Afterstory: Third Book

by Feather Flyer

First published 27th of February, 2015

It's been a year since Twilight and Sunset last met. After defeating the Sirens...and losing Celestia, their relationship gets put on hold. With a little hope, things should get back to how they used to be. But you know, as the author I screw shit up

With the death of Celestia comes great hardship. With Princess Luna now being the official ruler of Equestria and the kingdom going a bit nuts about the whole thing, Twilight is forced to go back home and tend to her duties. With no choice, Twilight and Sunset have to part ways. A year passes and the two have moved on. But the discovery of a 'contract' brings both Sunset and Twilight back together on a journey neither of them wanted to go on. And unfortunately, they get stuck with a certain someone who only makes things worse.

All music belongs to their respective owners

Celestia's funeral

Author's Notes:

HEY! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE EPILOGUE TO THE LAST STORY, READ IT NOW! GO TO SUNSET: SIREN OF THE EQUINES RIVER AND READ IT!

Everything was changed. All the events that led up to Sunset and Twilight's deaths were removed from history and replaced by Celestia's. Instead of Celestia standing beside Flash and explaining how the deceased died, Twilight stood there. Flash glanced back at Sunset, who was facing the other direction and looking at something. Flash listened to Twilight talk about how great she thought Celestia was.

"Even if she did betray me, I still look up to her..." Twilight whispered.

Flash swallowed and looked at her face. Twilight was crying and he wanted to comfort her. He awkwardly reached out and pulled her to his side and patted her arm a bit roughly. He expected Twilight to lay her head on his shoulder but she didn't. The two of them stood there silently. From a distance, Applejack and Rarity eyed the boy. He was definitely trying something...

"S-So..." Flash began.

He cleared his throat and glanced around him before continuing.

"Are you and Sunset..?"

This made Twilight's face twist painfully as she began to sob. It shocked Flash so badly that he stood frozen beside her. Twilight was full out crying now and everyone went to see how she was doing. Sunset slowly made her way to her, looking regretful and very guilty.

"Twilight..." Fluttershy whispered and hugged her. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all group hugged her.

Flash, Sunset, and Big Mac stood back and watched sadly. Well, at least two of them did. Flash was confused about what happened. He didn't understand what triggered her to start to cry so much. All he did was start to ask about Sunset and Twilight's relationship...After a few moments, it dawned on him. Twilight was upset about their broken romance. They hadn't made amends. This gave Flash a feeling of selfish pleasure and sadness at the same time. He was glad they weren't together so he could take a shot at being with her. But since she was so sad about it...

Sunset stutter-stepped back and forth, deciding whether or not to come forward and go to Twilight or to just keep her distance. She and Twilight still haven't talked after that night. That night Celestia had taken the jewel's power from her, but died from the smoke. The poisonous smoke that came from the magic. Somehow, it created an even bigger hole between Twilight and Sunset, like Celestia was a part of making them closer. And in a way, she was.

When the hugging stopped Twilight looked to Sunset. But the girl looked away. She was too scared to say anything. She wanted to be with her, but how could she word it without stuttering and feeling guilty that she had destroyed what they had? Twilight looked down sadly and sighed. She guessed Sunset was too up in arms to talk still. It had been so long since she held Sunset's gaze. All she ever could see of her face was a blur as she turned her back on her.

Without warning, a sudden fizz and crack sounded and a scroll appeared hanging in the air. Brian Flash grabbed at it and unrolled the paper and automatically knew what it was.

"It's Celestia's will."

Everyone crowded around him and strained their necks to see. Looking down at the paper, Flash could barely understand what was written. Twilight reached to take the will from him and said," It's in Equestrian. I'll read it."

Her fingers brushed Flash's knuckle and he felt a small warm feeling come across his face. Sunset glared at him intensely and he straightened up. Twilight skimmed over it and read the will aloud.

To my dearest former student Twilight Sparkle and daughter Sunset Shimmer,

I have written this will evidently because of my death. I know this all may come as a shock to you, but in time you'll understand. What I ask of you is crucial to the survival of Equestria. Princess Twilight Sparkle, in light of my death, I grant you the title of Regal Advisor. It is a position greater than that of a princess and will require you to be very devoted to your country. As Regal Advisor, you shall help aid my sister in ruling Equestria, as she will take on the responsibility of being the new Official Ruler.

Equestria will be in much shock with the news of my passing and I need you there to see that all will be well in the time to pass as the date of my death becomes farther and farther. Twilight, I advise you raise the security around Canterlot. Do not let any enemies of mine come near the throne i.e. King Sombra. Only when the kingdom has resumed its regular function may you let security be lowered down to its usual standard.

Sunset, I'm so very sorry for all those years I've made you feel neglected and hated. It was for your protection that I kept you in the cellar area of the palace. Please forgive me. I wish to reverse everything that has happened and make it so you could have had a better life. Unfortunately, I cannot. So to make it up to you in the best way I can without my person to be there and help you, I give you my ring. This ring isn't just any ring, but one with special powers. It will help guide you through any problems. Just say the magic word and the ring will light up and help you. But I will tell you, this 'magic word' is unique to you. It has to be one that has a specific meaning to you.

To the both of you, I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain. I wish for the two of you to make amends and be as happy as I remember you to be. I can tell that you will have a bright future together. Please, girls, I want you both happy.

Twilight whispered this last part and sighed shakily. A spark of magic came from the scroll and a little object appeared inside a rolled part of it. Twilight unrolled it and took out a small ring with colors of the rainbow swirling inside the stone. It was magnificent. It was the ring Celestia mentioned. Twilight rolled the scroll up and looked to all her friends.

"This means...goodbye."

"You're leaving??" Pinkie Pie gasped.

Twilight nodded.

"Princess Celestia has promoted me and it's important I hurry back and tell Luna the news..."

Rarity threw herself at her and squeezed her into a hug.

"You're leaving!!! Oh my little darling!!!"

The others took turns saying goodbye and giving Twilight their best regards. From what they knew, she wouldn't be back for a long time with her new role as Regal Advisor. It obviously called for a lot of time and effort in kingdom affairs and such. Twilight smiled at her friends and sighed. She turned to see that only Sunset had not said goodbye. The girl stood looking at her feet and appearing a bit...weak. She was quieter than Twilight remembered. Not as talkative or as outspoken. Just quiet. But she knew it was all because of their fallen relationship.

"Sunset..."

The girl looked up, but then back down at her feet as if ashamed of something.

Twilight walked up to her and pressed the ring that Celestia had wished for her to have into Sunset's palm. The girl's hand was cold and a wisp of steamy air came from her mouth as she opened it in surprise. It was getting colder and colder as winter drew near. Twilight held her hand until it was warm and whispered to her.

"I miss you, Sunset. I want to be with you. Celestia knows we're meant for each other. Please don't let a misunderstanding fog your mind and destroy something wonderful. I love you. I'll always love you no matter what happens. That night that you nearly killed me is proof of it. I still care about you."

Sunset couldn't help but break down and cry. She couldn't speak without bursting into a sob. She really missed Twilight, too. But she had to go away.

"Twilight..." she croaked."Wh-What about the portal? Since she's gone and she's the one who cast that spell, can I..?"

"You can't. Celestia put an incantation that only she could break," Twilight told her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

Sunset grabbed Twilight's shoulders and pressed her lips over hers. It was a kiss that was long overdue and the both of them had needed and wanted one for a long time. It filled them with warmth and an overwhelming feeling of ease. Sunset and Twilight felt whole again. But they knew they would regret making up since Twilight had to leave. They made up.

But would have to break up.

Twilight stepped away and wiped the tears off her face. She took a few steps away from Sunset, but the girl was holding onto her hand desperately. She could see in her eyes that she wanted Twilight to stay. There was a possibility of her staying instead of going home. She and Sunset could be together instead and live a wonderful life. No worries in the world, just the two of them. But Twilight couldn't. It was too risky.

Twilight squeezed Sunset's hand reassuringly before Sunset let go. And with that, she didn't see her again for a long time.

A year - Twilight

Twilight woke to the sound of birds outside her window and yawned. She snorted and ruffled her mane lazily as she kicked her sheets off of her and got up. Another day, another round of royal duties. Her bedroom was dim and messy from a late night study session. Books were open and sprawled all over the floor. Ink wells sat on her desk tipped over and dripping droplets of the black liquid on the wodden surface. Quills seemed to have drifted and landed wherever they pleased. the mare shufled through all this carelessly and made her way to the dresser. Using her magic, she opened the curtains and sunlight flooded the room.

Twilight squinted and shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness and glanced at herself in the mirror. She had bags under her eyes and an unruly mane; the pink, purple, and dark blue strands intertwined and tangled together. She sighed and let a brush float over to her and comb out her hair.

Glancing at the books on the floor via reflection made Twilight groan. The night before, she had a bunch of research to do to get ready for an important meeting today. And she was leading that meeting as Regal Advisor.

It had been a year since she was promoted to Regal Advisor. And her job sure was demanding. She constantly was being dragged into meetings that lasted all day long. People were forever asking her for her advice. Twilight listened to the same questions she was pretty sure to have answered them right before they said anything be asked of her and she would respond with the same answer she gave them moments before. When she wasn't in a meeting, she was in her private study filling out official documents and filing through paperwork. Ponies of lowe status would come to her with work for her to look over and would always have to be told what to do next.

Being the boss of stuff was stressful. Sometimes Twilight wished she was just a regular unicorn living a normal life. Twilight flinched when she hit a snag in her tangled mane. She carefully combed it out and yawned. Once her hair was situated she gathered all her books up off the floor and organized them. She checked that she had all the papers she needed for the meeting. Glancing at the time, she saw that she had a good twenty minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start. Twilight walked toward the curtains and stood in the warm light of the sun. She smiled as she looked out across Equestria.

It was a wonderful country, full of ponies whose lives are happy and cheerful; all of them blissfully unaware of anything that could change their lives for the worse. Everyone, except Twilight. Just as Celestia had said, the whole kingdom went into hysterics over the death of their ruler. To all who heard, it made no sense. Wasn't Celestia practically invincible? Wasn't she a goddess of sorts? Wasn't she immortal?? All these were questions that Twilight had been asked, but no real answer was given. All she said to them was that everything would be fine as it had always been. She herself wasn't sure how the ruler died. It seemed...random.

Seeing the morning sun rise in the air was a reminder of the mystery. Celestia was gone, yet the sun still rose. Naturally, because Luna took over her job of raising the sun. Just like how the former ruler took responsibility for the moon nearly a decade ago. Twilight spied some happy ponies trotting along the streets of Canterlot, walking to their destinations. At least she got everything under control and everyone was back to their usual schedules...

Without warning, Twilight heard a loud bang and jumped up. She whipped around in alarm. Near her bed, the books that had been stacked up neatly not too long ago had fallen to the floor in a massive pile all over again. She rolled her eyes and walked over to it as she used her magic to pick up the books and reorganize them. One of the books, she noticed, had gone under her bed. Twilight ducked her head under the bed and used her hoof to scoot the book back to her so she could put it back in place. While doing so she saw a large brown book all the way far back and paused. That book was awfully dusty and rather old looking. It looked familiar as well...

Her horn lit up as a pink flow enveloped the book and shifted it toward her. Twilight coughed as a screen of dust was kicked up by the book being dragged across the floor. She brushed the cover with her hoof and her eyes lit up. On the cover was a sun.

"The friendship journal!"

Twilight was sure she lost it a long time ago. How had she not known it was under her bed?! Twilight opened the book and read the words hungrily. The journal entries in the beginning of the book were from her as she talked about friendship and its struggles. As she read more, entries by her friends began showing up and she smiled. Their unique handwriting danced across the pages...But Rainbow Dash's writing was very illegible. It was chicken scratch for all she knew. Memories of their adventure filled her head and she grinned wider and wider.

