> Sunset Shimmer and the Shadowbolts
>  by KittyrinnAiko
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The School Assembly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The light of a new day streams in through the windows as Scootaloo, Sweetie, and Apple Bloom await their fate. The three sit quietly in the administration's conference room with Granny Smith, Betty, and Hondo Flanks, and Lofty and Holiday. The presence of the detectives out in the office wasn’t helping. The girls looked out through the window to the front of the school perhaps hoping to find some solace in the peaceful countenance. Whispers of someone being arrested that morning wasn’t helping. Hell, they could see the skid marks.

Principle Celestia entered the room followed by the two detectives and everyone waited for someone to speak.

“Apple Bloom, care to explain yourself?” Principle Celestia asked after she’d assessed the three girls and waited for them to look her way.

“I just wanted more time with ma’ sister,” Apple Bloom offered meekly.

“So you chose to subject her to public ridicule.” Principle Celestia stated. She turned her gaze to Sweetie.

“Sweetie Belle?”

“I thought if Sunset wasn’t spending so much time with my sister she’d have more for me.”

“Sunset checks in with me per our agreement to allow her, her own apartment,” Lofty said in nearly a growl. “Two sleepovers. Two!?”

“Lofty, I understand you are upset,” Celestia began.

“Upset? Upset?! We’ve got CPS breathing down our backs!”

“Snap and Jane took off again on one of their adventures without telling anyone,” Holiday offered. “Child Protective Services is threatening action. Against us, and against Snap and Jane.”

“Scootaloo, do you have any idea the amount of damage you did? Bad enough you drove your own sister out of our home,” Lofty scolded.

“What?” Scootaloo wasn’t entirely sure she’d just heard what she had.

“Lofty?!” Holiday scolded. “I thought we agreed not to tell her?”

“Well, maybe we should have! Holiday, the shit is going to hit the fan on this one,” Lofty shot back. “Pippin was Sunset’s and Scootaloo’s mother. You know as well as I do that the only reason Snap got custody of Scootaloo was because he admitted to being her father. If that man doesn’t start acting like a father they are going to move her to heaven knows where.”

“I don’t understand, why the animosity towards Sunset in the first place?” Principle Celestia asked.

“Scootaloo found out that Sunset was the one who tipped off the police that Dash was going to get initiated into a gang and that she planned on bringing Scootaloo in with her. The one Gilda is in,” Lofty explained. “Scootaloo doesn’t seem to understand that Sunset did the right thing.”

“She got Dash in trouble!” Scootaloo protested having regained her focus. The idea that Sunset could be in any way her sister was playing havoc on her perception of reality.

“Scootaloo and I are cousins?” Apple Bloom whispered excitedly only to get smacked in the back of the head by Granny. “Owe.”

“Focus!” Granny admonished. “I swear, ya got the attention span of a flea in a pack O’ hound dogs.”

“Miss Scootaloo,” Principle Celestia said in a cold tone. “Dash getting in trouble was the best thing that ever happened to her. She wouldn't be the star athlete she is now if she was still hanging out with gang members. I only wish I could do the same for Gilda.”

“Miss Shutter,” Detective Steel began. “As of right now I am to understand that the District Attorney's office is going to decline to press charges against the three of you. This is owing to an artifact that was secured this morning by federal agents. An item I am to understand was being used to cloud your judgment, how you perceive things, and quite possibly even your own memories. My understanding is that the feds just want to sweep it all under the carpet.”

“You’re not saying more magic was involved, are you?” Betty asked.

“One of our students was either arrested or detained by federal agents this morning,” Principle Celestia offered. “Odd thing is, she is on the rolls, but no one remembers her. Not even the teachers whose classes she was in. For what it’s worth these incidents have been isolated and hopefully, this will be the last time.” Principle Celestia refocused on Scootaloo. “Still though...

“Scootaloo, I’d like you to take into consideration that it was Snips and Snails who trashed the Gymnasium at the Fall Formal, but it was Sunset who took the heat for it. She never once tried to redirect any of the blame even though those two had done it on their own.”

“They did? She did?” Scootaloo asked astonished.

“I got in a great deal of trouble myself afterward with the school board for allowing the dance to continue following a ‘gas’ explosion, and for not getting Sunset medical treatment,” Principle Celestia pressed.

“Gas explosion?” Apple Bloom asked only to get smacked in the head again by Granny Smith.

“Gas explosion,” Granny pressed in a tone that indicated that she wasn’t of a mind to argue about it.

“The three of you need to understand, in regards to the blog Anon-a-miss,” Detective Steel continued possibly feeling things had gotten a little off track. “You weren’t just posting embarrassing little secrets we all laugh about when we get a little older and maturer. People started sending you personal information covered by HIPA.”

“Hippo?” Sweetie asked.

“Not hippo, H I P A, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability. You disclosed information covered under the HIPA act. You, or rather your families could be fined and you can bet people are going to go after the individuals who sent that information if they can. And yes, we know who everyone is. The internet isn’t as anonymous as people think it is and the ICS is involved.” He paused a moment. “The final straw was when things the government wants to be kept hushed up got posted. All that chatter about what allegedly really happened the night of the Fall formal. Though I did find it odd that people remembered the whole demon thing but no one can seem to remember the Sirens. Yes, we know about them. Those three are considered extremely dangerous. Tracking them is a bit like an X-files episode. I’ve no doubt they were enjoying watching the chaos you created online. I want you to think about it. By your actions, you provided material support to known felons.”

“But,” Scootaloo protested weakly. “Sunset needed to be punished for all the things she did. For what she did to Dash.”

“Scootaloo, Dash missing our bake sale was my doing,” Apple Bloom offered quietly.

“But, why? Why would you?” Scootaloo asked.

“Dash steals from our stand. Applejack knows she’s doing it, but she lets her get away with it.”

“I, um, might have done something similar,” Sweetie offered. “I’m the one who sent e-mails to Rarity telling her Pinkie doesn't need any help. If she’s not helping Pinkie setting up something then I’d have more time with my sister.”

“Sweetie, did it never occur to you to help your sister and Pinkie?” Principle Celestia asked.

“I, um, no, it hadn’t,” Sweetie admitted.

“Apple Bloom, Dash has been trying to improve herself,” Celestia informed the girl. “How would you like it if someone was trying to keep you and Scootaloo apart?”

“I wouldn't,” Apple bloom admitted.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing?” Scootaloo asked in disbelief.  

“Scootaloo, make no mistake that Sunset is far from innocent,” Celestia cautioned. “She went from being a sweet girl when she first got here to a girl with a serious entitlement issue. Granted that she was out of her element and on her best behavior when she first showed up. Even so, she has been working very hard to turn herself around. You need to forgive her, if not for her sake then for your own.”

“And set aside all that resentment you have for her,” Lofty added. “If you had just given her a chance in the first place who’s to say things might have turned out different.”

“So what happens now?” Scootaloo asked.

“As I said earlier,” Detective Steel began, “The DA is not going to press charges. I can’t speak for what CPS is going to do.”

“Scootaloo, you could find yourself being placed in a foster home,” Holiday informed her.

“What?” Scootaloo asked.

“The hospital contacted CPS to assess them of Sunset’s situation. And they wanted to know how you are doing. The fact that you got involved with the Anon-a-miss profile isn’t going to help. Doing your best to get along with Sunset will go a long way towards keeping you with us,” Lofty informed her. “We got called by CPS first thing this morning to let us know to expect a visit.”

“We really screwed up, didn’t we?” Apple Bloom offered.  

“Ya sure did,” Granny replied. “And it kind of sounds like you need to have a sit down with your sisters and the others. Let them know which deeds of infamy are yours and not Sunset’s.”

“First comes the assembly,” Principle Celestia offered. “I intend to have every person who sent in information stand up so the rest of the student body can see the true face of Anon-a-miss. Followed by a list of suspensions. And that includes the three of you.”

“Would it help if I tell you that there was a lot of stuff we deleted?” Scootaloo asked.

“Like what?” Lofty asked.

She wasn’t going to like the answer. 





“Dash, it wasn’t Shimmer, it was our sisters,” Applejack hissed at Rainbow Dash as they made their way into the school’s auditorium.  

“What?!” Up to that point, Dash had been giving the other’s the cold shoulder.

“And there was another magical artifact involved,” Rarity explained.

“You should have been there,” Pinkie said excitedly. She was bouncing more than walking. Black sedans and SUVs come racing up to the front of the school, a chopper comes flying over, and then the men in black all rushed some girl named Wall Flower.”  

Pinkie had stopped. “I don’t know her. I don’t know who she is,” Pinkie offered, sounding distressed. “Which is really strange because I have her name and birth-date written in my planner.”

“Dash, we screwed up. We all screwed up, and we screwed up big time,” Applejack offered. “The worst of it is I’ll never know how much was me, and how much was on account of influence from what was more ‘en likely an Equestrian artifact.”

“Argh!” Dash groaned out in frustration with her hands on her head. “Do you know what this means? It means we’ve all been manipulated from the moment that mystery girl came to school. We’ll never know how much was Sunset and how much was that person.”

“For what it’s worth the message that caused you to miss my bake sale came from Apple Bloom,” Applejack offered. “We’d all just assumed it had been Sunset.”

“Twilight Said it was Sunset,” Dash stated.

“Twilight, I’m afraid, was working on a reasonable assumption based on the fact that Sunset was the one who'd taken her crown,” Rarity offered. “Sweetie had also been guilty of sending messages. When it comes right down to it, we’d never think it was our own family members and Sunset never gave us any reason to doubt that she was guilty.”

“I’m sorry!” Pinkie called having been left behind.

“Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked as she and the others stopped.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy,” Pinkie offered sounding like her heart was breaking. “Please don’t hate me.”

“Why would I hate you?” Fluttershy asked.

“The fireworks at the fundraiser. That wasn’t Sunset’s fault. That was all me.”

“Pinkie?” Applejack asked.

“I lied. I lied because it was easier that way. Everyone was blaming Sunset and making up, and I wanted to make up so bad because I’d screwed up. That e-mail was a reminder from myself. Fluttershy, I’d gotten really super-duper excited when you asked me to help so I kind of sort of sent myself a caffeine-sugar-influenced e-mail. I really honestly never thought for one moment that fireworks and animals were a bad idea. All I could think of was how exciting it would be and how super awesome everything was going to be. And then I let everyone think it had been Sunset’s fault instead of owning up to my mistake.”

Fluttershy walked back over to Pinkie and put an arm around her. “Pinkie, if you’d just… who am I kidding, I was furious.”

“You’re kind of scary when you’re angry too,” Pinkie added.

“I forgive you.” Fluttershy offered.

“Really, for real and for true?”

“Yes, Pinkie, I forgive you. And we might have gotten to this point a lot faster if you had just apologized in the first place.”

“I’m sorry, I just, I just don’t think about consequences when I get all worked up.”

“So what you are saying is that the only thing Sunset is guilty of is calling the cops on me and being an entitled bitch?” Dash asked.

“Hang on darling, you want to run that first one by us again?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, Miss Dash, do please tell your friends what you tried to do.” Vice Principal Luna prompted. She and several other adults had come upon them while they were focused on Pinkie.

“I was going to introduce Scootaloo to the Griffins and somebody tipped off the cops,” Dash admitted with her head down. “We got caught shoplifting. The police knew where we would be and what we’d be doing. The only person who could have known who could have ratted – told the police, was Sunset. “I’m on probation now.”

“You came within a penstroke of getting thrown off the sports program,” VP Luna stated. “And it was Sunset who asked that you be kept on the program. She seemed to think that kicking you out would just make things worse and Principle Celestia agreed. You also need to remember that that kind of activity is a downward spiral. One moment you’re a big star and the next you're in the tabloids.”

The girls all gave Luna an odd look.

“That’s rather oddly specific,” Pinkie said under her breath.

“Now, let's get to the auditorium shall we?” Luna pressed.

“Yes Mam,” The girls chimed and hurried along.

The Canterlot High auditorium slowly filled up with disgruntled and or curious students. The events that took place in front of the school that morning had been widely circulated. Most of the students knew someone had been taken away by law enforcement. Rumor had it that it hadn’t been Sunset either.  

As the five girls found their seats they could hear whispering concerning people’s accounts on My Stable.

“Wha? I can’t log into my account?” Dash asked more than stated.

“What do you mean you can’t log in?” Applejack asked as she tried hers. “Unable to log in? Account not available?”

“Four oh four? Rarity's Boutique not found?! This can’t be? This simply can’t be happening?” Rarity lamented. “I’ll be ruined!”  

“My profile is still there,” Fluttershy announced. “Guys, you’re all gone from my contacts.”

“What?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “My Sugar Cube Corner page is gone. It’s all gone.”

“Put the phones down!”

The proclamation echoed around the room.

“Shut off your phones and put them away, now!”  

A person would think that VP Luna was using a mic, but she wasn’t. One might even think that she was channeling her inner Drill Sargent. Drill Sargents would have been envious.  

Principle Celestia walked up to a mic stand, “From this moment on all cell phones will be off while in school unless I receive a request from a parent or guardian detailing what we consider to be a valid reason.” She gave her statement a moment to sink in. “I am to understand that a number of you have had your accounts deleted due to your interaction with the My Stable Account known as Anon-a-Miss.”

“Punish Sunset Dimmer, not us!” Shouted a voice from the student assembly. Their words were echoed by many.

“Pixel Pizzaz, would you like your suspension served up now or later?!” Luna shouted.

“I want everyone to shut up and listen!” Principle Celestia shouted into the mic causing it to feedback.

If the feedback hadn’t been deafening, the stunned silence afterward was. It was entirely possible not a soul in the room outside of Luna had ever heard Celestia yell.

“We now know the names of everyone who had a hand in the Anon-a-miss account. And no, Sunset was not responsible. Sunset Shimmer was in fact the primary target of the account in that it was intentionally set up to make it look like she was behind it,” Celestia announced. “The individuals who set up the account have already been suspended. And judging by the number of people who sent the account information I’d say quite a number of you figured it out and for what reason, I can’t even begin to comprehend, decided it’d be a good idea to send personal private information to the account. For some of you, the suspension you are about to receive is going to be the least of your worries. Some of you are damn lucky that the individuals managing the account deleted what you sent in as I am to understand that a few of you sent in such material as would have landed you in juvenile detention. This state has strict laws concerning certain types of material. Pictures of certain parts of your anatomy will not only gain you a hefty fine and time in jail, but for pictures of underage individuals, it can land you a requirement to register as a sex offender. Regardless of the age of the offender!” Celestia paused for a moment as her stunned audience processed what she’d just said. “For those of you who sent in personal information, a number of you sent in information covered under the HIPA act. As in you broke both state and federal law. And there will be consequences. You may not see those consequences right away, but rest assured that it will cost you.”

Celestia stepped away from the mic and Luna stepped up with a list in hand. “When I call your name, you are to stand and remain standing.”

One by one, names were called.

One by one, students slowly rose to their feet.

“Rainbow Dash.”

“It’s a lie!” Dash protested bolting to her feet. “I wanted her – whoever it was to stop. No way I’d send anything in.”

“Miss Dash, according to the records the picture of your test paper was sent from your phone and the time stamp has it at the beginning of practice,” Luna informed her. “At least your reveal didn’t break any laws and you won’t be suspended. Remain standing.”

A short time later nearly a third of the student body was standing though it should be noted that some of the individuals who’d been called were absent.

Principle Celestia stepped up to the mic. “I want all of you to look around you and look on the face of Anon-a-Miss. If these individuals had not sent information to the account there as likely would have been a lot fewer posts to blame Miss Shimmer for.”

“The following individuals will report to the office following the assembly,” Luna began anew. “Owing to the nature of what you shared you will be suspended for the remainder of the semester. Furthermore, you will be required to submit a request to take a makeup test for any outstanding end-of-semester tests that you will undoubtedly miss. No, you will not be sitting with your class. Nor should you look at this as an extended holiday break. This suspension will follow you for the rest of your life and before you start complaining I am to understand that some of you even managed to get yourselves onto a watch list.” Once more she read off a list of names that had been generated from the previous list and then told everyone to sit down again. When she had finished Principle Celestia introduced the two detectives.

“Bullying is not a victimless crime,” Detective Steel offered. “Nor is it harmless fun. Bullying should never be dismissed as kids being kids. Nor by saying things like we didn’t mean any harm or we were just having a little fun. The thing is, if we allow bullying, the individuals doing it will continue bullying as adults. Such behavior inevitably ends up being my business when it escalates. Nor is it your job to see that justice is done. That’s our job.

“Now, I want you to all think back. For those of you who are in Sunset’s year, I want you to try to remember what she was like in that first year when you were Freshmen. Remember what she was like the second year. Sunset, by all outward appearances, was an exemplary student and well-liked. Liked well enough to have been elected Princess of the Fall formal three years Running, and no, even if certain accusations of blackmail are true, she would have had to blackmail a lot of people to get elected three times in a row. Principle Celestia assures me that running unopposed is not a sure-fire way to win. Had she not gotten the votes someone else would have been selected.  

“As for what happened at the Fall Formal this year, yes we know all about it, Miss Shimmer having developed an overinflated sense of entitlement was outside throwing a temper tantrum. Two other individuals, who I’m to understand were actually the one’s responsible for the majority of the misdeeds attributed to Miss Shimmer, took the crown from the person who’d been selected, delivered said crown to Miss Shimmer, and at some time during the ensuing fracas a sledgehammer hit a gas line resulting in an explosion.”

He held his hand up.

“That is the official explanation and if you don’t want your accounts deleted again, I’d highly recommend sticking to the approved narration.” Detective Steel couldn't help but smile at the stunned reactions from the students. “You should also consider the precarious position Principle Celestia is in. She allowed the dance to continue when the building should have been evacuated and no one seems to have received any medical attention despite so many claiming to have been there when it happened.

“Following the Fall Formal Miss Shimmer having received what I’m sure was a well-deserved attitude adjustment was making a considerable effort, I’m told, to not be a bitch.” he had to stop to allow for a wave of snickering. One thing he’d learned with high school kids is that they were more likely to listen if you delivered your message with a little salt.

“This brings me to the three women you all know as the Dazzlings. Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk are wanted by INTERPOL, the RCMP, the FBI, the BOPE, they are listed as known terrorists by the Yamam, and I’m to understand that the KGB wants to recruit them. If Sunset Shimmer had not joined forces with the band known as the Rainbooms and somehow managed to short circuit the artifacts those three possessed, some of you might not be here now. A lot of you might not be here.

“That said, I’d like to caution you that such artifacts do not officially exist. Don’t talk about them. What happened out in front of the school this morning never happened. She will more than likely be returned to her parents with no charges filed just like many of you aren’t going to have to worry about any charges. At least no local charges. I do want to impress on you that should you encounter the Dazzlings you are to contact law enforcement and get well clear.

“As for the blog Anon-a-miss, it seems a number of you fell for the same trick that had been employed by the Dazzlings. Yes, there is evidence you were all being manipulated. That said, the vast majority of your classmates did not sink to the level of actively participating. For those of you who did, rest assured that it will haunt you.”

“Steel, just got a bulletin from the department,” Detective Lissome offered as he stepped up to the mic. Detective Steel looked at the text and then turned back to the mic.

“Garble Torch and Gilda Griffonstone?” Detective Steel called.

“I’m afraid they seem to be absent today,” Luna offered.

“Can I ask why you are specifically interested in those two?” Principle Celestia inquired.

“A judge just signed a warrant for their arrest,” Detective Lissome offered. “They’ve been charged with aggravated assault and battery, theft, malicious mischief, vandalism, and they are allegedly the primary reason why Miss Shimmer nearly died last night. They’ve been charged with the attempted homicide of Sunset Shimmer.”

His words went out over the speakers to a stunned audience.

Detective Steel waited a moment. “For those of you who haven't heard, last night Miss Sunset Shimmer came close to dying. This is why we do not escalate bullying. This is why we do not take justice into our own hands. Every single person who took part in harassing Miss Shimmer would have been an accessory had she died last night.” His words rang cold dread on the hearts of those gathered. Few could think of any actual reason for their animosity.

"One more thing," Principle Celestia announced. "Thanks to the activities of the people you see standing before you we have lost several of our best students. Both academically and from our sports teams. If you do not buckle down and get top marks to make up for their loss, this school could face losing our accreditation. Seniors, if that happens your diploma may not be worth the paper it is printed on. It will affect your ability to get jobs, and for those of you who want to go on to college, your entrance into the colleges that have accepted you may be in jeopardy. How you do on your end-of-quarter exam will impact the rest of your life. How you do on your final exams will have a significant impact. Not just on you as an individual, but on everyone around you. And if the rest of you think you can just skate on through and worry about it later, there may not be a later. If we lose our accreditation we risk being shut down. And don't think you can just go somewhere else. None of the local schools want you. ....
"I would suggest you start taking school seriously from now on."

“It’s my fault, it's all my fault,” Applejack said softly. “If only I hadn’t pushed Sunset away.”
> Chapter 2: Apostle of the Sun Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The same morning of the Canterlot High Emergency Assembly was to take place Sunset found herself willingly walking into a police station. Just being in a police station made Sunset nervous. Having Philomena with her helped, but she wasn’t sure she liked the looks Philomena was getting. She’d told them why she was there followed by Sunset and Dusty being brought into a precinct room where they were directed to sit at a desk right about the same the CMC were also being told to sit. Sunset filled out a form detailing the assault, followed by another one about the break-in.

“Mr Shimmer, this doesn’t say where you were during these times?” the interviewing officer asked. He was an old man named Fish. A detective who should have retired years ago, but stayed on.

“On the road.”

“Truck driver?”

“Professional transient,” Dusty offered with a smirk.

“Is that what the police call cowboys?” Sunset asked curiously.

“Something like that,” He replied with a big smile. He turned his attention back to the detective.

“I’m her father, but I don’t live with her. Her school had me down as an emergency contact should her foster parents not be available. One of whom I’m legally married to. It’s complicated but calculated. Yes, Sunset was living alone. Because she’s stubborn, just like her mother. Once she got it into her head to move out we agreed on a compromise because we were worried that she’d just take off. She gets to live in her own apartment under certain conditions. First, we found someone who was renting who would be willing to keep tabs on her and let us know how she was doing. Second, she was to report in on a regular basis. She was doing fine up until about two weeks ago. I got an urgent message to head home a week ago.”

“Be about the same time a certain blog came out,” Offered Detective Fish. “My granddaughter goes to Canterlot High, so I’ve heard.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sunset offered. She was feeling very small. Philomena gave her a reassuring nuzzle.

“You don’t need to be, you’ve nothing to be sorry for. You’d have to have lost your mind to set yourself up like that,” Detective Fish offered.

“Kind of wish my friends had realized that,” Sunset said with an air of resignation.

“Considering what Phil told us, I’d say the deck had been stacked against you, and with luck, they’ll turn around and realize how unfair they were being. Especially considering the two that started it were the little sisters of two of your friends.”

“Maybe. Still, though, I’m thinking I might be better off starting over somewhere else.”

“Like Crystal Prep?” Dusty offered.

“The Night Shift Watch Commander’s daughter goes there,”  Detective Fish offered. “It’s a good school. Kind of hard to get into. They like to know things like where are you staying so we can get in touch with you?”

“Staying? Oh, right. We’ll be at home tonight. That is with Lofty and Ms Holiday. It is Lofty's house after all. Later on, we'll talk about maybe getting a place we can all call home as I’m to be staying in the area for a while and Lofty's place might be a bit cramped. See if I can’t get a few things sorted out like Sunset's school situation.”

“You’re staying? I thought you being here was just temporary?” Sunset asked.

“Keep in mind that I do odd jobs for Mr Coulson. There have been three separate incidents that generated interest within the Intelligence community at Canterlot High, counting this latest incident, and I’m going to be on retainer.”

“Incidents, Intel… retainer? Oh, you’re that kind of cowboy,” Detective Fish offered with a knowing smile. “Say no more, I don’t need to know.”

“Palantiri Consultants Incorporated, and I’m just doing a favor for an old friend,” Dusty offered. “Let’s just say that sometimes it’s easier to get a freelancer than to justify a permanent specialist. The fact that my own daughter seems to be in the thick of it is just gravy because I get to spend time with her. For all I know this city has seen all the trouble it’s going to see and life here will be boring ordinary domesticity.”

“We should be so lucky,” Detective Fish offered in a dry sarcastic tone.

“Some communities just seem to attract weirdness, is that it?” Dusty asked.

“Dad, I think I probably need to go to Crystal Prep.”

“What makes you say that?” Dusty asked Sunset.

“It just occurred to me that Mr Coulson mentioned that Twilight Sparkle goes to Chrystal Prep.”

“Say, you know the Night Watch Commander’s daughter?” Fish asked.

“Daughter? Um, that is, sort of,” Sunset replied.

“Rare bird indeed,” offered the voice of someone approaching. Sunset and Dusty turned to see a woman in a fish and game uniform. “I’m Warden Lacy, and I’ve some questions about that bird.”

“She followed her,” Dusty offered.

“You are telling me an Akkadian Phoenix just happened to follow the young lady? It’s a protected species from an archipelago that is illegal to go to unless you are a native or have been invited by a native.”

“What? Akkadian Phoenix?” Just when things had been looking up someone goes and dumps a load of concrete in her gut. “She came to me.”

“Sunset bonded with the bird when she was little. Blame Snap Shutter. The bird flew all the way here to find her,” Dusty protested.  

“Ms Lacy, you’re going to need to back off,” Detective fish cautioned. “According to her file in the database, she’s an honorary citizen of the Akkadia Archipelago. She’s listed as being granted the status of Apostle of the Sun Princess.”

“Eh?” Now Sunset was really confused.

“You probably don’t remember because you were a toddler,” Dusty offered. “Back in the nineteen-twenties, an island archipelago was discovered, or rather rediscovered in the Caribbean. Snap Shutter took Pippin and yourself along with him to visit the island when you were a toddler. It was before he’d married Mane Allgood. Even back then a person needed permission to visit the islands. He didn’t have permission.”

“The people there, were they savages?” Sunset asked.

“On the contrary, they turned out to be an abandoned English colony that had integrated with earlier settlers who were originally from Greece. Much of the original flora and fauna was untouched native species that existed nowhere else.”

“And the world community agreed to a hands-off approach to preserve what was there,” Warden Lacy added as she looked at what Detective Fish had on his computer monitor. “When did that show up?”

“Just now. The system connects to INTERPOL,” Detective Fish offered. “Mr Shutter never got charged in that incident but he was put on a watch list as a possible trafficker of exotic animals.”

“No charges? They are usually a lot stricter,” Warden officer Lacy mused. “Still, I’m going to need to call my office.”

“She goes where she wants to,” Sunset offered as they watched Ms Lacy talking on her phone.

“Seriously?” Lacy said a short time later. “Oh, I get it. It’s bonded to her and capable of seeking her out, I see. That might be why they are so strict. Smugglers stealing the eggs would be a disaster. It’s a beautiful bird. A miracle they survived Victorian hats, but then again they’d been cut off during that time hadn’t they. Alright, I don’t need to be here, I’ll see you later.” She disconnected her cell phone and put it away.  

“Well, I guess I don’t need anything here.” Lacy offered. “Sorry for the trouble. I sure wish that had popped up prior to leaving the office.”  

“So it’s good now?” Sunset asked.

“Yes, sorry to have bothered you,” Lacy offered, turned, and headed for the exit.

“Hey, quit shoving!” Shouted a girl about Senset’s age with burnt orange hair and light golden skin. She looked like she’d been in a fight.

“Autumn?” Sunset called.

“Sunset?” Autumn called back and hurried over, her hands handcuffed. “They haven't arrested you too? - Cool bird.”

“No, I’m filing a couple of reports. One from when Gilda and Garble jumped me, and another for trashing my apartment last night.”

“They what?” Autumn asked as anger boiled up.

“They trashed my apartment yesterday afternoon, told Mrs Crump I’d done it to get her to put a lock on the door,” Sunset informed her. “After everything that’s happened over at Canterlot High…”

“Get out of that school.”

“Get over here,” ordered the police officer who’d brought her in.

“I’m innocent, I didn’t do anything!” Autumn protested.

“What happened?” Sunset asked.

“I saw a couple of Griffin dorks with your guitar, they jumped me, and I’m the one dip-shit over their arrests!”

“Officer, if she said it was my guitar, it was probably my guitar,” Sunset offered.

“Officer Wiggum, by any chance did you get the guitar in Question?” Detective Fish asked.

“They said it was theirs.”

“Was it an off-white, older model Fender Mustang, a little beat up?” Sunset asked. “Because the people who trashed my apartment and conspired to get me locked out during one of the worst winter storms I’ve ever seen took mine. And I know the serial number on it. I nearly froze to death last night. Hell I almost fucking jumped, and you side against the one person who was telling you the truth!?”

“Sunset?! Would somebody un-cuff me so I can hug this girl!?” Autumn protested. “Damn it girl, why didn’t you come to one of us?”

“I didn’t want to be a bother, and I figured because of-”

“Anon-a-miss doesn’t know about the Niriks, Sunset. Not one secret in our neighborhood got spilled. If it had been you, and you really did plan to trash your own place and take off you’d have told the world about us but that never happened. Anon-a-bitch doesn’t know about the Niriks.”

“I obviously wasn’t thinking straight,” Sunset admitted as an officer came over and removed the handcuffs from Autumn’s wrists. A moment later Autumn had her arms around Sunset.

“Come on over to Crystal Prep,” Autumn offered. “It’s a bit of a shark tank but your smart enough that it’s not going to be an issue.”

“We were just talking about that. I could get a fresh start.”

“And you’ll have me.”

“What about the others?”

“Some of us are there, most are over at Peril Peak Vista High.”

“I hear that’s a rough school.”

“Only to outsiders coming in and causing trouble.”

“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t go to Peril,” Sunset commented with a smile. Sunset couldn't help but wonder how things might have turned out if she had known then what she knew now, and the whole Apostle of the Sun Princess thing just had to have been fabricated by someone with access to Equestria short of Philomena had followed her into Equestria. It still begged a number of questions concerning Akkadia. Were they somehow connected to Equestria, and if so how? Not to mention that Dusty seemed to be in on it as well.
> Chapter 3: Books
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sunset, is that book buzzing?” Autumn asked. Dusty, Sunset, and Autumn were on their way to Chrystal Prep, Autumn was sitting in the back. The only reason Autumn hadn’t been at school was that the roads into where she lived hadn’t been cleared and there were few bus routes running.

