that this unicorn looked exactly like Sunset. "Oh! You're Sunset's counterpart, aren't you? In that case... I don't like wearing it. Makes me feel uncomfortable."
"And by that you mean you don't like the attention it brings to you." Sunset smiled, crossing her arms across her chest. "Am I wrong?"
"Nope! And you do realize that you have a flying lesson first thing in the morning, right?" Rainbow Dash appeared behind Twilight.
Twilight shot Rainbow a withering look, exasperation flooding off of her. "Rainbow... you know that you are the one that is supposed to give me that lesson...right?"
"We've been trying to tell her that for the last four hours, darling." Rarity spoke up from next to Applejack at one of the overly crowded tables in the library.
Stormy frowned staring at the table, right before she glanced around to see that all of the main six, plus Starlight, was in the library with them. "When did all of you get here?"
"I noticed it when you turned on a light and went to make sure that it wasn't Twilly staying up too late reading again. I mean, her flying really needs worked on." "Hey!" "And she isn't gonna learn nothing if she's too tired!" (Rainbow)
"I noticed Rainbow coming over and followed her." (Applejack)
"Rarity and I were sleeping over with Starlight." (Fluttershy)
"You guys woke us up when you checked to see if my room was the library... so we followed you." Starlight supplied.
"I noticed everyone headed out over here and thought there was a party going on!" Pinkie cheerfully announced before shoving a balloon animal into Stormy's face.
"We... really ought to pay more attention when doing research." Sunset slapped her hoof against her forehead.
"Agreed. Night random magical ponies that I have never met but appear to be friends with my counterpart..." Stormy waved awkwardly at them, before bolting out of there.
Sunset sighed, before picking up the tiara and shoving it back into her satchel. "We'll be back later to continue this..." With that said, she bolted after her counterpart. At least finding the magical mirror that was the portal was much easier than finding the library had been...
"Okay girls listen up! The reason why I called you all here today is because Sunset was helping me with my homework only she was distracted. We need to find out what is bothering her." Rainbow rambled as she paced in front of the computer, where she could see her other friends that were facetiming her.
Twilight hummed to herself, before nervously lifting a hand up. "Rainbow... we really probably shouldn't go poking around in her life. She's our friend. If something is wrong, she'll tell us."
"Besides that darling, we'll all see her again Monday when we head back to class. We can ask her if something is bothering her then." Rarity rolled her eyes skyward, before reaching to turn off the webcam. "I've got to go. The next show starts in a few minutes and I am not at all ready for it!" She then clicked off of the chatroom.
A minute later found Rainbow staring blankly at the blank screen that her friends faces had accompanied just a moment ago. "Fine... I'll wait for Monday...in which case all of you are going to realize that I'm right and something is bothering Sunset!"
Sunset stretched slightly as she sat up slowly in bed, her alarm blaring loudly as it informed her that it was now Monday morning. She had spent the entire weekend researching in both worlds and spending time with Stormy. Speaking of which.... Hey, Stormy? How is that project coming along? Sunset pressed send, sending a quick message to her counterpart.
Moving away from her bed, Sunset got ready for the day, instinctively placing the tiara and strange message into her backpack. Shouldering the bag, she hurried down the stairs to the kitchen where the Cakes were serving breakfast. "Hmm... something smells good!" Sunset snagged one of the freshly baked muffins off of the cooling rack, tearing a piece off to pop in her mouth.
"Careful Sunset! You don't want to burn yourself by accident!" Mrs. Cake warned her as she rolled her eyes at the teen unicorn.
"Heat never bothered me before. Doubt that it'll start now." Sunset backed out of the kitchen, glancing at the time. "I've got to go... I have a few questions that I want to go over with Ms. Experiment before school starts."
"Okay...have a good day at school!"
"Will do!" Sunset bolted out of the house, her feet flying as she sprinted towards the high school.
Rarity pulled open her locker, just in time to see Sunset fly through the school's double doors, backpack swinging wildly at her side. "Hi Rarity! Bye Rarity!" Sunset sprinted past her, barely acknowledging that she was even there.
"Sunset! Wait! I've got that new sweater I've been knitting for you done!" Rarity pulled out the aforementioned sweater, holding it up for her friend.
Sunset disappeared from view without glancing back to see the homemade sweater. Rainbow closed her locker, turning to face her fashionable friend. "See? Somethin's goin' on with her!"
Rarity rolled her eyes as she placed the sunset themed sweater back into her locker. "She's probably just running late darling. Nothing about it indicates that there's something bothering her!"
Rainbow scowled, before turning to head to class. "Fine. Have it your way. But don't come running to me if she stops hanging with us!"