She hadn't felt this happy in a while. With this Regal Advisor position, she barely had time to be with her friends. She was too busy with work. As she read, she was reminded of Celestia's response letters to her reports. Good memories of the former ruler filled her mind. But the feeling of happiness suddenly crashed when she saw the small and elegant cursive handwriting of Sunset Shimmer. An overwhelming sense of longing came over her and she immediately shoved the book close to her face as she read every word they exchanged.

All of it was friendship related along with the occasional gossip. But the last words that were ever exchanged by Sunset got to her. They were actually the last words anyone exchanged with her in the friendship book.

Miss you, baby.

Twilight smiled as a tear trailed down her cheek. For most of the year they were apart, Twilight had made it appoint to place her feelings for Sunset in the back of her mind. Not to forget, but to avoid pain. But surprisingly, Twilight had come to accept that they might not see each other again. Twilight knew Sunset thought about her and might have come to the same conclusion. Either way, she would still love her.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

It was a hard knock too. Someone yelled from the other side of the door.

"Your majesty!!! All of the members of your council are waiting for the meeting to be started! Is it, by any chance, cancelled?"

Twilight's eyes went wide. She shot a glance at the time. Fifteen minutes late! In a hurry, she gathered up all her papers and zipped out the door past the messenger. The friendship journal lay open on the floor face up with Sunset's words and warmed by Celestia's sunlight.

Author's Notes:

Hope you enjoyed this.

A year - Sunset

Sunset stood on the step of Canterlot High and sighed. Winter had died down and gave way to a beautiful spring. She took a deep breath and smelt the fresh cut grass and distant trace of flowers. The air was light and happy around her. It was afterschool and she was waiting for Fluttershy so they could go to her place for the weekend. But she knew that would take a while since Big Macintosh came to visit from college and those two were an item. Sunset took her time to enjoy nature.

Lilies and daisies were planted and growing in the small patch of dirt beside the steps and she examined them. They were very nice flowers she thought. But her mind drifted to how long she would probably have to wait for her friend and she sighed. Fluttershy had changed. In fact, all of them had. Ever since that Siren Showdown a year ago, all of them had transformed from the silly, naïve girls they used to be and became mature young women.

It was such a shock to the people around them how sudden their transition was. But it was only natural. The event altered the way they saw things. All of them lost the roundness in their faces and looked older than what they originally looked like. Of course, their physiques changed. None of them were skinny sticks like how Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie used to be. Conversations became less about silly things and more about college. After all, they were seniors now.

It was strange. It was like their friendship became stronger, but also changed along with their individual selves. Sunset would often wonder how Twilight's pony friends stayed their happy selves without being changed. How did they go through all those adventures and not be altered? Only Twilight was altered in terms of appearance with the new set of wings. But Sunset knew she didn't change that much from them, either. It seemed as though Equestria was unchangeable. That everyone there would forever and always be what they were destined to be.

Even their butts knew what they were destined to become! I mean, cutiemarks, people!

But anyhow, the Main 5 and Sunset weren't the only ones to change. The troublesome trio Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all have found a sudden interest in boys and Sunset enjoys watching them struggle through their feelings. She knew it was mean, but hey. She can have fun, right? It reminded her of when she first fell for Twilight and denied it. It was because of a book...

Sunset's happy thoughts drifted from the three children to Twilight. She missed her so badly. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't think of her. The first two months Sunset dried herself to sleep each night, burying her face in the pillow that Twilight had slept on. By now the scent had gone away but the memory of it was branded into her mind. The smell of lavenders. Sunset always stood by the statue every day afterschool and hoped for her return. But it hadn't happened.

This was the first afternoon she decided to be away from the portal. Even if she weren't ever to see Twilight now before her, she always saw her in her dreams. She closed her eyes and sighed. She imagined Twilight standing beside her smiling. The girl's long hair trailed down her back and her bangs hung right above her brow. Innocent violet eyes looked at her full of excitement and adventure. Everyday with her was a new journey. Twilight's baby blue blouse fit her snugly and stopped right at her waist where her pleated skirt began. The iconic star on her skirt was a bright pink and seemed to shine. The knee socks with a diamond patterned design hugged her legs right below her knees. And lastly, Twilight's black penny loafer shoes tapped the concrete step.

This was how Sunset remembered her to be.

A girl who would never stop being beautiful. A girl who would always be intelligent. Someone everybody could trust. And most importantly, someone she loved. Twilight would always be the cute girl she knew her to be. Even if Sunset herself changed.

Just then, Applejack came out the school tugging her brother's arm with Fluttershy clutching the other. Behind them came a burst of children called the CMC. They sprinted out and chattered excitedly about their plans for that afternoon. Rainbow Dash shoved Fluttershy out the way of the door and plowed through to get out the school. She held a soccer ball under her arm and had a whistle around her neck.

"Sorry. Soccer practice ran longer than expected," she said.

Since Spitfire had graduated the year before, Rainbow Dash was left as the new captain of the Canterlot Wondercolts. Pinkie Pie came running out behind her still in her cheerleading uniform. It was pretty obvious the squad still needed improvement on their splits and trying to do a pyramid. Pinkie looked beat up. Applejack huffed at her brother and looked at Sunset.

"My big brother and Fluttershy would like to apologize to you for leaving you out here. They got to caught up in the...(shudder) lovey dovey stuff."

Fluttershy looked at Sunset sheepishly as she clung to Big Mac's arm.

"We're sorry, Sunny. We just hadn't seen each other in a long time and lost track of time..."

Big Mac smiled apologetically.

"Yup."

Fluttershy pressed her cheek against his and blushed.

"Who's my tiger wiger cuddle bear?"

Big Mac kissed her cheek.

"I'm your tiger wiger cuddle bear, cutsy wootsy carrot cake."

Applejack, Sunset, and Pinkie Pie grimaced and moved away from them. It was great that they were together and happy but those names were absolutely horrid. The CMC joined in the moving and gagged.

"Gross!" Scootaloo said hoarsely.

"Says the girl who wants a, yuck...a shnoopy doo sugar poo," Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo gasped.

"You're the one who wants Button Mash to be your shnoopy poopy doopy, ugh, whatever you said!"

"That's not true!" Sweetie Belle shrieked.

Applebloom eyed her.

"Yeah, sure."

"If I remember correctly you like Featherweight! Give it up, sister! He's your kissy face scrumpy dump!" Rarity's little sister retorted.

The girls went back and forth and Sunset watched with great interest who would win. None of them did in the end since Applejack broke it up. Rarity came walking down the steps looking relieved and irritated at the same time.

"Honestly, you could have texted me you were going to be out here. I was looking for ages!"

"You know, you could have texted one of us, right," Rainbow Dash said flatly.

Rarity pouted.

"But I might chip a nail trying to text you..."

"There ain't no buttons on the thing! What's tuh chip it on?!" Applejack argued. "It's a smartphone!"

Sunset watched Fluttershy and Big Mac go on lovingly with their...precious names, the CMC argue about boys, and Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity go on about vanity. Pinkie Pie was busy paying attention to everything and butting in and out. In a way, they all were still the same girls they used to be. They still argued about dumb crap and were all childish in ways. Nothing would completely change.

Looking down at the ring on her finger Sunset smiled. It's rainbow colors swirled in the stone. She still hadn't figured out this 'magic word' business but she would find out eventually. A piece of Celestia was with her this day. Despite the hardships and betrayal, Sunset cared about her. She was fortunate to see Celestia's human form still walking around as principal. But the real Celestia, the one who raised her as if she were her own, was with her in the form of a ring.

Everything had morphed and altered in may ways but one thing never changed.

Sunset's love to both Celestia and Twilight.

Author's Notes:

Hopefully, this was satisfying.

Case of the Missing Journal

It's gone!

The friendship journal.

It's gone!

Twilight ran around her room in a panic. She swore she had left it open by the window. She knew she did. But why was it missing? Twilight ran to the pile of books she had stacked in a tower at the end of her bed. It seemed to not be as high as she remembered but what did it matter. She scanned the spines for anything that stuck out like the gold bands around the spine or the brown cover that looked rather old. None of the books matched the description and she sighed. Twilight looked through her drawers and file cabinets. The friendship journal wasn't there.

Twilight didn't understand this. She had left the room without letting anyone come in so how was the book gone? The princess kept searching for it. Before she knew it, her room was once again trashed as if she never cleaned it in the first place. The ink wells were back to being drippy bottles on the desk, the papers were scattered all throughout the room, and books lie open; a maze of stuff to step over. That was when Twilight noticed something.

One of her Astronomy books was gone. And so was a History book and a volume on Psychology. It wasn't just the friendship journal that was missing...it was a few other books as well. Just then a mare walked in gripping a duster between her teeth. She was startled by the sudden mess on the floor. Twilight sat up and a bunch of papers near her rustled loudly. The mare jumped back and sighed with relief when she saw it was Twilight.

"Oh, your majesty. You scared me," she said.

"Miss, you don't, by chance, know where a few of my books have gone, do you?" Twilight asked.

The pony frowned.

"Why no, your majesty. I just came to do my daily clean and then saw all this..."

Twilight nodded and sat back down in deep concentration. Where would they be..? She retraced her hoofsteps in her mind. Twilight had gotten up that morning, combed out her mane...Organized her room, found the journal. Then read it, became late for a meeting, ran out...oh.

Twilight had shot out of her room without closing the door. She was too much in a hurry to think to do that. So whoever had her book was someone who could have walked in during the time of her meeting. But there were so many ponies in the castle that could have done that! When she had come to her room, the door was closed. That's why she didn't suspect a thing when she came in. The only people she would think to even walk in her room would be someone on the cleaning staff. But the cleaning mare had just arrived. So it couldn't be her.

Twilight wanted that journal.

It had all the entries she had ever written to Celestia and the casual talk she made with Sunset. The two most important people to her had traces of themselves in that book. Both of them she knew she would certainly never see again. Twilight looked to the door. The library. That's one place they could be. Twilight sat up and galloped out the room and frightened the cleaning mare, who was trying to gather some of the loose papers. Twilight headed down the corridor of the palace in Canterlot toward her destination. That had to be the place.

As Regal Advisor, Twilight had to stay close to Luna by living in the Canterlot palace. Her own castle was now the new Ponyville Library, since she graciously gave it to them since she wouldn't ever have use for it anymore in its location. But sometimes she wished she still lived there because at least at her old castle, she didn't have awkward encounters with a certain stallion.

Twilight sped down the hall and turned the corner to the library only to crash into someone. She fell back on her flank and rubbed her head. She groaned and closed her eyes. Around her she heard hooves tapping on the polished floor in a nervous dance. She opened them to see Flash Sentry fidgeting and felt quite unsurprised to see it was him she ran into.

"A-are you ok?" he stuttered.

Twilight nodded.

"Yes, thanks for asking."

Twilight stood up but fell back down. She was feeling pretty queasy from the impact. She just had breakfast and she was afraid she might throw it back up if the hall didn't stop spinning. Flash lent her a hoof and she slowly stood back up.

"Where are you headed?" he asked.

"...The library..." she told him.

The two of them headed there slowly as Twilight tried to regain her sense of balance and shake off her nausea. Flash watched her and smiled as she walked beside him. He liked her a lot and wanted to say something, but was too shy to. Being near her made him feel timid and unsure of himself. Not only was Twilight a beautiful mare, she was one of the most important ponies in Equestrian history. Ever wince he met her almost a year and a half ago, he knew he wanted to be her knight in shining armor. The thing was...he couldn't tell if she had the same feelings or not.

