> The New Girl
>  by Nineveh Orion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"... And after several months living here, I can say for certain something about this town," Luster Dawn said with conviction, sipping on her coffee as she and Princess Twilight shared time together in the Friendship Castle's Dining Room.

Princess Twilight sipped her tea calmly. She enjoyed these monthly visits to her old home and catching up with her Faithful Student. With no way to send letters except through the Pegasus Post, this was the only easy way for them to talk normally. "What would that be, Luster?"

Luster thumped her head on the table with a groan. "Everyone in this town is crazy!"

Twilight held her poise for a moment, before breaking into un-very princess-like giggles. "A wise lesson to learn, My Faithful Student. One that I myself had to relearn all of the time. Just ask my friends. They can tell you plenty of stories about it."

Luster nodded. "I just wish someponies would understand things already. Ponies still think that I'm Headmare Starlight's daughter. Even after I've shown them pictures of my family. I admit that I do look like I could be. Or how they greeted me when I moved here. But that's a dumb way of thinking. My friends at least don't."

Twilight nodded as well. She had heard of this from Starlight and Sunburst, but there was nothing any of them could do about it. "I truly am sorry, Luster. But there is little we can do about it or how ponies think. Some still think Applejack and Rainbow Dash are a couple. Even when those of us who know them well will know they would never be mature enough. At least with each other, for this."

Luster smiled. She'd been taken aside by the two and explained, in detail, why it would never work after she had asked them about it. Neither mare had been angry, thankfully, but it had cleared things up for the unicorn.

The same could be said for Fluttershy and Discord. While there was a deep bond between them, doing something like love didn't feel like something the Lord of Chaos would do. It also didn't help that Fluttershy was seeing Tree Hugger anyway.

Twilight, though, saw there was something else in her student's eyes, and it worried her. "Luster. You know you can tell me anything. Please. Tell me what is on your mind? This cannot be all of it."

Luster nodded sadly, her ears falling at the thought that came to mind. "Am I your successor?"

Twilight blinked. "What do you mean?"

Luster shook her head. "Someponies think the only reason you chose me as your student is that you're grooming me to take the throne one day. Or, gods forbid, make me an alicorn and pass all of it to me. Some are rather vocal about it as well."

Twilight's eyes twitched. Oh, how she hated that line of thinking. Ever since she had taken the throne from Celestia and Luna, some ponies seemed to think that she could never live without her friends and that the only reason she ever took a student was to groom them to take her spot.

The best had taken their concerns to her during court, and while Twilight wasn't thrilled at their way of thinking, she respected them for being civil about it. The most delusional complained every chance they got as if it would change anything. She tended to boot them out of the castle personally.

Twilight shook her head and smiled gently as she lay a hoof on her student's. "No, Luster. I admit that the thought has crossed my mind several times. But I never picked you just in the hope you could succeed me. I picked you because I saw in you much of who I used to be, and I wanted to nurture that."

Luster tried to smile, but it came out strained. "So you're not planning to unleash some ancient evil for me and my friends to defeat to prove my worth?"

Twilight scoffed, offended at the very idea. "Luster Dawn. I thought you knew me better than that. I would never do that to you, or any of my students." She winked. "Besides. Even if I wanted to, there's none left. Either they're reformed, in stone for all eternity, or locked away in Tartarus."

Luster breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Now I don't owe Discord any bits. He was so sure you would do all of that. Out of boredom if for no other reason. I bet him you wouldn't. Looks like I win."

Twilight's eyes twitched again. She would be having words with the Lord of Chaos about this later, but for now, she just wanted to relax, as she took another sip from her tea.

Luster, though, still had another question, as she looked into the Main Library, and at an odd mirror connected to all kinds of things that she couldn't name that sat in one corner. "I do have one more question, Princess Twilight. What is that mirror over there? I've been meaning to ask for some time now. I feel some kind of magic coming from it. A kind that I've never felt before."

Twilight smiled as she looked at the World Mirror. "Ah yes. I was wondering when you might ask about that, Luster. It is no ordinary mirror."