Sunset sighed as she dropped her pencil down, quickly pulling her cell phone out to check her text messages. So far... terrible. My school's archives has nothing about a tiara that looks like the ones sent to us. Sunset frowned at that, before sending in another text. There's got to be something somewhere. It's not like we're dealing with a small kingdom or something that no one has ever heard of before or anything!
Sunset! You are a genuis!
What did I do?
Meet up with me at the Fun Time Diner for lunch. My treat.
Okay..? Sunset shook her head as she slipped her phone back into her pocket same time that the teacher reentered the classroom.
"Alright class! I'm back! Just let me pass out these worksheets before the bell rings..." Mrs. Ciencias lifted up one of the packets she had been making more copies of for her class to see.
Groans escaped the assembled teens, many of whom not so subtly sat their own phones down. Sunset figured that she could easily finish the assignment before lunch was over with, as long as none of her other teachers give her a whole lot of homework. The more she got done with earlier, the more time she would have to investigate. Accepting the packet that Mrs. Ciencias handed to her, she scanned it to note that it was mostly review. The bell rang shrilly right then, signaling the end of class. Shoving her packet and her school supplies into her backpack, she darted out of the door. She had a mystery to solve!
"Hey guys! Have any of you seen Sunset?" Rainbow cautiously asked the rest of her friends as she sat down at their usual table in the crowded cafeteria.
Applejack paused, her sandwich dangling in her hand. "Ya mean besides in calculus? Can't say that Ah have seen her. Why ya ask?"
"Probably because Sunset is usually the first one here given any day of the week." Twilight swung her fork through the air as she gestured to their surroundings... their devoid of Sunset surroundings.
"I'm sure that there's a perfectly good explanation..." Fluttershy fed her lettuce to Angel.
Pinkie bounced slightly as she picked up her cupcake. "Yeah! It's not like she's the long lost princess of some country that no one has ever heard of or maybe she's an alien princess and doesn't know that...or!"
Rarity promptly clapped a hand over her mouth. "I highly doubt it's any of that darling."
"I wonder what's she's doin' right now without us." Rainbow softly mused to herself...
"...And from there I was able to get a list of all small countries that no one ever heard of." Stormy placed a bit of her salad into her mouth, her research scattered all over the booth table that the two versions of Sunset were sitting at.
Sunset whistled as she stared at the many countries that she had never heard of before that was spread out before her. "Looks like we're getting closer to figuring this out...."
"Sunset may Ah please have a word with ya?" Applejack shifted slightly, closing her locker shut as she turned to face her AWOL friend.
Sunset closed her own locker, the door snapping shut as she glanced over at the cowgirl. "Sure. What's up?" Sunset slipped her hand into her pocket, feeling her phone as she wondered how exactly she and Stormy were gonna get the information that they needed.
Applejack cleared her throat hesitantly, before speaking slowly to her. "Well... you see... your not quite acting like yourself. I was wondering if something was bothering..."
Sunset's phone went off right then, cutting Applejack off. Startled, Sunset yanked her phone out to see that it was a text from Stormy. There's some sort of creep stalking me... "Um... I've got to go AJ... good talk!" Sunset bolted for it, leaving her concerned friend behind.
Applejack sighed, wondering vaguely what exactly could be going on in Sunset's life that had her so flustered.
Stormy allowed a sigh of relief to escape her as Sunset seemingly materialized next to her. The young unicorn subtly glanced over at the tree that the tall man that, in Stormy's opinion screamed spy, was standing. Even from this distance, it was obvious that he not only was wearing a dark suit and matching sunglasses, but an earpiece as well.
"Follow my lead..." Sunset murmured softly, before briskly moving to open the door to the library that they were visiting. Raising her voice so it was a bit louder, she continued. "Aren't you just so excited that our schools are doing a combined project? And we get to work on the project together! So exciting, eh, Storm Shine?"
Stormy caught onto what she was doing, and raised her voice ever so slightly. "I guess they know there isn't nothin' like twin power when it comes to projects like this one, Sun Cloud!"
Giggling like the school girls that they technically were, they entered the library. Moving with purpose, they quickly dove into their research. After several minutes of silence between them, Stormy shifted ever so slightly. "Do you think he's gone?"
Stormy groaned at that, before closing the book she had been flipping through. "Great. What does he want with me anyways?" She hissed, frustration dripping from her voice.
"I have no idea..." ~Mystery Guy's Viewpoint (don't worry, it's still third!)!~
"I'm not joking boss. I was doing what you said and following her when another one showed up... and they're completely identical!" Thunder Flash tracked the two teens as subtly as he could, confusion creasing his brow.