“Oh, let me have that, that’ll be Twilight,” Sunset replied. She was a little unsure if she should, but it was the first time Twilight had answered since telling Sunset to find her family.

“Twilight? As in Twilight Sparkle Super-nerd?” Autumn asked as she reached into the back to retrieve the large tome.

“Um no, different Twilight… not that my Twilight couldn't be considered a nerd herself,” Sunset offered with a smile as she took hold of the book. “Kind of a toss-up which one of us was the bigger nerd when we were younger.” Opening it to the last page where the unmistakable signs of a frantic Twilight could be seen forming. “I’ll explain later.”

Sunset quickly skipped a few lines and then replied that she was alright and that everything was going to work out. Listen, Twilight, there was someone at school doing the same sort of thing the Dazzlings were doing, only they were considerably more clandestine about it, Sunset wrote. They had an artifact of some sort.

“That is some cool shit there,” Autumn offered as she watched text appearing on what looked to be an ordinary page.

“Do please have a care what you say,” Dusty admonished.

“Sorry.”

“I don’t mean just the swearing, don’t be telling anyone about that book.”

“The existence of this book needs to remain strictly confidential,” Sunset cautioned.

“It’s an artifact, isn’t it?” Autumn asked.

“Technically, so am I. The feds know. How much they know I couldn't begin to know, but they know a lot more than I’m comfortable with. The plus side is they aren’t exactly comfortable with others knowing.”

“Don’t worry, the last thing I want is to cause you more misery than you’ve already had to endure.” Autumn offered as Sunset began to write.

Twilight, to tell the truth, I don’t know how long. Let’s just say that when I first got here, just the shock from what I’d done, the position I’d put myself in was enough to straighten me out. I started making friends for real. I was a nobody. No one knew me, who I was, or who I had been. When I was discovered by Princess Celestia I was quickly adopted by a Prince Azure Platinum which I now know was both a blessing and a curse. I had everything I wanted, except true friends. Ponies wanted to know me for the connections I had. Not for me. People genuinely wanted to know me for who I am. I don’t really know what went wrong. I don’t know why I went back into my old manipulative ways. At first, I just wanted to reign in trouble makers. Everything I did leading up to the Fall Formal and during, I just don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not like I really stood to gain a whole lot and the idea of taking over anything with a bunch of zombified students was pure folly. I lost myself and behaved in a way that just wasn’t me.

Twilight, because of Anon-a-miss, I just feel that there is no longer a place for me at Canterlot High. No, don’t be too hard on them. The thing is, I’ll never know how much was their own choice and how much was outside influence. Pardon the metaphor, but there’s been too much water under the bridge. Also, I think you should know that there were a lot of people taking advantage of the situation to make me as miserable as they could. It was like what I’d done at the battle of the bands didn’t even matter. Too many people just wanted an excuse to get back at me for things only they could possibly understand. 

No, I don’t think the Rainbooms were my friends. I tried, but I can’t say they were ever truly my friends. They were just doing you a favor. A friend is going to stick by no matter what. If they’d stuck by me they’d have known soon enough that I was innocent. I do have a friend though. I hadn’t even realized it until she got dragged into the police station this morning. It was for my sake. I was there to file charges against the thugs who beat me and trashed my apartment. Her Name is Autumn Blaze, She'd been arrested for trying to retrieve my guitar from the people who trashed my place. She and I, we sometimes busked together or played in a band at clubs that would have us. That’s how I was supporting myself after I left my foster family. Granted that they were supporting me, and dad was supporting me without my knowing it. Yes, I seem to have a dad here. His name is Dusk Shimmer. But even with their support I still needed a little extra income. Autumn knew there was no way I could be Anon-a-miss because the individuals behind the blog knew nothing about her and the others in the neighborhood where I lived. Some of whom were at Canterlot High. Their secrets never got spilled either. Something that never even occurred to me. Anyway, she goes to Chrystal Prep and we are on our way over there. Who was Anon-a-miss? Afraid the ones who started the Blog were the members of the Classic Movie Club. Applejack and Rarity's little sisters. Yes, the CMC. You’d have to ask them, just don’t be too hard on them. I doubt they understood what they were doing because I refuse to believe they could be so vindictive. Listen, we are arriving at the school now so I’ll sign off, goodbye for now and I’ll let you know how things go. Just one thing more, the government here knows far more than I’m comfortable with but that’s something we’ll need to talk about in person. Signing off now, your friend, Sunset Shimmer.





Princess Twilight closed up her copy of the two-way diary, levitated it up to its slot above a large mirror. She penned a quick note to Princess Celestia and got Spike to send it.  

Once she’d done all that she needed, she looked up at the mirror, let out a sigh, set a determined look on her face, and stepped into the mirror as though stepping into a pool of liquid silver.  

Twilight stepped out of the pedestal for the Canterlot High statue. A statue that was no longer there as it had yet to be repaired. She looked around to discover a number of aggravated parents taking their sons and daughters home even though it was mid-day. Spike was not with her on this trip owing to what Sunset had said about the government knowing too much. Spike would stay at home and guard the door. If any unexpected guests showed up he was to deliver them to the Canterlot dungeons.  

Twilight shivered. She’d the forethought to grab a jacket and scarf, but it was still bitterly cold. She straightened herself out and headed for the front door of the school. Several individuals looked her way and then hung their heads as she went inside.

“Twilight? I, um, hi,” Flash offered awkwardly on seeing her. He’d been right near the entrance.

“Flash, by any chance have you seen the Rainbooms?” Twilight asked a bit harsher than she’d meant.

“They’re in the cafeteria,” Flash offered. “Twilight, I’m sorry.”

“Et Tu, Flash?”

“I didn’t,” He protested weakly. “I didn’t do anything really. I’m only now realizing what a mistake that was.”

“So long as good people stand by in silence evil will prevail,” Twilight offered, and continued towards where she hoped to find the counterparts of her friends back in Equestria.  

Twilight slowed down only briefly on seeing Sunset’s locker. The locker not only had the words ‘She Demon’ painted in spray paint it looked as though all the hate and anger in the school had been poured out onto it. The door was open as well with all manner of refuge dumped on the books within. Twilight shuddered, and then hurried on.

Twilight pushed the doors open to the cafeteria and entered into the subdued atmosphere. Nor could she miss the fact that a lot of students were gone. She slowed her pace as she walked further into the room. On seeing the girls she went over pulled out a chair and sat down without saying a word.

No one noticed her join their group.

“Sunset tells me you were never truly her friends. Is that true?” Twilight asked after she’d been sitting there for a couple of minutes.

All five girls nearly jumped out of their skins.

“Twilight?!”  

“Twilight, darling, did you come to help us fix the mess we’ve made? Please tell us you come to fix the mess we’ve made,” Rarity pleaded.

“You know what? I don’t think it can be fixed,” Twilight scolded.

“You’ve, ah, talked to her then?” Applejack asked. “We, um, might have deleted her phone number from our phones.”

“I didn’t,” Fluttershy offered meekly.  

“Not in person, no. Just via the diary. And it would seem that if this world’s version of her father hadn’t have stopped her from stepping off a bridge she’d have been gone. For good,” Twilight stated. “It’s kind of hard to fix relationships after something that permanent.”

“You know what,” Dash began. “The way I see it, she was the one giving us a chance and not the other way around. Hell, half the things we thought she’d done was the CMC manipulating us for their own benefit.”

“And we fell for it every time. Scootaloo is sort of Sunset’s half-sister too,” Applejack offered. “And my cousin. They have the same mom. At least in this world. Granny pulled me aside to update me on what got spilled when they had their talk with the trio. Not entirely sure why no one said anything other than Sunset just wouldn't have known who anyone was when she first came here and no one wanted to push their luck. They did have a fairly close relation for a while. Don’t rightly know what happened?”

“What?” Twilight asked stunned.  

“Great! Just Great!” Dash groused bitterly. “Twilight, before we met you I did something really stupid. I was running with a gang and tried to bring Scootaloo into the gang.” Twilight wasn’t exactly sure what a gang was but was fairly sure it wasn’t something good. “After all that she still wanted to be friends and I threw it back at her the first excuse I got. I’m what happened.”

“You didn’t just throw it back at her,” Twilight began. “You made me a promise. All of you made me a promise. The fact that Sunset didn’t do half the things you thought she did just makes it worse. And yes, I made assumptions about her too. I wanted everything to be good versus bad. Sunset took my crown, which made her the antagonist. And in hindsight, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for her to do everything she did. She knows too much about magic to think she’d be able to freely use a magical artifact like that.”

“Bringing it back here don’t make a whole lot of sense neither,” Applejack offered.

“True,” Rarity replied. “After all, what’s a bunch of zombified high school kids going to do to an army?”

“Not much,” Pinkie offered. “It’d be just like when all the Feds showed up and snatched that girl away this morning. You should have been here, cars, trucks, a helicopter – it was so exciting!”

Dash face planted on the table. “And I missed the whole thing because I was mad at everyone!” She then raised her head and brought it down again several times saying dang-it with each impact.

“Dang-it!” thump.“Dang-it!” thump.“Dang-it!” thump.“Dang-it!” thump.“Dang-it!” thump.

“You about done there, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Dang-it!” thump. “OK, I, maybe, ya that’s enough. Then again, maybe not. Think I’ll take up the goalie position, ya that’ll do it.”

“I really don’t know how to fix things. Sunset doesn’t believe any of you were ever truly her friends,” Twilight offered. “She thinks you were just doing me a favor. Were you just doing me a favor? I trusted you to look after her.”

“But I am, I am her friend.” Fluttershy protested softly. “But I wasn’t brave enough to speak up when it mattered most. Twilight, please, please tell her I’m sorry. I tried calling but she never answered back. Do you know where she is now? I called the hospital this morning and they said she’d already left.”

“On her way over to Crystal Prep.”

“Crystal Prep!?” they all echoed.

“We have to stop her,” Dash proclaimed.

“And do what? Drag her back here against her will?” Twilight shouted at Dash. “Sunset said there were people who took advantage of the situation. Were there?”

“Yes,” Applejack admitted. “You probably saw a few on their way out on your way in.”

“A whole party boat full,” Pinkie added sounding dejected.

“And you want to bring her back into that kind of an atmosphere,” Twilight asked. “Have you seen her locker? Have you? They destroyed books! BOOKS! Innocent Books!”
> Chapter 4: Shadowbolt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This place is nice,” Sunset offered as they pulled into the parking lot. The building was a stately edifice that looked like it would be right at home at any Ivy League college complete with ivy growing on the building. Sunset could see a number of smaller structures set apart in a park-like area with trees and lawns. There were tennis courts, a soccer field, benches around trees, dormitories, and all the walkways were clear of snow.  

“Who clears all the walks?” Sunset asked as Dusty parked.

“Steam heating. They ran the steam pipes under the walkways, the road in and out of the grounds, and the parking lots,” Autumn explained. “The snow has to dump really heavy before it becomes a problem. I kind of wish I could afford to stay in the dormitory. It’s really nice and I wouldn't have to worry about the buses not running and getting arrested by an idiot.”

“At least it all worked out,” Sunset consoled her as she opened the passenger side door. She had her book in a satchel as she got out followed by Autumn as Dusty got out on his side. Philomena had decided to snuggle inside of her jacket. From there they made their way up to the entrance of the school which just happened to be the back of the school. Not that it mattered much as all the offices were in the back of the school.

The hallway had a few students lingering, but overall it was quiet.  

“Autumn! You made it,” Called a familiar face. “Hang on, you brought Sunset?”

“Hi Blossom,” Sunset called.  

“Sunset’s here? Sunset! Oh my gosh, you look like you got beat up?!”

“Hi Fern Flare,” Sunset called as the two girls hurried over to them.  

“She got beat up, among other things,” Autumn offered.

“Things got pretty bad,” Sunset admitted.

“So is the big cowboy your bodyguard?” Blossom asked.

“That’s my dad. Dusk Shimmer.”

“Ladies,” Dusty said with a tip of his hat.

“You have a dad?” Fern asked.

“Ya, big surprise to me too,” Sunset admitted. She'd a big smile on her face.  

“Excuse me, can I help you?”

“Dean Cadance, this is Sunset and her father,” Autumn informed the young administrator. She’d just come out of an office to see who was there. “She wants to transfer to our school.”

“Oh, well in that case come right this way,” Dean Cadance offered. “We are on a snow day owing to a number of our students calling in to let us know the roads hadn’t been cleared in their areas. Which means minimum staffing and fewer activities. We can’t really close down like other schools do because we have students in dormitories.”

“Sunset, how do you feel about dormitories?” Dusty asked as they followed Dean Cadance into the administration office.

“Might keep that one up in the air for now,” Sunset offered. “It’s kind of going to depend on Scootaloo. She was always a little resentful of me and she never forgave me for ratting out Dash.”

“Mind if I ask?” Cadance inquired.

“Scootaloo is a half-sister,” Dusty offered. Sunset gave him a curious look.  

“Dash is Canterlot High’s top athlete,” Sunset began. “She was hanging with the wrong crowd, invited Scootaloo to join, and Scootaloo, being the typical oblivious middle school girl, blabbed the whole set up to me.”

“And you weren’t about to let her get initiated into a gang,” Cadance suggested.

“No, I wasn’t. My actions kept her out and even got Dash back on the right track,” Sunset supplied. Her head dropped a bit as her gaze went downward. “Neither ever really understood how close they came to ruining their lives.”

“You did the right thing. Now, let’s have you talk to Mrs Esmeralda. Mrs Esmeralda, we’ve got a student who wishes to transfer here.”

“A new student? In the middle of the school year?” Asked a pale green woman with gray hair.

“It’s the end of the quarter,” Sunset pointed out while looking up hopefully. “Brand new quarter coming up.”

“I’m going to be getting a new place and felt Sunset would be better off here than at her old school,” Dusty offered.

“Who is it this time? Not another one from Canterlot is it?” Called a voice from an office. “We are not accepting students from there. I’ll not have that rabble bringing their drama over here.” She, an older woman with a pale blue complexion and hair colored orchid and eggplant with streaks of magenta exited from the office.  

“Principal Cinch, she’s a friend of Miss Autumn Blaze,” Cadance offered. “Her name is Sunset Shimmer.”

“Shimmer? Well then, perhaps we can make an exception,” Principle Cinch offered as she walked over to them. Her tone had gone from night to day in an instant.

“Mam?” Mrs Esmeralda asked. “But look at her. She’s obviously been in a fight.”

“Sunset is the best mind over at Canterlot High, Granted that’s not really saying much, I have got a hunch she is more than capable of meeting our high expectations. That and there is a scholarship from the Silverwood Foundation…” Cinch trailed off. “Curious, the wording said when not if. All necessary expenses, tuition, and supplies approved.”

“The fight wasn’t exactly my idea. In fact, I filed charges with the police,” Sunset offered. “Now what’s this about a scholarship?”

“It’s been available for the past three years like they expected you to come over here sooner or later,” Cinch replied.  

“Wonder if that has anything to do with Philomena?” Sunset mused.

“Philomena?” Cinch asked.

“When she was little she bonded with an Akkadian Phoenix. She had left her behind but the little darling sought her out. About the size of a large parrot. Fish and game have already checked, she’s good to have it,” Dusty offered. “Don’t ask me about the details, I wasn’t there when they bonded.”

“Hey, Phil, do you want to come out?” Sunset asked. Philomena made a curious chirp, stuck her head out where Sunset’s jacket was opened, looked about, zeroed in on Cinch, blew a raspberry, and ducked back in.

“As long as she’s not a disruption in class we’ll allow it,” Cinch offered perhaps thinking only of the prestige having such a bird at the school would bring. “Just one thing before we sign you up, how would you feel about joining our Friendship Games team?”

“I’m assuming you mean for this year?” Sunset asked.

“Well, it would have to be this year unless you plan on an extra year of high school,” Cinch pointed out with just a hint of cheerfulness.

“You know, Sunset, you don’t really owe them anything,” Dusty offered. “You should try to enjoy what you have left of high school.”

“I imagine that’s true enough. Might even be worth it just for a little payback. Principal Cinch, I won’t be rocking any boats by joining the team so late in the year will I?”

“I’ll have a talk with the team. I think they’ll understand.”

“Adding me in is strategically sound. After all, it’ll get more than a few tails in a knot, but I’ll only do it on one condition. No one outside the team is to know until the games.”

“I think we can manage that,” Principle Cinch replied with a predatory smile. “Come, sit down, and we’ll get Sunset signed up. Sir, I didn’t quite catch your name?”

“Dusk Shimmer, mam.”

“I’m going to need an address?” Mrs Esmeralda prompted.

“Let’s see, the horse Ranch in Kentucky isn’t likely to do you much good.”

“Kentucky?” Sunset asked.

“And we can forget about the place in Pebble Beach.”

“Not Hollywood?” Sunset asked skeptically.

*“I have a mansion, forget the price, ain’t never been there, they tell me it’s nice.”

“Where do you live?” Mrs Esmeralda asked.

* ”I live in hotels, tear out the walls, I have accountants pay for it all.”

“Ya, well my place is trashed too,” Sunset offered while giving him a dirty look.

“Guess we’ll just have to use Lofty and Holiday’s place until I can get a local address.”

“Lofty and Holiday?” Mrs Esmeralda asked and then switched gears while shifting her attention to Sunset. “Hang on, your place is trashed?”

“Same people, presumably the same who gave me this black eye, also trashed my apartment. It could be weeks before it’s livable again,” Sunset explained. “Dad’s planning on getting a place though.”

“Dull-witted people do tend to be resentful of more intelligent people,” Cinch offered. “And you’ll need to keep us up to date concerning where you are staying.”

“Lofty and Holiday are Sunset’s guardians when I’m not in town,” Dusty offered. “We let her have the apartment because she’s stubborn like her mother was. To be honest, we were a little worried that she’d just up and leave once she got it into her head she wanted to move out.”

“So you just let her?” Mrs Esmeralda asked.

“Under our terms,” Dusty replied. “I couldn't take her with me. My work has, until recently, kept me moving.”

“If you don’t mind, what exactly do you do?” Principle Cinch asked.

“Oh, I do a variety of things. I’ve got a number of investments that keep me in ready cash, I provide broncs to rodeos, do a little busting, and if I ain’t too beat up at the end of the day I play Country music at night shows.”

“Do you really have a horse ranch?” Sunset asked.

“Won it in a poker game.”

“Seriously?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“If you aren’t careful, they’re going to make you pay the full tuition.”

“OK, fine, I lost it later the same night.”

Sunset’s face brightened into a big smile followed by laughter.


Over at Canterlot High, when Twilight had finished ripping a new one for each and every one of the Rainbooms the first thing she did was go back to Equestria and take her copy of the diary out of the apparatus that forced the portal open.  

Spike gave her a sharp salute, nor was she surprised to see Canterlot guards waiting. Princess Celestia waiting for her was a little unexpected.

“Twilight, they know about the portal?” Celestia asked.

“One thing that’s come out of this mess is that the government on the other side more than likely knows about the portal.” Twilight offered.

“Is Sunset alright?” Celestia asked, the concern evident.

“She has someone looking out for her. Which is better than I did. I trusted the wrong people. Just because they look like my friends here, doesn’t mean they are going to behave the same. Or that hue-mans are going to behave like civilized ponies.   

“Meanwhile, I need a better way to secure the portal whenever it’s in use. No more going through and leaving it open. But before I do that, I need to go see Granny Smith about an Apple.”

“Why do you need to see Granny Smith?”

“Does the name Dusk Shimmer or Pippin Apple ring any bells?”

“Not really, no. Are they important?”

“Sunset’s parents,” Twilight provided and then turned to the guards.

“Gentle colts, I know this is sudden, but owing to information that’s come to my attention I need guards to keep an eye on that mirror, and the book that makes it work. I’d like two ponies in the room, and two outside until further notice.”

“Ma’am,” One of the guards replied with a salute. “Understood. Might I inquire about moving it to a more secure location?”  

“I considered moving it, but it’s going to take planning. There are any number of unused rooms in the castle that can be used and I’m going to want to take the time to do it right. Make sure we aren’t going to have to worry about uninvited guests.

“Princess Celestia, if there are any of Starswirl’s notes on the mirror that I don't already have, I’d feel better if we could move the other end as well.”  

“I’ll get our top researchers on it,” Celestia offered. “One thing, Sunset’s parents?”

“Sunset is presently in the company of a stallion named Dusk Shimmer. He pulled her off a bridge.”

“Off a bridge?”

“While I was enjoying myself at the Hearth’s Warming pageant Sunset was contemplating ending her life.”

“Oh no,” Celestia gasped just as the diary began to buzz.  

Twilight rushed over to the book and opened it. “Princess Celestia, Sunset says she’s been granted a scholarship by the Silverwood Foundation. Says it was just waiting for her any time she wanted to attend. Philomena is with her? But how?”

“Nova,” Celestia said softly. "And Philomena can cross the dimensional barrier any time she wants." 

“Celestia?” Twilight inquired.

“Sunset isn’t the only Equestrian in good standing in that world,” Celestia informed Twilight. There was a hint of a smile on her face.

“Celestia?”

“Tell her that blue skies are forecast for the future.”





“Blue skies?” Sunset asked as she looked at her diary. She and Dusty were in the school’s cafeteria, which looked a great deal like a first-class restaurant. Philomena was there as well and enjoying being fussed over by Autumn, Blossom, and Fern. “Oh, OK, I get it, she’s being cryptic, but apparently I’ve got an ally here. Wonder if it’s the person who tipped off Mr Coulson?”

“Maybe,” Offered a boy with a shock of red hair and a pair of glasses as he sat down at the table. “Names Zachery Apple. Friends call me Zap because of my scar.” He pushed up his hair to reveal a thin white scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. My sponsor, a representative of the Silverwood Foundation wanted you to have this,” he said as he offered up a small book with a simple heavy linen cover.

“A book?” Sunset asked as she picked up the book. Just the print on the cover was enough to send shivers of delight up and down her spine. She looked back and forth between him and the book and then opened it up to find she was completely and utterly delighted at the contents. The book was written in old Ponish of all things and it was an introduction to magic. Not pony magic as she knew it, but the magic of the world she was presently in.

“I imagine your going to be in the folk arts and forgotten empires class same as myself.” Zap suggested. "Autumn and Fern are in the program but in a different class."

“Folk arts is it? I imagine I wouldn't miss it for the world. Sure would have been nice to have known about this sooner.”

“Can’t really tell you. Aunt Nova can get kind of cryptic. Said she wasn’t able to change that which she knew had already happened. Only that she could set things in motion to make sure things turn out the way they are supposed to.”

“Oh, that sounds like someone did a little time travel and got stuck,” Sunset mused. “I’m also a little surprised you aren’t ogling Philomena.”

“Aunt Nova has one, and she has dual citizenship in England and Akkadia. I do too. I’m here in Amareica on a student visa.”

“Ah, makes sense. Seems I’ve been to Akkadia when I was really little. Don’t remember any of it though.”

“I spent most of my younger childhood on the islands of Akkadia. Living in a tropical paradise was interesting. I kind of thought it was normal until I came here.”

“Most of your childhood?”

“I was born in England, and of course I’m attending High School here.”

“So, are you related to the local Apples?” Dusty asked.

“I might be related to Granny Smith. She and my Aunt Nova went to school together. My family in England is related to the Macintosh Apples. I’m to understand her father emigrated here during the first big war. My family kind of got wiped out during the second.” he paused a moment to remark on Sunset’s stricken face. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I don’t even remember them, and I’ve got plenty of family now.”

“That’s good to hear. Well bad and good,” Sunset said as her emotions waged a war inside of her.

“You doing anything over the winter holidays?” Dusty asked.

“Not much, why?” Zap replied.

“We’ll be going over to say high to Granny and the Apples this weekend, maybe you’d like to join us? You see, we’re kind of related to the Apple’s too.”

“Do you think it’d be alright?”

“All apples are welcome.”

“You sure you should be inviting when my relationship with Applejack is so tenuous?” Sunset asked.

“I’ll admit that I’m asking a bit, but, well, to be honest, hate to say it, having Zachery there would be just enough of a distraction to take a little of that heat off you. Although, now that we know who was responsible for that gossip profile, I can’t see why Applejack wouldn't be willing to make up with you.”

“It’s not like she’s made any effort to call me.”

“Have you checked your phone? And keep in mind you’ll probably still want to personalize that thing.”

“Already changed the password,” Sunset offered as she pulled out her new phone. She logged in and then checked for missed calls. “Oh, gees, Fluttershy had gone after me after I left the cafe. And she sent me a couple of text messages today. She’d be at school so I’ll just send her a text and let her know I’m alright now.”
> Chapter 5: Old wounds and new beginnings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princes Twilight arrived at the Apple farm just in time for lunch, and found herself invited whether she wanted to or not. Not that she didn’t want to, it’s just that the questions she needed to ask were bound to dredge up some old memories best left where they were.

“Granny, I actually came here on an important matter,” Twilight explained as AJ was heaping food onto Twilight’s plate. “Afraid this was never a social visit. I need to know what you know about a Pippin Apple and Dusk Shimmer.”

Granny looked at Twilight in much the same way a startled deer looks at an oncoming truck, and it was Big Mac who spoke up first.

“Um, Twilight, what did you need to know about Aunt Pippin?”

“Aunt? I have an Aunt Pippin?” Applejack interjected.

“Had,” Granny offered. “Ran off with a big unicorn who fancied himself an earth pony. You were too little to remember her being you were just a baby at the time.”

For Twilight this news had created more questions than answers. Sunset was younger than she was, but Applejack was older by quite a bit which suggested that Sunset should also be older. After all, Applejack had been running the farm for several years prior to Twilight coming to Ponyville. Rarity was the next oldest, just don't tell her that. Both fillies were all but done with school when they'd been blessed with little sisters. And in AJ's case, that also meant losing her parents, getting shipped off to Manehatten, getting her cutie mark late in life, and returning home to work the farm.

“I think Dusty was half earth pony,” Big Mac offered. “I kin remember how big he was. Bigger than any normal unicorn, bigger than a good deal of earth ponies.”

“Dusty was a big light golden roan with the most startling blue eyes I’d ever seen. Whenever he looked at me it was like he was looking right through ta my soul,” Granny offered softly. And I could see the effect he had on my little Pippin.”

“Aunt Pippin was so fun ta be around,” Big Mac offered softly. Big Mac, who was normally so quiet and reserved certainly had plenty to say now. How much of his outward demeanor was due to the scars on his soul Twilight could not be sure. “So bright, so full of life.” 

“He’s a magic pony, Pippin would say,” Granny said quietly. “I forbid him to come back. I forbid her to see him again. I told her flat out that she was going to marry a proper Earth pony, en that she wasn’t going to get any say in the matter. It was already decided.”

“Granny?!” Applejack protested. She knew Granny could be stubborn but this admission had shocked her. "How could you?"

“My damn stubborn pride. My damn Earth pony ways. Tradition. That's how. I wanted everything my way. That's how it was for me with my father. Tradition. Everything had to be his way and no arguing. Not like I had much of a choice. I’d had a marriage broker, just like how it was arranged for me, set up a match and never once considered what Pippin might actually want,” Granny went on. “She was in love en I too darn stubborn to see it. Naturally, I tried to get her back but the law said she was legally an adult. The only way I could get her back was to accept her choices.”

“Am I to assume you didn’t?” Twilight asked.

“If I’d have known what sort of work he did I’d have been even more again’ it!” Granny shot back.

“Work? What was he doing?” Twilight asked.

“I hired a private detective to track down my Pippin and bring her back,” Granny explained. “About two weeks later he returned my money. Told me Dusty was tied up with an organization known as the White Tower and gave me back the retainer I’d paid him.”

“The White Tower?” Twilight asked. Sure, she’d heard of the organization. They were rumored to be a branch of the Surcingle Home Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division that had been set up to look like a private enterprise. Not even Celestia would know who the field agents were. This way if anything went wrong she would be able to honestly say she knew nothing about them.

“I tried again and asked the West Wind Agency to track down my Pippin, but no news except rumors that Dusty had passed into the north,” Granny offered softly as Big Mac got up and went over to her. “I put out more inquiries, offered money, heard rumors from the south, but no word of them there. Each inquiry eating up more time. More years went by. Around the time Apple Bloom was born, Pippin was found in the Avalon river. She was resting in a boat that had been swamped. Resting, but never waking. A Stallion named Coaltsun came to me and asked me if I was happy? Happy?! How could I be happy? And then he told me that my inquiries had been Pippin’s undoing. In my desire to get my daughter back I’d unwittingly put a price on her head. She’d been running from those very ponies, all trying to collect on the bounty I’d been offering to bring her back.  

“And Dusty just sort of vanished a few months later so I hear. Rumors said his horn had been found split in two.” Tears began to well up in Granny’s eyes. “Pippin was living in Canterlot. She’d fled and attempted to cross the river above Canterlot Falls. It was a small maintenance boat on a line. Somehow the line that kept the boat from going downstream was cut. The ponies who’d gone after her claimed that she did it herself. Without the line that kept it from going with the current, her boat was swept away. Over the falls, she went over the falls, forced under, and only after she’d been under far too long did it let her go. If I had just left well enough alone. If I’d just let her have her stallion she’d still be alive.”

“Why did I never know about any of this?” Applejack asked as Big Mack put a foreleg around Granny to give her a hug.

“You were too young to know her.” Granny offered as she quietly wept. "En the only reason I went along with letting yer folks marry is that she was at least an Earth pony. That and so Grand Pear could eat crow. And yes, I am ashamed of myself. Ashamed of the way I behaved. My poor Pip, if only I'd just let her have her stallion."

“Twilight?” Applejack asked as she looked at her friend. Applejack’s face was ashen.  

“Sunset,” Twilight offered.

“Sunset?” Applejack pressed, not understanding.

“Sunset Shimmer. This has to do with Sunset Shimmer and I probably shouldn't say any more until I know more.”  

Applejack’s eyes grew wide as realization struck.

“I need to go,” Twilight stated. “I am so sorry, I need to go. I need to talk to Princess Celestia right away.”