Before Celestia's death, Twilight seemed to have the same feelings he did for her. The blushing, the shyness, the whisper talking...They were all clear signs of it. But now she's back, all of that seemed to have gone. It could be because of her new position as Regal Advisor is so demanding that she has to put her feelings aside. After all, she does have to be very disconnected with her emotions in order to make decisions that are best for the kingdom....

The two of them went into the library. Twilight turned to Brian Flash and nodded a thank you.

"You can go back to your duties, Flash."

The colt looked at his hooves and cleared his throat. He could ask her now. He could ask her if she has any feelings for him right there. But what if she didn't? Then he'd be embarrassed. You just don't ask ponies as important as she questions like that.

"Uhh...um, yes. I will do that..."

He turned and walked out the library. So much for asking.

Maybe the next time he told himself. Yeah, the next time.

Twilight glanced down the hall at him and tilted her head. What was up with him? It's not like she was Luna, where he would have a reason to seem so fearful and timid. Twilight shook her head. This Flash and the other one were the same in terms of being scary-like. Whatever was bothering him, he needed to get it checked out with a doctor. Shrugging, Twilight went back into the library and began her search.

Strange Magic

Twilight squinted at the books on the shelves. She tapped her hoof on the floor impatiently as she looked. The journal along with the other books weren't there. It was getting late. She had been there for hours now. There were so many books there that it would take her a lifetime to complete her search. The shelves reached all the way to the high ceiling almost thirty feet high. Twilight was pretty sure it wasn't here. She sat down on the floor and sighed.

The friendship journal was all she had of Celestia and Sunset. If she had been smarter about it, she would've kept the book near her when she first came back to Equestria a year ago. She and Sunset could still be in contact. But no, she lost it in a place that was so obvious. She lost it under her bed. Twilight looked up at the ceiling. She didn't understand who would take the book. It wasn't like there was something so confidential in there that the book would be valuable.

Twilight sighed and turned to leave. It was no use. Her book was gone. She still had her memories of Celestia and Sunset to go on at least. It would've been nice to have a physical thing to keep her memories fresh and alive since it was a reminder...but that was ok, she guessed. As she turned to go, however, she saw something glint. Twilight looked back and frowned. There was something in the far corner of the library that seemed to be shining. Twilight made her way to it out of curiosity. The shining object was hidden in the shadows somewhat. It looked tall like a book shelf. Maybe there was something on the shelf there that was shiny? Trick of the light?

But as the mare drew closer, she saw that the object wasn't a shelf. It was something slim and reflective with a dusty cover lazily tossed over it, part of the cover sliding off and revealing what she thought was a 'shiny thing'. Wait a minute. Twilight's eyes grew wide with recognition as she came closer. This thing she had seen from the front of the library was the mirror! Twilight hurriedly rushed to it and pulled back the cover, spreading dust everywhere. She coughed and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the portal.

It had been a long time since she had seen it. Twilight had practically forgotten it existed. Looking at it now was like she was seeing it for the first time. The same awe and excitement from the first time she laid eyes on it came back to her. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. A lavender pony with bangs and violet eyes. The same smart and intelligent pony she knew herself to be. Stepping closer, Twilight extended her hoof to touch the glass. She wasn't sure when the portal opened or if it did anymore.

Her hoof brushed the glass surface of the mirror. Twilight let out a sigh. She had been hoping it was open...Twilight shook her head in disappointment and used her magic to lift the cover. As she draped the cover over the portal, something happened. The portal flickered and she saw a flash of green and pink.

"Twilight!"

Twilight jumped in surprise and dropped the cover. The dusty thing fell on the floor beside the mirror and another cloud of filth stirred in the air. The mare blinked. Surely she was imagining stuff. The portal did not just flicker...and say her name. The princess cautiously took a step forward and eyed it. It couldn't do that, could it? She gulped. This was just her imagination...

The portal shook as an image flashed across it.

"Twilight, I need you to listen!"

The mare's eyes widened. She recognized the white coat and flowing mane of blue, green, and pink. The mare's eyes were worried and held a lot of grief. It was Celestia! The former ruler's voice sounded strained and urgent. How could this be?! The dead was talking to Twilight! And through the portal??

"P-Princess Celestia!" Twilight called out.

The portal struggled to keep Celestia's image in place.

"Twilight! I need help!" Celestia told her.

Need help? But she was dead! Twilight shook the thought from her mind and squared her shoulders. Either way, she would help her.

"Tell me, what is it?"

"I've done a terrible thing," Celestia told her. "I made a deal."

"A deal?? Like a business deal??"

"No, Twilight. Not that kind of deal. It was a contract," Celestia said.

Twilight tilted her head. A contract...None of this was making sense.

"I traded my soul by signing a contract, Twilight, and I need your help to free me from it," Celestia said. "I don't have much time before he comes back. I need you to find it. Find the contract and rip it down the middle. It's the only way to free me! I'm being tortured and am forced to work as a slave against my will. Please find it!"

Twilight was shocked. What was going on?! Contract, ripping it, free her, tortured, slave... These were words that banged around in her head. And who was he? And where was this contract? Why did she sign her soul away? What the hell was going on?!?!

The portal began to flicker once more and Celestia's image began to fade. Twilight panicked and started asking a lot of questions.

"Who is he? Where is this contract? What have you done??"

As Celestia began to fade, her voice became quieter.

"You'll find it in my private st--"

The portal closed and went back to being a mirror before she could finish her sentence. Twilight stood there looking pale and frightened.

"PRINCESS CELESTIA!!!!!!"

But she was gone. Twilight fell to the floor in shock. Everything she just heard made absolutely no sense. What was going on?? How was it that Celestia was communicating with her? Where was she? Twilight sighed shakily. Before Celestia had left, she did answer one of her questions. She told her where this contract was. The only place that sounded like 'private st--' was Celestia's private study. It was in there that she would find it. But Twilight needed to get herself together before she further went into this.

Twilight got up and turned to leave like she initially was going to do. And there on a table was her journal, History, Psychology, and Astronomy books. She groaned. Nothing about this day was making any sense.

Unexpected After effects

Sunset watched the sky darken as night fell over Canterlot. The moon replaced the sun and glowed a pale white. Sunset felt an empty tug in her chest and tried her best to ignore it. The full moon watched her carefully as it loomed above. Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Sunset glanced at her and sighed.

"You still feel it?" Rarity asked.

Sunset nodded. It was the effects of the Siren jewel. Even though she defeated Adagio and her sisters and got rid of the power, Sunset still felt the affects of the full moon. Memories of her crazed run to the Equine River came back to her. Twilight had been shouting for her to stop and Celestia had followed, quietly trying to figure out what had gotten into her. Sunset remembered diving into the water and feeling the rush of adrenaline as she transformed into a Siren. Sunset felt that same adrenaline pumping through her that very moment and it was troubling.

The magic of the Siren jewel was put away. Where, she didn't know. Celestia hadn't told her. The magic shouldn't be making her feel this way. All traces of a Siren should be gone. Except for the fragment. It was all very confusing to her why she still felt the need to go to the water; the fast-running flow of blood racing through her. Rarity squeezed her shoulder again.

"Hey, come back inside. There's nothing to do out here."

Sunset nodded and followed her into Fluttershy's house. Inside, it was loud and rambunctious as the girls all watched a late night college football game. It was Canterlot University's Stallions versus Cloudsdale University's Champs. Applejack waved her hands in the air as she shouted at the TV.

"Come on, Stallions! Make a touchdown!"

Rainbow Dash pumped a fist into the air as she shouted with her.

"YEAH!!!"

Fluttershy carried in some soda and chips and told them to quiet down.

"You're scaring the animals."

But no one was listening. Rarity sniffed and frowned at the rowdy girls.

"I like the other team better."

Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash stared at her like she had lost her mind.

"You've got to be joking! The Cloudsdale Champs?? No way!" Rainbow Dash sputtered.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack shook their heads. They thought they were crazy. How could she like Cloudsdale anything? That city was full of stuck up people who thought they were better than everyone. It was absurd to even like them. But it was Rarity and so, you know...

Sunset shrugged.

"They are a better team."

Rainbow Dash looked wounded.

"Where's your sense of loyalty??"

"I'm pretty sure that's your element," Sunset told her as she leaned against the back of the couch.

The game was intense between the two rival colleges. Canterlot had the lead for a little bit, but then Cloudsdale stole forward and had a few points on them for a while. It kept going on in a vicious cycle. Stallions would be ahead until the Champs scored a touchdown. The score kept getting higher. 15-16...20-22...27-24...And all the while the girls were screaming and shouting at the TV. Fluttershy kept urging them to chill out since the animals were scared but with all the ruckus, she knew it wouldn't happen. As Sunset watched with them, she kept feeling her heart pound painfully. At first she ignored it, but then it got to the point where she needed to excuse herself. She knew what was wrong.

Sunset went into the kitchen and clutched her shirt. A voice inside her head whispered to her.

The river. Go to the river.

Sunset grunted as she grabbed a cup and filled it with water.

Go to the river.

Quickly, she turned on the faucet and thrust the cup under the water. Her body twitched as the voice grew louder and more aggressive. She turned the water up and it blasted into the cup she was holding. She needed to drink water to get rid of this urge to go to the river. That's what her body wanted. Water. The jewel needed it to survive inside her. But why it still needed water when it was stripped of its power? She didn't know. All Sirens needed it to keep going and Sunset (she guessed) was still technically a Siren since the fragment wasn't removed.

Once the cup was filled to the brim, Sunset splashed its contents into her mouth. She hungrily drank it down, cup by cup, until her urge to run to the Equine river subsided. Slowly, her body stopped twitching and the voice went silent. If she had given in to the voice in her head and had let her inner Siren take over, she knew she'd be found dead the next morning, having drowned in the water.

Sunset no longer had the ability to change into a Siren and so she could not breath underwater anymore. With this feeling of overwhelming craziness she got from the full moon still in effect, it was dangerous. And unfortunately, she couldn't just swallow a pill when she felt it coming over her like her medication for her explosive emotional autism. Sunset sighed as she leaned over the sink. She felt like throwing up. All the water she had guzzled down she could feel sloshing in her stomach. In the front living room, she heard the other girls roar at the TV with boos and a quiet yes from Rarity. Cloudsdale must've scored.

At a turtle like pace, Sunset trudged to the kitchen doorframe and leaned on it. On the TV, she could see a big guy running through a line of quarterbacks, making them fly as if they were nothing. On his jersey was the name APPLE.

"Yeah! Go Big Mac!!!" Applejack screamed.

Fluttershy hurriedly rushed over to the couch and plopped herself between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Her eyes were wide with awe and fear. She had her fingers crossed as she bit her lip.

"Please make it. Don't get hurt, Big Mac..."

It was the final point. The point that would decide who would win the game. Would it be the Cloudsdale Champs or the Canterlot Stallions. Rarity suddenly jumped up from where she was and yelled," GO CHAMPS!"

This encouraged Applejack and Rainbow Dash to scream all over her chanting. Pinkie Pie danced back and forth doing cheerleading exercises and squeaking out cheers. Big Mac was running...running...running...Their screaming got louder and louder and louder...Big Macintosh was almost to the touchdown zone with the Champs far behind. He was only one foot away when a random Champ shot forward and tackled him. The whistle sounded and the crowd screamed with mixed emotions.

The game was over with the Champs the victors by default. Applejack and Rainbow Dash threw a huge fit as they shrieked at how close he was to winning. Rarity was jumping up and down with Pinkie. Pinkie didn't really care who she was cheering for as long as she could jump around and be active. Sunset smiled.