"Keep an eye on her. Ignore the other one. It's probably just a doppelganger. I just want you to follow my princess and tell me what she likes." His boss's voice crackled in his ear where his earpiece was located.
"Yes sir." Thunder Flash shifted slightly, following the first Sunset Shimmer with his eyes as she went for another book. So far it looked like she really enjoyed learning. As did her mysterious doppelganger. Shaking his head, settled back to continue his research for his boss. ~Back to Sunset and Stormy!~
"We've been here for awhile. How does a break sound to you?" Sunset rolled her shoulders as she glanced over at the clock. "I mean if you want to continue researching, I'm okay with that... it's just that the Cakes insist on a curfew... as well that I eat dinner with them unless I ask them ahead of time, and I didn't so..."
"We can stop now. Is the guy gone?" Stormy fingered the book she was correctly flipping through, clearly uneasy about the mystery guy still being in the library.
Sunset glanced over at him, her brow furrowing in annoyance. "Yes. He swapped his magazine for a novel, but still. He hasn't left."
"Want to bet that he'll try to follow me back to my dorm?"
"Trust me... that is so not a fair bet since we know that is going to happen."
Stormy groaned at that, before standing up to join Sunset as she moved across the library. Sunset shouldered her backpack, one eye on the guy as she walked out the door.
Stormy sighed as she closed her dorm door, allowing it to snap shut firmly behind her. The dorm itself was extremely plain, due to the fact that she instinctively hide everything that was personal to her. Something that she knew Sunset no longer did, now that she lived with these Cakes she spoke so fondly of.
Flopping onto her bed, she stared up at the ceiling for a minute, before reaching under her bed and pulling out the box that the tiara had came in. The tiara was still sitting in it, glistening in the light as she carefully lifted it up out of its packaging. Turning it over, she examined it to see if she could find some sort of clue on to where it had came from. A sigh escaped her as she reluctantly placed it back. She needed to figure this out soon.... Parent-Teacher Conferences were coming up and her mother would be furious to learn that she was supposedly distracted by some mystery....
Sunset worked on her homework, what little she had left at least, for a few minutes while the Cakes put the twins down for bed. Stifling a yawn, she blinked slowly, staring blankly at the paper in front of her... and woke up to sunlight streaming into her bedroom....
And another much larger package resting next to her desk. "You...have got to be kidding me!"
Yanking her phone out, she quickly sent a text to Stormy. Another package arrived here. What about you?
She didn't have long to wait, before a text arrived. Same here. Already opened it. It appears to be a red and gold ballgown. Raising one eyebrow upwards, she ripped the package opened to find that, like Stormy said, it was a ballgown... only hers was designed for a pony to wear. Uh... I wonder why whoever is sending us this stuff thinks we need a ballgown.
I'm wondering the same thing Sunset frowned at her counterpart's answer, wishing things would just click together or something.
We're missing something here... I can just feel it... Sunset texted back, nibbling on her bottom lip as she did so.
"Sunset! Time to get up if your gonna make it to school on time!" Mrs. Cake hollered up the stairs, reminding the young unicorn of where she needs to be in a few minutes.
"Coming!" Sunset lunged across the room, flinging open her closet just long enough to pull out clean clothes for today... and to find an empty hangar to place the gown on.
"Good morning class! Mrs. Solarflare had her baby last night so I will be filling in for her until we can find a suitable substitute." Principal Celestia smiled as she stood in front of the small homeroom, her gaze sweeping over the class to see if there were any empty desks.
There wasn't any, so she quickly marked all the students as in attendance. As she did so, she glanced over to see what each one of them were doing. Most of them were busy catching up on the homework that they hadn't finished the night before, or reading, while a certain group of friends were huddled together whispering softly about something. Well... most of them were whispering about something. Sunset had her laptop opened and appeared to be doing research on something.
Sunset rubbed her chin as she stared blankly at the various worldwide news articles that she had found online about missing crowns. Thinking things over, she probably should have been more specific and placed missing tiaras into the search engine. Instead she found herself looking at twenty or so different legends that were hundreds of years old, which wasn't very helpful since the ancient sketches looked nothing like the tiara that they were dealing with. In fact the only thing that came close to what she was looking for was about an infant princess that had been kidnapped around the day that Sunset had been born. The prime suspect was the king's sister-in-law, who had made a scene at the royal engagement party a few years prior, and has been noticeably absent since then.
Sunset clicked on the link to pull up the photo of the MIA duchess... and immediately felt all color drain from her features.
"Sunset? Do you feel alright? You look pale?" Principal Celestia spoke up, concern edging her voice as she glanced at the young unicorn.