“Twilight, what’s going on?” Applejack asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Twilight offered as she got up from the table and hurried out the door.

“Sunset Shimmer?” Granny asked quietly. She remembered the name of the filly Princess Celestia had taken in. At the time she had only been mildly interested because the filly’s name had reminded her of Dusk. Granny remembered that a Sunset Shimmer had been taken in by Princess Celestia around the same time that Pippin had died, and adopted by a Platinum family. Granny had had no reason to remark on the news and figured the filly some relation of Dusty’s family her grief clouding her thinking it had never registered that Dusty's family was Pippin. Nor did Granny know just how high up the Platinum family was knowing nothing of Unicorn history.  But now, now she could not help but wonder. Why would Twilight be asking about Dusk and Pippin? Why now after all these years? And then it hit her, Sunset was her grand filly.  





Back in the human world Sunset and Dusty have moved on to the local mall with Philomena moving to Sunset’s shoulders shortly after entering the store. First stop, the suitcase store, followed by hitting one shop after another. The trio gathered a fair amount of attention. Granted that even though it was a school day, there were only a couple of weeks to the big winter holiday observances and there was a fair number of people about.

“Are you sure about this?” Sunset asked.

“Just think of it as me making up for lost time. Besides, everyone should have new clothing at least once in their life.”

“Some of this is kind of expensive though,” Sunset protested.

“So don’t pick out the super expensive stuff,” Dusty offered with a smile. “And keep in mind this is just an emergency shopping trip. Maybe pick out a couple of nice things, but I’d say stick to the basics until we can get settled.”

“Hello, can I help you?” asked a light canary yellow woman with pale violet hair and a name tag that said, Lily.  

“Replacement shopping, I’m afraid,” Dusty offered.

“You, um, didn’t lose your home, did you? Fire? Eviction? No not eviction. Not with a phoenix on your shoulder.”

“Vandals trashed my apartment,” Sunset offered. “Landlady would love to have me back but it could be weeks before the place is livable again. You know about…” Sunset cast a glance at Philomena.

“Oh, yes, there is a lady from the Akkadian Archipelago who stops in from time to time. Sometimes her bird will just sort of pop in. Darnedest thing. I’m to understand that most of the inhabitants live on the main island of Eques. By any chance might you be an Equestrian?”  

“What?” Sunset asked. Never in her life did she think anyone in this world would ask if she was an Equestrian.

“The people of Akkadia who live on the isle of Eques call themselves Equestrians. Although, most people who aren’t in the know refer to the islanders as Akkadians.”

“I kind of lived there when I was really little,” Sunset offered. 

“So were you visiting Canterlot?”

“I kind of live here,”

“I’m the one visiting. I was originally just here for the holidays, but I’ve been given an assignment in the area and will be needing a place of my own,” Dusty offered. “Names Shimmer, Dusk Shimmer.”

“As in the singer?” Somehow Lily was more dazzled by Dusty than she was Philomina.

“Eee, yup, that’d be me. This here is my daughter, Sunset.”

“Wow, hang on, assignment?”

“I ain’t famous enough to live off royalties and endless tours have kept me away from my daughter far too long. Time I took a break,” Dusty explained. “Oh, I’ll keep writing songs. Better money than just singing them anyway. And who knows, maybe I’ll do some performances while I’m here in town.”

“Oh, I’d love to get a heads up if you do.”

“Can’t really make any promises, but I’ll keep you in mind.”

“Hey, um, any chance…” Sunset began as she offered up a blouse. She wanted to know if there was something like it in her size.

“Oh, you don’t want that, it doesn’t suit you at all,” Lily offered.

“I just figured it’s something Rarity would pick out.”

“Say no more, and you aren’t Rarity. Yes, I know who you are talking about. You are not Rarity. You need to do you.”

A moment later Sunset found herself being directed to various racks as Lilly picked out things, and to Sunset’s surprise and delight, any time she seemed hesitant about something it’d be put back and something else would get picked out. It was a surprise, even welcomed change from Rarity’s pushy fashion advice.

“Here, try these on, and anytime you don’t feel comfortable with something we will try something else,” Lily offered as Sunset was directed to a fitting room.

“One thing though, Rarity always says that I’ll look darling in something she picks out?” Sunset asked as she got Philomina onto her hand so she could offer her over to Dusty.

“Not if you aren’t comfortable with what you are wearing,” Lily explained as Philomina hopped over to Dusty followed by climbing up his arm to his shoulder. “When a person isn’t happy with what they are wearing it will always show in their body language and I want you to be happy with your purchases.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Sunset remarked as she went into the fitting room.  

“Oh, en I just remembered, you are going to need Crystal Prep Uniforms,” Dusty called.

“Oh, we carry their uniforms too,” Lily offered, and a short time later sunset was leaving with a pair of blue jeans, a gray and white horizontal striped top, white pants, a blue top, a black skirt, a black sweater, a yellow blouse with a vermilion cardigan, and three Crystal Prep Uniforms one of which she chose to wear. With her old leather jacket as shabby as it was over the uniform, and Philomena was back on Sunset’s shoulder.

They stopped at a few other places buying the occasional item along with needed undergarments. Everything went into the suitcase. That is until they stopped at the music store.

“Wait, you’re going to buy me a new guitar?”  

“Don’t see why not. Not like I expect you to get your old one back. Leastwise not in one piece.”

Dusty picked out an acoustic guitar, strummed a few cords, and then sang, “Whatcha gonna do when the crick runs dry, whatcha gonna do when it is gone?”

“You know, that sounds suspiciously like ‘What you ganna do when she says goodbye,” Sunset offered with just a hint of cheek.  

“It is. Just different words. Never hurts to warm up a room with a bit of lampoonery,” he offered with a big smile. “Now go on, and pick out a guitar.”

Sunset looked over the guitars and then picked out an Epipone(e-pi-po-ney) Pro-1  Dreadnought Acoustic vintage-styled guitar with a sunburst finish on the face. It even featured a built-in pickup for plugging into an amp. And it was just under two hundred dollars.  

“You sure about that one?” Dusty asked as Sunset sat across from him on a stool that was available and he picked out a stool for himself. “Sign says ‘Never, under any circumstances, play Stairway to Heaven, Smoke on the Water, Layla, or Eruption.’”

“Something tells me they hate hearing those songs over and over,” Sunset replied as she adjusted the tuning. “Might be best to stay clear of the more popular songs altogether. Not like that hasn’t been my bread and butter.” she looked up at him with a smile.

“Been there, done that. When performing at a small venue everyone wants to hear their favorites. The downside is the need for permission if yer anyone even remotely famous. Heck, the greedy lawyers will even go after churches that are barely scraping by.”

“So you give them a parody.”

“Give them a parody, but never the whole thing.” Sunset gets a mischievous smile, casts a glance at the store clerk, and plays the first three cords of ‘Smoke on the water’.  

“Now that’s downright mean-spirited,” Dusty comments as Sunset cracks up.  

“But the look on his face!” Sunset offered. Sunset took a moment to collect herself, and then started on the basic cords for Sia’s Rainbow.

“No, God no!” Called the store clerk. “Phoenix or not.”

This time it was Dusty who started laughing.

“Aww, come on!” Sunset protested. She couldn't help but laugh on realizing that the song was one of those that got overplayed over and over and seldom very well. “I know, I’ve got a song I’ve been working on.”  

Sunset started strumming the guitar. “It’s alright, ya, I’m walking right beside you. I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too…”

Dusty had no trouble picking up on the melody and joined in with the guitar he had in hand.  

When the song ended they were momentarily surprised by the applause of a crowd that had gathered. Well, it was the holidays and the mall did have a fair amount of people milling about.

“Oh carry me back to the lone prairie…” Dusty began to sing as he started up a new song. Sunset took but a moment to join him. When Dusty finished he started singing, “All day I faced the barren waste without a taste of water…”

“Cool water,” Dusty and Sunset sang with the store clerk echoing water.

When they’d finished that song the clerk picked up one of the guitars and lead them in a rock medley of popular songs.

“Dusty Shimmer never thought I’d get to jam with a big star like you,” the clerk stated a short time later. “Sunset, what are you doing hanging out with Dusty Shimmer?”

“Dad, this is Paul Lester,” Sunset offered.

“Not the famous Les Paul… dad?!” The clerk offered along with a startled question and a double-take.  

Sunset busts up laughing again.

“He’s your dad?”

“Kind of sort of, like we have the same last name and the evidence would suggest the possibility, it’s complicated,” Sunset offered with a big smile on her face.

“Wow. Small world. Say can I get you some strings for that beat-up old guitar of yours?”

“How about you give me a deal on this guitar and a few things to go with it?” Sunset asked. "My old guitar got stolen and they trashed my apartment."

“I'll be sure to put the word out in case anyone tries to fence it. And that one is on sale.” He turned to Dusty, “Mr Shimmer, you weren’t interested in that guitar were you?”

“Well, you see, the usual drill, whenever I show up in a music store, is I end up signing one of the guitars.”

“Ah, hang on.” Paul offered, got up, and headed for the back.

A moment later a loud “What?!” came from the back of the store. “That’s Dusty Shimmer you were slacking off with?!”

“I thought you said you weren’t a big star?” Sunset asked.

“I said I wasn’t big enough to live off the royalties. That and I ain’t so big I’m going to get mobbed when I’m out and about.” 

Sunset just gave him a puzzled look. Dusty just gave her a curious smile. A smile that switched to concern when his cell phone rang. The manager approached, but dusty was on the phone now.

“Afraid we are going to have to cut this short,” Dusty offered apologetically, and a short time later they were on their way with all of Sunset’s new things to include one new guitar.
> Chapter 6: the CPS meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The presence of multiple cars out in front of the duplex where Lofty and Holiday lived wasn’t too concerning, after all, it was the holidays and there were likely people visiting relatives. If anything, it was annoying in that Dusty ended up having to drive around to park in a visitor parking space. He and Sunset got out, gathered up their suitcases, their guitar cases, and walked back towards the duplex. The remainder would have to wait for another go-round.

Dusty set down his suitcase and knocked on the door. They waited maybe a minute or two for the door to open.

“Dusty!” Lofty called moments after opening the door. She quickly stepped out and shut the door behind her. “They’re already here. Sunset!” Lofty threw her arms around her and gave her a light hug as though she was afraid she might break her.

“Sunset, Lofty, and I are married. You might recall my mentioning something along those lines at the police station? Ms Holiday is Lofty’s roommate,” Dusty explained.

“I thought Lofty and Holiday were married to each other?” Sunset asked as she gave him a confused look.

“The state doesn’t allow it,” Dusty said softly. “Our marriage was one of convenience, and no one gets too suspicious of Lofty and Holiday. Holiday is just here to keep Lofty company on account of my being away so much. And as an added benefit I got to have some say in your future when you showed up out of the blue.”

“This world is just so messed up in so many ways,” Sunset offered softly. “In that other world, their love would be celebrated. Hell, all three of you could be married to each other and everyone would be fine with it.” Sunset thought about it for a moment. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful about what I say.”

“So, my relationship with Holiday had nothing to do with your decision to move out?” Lofty asked.

“What? No!” Sunset protest. She dropped her head. “Mostly me. Not like Scootaloo’s attitude towards me helped. And to think that she and I are technically half-sisters. Well, sisters. Can’t say anything about other worlds to the people inside. They’d have me seeing a head doctor.”

“You know, Sunset, might not be a bad idea to see a therapist what with everything you’ve had to go through,” Dusty offered. “Were you good friends with the girls at Canterlot high?”

“I thought I was. Well, there is Fluttershy, but…”

“Too little and nearly too late,” Dusty finished. Sunset cringed.

“Dusty?” Lofty protested.

“She’s a strong girl, and she knows that pretending it didn’t happen isn’t going to help.”

“Let’s just go inside,” Lofty admonished, turned, opened the door, and ushered the two inside.

Inside waited a couple of very stern individuals dressed in casual suits. If a suit could be considered casual, and a young police officer who just looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. Nor was he welcome so far as Sunset was concerned, because the presence of a police officer simply could not be good.

“Sunset, Dusty, come on in, and have a seat, hang on let me get some chairs from the kitchen.”

“Why don’t you two just put your bags down,” Lofty suggested as Holiday drug out a couple of chairs.

“Names Dusk Shimmer,” Dusty offered as he strides on into the room. He offered up his hand for a handshake.

“Oh, this is Mrs Janine Meanewitz, Mr Sombra, and Officer Shining Armor,”

“Shining Armor?” Sunset asked. Never mind that the two suits were causing a cold pit to form in her gut, Shining Armor was an opportunity to turn things around. “Shining Armor as in Twilight’s BBBFF?”

Pay-dirt.

“You know my sister?”

“We’ve met,” Sunset had to think of something, oh right, “Last year’s friendship games. I do hope she didn’t have too much trouble with the visiting Canterlot students. Not sure if she even remembers me. - I’m transferring into Chrystal Prep.” Sunset twirled, remembered herself, and took off the jacket she had on which was taken by Lofty. Philomena had also been dumped in the process as she’d been snuggled up next to Sunset’s body on the ride over.  Philomena let out a squawk, opened her wings to arrest her plummet, and with a sweep shot up, and circled to land on Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Lofty while ignoring Philomena’s admonishments. “Mom?”

Sure, Lofty and Holiday were her official foster parents so far as she had been aware.

“Yes?” Lofty asked as she gave Sunset a puzzled look.  

“You're married to my dad,” Sunset stated.

“And?” Lofty asked wondering what had gotten into Sunset. Come to think of it, that was quite possibly the first time Sunset had called her, Mom.

“I just realized,” Sunset stated. “You’re married to my dad. That makes you my mom, not just a foster mom, but an actual mom.”

Lofty smiled, and let out a delighted chuckle. “You know, for someone with a four-point oh grade point average you can be kind of slow on the uptake.” Lofty teased even though she knew full well there’d be no way for Sunset to have known.

“Considering I can’t account for my own past from three and a half years ago…” She trailed off. Granted that was the time frame when she’d left Equestria. It also meant that if the people here in the room had any intentions of removing her, they’d be faced with doing irreparable harm. Sure, she might be reformed but she wasn’t above a little manipulation to make sure her life didn’t get uprooted now that things were looking up.

“Well, this is an interesting development,” Mr Sombra offered. He stood up to shake Dusty’s hand, but Mrs Janine Meanewitz just sat where she was. “I’m the Head of the School board, and Mrs Janine Meanewitz is with CPS.”

“I wish it was under better circumstances,” Dusty offered taking the man’s hand in his. “You’ve got a good grip.”

“You’d be surprised how much paperwork works the hand muscles,” Sombra offered with a big smile.

“Mr Shimmer, do you always knock before entering your own house?” Janine Meanewitz asked tersely.

“Mam, you ask any cowboy who’s been on the road and he’ll tell you that it’s always a good idea to knock, and be prepared to duck on coming home after a long absence,” Dusty offered with what he hoped was a winning smile. But what’s a cowboy to do when the old nag’s got a burr under the saddle? “If it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll be sticking around for a spell. I’ve gotten a local assignment that just might last long enough to grow a little moss on the toes.”

“Assignment?” Mrs Meanewitz scoffed. “I thought you were just a bar tramp pedaling your music wherever you go.”

“Mam, don’t mistake my hobby for my vocation. I work for Palantiri Consultants Incorporated.”

Dusty moved to sit in one of the provided chairs, and Sunset decided that she should as well.

“I’ve heard of them,” Sombra offered. “I’m to understand they do a fair amount of government contracts.”

“Is that how you can afford to give Sunset that exotic bird?” Mrs Meanewitz asked.

“Philomena is an Akkadian phoenix," Shining Armor informed. “They can neither be bought nor sold. Possessing one is illegal with the exception of certain individuals. Sunset has dual citizenship, here and in Akkadia, and Sunset is counted as an Apostle of the Sun. She’s practically a princess. I was briefed before I came here. I was informed that any action taken concerning Sunset Shimmer might have to be run by the Akkadian Embassy. This means the department won’t support any actions regarding her without a very good reason. As it stands, Mr Shimmer has already taken several steps to improve matters concerning her welfare.”

It was all Sunset could do to keep herself from jumping up and hugging Officer Shining Armor.

“Then why are you even here?” Mrs Meanewitz asked.

“There is still the matter of Miss Scootaloo Shutter, and regulations do require at least one police officer be present at these sort of meetings,” Mr Sombra reminded her.

“As I informed you earlier, we removed Scootaloo from her home the moment we learned that her father, my brother, and his wife, had taken off on another one of his adventures,” Holiday offered.

“Are you going to take her away?” Sunset asked.

“I’m to understand that she was one of the girls who created that Anon-a-miss account,” Mr Sombra stated.

“And taking her away would only make her even more resentful. While I was unaware that she was my sister, I did count her as family,” Sunset offered.

“And made some difficult choices to keep her safe,” Mr Sombra replied thoughtfully. “Do keep in mind that we did investigate a number of accusations of, shall we say, pressuring fellow students. And I can say that to date the vast majority of the accusations have been unfounded or you were in fact doing the right thing and those individuals really should have kept their mouths shut concerning their own culpability. Granted that we the administrators would prefer that problems be brought to the faculty and not solved by our students. That said, some of the individuals that you pressured to behave quite possibly were better off for it and should be grateful you dealt with certain issues in-house without bringing things to the faculty.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sunset offered. “As it turns out, I’ve got some friends at Crystal Prep that didn’t get swept up into the Anon-a-miss mess.” Sunset paused a moment. “I may find that going to Chrystal Prep to be the best decision I’ve ever made. And I want to try to work things out with Scootaloo. If I don’t at least try, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have patched things up with her.”

“And how were you going to pay for a school like Chrystal prep?” Mrs Meanewitz asked.

“She’s got a scholarship just for signing up,” Dusty informed them.

“Scholarship?” Sombra asked.

“Silverwood Foundation,” Dusty offered. “Someone wants her in that school.  

“But instead of talking about who’s paying for what, how about you explain why things at Canterlot High were allowed to get so bad that I had to pull my daughter off a bridge? Why did it take federal intervention to get that Anan-a-miss blog pulled down? The moment they started posting HIPA controlled information you could have gotten a court order to shut it down.”

“Afraid we kind of dropped the ball on that one,” Sombra offered just a little sheepishly. “I don’t think anyone appreciated how damaging it could be. Or that there was even the remotest possibility anyone higher up might not want certain rumors getting spread all over the Internet. Anon-a-miss had been dismissed as kids just having a little fun. And in that, we failed not just your daughter, but Principle Celestia who was adamant that the blog be pulled. In the short time the blog was up, several students left the district to go elsewhere. Good students we really couldn't afford to lose.”

“Not to mention the attempted homicide warrant that was issued this morning,” Dusty added.

“Homicide?” Mrs Meanewitz asked while sounding skeptical.

“Garble Torch and Gilda Griffonstone took their harassment of my daughter to the point of assaulting her, and they are the prime suspects behind the trashing of her apartment along with conspiring to get her locked out without shelter on one of the coldest nights of the year. Such was Sunset’s mental state that night, due to the harassment, beat down, and subsequent lockout of her own apartment, had I not found her when I did the cold alone would have done her in.”

“I’m to understand the hospital report was added to the evidence,” Shining offered, his tone informative.

“I, I didn’t know,” Mrs Meanewitz said. She definitely sounded shocked. “It really got that bad? And Sunset, you are still willing to try to make up with your sister?”

“She’s not the sort to act out of malice. She just doesn't always think about the consequences of her actions.” Sunset offered.

“I can’t help but feel the constant absence of my own brother has helped,” Holiday offered. “Scootaloo simply hasn’t had enough supervision. I regret to say.”

“Which brings us back to Scootaloo’s best interests,” Mrs Meanewitz offered.

“Yes, I think we can agree that Sunset is on the road to improvement,” Mr Sombra offered. “We also need to keep in mind that this is a dynamic situation.”

“Indeed,” Mrs Meanewitz concurred. “I must confess I’d been unaware at how bad things had gotten, but tell me, Mr Shimmer how is it you just managed to arrive in the nick of time.”

“I’m a cowboy, it’s what I do,” Dusty offered with a smile. “Seriously though, an old friend called up and told me to get home as fast as I could. My being on that bridge the other night is just a happy accident. A couple of minutes sooner or later…” He trailed off. “I came so close to missing her.”  

“Fortuity then,” Sombra offered.

“Do the people at Canterlot High know Scootaloo was involved with Anon-a-miss?” Sunset asked.

“Principle Celestia took steps to shield their identity and spread the blame around. No guarantees,” Sombra replied.

“I think I can recommend that Scootaloo be allowed to stay here, but things are going to have to change concerning her parents,” Mrs Meanewitz offered. “Also, I’m recommending moving her to a new school.”

“Mrs Cinch isn’t likely to allow her at Crystal Prep,” Dusty offered.

“Yes, she’s taking a hard line on Canterlot students wanting to transfer in,” Mr Sombra added. “Surprised she let Sunset in.”

“Canterlot High’s top student and a full scholarship just waiting for me,” Sunset pointed out. “I get the feeling that someone at the Silverwood foundation has been looking out for me, but for whatever reason couldn't actively intervene in my affairs.”

“No doubt Cinch will rub it in Celestia’s face,” Sombra mused.

“Peril Peak Vista High is one place Scootaloo could be moved to,” Mrs Meanewitz offered.

“Not sure I’d be comfortable with her going there,” Sunset countered. “I’m to understand it can be a rough school. To make matters worse the only people I know who go to that school who could keep an eye on her are themselves in a gang. Maybe not the worst sort, but it’d be kind of hypocritical on my part after having damaged our relationship by doing what I did to keep her out of a gang.” 

“I see,” Mrs Meanewitz mused.

“And that leaves Everfree,” Mr Sombra announced. “It’s a good school, Principle Zecora runs a good program over there.”

“Fear that may be for the best,” Holiday said sounding resigned.

“Miss Shimmer, if you could possibly fetch Miss Shutter,” Mrs Meanewitz requested. “I’d like to talk to her as well.”

“She’ll be in her room,” Holiday informed her.

“I’ll be right back,” Sunset replied, got up, and went into the back of the house, Philomena bobbing along on her shoulder as she went.  

Sunset knocked on Scootaloo’s door. Technically it was a guest room, but it was the one Scootaloo used. Sunset waited a bit. Nothing.

“Scootaloo?” Sunset called quietly.  

No answer.

Sunset tried the door to find it locked. “Scootaloo? Listen, we need to put this animosity between us aside. The lady from Child Protective Services wants to talk to you.”

Still nothing.

Sunset took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Magic exists in this world. Focus, that’s all she needed. In order to cast magic, humans focused their magic on a device such as a wand or an amulet, which meant channeling through the hands.  

Sunset concentrated on her manna flow, directing the energy to her right hand which held the doorknob. All she needed was for the lock to spring.

“Bingo,” Sunset said softly as the knob turned. She slowly opened the door. “Scootaloo, I’m coming in. Please don’t throw anything at me.

The room was empty, and the window opened. “Idiot girl.” Sunset hissed under her breath.  

Philomina chirped at her.

“Oh right,” Sunset replied as a big grin formed on her face. “Philomena, be a good dear and fetch my sister.”

Philomina launched forward spread her wings and was gone with a flash and a bit of a pop.

She returned a moment later with a pony Scootaloo.

“Scootaloo? I’m so sorry. - Philomena, good job, but that’s not the Scootaloo I wanted, yes I know, that’s my sister. I need her counterpart from this world, so if you could put that one back and get this world’s Scootaloo?”

“Sister?!” Scootaloo asked with wide eyes.

“Hi, I’m Sunset Shimmer, we both have the same mom. Just ask about Pippin Apple.”

And they were gone with another loud pop.

“Sunset?” Holiday called as she came down the hallway. She looked into the room to see Sunset standing in an empty room with the window open – suddenly Scootaloo appears with Philomena lifting her up by her backpack.

“Good girl,” Sunset praised.  

Philomena dropped Scootaloo and flew over to land on Sunset’s shoulder and received a cuddle and a pet. Scootaloo dropped to her knees.

“Scootaloo,” Holiday said softly. “Why must you be so difficult?”

“Because she’s my sister. Sort of. Like Dad says, the universe doesn’t care,” Sunset offered. “And we are both equally stubborn.”

“What just happened?” Scootaloo asked in utter astonishment.

“You were being stupid so I sent Philomena to fetch you,” Sunset offered. “Honestly, running away doesn’t solve anything. I know. I ran away.”

“That was so cool!”

“And I just realized that Princess Celestia could have had Philomena fetch me anytime she wanted.”

Philomina chirped a sharp negative.

“No?” Sunset asked while looking at the bird who bobbed up and down happily. “Oh, I think I get it, you would have done it only if that’s what I wanted. I will have to admit that I was a lot happier here than I was in Canterlot. At least I, that is, I was living a fairly normal life, I had friends, and then… was it all me? Did I get lost in my own desires never asking myself if what I was doing was something I should do?”

“How do we explain that popping noise?” Holiday asked. Sunset looked around the room, picked up a rubber dart, and stuck it to her forehead.

“This will do,” Sunset offered, helped Scootaloo take her backpack off, and pulled Schootaloo up onto her feet. “Come on little sis, we need to convince a testy old nag that you and I can get along, and not one word about trying to run off.” Sunset gave Scootaloo a moment. “If you really don’t want to live under the same roof as me I’ll get a dorm room at my new school.”

“New school?” Scootaloo asked. “You don’t have to.”

“Scootaloo, why are you…” Holiday began but let the question trail off. “No, we’ll talk about why you thought running off was a good idea later.”

“After everything I did, I didn’t think Sunset would want to have anything to do with me,” Scootaloo admitted with her head down.

“Scootaloo, if I can’t forgive you, how can I possibly forgive myself for the things I’ve done over the years? I’ve made too many mistakes and if anyone is to blame it’s me.”

“That’s not true though,” Scootaloo offered meekly. “I’ve made my own share of screw-ups. I never even gave you a chance. If I hadn’t have been so selfish, not to mention my tagging after Dash all the time. But now, Dash might never talk to me again, and the only reason why I even went along with Apple Bloom and Sweetie is that they said they’d done it before and we’d never get caught.”

“Between you and me, if all you and the others wanted to do was to drive a wedge between me and the others, those first two posts were enough.”

“Do you really think that?” Scootaloo asked.

“If Rarity, Dash, AJ, Pinkie, and Fluttershy had supported me the three of you would have been found out a lot faster with far less damage. But they didn’t. Maybe some of it is the fault of that girl who got taken away by the feds, but in the end, people who I thought were my friends just turned their backs and walked away from me.”

“You think they were just doing Princess Twilight a favor then?” Scootaloo asked.

“It kind of looks that way, doesn't it? Let’s face it if, for example, I’d been guilty, they kind of owed it to Princess twilight to stop me. But they didn’t. They didn’t even try. Now come on before that CPS woman gets it into her head you ran off or something.”

“Probably don’t want to mention whatever it was I might have just seen,” Holiday cautioned as Sunset and Scootaloo made their way out of the room.

“This is Philomena. She kind of followed me,” Sunset offered with a smile on her face. “She has some interesting abilities and doesn’t seem to care which world she’s in.”

The three reentered the family room of the home to be greeted with some curious glances. “We were just working things out,” Sunset offered as she returned to her seat.

“Indeed,” Mrs Meanewitz commented as she took note of the rubber dart. “Miss Scootaloo Shutter, do you have any idea how much trouble you are in? Not to mention the trouble your parents are in for abandoning you, and it would seem this happens on multiple occasions. I have one question for you, do you think you can somehow manage to live under the same roof as Sunset?”

“I guess,” Scootaloo offered in a rather halfhearted way. “It’d just be till my parents are back.”

“No, dear, your parents have shown themselves to be unfit,” Mrs Meanewitz informed her. “You are to be removed from their custody until such time as they can demonstrate that they can be competent parents. What I can offer you is to either stay here in your Aunt’s care or to be placed in a foster home.”

Scootaloo froze.

“Also, you will no longer go to Canterlot high,” Mr Sombra informed her.

“But, but my friends are all at Canterlot,” Scootaloo pleaded.

“So are all the people who want to get back at Anon-a-miss,” Sunset offered. “Surely you must have seen the way I was being treated? If they know...”

“I, I’m sorry,” Scootaloo pleaded. “When Apple Bloom and Sweetie told me what they’d done and why all I thought about was that it sounded like it’d be a good way to get more time with Rainbow Dash.”

“Dash?” Mrs Meanewitz asked.

“Top athlete at Canterlot High,” Sunset offered with an air of resignation. “Scootaloo has been a big fan of hers.”  

“I wanted a sister so bad, and, and, here I had a sister all the time, and Sunset, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m…” Scootaloo began crying. “I’ve made such a mess of things. I never should have gone along with that Anon-a-miss thing.”

Sunset got up, went to Scootaloo, and gave her a hug.

“Little at a time; we will fix this.”

“Rainbow’s going to be mad at me, why aren’t you mad at me?”

“The blame isn’t your own. There is a lot to spread around. I suppose I’m more disappointed in your actions. I am heartbroken by the actions of the girls I thought were my friends, and if I want to be mad at anyone it’s going to be Garble and Gilda. Except that I’m not.”  

“What’d they do?” Scootaloo asked.

“Besides beating me up and trashing my phone? They trashed my apartment, killed my gecko, and stole my electric guitar,” Sunset informed Scootaloo. She got up from her chair, went to her jacket, and retrieved the tiny coffin from the pocket.

“My landlady gave me a little casket for my little Ray,” Sunset announced and placed the casket on the table.

“I’m sorry,” Scootaloo said softly.

“Your landlady must be an interesting person,” Mrs Meanewitz mused.

“Suddenly I feel like I’m at a Wake.” Mr Sombra announced.

Sunset removed the dart from her forehead, placed it on the table, and then returned to her seat.

“Miss Shutter,” Mr Sombra began anew in a serious tone. “You are to be enrolled at Everfree as that seems to be your best option right now.”

“Do I get a choice?” Scootaloo asked.

“Scootaloo, that’s kind of your best choice,” Sunset offered. “Only reason why Principle Cinch let me in Chrystal Prep is because there was a scholarship waiting for me.”