Luster wasn't convinced though. "How? It looks like one to me. Just connected to a bunch of things I don't understand."

Twilight nodded. "Indeed. But that is to keep it safe. That mirror is a gateway to another world. One that I have been to several times myself."

Luster linked. She had not expected that answer. She of course knew about the Multiverse Theory, that there were an infinite number of universes out there, all different in some way or form to another. "What is that world like, princess?"

Twilight giggled. "It is hard to explain, My Faithful Student. It is one that must be experienced in person to understand. My friends can help you with that, for I see it in your eyes that you are curious about the other world."

Luster blushed. Her teacher knew her all too well. She was right of course. She was curious to see this other world, and what it might be like. "Could I go to this other world?"

Twilight nodded happily. "Of course! This castle is still mine, and therefore I have the final say in what happens to the mirror and who uses it. I keep its key with me in Canterlot for just that reason. No matter what Starlight might say." She smiled. "So, Luster. Ask the question I know you now have."

Luster Dawn took a moment to think about it, before she finally did. "So when do I get to visit this other world?"
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight sighed, as she watched as Luster tried once more to walk on her back legs, before falling forward once more onto her belly. "This is not going as smoothly as I had hoped it would."

Luster shot her an annoyed look. "With all due respect, Headmare Starlight. How do ponies walk like this?!"

"People," Starlight corrected.

Luster shook her head. "Whatever. If this is how creatures walk in that other world, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. I'm never going to get this right. So what's the point?"

Starlight's ears fell. This had been going on all day, and the young unicorn seemed nowhere near ready to go through the mirror. While she wouldn't doubt Twilight's wisdom, she was beginning to wonder if this had been a good idea herself.

She pushed the thought as she placed a hoof on Luster's shoulder. "Luster. I know how frustrating this is. Believe me. I've been there. So has Twilight. But you have something that neither of us did the first time we visited that world."

Luster wasn't convinced, but she was curious nonetheless. "And what would that be?"

Starlight's smile grew. "You have someone to help you. Not just here in Equestria. But also in the Human World. You just have to trust us on this."

Luster found this hard to believe. But the look in the Headmare's eyes helped to put her at ease. Starlight always seemed to have that effect on her. It was strange, yet comforting at the same time. She smiled as she stood once more and tried again. "I will, Headmare Starlight."

Starlight nodded and stood back and watched. There was little she could do. It depended to a large extent on Luster herself. So for now, she did nothing and offered advice when she could.

It took longer than either mare wanted, but finally, Luster could walk to a credible degree on her back legs. 

Luster grinned as she was finally able to walk from one end of the room to the other, and not fall flat on her face. "I'm doing it! And I thought this was hard. This is easy."

At that moment, her knees wobbled, and Luster almost fell flat once more. But this time, she was able to catch herself on a nearby table with a sheepish smile.

Starlight giggled as she walked over to the youngster. "Well, I would not call you an expert on this. But nopony is truly is. I believe you have it down to where you shouldn't make too much of a fool of yourself. Now we just need to wait for Twilight to send us the Journal."

Luster scratched her chin as she stood back down on four legs. "Why wouldn't Princess Twilight keep it here, however? Is she afraid somepony might steal it?"

Starlight shook her head. "Not... exactly. Our friends have all tried to nab the Journal and use it to journey to the other world. Sometimes all at once. And a certain group of students from the School of Friendship has tried as well. None of them succeeded, and Twilight did take all of us to the other side not long after her coronation. But after first Gallus and then Smolder tried the same thing, she decided it was too dangerous to leave it here."

Luster frowned. Having known Gallus since her first day as Princess Twilight's Personal Student, and having met all of his friends since moving to Ponyville, she could well believe they would do something like this. 

Starlight looked at the nearby clock. "In fact. Twilight should be sending it right about..." A journal with a sun in a ying-yang configuration appeared next to her in a flash of teleportation, and Starlight smirked as she grabbed it in her magic. "Now." Her smile grew as she floated a note over to her fellow unicorn. "And there is a note for you, Luster. It looks important."