"Go Champs," she said and shook her head at the display before her.

Author's Notes:

Sorry I didn't get this out yesterday. I was busy. So what did you think? Did you like this chapter?

Celestia, the cause of her own death

Twilight cautiously looked around the room she entered. The curtains in the window were bleached by the sun's constant light, the shelves and books and desk had a layer of dust on them, and the room smelt faintly of old, moldy clothes. The room was small and arched around a large fireplace. Twilight walked in quietly as if it were holy ground. And in a way it was. It was the private study of Celestia. It had been over a year since anyone set foot in there. Luna demanded no one touch the room and leave it as it was. Luna had cried so much that day Twilight brought news of her sister's fate. None of them could understand why or how she had died, just that she was gone.

Twilight walked to the middle of room and looked all around her. She could see Celestia in here taking a book of her shelf. She could see her reading over the friendship reports Twilight sent her over the last years she was alive. Twilight looked at the big lounge chair that was off to the side by the small area that extended off from the rest of the room. It was a small nook-like space where all the walls were lined with a bookcase. The chair sat in a corner next to a lamp and a bedside table. Twilight could almost see Celestia sitting there, thinking about her tasks as ruler of Equestria. Twilight opened the curtains and the light poured in, revealing the floating dust in the air. Twilight opened the windows as she cleared her throat.

Celestia's words came back to her. The contract should be in that room. Millions of questions floated through her head about what happened. There was no way Celestia could've contacted her...unless she was alive. But why would she not be there and rule? Why would she just stay in hiding and let her supposed passing go on to be accepted and wait a whole year? Twilight tilted her head as she looked around the room. What was this contract all about? She sighed. Twilight realized she didn't even know what it looked like. Was it a scroll or a regular piece of paper...

Twilight glanced around the room and sighed again. On the short table by the big lounge chair sat a thick scroll. Something about it told Twilight it must be important. She walked over to it and unrolled it. The end of the scroll dropped to the floor and bounced across the carpet. Twilight's jaw dropped. this scroll was longer than she thought as she stared at the end of it all the way across the room. Immediately on the page she read CONTRACT in huge, extravagant lettering. Below the heading was extremely tiny writing that Twilight had to pull out a magnifying glass to read. She squinted at the words through the glass and read the contract.

Contract

Upon signing this contract, you formally announce that your soul belongs to the Underworld, Tartarus. In exchange for your life, you hereby forfeit it for a greater cause: saving the life of another. The person you designate your energy to will be transferred when this contract is signed. Once signed, the spirit of the signee will forever be a slave in Tartarus to the person who presented this contract. As a slave, your ties to break free are eradicated. Now being dead, your afterlife is to serve the person who offered you this scroll to read and sign. For the rest of eternity, your spirit's fate is determined by the hands of that who owns you. Below, is the event of which this contract was signed to alter what was done.

On November 22, 1007 A.B, (A.B. as in After Banishment; referring to Princess Luna's return from the moon) around 11:54 p.m., former student and Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, along with the Elements of Harmony fought against the Sirens. Former student and foster daughter of Celestia, Sunset Shimmer, was passed out and struggling internally a dark magic Celestia injected into the fragment inside of her. The magic was killing her and she was in a live or die situation. Princess Celestia was trying to save her by conducting a slew of magical incantations to rid her daughter of the deadly power. However, that did not go on to be successful.

The dark magic rejected all of the ruler's magic and shot her back with a strong force of power. The magic took complete control of Sunset Shimmer's body and killed her. Twilight Sparkle sacrificed her soul to Sunset Shimmer with the knowledge of knowing that as a Draconequui Hybrid, Sunset could only survive on the souls of loved ones. Sunset regained her life just as Twilight died. In desperation and despair, Sunset committed suicide by stabbing herself with a knife that was the property of the deceased Siren, Adagio Dazzle. A funeral was held for both Sunset and Twilight three days after the event of November 22.

This is the Natural Fate, the turn of events that would've happened without the persuasion of magic.

Princess Celestia of Equestria signed the contract that changed the course of what had ben done on November 25, 1007 A.B., at 9:12 p.m. The Alternate Ending, the events that happened due to the persuasion of magic, is as follows. Instead of Sunset dying, Celestia took the hit and died trying to take away the dark magic from Sunset's jewel. She successfully removed the evil power from her daughter but ended up absorbing the dark magic herself.

In this change of time, Sunset not having died is what saved Twilight from dying as well. Twilight had sacrificed herself for Sunset. Twilight, however, did not save Celestia due to the contract which forbade such an action from taking place. Celestia passed away on November 23, 1007 A.B. at 12:06 a.m. A funeral was held where Twilight took up her position as Regal Advisor and headed back to Equestria, and Sunset stayed behind in the human world to continue to preach friendship among those who needed advice.

Twilight read the whole scroll with eyes wide and hungry for an explanation. All this new and shocking information made Twilight feel overwhelmed. She and Sunset would have died if Celestia didn't sign this contract. Actually, according to the contract, they already died. It's only because of this that they were raised from the dead. So...in a way, they were reincarnations of themselves. Which was actually pretty intriguing. Twilight used to be a princess before she died. And now she's a Regal Advisor after she died and the events were changed.

Twilight eyed the signatures at the bottom of the scroll. There was Celestia's...and then...Twilight gasped.

"King Sombra!"

Celestia had signed a contract from King Sombra?! She's a slave for the rest of her afterlife to that guy?!

Immediately, Twilight rolled the long contract back up and put it in her satchel. She needed to show Sunset this. Forget her duties. This was more important. She galloped out of the room and turned toward the library. Time to make some calculations. She needed to know when that portal opened. It was exciting and frightening at the same time. Whatever it was that she would have to go through, at least she would be back with Sunset.

Author's Notes:

I'm really sorry about this super late update. I've been busy with National Assessments and studying. America is trying to fail their students so...

Anyway, you all should be getting more updates soon. I'm sorry, peeps.

Two Sides of the Story

Sunset and the girls ran as fast as they could. If they didn't make it to school on time it would be disastrous. It was the day of class pictures and being late to that meant suspension according to Principal Celestia. Some of the highschoolers would skip it and go out to smoke or something and she had caught them last year. So this year, if you didn't show up it was an automatic suspension. Whether or not it was a legitimate reason for not showing up. Rainbow Dash zipped ahead as they sped toward the school. She wore a nice shirt and good jeans with no holes. Rainbow was notorious for walking around with holey jeans.

"Come on, you guys! Celestia will kill us!"

Rarity huffed as she struggled to run in a nice purple dress and went barefoot. She was holding her heels in one hand and trying to catch up. Her feet hurt as they hit the rough concrete of the sidewalk and the occasional tar they ran across when crossing the street. She frowned at Sunset.

"Thanks a lot, Miss Sunshine. We're late because of you!"

"We're not late yet!" she yelled and stumbled a little as she stepped down from the curb into the street to cross. Pinkie Pie and Rarity had planned everybody's outfits for picture day. Rainbow Dash, Sunset, and Applejack gave them a hard time when it came to what they wore. Applejack wanted to keep wearing her hat, but Rarity said it was too big and would cast a shadow over her face.

"Your freckles need to be seen, darling!" Rarity had said.

Rainbow Dash wasn't too happy when Pinkie Pie badgered her to comb her wild hair. Her hair wasn't nearly as wild as Pinkie Pie's!

"But Rainbow," Pinkie Pie insisted," You can fix how your hair looks. My hair is just boing boing-y."

And so, with a lot of forcing and complaining, Rainbow Dash combed her hair for the first time.

For Sunset, it was a matter of making her not wear her jacket and finding an outfit that suit her personality. Her own clothes suit her very well so it was hard trying to find her something that wasn't too much or not nice enough for pictures. Rarity and Pinkie Pie settled on her wearing a dark pink sweater and a pair of dress pants. Sunset was forced to not wear her riding boots and instead had to wear some black shoes. It was uncomfortable to her and she felt bare without a jacket to cover her arms.

Flutterhsy glided by with Pinkie Pie in a nice green dress and Pinkie Pie was wearing some silly suspenders with a blouse and pants. Pinkie Pie really had no kind of style really. That morning, Sunset was blamed for being too lazy to wake everyone up that morning. Sunset had countered that she was up all night from their screaming at the football games well past one in the morning.

Sunset sighed as she and the others made it to the school just before the bell rang. On the Announcements, Celestia called the Freshman students for pictures. They were safe. Casually the girls walked into class. As soon as they got into the classroom, Rainbow Dash sat in her chair and scratched her hair roughly.

"Rainbow Dash! Your hair!" Rarity complained and she took out a comb.

"Rarity! My hair is fine!" the other girl argued.

Rarity tugged at her hair with her comb and the two struggled. Sunset sighed as she tugged at her sweater. Pink was not her color. she had some pink in her original skirt and stuff but that was about it. She shrugged. It was only for today that she'd wear this thing. It was a few sizes too big anyway. As she stared down at her big sweater she couldn't help but think about Twilight.

I wonder what she's doing?

Thoughts of her reading and writing came to mind. Twilight was such a nerd. Sunset frowned as she sank in her chair and into her pink sweater. She missed Twilight. Every night she dreamed of being reunited with her. Her dreams were all so fantastical with both she and Twilight smiling. Even Celestia was there. The three of them were alive and happy in her mind. But every morning Sunset woke up only to find that the space beside her in bed was empty and cold.

Applejack saw her loneliness in her eyes and glanced back at the others. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy met her gaze with looks of understanding. It had been a long while since they saw Sunset smile a true smile. The girl always seemed to be lost in her thoughts and never really focused on anything. They, too, missed Twilight. But not as intensely as Sunset. The six of them sat in silence as they thought about her; the day most people found exciting no longer being that way for them.

Twilight grabbed the Friendship Journal and shoved it into her satchel. Slamming her door shut, she turned and galloped down the hall. Outside, it was gloomy. Clouds covered the sky and blocked the sun. In the faint light coming from through the windows, Twilight made her way to the library. Shadows were cast all about the halls from the lack of light. Her calculations were made and today was the day. She had only a few minutes to chance this entrance into the other world. Only a small window of time before it closed again. And once it closed, it closed for a long time.

She picked up her pace in hopes to make it before it was too late. Zipping by with her wings extended as she zoomed forward on short bursts of flight she passed the main corridor...

It was a sudden rush of air. Flash saw something shoot by in the corner of his eyes and he jumped. Whatever it was, it was in a hurry. the guard stiffened his body as he looked down the hall that the thing went down. His eyes widened at the quick disappearance of something purple go around the corner. Curiosity took over him as he began to move forward and go after the fast-moving object. Before he could think about it, he was in a full out run after it, chasing it to keep up.

Brian Flash Sentry focused his energy on following what he now found suspicious. There weren't usually any ponies zipping around the castle like that. Whoever it was that was running more than likely was someone who wasn't in the right place. That person must not belong there. Flash started to formulate that it was a potential intruder. The fact that it was a gloomy grey from the lack of sun made things seem off and suspicious. This made him run faster.

Within minutes, Flash burst into the library. Just far back in the rows of book shelves he spied that same purple thing going into the dark of the unlit back area. He made his way there and saw a pony standing before a mirror. It was too dark to tell who it was and unfortunately, Flash wasn't a unicorn so he couldn't 'magic up' a beam of light. He squinted and let out a yell.

"Halt! In the name of Princess Luna!"

The pony was startled and hopped forward quickly toward the mirror in shock. To his surprise and shock, the pony was able to go through. The intruder was escaping! Brian Flash charged at the intruder and jumped at the mirror.

"Halt!"