“Oh, I’m sure there’s more to it than that,” Mr Sombra offered. “You see, Principle Cinch likes to do a bit of academic headhunting to bring in students with top grades. She has no qualms about poaching top students from other schools.”

“Why?” Sunset asked genuinely confused.

“I’d think that’d be obvious?” Mrs Meanewitz offered. “It inflates the school’s grade point average. A higher grade point average means she can attract well-off families.” A slight smile cracked on her face at the look Dusty gave her. “Do keep in mind that my interest is the welfare of the children. I’m not as heartless as some people might think, and I’m not blind to certain arrangements. And if I thought certain arrangements were an issue, we wouldn't be having this conversation. - As for Principle Cinch, I’ve no doubt she’ll have called Principle Celestia to gloat by now.”





“Celestia?” Luna asked cautiously as she looked into the principal’s office. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Celestia stated. The anger in her tone suggested otherwise.  

“Now I know things have been difficult…”

“Cinch called. She’s poached Sunset. Any chance of talking her into coming back are now shot.”

“But, how’d she even get into, I mean… Sunset has no background to check, no money, certainly not enough to get into a school like Chrystal Prep?”

“Sunset has a four-point oh grade point average save for a recent understandable dip. I’ve no doubt Cinch has provided one of her special scholarships, and took advantage of her while she was down.
> Chapter 7: Lunch complications
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset was given the opportunity to spend the remainder of the week attending classes and taking end-of-quarter tests at Crystal Prep prior to the start of the new quarter. Sunset found the tests to be challenging but not insurmountable despite her lack of preparation. Everything was falling into place and Sunset was truly happy for the first time in a long time. Of course, there is always that but that just loves to complicate things, and in this case, it came in the guise of Twilight Sparkle. Both world’s Twilight’s to be exact, but let’s start with Crystal Prep’s Twilight. Twilight would enter a class right before the bell and leave class as soon as she finished her test. Naturally, there was that common sense part of Sunset’s mind that said, just leave it alone, but then again, when did Sunset ever listen to that little voice of reason? Especially in that, she knew that Twilight could be so much more if Sunset could just bring her out of her shell.

“What’s with Twilight?” Sunset asked Autumn Blaze as they made their way to lunch on the third day.

“You mean the coming in at the last moment and then leaving before anyone else does? That’s just Twilight.”

“That’s just Twilight,” Fern echoed. She and Blossom had joined the two. “Stays in her cave most of the time. The only reason she gets away with it is that she’s the top student. Academically speaking that is.”

“Cave?” Sunset asked in astonishment.

“She was given her own lab,” Blossom explained.

“Must be nice,” Sunset mused sarcastically. “What say we invite her to lunch?”

“Twilight?” Fern asked sounding a bit like she wasn’t sure if she’d heard right.

“She’s friends with a Twilight,” Autumn offered. “And I’m guessing her Twilight is a near-identical double.”  

“My Twilight doesn’t wear glasses, doesn’t slouch, is a lot more outgoing, confident, and adorkable.”

“Adorkable is she?” Autumn teased with a raised eyebrow.

“You know, I heard a rumor that Twilight showed up at the Fall Formal over at Canterlot High,” Blossom offered. “Called herself a princess. We aren’t talking about some multiple personality thing, are we? Might be dangerous if you mess around with her.”

“Maybe it’s like that character in Grease, All prim and proper where people know her, but cuts loose where she’s free to be herself?” Fern suggested.

“No, I’m pretty sure they are two different individuals who just happen to...” Sunset tried to explain but got cut off by a group of girls who’d approached like they were looking for trouble. “Um…. Hello?”

“We want a word with you.” Stated a pale-skinned girl with hair that was sort of dark ash blue with light blue and teal highlights. Just behind her were four more girls.

“Indigo, what do you want?” Autumn asked in a sort of resigned tone.

“Are you by any chance related to Twilight Sparkle?” Sunset asked.

“What?” Indigo asked, her bluster getting derailed on the spot.

“I think they are cousins,” Blossom offered. “And nearly as socially adept.”

“What’s Twilight got to do with anything?” Indigo protested. “I want to know how you managed to talk Cinch-”

“No, not another word,” Sunset said as she held up her right-hand palm forward. “Friendship games was it? Ah, yes. One, it was Cinch’s idea, not mine. She kind of tacked it on as a requirement to attend Crystal Prep. Also, for my participation to have the desired effect, the idiots who nearly drove me to jump off a bridge can’t find out until the day of the event in question. Not one word from anyone.”

“And here I was about to ask you why you would go against your own school,” Indigo said softly. “Wow, just wow. That is a whole lot of baggage to unpack.”

“They pinned Anon-a-Miss on her,” Autumn offered.

“Ah, that makes a lot more sense,” Indigo consented. “I’ll admit that watching Canterlot High meltdown was kind of amusing but a person would have to be an idiot to think it was Sunset, and downright malicious to pin it on her.” 

“So you…” Sunset began.

“Think it was you? Hell, the girl I met at last year’s Friendship games would never be so stupid.”

There was a part of Sunset that wanted to say that she wasn’t that girl anymore, but then again, Indigo was right. A person would have to be mighty stupid to set themselves up like that. And for that matter, a person would have to be mighty dense not to see it. Even with magic manipulation going on. Sunset knew full well that you can’t use magic to force someone to do something they truly don’t want to do.

“Let me just say that while I can forgive the individuals who started the profile, and in time I may be able to forgive my fair-weather friends over at Canterlot High, the student body as a whole is deserving of some payback.”

“So, do you know who it was that started it?” Indigo asked.

“Yes, and one of the perpetrators was my own half-sister. I’ve forgiven her for her part in that I really don’t think she or her friends truly understood just how much damage they were doing. They weren’t the ones harassing me. Plus, a good deal of what they posted came from the very people who were.”

“Yikes. Talk about sibling rivalry, and wow,” a girl with yellow and pale lime green hair commented. “Name’s Lemon Zest. Welcome to the Shadowbolts.”

“So, are you headed to lunch?” Indigo asked.

“We are, but Sunset wants to invite Twilight,” Blossom informed them.

“Ha, good luck with that. Name’s Sunny Flare,” offered a pale blue girl with mulberry hair.

“Sunset, oh good, I found you,” called a familiar voice.

Sunset turned to see Twilight. She was wearing street clothes, no glasses, no bun, and wasn’t slouching.

“Twilight?” Sunset asked tentatively.  

Things just got complicated.

“I need to talk to you about Dusty,” Twilight offered as she approached.

“Twilight, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked as realization dawned on her.  

“Twilight?” Indigo said as she and all the others looked on in befuddlement.

“We were just about to come to ask you to join us for lunch,” Fern offered tentatively.

“Twilight, what are you doing here?” Sunset asked even as Indigo stepped up to Twilight, took hold of the neckline of Twilight’s blouse, tugged, and had a good gander.

“Ah, is this some sort of greeting I’m not aware of?” Twilight asked.

“This is not our twilight,” indigo proclaimed. Princess Twilight was after all a college graduate even if she was capable of passing as a high school girl.  

“Indigo!” exclaimed the girls who’d arrived with her.

“Well, she’s not,” Indigo offered while giving Twilight a good feel up.

“Um, excuse me, but people are starting to stare,” Twilight protested even as a boy walked into a door jam. “While it’s not entirely unpleasant, you should probably stop.”

Crash! A strange sort of pandemonium was taking place all around them and it wasn't just boys walking into things.

“Indigo!” Lemon Zest shouted, and then moved to intervene. “How many times do I have to tell you that doing that is inappropriate?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Terribly sorry,” Indigo replied followed by backing off. “Still though, that’s not our Twilight.”

“No wonder our Twilight hides in her lab all day,” Furn said softly.

“We were just about to go to lunch, care to join us?” Sunset asked. “I mean as long as you are here?”

“I thought you wanted to invite our Twilight?” Autumn asked.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Your double,” Sunset offered. “Wears glasses, ties her hair in a bun, slouches, is anti-social, and apparently less endowed. I was just about to go invite her to join us.”

“Wait, I have a double here?” Twilight asked.

“You want to meet her?” Blossom offered.

“Might not be a good idea,” Fern cautioned. “Pretty sure she’d freak out big time.”

“I’ll see if I can coax her out of her lab another time,” Sunset offered. “Now, let’s go get something to eat and you can tell me what’s so important that you came over here without so much as a heads up?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about Dusty, didn’t want to risk text, kind of wanted to just come and go without anyone knowing I was here, and I want to know about your history,” Twilight prompted as they started walking. “Or I should say, Sunset’s History. Whichever works. And I really wanted to see you in person.”

“Should she even be here?” asked Sunny Flare.

“Doubt anyone besides Indigo will realize she’s not our Twilight,” Fern suggested.  

“There is that,” Lemon Zest admitted as she nodded her head sagely.  

“What say we introduce everyone?” Autumn offered.

“Yes, of course, Twilight, this is Autumn, the friend I didn’t even realize I had because I was too dense to realize we were more than just bandmates. And this is Fern, Blossom, you’ve met Indigo, that’s Sunny, Lemon…”

“I’m Sour Sweet,” Offered a girl with magenta hair. “And this is Sugarcoat.” Sugarcoat had white hair.

“Hi,” Sugarcoat replied.

“So, you want to have lunch with us?” Sunset asked.

“Do you think it’ll be alright?” Twilight asked.

“I’d imagine that so long as you and your twin don’t meet, no one will be any the wiser,” Sunset reassured her.

“Alright then, let's go get some lunch,” Twilight replied with a smile, and the group continued on to the dining facility.

“So, are you really some kind of princess?” Sour Sweet asked.

“She’s an Akkadian Princess,” Sunset replied for Twilight. “From the Island of Eques.”

“Ah, Sunset?” Twilight was looking at Sunset with a rather confused look. “Akkadian? I can’t go around telling people-”

“Yes, I understand you wish to keep a low profile, but that is where Equestrians come from.” Sunset gave Twilight a wink.

“Oh, right, what?”

“Twilight is sort of a road scholar,” Sunset offered to the others. She leaned over to whisper into Twilight’s ear, “Apparently there is some sort of Equestrian colony that showed up in the nineteen-twenties by the local calendar. Out in the Caribbean sea.”

“There is?” Twilight asked. She’d at least remembered to keep her volume down.

“Just a little something Princess Celestia never bothered to tell us.”

“I’ll be sure and ask her about it, but how did you find out about this?”

“Philomena, she’s apparently an Akkadian Phoenix, protected by international treaty, and the only reason I didn’t get arrested for having her with me was that I apparently visited the island when I was little, bonded with her at the time, was proclaimed an Apostle of the Sun, and given dual citizenship. That or someone has created a fake background for me to explain Philomena.”  

“Seriously?”

“It’s all in the computers. I wanted to ask about it but like you, I thought it might be a good idea to be careful of what I um, text to you. Just in case someone gets ahold of my things.”

“Wow. Princess Celestia did say something about there being other Equestrians in good standing here, but was being her usual cryptic self like there is something she doesn’t want to tell me.”

“I wish she would just come right out and say what needs to be said. Let’s face it, I wouldn't have run off in the first place … granted I needed an attitude check, but still,” Sunset lamented as they entered the dining facility. To say it was nice would be an understatement.

“Wow…” Twilight said as they entered.  

“Pretty spiffy, isn’t it,” Sunset teased.

“Did you seriously just say spiffy?” Indigo asked with a grin on her face.

“Ya, I suppose I did,” Sunset admitted and then laughed which in turn led the other girls to join in.

“So what can you tell me, about Sunset’s early years?” Twilight asked. “And I’m specifically interested in Dusty. I mean, he just shows up right when you needed him the most. What they did to your books...” An involuntary shudder shook Twilight for a brief moment. 

“And he moonlights for the government,” Sunset admitted. “Quite frankly, I suspect that I am his assignment. Officially he is here to just keep an eye out for weirdness; I suppose is one way to put it. What happened at the Fall formal was a gas line that exploded.”

“So I’m to understand,” Twilight confirmed as they got in a serving line.

“I’m getting a salad, you?” Sunset asked.

“Oh yes, that sounds… oh wow, look at all the options and there are multiple lines. Not like over at Canterlot High at all.”

“Crystal Prep is a private academy with a high tuition. In order to attract the people with the money, Principle Cinch likes to snatch up the smart kids and give them scholarships so long as they keep their grade point average up. I seem to be on an all-expense free ride paid for by an outfit called the Silverwood Foundation. Dad was prepared to pay the tuition himself, but I’d say he was pleasantly surprised to find I had a scholarship waiting for me. Kind of wish I’d known.”

“Tia mentioned someone named Nova, but only said that it’s someone she knows who is here.”

“Might be Zap’s Aunt,” Autumn offered.

“Zap?” Twilight asked.

“A distant cousin, it would seem. Zachary Apple,” Sunset supplied.

“Twilight? Twilight Sparkle, why are you back, and where’s your uniform?” Asked a server.

“A minor difficulty came up,” Sunset explained. “We’re just helping her out, aren’t we?”

“Oh, yes, we are helping her,” several of the other girls chimed.

“Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped.” The server had that I’m sure something is going on here but what, look on their face.

“Just put it on my account if there is an issue. Can I do that?” Sunset offered.

“Well, you are allowed to pay for a guest, so it’s not going to be an issue.”

“Thank you,” Twilight offered and soon found herself with a plate full of goodies that rivaled anything served in Canterlot Castle.

A short time later they’d all found a table to sit at.

“Alright, who are you and what have you done with the real Twilight Sparkle?”

“Zap?” Sunset asked looking at the boy. There were two boys backing him up and all had their right hand in their inside left blazer pocket.

“He noticed,” Indigo announced with a grin.

“Zachary, keep it down,” Sunset admonished.

“Boys, honestly,” Fern lamented. “Pretty sure I can guess where he’s been looking.”

“It’s not like that,” the other two boys protested.  

“Oh, it totally is,” Lemon Zest admonished.  

“Zap, this is Princess Twilight, from Eques. We snuck her in figuring no one will realize she’s not the Twilight who goes to this school,” Sunset informed him in a hushed tone. “I’m an Apostle of the Sun, that’s why I’m allowed to have a Phoenix.”

“Seriously?!” Zachary said sounding like he didn’t believe a word of it.

“It’s on her Interpol profile,” Blossom offered. “I got a good look when we were at the police station.”

“I grew up on the island of Eques,” Zachary stated as though that made him the authority.  

“In and out before you arrived,” Sunset offered. “Look, my mom had hooked up with a guy named Snap Shutter. He took the family to Eques when I was little. Don’t ask me, I can’t remember anything prior to getting plucked out of a river and dumped in an orphanage.” Which was a true enough statement given the event surrounding her being in a river in the first place had been so traumatic she'd buried the memory behind multiple mental blocks. “Somehow I ended up bonded to a phoenix, listed as an Apostle of the Sun, and Snap got deported and put on a watch list because he hadn’t bothered to get permission to be there. And Twilight is from a small hidden community.”

“Ah, they usually imprison people,” Zachary offered.

“Zachary Apple, Beau, Knight, what are the three of you doing?” scolded an adult as she approached. She had a dark complexion and dark auburn hair which had colored stripes that resembled the stripes in Twilight’s hair. “Hands out of your pockets, now! All three of you.” She’d hissed the command like she wanted to yell and keep her volume down at the same time.

“But? Ms Swan?” Zachary protested. “That’s not… ”

“Alright, fine, you spotted a look alike. Took me a bit to figure it out but I’m guessing that that young woman is Princess Sparkle.”

“You mean they are telling the truth?”

“Just because you were privileged enough to live on Eques doesn’t mean you are going to know everyone and I can guarantee you that should anything happen to this Twilight, your Aunt Nova, my grandmother, will pin your hide to a wall. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes mam,” all three boys replied as they took up a more natural pose.

“Now scoot, off with you, and I’ll see you in class after lunch.”

“Yes mam, the boys chimed and scuttled off to return to the table they’d been eating lunch at.

“I am so terribly sorry about that,” Ms Swan offered.

“That’s quite alright, he’s usually much more congenial,” Sunset offered.

“Probably thought he was protecting you from a spy or something like that. Any chance we’ll see you in the folk studies class after lunch?”

“I’d love to, where’s it at?”

“In the building attached to the old conservatory out in the park. Just go past the dorms and take the path less traveled. Oh, and Miss Sparkle may come as well if she would like.”

“I… thank you, yes, I’d like that,” Twilight offered, her smile having returned. It was a cautious but friendly smile.

“Well then, I’ll let you get back to your lunch, and I will return to mine.” And with that Ms Swan spun on the balls of her feet and walked back over to the staff tables from which she’d come.

“Well, that was curious, and a bit troubling too,” Twilight said in a low tone.

“She’s one of the thaumaturgic studies instructors,” Sugarcoat offered in a whisper.

“She’s in the class. Furn and Autumn have classes out there too.  Oh, we aren’t supposed to know about it, but kind of do,” Indigo offered.

Twilight looked over at Sunset who just smiled.

“So, about Dusty?”

“You have your misgivings I gather. Look, on the one hand, I’m probably lucky I didn’t end up strapped to an autopsy table.” Twilight had a stricken look cross her face. “That said I really think that my as yet unseen benefactor has been subtly manipulating things.” Sunset took a breath. “Twilight, I don’t really know what to tell you.”

“Just give me some history.”

“Alright, Dad, that is Dusty met and married Pippin Apple. I’m to understand that like most cowboys he was away from home a lot. They separated but were still on good terms. Dusty is on good terms with Granny Smith.”

“Wait, he is?” Twilight asked.

“We are going over to their house on Saturday. You could probably come too,” Sunset offered. Twilight gave her a look that hinted that things back in Equestria weren’t so good. “I think I kind of get the picture. You got some info that is contrary to what I’m seeing. Anyway, Mom hooked up with Snap Shutter, and you already know about the alleged trip to Eques. Shortly after returning from Eques mom lost control of her car going over the Avalon River bridge, presumably with little Sunset with her.”

“Presumably?” Twilight asked.

“The car went over the edge, and they found Pippin’s body but little Sunset was never found. And then I show up several years later with no history. I’m to understand that it shook up a lot of people. They talked and decided to just let me have my own reigns more or less. I couldn't account for where I’d been, though to be honest I wasn't about to tell anyone about Equestria, and no one wanted to press the issue. Probably afraid it would break me. They put me in foster care, only what I didn’t know was that Dusty was legally married to Lofty and I was being placed with a person who was legally my own parent. I’d been living with a person who was technically my mom and not just a foster mother. Though to be honest if I had known I might have taken advantage of the situation. Also, Scootaloo is my half-sister. She was living with Snap Shutter, her father, but he keeps taking off on adventures leaving her without adult supervision so Child Protective Services have ruled that she is no longer to stay with him and Mane Allgood. He’s lost custody of her and is staying with us now.”

“So you had a nice home and she was just getting left to her own devices was it?” Indigo asked.

“I was living in my own apartment,” Sunset informed her. “When I thought I’d hit rock bottom I was rudely informed that yes, there is indeed always one more step further down. My apartment got trashed and I got locked out on the coldest night of the year. It never occurred to me to go back and ask Lofty to let me come home. I headed to the same bridge where I’d presumably died several years previously.”

“Damn,” Indigo said softly.

“Dusty somehow managed to show up right when I needed to be rescued from my own despair and the side of that bridge,” Sunset informed them. “And after they got me thawed out he had a pretty good argument as to why I should give him a chance. You see, I flat out told him I wasn’t his daughter. His two main points, the universe doesn’t care, and if for the sake of argument that he is my father, we’d still be strangers with a lot of catching up to do.  

“The thing is, all this time they’d all been helping me without my even knowing they were doing it. Sure I thought I was independent but the reality is that I was just being naive.  

“If Dusty had missed me that night, they would have all been affected. They all would have felt the loss.” The table was quiet. “He, Lofty, Holiday, and even Scootaloo wants to support me. Ya, Scootaloo screwed up big time, but she wants to make up for it. Twilight, I’ve found my family. Real family. Not a bunch of fair-weather friends who ditch me the moment trouble starts. No, don’t say it. You saw how I was getting sidelined when the Dazzlings were at Canterlot High.”  

Twilight had to think for just a moment, and then replied, “I saw what they did to your books. I’m glad that you’ve found your family.” She still had her reservations but there was only so much she could say in front of others.
> Chapter 8: Magic class
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset, Princess Twilight, and Sugarcoat were soon in search of the path less traveled following lunch. Though to be more accurate, Sugarcoat was just tagging along.

“So, were you going to show us the way?” Sunset asked as they made their way past the dormitories.

“No.”

“No?” Twilight asked.

“Rule is you have to find the path on your own. If you can’t see it, you can’t attend the class. It’s how they weed out entitled snobs who think they have the right to do whatever they want just because mommy and daddy paid their way into the school.”

“Even if they can do magic?” Sunset asked.

“Especially if they can use magic. There are spells hiding the path designed to weed out people who can’t do magic and those who are lacking in maturity or overly aggressive. No one wants to teach magic to someone who will turn around and use it as a weapon.”

“Probably a good thing I didn’t have to worry about anything like that,” Sunset mused sarcastically.

“Sunset, it’s entirely possible you were intended to be a weapon against the Night Mare, only our mentor had emphasized academics over what we really needed to accomplish that task. I know that now,” Twilight offered. “When I think about it I was just so incredibly lucky that everything worked out.”

“Sugarcoat, what if someone who can’t do magic finds the conservatory and wants to learn?” Sunset asked as she thought about what Twilight had just said. Twilight had indeed been incredibly lucky. Lucky she’d found true friends.

“People who can’t do magic aren’t going to find it short of their willpower is greater than the enchantments keeping mundanes away,” Sugarcoat offered even as Sunset stopped walking.

“Sunset? Ah, it’s a crossroad. I must confess I nearly missed it,” Twilight admitted.

“Perhaps some acclimatization is required,” Sunset mused. “Though to be honest it’s a hard path to spot even without magic concealing it.”

“It’s the road less traveled,” Sugarcoat offered. The path wasn’t exactly cleared and it was marked primarily by a string of footprints in the snow that lead back into what looked like a thicket. “And yes, it is kind of hard to spot.”

“Well then, shall we?” Sunset offered while gesturing towards the path.

“Let's do,” Twilight replied and stepped onto the path. She was followed by Sunset and then Sugarcoat.

The path meandered through some heavy undergrowth below large trees and then opened onto a clearing in which was a large greenhouse with an old community center on the back.

“So is there a secret to getting in?” Twilight asked.

“Nah, we just go around to the back. We can enter via the greenhouse when the weather is warm, but it’s too cold right now,” Sugarcoat offered.

“Alright,” Twilight replied and let Sugarcoat lead the way now that she was willing to take the lead.

“This place is really nice,” Sunset offered a short time later as they entered the building. While the place had all the ornate decor of the Victorian era. The floor was carpeted in red and gold Persian rugs over a wood inlay floor with geometric patterns, the walls were a mix of brick red and gold painted on with sponges to include geometric borders around the doors, ceiling, and floor. All, presumably hand painted. The doors and door frames were done up in rich mahogany, there were inlaid sunburst patterns in the ceiling from which hung gilded candelabras that looked to be gas lights, but the light that burned was not gas, nor was it electric.  

“Is that a spell? I mean the lights,” Twilight asked. “How is that done?”

“If you look closely you’ll see a small crystal,” Sugarcoat offered. “The actual enchantment is in the pipe directly below. I’m to understand that not only do they provide light, they also incorporate a spell that negates discordant magic. Quite useful in a school full of students just learning. Should anyone get a spell horribly wrong it will immediately be negated.”

“That is so awesome,” Twilight said in a hushed tone.

“Maybe we’d better get going before she tries to climb up there and dismantle it to see how it works,” Sunset teased.

“Oh, hi…” Zachary offered as he and his three friends enter the front door. “Ah, Princess Twilight, sorry about earlier.”

“I’m surprised no one else even noticed. Names Beau, Tom Beau. That is, you are nothing like our school’s Twilight Sparkle.”

“But she looks exactly the same,” Sunset offered. “Well, sort of.”

“Close enough that no one who doesn’t really know our Twilight would see the difference. But there are some big differences. Like how this Twilight presents herself, she’s confidant and outgoing while our Twilight is all closed up and shy around others.” he shifted his attention to Twilight, “Name’s James Knight. Are you really a princess?”

“Yes, I kind of am, only I’m actually from a place called Equestria.”

“It exists?” Zachary asked. “I mean, I thought it was like the legendary Akkadia where can be found unicorns and pegasi.”

“It does exist,” Sunset offered with a smile. “Perhaps we’ll take you there someday, just…”

“Don’t say anything about it to anyone,” Twilight admonished. “Seems the government here already knows far more than I’m comfortable with. Part of why I’m here. I needed to let Sunset know that the way in will be closed.”

“Closed?” Sunset asked.

“You’ll need to let us know when you will be ready to come over for a visit. No visitors without prior approval, and there will be guards. Take a page out of your book with you, and take the whole book if for whatever reason you should decide it is no longer safe here. We’ve also moved our end of the gateway to a secure location and erected an iris.”

“You know, that sounds suspiciously like a Star Gate,” James mused.

“I suppose in a way, that would be one way to describe it,” Sunset admitted. “Now, class?”

“We are in the Blue Room,” Sugarcoat offered. “Which you don’t know the location of. Come on.”





The blue room was so named because of the blue and gold vintage geometric drop pattern wallpaper and blue panels in the ceiling. Dividing the blue panels in the ceiling were gilded frames with ornate Celtic knotwork done in crimson red. Within were rows of tables and chairs all facing the front where a large whiteboard was located. When a computer, and projector on the ceiling were included the place looked very much like a fairly normal classroom setting. Several students were already there as well. Each gave Twilight and Sunset a rather curious look.

“Both the electronics and the building are shielded,” Zachary informed them. “Thaumaturgic energy scrambles electronics. Not to mention we wouldn't want to get too much attention.”

“Entirely understandable,” Twilight offered. “Where should I sit?”

“Princess, Sunset, it’s so good of you two to come,” Ms Swan offered as she entered the classroom. “My full name is Fenella Swan Silverwood if you need to ask for me in the future. Most just know me as Ms Swan though. This afternoon we’ll be starting with the written test and then we will begin the Practical Exam following a break.”

“May I challenge the test?” Sunset asked hopefully.  

“Ah, I was rather hoping you’d ask,” Ms Swan replied cheerfully. “Everyone take your seats.”

“Why’s Twilight here?” whispered a girl who looked a bit like a punk version of Starlight Glimmer as she entered the class.  

“Seats please,” Ms Swan prompted. “Sunset, Princess, there are empty seats in the back, but if I can have you come forward, I’d like to introduce you to the class if I may?”

“Alright,” Twilight offered tentatively.

“Not like I was going to avoid this forever,” Sunset added as the two went forward.

It wasn’t a large class, and the familiar faces in the group probably only helped fuel Sunset’s apprehension. If Twilight was nervous, she didn’t show it. If anything the whole notion that magic did indeed exist in this world had her overloaded. The two waited while everyone was seated.  

“Before we get started we’ve got a new student and a surprise guest who’s going to sit in on the class and observe,” Ms Swan offered. “First off, we have Sunset Shimmer, and Sunset, I’ve something for you…” Ms Swan went over to a cabinet, opened it, and pulled out a small long thin box that was perhaps a foot long. She offered it to Sunset who took hold of the box, though she wasn’t entirely sure why Ms Swan was giving it to her. “Go on, open it, and let's see if it fits.”

“Fits?” Sunset asked curiously, redirected her focus to the box, and gingerly removed the top. Inside was a stick with an ornately carved handle portion at one end. No, make that a wand. It had a rich yellow gold-tone with dark highlights around the carved areas.

“Sunset?” Twilight asked as Philomena popped into the room, glided around in a spiral, and alighted on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Coastal Live Oak and I’m to understand that Philomena donated a feather for the core,” Ms Swan informed Sunset and the class. “Ten and a half inches.”  

Sunset gingerly extracted the wand from the box, gripped the handle portion, gave it an experimental wave, and channeled a little manna into it. It immediately began to glow a rich golden color.

“Sunset?” Twilight said as she looked on in astonishment. The look of childlike delight and wonderment on Sunset’s face spoke volumes.

“Looks like we guessed right,” Ms Swan announced.  

“I can do magic again,” Sunset said breathlessly as the sunlight glow began to envelop various objects. “Twilight, can’t you see? The only reason I couldn't do magic is that I had no way to focus my manna flow. If I’d only known… all this time. Why was I allowed to, why did no one come and tell me about all this?”

“One, Grandmother ordered us not to interfere unless absolutely necessary, and two, you were an unknown in regards to your academics with no records when you first showed up in Canterlot City. Principle Cinch would never have approved your enrollment even with my family’s influence.”

“So, how do I get one of those?” Twilight asked as she fixated on the wand. Her interest had definitely been piqued.  

“Ah, grandmother had said you might come calling,” Ms Swan mused as Sunset set down the items she’d been levitating. “And for those of you who haven't figured it out, this young woman is not the same Twilight Sparkle we all know.”

“Hi,” Twilight said with a smile to the class. “I will have to say I never expected this.”

“We are accustomed to a form of wandless magic,” Sunset offered, bending the truth just a wee bit. “The place I grew up was saturated with magic and pretty much everyone could use some form of magic. Just, the thing is I kind of told people I didn’t remember where I’d been because, well, they’d have thought it all a delirium anyway. I honestly don’t remember anything beyond vague recollections of my father prior to being pulled out of a river. And, well, to be honest, I didn’t even know or let's say, remember anything about Eques Island until recently when the Interpol profile came up at the police station a few days ago. When I first arrived here I just assumed there was no magic. I had no way to access magic, and just reasoned I would have to live without it.”

“Did you never experience accidental magic?” One of the girls in the class asked.

“I’d say we both did, but it was Equestria,” Twilight offered.

“By the time I’d found myself here in this community, I already knew how to control my magic,” Sunset explained. “Living in a community where magic is celebrated means not having to hide it.”

“A hidden community similar to the Silverwood community in England not unlike Stormhold. Equestria is part of Akkadia and not part of Akkadia just as Stormhold is part of England and not part of England. A place set aside,” Ms Swan provided. “Allow me to introduce you to Princess Twilight Sparkle. Yes, I know, she is a near-identical double for the Twilight Sparkle who goes to this school, but rest assured that she is a completely different person.”