Luster blinked as she took the note in her own magic and began to read.

'My dearest Luster Dawn.

I am sorry that I cannot be there myself. But someponies in Canterlot don't know when no means no. I trust Starlight to make sure you are okay and to handle any emergencies that may arise. Before you embark on this journey, however, I must impose one rule on you and what you will see.

Nothing of what you see and experience must be let out. Knowledge of the Human World is restricted to a select few, and it must stay that way. One day, that may change, and I pray that it will. But that day is not today, nor in the immediate future.

I know how much you love to take notes and document all you see and experience. I will not stop you from doing so, for it would not be fair to you. You must not share it, however. Not yet at least.

I wish you a safe and wonderful journey. I know you will be fine. Take it from someone who has done this more than anypony in Equestria. You will be fine. And don't be freaked out by who you may meet. It's not as weird as it may seem. Trust me.

Yours truly,
Princess Twilight Sparkle'

Luster blinked in surprise, even as the World Mirror hummed to life behind her. A part of her was not surprised by this, but another part of her was saddened by not being able to share this with her friends. They shared everything with each other it seemed. How was she going to keep this secret?

Starlight read the note as well and frowned. She was not a fan of this, and she and Twilight had butted heads more than once over it. But there was little she could do as she directed Luster to the mirror. "You heard the princess. As much as I hate this restriction myself."

Luster nodded. She was glad her parents were away in the Crystal Empire on vacation at the moment, and wouldn't be back for several weeks. There was no way she could explain all of this to them. She eyed the swirling mirror with a critical eye. "So what do I do? Just walk through?"

Starlight nodded. "Yes. Try to brace for the other end. It's a doozy of a first step."

Luster gulped. She did not like the sound of that. She watched in awe as her hoof sunk into the mirror as she touched it. It was just like water, she thought. Strange. Looking back, she saw that Headmare Starlight was giving her an encouraging smile. It helped to calm her nerves as she too smiled.

Steeling herself, Luster Dawn walked forward into the unknown.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the benefit of hindsight, maybe this had not been such a good idea, Luster thought as her body was twisted and reshaped as a kaleidoscope of colors rushed past her vision. No matter that she had been warned that this would happen, it still was not something she enjoyed.

But finally, after what felt like years of this, Luster saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and prepared for the exit, hoping it would not hurt as much as Headmare Starlight and Princess Twilight said would.

To her surprise though, as she was shot out the other end, it did not hurt at all. In fact, it felt like falling onto her bed after a long day at school. But she could also feel the ground beneath her hooves. "I did not expect it to be this soft," she mumbled into the mattress.

A voice chuckled next to her. "I figured that after all of the times the princess always came out flat on her face, we needed a softer landing for those coming from Equestria. The school board thinks I'm crazy though."

Luster blinked as she was helped to her feet, wobbling a moment, before grabbing onto what looked like a statue base now that she opened her eyes and looked down at herself, and tried not to freak out at what she had turned into. Arms and hands instead of hooves, and she wore clothes that accentuated her natural colors. A light orange skirt, and a shirt that matched the blond in her mane. "This is so weird."

The mare next to her giggled, her fiery red mane easily standing out next to her official-looking jacket. "You must be new here."

Luster gulped. She had not thought of how she would explain any of what she was or where she had come from if she met one of the natives. "Um..."

The older human rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. Princess Twilight told me that you were coming. Plus a first-time human sticks out like a sore thumb. Been a while since we've had a visitor from Equestria. The name's Sunset Shimmer."

Luster blinked. "Oh. But Headmare Starlight gave me a crash course on how to use this body before I came here."

Sunset pinched her nose with a sigh. "Starlight's a great mare and an even better friend, but she was only here once, and not for very long at that. Ask Princess Twilight the next time you do. She has more experience." She smirked. "And the bumps and bruises to prove it."

Luster couldn't help but chuckle at the thought as she looked around as Sunset led her towards what looked like a school. "This isn't a problem, is it? Me being here? I know this was so last minute. But I could not help myself."