He shot through head first and a sudden burst of light blinded him as he went through. The mirror wobbled as the portal closed. And a long crack was etched down the middle of the glass, deep and jagged...If only he knew what he had just done.

Author's Notes:

More to come, I hope.

Cracked stone

Author's Notes:

So, I was trying to place some music in this chapter but that's darn near impossible. I'm sorry.

Sunset and the others walked down the hall with their class and walked out the front entrance. Principal Celestia and the photographers stood outside and waited for the senior class to make their way to them. It was a nice day. The sun was out and spring was in bloom. Celestia looked down at a list and called out people's names.

"Applejack, you're up first!"

The girl walked up to the stool they had ready for the students and sat there. The photographers adjusted the position of how she was sitting and told her to smile.

"Say Cheese!" the photographer taking her picture (who happened to be Cheese Sandwich) said.

A bright flash came from the lights as the picture was taken. Everyone could hear the sound of the camera take the picture and smiled with anticipation. Picture day was very important for them since it was to be their last year at Canterlot High School. Being Seniors held a lot of worth and value. It was the last link they had to being children and graduation was when that link was cut and they all became adults. Applejack wobbled back looking a bit dazed. She could still see the blur of the light in her eye when she got to where her friends were.

"I sure hope I don't look like a deer in headlights when we get our yearbooks. That sure'll be embarrassing," Applejack mumbled as she blinked.

Pinkie Pie cracked up.

"I'm pretty sure you'll look like a rodeo deer in headlights!"

The others rolled their eyes at her corny humor and let her laugh to death. Rarity took out a compact mirror and feverishly started patting her cheeks with blush and corrected already-perfect makeup. She stood there concentrating very hard on this. Rainbow Dash and Sunset frowned.

"You look fine, Rarity," Sunset told her flatly.

"Fine?!" Rarity gasped. "I shouldn't be looking fine!"

Rarity struck a pose and fluttered her eyelashes.

"I need to look fabulous! Stunning! Elegant! Original!"

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset groaned and looked the other way, trying not to get dragged into a long lecture about fashion. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy smiled and complimented Rarity on her looks. Another way of avoiding long conversation on style. With Rarity too focused on taking in compliments she wouldn't try to badger them on it.

Rarity smiled grandly and bragged a little about her ensemble. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie listened patiently. She wouldn't go on bragging very long since she knew bragging was obnoxious. Listening to her brag was a small price to pay when going with their method of shutting her up on the topic of style. You had to hear a small bit of fashion talk before she was over the topic.

Friendship had its benefits. Once you got to know them, you could predict their next move and counter it with your own. The five of them had to use it a lot with Rarity since her fashion line was all she talked about. Strategizing was key when dealing with a fashionista.

The seniors all talked excitedly as they showed of their nice clothes and fussed over their looks. Picture Day was honestly the most exciting thing at the school since the events of Twilight's second return that destroyed Sunset's position as Queen of CHS permanently. As far as they knew, nothing could top that. But none of them expected Twilight to have a fourth return.*

*Look back at the chapter Reunite in Sunset: Siren of the Equine River.That was the third return.

Twilight felt herself being pummeled as she came out from the other side of the portal. She stared at the pony Flash as he came headfirst butting into her shoulder as his wings flapped viciously. They shot out of the portal and with Flash's wing power, were repelled a good five feet before tumbling onto the ground. They were in the other world...but the transformation into becoming human wasn't instant. Twilight immediately knew something was wrong.

Twilight fell on her back and Brian Flash Sentry landed nearly right on top of her. He grabbed her shoulder as he hit the ground. Twilight's vision was blurry from the impact to the ground. She blinked and all she could hear were people crying out in astonishment and yelling out around them. She saw fuzzy images of people moving about quickly as they crowded around them.

Without warning, Twilight felt her body burn up. She began to sweat a lot. Twilight could feel her bones growing and stretching, scraping against one another painfully. Her skin stretched to the point where she was sure it would rip. Twilight cried out in pain as her body under went a painful transformation. Her wings disappeared and into her shoulder blades just as her tail vanished into her tail bone magic swirled around them and enveloped them . Twilight's hair blew around her face.

Beside her, she could see Flash undergoing the same transformation. His armor and helmet broke apart and his blue mane became his hair. She saw his transformation from a pony to a human take place and felt chilled by how much pain he seemed to be in. When they were human, the magic died down and went away, leaving the two of them panting and struggling to breath. Flash placed a heavy hand on Twilight's shoulder. Neither of them had gone through something so painful in their lives.

From a distance away Twilight could hear someone calling her name.

"Twilight!"

Wearily, she turned her head to see who it was. She opened her mouth to call back but only part of the word came out. A sudden feeling of overwhelming dizziness took ahold of her and there was nothing she could do to keep consciousness. She fell forward and passed out. The last thing she saw was a large crack in the side of the statue.

Flash at your service(Music)

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the slow updates. It's getting harder and harder to write with so much to do. The prequel and sequel were being churned out so fast that it was unbelievable. Looks like real world problems are catching up to me now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8XyNzZ-Tg8

If I used this one already, sorry. I can't always remember stuff. Look at these pictures while you're here.

"Is she ok?"

"Yes, she should be. Just a few cuts is all."

"Are they infected?"

"No. I cleaned them up. They should be fine."

"You sure there's no infection and that she's ok??"

"Everything is fine, Sunset Shimmer!"

The words echoed in Twilight's head as she came to. Twilight felt her body ache as she blinked slowly, regaining consciousness. A small sigh escaped her lips as she shifted slightly. Twilight's eyes glanced around. She was in a room...the nurse's office at CHS. Twilight was laying on a cushioned bench. She grimaced at the twinge in her back from laying on such a hard surface despite the cushion. Not too far away from where she lay, the nurse sat at a desk and was being badgered by Sunset Shimmer. Twilight's heart skipped joyfully. Quietly, Twilight called for her.

"Sunset..."

The said girl immediately stopped hassling the nurse and sprang forward with lightning speed.

"TWILIGHT!"

Sunset grabbed her shirt and yanked her into a hug. Sunset's embrace was rough and strong. Twilight got the breath knocked out of her when Sunset pulled her in for the hug. She felt herself flush and a warm sensation ran throughout her body. Sunset's cheek was smashed up against her own, smooth and soft. Her arms curled under Twilight's and her hands clenched the back of her shirt in tight fists. As if by magic, all of Twilight's aching pain disappeared.

Twilight could hear Sunset's heart; it pounded out loud, deafening beats in Twilight's ear.

"I missed you," Sunset whispered.

Her voice was strained and emotional. Twilight felt tears form at the corner of her eyes and she squinted. She let out a shaky sigh and whispered back," I missed you, too."

Sunset burst into tears and held the girl closer to her.

"I waited a whole year for you. I waited by the portal every single day, Twilight. Just to see you. And now, after such a long time..."

Before Twilight could say a word, her lips met hers and they were lost in a long overdue kiss. Sunset wrapped her arms around Twilight and pushed her down on the cushioned bench. Twilight closed her eyes and brushed the other girl's cheeks. It had been so long since they kissed one another and they felt a zap of electricity the moment their lips touched. But, course, all good things come to an end.

The nurse looked away and the Main 5 walked into the office. Rarity cleared her throat noisily to announce their arrival. There were tears of joy in her eyes and she dabbed them away with a hankerchief before it ruined her makeup. Sunset broke away from the kiss feeling very aggravated that they were interrupting it.

"Get a room," Rainbow Dash said as she smiled warmly at them.

All of the Main 5 had big smiles on their faces.

"Why don't you get yourself up and off of her so's we can hug a dear old friend, now won't you?" Applejack said to Sunset.

The fiery-haired girl grudgingly got up and right after she stood away from Twilight, the others bombarded her companion. They smashed her in crushing hugs and all talked at once in excitement at seeing her. Twilight laughed and said hello to them.

"I'm so happy to see you girls again!"

Twilight looked at them all together and raised an eyebrow. They were all different. They lost the chubbiness in their cheeks and looked older somehow. No more was the skinny, hipless, and flat chested girls she had known them to be. All of them had gained weight and were looking more like young women than she remembered. Her pony friends back home all were still the same, with their slender forms and kid-ish looks. But these girls, no, young women were different. Twilight shook her head and smiled. Humans aged faster than Equestrian ponies.

After the warm welcome, the nurse cleared her throat.

"Well, you seem well now. However, I'm not quite sure about your friend who came with you."

The nurse got up from her chair and walked out the room. The others followed and they came to a room that was not too far away from Celestia's office. Inside was another bench with a boy laying on it. His blue hair, tan skin, black jacket with a red and white stripe across, and jeans all reminded them of one person.

Flash Sentry.

Twilight held her breath as she recalled someone calling out to her right before she went through the portal. It was him. She hadn't known that before, but now that she thought about it, his voice was the same and distinctive as ever. Slowly, the boy's eyes fluttered open and he rubbed them with a fisted hand. He yawned and blinked a couple of times before looking at the girls. Twilight and Sunset held their breath and covered their ears. They knew what was coming.

Brian Flash let out a loud scream of fear, shock , and astonishment. They all groaned and grimaced at the horrid sound. Flash looked at his hands and screamed even more. He had no idea what was going on. Flash huffed after his cry and inhaled to let out another scream. Before he could let out a death shriek, Applejack slapped a hand over his mouth and sighed with great exasperation. Her ears were ringing and she could not bear the sound.

"Hold your horses, Sugar Cube! Calm down and Twilight will explain to you what is going on. Just...(shudder) no more screaming."

She kept her hand on his mouth. The pony boy's eyes darted back and forth as he scanned every inch of the room. He was afraid, excited, confused, upset, curious; he was feeling so many emotions at once that he had no idea what to think. He was so jittery about this whole thing that he couldn't think anyway. Applejack nodded her head to Twilight and she came forward.

"Flash, it's me, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Friendship, Regal Advisor of Equestria, and Saint of Harmonious Magic..."

Twilight spoke slowly to him so he could process her words. Sunset and the others listened with deep interest. At the moment, they were all googling about Twilight's title. Princess Twilight Sparkle of Friendship, Regal Advisor of Equestria, and Saint of Harmonious Magic?? That's a mouthful. And the saint part...Twilight wasn't even dead. Most times in Equestria(from Sunset's knowledge) it was the deceased that were sanctified for honorable deeds and heroic sacrifices, like Starswirl the Bearded. Twilight must be a BIG SHOT in Equestria to have been sanctified in only two years of alicornhood.

Calmly, Twilight explained everything that was going on and Flash slowly began to calm down. He listened with great interest and awe at everything he was told. When she finished he nodded. He looked down at his hands again and closed his eyes as he processed everything he had heard. It was all too fictional-like. It was like when he was back home listening to glorified tales of Twilight's adventures and accomplishments passed on from other guards. It was all so fascinating, yet this was real. He sat there in silence and thought about it.

"Sunset and I have some issues we need to discuss and it'd be best if we have a guardsmen with us since you're here. We don't know what this issue will lead us into," Twilight said.

He then looked up and smiled.

"Flash Sentry, at your service, princess."

The girls chattered excitedly to him and Sunset glanced at Twilight. The younger girl mouthed to her "later" and she understood. Whatever the problem was, she and Twilight would talk about it some other time. In the doorway without them noticing stood a young man who stared at the pony boy, thinking deeply about everything he had heard and witnessed. He had been there the whole time and he had a plan in mind...

First Impressions

Sunset and Twilight had a hell of a time that day. The pony Flash, who they now call Brian, struggled walking and using his hands. The two of them had to teach him how to walk. It was like teaching a toddler how to stand up and take a few steps. Brian was always falling and tripping all over the place like a total klutz. To Twilight and Sunset, it was actually fun helping him out.