“I’d have to say my biggest incident was the time I turned my parents into potted plants,” Twilight offered.

“I’ve had so many,” Sunset said softly.

“Well, for what it’s worth, the time you tried to use my crown and lost control is looking a lot like you’d been subtly manipulated,” Twilight offered while hoping to console Sunset.

“I’m not so sure that helps. It kind of suggests that deep down I wanted to do the things I did.”

“Perhaps, but when you think about it, it’s kind of like you made those decisions after one loco weed too many,” Twilight offered, hoping to reassure Sunset.

“We’ve all heard rumors about what happened at the dance, care to share?” Sugarcoat prompted.

“For whatever reason, I got it into my head to help myself to a magical artifact that belongs to Princess Twilight,” Sunset explained. “A crown that amplifies magical energy, a very special form of magical energy generated by friendship. Her crown is also soul-bound. Which, is, something I should have taken into consideration, but didn’t for some reason. Long story short, I went full Karen, got it into my head that I could overthrow the government of Equestria with zombified high school kids, and Twilight orchestrated a well-deserved attitude adjustment. Officially, it was a gas explosion.”

“And the fact the government seems to know what happened concerns me considerably,” Twilight stated. “They also seem to have gained an Equestrian artifact that was being used to manipulate people in the process.”

“I don’t think you need to worry too much,” Ms Swan offered. “The thing is, the government, or I should say, certain elements within the government, worry about how the general population might react if they knew magic was real. Far too many kooks among the non-magical. And I probably don’t need to tell you that the whole Anon-a-Miss incident got a lot of feathers ruffled. Especially in that a good deal of those posts were technically violating the Secrecy Act. Magic doesn’t ‘officially’ exist.”

“Hello?” Asked a man as he poked his head in the door. “Twilight? I’d heard she was here, but I didn’t think she had any magic?”

“Mr Specter, This is Princess Sparkle, she’s from Eques and popped in to see how Sunset was doing,” Ms Swan informed him. “Our Miss Twilight is either doing a test or has retreated to her lab.”

“I – I see. Princess … wow, they are nearly identical, except, oh yes, I can see that there is indeed a noticeable difference.”

“Is he looking at my udders?” Twilight asked Sunset. Several of the students gave Twilight a wide-eyed look of shock while Sunset facepalmed.

“Of course he is, he’s a man,” Sunset returned in a dry tone.

“What? No, it’s not like that!? She’s taller,” he objected. “Princess it’s how you carry yourself that sets you apart from our Miss Twilight. Right, I’d best get back to my class,” and with that, he backed out and closed the door.

“Oh, he totally was,” Sugarcoat accused.  

“Oh, and Twilight, the correct Terran term is breasts, or you can say boobs if you like,” Sunset corrected.

“I see,” Twilight mused.

“Saying utters is a bit crass,” Sunset admonished.

“Oh, I see. Curious how they switch locations and are so much bigger here.”

“Moving right along,” Ms Swan stated while ignoring the now quizzical looks her students were sending towards Twilight. “Princess, we might have a wand that may be suited to you if you’d like to give it a go?”

“May I?”

“I don’t see why not, Sunset, perhaps if you can pass out the exam papers, we still have a test to take,” Ms Swan offered. “They are in my desk. Top drawer.”

“Alright,” Sunset replied and walked over to the instructor's desk while Ms Swan started pulling out various wands and having Twilight give each a try.  

“Oh, hang on, Sunset, I nearly forgot, the desk is probably locked,” Ms Swan announced as she turned back around to face Sunset.

“I’m good,” Sunset replied with a stack of catalog envelopes each well-filled. “I’m assuming these are the tests?”  

“Yes, of course. Everyone gets an individualized test. Not everyone is studying the same things so the tests are adjusted accordingly,” Miss Swan explain. She was also just a bit concerned in regards in that the desk apparently hadn’t been locked. The envelopes were still sealed; nothing to worry about.

Each envelope had a name on it so Sunset, began calling out names, “Apple, Zachary. Beau, Tom.” With each name, the individual would raise their hand and Sunset handed the packet with their name on it. “Glaze, Sugarcoat… Oh right, here you go.  Glimmer, Star… Starlight?”

“Starlight?” Twilight asked turning to see a girl dressed in goth punk wearing a leather jacket with an equal patch on her right pocket sitting in the back of the class.

“My exam?” Starlight prompted.

“Right, right, sorry,” Sunset offered and handed over the packet, and Twilight went back to looking at the wands. “Itsumi, Mario. Knight, James. Moon, Serena. Moonbow, Isabella…”

“Hi new friend,” Offered a cheerful girl up in the front row.

“Rusco, Nadya. Shinobi, Midori… Midori?”

“Behind the potted fern,” Ms Swan offered. “It’s her thing.”

“Right… moving right along,” Sunset drolled. She had a big smile on her face though. “Star, Amethyst… And that leaves me with one that has my name on it.”

“Ah…” Twilight said in soft astonishment as she held a wand aloft. Ms Swan had had Twilight try a variety of Ash, Oak, Birch, and even Amarecan Aspen. All were light-colored woods. The one Twilight now had was stained a deep rich red that complemented the color of the large star on her cutie mark. The wand was alight with Twilight’s magical aura which nearly made it look as though the wand was a hot poker.  

“Princess, it does look like you’ve found a match. Which is that?”

“There’s a note that says ‘Wild Amarecan Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)’ with a core of ... Alicorn hair. Oh my. I wonder if it’s anyone I know?”

Ms Swan leaned in and whispered, “Might be my Grandmother.” She backed away before Twilight could ask any questions and retrieved a book which she offered to Twilight. “It’s a study on wand design and alternative foci used for harnessing and focusing magic. I think you might enjoy reading that while everyone is busy. It’s often said that the wand chooses the owner but the truth is that the wand core needs to be tuned to the individual’s core magic.” She redirected her attention to the class, noted that Sunset was now seated. “Put everything away with the exception of your test packet and pencils.”  

Twilight found her way to an open desk in the back and sat down to read while everyone else got ready for their test.

“You may get out your test now and set it in front of you, do not begin. … Are we all ready? Write your name on the top of the test booklet. You won’t get credit if I have to guess at who’s test it is?”

“But, didn’t you say we all got personalized tests?” Sugarcoat asked.

“I wasn’t the one who prepared them. Your tests were prepared at Ilvermorny based on the course of study each of you has been perusing. As I’m sure you are all aware, our classes are part of a pilot program that allows students to stay in their own communities, and it’s to make sure you are up to their standards. The only exception is Ms Shimmer who has received a general aptitude battery. Some of you will probably go on to Ilvermorny, and some of you will, if you are really good, get the opportunity to attend the Akkadian School of Arcane Technology, and no, Mr Apple, you do not get a free pass just because you call Eques home.”

“Yes mam,” Zachary replied with a smirk. “May we start?”

“Yes, you may start.”
> Chapter 9: Ponies revealed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ms Swan,” Twilight pressed the first chance she’d gotten after the test had ended. The written exam was done and everyone was wandering about stretching their legs.

“How can I help you?”

Twilight held up the wand, her wand. “Grandmother?”

“Nova Moon Silverwood, Princess of Hope,” Ms Swan offered.

“Princess Hope?” Sunset asked. “I remember a Princess Hope. Only her name was Ki something, Nova Moon. Showed up in Canterlot in Equestria when I was still a little filly. I’m going to assume you know about Canterlot Equestria?”

“Oh yes, I’m actually a pegasus myself. A large percentage of the English pegasi are descended from the survivors of Nightfall, and not descended from the Greek line of Pegasi who tend to be a bit on the dumb side for some reason despite having shared ancestry. Though I suspect it’s because they allowed themselves to be domesticated early on.”

“Hang on, how…?” Twilight was about to ask how Ms Swan knew she was a pegasus when Ms Swan pitched forward and transformed into a beautiful black pegasus.

“How?” Both Twilight and Sunset asked in astonishment having completely forgotten what they'd been talking about. A moment later Isabela had glomped their teacher.

“Izzy, leave Ms Swan alone. Honestly, what am I to do with you?” Goth Starlight scolded, pried loose Isabella, and drug her off.

“Does that every time,” Ms Swan informed Sunset and Twilight as she transformed back into human form.  

“How did you do that?” Sunset pressed.

“The basic form is fairly easy, but there is a caution to it, a couple actually. Do it wrong and you’ll anthropomorphize yourself, and quite possibly get stuck that way. The second is that the basic form changes only the body. It’s an animorphous ability available to most native Equestrians on Earth, if they’ve got a knack, and requires a secondary spell to properly displace clothing. And as such, people with Akkadian-Equestrian ancestry are not required to register as an Animagious for a pony form.”

“I think I can manage the clothes. I’m not exactly a beginner in the use of magic.”

“Considering how well you plowed through that test, I don’t doubt it,” Ms Swan mused.

“To be fair it kind of kicked my flank; what with no preparation and over three years of not studying any magic.”

“But you still managed to do it, and yes I took a few peeks at what you were doing. What I saw looked good. As for how to do the transformation what you do is reach down inside yourself, find that other self, pull that individual forward and be the pony, or human if you are going from pony form.”

“You going to give it a try?” Twilight asked only to be delighted by the emergence of a fiery maned unicorn where Sunset had been a moment before.

“Unicorn!” Isabella shouted. More of a battle cry, really. A moment later she’d glomped Sunset.

“Izzy!?” Starlight protested as she raced after her friend. “Aw come on, you can hug me anytime you want.”

“But you can’t turn into a pony.”

“Miss Moonbow, do try to show some restraint,” Ms Swan scolded. “Sunset, are you alright? You look pained.”  

“I missed this me so much,” Sunset responded quietly.  

“Just be careful about where and when you do transform yourself,” Ms Swan cautioned as Sunset transformed back to her human self.

“Izzy, you can let go now,” Sunset requested.

“And you even managed the clothing exchange, I’d say you are doing really good,” Ms Swan praised as Starlight dragged her friend off again.

“Twilight, why don’t you give it a try?” Sunset suggested. “Might simplify things too.”

“How’s that?” Twilight asked.

“I can have Philomina take you home. No having to smuggle you out that way.”

“Why would I need to be smuggled out?”

“Dean Cadence,” Ms Swan informed her. “She’ll be on the lookout for our Twilight to take her home.”

“Ah, yes, that could be problematic. But why would transforming best facilitate Philomena taking me home?”

“I’d asked Philomina to fetch my sister, and she brought me pony Scootaloo,” Sunset explained.

“Ah, that would simplify things immensely if she can take me straight home, and I don’t have to worry about cutting you off from access.”

“Pardon?” Sunset prompted wondering why Twilight was worried about cutting her off from home?”

“Hang on, Scootaloo, pony Scootaloo?”

“We talking another double?” Ms Swan asked.

“It’s a peculiarity to where I live,” Twilight offered. “Sunset, I’m thinking of moving the door. I’m not happy knowing the government here might know where it is, and to be honest, it’s in a rather exposed location. Which is something else I needed to talk to you about.”

“If you feel that moving it would be the best course of action, then, by all means, move it.”

“Right now, I don’t even know how to go about doing it.”

“If I remember correctly it has something to do with the crystalline structure,” Sunset offered in a hushed tone having realized that their conversation would undoubtedly be overheard. “Why I threatened to smash it.”

“We aren’t talking about a normal door, I gather?” Ms Swan prompted.

“Well,” Twilight had to think for a moment. Ms Swan did seem a trustworthy person, not just a person, but a pony as well. “The portal to our Equestria.”

“Ah, I am aware that there is a portal somewhere here in Canterlot city. Kind of have a rough idea where it might be but don’t know the exact location. I suspect that Grandmother put a spell on it to keep people from finding it, or accidentally falling through.”

“Ah… It had occurred to me that given the law of probabilities I really should have had some unannounced guests,” Twilight observed. “But then again, that’s going to make moving it that much more problematic.”

“Afraid I don’t know what to tell you,” Ms Swan offered. “Grandmother tried to show me the computations behind creating a portal, but it’s way over my head.”

“A portal is formed in much the same way as a teleport, reversing the polarity of the neutron flow thus creating a negative gravitational displacement within the space-time matrix which causes a vortex to form thus sucking the traveler through hyperspace and with luck and training spits them out where they want to go,” Sunset offered. “Unlike a teleport which is one way and only needs to be held for the duration of travel a portal is especially difficult because it must be stable and allow two way… travel.”

“Nope, she’s glazed over already,” Twilight offered with a grin.

“Wow. I hadn’t even gotten into gravimetric computations and particle dynamics yet,” Sunset replied as she too formed a smile on her face.

“Ya, she’s a bit like that,” Zachary offered as he joined the group. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a good teacher, she just has issues with that college-level stuff.”

“Any chance you can snap her out of it?” Asked Starlight. “It’s time to start the practicals.”

“What? Oh hay, time to start the practicals,” Ms Swan announced.

“Before you start, let me see if I can manage that transformation,” Twilight suggested.

“Oh yes, by all means,” Ms Swan offered, and a moment later they’d an alicorn in their midst complete with saddlebags that had previously been a backpack.  

Glimmer somehow managed to restrain Izzy as well.

“Sunset, I’d say this is going to be a game-changer. We’ll be able to use our abilities to their fullest, plus go back and forth without having to worry about being tracked,” Twilight announced. “Listen, as much as I’d love to stay, there is something I want to check up on.”

“Princess, if you’d like to take the book I loaned you, go right ahead. Just be warned that if you attempt to deconstruct your wand it may never work again,” Ms Swan offered.

“Understood,” Twilight replied and levitated the book to herself. She dropped it into her saddlebag and was delighted to find her wand in the bag. Also inside was a pen and a small two-way diary which she made a quick notation in. “Well, I should probably get going. Philomina?”

“Philomena, if you could be a dear and take Twi… Princess Twilight home?” Sunset asked. Philomina made an agreeable chirp, flew over to Twilight, landed on her, spread her wings, and then vanished in a bright flash.

“Ponies!” Izzy proclaimed. “You are ponies. That’s what Twilight meant about the boobs shifting locations. You are ponies that can turn into humans and not the other way around.”

“Ah…” Ms Swan started.

“Let’s just say for the sake of argument that it’s true, is that going to be a problem?” Sunset asked cautiously.

“I’d say it’s awesome,” Starlight offered. “I mean, that’s got to be about the most anti-establishment thing ever.”

“The Pure Bloods over in England would have fits if they knew,” Zachary added. “Non-humans who can do magic better than they can. And Izzy, that is something we kind of need to keep quiet. The last thing we want is to give them an excuse to start another clenching. That’s what got my family killed.”

“Don’t you mean cleansing?” Starlight asked.

“Maybe,” Zachary replied with a smile.

“My lips are sealed,” Izzy offered and pulled a hand across her mouth like she was zipping up her lips.

“Afraid that was a whole section of the test I wasn’t able to answer any questions on,” Sunset admitted. “There’s a lot of history I’m afraid I’m ignorant of. What even is ethnic cleansing? I'm familiar with speciesism, but you are all the same species... are you not?”

“The non-magical text calls it forced deportation or population transfer. Attempts to clear whole populations via mass murder are known as genocide. Nearly every nation teaches about the Holocaust perpetrated by the Germans, while unarguably the worst atrocity in recent history, no one likes to admit that people were being targeted because of skin tone or background in their own country," Ms Swan began. "When they do they’ll say things like Wounded Knee was a battle despite all evidence that it was, in fact, a one-sided massacre. Or they excuse the use of Internment camps to lock up their own citizens because of national security concerns. And don’t even get me started on the atrocities perpetrated in the Southern states just because of skin color. Tulsa massacre, May 31, 1921. Rosewood Massacre, Jan. 1, 1923.” She had to stop and take a deep breath knowing full well Sunset had no way of knowing. "Violence just permeates this world. Thinking off the top of my head; the Philadelphia Police Bombed the home of a radical group on May 13, 1985. The fire that broke out after the bombing destroyed sixty-five homes leaving over two hundred people homeless. The history of this world is just full of atrocities. Human on human. The Magical community likes to pretend human on human acts of wanton violence never happened because it upsets the people who like to pull the strings and watch us all dance."

“Because of skin color?” Sunset asked astonished. The very idea honestly befuddled her. After all, ponies came in every color of the rainbow, and Canterlot high, despite its shortcomings, was a fairly cosmopolitan mix of people. To arbitrarily pick out one color or range of colors was truly a foreign, even alien, concept to her. Worse yet was the idea, the horrible possibility that the real reason she'd been targeted was because of her cultural differences. After all, she hadn't been able to grow up in Canterlot City as a small child and every community had its subtle little quirks that outsiders simply wouldn't have. Plus there was the fact that any time someone wanted to know where she came from she'd be forced to find ways to redirect such questions simply because she didn't dare tell anyone about Equestria.  Even if this was her homeworld, Sunset was still a foreigner in a foreign land.

"Oh, afraid it's a little more complicated than that, and it's not just skin color. Racial purity, ethnicity, religion, social class, even an individual's preferences in who they'd like to have as their special some pony or how a person presents themselves can get an individual or group of individuals targeted for violence." 

"I, I hadn't known," Sunset said softly. "It makes no sense?"

"You are absolutely right. It makes no sense. It's a sickness," Starlight confirmed. "But we, we will fix it. We will make this a better world a little at a time."


That afternoon Sunset would have quite a lot to think about while everyone in the class made their end-of-quarter demonstrations.
> Chapter 10: Twilight does some fact-finding.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for Princess Twilight, she’d found herself deposited in her old room in Canterlot Castle by Philomina on transporting from Canterlot City where Sunset lived.  

“I see we need to specify home,” Twilight mused. “Thank you Philomina, I needed to go to Canterlot anyway.”

Philomina popped out just as a guard rushed the door.

“Princess Twilight?”

“Sorry, I got dropped by Phoenix Post,” Twilight offered with a grin. “Is it time for Tea yet?”

“Couple hours yet, Ma’am.”

“Right then, shouldn't take that long,” Twilight mused. “I need to run down to the family registry to check on something.”

“Ma’am.”



For twilight finding what she wanted didn’t take any more time than it took to get down to the registry and look up the information. Sure enough, Sunset and Scootaloo had the same mother. Different fathers though, and that required a quick trip over to the Canterlot Museum of Natural History.

“Where can I find Snap Shutter?” Twilight asked of the ponies at the ticket desk.

“Mam, you need to wait in line,” a receptionist admonished.

“I am not here to tour the museum, I’m here to see Snap Shutter. Is he in? I’m under the understanding that he’s one of the naturalists on staff? It’s kind of important.”

“Idiot, that’s Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Hissed one of the other ticket sellers.

“Oh, I do beg your pardon. Let me just call and see if any pony has seen him.”

Twilight was met by the Museum director a short time later and together they found Snap back in the archives a short time later.

“Princess Twilight, to what do I owe the honor?” snap asked.

“Director, if you could give us a little time? Afraid it’s a confidential matter.”

“Scootaloo hasn’t been filling your head full of tails about a bipedal sister, has she?” Snap asked sounding both concerned and annoyed.

“To be honest, I was just talking to her sister. It’s a spell that allows a pony to take on another form. Something it’s used for deep cover and sometimes in witness relocation.” Twilight had to tell herself that it’s not a little white lie if it’s technically true. After all, there was a spell that allowed ponies to turn into humans embedded in the portal. “And yes, a Phoenix can transport a pony to other locations. I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Pippin Apple and Dusk Shimmer?”

“Ah, then it wasn’t some delirium brought on by a bad dream.”

“If this is a personal matter, I’ll just step a few paces away,” the director offered and backed away a few paces, turned, and went to the other end of the stacks.

“Well, never thought that one would ever come home to roost,” Snap offered. “Yes, I knew them, and I knew they were married. Dusk was never around, and I had an affair with Pippin. She needed some pony in her life. She got pregnant, and I asked her to get a divorce and marry me.”

“Which I gather you did. At least that’s what’s in the records. How did Mr Shimmer take it?”

“To be honest he didn’t find out until after Pippin had been killed. He wasn’t too terribly surprised that Pippin divorced him. At least when I have a field assignment my spouse can go with me.”

“And not Scootaloo?”

“Scootaloo? She’d be bored out of her mind. Fieldwork isn’t how they depict it in the movies. Anyway, Dusk couldn't believe Pippin would cut the line, I’m assuming you already know about what happened.”

“I do, and evidence would suggest that the only reason any pony was after her was that her mother had unwittingly put a price on her head.”

“Based on what Dusk and I found out, that wasn’t the reason at all. Someone wanted Pippin to get to Dusk. Maggie Smith’s inquiries were just a convenient way to mask their activities. Whoever it was, they either wanted to compromise him or just get some payback, we were never really quite sure. Last I saw him he’d sworn to find out who was pulling the strings and put an end to them.”

“If you could, would you tell that to Granny Smith?” Twilight asked.

“Granny, why Granny?”

“Granny is Maggie Smith, Pippin’s mother. I gather Pippin never talked about who her family was. Let Granny know it wasn’t her fault. Despite what that Mr Coultson may have told her.”  

“It’s true that Pippin never talked much about her family. I gather she’d cut all ties and her mother wasn't happy about Pippin’s life choices. I must confess I hadn’t connected Granny being Maggie Smith. And Granny may well have compromised Pippin, but no, what happened was not her fault.  

“I’ll tell her. Afraid I’m not in town very often though. I mean, actually in town when it matters. I get in late and leave to catch the first train in the morning. I married Mane Allgood, and we’ve tried to do right by Scootaloo, but our work… She’ll be out the door shortly after I’ve gone. She catches the seven-twenty. That commute eats up a lot of our free time.”

“I understand,” Twilight paused a moment. “You know, if you wanted to do a survey out at the site of the castle of the Two sisters I might be able to get you permission. It’d be something Scootaloo could participate in and be home in time for dinner.”

“Did I hear something about doing a survey out at the Castle of the Two Sisters?” Asked the director. He’d closed a good two-thirds of the distance between them.

“Yes, and in return, Mr Shutter, I want you to spend more time with Scootaloo. She needs her father. She’ll be an adult before you know it. Don’t miss out on what’s left of her foal hood.”

“You aren’t going to ask why I didn’t take in Sunset?”

“The thought had occurred to me.”

“Sunset had been with Pip. She’d been pulled out of the water by a pegasus guard and delivered to Foal Protective Services. I’m to understand she’d been really distraught and had a very potent incident. Shortly after she was taken by Princess Celestia herself. I made inquiries and was told that it’d be best if she stay with Princess Celestia and that seeing me might be too much for her to take.”

“And shortly thereafter she was adopted by the Platinum family.”

“That happened shortly after Dusty was declared missing presumed dead. I had no legal claim I was told as she wasn’t my filly. She was Dusty’s filly.”

“I see.” Twilight was astonished. Was Equestrian law actually written like that or had it been a Platinum power-play to control Sunset? Twilight had a mind to ask some rather pointed questions of Princess Celestia, but as closed-lipped as Celestia was being about the subject, figured it’d be pointless.  







Prince Reynard




Twilight returned to Canterlot Castle in plenty of time for tea. A Luncheon to be exact.

“So, Twilight, what brings you to Canterlot?” Celestia inquired.  

“Oh, the usual, friendship problems,” Twilight offered. “Princess Celestia…”

“Twilight, you know you can call me by my name.”

“Yes, sorry. Celestia, I was just thinking that it might be a good idea to get a survey of the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

“Did you now? By any chance does this have anything to do with Sunset Shimmer?”

“In a roundabout way, it does. Turns out Scootaloo is Sunset’s sister.”

“Little Scootaloo?”

“Her father and adoptive mother are naturalists at the Canterlot Museum of Natural History.  If we allow them to do the survey it will give Scootaloo’s parents an opportunity to spend a little more time with her.”

“And what does this have to do with Dusk Shimmer?”

“Nothing really. Other than it turns out Sunset and Scootaloo have the same mother. Different fathers though.”

“I recall reading a report about the incident that took Mrs Pippin Apple Shimmer’s life,” Offered a mostly white stallion across the table from Twilight. He’d a dark blue almost ashen mane with a shock of sky blue on the left. His legs were a mismatched dark coloration and he’d the most fox-like dark blue tail with a white tip. And he was definitely an Earth pony despite his somehow managing to use magic like a unicorn.

“Oh, Twilight, allow me to introduce to you, Ambassador Reynard. Prince, Princess Twilight,” Celestia offered.

“Sorry if I intruded.”

“That’s quite alright, but?” Twilight inquired.

“Why would I be reading such a report, you mean?” Reynard offered. “It has to do with intelligence matters and personal matters. As the Ambassador to Canterlot, I need to know about the various comings and goings of ponies of interest to the intelligence community. And Dusty Shimmer was definitely a pony of interest.”

“I had no idea?” Celestia admitted.  

“Quite possibly because the Case of Pippin Apple who went over Canterlot falls all those years ago left far too many questions unanswered, and ponies don’t like to worry you with such matters.”

“I… see.”

“The official account was that Pippin cut the line to get away from her pursuers.”

“Yes, I’ve seen the reports,” Twilight confirmed.  

“Dusty was also a pony known to me personally. He grew up in Rusco River, my hometown.”

“I’ve talked to one person who said that Dusty had suspected foul play,” Twilight informed him.

“There were a number of discrepancies in the eyewitness reports. But then again that sort of thing is to be expected. Eye witness accounts tend to vary depending on what the individual focused on. I’m to understand that many didn’t actually see the line get cut, and if they were indeed watching Pippin, that’s telling in of itself. It’s been ten years now so if you were thinking of reopening the case I wish you good luck.”

“Let’s just say that I’m just doing a little fact-finding,” Twilight suggested. “Did you know him well?”

“I did. He was brilliant, energetic, eager, and every pony would say that if any stallion could become an Alicorn, it’d be him.”

“He was that impressive, was he?” Celestia asked.

“Indeed he was. I just wish I knew what became of him.”

“It is a mystery. I made some inquiries only to find out that no one knows what became of him. It’s like he simply vanished.”

“It is a mystery.”

“Speaking of mysteries, by any chance do you know anything about a Princess of Hope?”

“Twilight?” Celestia asked with just a hint of a cautionary tone.

“Something tells me Princess Hope may be a hazardous topic,” Reynard said softly.

“Ah, I’ve read about her,” Prince Blueblood offered up. He was his usual oblivious self. Or so he seemed. “Princess Hope, Queen of the Sky, Steward of Arcadia. Also answered to Ensign Nova Moon, Kitsumi Nova Moon, daughter of Princess Luna Moon. Daughter of the Nightmare.”

“As my sister has indicated no recollection of having had a daughter, I think this a topic best left undiscussed. Or at the very least, tabled until such time as would be appropriate.”

“I’m to understand that a crown belonging to my family had been given to her by my Uncle for a Nightmare Night celebration,” Blueblood pressed. “And then she up and takes off with it.”

“Prince, it was given to her. As in hers to keep. Sunset Shimmer is technically your cousin.” Celestia corrected. “That same crown had been extremely dangerous until it’d been purified by a happy accident.”

“Purified?” Twilight asked.

“A curse placed on it by King Sombra,” Celestia admitted. And then perhaps hoping to turn the conversation away from Nova added, “It was little Sunset who’d managed it. She’d only recently become my student. It seems like such a long time ago. She was ahead of you by quite a bit and would have finished school around the same time you started. She’d managed to activate another arcane device that flooded the castle with a pulse of harmony magic.”

“Harmony Magic?” Twilight pressed.

“Harmony Magic. Princess Hope carried with her elements of harmony, but not the elements from the tree. Indeed I questioned that myself. She explained that the elements are in our hearts, not the stones. The stones are little more than a focus and amplifier. When Sunset took your crown from you, she could not control the magic because that which was needed was not yet fully realized.”

“And when she has in her heart that which she had not?” Twilight asked.

“When the spirit of the elements rests in her heart, then on that day she will be able to use the elements.”

“This Nova sounds brilliant,” Reynard offered. “I have got a foster daughter named Nova. Afraid her mother dumped the little filly on me. Said the filly was mine and that I should be the one to take care of her.”

“Is she yours?” Twilight asked.

“Well… To be perfectly honest there is the possibility. Which is why I decided to keep her. That and she’s the absolute cutest little kit. Perhaps you’d like to meet her? Though I should warn you, she’s a unicorn and has more than enough magic to cause trouble. Which she excels at.”

“Now that my curiosity is up, I’d love to meet her. She sounds delightful.”
> Chapter 11: Invitation to Dinner and an unpleasant surprise.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sunset!” Dean Cadance called as Sunset was making her way through the main hall at the end of the school day.

“Dean Cadance, can I help you?”

“It was so good of you to help Twilight today.”

“It was nothing, really,” Sunset pleaded as a feeling of dread come over her.

“Well, it means the world to me and her family. Any chance you could tell me what actually happened that forced Twilight to change out of her uniform in the middle of school?”

“Good luck with that,” Indigo offered as she walked past.  

“Ms Indigo Zap, I believe I need to talk to you as well… Come back here!”

Indigo broke into a run.

“Sunset, Sunset, don’t you run away too?”

“I’m sorry, my dad will be waiting.”

“I’ve already called him, and he will be meeting us at the Sparkle residence for dinner.”

“Great,” Sunset said under her breath.

“What?”

“I said that’d be great, can’t wait.”

“Oh, Twilight, I see you have your uniform back on.”

“But I always put it back on after Physical Education?” Twilight replied. She was understandably confused.

“Care to talk about it?” Cadance pried. “It’s alright, you can tell me.”

“Tell you what? Not like phis-ed is all that difficult.”

“Now’s probably not a good idea,” Sunset admonished hopefully. “Look, if we are going, let’s get going.”

“Sunset and her father will be joining us for dinner tonight.”

“Why?”

“Twilight, I’m going to be your study buddy,” Sunset offered, hoping that would be enough.

“But I don’t need a study buddy,” Twilight protested.

“Well, I do. I just transferred in and you come highly rated as a top tutor. Come on Twilight, I need help, I’m floundering. Seriously though, today’s tests had me saying holy mackerel to myself. Can you blame me for angling for a little kelp - I mean help.”

“But?”

“Come on, the longer we linger the less study time we get.”

“Alright, I guess.”

“Good, then it’s oh-fish-oil.”