Sunset shook her head with a smile. "No, it's not a problem. Very few people know about the portal or Equestria, and I plan to keep it that way. Too much can go wrong if word about either gets out. My friends and I seem to be the only ones who know about either."

Luster blinked as she looked around the halls. Few students were out,  most seemingly in class at the moment. To her surprise, she recognized several of them as students she knew at the School of Friendship. Some were even her friends. but no one paid her any mind.

Sunset saw the confusion in the young girl's eyes and smiled. "You don't go here, Luster. If you meet anyone you know from Equestria, they will not know you. Probably for the best. Twilight can tell you what a headache meeting your friend's counterparts is like."

Luster tapped her chin in thought. Interesting. Just more questions she had for this strange world. At that moment, though, her stomach growled loudly, earning a blush from the girl as she suddenly remembered how hungry she was.

Sunset only smirked. "Sounds like somepony's hungry. Come on. Lunch is on me. I just ordered pizza, and there's more than enough for both of us."

Luster only smiled sheepishly as she followed the older woman. "Pizza sounds good."





"Please tell me you have the recipe for this," Luster all but moaned, as she took another bite of pizza. "This beats anything Ponyville has. Even Canterlot, and I thought I knew good pizza."

Sunset chuckled, taking another slice for herself as well. "Sorry. But this comes from a place called Greek's Pizza here in the city. Equus doesn't have an equivalent as far as I know."

Luster sighed as she looked around. Across the wall were many framed photos, presumably of Sunset's past and friends. She chocked back her shock as she saw six very familiar faces repeated time and time again. 

Sunset saw her look and smirked. "My friends and the greatest family anypony could ask for. And no. That isn't Princess Twilight with glasses. It's her counterpart. Take away her glasses, and put her hair down though, they're identical. You should have seen her face when we all went to Equestria. If there's one thing they both agree on, is that they hate when people mistake them for each other."

Luster frowned. "Do they not get along?"

Sunset shook her head. "No. They get along great actually. But it is still weird for them to meet each other and not freak out."

Luster giggled, remembering plenty of freakouts from the princess, as her eyes fell on another photo. This one was in a place of honor on Sunset's desk. Sunset and all of her friends together dressed up in what looked like graduation gowns. And next to them, smiling wider than she could ever remember... "Is that?" She asked, pointing at it.

Sunset nodded, her smile turning wistful as she remembered the day. "Our graduation. Princess Twilight made it an official Royal Order that she would attend it, no matter what. We made it a weekend-long sleepover for all of us. One last big party before college and real-life kicked in. And even though, technically, she wasn't a member of our class, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna gave her an honorary degree for everything she did for us."

Luster smiled at the thought. So that was what that piece of paper the princess kept in a place of honor in her Study was. She had always wondered what it might be but had never asked, as she finished her current slice of pizza. "What are all these toppings anyway?"

Sunset shrugged. "Oh, sausage beef and pepperoni. Pig and cow basically." She stopped, suddenly remembering who she was talking to, as Luster turned a sickly shade of green. "Probably shoulda warned you about that first now that I think about it."

Luster gagged, trying not to throw up. "You think?!"
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be such a drama filly. You'll be fine."

Luster gagged, drinking all most all of her soda to try and get the taste out of her mouth. "I'm eating meat. How am I supposed to be fine?! Dragons eat meat. Griffons eat meat. Ponies don't!"

Sunset nodded. "Except you're not a pony at the moment. You're human. Through and through."

Luster blinked, her curiosity momentarily overcoming her disgust. "What do you mean?"

Sunset put on her best teaching smile. "When you cross through the portal, everything about you becomes human. Or whatever you might come out as. Physically and mentally. That means your body needs everything a human does. That includes meat. When you return to Equestria, you will feel fine."

Luster tapped her chin. She hadn't thought of that. "What about Princess Twilight? She's never said anything about this."

Sunset smirked. "You didn't even know this world existed until a few days ago. I'm not surprised she didn't tell you. She had the same reaction you did, the first time she realized she was eating meat." She giggled at the memory. "But eventually, she came around to rather enjoy it."

