Twilight had kept her promise. She had sat before the portal to the human world for a week straight. She had slept before the portal, eaten before the portal, and read books in front of the portal. She hadn't moved from her spot, aside from bathroom trips, which were a mere ten hooves away, and even then, she had left the door cracked so she would know if Pinkie came through the portal.

She had just exited the bathroom and flopped on the cold crystal floor to spend yet another day staring at the portal, hoping against hope that its surface would shimmer and her once-lover would step through and allow her to explain herself. She kept her book closed for now, a single copy of Henry V that she had borrowed from the human world.

She had found this Shakespeare person to be extremely intelligent. His stories were all written, in a style referred to as iambic pentameter, a style that seemed to carry a fluid voice that was quick and soothing while still making the reader feel compelled to read on. She had already finished a few of his other works. Juilius Caesar, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet.

Twilight sighed. "Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; brief as the lightning in the collied night, that, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, and ere a man hath power to say 'behold'. The jaws of darkness do devour it up: so quick bright things come to confusion." she quoted. The particular verse had reminded her of Pinkie. Her love for the human girl bringing her more pain than joy.

She truly loved Pinkie. She had originally just been experimenting, but her lust had grown into love for a girl she had previously overlooked. She regretted overlooking the woman of her dreams. How had she not noticed her? She had always been praised as a genius, so how had she not seen past the ridiculous surface of the girl to see the deep and wonderful well of love and beauty beneath?

She only hoped that Pinkie would allow her to explain herself, and hope that she would understand.

A small voice behind her cause Twilight to jump. "Twilight?"

Twilight sighed softly. "I thought I told you... I wanna be alone right now, Spike." she said. She truly appreciated her assistant's worry, but it was not helping anypony at the moment. It was simply hurting Twilight even more to know that the dragon, that was as a brother to her, was worrying himself for her sake. "Please... Spike... I know you're worried about me, but I'll be better when Pinkie shows up."

"Twilight," Spike sighed. "I don't think she's coming."

Twilight whipped her head around to face the dragon. "She is!" she said, slightly louder than she meant to. "She loves me Spike... she'll come for me... she has to..."

"Twilight... you need to face it. She's not coming for you. She's probably trying her hardest to get over you... you should do the same." Spike said. He knew nothing about what happened. He only knew that Twilight and Pinkie had been together and that they weren't anymore. Twilight would not go into detail, but he had gathered that it was, in some way, her fault.

"She'll come for me." Twilight said as she returned her gaze to the open portal. "I promised I wouldn't leave until she came through."

"Twilight, you can't just spend the rest of your life in front of the portal hoping your ex will come back." Spike said. "You should just stop."

"If she doesn't come for me, then I'd rather just stay here..." Twilight mumbled. "She'll come for me though... she will..."

Spike growled to himself and stomped off. "Fine, but I'm leaving." he called over his shoulder. "I'm going to see Ember and, if you're still in front of the portal when I get back, then I'll drag you away myself."

Twilight sighed. It was for the best that Spike left the castle completely. Maybe then her mind wouldn't be plagued by his worries. Still, her mind was occupied by the thoughts of pink fluff and tender warmth.

Twilight smiled to herself as she allowed her mind to drift back to happier times, specifically the day she realized she was in love with Pinkie Pie.

Twilight and Pinkie had just finished an exhausting session of their experiments when Pinkie had untied her and began carrying her to the bathroom. Twilight threw her arms around Pinkie's neck and stared at her. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

Pinkie beamed. "Well, I was reading up on some of the stuff you're into, the BDSM thing we've been doing, and I read that we're doing it wrong."

Twilight chuckled quietly. "I don't think we are." she said with a grin.

Pinkie's smile grew wider. "No, I meant the whole thing. We're only doing it half-way." The girls entered the bathroom and Pinkie sat her lover in the tub as she began running water. "The website I was on mentioned this thing called 'after-care'. Apparently after we get done then we have to wind you down by doing something soothing for you."

Twilight stared at the water and smiled as the warmth hit her bare feet. "That does seem nice..." she said quietly.

"The website specifically mentioned baths." Pinkie chirped. "See, its supposed to be bad to leave you sore to just go home. So, as the dom (that's what the website called me) it's my job to do something to soothe you. I can bathe you or hold you or love on you or all of them if we want."

Pinkie quickly placed the stopper in the drain when she felt the temperature was right. "Plus, my family is on vacation right now anyways, so we have the house to ourselves, so I was thinking if you wanted you could stay here for a while." The water quickly rose to Twilight's neck and she sighed as she allowed the waves to caress her body. "I could try the one after-care suggestion I read about where we cuddle on the couch until we fall asleep, too." Pinkie said happily.

Twilight nodded. "So far I'm liking after-care..." she said quietly. "Equestria doesn't have anything like that... maybe I should do some research on it..."

Pinkie grinned and stuck her hands in the water, slowly scrubbing Twilight's body. She was gentle, and each hand was a delicate embrace against her lover's skin. Twilight sighed at the relaxing contact. She closed her eyes and simply allowed Pinkie to do what she will. That was how their sessions worked. Twilight would surrender herself to Pinkie and trust her from then on. Maybe that was how this 'after-care' thing was meant to work. She was still leaving herself at Pinkie's mercy, but it was relaxing and helping her wind-down after their severe session.