“Cod you be any punier,” Twilight offered with a smile.

“When I grow up, I want to be a bass-pro-physicist.” Sunset was hoping Pinkie wouldn't find out she’d stolen some of her best puns.

“What say we get going,” Cadance suggested with a pained look on her face.

“Bass-pro physics,” Twilight repeated with a smile on her face.

“Come on, new friend,” Sunset prompted followed by the two following along with Dean Cadance.

“So, um, your new?” Twilight asked as they headed for the back door.  

“I officially start next quarter, but they are letting me take the tests for this quarter so I can get credit for the end-of-quarter tests without having to go back to my old school.”	

“Where you not able to finish the quarter at your old school?”

“Things got complicated,” Sunset explained hoping Twilight wouldn't ask too many questions.

“Sunset was experiencing a lot of harassment at her school,” Cadance provided knowing full well Twilight would ask too many questions if she didn't intervene. “Probably best not to press the matter.”

“Alright, I understand.” Twilight seemed to close up a little.

“We are going to try to cure Indigo of a certain bad habit,” Sunset offered as they went outside. “She’s not a bad sort, she’s just lacking in social graces.”

“It’s alright. She’s annoying; her I can deal with.”

“Twilight, if you are having problems with anyone you need to let us know.”

“Dean Cadance, It’s not always that simple,” Sunset supplied. “And Twilight, we should hang out more. If the people who are giving you problems see you have friends they’ll back off.”

“Hang out?”

“Yes, have lunch with us tomorrow. Stick around after class.”

“I’m kind of working on what I think might just be a discovery of an as-yet-unnamed energy particle.”

“Oh?” Cadance prompted as the three made their way to the faculty parking.

“It all seems to be coming from Canterlot High.”

“Twilight, you might not want to pursue that study,” Sunset said softly. “And before you object, I was right in the middle of each major incident over there. The first was when I’d gotten ahold of a dangerous artifact. What happened is being explained as a gas explosion.”

“Gas explosion?” Twilight asked astonished. She knew full well there’d been no gas explosion.  

“Afraid so. What really happened is being covered up.”

“Wait, wait, wait… does that mean artifacts are real and not an urban legend?”

“I gather you’ve got a good idea of what actually happened. I’d think twice about trying to submit any studies on anything having anything to do with them. You could probably continue your research, it’s just that you probably aren’t going to be able to do a whole lot with it.”  

The trio stopped by one of the cars.

“Listen, I kind of know someone who could help,” Sunset offered meekly.

“I fear there’s a but, isn’t there?” Twilight asked.

“I’m not supposed to call unless it’s an emergency or I’m ready to go to work for him. He also requested that should I discover any more artifacts I might do best by quietly dealing with them myself.”

“Oh wow,” Twilight said breathlessly. “Wait, you wouldn't be messing with me, would you?”

Sunset decided that instead of trying to say anything Twilight might dispute, she pulled out her smartphone and showed it to her.”

“Where’d you get that? Those aren’t even on the market yet.”

“A special gift,” Sunset replied with a smile.

“Sunset?” Cadance prompted with a car door open.

“My dad is some kind of fancy detective when he’s not being a rodeo star,” Sunset explained, followed by climbing into the car. “After the trouble I had at school, a friend of his decided to give me a phone that is supposed to be hackproof.”

“And the tech is rated secret,” Twilight offered as she too climbed in. “Naturally every computer geek and hacker worth their chips knows about them.”

Cadance climbed into the driver’s seat and a moment later they were on their way.

They’d gone a block and a half when a stone slightly smaller than a balled-up fist came hurling at the windshield, smashing it. Both Cadance and Twilight let out a scream as Cadance slammed on the breaks. Sunset jumped out of the car no more than a moment after it came to rest.

It was Gilda and Garble.

“Gilda!” Sunset shouted even as Crystal Academy students began to converge on the scene. When Gilda and Garble saw several Neriks advancing on them the two decided to make a hasty retreat.  

“Is everyone alright?” inquired a tall dark girl with a magenta mohawk.  

“Twilight?” Cadance inquired frantically.

“I’m alright.”

“Dean Cadance, are you alright?” Sunset asked as she got out her phone and dialed the local emergency number.

“We are OK, just shook up,” Cadance offered, though her voice betrayed how shook up she was.

“Sunset, wasn’t it? Names Fizzlepop. You know those two?”

“Gilda Griffin, and Garble Torch. I fear this is a personal vendetta on their part.”

“I know the name. Gilda has her own little gang, doesn’t she?” Fizzlebop asked.

“She does, and she’s already got the Neriks looking for a little payback. Not to mention-” 

Someone picks up on the other end of the phone. Canterlot Police department, what’s the nature of your emergency. 

“Yes, hello, Gilda Griffin and Garble Torch were just seen a block and a half from Crystal Prep headed south on Sapphire Street. One of them just smashed Dean Cadance’s windshield with a rock. Why? Probably because I was in the car. Those two have multiple warrants out on them. Look, Twilight Sparkle is with us, can you get word to Officer Shining Armor Sparkle, she’s his sister. Everyone is alright, but the car is undrivable thanks to the smashed windshield. We are all OK, just shaken up.”  

It didn’t take long for every patrol car in the area to come screaming down on the location.

“Dad!” Twilight shouted as her father got out of a patrol car. She and Cadance had by then gotten out of the car. She ran to him and gave him a hug.

“Twilight, are you alright?” Nightlight asked the sound of concern in his tone.

“I’m alright. And I seem to have a surprising number of people who are worried about me.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset offered to Officer Sparkle.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. If it’s anyone's fault it’s my own for not bringing those two to justice.”

“Saw the whole thing. Hi, I’m Dentin Rook,” Offered a boy as he stepped up even as more patrol cars showed up. A couple of cars stopped, some officers got out while others drove on by to begin a systematic search. The last to arrive was Dusty. Sunset had called him to let him know what had happened.

“Hi dad,” Sunset offered as Dusty went to check on her.

“I’m a little curious, surely she knows you had nothing to do with that blog by now?” Dusty asked as he gave her a one-armed hug.

“What, Gilda?” Sunset replied. “She did time because of me. Not a whole lot of time but she did time. Granted it was only a couple of nights and community service, but I’m pretty sure she’s connected the dots. That or she’s just stupid that way. It was her ‘first offense’ so the judge went easy on her.”

“Ah, the anonymous tipper,” Officer Sparkle replied just as Shining Armor drove up in a cruiser. He stopped, got out, and went to give Twilight a hug, followed by giving Cadance a hug.

“I’m glad everyone is alright,” Shining offered. “Hang on…” Shining, Nightlight, and just about every other officer there seemed to zone out for a moment as they listened to the radio.  

“Sounds like I better get going if there’s to be anything left for me,” Shining Armor announced with a grin, rushed back to his squad car, got in, and took off in a big hurry.

“I could give everyone a lift,” Dusty offered a moment later.

“I’ll need to wait for a tow truck to take my car to a glass repair shop,” Cadance replied.

“Tow truck will be here any time now,” Nightlight offered.

“Come on Twilight, let's get our school bags. We can climb into the back of the truck, get a little studying done and enjoy the warmth of the heater.”

“Sounds like the best of both worlds to me,” Twilight confirmed and a few minutes later they were in the back of the Bronco.

“Well, I must say I never thought I’d see my little girl with a friend,” Nightlight mused.  

“One of those silver linings I’d say,” Dusty offered. “Sunset’s been through a lot. Even so, she still wants to reach out to others. She’s a good kid. Just wish I hadn’t waited so long to come home.”
> Chapter 12: Dinner at the Sparkle residence.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusty, Cadance, Sunset, and Twilight arrived at the Sparkle residence about an hour later to find that Lofty, Holiday, and Scootaloo were already there. The place was a fairly nice two-story home in a moderately upscale neighborhood. Twilight Velvet, Twilight’s mom, was the first out the door to greet them. The second one out the door was Spike the wonder mutt who proceeded to jump on people, run around in circles barking and mark the tires of all the cars.

Cadance and Twilight got out of the truck and Twilight and Velvet embraced a moment later. Next came Cadance.

“It’s so good that no one got hurt,” Velvet said going in for another hug with Twilight as Sunset and Dusty were getting out of the Bronco. “Oh my, he is a big one.”

Dusty laughed as Spike continued to run amuck and Dusty would need to think quick on his feet several times as Spike mistook his long legs for polls that needed marking.

“Ya, that’s my dad,” Sunset replied with a big smile.

“OK, now I’m confused?” Velvet announced as Scootaloo came out to see what was going on.

“Dusty is my father, and he’s married to Lofty Stitches… my adoptive mother, I guess that’s one way to explain it. This is Scootaloo, she’s my half-sister, and her Aunt Holiday stays with mom. Dad has been away a lot and that way mom doesn't have to be alone. Anyway, Dusty, Lofty, and Ms Holiday all have guardianship of myself and Scootaloo. At least for the time being. It just sort of worked out that way.”

“Silly me, here I was thinking maybe Mr Shimmer had two wives,” Velvet mused with a smirk.

“I imagine that if I had two wives, I’d as likely find excuses to be away a lot,” Dusty offered with a big smile.

“So is anyone going to tell me what happened,” Scootaloo pressed while ignoring the look of befuddlement on Mrs Sparkle’s face.

“Gilda and Garble showed up at Crystal Prep. One of them Smashed Dean Cadance’s front windshield with a rock she'd thrown at the car. Some of the other students who’d been on the street said it was Gilda,” Sunset explained. “Last we heard, the Crystal Prep students had cornered them and had started working them over.”

“Oh, Cadance dear, shining called and said he’s going to be a little late,” Velvet offered. “He’s got a report to file before he can sign out, and Nightlight will be over around the same time if nothing else comes up. Now, it’s cold out here, what say we get inside?”

“Lead the way, Mam,” Dusty offered, and a moment later they were making their way inside. Once inside Cadance and Twilight were introduced to Lofty and Holiday.

“I must confess, it seems I did get a bit carried away,” Velvet offered as she brought out tea and biscuits a short time later. “When I found out Twilight had made a friend, Cadance and I went a little overboard.”

“Kind of reminds me of a marriage meeting,” Sunset teased followed by Twilight choking on a biscuit.

“I’m OK,” Twilight announced a moment later. “And yes, mom, it is kind of overkill for someone I just met.” Twilight wasn’t entirely sure when she’d met Sunset other than she was that person who actually talked to her at the beginning of classes. But then again there was that person who’d showed up at lunch. Twilight wanted to ask so many questions but dared not. She hadn’t seen her, but she’d heard. She gave the resting dog on her lap a pet more to calm her own nerves than to pamper the pooch.

“Well, it’s just that when I’d heard about how Sunset had helped today I just wanted to meet her and her family.”

“Mom, she opened a door for me.” Twilight protested. Surely the simple act of courtesy wasn’t that big a deal short of everyone had somehow mistaken another for her, and it was looking a good deal like they had. What’s more, prior to that rock hitting the windshield there were few who would even so much as give her the time of day. That was until that rock hit the windshield. Something had happened. Some catalyst. “There did seem to be a lot of people who were genuinely worried about me after school today.” Granted that they were worried about Cadance and Sunset, well, to be honest, mostly Cadance.

“Crystal Prep might seem like a bit of a shark tank on the surface,” Sunset began. “But underneath that, the people are all good people. Not to mention school pride. Twilight, you are the top student. Someone others look up to. Someone others can take pride in. They might give you a hard time, but if anyone else does they are going to take it personally.”

“I see, I see. Perhaps then I really should present myself better,” Twilight offered, reached up, and undid her hair bun to let her hair hang down. After all, that was part of the rumor, that she’d gone into the dining facility with her hair down. Not just with her hair down, but dressed stylishly with no glasses. Twilight shook her hair out, smiled, and took a sip of her tea. She gave Sunset a smile, a wink, and was delighted to see just a slight hint of a blush on Sunset’s cheeks.  

“Let me just go check on dinner,” Velvet offered, got up, and started to make her way to the back. “Cadance, can you give me a hand?”

“Yes, of course, be right there.”

“Twilight?” Sunset inquired. Sunset couldn't help but wonder what was going on in Twilight’s head.

“Presentation,” Twilight said as though making a profound statement, and perhaps in a way, she had. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Twilight offered. “Thomas Edison said that. Woody Allen said that eighty percent of success is just showing up. But there’s more to it, isn’t there? One must also present themselves as successful. And now that I think of it, survey findings suggest that success is seventy percent presentation. I’d say it’s time I started paying attention to how I present myself. Except maybe when I’m in chemistry. I’ll still need to tie up my hair in chemistry, won’t I?”

“I’d imagine that’s true enough. Wouldn't want to get your hair in an experiment,” Sunset admitted.

“Turned my hair orange once,” Twilight admitted.

“So tell me about Gilda?” Scootaloo prompted once the conversation had stalled.

“Not sure what’s to tell,” Sunset offered. “She threw a rock and smashed the front window on Dean Cadance’s car. I saw them, saw the rock, but it all happened so fast. There were plenty of witnesses who saw her throw the rock.”

“Cadance screamed, slammed on the breaks, and I let out a scream because I’d no idea what was going on. One moment we are driving down a nice quiet street we’ve gone down hundreds of times, and suddenly the windscreen shatters and the car is lurching to a stop.”

“It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” Holiday commented. 

“You don’t know Gilda, like I do,” Sunset replied. “The fact that she’d gone into hiding just indicates that she as likely knew the police were looking for her. She’s also a bit like a dog with a bone.” Spike tilted his head. “She’s not going to let go of it without something else that’s better. Right off hand, I’d say she stalked me; tracked me down somehow. Maybe she was hoping Dad would be the one driving the car and just couldn't let an opportunity go.”

“What makes you think she was hoping for me?” Dusty asked.

“My best guess would be to goad you into going after her.”

“Ah, yes, garnish sympathy credits. Big man going after a little defenses girl.”

Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh at the idea. “Sorry,” Scootaloo offered a moment later. “Looking back at some of the things I thought were cool I wouldn't put it past her to stick a knife in you.”

“Others have, and it got them nowhere,” Dusty admitted.

“Wait, you’ve been stabbed?” Sunset asked.  

“More often than not it’s a drunk in a bar who gets it into their head to prove themselves by taking on the ‘big man’. To be honest I’ve been hurt worse getting tossed around by a big bull.”

“And they always patch you up and send you right back out,” Lofty stated.

“So what’s everyone talking about?” Cadance asked as she reentered the room.

“All the bar fights my old man has been in,” Sunset supplied. Cadance had a look of horror cross her face and Twilight busted up laughing.

“Kind of hard to call it a bar fight when a staggering drunk sticks a pen knife in me,” Dusty offered with a smile. “Couple stitches and I’m good to go.”

“Wow, can you be my dad too?” Scootaloo asked with a big grin as Cadance returned to her chair.

“What, your dad isn’t cool enough?”

“What, he’s just an egg head.”

“Scootaloo, he’s down in the Yakatan peninsula looking for a lost civilization with an archaeology team,” Holiday offered. “He’s got to guard against venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions, crocodile, jaguar, and some of those sites he visits can be downright dangerous. Not just with long-forgotten traps but there are poachers, drug cartels, and revolutionaries to contend with.”

“Now, now, it’s not that bad,” Dusty admonished with a grin. “Scootaloo what your Aunt is trying to tell you is that your father is not quite the egg head you think he is. He just has to do the egg head stuff so he can get to do the fun exciting stuff.”

“You think he’ll ever take me on one of his trips?” Scootaloo asked.

“Right offhand I’d say first, knuckle down and get your grades up. Demonstrate to him that you are mature enough to go on one of those trips. Even if he’s not mature enough to remember to make sure someone is looking after you. And then if he still leaves you behind, you can just go into the same or similar vocation, and then it’ll be you leaving him behind. You are your mother’s daughter after all. I doubt anything will hold you down once you’ve put your mind to it.”

“Looking after her?” Cadance asked sounding concerned.

“Took off on an adventure and didn’t bother to tell anyone he was going to be gone,” Holiday explained. “That’s why we have custody of her. He’s my brother, and his timing couldn't have been worse. Due to what was going on over at Canterlot high we came really close to losing her to the foster care system.”

“I’m going to Everfree High now,” Scootaloo offered. If no one was going to say she was one of the people behind Anon-A-Miss she wasn’t going to say it either.

“So how do you like Everfree?” Cadance asked.

“It’s not bad. I miss my friends, but overall, the place has a nice atmosphere to it. The end-of-quarter tests are killing me though. Even with my sister’s help.”

“Trust me, I’m in the same fix,” Sunset offered. “A person would think we had it easy over at Canterlot High.”

“Makes me think of something Principle Cinch likes to say,” Cadance offered. “Our students can not afford our going easy on them. It’s their future we are gambling with if we do.”

“Speaking of which, I was thinking of transferring to Everton,” Twilight offered.

“That particle you discovered, you were going to submit your research, weren’t you?” Cadance asked.

“Yes, but I guess I’m going to have to table it.”

“What particle?” Lofty asked.

“Twilight is clever enough to create something capable of detecting the energy being used during the incidents over at Canterlot High,” Sunset explained.

“Oh dear,” Lofty said softly.

“You know about it?” Twilight asked.

“We all do, dear, and we were advised not to talk about it,” Holiday explained.

“Ya, I was told that the very idea that the general public might find out about certain things tends to make people nervous,” Scootaloo added.

“So, Twilight figured out how to… Cadance began.

“To detect magic?” Dusty finished for her. “It indeed looks that way. If Ms Twilight wants to publish a paper on it, one she’s going to need to wait, preferably until after she’s nurtured a good strong reputation, and be very careful how she presents her findings. In short, it could ruin her if she’s not really clever.”

“To think that in this day and age there would be knowledge that would be suppressed,” Cadance groused. “Still though...”

“The truth is, we are not alone in the cosmos,” Dusty informed her. “Do you really think the general public is ready to accept that kind of information? We’ve got radicals out there trying to revive the Third Reich. People who think anyone who doesn’t have the prescribed acceptable skin tone is somehow inferior. And then there are the ultra-religious people who deny anything that might shatter their worldview. People who insist the world is flat and dinosaurs are a lie intended to undermine their beliefs. And there are people in academia with lofty reputations who can be equally narrow-minded in regards to new discoveries.” He gave that a moment to sink in. “From time to time people find things. Not just terrestrial arcane artifacts, but otherworldly artifacts. Technological artifacts so advanced their very existence is dangerous. It’s not just space dust entering the atmosphere. Which is what seems to have happened over at Canterlot High. Officially, that is, if you’ve got a high enough security clearance. First Sunset got a hold of an artifact of unknown origin and it resulted in a large crater in front of the school and a hole in the wall. The second incident was when a trio of terrorists showed up at the school presumably looking for the said artifact, only it had been removed by this time. The most recent problem over there kind of looks like administrators simply failed to take the problem of online bullying seriously until it had blown up out of control.”

Scootaloo and Sunset both decided that if he wasn’t going to mention the memory stone, the gems the Sirens had, or Equestria, they weren’t going to mention it either.

“I’ve seen mentions of ‘artifacts’ online,” Twilight offered. “Not many people take it seriously. I get it. If it became known within the general public that these, space junk items as some call them, were indeed real it could cause a lot of unintended consequences.  So, as Mr Shimmer says, I’m just going to have to be really careful in regards to any research on the subject. That and he’s not telling me it’s not real or not to research it. He’s telling me it’ll ruffle feathers. It’s not like I need to worry about being burned at the stake for heresy, I just have to worry about being discredited so bad I end up as a cat lady.” Spike picked his head up, looked about, and barked. “No, Spike, not cat.” Bark! “Cat.” Bark! Twilight couldn't help but smile.

“What’s Spike barking about?” Velvet asked as she ventured forth from the kitchen.

“Twilight said, cat,” Sunset offered, to be answered by another bark from Spike.

And then spike went nuts. “Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!”

“Spike? There’s no cat.” Twilight protested. “Spike?!”

“Someone just drove up,” Scootaloo offered.

“It’s Mr Sombra,” lofty announced.

“Let me,” Cadance announced with a cold tone, got and went to the front door. She’d opened it before the man had a chance to knock.

Spike: Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!Bark!

“Mr Sombra,” Cadance said. Her tone was lacking in all the warmth it normally had.

“Cadance, dear, have you no love for your own father?” Sombra asked.

“Why are you here?”

“Can’t I be concerned for the well-being of my own daughter?”

“And since when did you ever care?”

“I do care.”

“In a pig's eye.”

“Alright, fine. I’m not going to stand here and argue. Cinch called me, and yes, I actually wanted to see how you were doing. That and get the story directly from you. A lot of people are going to be asking questions… Oh, Miss Shimmer and company. Everyone’s here. Well, that does simplify things.”

“He’s your father?” Sunset asked.  

“May I come in?” Sombra inquired.

“Cadance, dear, he’s come all this way, might as well let him in,” Velvet offered.

“Dare I even ask?” Sunset inquired of Twilight as Cadance reluctantly let Sombra in.

“Probably not,” Twilight cautioned.

“Well, I must say I didn’t expect to find everyone I needed to talk to here. Well, not quite everyone. I’ll still need to get the details from the police concerning this matter.”

“Same individuals who assaulted me and presumably trashed my apartment threw a rock at Cadance’s windshield,” Sunset informed him.  

“Explain why you need the details on a police matter?” Dusty requested as Sombra ambled on over. Cadance sort of followed him while leaving the door open.

“I need answers before the rumor mill gets a hold of it and ‘concerned’ parents start calling, texting, and e-mailing me. I’m going to need to make a statement to the parents, our students, and the faculty of our schools,” he explained. “Cinch called me and wants me to tell Principle Celestia to keep her students on her side of town. Seems to think Celestia needs to be sacked.”

“And did you tell her that the perps were suspended and that there’s a warrant for their arrest?” Dusty asked.

“I did. It can be mighty difficult to get her calmed down once she gets worked up.” He took a deep breath. “Sunset, I owe you an apology as much as I owe one to pretty much everyone in the Canterlot Unified School District. Let’s just say I’m pretty sure this is just more fallout from Anon-a-Miss. If we had taken it seriously when it started things wouldn't have blown up the way they did.”

“Right offhand, I think Anon-a-Miss was just the catalyst. The excuse a lot of individuals needed,” Sunset offered. “If I were to point to a specific point in time and say that’s what triggered today’s incident I’d have to say it was when Scootaloo came home and couldn't keep her mouth shut about being given a chance to join Gilda’s gang. Afraid I ratted out the whole setup and they all got caught shoplifting. Gilda spent a couple of nights in jail, No, I’ve no idea why her parents didn’t just pick her up. After all, all they had on her was shoplifting. She had to appear in court and got probation which included community service.”  

“They charged her with gang participation, and recruitment,” Holiday offered. “Scootaloo came really close to getting charged, but since she wasn’t in the gang yet, she got out of that incident with no more than a warning.”

“Anyway, Anon-a-Miss was just an excuse.”

“No, afraid she’s still convinced it was you,” Shining Armor offered from the doorway. “I swear that girl has a one-track mind. Gilda and Garble are presently in the lock-up at the station.”

“So are you home now?” Cadance asked as she went over to greet him with a kiss, and a hug.

“I got my reports in, and I’m off until my next shift. So why’s the door open?”

“Daddy was just leaving,” Cadance stated. Shining Armor gave her a pained look.

“Cadance, for your own sake, you need to forgive him,” Velvet offered softly. “If you don’t it will just continue to eat away at you.” She waited a moment. “We’ve talked about this.”

“It’s alright, I am leaving,” Sombra offered. He was perhaps hoping to keep the peace. “Shining Armor, before I go, can I ask about today’s incident?”

“All I can tell you is that a known gang member threw a stone at my fiance's car. She and her accomplice were apprehended with the help of the students at Crystal Prep. Aside from that, you’ll have to inquire at the station where the perpetrators are presently being held. I wasn’t the arresting officer.”

“I thought you wanted a piece of them?” Sunset asked innocently enough.

“After the beat-down, your classmates gave them, I thought it best I was not the arresting officer. Emotionally involved and all.”

“Indeed,” Sombra quipped. “And with that, I’d best get going.” He turned to look at Cadance. “I am glad that you are alright.”

“Just a little frazzled, is all,” Cadance replied, Sombra dared a smile, turned, and went out the door shutting it behind him.

“I wasn’t going to say anything while he was here; a number of weapons charges have been added to the list.”

“Afraid I have got this rather cynical theory that they were hoping I’d be with Dusty and that they were hoping to goad him into going after Gilda,” Sunset offered.

Shining Armor took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Gilda has stated that she wants to hurt you, and do it by going after everyone around you. She’s completely unapologetic and the department is requesting she not be given bail. We believe that if she is allowed free she’ll just come after you again. Endangering you and everyone around you. Right now she is being held for psychiatric evaluation for forty-eight hours at which point she will be turned over to juvenile detention. At the very least that’ll give us some time before some large-minded judge can cut her loose.”

“She still thinks I’m Anon-a-Miss?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Scootaloo said softly.

“I don’t blame you,” Sunset offered, went over to Scootaloo, and gave her a hug. “You couldn't have known this would happen.”

“Shiny, did your father say if he was going to be able to drop in for dinner?” Velvet asked.

“He said he’d drop by later,” Shining offered and decided he’d best remove his outer jacket. “And Miss Scootaloo, It’s not just that Anon-a-Miss blog. Gilda blames Sunset for her father leaving his family behind. Which I doubt has anything to do with anything either of you have done. But that, I’m afraid, is her present state of mind.”

“Hang on, do you know each other?” Cadance asked.

“He was the officer at our meeting with the CPS agent and Mr Sombra was there as well.” Lofty informed her.

“And you never said anything?” Velvet accused Shining.

“Mother, it was a confidential matter. I’m not allowed to even talk about CPS meetings. I just happened to be the one who got that duty that day. Now, if you all will excuse me, I’d like to get out of my uniform, get cleaned up, and put on something more appropriate for guests.” And with that, he gave a nod to everyone and headed for the back of the house.

“He’s got an apartment in the back, and I’m presently in his old room,” Cadance explained. “I’ll move in with him after we get married. What with housing prices what they are we’ll likely not move out right away short of we’ve outgrown the place.”

“Having my own place was fun, but to be honest I was kind of clueless regarding what it was costing me,” Sunset offered.  

“We were helping her,” Dusty explained. 

“Dinner isn’t going to be ready for a little bit yet, Cadance, let’s sit down for a bit and talk,” Velvet offered.

“My brother, that is, Scootaloo’s father, and his wife took off on an archaeological expedition, left Scootaloo on her own and didn’t bother to tell anyone,” Holiday informed them a moment later when Cadance and Velvet had sat down again. Cadance already knew a good deal of what was going on by this point so it was mostly velvet being brought up to speed. “He’s done it before, and with the Anon-a-Miss mess, things kind of went sideways. We are lucky she wasn’t taken away from us.”

“I had to move schools and might not be allowed to live with my dad when he comes back.”

“Fortunately our CPS caseworker is a very understanding individual despite the hard-as-nails persona they like to project.” Lofty offered.

“Where’s he now? Scootaloo’s father?” Velvet asked.

“Down in the Yakatan,” Lofty informed. “It was decided not to have him extradited out of concerns that the authorities down there might be a little too harsh on him.”

“We want him back in one piece so we can take him down a few pegs ourselves,” Holiday offered with a grin.

“I can imagine,” Cadance offered. She paused to think for a bit. “And I should probably stop blaming my father. What happened to my mom, that wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t even there. He was hardly ever there. Probably why I keep blaming him, he wasn’t there when we needed him. He was off doing his job and then some. He was, and still does spend a good deal of his time trying to help everyone else.”

“Afraid I kind of know what it’s like to be in his shoes. The running around fixing other people’s messes,” Dusty offered quietly.

“I don’t blame you,” Sunset stated. “Mom was long gone, and heck, I didn’t even know you existed. Heck, I was living the life of an illegal alien people had sheltered because I hadn’t known any better. That’s why I didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

“Her mother lost control of her car on an icy day and went into the Avalon river,” Lofty explained. “Sunset was Kindergarten age and it was believed that she’d gone into the river with her mother.”

“Oh my. They found her though and everything turned out alright,” Velvet suggested.

“No, we didn’t,” Dusty stated. “She was lost, presumed dead, and then she shows up over at Canterlot High a little over three years back with no apparent knowledge of her past. I was on assignment, and we decided to just play it by ear.”

“We were a little worried about how she might react,” Lofty added.

“Wish you’d at least told me she was my sister.”

“I’d say it’s a bit of a tossup one way or the other how that might have turned out,” Sunset admitted.

“You mean I might have fixated on you instead of Dash?”

“Ya, and prior to that smack-down I got, my ego was undeniably out of control. Let’s face it, my ego had gotten nearly as big as Dash's ego.”

Scootaloo let out her breath like a balloon being let loose and laughed a good hearty laugh.

“Dash? Athlete, rainbow hair?” Twilight asked.

“You’ve met?” Sunset asked.

“Kind of yes, kind of no,” Twilight admitted. “She was part of Canterlot High’s Friendship Games team, wasn’t she? You were here as well. Star of the team. I will have to say that you at least presented yourself a lot better than a good deal of the team.”

“Canterlot High picks their team based on popularity,” Sunset explained.

“Principle Cinch chooses who is going to be on the team according to ability and what the actual competitions are supposed to be,” Cadance stated. “Her decision concerning you was something of a surprise.”

“Decision?” Scootaloo asked. “Wait, you aren’t going to be on the Shadowbolt team are you?”

“Any chance you can keep it quiet?” Sunset asked.

“She wasn’t exactly given much of a choice,” Dusty offered.

“Scootaloo, the people who took advantage of the whole Anon-a-Miss mess, can you honestly say they don’t deserve a little payback?” She paused a moment. “I can forgive... I mean, could you have imagined the mess it would create?”

“And the Rainbooms?”

“One at a time if they’ll let me. And if they really want to be my friend they are just going to have to understand and accept it. One more day of school and then we are going over to the Apple’s the day after. I have to at least try to forgive the people I called friends, but those people who were sending in private information just so they’d have excuses to openly hate me? The Rainbooms I can at least understand because they’d honestly thought I’d betrayed their trust.”