Luster found that hard to believe as she stood with a sigh and headed for the door, the weight of the world seemingly on her shoulders. "This is all just too much. I need fresh air."

Sunset's smile fell away. "Do you need someone? I've got time to spare."

Luster shook her head as she opened the door, before disappearing down the hall, earning an annoyed sigh from the older woman as she pulled out a battered old journal with a sun cutie mark on the front, and began to write.

'Hey Twi. You there?

Several moments passed before a response came back. 'Sunset! Hi! I'm assuming from the less than urgent message that Luster has made it and everything is fine?'

'Not quite. Oh, she made it here with no problem. Thankfully. But I don't think she is taking all of this well.

'What's wrong? Is she not adjusting well to being human? Are the students not treating her well?'

'Worse than those two actually. Most don't know she's here or cares who she is if they have met her.'

'... She just had meat for the first time, didn't she?'

'Eeyup. Same exact reaction as you did in fact.'

'Excuse me! I was not that bad, I will have you know!'

'Says the girl who spent most of that night at Pinkie's house running to the bathroom, trying to throw up. You almost did the Dazzlings' work for them.'

'Hah hah, Sunset. Very funny.

Sunset smirked evilly. It was pretty funny actually. 'But that's beside the point. I'm worried about Luster. There's only so much I can do here.'

'... I know. I wish I could do something. But my hands are tied. This damn trade treaty with Mount Aris won't write itself. No matter how well I've streamlined Equestria's government, wasting time seems as inevitable as death and taxes. What about our friends?'

Sunset winced. And there it was. ' I don't know. I called them all last night, once I knew for sure this was happening today, but only Pinkie and Applejack picked up. Everyone else's families said their fine, but wouldn't say why they couldn't answer themselves.'

'That's not like them. Even when we were all busy with something, we always found a way to talk to each other. I know other me is running for president, and that keeps her busy. And I swear that if she loses, your government is more broken than I thought. She is more qualified than most of the so-called candidates.'

Sunset rolled her eyes. 'She'll be glad of the endorsement I'm sure. I trust the teachers and staff to keep an eye on Luster. If something goes wrong, they know to come to me with it. She just needs time and space to figure it all out.

'Then Luster is in the best place right now. I know that for a fact. We both do, Sunset.'

Sunset smiled. She knew that better than most.

After a moment, however, Sunset frowned as she looked over at her calendar. 'Now that I think of it. The Fall Formal is coming up in a few days. Is it a coincidence that your prized student only recently learned about this world?'

'Sunset Shimmer. Are you accusing me of setting all of this up for Luster?'

Sunset's eyes twitched. Are you denying the thought didn't cross your mind?'

'... Maybe?'

Sunset growled, slamming her head on the desk in frustration. 'Damm it, Twilight! You're becoming more and more like Princess Celestia. Only purple!'

'Thank you. I try. Be glad you've never had to deal with being an alicorn Sunset. It's not as fun and cool as ponies say it is.'

Sunset rolled her eyes. Her days of wanting to be a princess of any kind were long behind her. 'Putting all of that aside for the moment, what about Luster?'

She could practically hear the sigh of her friend. 'The thought did cross my mind, Sunset. I would be lying if I said it did not. But I will not force her into this. It has to be Luster's choice. Though I feel she would make a great Fall Formal princess.'

Sunset managed a smile. 'She does seem to have that look. If I didn't know any better, I would say she is being set up to succeed you.'

'Don't even joke about that, Sunset. I get enough of that as it is. If I ever do pass the crown to a successor, it will not be for a long time. The neigh sayers will not win. Not with this.

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smirk as the magic faded from the Journal, showing Twilight had closed it on her end. She still had it. Getting a rise out of the princess.





Luster wasn't sure what had possessed her to wander the halls of Canterlot High now that she thought about it. But she needed to be alone for a while. This was all still too much for her. Her stomach at least had stopped doing flip-flops from eating meat. She would never get used to that feeling it seemed.