"Fine." Sunset croaked out, before quickly wiping a hand across her forehead. "Just a little warm is all... is it alright if I step outside for a minute?"
Principal Celestia paused, eyeing the teen for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of letting her skip the class. Finally coming to a decision, she pointed to the door. "Take as long as you like... as long as you make sure you don't miss the next class."
"Thanks!" Sunset darted out the door, barely remembering to gather her stuff up.
As soon as she was out of the room, she yanked out her phone and sent a text message to Stormy, Get out now. Your life could easily be in danger. Whipping around a corner, she darted out of the school, heading straight towards the mascot statue. Upon arriving, she sank to the ground so as to sit on the soft grass. What's wrong? Is everything okay?
Sunset nibbled her bottom lip, before sending a text that she knew would probably shake Stormy's entire world upside if she followed through with it. Look up Duchess Crystal River of the Kingdom Phoenixa. Then get over here as quick as you can! Sunset hit send, hoping against hope that she was being paranoid. It had to be a coincidence... right? Memories, ones that she refused to allow either version of Celestia to find out about, surfaced, making this discovery all the more heartwrenching.
I can't get away... my teachers won't let me. Not unless I have a doctor's note or they hear from M...Jewel Shimmer. Sunset sighed, somehow not surprised about that. Stormy went to a prestigious, very strict, boarding school... unlike herself.
Okay. Meet me at Sugarcube Corner... you do know what that is... right?
Oh yeah! Another student pointed it out to me once.
Good. Just hang on tight. Can you attend classes during the day and sleep elsewhere, or do you have to be in your dorm?
The dorms are only for the students who live out of town. Why?
I believe it is time for you to meet the Cakes...
Really? They sound so awesome whenever you have mentioned them!
A bell rang shrilly, startling Sunset as she glanced back up towards the school. I have to get to class. Talk to you after school in person. Sunset shoved her phone into her pocket, before snagging up her backpack as she hauled herself up onto her feet.
Moving quickly, she darted back into the school, making a beeline for Advanced Calculus. If this was before she became friends with her friends and Princess Twilight, she would have skipped for the sake of skipping, but that wasn't her anymore, now that she was reformed.
Stormy fidgeted nervously, glancing down at the article that Sunset had directed her towards. This was so bad.. like seriously how had they not noticed this earlier bad! "Hey? Sunset? Are you feeling okay?"
Startled, the teen glanced up to see one of the nerds in her class hovering nearby, brow creased with confusion, thick glasses sliding down her nose. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
Her classmate, Hidden Star if memory served correctly, nervously fidgeted for a minute, before speaking up softly. "Well... you see you usually bully me at least three times a day but lately its as if you've forgotten that I even exist."
Stormy blinked at that, startled, even as she glanced down at the article one last time. If she was to break free from Jewel Shimmer like her counterpart already did, she was going to need help...in the forms of friends. "Um...sorry about that. How about I treat you to lunch instead?"
"Wait...what?" Hidden Star frowned, now more confused than she was a minute earlier.
Stormy straightened up, looking the painfully shy nerd in the eye. "I've been thinking things over and want to change. I guess the best way to change is to try and make friends and apologize to those that I hurt. Right Hidden Star?"
"Actually it's Society Star..." She mumbled softly to herself, before softly clearing her throat. "Ironic right? I can't handle attention at all, and my name essentially says that I'm a social butterfly. Hidden is more accurate. You can call me that.
Stormy frowned, looking the other girl over. She already knew that Society Star had confidence issues before they came to this school, and she clearly needed someone to give it a much needed boost. "No. Society Star is a much prettier name. In fact, I think I'll call you Star for short. If your alright with calling me Stormy instead of Sunset."
"Um... okay?"
Sunset and Stormy Track Down Someone Who Can Help Them...
Sunset sighed with relief when Stormy finally entered Sugar Cube Corner. Stormy flashed her a smile as she walked up to the unicorn. "Hey. So... when do I get to meet these amazing Cakes?"
Sunset quickly gestured to the counter where Mrs. Cake was working. "Right now. They own Sugar Cube Corner."
Stormy started at that, clearly surprised by that reveal, before sliding into the booth across from her. "Okay. I researched that article you told me about. What exactly was she thinking?"
"I...don't know." Sunset deflated slightly, even as Mr. Cake walked over and dropped off two of her favorite cupcake. "Thank you Mr. Cake."
"No problem. Safe for me to guess that this is your counterpart, Sunset Shimmer?" Mr. Cake turned to face Stormy, stretching is hand out for her to shake.
Stormy appeared flustered at that, but accepted the hand anyway. "Nice to meet you Mr. Cake, Sunset has told me a lot about you and your wife."