To Sunset, Brian was the sweet guy she had dated long before Twilight came around. He was a nice, happy boy who was humble to those around him. He had a flashing grin that made people smile back. Brian could be a real gentleman and wasn't afraid to stand up to anyone in the wrong. It made her feel guilty that she had used his human version for popularity. She felt she needed to make it up to him somehow.

And what better way to do so by helping him? Well...his pony self, anyway.

Brian stuck around with them throughout the whole day and they had a good time. Twilight didn't know how much of a fun person he was to be around. All she had known was that they always crashed into one another and had many awkward moments. To both the girls, he was like a brother to them. His knight-like behavior and chivalry reminded Twilight of Shining Armor. It was lunch time when all of the Main 5 met up with the three of them in the practice room.

"So, how's your job as Regal Advisor going?" Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully as she stuffed her face with fries.

Twilight sighed and shook her head.

"I'm busier than before. I'm so busy in fact that I haven't been able to hang out with my friends in over a month. All of us aren't too happy about that."

Fluttershy gasped quietly.

"Oh my..."

Rainbow Dash shrugged and chewed her sandwich slowly.

"Hey, it's not like you haven't seen them in a long time. I mean, it's a year later and you're finally showing up. Those ponies have it better regarding who you hang out with more. If they want to be all sad about it and mope, too bad."

"You do know her other friends are us, right. Just pony versions.." Rarity told her.

Applejack punched Rainbow in the arm and cleared her throat.

"What she means to say is that we feel badly that you have to work so hard. We're glad you came to see us after a long while."

Twilight smiled and nodded and looked at Sunset. The two of them laughed and talked to Brian. While Twilight wasn't looking, Rainbow Dash punched Applejack back and got a hard slap in the face. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie grimaced at the red mark on her face. Rainbow Dash tried hard to hold back her tears.

"Ooh, you don't mess with a cowgirl," Pinkie whispered.

"PINKIE PIE, YOU ROTTEN--"

Sunset and Twilight glanced over at them and blinked with surprise.

"What's going on there?" Sunset asked.

Rainbow Dash changed her tone and chuckled nervously.

"Pinkie, you rotten apple! Hah hah! That was a goodone! Real funny..."

The girl slapped Pinkie on the back. Hard. And multiple times. She kept on hitting her and fake laughing.

"Classic Pinkie...with her hilarious jokes..." Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight and Sunset glanced at each other and shrugged. Pinkie Pie just told a funny joke. No big deal. They went back to talking and the girls went back to slapping each other and arguing about petty things with Rarity and Fluttershy watching them. All of them were pretty content with how their day was going. None of them heard the door knob turn. It was when the door opened that everyone stopped doing whatever it was they were doing and looked.

In the doorway was a boy with dark blue hair, a black jacket with white and red stripes, jeans, and a white shirt with a shield on it. Brian's eyes went wide and for a second he froze. This boy that stood in the doorway...It was him. But how?? Twilight smiled at him and motioned to get up and Brian immediately stood up and got in front of her, with his arms outstretched to prevent her from moving past him.

"NO!" he said.

Twilight was shocked at his reaction.

"...What is it, Brian?"

The pony boy turned around and eyed the guy in the doorway. He kept himself directly in front of Twilight's view and was poised to charge at him.

"He's an imposter! In the name of Princess Luna and dear Celestia, I will not allow him to come any closer! He could harm you, princess!"

It took a little bit for everyone to process what he was saying out of surprise. Then Sunset chuckled and Twilight touched his shoulder.

"It's ok, Brian," she said. "He's no imposter. He's you!"

The soldier frowned.

"He can't be! Because I'm here!"

Twilight laughed and sighed.

"No, silly. He's your human version. Like how these girls are the human versions of my friends back home. Flash is completely harmless. He's you for goodness sake!"

Flash stood where he was and grinned. He looked a little dazed after having seen himself.

"...Twilight, it's so good to see you. What's going on?"

He walked forward and extended his arms for a hug. But Brian was standing in the way. The pony boy was intent on trying to stare him down. Flash looked him over in astonishment once he saw that he wouldn't let him pass.

"Flash, meet your pony version, Brian," Twilight said.

Flash Sentry nodded and scratched his head.

"So this is me? Wow...He's like my clone. Wait, he is my clone! A brother from another world!"

He casually poked Brian in the ribs with his elbow in a friendly way. But Brian took it as a means of attacking and flung himself at him. Both of them came crashing down on the floor and Applejack snatched Brian up.

"Whoa, now! You don't go mowing people down like that! For the love of all things good, apologize. This fellow here is you, Brian! He means no harm."

Flash was helped to his feet by Twilight. With one good tug he was yanked up and he stumbled forward into Twilight, who backed up into Sunset. The both of them were nose-to-nose and it was awkward. Sunset shot a dangerous look at Flash and she put her hands on Twilight's shoulders possessively. Brian glared daggers into Flash and huffed. Applejack held him back with her strong arms and kept him away from them. Flash apologized sheepishly to Twilight, who readily said it was ok.

Applejack pushed Brian forward and told him to say sorry.

"Sorry..." he mumbled.

Flash grinned and put a hand out.

"No problem. Friends?"

The pony boy stared at his hand and frowned. He didn't want to shake it. He didn't know how to anyway. Brian got a strange vibe from his human self. Like it was a façade he was playing at. And underneath was a devil waiting to unleash itself. But seeing all the expectant looks from everyone else around him and knowing Applejack's killer strength will be upon him if he didn't, he sighed and shook his hand.

Flash slung an arm over his shoulder and patted him.

"Yeah! We're like twins! Everything's ok. How have you been Twilight?"

As the others began to talk casually with him, Brian felt his earlier tension fade away. His other seemed to get along with the others just fine. He was friendly and open. He began to question his defensive behavior. Whatever it was that caused him to feel that way? He had no idea. Smiling, he joined in the conversation and all was well. No longer did he feel strange at the sight of Flash. Everything in that world was strange and new to him anyway.

Flash glanced at his other self from the corner of his eye and felt pleased to see that he no longer seemed aggressive toward him. It was just what he needed him to be. A perfect Flash Sentry...

Ignorance is Bliss(Unscripted)

When the school bell rang, the Main 6, Sunset Shimmer, Flash, and Brian left out the front double doors of CHS. Sunset eyed Flash and took Twilight's hand in hers. She saw him looking at her whenever he thought no one would notice. Well she did. Having dated the guy before in the past, she knew pretty much everything about him. How he would drop a book or some things in front of a girl he liked(which at that time was her), how he would slowly sneak his way next to them. Even Flash's not very smooth way of stretching and yawning so he could 'accidentally' put an arm over her shoulder.

Sunset had seen it all and she was very pissed about it. She wanted to scream at him...But then, there was Twilight. As badly as she wanted to curse the guy out, Twilight wouldn't allow it, and besides. Who would even dare say a single curse word in front of her?? She's a princess and disgracing yourself in front of one was the dumbest thing you could ever do. Also, she was everybody's friend and Sunset's companion. Nobody does that. Sunset had to keep in mind of the PG 13 rule placed on this chapter...

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie headed toward town square on their way home.

"See you guys tomorrow!" they cried and walked together to their destinations.

Rarity glanced at her nails and scoffed at the scratch on one of them.

"Oh my poor nail..." she whined.

Applejack frowned.

"What are you whining about? The thing's false!"

The fashionista pouted and placed both hands on her hips delicately.

"So what? It completely ruins my ensemble for today! Sky blue with royal blue accents!"

The farm girl rolled her eyes and turned to Rainbow Dash, who was frowning just as much as she was. Rainbow shrugged and sighed.

"Sure. It TOTALLY destroys your style. I mean, look at it. That scratched nail is SO BAD. EVERYBODY can see how much it completely messes up your amazing fashion-y clothes!"

Rainbow Dash was waving her hands in the air in mock horror and covered her mouth and gasped so very fake-like. But it seemed all too real to Rarity, who gasped along with her and wiped a tear from her eye, smearing a little bit of mascara.

"Wh-Why..." she whispered hoarsely and feverishly bust out some nail polish and lathered her nail in sky blue.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack chuckled light heartedly and told her that Rainbow was joking.

"Hey. If you want to downgrade yourself, what's stopping people from joining in on the insults?" Rainbow Dash said.

"That's definitely a lesson you should be writing down in a friendship journal!" Applejack added and the two of them laughed.

Rarity scolded them and stomped to let off some steam.

Meanwhile, Twilight was talking to Brian and Sunset. Flash watched the other girls go on with their childish behavior while keeping his ears trained on the conversation that Twilight, Sunset, and his double were having.

"I need to talk to you both about something very important...It's dealing with Celestia," Twilight told them quietly.

Sunset gasped and Brian's eyes widened.

"R-Really??" he asked.

"Shh!" Twilight hushed.

She looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were all talking and laughing, the two more sporty ones enjoying themselves more than the fashion diva seemed to. Flash was some short feet away, but he didn't seem to be listening. The boy was watching butterflies fly by and he watched in awe as if he had never seen them before. Twilight turned back to Sunset and Brian and sighed with relief.

"What is it?" Sunset whispered. "Is it that important where you only want us to know?"

Twilight nodded gravely and once again glanced behind her.

"You see..." she began in a quiet tone. "I'm not quite sure what's going on, really, with this contract business. I've read it over and over again, but it's leaving me no clues. You'll see what I'm talking about when you two read it yourselves tonight. Keep it a secret, this meeting."

Sunset squinted her eyes.

"Contract..?"

Brian scratched his head. He had never been in a secret meeting before. Important meetings were for his supervisors in the royal guard. Flash was a low ranking officer and so he wasn't ever allowed to attend meetings with any of the princesses like how Shining Armor could. He fidgeted nervously. Secret meetings were important. Which always meant there was something extremely confidential. Sunset noticed his panicky behavior and pat him on the back. Well...more like slap him on the back(she was heavy-handed).

"Chill, Brian. If all this is making you fearful of some crazy adventure bound to happen...you aren't alone."

Brian smiled thankfully and she returned the gesture.

Sunset cracked her knuckles and stretched her arms above her head. she looked slightly dazed at the information she just heard and sighed shakily. Both Twilight and Brian noticed her eyes tearing up and they tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect this...It has been so long since I've seen you and heard about Celestia. Well, the Celestia we know. It's still fresh, the pain I feel about Celestia's passing. she was my mother. and no matter how much I had hated her back then, I still feel as though her death was my fault..."

Sunset let a few tears fall from her chin before putting on a determined expression and wiping her face clean of tears. She sighed again and looked at the two of them before pulling them into a tight hug.

"Whatever it is, we will get to the bottom of it and bless Celestia's soul. She didn't deserve what came to her and I want to prove myself, wherever she may be watching."

Twilight and Brian wrapped their arms around her and they stood there in deep reflection about Celestia, who was a former teacher for some, a mother to one, and a respected ruler to all. Without a word, Applejack joined the hug along with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. They had no idea what was going on really. But they made it into a group hug and were content in joining. Flash stood a ways back, watching.

"Too bad Flutters and Pinkie aren't here to pop in the hug fest," Rainbow Dash said as she sighed.

This made the others chuckle and agree. They all were content. It was like a little family. Everybody cared for one another and were friends to the end. Even Brian. To Sunset, they were the family she never had and tears trickled down her cheek once more. Twilight pressed her forehead against hers and smiled a small, understanding smile. Only three of them knew of what was to come; something that would affect them all. One knew most of the story, two knew some, the rest none.

But Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash smiled as they squeezed each other in a heartfelt hug. And so would have Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had they stayed. But they only smiled because they knew nothing of what troubled the other three within their embrace. However, they were lucky.