“OK, ya, I think I get it.” Scootaloo had to take it all in for a bit. She let out a laugh. “If they ever found out who started it… I hear there were people who were still trying to push the blame onto you even after the truth came out. Ya, they took advantage of something stupid and twisted it into something that we are still having to deal with the consequences. Ya, I get it. And some of the creeps sending in stuff deserve every bit of payback.”

“Stuff?” Cadance pressed.

“It’s pretty well common knowledge by now. Boys were sending in dick pics,” Holiday informed them with a tone of disgust.

“At least that’s one thing that’s never shown up in my e-mail,” Twilight announced also sounding disgusted.  

“What sort of things do you get?” Velvet asked.

“Advertisements for Erectile Dysfunction cures just to name one category. I may need to get a new e-mail account because of all the girls in my area who want to meet me. I’m getting spammed and the filters can’t keep up.”

“That is… I’m sorry, but words fail me,” Velvet offered.

“One thing for certain is that I’d imagine that Anon-a-Miss has a good idea who needs to see those ED adds.” Scootaloo gave a wink to her sister who looked shocked for a moment and then bust up laughing.

Lofty just facepalmed.

“Moving right along…” Cadance stated. It was time to change the topic. “Sunset, how were your extracurricular studies this afternoon?”

“I found them to be quite enlightening.”

“Extracurricular, what kind of class?” Twilight asked.

“Folk studies,” Sunset offered. “It’s out in the old conservatory.”

“You mean the big Victorian-era greenhouse?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, you’ve been out there?” Cadance asked.

“Oh yes, there’s a bench under a tree right outside. I like to sit out there and read when the weather is warm enough. It’s nice and quiet and no one bothers me. The path is just a short distance past the dorms.”

This time it was Cadance who facepalmed.

“Well then, Twilight, tomorrow, go out there, see one of the instructors and tell them about your discovery,” Sunset offered.

“But I thought I needed to be quiet about it?”

“I think you’ll find that they will be more than happy to help. Provided of course you talk to them while they are out in the conservatory.”

“This sounds like some kind of secret society thing,” Scootaloo observed with a grin. “Let me guess, they have classes on how to use the magic in this world?”

“You might say that, you might,” Sunset offered with a big smile.

“Mom,” Cadance inquired of Velvet, “I thought Twilight had no aptitude for magic?”

“To be honest there has never been an incident that I could definitely say was accidental magic,” Velvet offered. “Sure, she’s blown up her room along with various other rooms on multiple occasions, but it was all related to technology.”

“I’d say the fact that she’s discovered how to detect and measure the actual form of energy magic is dependent on is rather telling,” Dusty observed.

“Magic?” Twilight asked as she tried to take it all in.

“Twilight, there’s an energy field specifically tuned to keep out people who lack the ability for magic. And to be honest, it’s only called magic for lack of a better more scientific term,” Cadance explained.

“It’s a low energy field,” Sunset offered. “It would likely have shown up on your equipment as background radiation.”

“Ah… yes, I did have an issue with background radiation. It was the big spike over at Canterlot that made it possible to filter it.”

“So what’s the latest news,” Shining armor offered as he ventured back out. He’d gray slacks, a white shirt, and a tweedy sweater on.  

“Twilight might actually be able to do magic,” Velvet announced.

“Wait? Really?!”

“Does the whole family know about magic?!” Twilight protested.

“Um, ya, actually,” Shining Armor replied with a sheepish grin on his face.

“And you kept this from me?”

“Dear, you never showed any interest in nor any recognizable aptitude,” Velvet pleaded.  

“And now you get to learn about a science you didn’t even know existed,” Sunset offered. “Only, well, to be honest, magic tends to be more like cooking or playing an instrument. Yes, there are rules, but…”

“Results may vary,” Twilight finished with a sheepish grin.

“Twilight’s attempts to cook have been less than stellar,” Velvet offered. “And now, I think I’d best go see to our dinner. Cadance?”

“Right behind you,” Cadance offered as the two got up and headed for the back. A short time later they’d all gathered in the dining room while Sunset was doing her best to explain to Twilight the mechanics of how magic actually worked.

The next morning quite a few people got quite a surprise when Twilight walked into the old Conservatory and asked to be taught about magic. Granted that it was also the last school day before the winter break.  

“Twilight, it is you, isn’t it?” Zachary asked her at lunch that day. Twilight had joined the others in the dining hall. Twilight had her hair down too.

“Was it my doppelganger you were expecting?” Twilight asked.

“You heard about her, did you?” Indigo asked.

“And half the school thinks it was me you were fondling,” Twilight chastised.

“More like a good four-fifths to seven-eighths of the school,” Sunset offered. “But then no one has done any official surveys. Besides, it’ll be long forgotten by the time winter break is over.”

“Say, maybe Twilight could join us tomorrow?” Zachary suggested.

“Zap, we were hoping to keep it small,” Sunset protested.

“She’ll be there, won’t she?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe, but I did kind of invite her before you and I were officially friends.”

“I’d imagine explaining my doppelganger to my family might be difficult.”

“There’s also the issue that your doppelganger is someone the Apple family knows, and well, it could lead to some awkward moments,” Sunset explained. “It could end up being very stressful for you. The only reason Zap here was invited was to get some of that stress off me.”

“Then all the more reason for me to support my new friend.”

“Um, Twilight, you are practically a shut-in,” Indigo pointed out.

“Not true. Focused yes. Avoiding certain non-scholarship students who seem to think I should do all their schoolwork for them, yes. Shut-in… OK, fine, I can see where you might get that impression of me.”

“And the Princess?” Sugarcoat asked.

“I’d think that she’d be as curious about me as I am about her.”

“Fine then, you can come,” Sunset announced having come to the conclusion that she wasn’t going to win this one.
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Sunset told Dusty that both Twilights were now invited over to the Apple residence, at the same time, he just laughed. Of course, the whole family would be going so it was decided that Lofty and Holiday would go with Scootaloo and pick up Princess Twilight at Canterlot high. Dusty and Sunset would pick up Zachary and Miss Twilight.

When Dusty and Sunset arrived at Crystal Prep to pick up Zachery they were not expecting the white-haired woman with purple and vermilion stripes in her hair dressed in dark slacks, and a long heavy white jacket with a white fox fur trim.

She also bore a striking resemblance to Twilight save in age and primary hair color.  

“Hey, is it OK if my Aunt Nova tags along?” Zachary asked as he approached the Bronco.

“Hang on, we’ve only room for four, and we still have to pick up Twilight,” Sunset objected.

“Don’t be silly, there’s plenty of room,” Nova replied as she opened a back door that hadn’t been there a moment before.

“Ah, come on, don’t be messing with my truck,” Dusty griped.

“Not to worry, it’s only temporary,” Nova offered with a smile as Zachary went around to get into the other side.  

Dusty let out a sigh. No Dusty was no stranger to magic, and a moment later they were on their way to the Sparkle residence. Naturally, everyone had to go inside to say hello.

“Now, Mrs Sparkle, we are due at the Apple farm, but there is no reason we couldn't schedule another time?” Nova offered.

“Before you go, Mrs Swan…” Nightlight prompted Nova. “A Photo if that’s alright?”

“Oh, yes, the group I’m assuming?” Nova offered.

“I’ll go get my camera,” Velvet offered and dashed upstairs.

“Mr Sparkle, Dad, are you seeing the same thing I am?” Cadance offered aside to Nightlight.

“It’s entirely possible we are distant cousins,” Nova explained. “You see, my mother was a Sparkle.”

“You don’t say,” Nightlight mused. “Maybe I know her?”

“Doubt it. I grew up in England. That’s how I ended up as Zachary’s Aunt. But if you must insist, her name was Twilight as well.”

“Another Twilight, that is a surprise,” Sunset mused, almost sarcastically.

“Well, it is a fairly common family name,” Nightlight offered with a smile on his face as Velvet returned with a camera. “My Velvet’s first name is also Twilight.”

“Everybody line up,” Velvet ordered as she gave Nightlight an inquisitive look.

“Mrs Swan was just telling us that she might be a distant cousin all the way from England,” Cadance offered. “A shame Shiny is at work. I think he’d have gotten a kick out of the resemblance. He’d love to have another sister.”

Nova let out a snicker.

“Aunt Nova is actually old enough to be his mom,” Zachary offered with a bit of cheek. “Grandmother even.”

“Now don’t be putting on like she’s the oldest thing in the world,” Velvet scolded playfully.

“Oh, but I am,” Nova offered with a cheeky smile. “I just age well.”  

“And we should probably get going,” Dusty prompted.

“Oh, how about getting together on Christmas?” Velvet asked.

“We might be out at the Apple Farm on Christmas day if all goes well today,” Dusty explained.

“Christmas eve. Zap and I could drop by sometime on Christmas Eve,” Nova offered.

“Dinner?” Velvet asked.  

“Dinner would be perfect.”

“Say, around six? Dusty, how about you and Sunset?”

“I think we might just manage that. You want the whole family?”

“The more the merrier I say,” Nightlight offered.

“We will be expecting you then,” Velvet replied perhaps questioning what she’d just gotten herself in for.

“Christmas Eve it is, and Velvet, I’m sure Lofty and Holiday would be more than happy to contribute with a dish or two.”

“Yes, of course. We’d be delighted,” Velvet offered, her smile going back up.

“We should probably get going,” Sunset prompted, and a short time later they were outside. Even then it took a bit to get everyone in the now modified Bronco. If the Sparkle family noticed that the vehicle was now different they didn’t say anything.  

“I thought we’d never get out of there,” Twilight offered with a big smile.

“Afraid that’s what it’s like to have family,” Nova offered and let out a laugh.

“So what brought you all the way to Canterlot?” Dusty asked of Nova.

“Two reasons, Well the main reasons. Couldn’t let Zachary spend the holidays alone for one.”

“The other wouldn’t be me by any chance?” Sunset asked.

“Damn cold out on that bridge,” Nova admitted. “Yes, I was out there just in case. I knew things would work out, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Took steps to make sure things worked out. What you could think of as forced prophecy. The downside of having crossed over into what would technically be the past for me. I originated from a future point in time so anything I know about I have to let it play out. Up to a point. Bottom line, if I have to interfere, that’s the way it was supposed to happen anyway. Once I was sure you were going to be alright I had to go see Fluttershy. Make sure she was going to be alright. She’d been out trudging about in the snow. Her concern for you had overcome her fear of being rejected by the others.”

“Wait, are you saying you are from the future? Actually from the future?” Twilight asked.

“I’m from a different dimension that intersects with this one. Think about how string theory would affect multiverse theory,” Nova offered as a way of an explanation. “The multiverse and the wibbly-wobbly nature of time and dimension are every bit as real as the energy that makes what we call magic real. And because the timeline of one dimension can loop back over itself it becomes possible to cheat the system by jumping across hyperspace, that is through the Quantum barrier or field which separates dimensions.” From that point on the conversation between Nova and Twilight taxed even Sunset’s ability to keep up.

“We’re here,” Dusty announced with much joy and relief as they pulled into the drive that brought them to the apple farm. The place was festooned from top to bottom with holiday decor and Ms Holiday’s car was already parked in the open space between the house and barn.

Winona, Applejack’s border collie, was the first to welcome them having run out to bark at the Bronco as it pulled into the yard.

“Winona! Come here!” Applejack shouted from the doorway even as Dusty found a convenient place to park. Sunset got out first and embraced an ecstatic Winona. Granted had Sunset been gone for five minutes Winona still would have been ecstatic. Winona loved Sunset.

“Howdy there Miss Brandy,” Dusty offered as he and the others piled out of the truck. Applejack cringed at the sound of her given name.

“Applejack,” Sunset offered up as Nova, Zachery, and Twilight got out of the Bronco.  

“Sunset, can you ever – Twilight? But, but…”

“Princess Twilight is already inside I gather?” Sunset asked with a smile.

“Hi,” Twilight offered.  

“Miss Brandy,” Nova said as she approached AJ.

“Who?” Applejack asked still flustered. Or should I say, even more flustered?  

“Infinite multiverse. Infinite Twilights,” Sunset teased.

“Oh, don’t tell her that,” Nova protested with a big smile. “I’m Mrs Nova Swan, this fine young gentleman is Zachary Apple, my nephew, and we are sort of your cousins.”

“Nova!” Granny called as she strode across the yard. “Why didn’t cha tell me you were in town?”  

“Maggie!” A moment later the two embraced.  

“Would you just look at you, you’ve not aged a day? That is you and I’ve not mistaken yer granddaughter ‘av I?”

“Oh, it’s me alright. Same little prankster you know and love.”

“Is that why we’ve two Twilights?”

“Oh, that wasn’t my doing. Sunset and Twilight are friends. And Zach goes to Crystal Prep as well.”

“Hi, nice to meet you,” Zach offered with an outstretched hand.

“Yer from Chrystal Prep?” AJ asked.  

“Transfer student from Eques. Sort of a road scholar,” he added with a bit of cheek.

“But Crystal Prep?” AJ wasn’t so sure she was ready to accept this person. A mean… Crystal Prep? AJ took her high school rivalries very seriously.  

“AJ, they’ve programs that Canterlot High doesn’t have,” Sunset explained as Zach gave up and let his hand drop.

“That and I didn’t want him involved in the mess over at Canterlot,” Nova offered.

“You knew what was going to happen then?” Granny asked as she went over to Zachary to give him a hug.

“I’d a good idea.”

“You knew, and did nothing?” Applejack asked incredulously.

“I’m good at predicting, but the future is not written in stone. Not even for me. And it was up to you and your friends to see the truth of the matter and make the right choice,” Nova replied to AJ. “I can’t just swoop in and make you do what needs to be done.”

“And I made the wrong choice. Sunset, can you ever forgive me?”

“I do want to. That’s why I’m here. So we can be friends again,” Sunset requested.

“More than friends it would seem. We are family after all.”

“Would you two hug already!” Twilight scolded from two different locations. Applejack and Sunset looked at each other with odd little smiles given the stereophonic Twilight sound and embraced. It was, after all, something of a bittersweet moment.

“You must be Princess Twilight,” asked the human Twilight of her counterpart.

“Um, hi. That is, yes.” Princess Twilight was a bit beside herself. Besides herself and facing herself at the same time. “Sunset?”

“Not like I didn’t tell you,” Sunset offered. “Sent you a text.”

“Come on, let’s get inside. That cold seeps into my old bones mighty fast,” Granny offered.

“So what sort of programs does Crystal Prep have that Canterlot High, don’t?” AJ asked as they made their way inside.

“You have to keep it a secret,” Sunset cautioned.

“We have a magic program set up there,” Nova informed her. “Real magic, and not the sort little Trixie does. Which I find really odd being I’m almost certain she’s a pony that followed Sunset.”

“And it’s being kept hush-hush,” Sunset added. “The magic program… say what?”

“Hang on? Trixie?” Princess Twilight asked.

“Now dear, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Granny offered. “Who knows, maybe she’s related to the Trixie we went to school with?”

“I suppose that’s a possibility, Nova admitted. “Anyway, the magic department has to be kept hush-hush. To many religious nut-jobs out there. They’d be accusing us of teaching devil worship,” Nova lamented. “We can dress it up as applied sciences but we’ve to deal with people who are anti-science as is.”

“I want to ask so much about it though,” Princess Twilight pleaded.

“And I want to ask you all about where you are from,” Twilight echoed.  

“And Crystal Prep has what’s colloquially called an elevator program,” Zachary added. “What that means is that so long as we maintain our grades at an acceptable level we are guaranteed to get excepted into university.”

“I will have to admit that a lot of Canterlot High students just get jobs after High School.” Applejack admitted. She had to turn and offer a hand to Zachary. “Was kind of thinking of going to a trade school myself.”

“Understand,” Zachary offered as he took hold of her extended hand to complete the greeting.

“Don’t want to go to University and have some egghead who’s never once gotten his hands dirty telling you how to farm?” Sunset asked as Scootaloo opened the front door for them.

“You got that right. Sure, I want to know about the latest techniques and advancements but I don’t think I’m going to get what I want out of no fancy college.”

“Fair enough,” Nova offered. “After all, college is not the road to happiness. More of a road to lifelong debt for far too many.”

Once inside, they found the interior was equally as well-decorated as the outside if not more so. Waiting inside, they found Lofty, Holiday, Big Mac, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom who’d been quietly chatting.

“Two Twilight’s?” Apple Bloom asked in astonishment as the two girls entered.

“And already fast friends,” Granny offered with a chuckle added on. Indeed the two girls were presently engaged in a rapid-fire question and answer session that gave them the air of a couple of old gossips catching up on all the latest news. The two were going so fast it was a wonder they could comprehend what the other was saying. Forget about anyone else understanding it.  

Fluttershy stood up, on seeing Nova, or to be more precise, Nova’s luxurious fur coat. “Is that fur?” Her tone seemed normal or at least would have for anyone not well acquainted with the girl. 

“Made from the material collected while brushing,” Nova offered. “My own to be exact.”

“Wait, your own hair?” Fluttershy asked not sure if she could believe it. Not to mention a certain ick factor at the idea it might be human hair. (What a curious species humans.)  

Granny went over to Fluttershy, gave her a hug, and whispered, “She’s kitsune. A genuine fox girl.” Her whisper wasn’t exactly missed by anyone. Granny switched to her normal indoor voice. “Nova and I have known each other for a long time. Believe it or not, she and I went to school together way back when I lived in England.”

“England?” Applejack asked. Things just weren’t adding up, but then again, she just wasn’t detecting any out-and-out lies even as preposterous as the claims seemed.

“Did I never tell you that I grew up in England?” Granny asked. “My father and mother moved to Amareica during World War One to escape persecution at the hands of a bunch of blood purists. Bad enough to have to worry about a foreign power wanting to invade, but to have to fear members of our own community. And by their actions, they helped the enemy. Once my father was sure we’d be safe he enlisted.” She let loose an unbidden sigh. “I never saw my father again after that.” Granny grabbed Zachary in a one-armed hug. “Those blood purists started up again in WW2 and went after your cousin’s parents because they dared to speak out against them.”

“Let us not dwell on the past, but look to the future,” Nova prompted as she took off her fur coat. She then gave it a shake and dropped it. To the astonishment of Fluttershy and quite a few others, the jacket transformed into a snow-white fox by the time it hit the floor.

“I thought you said that was your floof,” Granny teased with a laugh.

“So cute.” Fluttershy squeaked even as the fox dashed to put some distance between it and Winona who looked ready to lay into that little fox.

“Winona, stop! No! Winona, no!” Applejack shouted as the little fox jumped up onto the chair Fluttershy had been sitting in.  

Fluttershy sat back down while scooping up the fox in one motion. She cuddled the fox and gave Winona a look that made it quite clear that Winona was not to go after that fox.
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Now. Lunch isn’t quite ready yet,” Granny announced. “Y’all have a seat, and I’m going to get everything ready.”  

“I’d be delighted to help,” Nova offered.

“Noth’n doing, yer a guest.”

“We already tried,” Holiday offered.  

“Maggie, I just want to get caught up. It’s been far too long since I saw you last.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Granny’s voice was kind but carried a tone of it’d be nice to see you more often.  

“Oh, come on Maggie. I’m burning the candle at both ends as is. I’ve my duties in Akkadia, I have to keep tabs on certain elements in England, and to be honest Sunset’s the primary reason I’m even here.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Granny all but shot back.

“Because in a roundabout way, she’s part of my family and she nearly stepped off a bridge,” Nova replied sounding defeated. “Maggie, I’ve lost too many. I made a promise to keep an eye on her, and I wasn’t about to lose her just because Wallflower Blush had a bur under her saddle.”

“And the other reasons?”

“The architect of misery himself has been asking questions.”

“Come on. Sounds like we need to talk.” Granny offered grudgingly followed by the two women going back to the kitchen.

“Know what? I’ve some questions of my own,” Applejack announced a moment later. She got up and followed after. What she saw was Granny and Nova lip-locked like they were old lovers. “Aaaaa...”

“You know I love you, I’ve always loved you,” Nova offered as they parted.  

“I suppose it’s better the way things turned out,” Granny offered quietly. “So what’s that old fool up to this time?”

“He’s figured out that Harry is alive. Seems my subterfuge wasn’t good enough, and he’s bound and determined…”  

Nova spots AJ standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Miss Brandy, can we do something for you?”

“Ahhhhh…” Applejack was all but groaning out. She took a moment to reboot. “Noth’n, I didn’t see nothin!” Applejack declared, spun on her heels, and departed post-haste.  

“You happy now?” Granny accused.  

“Ya.” Nova had a big grin on her face.

“Brat.”

“Sure am...

“Now as I was saying, Dumbledore has been asking questions.”

“So what’s he know?”

“Thanks to one of my counterparts showing up and masquerading as Aerie Potter a few years back, he’s kind of figured out he’s been played. Oh, it took him a bit, what with me replacing Harry with a Changeling. Several. And they'd gone with Aerie too because they figured they'd a better chance of being nurtured as girls. Just not from that specific family though. The family Dumbledore would have put Harry in were the absolute worst, and then that man put compulsion charms on them. It was all my Lings could do to stay in that house more than a couple of days at a stretch, even reformed as they were. They even built themselves a bunker under the house so they could switch off without anyone ever catching on. I will have to say it sure put a monkey wrench in Dumbledor's plans when Harry turned out to be a girl.”

“Aye, you’ve ranted about Dumbledore on more than one occasion. I especially love how he didn't bother to rush into help when Riddle and his Death Eaters attacked the Potter house, but that half-giant of his comes trundling in to pick up Harry after all the smoke cleared like what had happened had all been planned.”

“I doubt Hagrid ever did catch on when I presented him with an Aerie Potter.  Oh, and Sirius wanting to go after Peter.”

“Which you put a stop to.”

“Damn right I did. Sirius was furious, but I knew full well he’d be walking into a trap.”

“And then Dumbledore framed him for betraying James and Lily and declares himself the Magical Guardian of the boy. Good thing he never succeeded in his plans to manipulate him. If he’s looking for Harry now, I don’t know what he could hope to gain. That young man would be of legal age in Wizarding Britain now, even if Dumbledore does come looking, he can’t touch him, can he?”

“The man is a master of manipulation, and I’ve no doubt he’ll try his best. If nothing else, that man-made it necessary for me to keep tabs on his doings. I honestly believe he was the one who set up the Potters. Riddle would never have known about Harry or some damn prophesy if not for that man.”

“You ever regret not goin’ through that time warp to get you closer to home?”

“Sometimes, but I’m glad I stayed. I’d have been an adult by the time I got home anyway, and I’ve got a feeling this world would have been a total shit hole on the other side of that time warp.  

“And today I get to have lunch with my mom even if she doesn’t know it.”

“You want to run that by me again?”

“Princess Twilight. I haven't even been born yet, and don’t worry, it’s fine so long as I’m on this side of the portal. Princess Twilight would have been here today with or without me. Everything that’s happened was supposed to happen. I’m just glad that Dusty showed up right on cue. Oh, I’d have swooped in and caught Sunset, but she needed her father.”

“Is he her father?”

“Well, ya see, therein lies the problem. He might be her father.”

“Which begs yet another question, doesn’t it?”

“Are they ponies or human?” Nova offered. “I hear Sunset has learned how to turn herself into a pony, but in truth, that doesn’t prove anything. What people don’t know is that once someone has been in Equestria, they are from that point on from that world. It’s the magic of the world, it saturates the individual and makes them a brand new being.”

Applejack returned to the family room where everyone was getting to know each other better. “Zachery, was it?”

“Friends call me Zap,” he offered.

“Your Aunt?” Applejack’s question sounded more like Applejack was ready to tie Zachary to a chair and stick a light right in his face.

“More of a Great Aunt. Listen, you know about magic. My aunt is a very powerful magic-user. She’s a princess of Equestria if you know what that means?”

“I do,” Sunset offered.  

“I’m not sure I do, and I am a Princess of Equestria. I will have to admit that I don’t know anything about her outside of Princess Celestia knowing about her,” Princess Twilight announced. “But from what Sunset has told me about magic in this world it suggests that Nova Swan is not someone to be taken lightly.”

“She looks young because of her manna reserves,” Zachary offered. “A large manna reserve slows down the aging process. I’ve been told that she went after the people who killed my parents. She’d been there, but…”

“Arrived too late?” the human Twilight asked.

“Twilight?” Princess Twilight asked.

“It’s alright,” Zachery offered. “I barely remember any of it. Aunt Nova arrived about the same time the attackers did. Maybe a moment or two later. She had to fight her way through to get to me. Uncle Sirius arrived next. He’s my God Father. He says wizards don’t like to go up against Aunt Nova because wizards like their killing nice and tidy.”

“And she’s not tidy about killing?” Applejack asked sounding horrified at the idea.  

“Wizards have a spell that just makes a person not alive anymore,” Dusty offered. “Nice and clean.”

“That’s horrible,” Princess Twilight whispered. By the looks that crossed the faces of everyone there, the feeling was mutual.

“All neat and tidy with no mess and nearly untraceable.” Dusty let out a sigh. “In the sort of work I do, my part-time work, and I didn’t say anything mind you. I’ve seen it. Fortunately, the people from Eques have come up with ways to counter it.”

“I am glad to hear that,” Lofty interjected.

“My Aunt Nova is a wonderful loving person. In Eques she’s known as the Princess of hope,” Zachery offered. “That said, she’ll do whatever she has to protect others.”

“Of course, she would. She’s a hunter,” Fluttershy offered demurely as she hugged the coat fox. “Strange thing though… I’d swear she was the waitress at the diner Mac picked me up at.”

“Probably was,” Sunset offered. “She knew you were out in that storm looking for me. She mentioned checking up on you after she was sure I’d be alright.”

“Well, what do you know about that?” Applejack offered quietly.  

“Sunset…” Apple Bloom began quietly. “Were you going to, well, you know?” Apple Bloom couldn't bring herself to outright say it.

“Dusty had to lasso me and drag me off that bridge,” Sunset informed her. “I…” Sunset faltered, her head dropping. “It’s all kind of a blur now.” Silence. “I remember, I was standing on the wrong side of the railing. I’d let my body pitch forward. And then I stopped. I just couldn't understand why I’d stopped moving? Why hadn’t I fallen?”

“Oh, Sunset,” Princess Twilight said softly.

“You are the catalyst that changed my life,” Miss Twilight offered, her voice soft. “My life was stagnant. A mixture where nothing new ever happens because there was no energy to start the reaction.” She paused a moment. “I think it’s horrible you ended up out on that bridge, but I’m glad you came to Crystal Prep. It’s just that sometimes bad things have to happen for good things to happen. Isn’t that how it works sometimes? Something bad has to happen to make something good? Let’s just hope that our future activators are less dramatic.”

“Hello, I’m trying ta apologize here,” Apple Bloom protested.

“Bloom…” Applejack warned just loud enough for her sister, and just about everyone near her to hear.

“I just want to say sorry. I never, I never meant for… I’m sorry.”  

“It’s alright,” Sunset offered. She could see that Apple Bloom was clearly distressed. “Apple Bloom, yes, a lot of bad things happened, but like Twilight said, good things came out of it.  

“So, have you been keeping up on your studies?” Holiday asked.

“Home school,” Apple Bloom offered meekly.  

“Yup,” Big Mac interjected in his low drawl.

“Not like you are missing anything,” AJ offered.  

“Dare I ask?” Sunset inquired.

“Quiet. Real quiet-like. What with all the orneriest sort gone. The girls all miss you and are right worried.”

“Sunset is in good hands over at Chrystal Prep,” Zachary offered.

“I’ve friends from the neighborhood where my flat was located.”

“That’s good to hear,” AJ replied with a smile.

“I checked up on her,” Princess Twilight offered. “It was a lot of fun.”

“She had everyone thinking she was me,” Miss Twilight replied, her smile infectious. “I heard what Indigo did.” The two looked at each other and shared a laugh.

“I will have to admit it was odd. A little awkward too,” Princess Twilight admitted. “Kind of amusing too. Amazing how much chaos such a little thing could cause.”

“What’d she do?” AJ asked.

“Let’s just say there’s a fairly easy way to tell the difference between the two Twilights and leave it at that,” Sunset explained. “Zap here spotted the difference right away. Didn’t you Zap?”

Zachary began to blush at the memory of his actions.

“We are just about ready to serve up the vitals,” Nova offered as she came out.  

“What, now?” AJ protested.

“Perhaps later when it’s just the girls,” Lofty offered as she got up. “Zachary there is already overstimulated enough.”

“I hear the boy who walked into a doorjamb has quite the shiner,” Holiday added as she too stood up.

“Shiner? Doorjamb? Now why in tarnation would someone walk into a doorjamb?” Applejack asked dumbfounded. As the two Twilights began to stand up the possible truth of the matter began to creep into AJ’s mind as it was a bit like looking at two nearly identical sisters. But not twins. Not completely, and the difference was maturity. Princess Twilight was older and more mature in her comportment and appearance. It was subtle but evident enough for anyone who know either Twilight. Rather obvious when the two were right next to each other. Princess Twilight was every bit the elder sister.  

“What did she do?” AJ inquired with perhaps a touch of anger.

“Ah, Indigo is lacking in certain social graces,” Zachary offered as he blushed a deeper crimson. “No, I wasn’t there, but I did hear about it after the fact.”

“What say we go in and get seated?” Dusk offered, and a moment later everyone was on their way into the dining room. As for Nova’s jacket, it had gone in search of the hall closet and hung itself up. Much to Fluttershy’s delight.
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Granny had as per her usual, outdone herself considerably. Crusty homemade bread, potato chowder, fried chicken, zucchini casserole, sweet potato pie, apple sausage patties, green beans, biscuits, gravy, and several salads.  

“Granny, I sure wish you’d let us help out a little more in the kitchen,” Applejack lamented as she went to her usual place.

“Might be easier to chase you out and just use magic,” Nova teased.

“Now don’t be telling them…” Granny protested.

“Maggie, they kind of already know about magic,” Nova offered kindly enough as everyone took their places.

“Granny?” Applejack inquired as she helped herself to a heaping helping of casserole.  

“Yes, AJ? Can I do magic, is it?” Granny teased. “Not like any of you ever showed any aptitude. I just figured that so long as you couldn't do any magic, there was no point in telling you. And slow down, there’s plenty of food.”