As she passed the theatre, Luster almost looked inside, for she could hear the sounds of laughter and what sounded like something big going on, but she couldn't. While she recognized many of the students she had passed, none of them had done more than give her a passing glance or smile.

Even her friends didn't react any more than the other students did, and it hurt. Hurt far more than Luster thought it would. It didn't matter that this was not Equestria, nor the School of Friendship.

"Maybe this was not such a wise idea after all," she sighed as she passed the trophy case. Needing any kind of distraction at the moment, she stopped and looked inside. It seemed the school had won in every sport this world seemed to have.

Luster couldn't help but smile as she saw that who could only be Professor Rainbow Dash's counterpart had been the captain of most of these teams, though it had been over a decade since then if her understanding of the local calendar was correct.

Next to the trophy case was a flyer of some kind. Looking it over out of curiosity, Luster saw that it was for something called the Fall Formal princess. She vaguely recalled Princess Twilight's School for Gifted Unicorns had something similar, though she had never paid it any mind. The dance was set for Friday.

Luster tapped her chin. Today was Wednesday, and the portal would stay open for however long Princess Twilight wanted it to be if she understood the mechanics correctly. She could stay around for this if she wanted.

But would Principal Sunset even let her? She was not a student at the school after all. There was only one way to find out.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset listened with a growing smile as Luster explained what she had in mind. "You really are Twilight's student, aren't you? She had the same idea when she first came here. Very different reasons of course, and no raging she demons to worry about at the end either."

Luster wasn't sure what to make of that but held her questions for now. "So is it possible?"

Sunset nodded. "You can go to the Fall Formal. Unless you pull out all kinds of crazy ideas, doubt you'll be made princess though." She smirked. "Twilight just has that magnetic personality, kindness, and charm, that the whole school was behind her. No offense."

Luster rolled her eyes. She definitely didn't have all of that. While she was much better at friendship now than before moving to Ponyville, she was still nowhere near Princess Twilight and her friend's level. Where was an ancient returning evil when she needed one?

Sunset, meanwhile, had another more important question on her mind. "Do you know where you're staying while you're here? Twilight hasn't said anything to me about you going back and forth to Equestria and here."

Luster blinked as she tapped her chin. Where was she supposed to stay? The thought had never crossed her mind. "I don't know. I didn't plan that far ahead it seems," she sighed.

Sunset rolled her eyes. Typical. It must have been a pony thing because none of them had ever planned that far ahead it seemed. She sure didn't, and Starlight didn't stay long enough for it to be a problem. The less said about Twilight's stay in the Library, the better. "You can stay with me then," she smiled.

Luster blinked in surprise. "Really? You don't mind?"

Sunset nodded. "I have an extra guest room in case anypony from Equestria decides to come over. Usually, Twilight stays with Twi and her family, but she stays with me if they're out of town."

Luster tapped her chin. "Isn't that weird for them though? Seeing another version of their daughter? I can't say I know Princess Twilight's parents in Equestria however."

Sunset chuckled. "Oh, it was at first. Twilight and Twi can both tell you how that first night went. But Velvet and Night Light love and treat Twilight as their own daughter, and damn anyone who says otherwise. Twilight loves them as much as her own parents."

Luster smiled. "But what about your family?"

Sunset sighed. "I'm still single. Not for a lack of trying though," she grumbled. "Only Pinkie has started a family among us. For a while, we all thought Twi and Timber Spruce would tie the knot as well."

Luster frowned. That name sounded familiar for some reason. "What happened? Are they not together?"

Sunset shook her head and frowned. "We caught him cheating on her with another girl. From Crystal Prep of all places. Safe to say, Twi was not happy, and we just barely kept her from cutting off his penis and shoving it down his throat. Among other things."

Luster winced. She did not want to imagine what that could even look like, nor could she imagine Princess Twilight doing the same. She was too fair for something so barbaric. She quickly decided to change the subject. "So about that guest room you have..."

Sunset quickly did her best to suppress her anger and nodded. "You can stay here the rest of the day, and then we'll grab something on the way home."

That sounded like a plan to Luster, as she sighed.