"All good things I hope." Mr. Cake chuckled, before disappearing back to the kitchen.
Sunset leaned forward, her brow creasing with worry. "I have already asked the Cakes if you could spend the night with us. They said yes."
"Wonderful." Stormy rubbed her head, stress from this whole situation giving her a headache.
"You know, the guy that was following you most likely works for him." Sunset blurted out suddenly as she picked up one of the cupcakes.
"Gee, now I feel horrible for trying to loose him." Stormy groaned as she banged her head against the table.
"We, more like I, need to head back to Equestria and see if either Twilight or Princess Celestia knows anything about a Phoenixia back there as well." Sunset eyed the second cupcake.
Stormy noticed what Sunset was looking at, and quickly grabbed the sugary convention. "Hey! That's my cupcake."
Sunset merely smiled at that, not thinking twice about what she was about to say. "Technically, I'm your counterpart from a different dimension, so..."
"WHAT!?!?!?!?!?" Thunder Flash jumped up from where he'd been reading a newspaper, well, pretending to read a newspaper, his eyes the size of saucers.
"Different dimensions exist. I'm from one where everyone is some type of pony....or dragon...or kirin...or zebra... yaks.... mythical creatures that I can never remember what they're called... um...they're half pony half fish."
Stormy smacked her head as she watched Thunder Flash slowly lose his color. "I...I see..."
"Great... I think you broke him Sunny." Stormy rolled her eyes skyward.
"Not my fault Stormy! Do you not realize how rare it is to talk about other dimensions is in a natural conversation? We haven't even gotten to the part where I explain that I'm a pony, more specifically an unicorn." Sunset protested, even as Thunder Flash stood up to leave, figuring fresh air might help him wrap his mind around this.
"So... is it okay if I come with you to visit your principal's counterpart?"
Sunset paused, eyeing the phoenix that was following them. His confused expression making it quite clear on who he was. "I think Thunder Flash's counterpart is following us to the palace."
"Um...can we try and not break this version of him...please?" Stormy shot Sunset a look that made it quite clear what she thought of the currently confused secret agent.
"I didn't mean to break him. Come on! We're almost there." Sunset lead the way through the streets of Canterlot.
Stormy felt nervous as they approached the large palace where the Royal Sisters abided. "What if they can't help us... or worse what if they don't like me!?"
"Um...Stormy... you are me. They like me, so it makes sense that they'll like you too. Besides...they know about the different dimensions already so there will be no breaking them."
"If you say so...."
"Know so. And we're here." Sunset stopped abruptly, standing before the entrance to the Royal Gardens. "Come on... this nice of a day, Princess Celestia will be in the maze."
Stormy nodded at that, trusting Sunset to keep things straight. It didn't take long after they entered the maze before they found the tall alicorn. Sunset smiled as she bowed to her ruler. "Princess."
"Sunset... I haven't seen you since you snuck into my room to see if I recognized the hoofwriting on that note." Celestia beamed at her, before turning her attention to her companion. "You must be Sunset's counterpart. Twilight mentioned that you were helping Sunset in looking into the mystery of a tiara."
"Yeah...we solved that one. It's from Phoenixia. Have you ever heard of it?" Sunset mentally crossed her fingers, since she didn't have any at the moment, that her mentor would know more about it.
"Phoenixia... Phoenixia...Phoenixia...hmm, has a fun ring to it." Celestia hummed, not being helpful at all.
"Sister, Phoenixia is the home of the Phoenixes." Luna stepped out from behind the hedge that she was hiding behind, shooting her sister a look. "The current king of the phoenixes was married to a unicorn if memory serves correctly."
"Was?" Stormy glanced over at Sunset, wondering if the past tense was for the same reason as it was in her dimension.
Sunset swallowed hard, her mind reeling. "Her counterpart apparently died in childbirth, is that what happened to her?"
"Yes. Oddly enough, I don't even know the gender of the Heir to the Throne." Luna shrugged, completely unabashed.
"Luna is a, surprising, expert on Phoenixes. I'm afraid that my knowledge of them is limited to their ambassador, Philomena." Celestia conceded the point, thoughtfully rubbing her right forehoof on her chin.
"Where is Philomena right now? I.... want to talk with her about what we discovered with our research on the other side of the portal." Sunset narrowed her eyes, Stormy nodding along in agreement.
"That would be easy. Her quarters for when she's here is located in the east wing. I believe she is still there. Packing for a trip back to Phoenixia if memory serves correctly." Celestia offered up that little tidbit of information.
Sunset and Stormy didn't bother to thank the princess, they just took off at a sprint to get to the ambassador before she could leave before they get to her.