“My family did the same thing,” Miss Twilight offered as she was directed to a place to sit. “Turns out I can do magic. I didn’t even know magic was a real thing until recently.”

“Canterlot City is a good way off the grid, in regards to the magical community,” Granny offered. “There’s more than a few who settled in this area to get away from the old world attitudes and troubles. If’n our young folk couldn't do magic, we all figured there was no point in telling them. Far less likely to attract the wrong sort of attention.”

“Wrong sort?” Princess Twilight asked as everyone sat down.

“Might take a while to explain, but it’s related to religious nut jobs,” Sunset offered.

“Extremist. Both non-magical and magical alike,” Nova explained. “But let’s not dwell on that. Maggie has outdone herself again and I have got a hearty appetite.”   

“Well,” Twilight said as she wound up her request. “Perhaps you can tell me, us, something about yourself?”

“Sweet potato, dear?” Granny offered to Twilight.

“Oh, yes, thank you.”

“I’d like to hear about how Mrs Swan and Granny know each other?” Apple Bloom requested as everyone began helping themselves to the food.

“Your Granny and I met shortly after I traveled into this world,” Nova offered.

“From Equestria?” Sunset asked her plate now full of food.

“Yes, Sunset. From Equestria. I came over to attend the Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft shortly after the Nightmare Night celebration when you were just a little filly. Fairly sure that was you?”

“So that toothy little princess was you.” Sunset couldn't help but smile.

“Anyway…” Nova offered while deciding to ignore the ‘toothy’ comment. “Thousands of years ago there was a mighty empire that spanned the cosmos. That was until a scientist named Grogar began tinkering with things he had no business messing with. The beings of Equestria were born, and the empire collapsed. And yes, they were human. Mostly. They were in many ways far advanced from modern humans because the schism between magical and nonmagical hadn’t happened yet.

“I am,” Nova had to think for a bit to choose her words. After all, there was no way she could come right out and tell the truth of her origin with her own as yet unwed mother in the room. Had Twilight even met the stallion yet? “..a refugee of sorts. I imagine I could have stayed in Equestria, but Princess Celestia and I had determined that my staying might result in problems that Equestria simply wasn’t ready for. The Elements of Harmony needed to be revived yet.” At the mention of the Elements, Princess Twilight perked up and even momentarily forgot about her food.

“So you came here?” Sunset asked.

“Indeed. England to be exact. I have traveled to many lands, many worlds, but chose to stay here. As to how I got to this world, there is an old workshop that houses many mirrors that link dimensions. Some of which were destroyed by Starswirl the Bearded long ago as he’d come to the conclusion the worlds they connected to were far too dangerous. One he destroyed because Princess Celestia had become obsessed with venturing in to see a King Sombra that had not yet been turned to evil when she first went through.”

“I don’t understand? If he wasn’t evil, why was it so bad for Celestia to see him?” Twilight asked. She was genuinely confused.

“All of Equestria depended on Princess Celestia and Starswirl feared she might go and never return,” Nova supplied. “That and that Sombra had become tainted as well. You’d have to ask her about the details if she’s willing to talk about it.

“As for myself, the mirror I traveled through took me to a world of humans who had magic. Though I can’t help but think that Starswirl never realized that the mirror which leads to England and the one that connects Canterlot City lead to the same world. Granted that this place may have been wilderness at the time.”

“If he had known, he’d not likely have dumped so many dangerous artifacts here. That is according to the records. He’s yet to fess up to what all went through that portal,” Twilight offered softly. In the process of cross-referencing mentions of the human world Twilight had discovered that it’d been used as a dumping ground and had a mind to grill herself some horseflesh – figuratively speaking of course. A fact that had really taken the wind out of her hero worship of Starswirl. Not like a part of her wasn’t wishing that she’d never freed the pony in the first place. The stallion was the very epitome of Canterlot arrogance.  

“Indeed, and don’t worry about the memory stone, I’ve got it.”

“Memory stone?” Applejack asked.

“That little trinket Miss Blush had,” Nova supplied. “Oh, I knew she had it, but I had to be careful about the where and when to go after it. I let Shield take it, and then I switched it with a copy that’s not quite so dangerous before they could figure out just how dangerous it really is. There are people in that organization I don’t trust, so I left them with a trinket that would cause people to rethink their priorities. And this time it wasn't Starswirl, it was Clover the Clever who dumped that specific item. In truth, it should never have left Equestria, but what’s done is done. It presently exists outside the time stream. For safekeeping. You and Sunset might like to go to Equestria and have a look through the Canterlot restricted section if you’ve got a mind to research its history, with Princess Celestia’s permission of course.”

“I’m not making that mistake twice,” Sunset vowed. “Sneaking into the restricted section is what led to my ending up over here.”

“No more sneaking then,” Nova teased. “Now to get back to my story, the mirror opened up on a blind alley in downtown London. From there I made my way to a little dive known as the Leaky Cauldron where I met and was subsequently taken in by Maggie’s father. A gentleman by the name of Henry Weasley.”

“Weasley?” Applejack asked. She had a big smile on her face.

“You’re Great Grandfather on my side of the family,” Granny informed her. “Smith isn’t even my real last name. It’s an assumed name. “Yer Grandfather was a Mackintosh, but he’d decided to call himself Apfel and the customs guy just went and wrote Apple.” Granny laughed at her recounting. “He and I met, courted one another, got married, and that’s how you ended up with Apple as our last name. I went back to using Smith after he died.”

“Seriously?” AJ was stunned. “But why all the name changing?”

“People were afraid of being tracked by some rather unsavory folks back then,” Nova explained. “First it was the followers of a man called Gellert Grindelwald, and then another one who’d dubbed himself Lord Voldemort. In truth, the man’s name was Tom Riddle and he’d a father from the nonmagical community. Still though,” She let out a sigh punctuated only by the clinking of tableware on dishes. “Grindelwald wanted a world where magic users didn’t have to hide. Trouble was, his solution to everything was to use the sledgehammer approach. And to be true, there were a lot of people who liked his ideas. The downside is that he perceived bench sitters as opposition. No sitting on the sidelines, either you were one-hundred percent for him, or…”

“Or?” Miss Twilight prompted.

“He’d kill anyone he saw as a threat, and his supporters weren’t much better,” Granny informed them. “Riddle was worse. Kind of like saying vote for me or my followers will track you down, and kill you. It’s why I left England under an assumed name. Historians will say things weren’t all that bad in England, and they were worse in Amareica. Europe was in turmoil, and truth be told, Amareica offered opportunities.”

“At the time I was restoring the Silver Wood Village, which was not too far from where Hogwarts is.”

“I hear Hogwarts has really gone downhill,” Granny prompted.

“It has. Ever since Professor Dumbledore got in, the curriculum has been slowly dumbed down. Worst yet is the houses are all at each other’s throats. It’s not like how it was when we attended. We had so much fun back then, didn’t we?”

“When I met you, you’d just broken the Floo network,” Granny announced.

“Floo network?” Miss Twilight asked.

“Sort of a transport tube slash particle accelerator transportation system they have in England. Mostly in the big cities.” Nova explained. “There are reasons we call magic, ‘Magic’ instead of some fancy scientific name. Magic makes it possible to do things that would otherwise be impossible because it allows us to play with the quantum state of reality. That and the majority of users have an education level that’s barely past the primary level and lack the understanding necessary for better terminology.”

“On discovering the thrill of chasing through the Floo, she proceeded to race back and forth through it while carrying a case that was, in reality, the entry to a rather large displaced space. A portal to a pocket dimension within the confines of transport matrices,” Granny explained. There was a big grin on her face.

“What?” Princess Twilight exclaimed. “But, but…”

“Inert when the doors are shut tight,” Nova offered.

“But the gravitational interaction of the two…” Princess Twilight protested.

“They shut the whole thing down for nearly a week to give it time to stabilize,” Nova informed her.

“First time we met she was in her little fox form,” Granny informed. “I’d been unaware of what had happened, and only knew the Floo Room had been filled with smoke earlier, and that we had a guest. Never occurred to me that the cute little fox with the adorable feathery wings was the guest. So I glomped her.”

“And got an earful, as I recall.”

“And you were so cute sitting up on top of the bookshelf preening your wings.”

“Hang on, you can turn into a fox?” Sunset asked.  

“Well, I am kitsune after all.”

“Hang on, I thought you were a pony princess?” Apple Jack asked. Being both a Pony Princess and Kitsune had been warring with her ever since Granny had told Fluttershy that Nova was a Fox Girl.

“I am,” Nova offered with a smirk. “I am also Kitsune.” She took a moment. “Long ago a tribe of Kitsune discovered a portal to Equestria. They immigrated there to escape persecution. Thanks to how the magic of Equestria works, their default form in Equestria is a pony form. When I’m in Equestria I’m a pony. Here, on the other hand, is another matter altogether.”

“I’m to understand that you are Princess Luna’s daughter?”  Princess Twilight inquired.

“I gather it was Lord Prince Blueblood who dropped that little bombshell,” Nova replied with an air of resignation. “Adopted, really. Princess Celestia does tell me things she thinks I need to know. I hear he was a bit chuffed because I have a certain family heirloom.”

“Princess Celestia set him straight. Although, I’ve got a feeling he did it deliberately because Princess Celestia doesn't seem to want to talk about it.” Princess Twilight informed Nova. “I’m to understand the crown had a curse on it.”

“Placed there by King Sombra in his madness. The crown in Question was known as the Blood Moon crown. And I am to understand that Princess Luna remembers little from the time leading up to Nightfall.”

“If she does remember anything, she doesn't talk about it. I looked up the available information on King Sombra’s known artifacts,” Princess Twilight confided. “According to the information in the archives, any creature in possession of the crown would act as King Sombra’s agent.” Twilight took a breath and let it out slowly. “I fear the crown may have been the root of a number of decisions, including the one that took Sunset from the Stallion who should have been her legal guardian.”

“What?” Sunset asked with a mouth full of half-eaten food.

“How’s that?” Dusty was curious too.

“Prince was more than happy to share with me certain uncomfortable truths about his family’s past dealings. When added with things I already knew, it added up to a rather nefarious plot,” Princess Twilight offered. “In Equestria, Pippin had married Snap Shutter because she wasn't happy about her Dusty being gone all the time. Shortly after Sunset got pulled from the river she had a power surge that brought her to Princess Celestia’s attention. The Platinum family saw Sunset only as a potential asset. When Snap married Pippin, custody of Sunset was kind of up in the air because the Dusk Shimmer over there was out on assignment and not available to consent to Snap having legal custody. Sunset was Dusk Shimmer’s daughter, not Snap Shutter’s daughter, and the Platinums leveraged Sunset’s ambiguous legal custody status to gain custody. Without that little power play, it would have been a simple matter for Snap to assume custody until such time as Dusk Shimmer returned.”

“And all this time I thought they’d taken me in out of the goodness of their hearts?’ Sunset protested.

“The Prince Platinum I met was a good stallion,” Nova protested in turn. “But then again, I hadn’t met him until after Sunset’s little blunder spelled the end of the Blood Moon gem embedded in the crown. Never met his father though … I suppose it’s possible they had unwittingly set a number of ill-conceived plans into motion while under its influence and hadn’t the wisdom to see the error of their ways.”

“And everything suggests that once they had Sunset in their control, parties within the family gas-lighted her,” Princess Twilight added. “It never occurred to them that what they were doing was wrong.”

“You, um, find out what had happened when Pippin, the river, I’m assuming she and sunset went into the river?” Dusty asked.

“The case had been ruled as an accident,” Twilight offered. “I found the rope though. The Canterlot Guard had kept it as evidence. It’d been cut a little at a time to look like it frayed. Cut on the near shore. Finding out who did it after all these years is not likely to happen and the ponies behind it fell victim to their own scheming. I’m finding that Prince has just been playing the fool in public to throw ponies off their guard. Likely worried he’ll be next.”

“Probably worried Dusk Shimmer might come back from the grave,” Dusty teased. There was a slight edge to his voice though.

“And to think I could have had a halfway normal foal-hood,” Sunset lamented.   

“Take into consideration that you ending up here, kind of spoiled a whole bunch of plans,” Princess Twilight offered.

“Yes, and no,” Scootaloo interjected. “I mean, I love my dad, but if…”

“If the Snap Shutter in Equestria is anything like my brother, Sunset, it’d been just you and that other Scootaloo more often than not,” Holiday finished.

“And I’d have likely ended up in a dorm… which is where I ended up anyway. Still though.”

“To be true, Maggi and I spent the better part of seven years living in a dorm,” Nova offered. “I mean, it’s not bad if no one’s trying to mess with your head.”

“We lived in an old tower in a castle. Lots of fun save for the year the roof got blown off.” Granny informed them.

“That is one event I’ll not soon forget. Afterward, there wasn’t enough space in what was left of the tower. They moved me to my own private quarters, and that’s when I decided I was done dimension-hopping.”

“Dimension-hopping?” Princess Twilight asked.

“I can, if I have a mind, slip through the curtain between dimensions. It tends to be an iffy proposition and can often be a one-way trip due to the ebb and flow of the time streams. It’s often left me without a friend in the world, and I was done with doing that.”

“You’ve had a good life here,” Granny offered. “You and Alalme married Cygnus Black…”

“Hang on, two women married one guy?” Scootaloo protested.

“Could have been three of us,” Granny offered. “Save I wasn’t too keen on group marriages.”

“Ya, it’s more of a pony thing. Oddly enough, wizard law allowed it,” Nova informed her. “To my surprise, Cygnus’s sister Belvina was our staunchest supporter. You see, even back then people had ideas about blood purity. The irony is that it seems to have originated among Muggles who’d ideas about reinventing old religions way back in the Victorian era. Many were diligently trying to revive long-repressed religions, but among those were people who didn't care about accuracy or integrity. They would typically be non-magic users who had a bad habit of taking shortcuts, and in this case, I’m talking about charismatic people who were so out there, even their contemporaries thought they were nuts. The worst of the lot never bothered to do research and just made things up to justify their own selfishness. The worst part is many of the ideas, such as racial superiority and blood purity gained a foothold in the minds of people who would listen, in whom those ideas took root, and flourished. Granted back then the notion was that the English were somehow superior to all other nationalities. Back when the British Empire and colonialism was in its heyday.  

“It was that kind of thinking that Grindelwald was guilty of. He’d a good idea, a world where magic users could live openly but went about it in all the wrong ways.  

“As for our proposed marriage, there were quite a few that objected to the union, and most vehemently too. Cygnus’s sister Belvina really wanted me as part of the Black family. Not so much because she saw Alalme and me as individuals worthy of her brother, but because she’d realized that we’d be an asset to the family. Part of her argument stemmed from research that hinted that wizardkind owed their ability to use magic thanks to marrying magical creatures in human form. Then she points at me and says ‘that woman is not a mindless creature’, and ‘you can call her a beast if you want, but you’d better have a smile on your face because so help me, if anyone walking this earth on two legs could be considered a demigod, it’s her.” She even went so far as to state that she’d be willing to wager that I was every bit as powerful as a Priestesses of Akkadia of legend. And then I’m like, um, actually, I am a priestess of Akkadia.” A rather wicked smile crossed Nova’s face. “You could have heard a pin drop when I dropped that bit of information. She then went on to argue that if they kept doing what they had been doing, the Black family would soon go the way of many of the other old families in decline. In the end, they grudgingly went along with it because what idiot craving power doesn’t like the idea of bringing a powerful ally into the family. Those that were on the fence or opposed changed their minds when I went up against Grindelwald as part of a team to bring him to justice. I was working as an Auror, a sort of magical police officer. Grindelwald had developed a lightning jinx, and well, lightning has no effect on me. Heck, it’s a byproduct of my ability to open portals.”

“But, a typical lightning strike has around three hundred million volts of electricity?” Miss Twilight stated.

“To be true his spell was only in the kilovolt range.”

“She’d likely have the same abilities as a pegasus,” Sunset offered. “A pegasus forms an energy barrier around their body in much the same way as an electric eel generates an electric charge. Only in this case, it’s a fairly benign field. The field shields the individual from electrical discharge, the air pressure generated by rushing through the air at great speeds, and sudden impacts.”

“Faced with an opponent his little trick didn’t work on, he surrendered,” Nova offered.  

“Just like that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Just like that. His giving up so easily had me baffled as well. That and a little disappointment. What I hadn’t known was that he’d planned for just that eventuality. He made good his escape not long after we handed him over to the local authorities.”

“But they caught him again, didn’t they?” Apple Bloom asked.

“We did, but not before his followers had managed to corner and kill Cygnus.” Nova’s tone had dropped to that of a person echoing a deep longing.  

“No point in dwelling on it,” Granny chastised. Granny was quick to see if she could change the subject because she didn’t think anyone needed to hear about what Nova had done to Grindelwald and his lieutenants. The ultimate irony is that Nova’s involvement had been overshadowed by one Professor Dumbledore who’d taken credit for putting an end to Grindelwald. “Now who wants dessert?”

“I do!” Apple Bloom was the first to speak up. She then proceeded to shrink back from a withering glare from Granny. “Guests first, of course,” she added sounding rather sheepish.
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“May I help?” Nova offered as granny went to get the desserts.

“I’ll let you get the tea,” Granny offered. “I know how fussy you are over tea.”

“Indeed I am,” Nova replied, and got up from her place. “It was following Cygnus’s death that I set about establishing the Eques community in the Caribbean,” Nova offered as she headed for the kitchen.

“Sunset, Priestess of Akkadia? Do you know anything about that?” Princess Twilight whispered.

“Not really, no. Not unless it has something to do with her claim of Steward of Akkadia. What I can remember is that there is an abandoned citadel somewhere in the Everfree that’s near impossible to access. Ponies trying either come back in pieces or not at all.”

“You know where it’s at?”

“Not really. Just the general region. It’s an area known as the exclusion zone.”

“One edge is just beyond the Palace of the Two sisters,” Nova offered as she returned with a teapot. Of course, she’d heard every word. Granny was right behind her with a cart loaded down with every imaginable apple-baked sweet one could imagine and then some. “I wouldn't recommend tempting fate though. Getting to the citadel requires high-altitude flying at speeds near to or greater than the speed of sound. And even at that speed, it can take an hour from Ponyville. It’s the only way to get past the creatures living in that part of the forest. Everything out there is under some kind of chaos curse that drives them to attack anything venturing in.”

“Ah, yes, and now certain obscure passages in the old text make more sense, ”Princess Twilight offered even as Granny served up the delights she’d brought out.  

“The citadel, along with several other locations that made up the Kingdom of Everfree, had to be abandoned long ago,” Nova admitted.

“Did you remarry, if that’s alright for me to ask?” Fluttershy inquired meekly and then thanked Granny.

“Well, no. And that’s alright. I’m sure you aren’t the only one wondering where the Swan name came from. The Black family split during the wizard war,” Nova informed them. “I and my supporters within the Black family were cast out. Cygnus had as an animal form that of a black swan, so it was decided that those of us who had been members of the Black family would use Swan from that point on.”

“That’s really nice that you honored your husband that way,” Lofty offered.  

“There was some discussion on everyone taking the Silverwood name, but in the end, we went with Swan.”

“So what’s the significance of the Silverwood name?” Holiday asked. “Who are they?”

“They are the descendants of some of the ponies who were Princess Luna’s retainers prior to Night Fall.”

“Night Fall?” Holiday looked puzzled. “You say that like it was a singularly significant event.”

“It was,” Princess Twilight offered.

“Princess Luna?” Apple Bloom asked. “Like in Vice Principal Luna?”

“One of the peculiarities of Equestria is the doubles. That’s why we have two Twilights,” Nova offered. “I ran across a double of myself not too long ago. And to be honest, I’ve had the pleasure of being acquainted with several versions of Luna, what with jumping across dimensions. Anyway, Night Fall was an incident where Princess Luna allegedly rose in revolt against her sister. The two were supposed to be co-regents but in reality, Princess Luna was slowly being sidelined, marginalized, and made redundant. Equestrian history says that Princess Luna was jealous of her sister and wanted power for herself. Many of the English pegasi who still tell the story of Night Fall remember it as an unprovoked attack by the Canterlot guard along with Princess Celestia on the Palace of the Two Sisters where Princess Luna and her retainers had been recuperating after a rather heart-wrenching war against the Chrystal Empire. Unprepared for the attack, and Princess Luna defeated by Princess Celestia, they fled through a portal to this world.”

“But, that can’t be?” Princess Twilight said softly.  

“Twilight, I’ve heard something similar from Princess Celestia back when Nova passed through. Princess Luna had been possessed only after she’d been confronted. Princess Luna had been pushed into losing control. Afraid Princess Celestia had been played,” Sunset informed her. “She’d been manipulated and it resulted in a civil war that drove a large percentage of the populace to either go into hiding or flee the kingdom altogether. Ethnic cleansing is what we’d call it over here. When Princess Celestia learned the truth it was too late. Those responsible, I’m to understand, were assassinated but it was too late to repair what had been done.”

“But, none of that is in any of the history books?” Twilight said softly.

“Suppressed by the instigator's descendants no doubt,” Dusty offered. “No one likes remembering the history that makes us look bad.”

“I have so many things I want to talk to Princess Celestia about,” Twilight said just as a pair of Phoenix flew into the dining room. Philomina landed on Sunset’s left shoulder and the other landed on Nova’s left shoulder. She carried a small envelope.

“Well, hello there, Phenik. You have something for me?” Nova asked as she reached for the envelope.  

“Wow…” Apple Bloom said in a hushed tone of wonderment.  

“Told you so,” Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom.

Nova opened the letter, her face giving no emotion away.

“Well, at least you won’t have to worry about Gilda anymore,” Nova said a moment later.

“You want to explain that statement maybe?” Granny asked. Several people were giving her a look that said the individual was presently assuming the worst.

“Oh, she’s fine. Someone put a compulsion spell on her.”

“Compulsion spell?” Lofty asked.  

“It’s a bit like hypnosis,” Dusty offered. “Any idea why, though?” His question was directed at Nova.

“I suppose it could have been the Dazzlings looking for payback,” Nova offered. “At any rate, I gather from this letter that the local Magical Law Enforcement removed the spell and she’s behaving considerably less anti-social.”

“Well, that’s good, I guess?” Sunset responded.

“She’s still in a lot of trouble.”

“Is there someone at the door?” Lofty asked. There’d definitely been a sound like a tentative knock.

“I’ll go have a look,” Applejack offered as she got up.

“Applejack,” Sunset said as AJ got up. “If it’s Pinkie and the others, you might just as well let them in.”

“We did tell them not to come,” AJ offered and then headed for the front door.

She returned a short time later with a rather contrite Pinkie in tow. Pinkie had with her a large cake box.

“Well, as long as she’s here,” Granny said. “I’m assuming that’s a cake, let's see if we can’t make room on the table.”

The cake that came out of the box was impossibly large. Larger than the box it came out of, elaborately decorated with the words Sunset I’m sorry.

“Thank you,” Sunset said even as someone else knocked on the door.

“I came alone! I swear!” Pinkie pleaded even as AJ went back to the door.

“Hi, can we come in?” asked Scootaloo from the front porch. An older version of Scootaloo to be exact and she had Rainbow Dash with her. “I’m Louise. Dash was just helping me find the place.”

“Scootaloo?!” Princess Twilight admonished. “Wait, how’d you even get here?”

“Through the mirror,” Louise offered as she made her way past a confused Applejack.

“Remind me to have words with my guards,” Princess Twilight admonished.

“Hi, Louise,” Zap offered from the dining room.

“Hi, Zap. I’m actually here to see my sister.”

“You two know each other?!” Princess Twilight and Sunset say at the same time.

“Ahhh, whoops,” Louise said rather sheepishly.

“Was that supposed to be secret?” Zap asked.

“The fact that I’ve been crossing dimensions to go to school, yes. Granted I’m attending school in Canterlot right now.”

“You’ve been what?!” Sunset and Princess Twilight chime.

“Should I go, or can I come in?” Dash asked from the doorway.

“As long as you are here, come on in,” Granny admonished. “And shut the door. Honestly, a person would think you’d spent your formative years in a barn.”

“Come on in,” Sunset added, got up, went to Louise, and gave her Equestrian sister a welcoming hug. “That and I think my sister owes me an explanation.”

“Like I even knew you were my actual sister. I knew there was some kind of connection, but I’d never had it confirmed. No pony had ever said anything about Pippin like it was some kind of dark secret,” Louise offered as they made their way into the dining room. Seats were provided even as Applejack closed the door moments after a hesitant Rainbow Dash came in. Granted that to fit the three newcomers required a bit of shuffling of place settings around the table, but they did manage to fit them in.

“Scootaloo, or Louise, was it?” Princess Twilight pressed.

“I use Louise on this side of the portal.”

“What are you doing going through the portal and how is it I didn’t know?” Princess Twilight demanded. “Not to mention that I told the three of you to stay well clear of that mirror.”

“And this is the first time I’ve been through the mirror. You see, the house I live in, Princess Celestia knows, is a portal.”

“What?” Princess Twilight asked. “But?”

“You may not be aware of it, but I don’t live with my parents. They lost custody during your first year in Ponyville. They’ve got a place in Canterlot now, and I’ll stay with them whenever I need to be in Canterlot. The truth is, Sweetie and I are taking classes at CSGU. I was taking classes here in the human world, but at the moment I’ve shifted my studies back to Equestria.”

“But, why would you be taking classes at Princess Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns? You’re a pegasus,” Sunset asked.  

“Out with it,” Princess Twilight asked.”

“Oh, oh, let me guess,” Pinkie interjected. “Were you born with a button horn, got taken in by a pair of secret Alicorns from different dimensions, come over to this world to attend a school of magic in England, and are slowly becoming an alicorn yourself?”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“Hang on, I didn’t see any horn on your head when Philomena fetched you?” Sunset protested.

“Enchanted horn ring that hides the horn. Let’s face it, the moment ponies find out, my life will never be the same, and I’m just not ready for that. Granted it can make things interesting in Canterlot. When I’m at school I’ve got an enchanted body net that hides my wings. Every pony knows me as Louise there too. My classmates started calling me Lulu.”

“Seriously? You’re Lulu?” Princess Twilight asked. She was dumbfounded.  

“Twilight, excuse me, Princess Twilight, I’m to understand that Cadance started out the same way. It was her run-in with Prismia that caused her to ascend, and I haven't actually ascended yet.”

“Ascending is basically a power-up for magical ponies,” Nova offered to those around the table who didn’t know. “It’s a similar function as the gaining of a cutie mark where an individual gains near-savant skills in their chosen field. It increases the individual’s manna level and in so doing increases the life expectancy exponentially. Make no mistake, it’s not immortality.”

“It’s not?” Sunset asked.

“It might seem that way, but keep in mind that if it was indeed true immortality there’d be no need for a guard force to protect Princess Celestia.”

“I, I never realized,” Sunset said softly.  

“Ya, OK, whatever. All that stuff is way over my head anyway,” Dash stated. “Not sure I’d want to live that long anyway. Going out in a blaze of glory is like twenty percent cooler anyway. Sunset, I’m sorry about the way I acted, and everything. I mean, you really wanted to be our friend. And, well, I’ve missed having you around. Even when you were being bossy. Heck, it kind of makes it easy for me to see what would be bad about living an extra, extra-long life. I mean, who wants to outlive their friends to the point they become distant memories? And, well, I don’t want you to be nothing more than a memory.”

“Alright, apology accepted. Now, we’ve dessert.”

“Oh, no, I’ve got to watch my weight,” Louise offered as she helped herself to the desserts. “Not like I don’t hear ponies calling me chubby Lulu behind my back.”

“Chubby?” Dash asked astonished. The girl was chiseled marble. “If our Scootaloo had a body like yours I’d have her on the sports team the first chance I got.”

“The mesh that hides my wings makes me look chubby,” Louise explained with a wink and a smile. “Heck, I can eat as much as I want to.”

“Alicorn metabolisms have killer appetites,” Princess Twilight offered as she helped herself to more.

“I’m kind of feeling guilty at this point,” Applejack offered, as she decided to help herself to more as well.

“How’s that?” Sunset asked.

“The only one being left out at this point is Rarity.”

“She’s out in her car,” Dash offered. “Well, I don’t have a car. Did you think we walked through the snow to get here?”

Applejack put down her fork, got up, went to the front door, opened it, and looked outside. “Where?”

“Around the corner,” Louise informed her. “She didn’t want to be seen.”

Rarity was retrieved a short time later, and Sunset found herself having to comfort the crying girl. Nova quietly pulled Louise aside and asked her if she’d just happened to find Dash.

“To tell the truth, Aerie was the one who suggested I pop on over,” Louise informed her. “She just seems to be really good at predicting when something needs to happen. I found Dash kicking a soccer ball in the snow at Canterlot High. Told her I was an Apple cousin out here to visit. Which is technically true. And I explained that I didn’t know how to find the farm. Which is also true.”

“And did she ask why you didn’t know how to find the farm?”

“I admitted that I’m Sunset’s sister from Equestria. I just wanted to check up on her. She called Rarity, and we were soon on our way.”

“I guess it’s alright then. The thing is, I can’t do things like that. I have to be really careful about interfering in things I already know about.”

“Aerie explained. You are actually from the future and have to be careful about interfering with anything that could impact your timeline. Aerie on the other hoof, hand, or paw as she might say, is from the past. Different dimensions even. It’s her magic that gives her glimpses of possible future outcomes. And since she is from the past, she can do all the meddling she wants. She doesn’t have to worry about upsetting her own timeline. She generally doesn’t meddle, but this is one time I’m glad she did. I get to see my sister, and she’s made up with her friends.”

“And everything ends happily ever after, is that it?”

“Hardly. There are no happily ever afters in life. I know that. Just… life. Sunset has moved to that Crystal Prep school, hasn’t she? That’s bound to test their friendships.”

“The Friendship Games.”

“Aerie did mention that. Hey, how bad can it be? Surely it can’t be anywhere near as bad as the Triwizard Cup.”

“I will have to admit that I will be looking forward to it.”  

“Um, excuse me,” Rarity prompted moments after getting her emotions under control. “Why are there two Twilights, and two Scootaloos?”  

“That, my friend,” Sunset offered. “May take a while to explain. Now sit, have a bite, and we’ll see if we can’t manage the Cliffs notes version.” A task that would take the better part of what was left of the afternoon.