Ignorance was bliss.

And in this case, the saying rang truer than it ever had to them.

Author's Notes:

It's been awhile since I wrote a chapter with deep meaning. Hope you liked it!

The Contract

Sunset, Twilight, and Brian were all huddled in Sunset's dining room with the contract sprawled across the hard wood surface. Twilight read aloud what she had read before back in Equestria to them and made sure to stress every syllable of every word. Her magnifying glass was held close to the page as she leaned forward and squinted at the words reflected from it.

Contract

Upon signing this contract, you formally announce that your soul belongs to the Underworld, Tartarus. In exchange for your life, you hereby forfeit it for a greater cause: saving the life of another. The person you designate your energy to will be transferred when this contract is signed. Once signed, the spirit of the signee will forever be a slave in Tartarus to the person who presented this contract. As a slave, your ties to break free are eradicated. Now being dead, your afterlife is to serve the person who offered you this scroll to read and sign. For the rest of eternity, your spirit's fate is determined by the hands of that who owns you. Below, is the event of which this contract was signed to alter what was done.

On November 22, 1007 A.B, (A.B. as in After Banishment; referring to Princess Luna's return from the moon) around 11:54 p.m., former student and Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, along with the Elements of Harmony fought against the Sirens. Former student and foster daughter of Celestia, Sunset Shimmer, was passed out and struggling internally a dark magic Celestia injected into the fragment inside of her. The magic was killing her and she was in a live or die situation. Princess Celestia was trying to save her by conducting a slew of magical incantations to rid her daughter of the deadly power. However, that did not go on to be successful.

The dark magic rejected all of the ruler's magic and shot her back with a strong force of power. The magic took complete control of Sunset Shimmer's body and killed her. Twilight Sparkle sacrificed her soul to Sunset Shimmer with the knowledge of knowing that as a Draconequui Hybrid, Sunset could only survive on the souls of loved ones. Sunset regained her life just as Twilight died. In desperation and despair, Sunset committed suicide by stabbing herself with a knife that was the property of the deceased Siren, Adagio Dazzle. A funeral was held for both Sunset and Twilight three days after the event of November 22.

This is the Natural Fate, the turn of events that would've happened without the persuasion of magic.

Princess Celestia of Equestria signed the contract that changed the course of what had been done on November 25, 1007 A.B., at 9:12 p.m. The Alternate Ending, the events that happened due to the persuasion of magic, is as follows. Instead of Sunset dying, Celestia took the hit and died trying to take away the dark magic from Sunset's jewel. She successfully removed the evil power from her daughter but ended up absorbing the dark magic herself.

In this change of time, Sunset not having died is what saved Twilight from dying as well. Twilight had sacrificed herself for Sunset. Twilight, however, did not save Celestia due to the contract which forbade such an action from taking place. Celestia passed away on November 23, 1007 A.B. at 12:06 a.m. A funeral was held where Twilight took up her position as Regal Advisor and headed back to Equestria, and Sunset stayed behind in the human world to continue to preach friendship among those who needed advice.

The three of them stood in complete silence after they finished reading the thing. Both Brian and Sunset were completely stunned. Twilight took a deep breath as she tried to keep herself from crying. In a sudden fit of rage, Sunset screamed and kicked the table. She slammed her fists on the wooden surface over and over again. Immediately, Twilight and Brian grabbed her shoulders and tried to calm her down. However, Sunset had an adrenaline rush, making her stronger. Sunset furiously punched the wall and screamed in anger, sadness, pain...

"NOOO!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and she sobbed.

Practically destroying everything in her path, she raged on. A vase was thrown against the wall and it shattered. Dirt shot out everywhere on the floor. The angry girl slammed a chair into the wall and kicked it across the room. Both Twilight and Brian were frightened. Neither of them had seen Sunset ever act like that.

"GET OUT!!!!!" Sunset yelled at them.

When they hesitated she let out a shriek that would damage anybody's ear drums.

"GET OUT!!!!!!!"

Twilight and Brian shot out of the dining room and burst through the front door. It was a cool night out and they shut the door closed to avoid getting hit by any possible flying objects. A loud bang came from the other side of the door and Twilight felt herself jolt forward from the force. Before she could fall Brian grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down the steps into the lawn. The two of them could hear Sunset's muffled screams and could hear the windows vibrating slightly. Loud noises rose from nearly everywhere in the house.

In deep fear and agony, Twilight and Brian sat on the last step leading from the door. Twilight closed her eyes shut and covered her ears. Tears came down her face and restrained sobs came out in quick gasps from her mouth. Brian stayed close to her and looked around. He stood guard, as a sentry should. Brian looked up at the sky and saw stars twinkling in the night. Despite what was going on now, the stars seemed to be glowing happily. He scoffed and sighed.

Looking back at Twilight, he wanted to comfort her. but after what he just read from the contract he stopped himself.

In this change of time, Sunset not having died is what saved Twilight from dying as well. Twilight had sacrificed herself for Sunset

It was one sentence that stuck in his head. Other parts of the contract remained in his mind as well.

Twilight Sparkle sacrificed her soul to Sunset Shimmer with the knowledge of knowing that as a Draconequui Hybrid, Sunset could only survive on the souls of loved ones. Sunset regained her life just as Twilight died. In desperation and despair, Sunset committed suicide by stabbing herself with a knife that was the property of the deceased Siren, Adagio Dazzle. A funeral was held for both Sunset and Twilight three days after the event of November 22.

Sacrifice...Loved ones...Suicide...Funeral...

What he just heard...It wasn't just any 'friends to the end' kind of thing. No matter how much of a friend someone is, they'd never kill themselves for another to live unless that other person wasn't just some friend...It was someone they cared deeply about.

"Someone they loved..." Brian whispered.

He felt his legs weaken and he staggered back a little. It hit him so hard this realization. The two were in love. He quickly gathered himself back up and stood tall and straight. He would not let Twilight see him like that. He wiped tears from his eyes in a fast motion and let out a long, shaky sigh.

An hour later, the clashing and banging from inside the house ceased. Brian and Twilight had gotten so used to the sound that when it stopped, their heads swiveled toward the door as if something shocking happened. In a few seconds, the door cracked open and there stood Sunset. she was leaning against the doorframe. Her hands were bloody and one of her legs were cut. Her hair stuck to her forehead in ringlets and the sweat on her face was visible. Sunset's breath was fast and uneven. Without a word, Twilight wrapped her arms around her and buried her face in the older girl's hair.

Sunset stood there staring out at the night sky, looking more like a statue than a human. Brian looked at them. In complete surprise, he noticed something about Sunset. Her left eye was scarred and its color was a lighter green than the right eye. Brian hadn't noticed this before. He had always seen that both her eyes were the same color and no scar was visible...He squinted and found that her cheek was smudged with something powdery.

Makeup. Sunset wore makeup and a contact to cover it up. She looked so different now; an untamed beast that could snap at any second. A monster that had selfish intentions. There was nothing to be said at all. Brian looked at them and sighed. Without a word, he cried silently and stood there watching.

Apologies make a difference

Twilight pressed a pill to Sunset's mouth the next morning. Sunset was in bed and had woken up not too long ago when Twilight did that. It was the next morning and Twilight was up early to straighten up the messed up living room.

"I want you to take it," the princess told her. "I know you haven't been taking your medication. You stopped using it almost a whole week ago according to this chart."

Twilight pointed to a pocket calendar that was full of red 'X's up until about six days before that very day. Sunset reached out to grab it.

"Where did you get that?"

"It was one of the many things that had been thrown on the floor. Take the pill," Twilight instructed.

Without arguing, Sunset swallowed it dry and cleared her throat. She sat up slowly and watched the other girl tidy her room up. There were shirts on the floor and random pieces of paper drifting in small piles around the room. Sunset had gotten a bit lazy and just dropped things on the ground when she would come home afterschool and fall into bed.

"When you're done washing up and getting dressed, I want you to let me know so I can look at your hands before you eat breakfast," Twilight told her.

Sunset nodded and glanced down at her bandaged knuckles. All that she had read last night had disturbed her. The two of them, both Twilight and her, had been dead. And they were supposed to be dead. But Celestia changed it to her death and now was a slave in Tartarus. Sunset felt guilty about it all. If she hadn't gone to the Equine River that night so long ago now, none of this would have happened. Sunset would never have become a Siren. If she had just stayed home...

She sighed and slowly bent her fingers. The bandages were stiff and Sunset could feel the dry, cracked cakes of blood that had appeared overnight. It stung a little. Twilight glanced at her before leaving the room and then smiled. Then she disappeared into the hall; the light tread of the girl's feet going down the stairs. After what seemed like hours, the lazy girl got up and went into the bathroom to clean herself up.

Brian helped Twilight fix the condition of the house. Most of the things, however, were all broken and required someone to put it back together or buy a whole new item to replace the damaged property. Silently, he hammered away at a nail, trying to fix the leg of a dining room chair. Twilight was sweeping. The pony boy couldn't get the thought of those two being together out of his head. It was just...how?? His mind drifted off and before he knew it he had banged the hammer onto his finger, not having paid any attention. He let out a little yelp of pain and Twilight was by him in an instant.

"Are you alright?"

Brian opened his mouth to answer but then closed it. He nodded instead. The girl gave him a smile and went back to organizing what needed to be fixed. Just then, Sunset called to Twilight from upstairs. She set the broom down and walked up the steps. Brian frowned slightly seeing that she was leaving him alone to meet Sunset. He glanced down at his bruised finger and cradled it while sighing deeply.

In the bathroom, Sunset was tugging at her soiled bandages.

"Let me do it," Twilight told her and she gently unwrapped the stiff and slightly bloody cloth from around her hand.

Twilight didn't even flinch when she saw Sunset's blood encrusted hands.

"Rinse your hands in cool water," she told her.

Sunset did as she was told and let the water flow over her hands. She grimaced at the stinging feeling she felt from it. When most of the bloody matter loosened and washed away, Twilight sat her down on top of the toilet lid. She opened a drawer and brought out clean medical bandages and a white cloth. From a medicine cabinet, she reached in a took out a brown bottle of peroxide. Sunset bit her lip. Her hands shook in Twilight's. Peroxide was her worst enemy.

Carefully, the younger girl poured a small amount of the disinfectant on the white cloth and quickly dabbed her left hand. A roaring shriek erupted from the bathroom. Brian could hear it and quickly stood up. He dashed up the stairs as more growling and painful yelps proceeded.

"Are you--"

He was about to ask if Twilight was alright. But it became clear it was Sunset who was in a state of dismay. Twilight shushed the older girl quietly as she continued to dab the peroxide on her hands. The cuts she had were not very big at all. They just had bled a lot from consistent pounding. Sunset stomped her foot in defiance and attempted to wriggle her sore hands from Twilight, which actually hurt her more.

Twilight looked up to see Brian standing in the doorway. She looked at him pleadingly and said," Could you please hold Sunset still?"

Brian hesitated.

He didn't know how to react to this. Looking at them both he swallowed. Sunset was fidgeting around. She really felt uncomfortable having this painful liquid on her hands. It stung her a lot. Twilight kept trying to hold the girl still without adding pressure to her hands. It wasn't working out too well. Brian looked down at his feet. He could see the two of them smiling at each other in his mind's eye. They hugged one another and laughed together. Sunset and Twilight were an item...

"Brian. Help, please," Twilight said to him.

He looked up at her questioning eyes. The pony boy sighed and nodded. He came beside the toilet and placed a firm grip on Sunset's arms. The girl struggled even more. After a few moments, however, she calmed down. Twilight had applied the last dab of peroxide. It would have taken a shorter time if Sunset had not been moving so much. Carefully, Twilight applied some medicine to the cuts and wrapped her hands in clean bandages. All of them were silent as this was done.

When she finished, Brian let go of Sunset's arms and she stood up stiffly. Twilight looked at Sunset and mouthed some words to her.

Apologize about last night.

Sunset turned around with traces of pink on her cheeks.

"Hey...Brian..." she began. "I'm sorry about last night. I...didn't mean to frighten you. I was just upset. Really upset about what happened and--"

She shrugged awkwardly.

"It was just hard to accept. And I'm sorry I was acting like a big baby."

She stood there looking a bit pouty about having to say sorry. Brian stood there for a moment. He still saw Twilight and Sunset holding hands in his mind and it distracted him. He didn't like it one bit...but what did it have to do with Sunset Shimmer as a person? When he first arrived there, sunset was one of the first people he ever befriended. She had been nice to him and taught him many things like how to walk and use his hands. She was very important in guiding him. Brian let a smile cross his lips.

"It's no big deal."

Sunset's face lit up in astonishment and a small sigh of relief escaped her lips. Brian felt at ease. A big weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It didn't matter that she was with Twilight. He shouldn't have a grudge against Sunset. To him, she was a friend. And with that, he put aside his short term muse and took a deep breath, feeling better. A lot better.

Portals, Contracts, and Devilish Plans

Flash Sentry walked into the library at CHS. He passed the main desk and went to some bookshelves in the back. He was thinking deeply about something... He placed his index finger on the spines of the books and traced it along them as he slowly walked down the aisle. He had no classes at that time. For him it would've been gym, but the teacher wasn't there and no substitute was called in. Casually walking about the rows of bookshelves and staring at the words on the covers of books he picked, Flash found that time was passing by slowly.

It wasn't until about thirty sluggish minutes later that Flash came across a girl reading a book feverishly in the corner. Her violet eyes scanned the pages eagerly taking in every word. Her fingers twisted the ends of her long dark blue hair and left it in a slight curl. As she read, she bit her lip and smiled every once in a while at something she read. It was Twilight. She looked rather comfortable sitting there reading. Flash smiled to himself. She was looking very beautiful that day. As quietly as he could, he walked up to her and stood there.

When Twilight didn't notice him hanging over her shoulder he spoke.

"Hello."

The girl jumped up in shock and banged her knee against the underside of the table. She ignored the twang of pain and turned to see him standing there.

"Oh, hi..." she said. "Flash, right?"

Flash felt a bit insulted and hurt by this. Twilight couldn't tell him apart from Brian? It wounded his sense of pride. Seeing as how he didn't answer, Twilight closed her book and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hi, Brian. I thought you were Flash for a second."

Flash opened his mouth and closed it. Now she's mistaking him for Brian. It was bad enough that she hung around his pony version almost everyday. He wasn't very appreciative to this Brian guy now. He was in the way of him getting closer to Twilight. Flash already has tough competition with Sunset and adding Brian into the mix didn't make it any easier. Twilight closed her book and turned to him. She rubbed her knee and cleared her throat.

"I need to talk to you actually. It's about the contract."

Flash leaned forward. He wanted to know. The information he had gotten from eavesdropping had made him curious and now that he had a chance to learn more, he was going to take it.

"We need to do something about it. We can't just leave this whole situation hanging. Celestia is enslaved by King Sombra and we need to help her."

This sudden burst of information that Flash had not known hit him and it took him a moment to process it. Who was this King Sombra and how was Celestia enslaved by this guy if she was dead? Flash cleared his throat and nodded in agreement to the proposal of helping the deceased Celestia (however that works). Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"And the only way to free her is if we rip the contract."

"What makes you so sure?" Flash asked out of curiosity.

"Because Celestia herself told me it would. If we tear it up, she'd be free of her servitude to King Sombra and her soul could go on in peace," Twilight said.

"She told you? But how?? She's dead," the boy remarked.

Twilight sighed and nodded.

"It may seem like an impossible thing, but Celestia had contacted me through the portal mirror. It was a day before we left Equestria...Oh you were there, Brian! It was that time I ran into you in the hall and you walked me to the library. After you left, I went searching for my books that I had misplaced and came across the mirror. Without warning, it flashed and Celestia showed up on the glass! She told me that the contract was in her private study."

Twilight seemed very excited and jumpy, trying to prove to him that Celestia had appeared, even though dead. Flash frowned slightly. Most of what she said didn't quite connect in his mind. Mainly because he wasn't Brian. He didn't remember running into her and taking her to the library. And it sounded really crazy that Celestia would even contact her. But what did he know? That happened in Equestria, a world of magical ponies.

A sudden idea came into Twilight's mind. What if she could contact Celestia! Twilight sprang up and grabbed Flash by the wrist.

"Come on!"

She pulled him out the library and raced through the halls out into the school yard. In a hurry, she and Flash came to the statue. But Twilight stopped. There was a long crack in the side of the statue's base. She had forgotten all about that! When she and Brian had arrived, it caused a huge crack in the stone! The girl knelt beside the statue and sighed.

"Oh no..."

Flash glanced at the crack and asked how that happened.

"You see..." she began quietly. "Dimension travelling is a very sensitive business. Going through portals can be dangerous. Because of this, Celestia only allowed one person through the portal and that was me. If more than one person went through a portal at the same time, drastic things could happen. And that's what happened...

"Usually when I pass through the portal, I'm instantly a human. But when we both passed through, we were still ponies. The portal couldn't handle more than one person going through and it went a bit wonky, which could explain why we were ponies still when we came to this world. Our transformation to humans must have drawn power from the portal mirror. The amount of magic that was needed to transform us was doubled since there were two of us, and because the mirror could only handle transforming one..."

Twilight raised a finger to the cracked portal and said," it overloaded and cracked, having used up all its magic."

Flash stood there looking at the statue. It no longer worked...Meaning Twilight and Brian couldn't go back home...The boy felt badly for her, but at the same time glad. Twilight would have to stay there indefinitely. There was no way she could go back home now. Meaning she couldn't leave him.

Twilight slowly got to her feet and looked at Flash with determination.

"We have to rip that contract. Tonight. We must do it tonight. The sooner we help Celestia the better."

Flash nodded to her and she turned back to the statue in thought. A plan was going through Flash's head. He musn't let Brian find out about this. He wanted all the credit in helping Twilight free Celestia's soul. He'd help her rip the contract and she'd feel very grateful to him for it. Flash would make sure Sunset wasn't there when they did it so he could truly have all the credit. Yes...A great plan.

"I'll meet you at Sunset's then at 6?" he asked.

Twilight nodded absentmindedly and the boy went off, feeling better than ever.

Dumb schemes get fitting results

Twilight waited outside the school for Sunset. The bell had rung and Twilight was ready to leave for her place. She wanted to talk to her about the contract as soon as possible. She hadn't been able to speak to her all day. Whenever she even looked in her direction, something had to interrupt and get in the way. A fiery haired girl stepped outside and Twilight smiled happily. She grabbed her arm and pulled her along the sidewalk. Sunset looked at her in surprise before smiling.

"Oh hey, Twilight."

"Hi, Sunset. I have something to talk to you about," Twilight said.

But before she could continue, Flash came behind them and cut through their interlocked arms. He forcefully separated them and said, " Hey."

"What do you want," Sunset sighed.

The boy had squeezed his way in between them.

"I just want to say hi to you guys. I haven't spoken to Twilight all day."

He was lying, having talked to her earlier that morning while pretending to be Brian. Flash smiled to himself as he thought about where Brian was now. He had gotten the boy in trouble in gym. Flash had knocked over all basketballs, soccer balls, footballs and other sports equipment. It all had come tumbling down on Brian and the coach screamed at him. He ended up getting an afterschool detention mopping up the gym floor. At least he was out the way. But now...

Flash glanced to his left. Sunset walked beside him looking pretty annoyed and fully aware of his presence. Flash needed to get rid of Sunset. With her there, he couldn't take all the credit for helping Twilight. And it would be better if he got her alone...Cause then he could persuade her to dump Sunset and be with him. It shouldn't be hard. He was able to charm her before and with Sunset out of the way, he could do it again.

Twilight looked at Sunset from over Flash's shoulder.

"Hey, so, I want to talk to you about something important..."

She cleared her throat and Sunset looked at Flash.

"Get out of here. Scram, Flash," she told him.

"What for? I just want to talk to you guys," he said.

"Yeah, that's wonderful. But Twilight has something to tell me and I need you to get lost," she told him in a flat tone.

Flash sighed and turned to go when he 'tripped' over his shoelace and fell onto the ground. Automatically, Twilight bent down to see if he was ok. She helped him to his feet and he limped and groaned in pain.

"It looks as if you've sprained your ankle..." Twilight muttered. "Why don't we see if there's a place to rest."

Sunset stared at Flash. She knew that was fake, the way he tripped. It was one of his tricks. One of those tricks to get closer to a girl. Sunset felt her face heat up as her anger rose. This boy was trying to get at Twilight. And her companion was standing right there! Flash slung an arm loosely over Twilight's shoulder and hugged her closer to him.

The girl blushed slightly at the contact. It was odd to her. The only people she was used to being close with were her friends and Sunset. She hadn't liked Flash in along time and when she had, it was a silly crush. Remembering that crush was a bit embarrassing. Being next to the guy only made her see how stupid it would have been if they dated. Neither of them were really all that suitable for one another. If she had been with Flash, she knew their relationship wouldn't be as stable as the one she was having with Sunset.

There'd be no strong support from Flash, like what she got from Sunset. He would probably be tripping over imaginary things and staring at her with goo goo eyes more often than being supportive of her and acting as someone she could talk to when things weren't going well. Sunset was good at being just that. Twilight and Flash came across a bench that was not too far away from the street that Sunset lived on. She sat him down and he sighed.

So far, his plan was a work in progress. He couldn't tell if it was really working well or not at this point, but he had at least stopped Twilight from telling Sunset about the contract ripping thing. If only he could keep her stalling...and his presence enough was perfect. Twilight patted Flash on the shoulder and said she'd look at his ankle in a moment. She then turned to Sunset and nodded toward another bench that was some feet away.

"Lets talk, shall we?"

Sunset nodded curiously and followed the girl toward the other bench. Oh no! Twilight was moving away from him and was about to tell her! Flash really wanted al the glory and to look good in front of Twilight and impress her. But if Sunset was there, she would surely take his glory, since she was who Twilight was with. In a panic, Flash clutched his leg and groaned loudly to get her attention.

"Oh, my ankle! It's hurting!" he moaned.

Twilight glanced back at him, looking a little impatient but kept a smile on her face. Sunset glared at him and tugged on Twilight's arm to keep her there.

"You can just tell me now. His ankle is going to be looked at later, anyway," she said.

Twilight considered this and nodded. To stop her from doing anything else, Flash shouted out in mock pain. It was really quite a tiresome business Flash was doing. Screaming and shouting to stop Twilight from saying a word. He also looked rather ridiculous doing that. Finally Sunset stomped over to him and stomped on his foot.

"OW!" he hopped up and stumbled as he tried to get away from her.

"Sunset!" Twilight gasped.

"Relax. He was faking. See? I stomped the foot that supposedly wasn't sprained. Look how he walks fine and dandy on his 'wounded' ankle."

Sunset pointed at his feet and Twilight's eyes widened. Before she could say a word, Sunset pulled her aside and urged her to tell her what it was she wanted to say. Flash watched them feeling defeated. Great. Sunset had saw through his little game and now Twilight was telling her about the contract. So much for effort...

Flash sat there on the bench and huffed. What a stupid plan.