She sighed happily as Pinkie began slowly lathering shampoo in her hair. Twilight understood that the bath wasn't meant to make her clean, but she was grateful for the chance to smell like Pinkie Pie's shampoo. Something about the way the silly girl's hair smelled made Twilight's heart pound. It was a simple, common smell, but for some reason, when she smelled strawberries on Pinkie, it forced her to relax.

She smiled as she smelled strawberry shampoo fill the air and giggled as Pinkie made soap bubbles out of it. Pinkie giggled herself as Twilight popped a few of the bubbles and the two simply laughed as the bath commenced. Pinkie smiled as she rinsed Twilight's hair and then pulled the drain out of the tub. Twilight made to stand, but Pinkie's hand forced her to remain where she was.

"No, no, no, Twilight." she said with a grin. "You're all relaxed and feeling good now, I'd hate for you to waste that by walking."

Twilight squealed and giggled slightly as Pinkie lifted her into her arms again. Twilight once again linked her arms behind the other girl's neck and smiled at her as she was carried back to the bedroom. Somehow, Pinkie had cleaned everything from their session off the bed without Twilight noticing it. She tried not to think about that too much.

Pinkie gently placed her lover upon the bed and smiled at her as she quickly removed all of her remaining clothes. She had spent their session wearing a corset and her underwear, but nothing more.

Twilight smiled as her now naked lover slid into the bed and threw the blankets over them both. Twilight slowly moved her head onto Pinkie's shoulder and relaxed into her arms. "Twilight?" Pinkie asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Since this is after-care, does that mean it's still part of our session?"

"Yeah, it does."

"So... can I still kiss you?" Pinkie asked nervously. "The website mentioned kissing you often during this part, but I didn't know if that was okay with you..."

Twilight smiled as she leaned her head up to Pinkie's. "Of course it is." she said. "During our sessions you're allowed to do whatever you want, and I trust you with myself the entire time."

Pinkie smiled as she brought her lips to bare upon Twilight's own. She kissed her deeply and passionately, but Twilight didn't detect her lover's usual lust during this kiss. It was simple passion and care.

When Pinkie pulled away Twilight stared into her eyes and gasped.

"What?" Pinkie asked quietly.

I love you... Twilight thought.

"Nothing." Twilight said quickly. "I guess I just never noticed how beautiful your eyes are..." Pinkie's smile confirmed that her cover was flawless.

She dared not risk scaring Pinkie off by uttering forbidden words. It had been their agreement when their sessions started that they were not a couple. She wouldn't risk losing Pinkie by actually caring for her... at least, not out loud.

I'm so stupid... If I had just told her how I felt then, maybe I could have avoided this whole mess. Twilight thought as she stared at the portal.

The sound of hoofsteps behind her broke Twilight from her thoughts. She stood and turned to face her guest, despite the fact that she knew who it would be before she even looked, Twilight gasped at the sight of the original equestrian Pinkie Pie. "Hey, Twilight." she said quietly.

"Pinkie..." Twilight whispered. Despite her low tone Pinkie could still feel the desire and the love in the mare of her dreams saying her name.

"Has she showed up yet?" Pinkie asked. Twilight merely shook her head. "I'm sorry." she said quietly. "I wish I could help, but I know how she's feeling right now and I'm not surprised that she hasn't showed up yet...

"Will she?" Twilight asked quietly.

Pinkie smiled slightly. "If she loves you half as much as I do... yes..."

Twilight smiled softly. "Then I'm going to stay here and wait." she said.

"What are you going to tell her?" Pinkie asked.

"Everything." Twilight said firmly. "I won't leave a detail out. Even if she doesn't understand and she leaves me forever, I'll feel better knowing that she knows the truth."

Rainbow fell forward as they stepped through the portal. She had instinctively closed her eyes before crossing the portal and she now stood on all fours, breathing heavily. She slowly opened one eye and stared at her hooves. She blinked once in confusion before raising one to her face and staring at it.

"Okay," she mumbled. "so we actually did turn into ponies..."

"Looks that way." Pinkie chirped happily as she bounced on her new tail. Pinkie had transformed into exactly what one would have expected. She was still bright pink and fluffy. She didn't have a horn or wings, so Rainbow assumed she was what Twilight had referred to as an earth-pony.

Rainbow smiled at a slightly familiar sensation in her back. She quickly glanced over her shoulder and stared at her wings. "Ooh, I've missed these." she said as she flexed them experimentally.

Pinkie grinned at her friend. "Well, when we go back all you have to do is play your guitar and you'll have them back."

"Yeah, but these feel a little different." Rainbow said. "I think I could still fly with them, but they aren't the same as my pony-up wings back home."

Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, but another pair of ponies in the room distracted her.

Twilight and Pinkie stood on the other side of the room, staring at the two newcomers. Rainbow quickly looked from one Pinkie to the other before sighing. "I've had this nightmare before..." she mumbled. It was true as well. Two Pinkie's speaking simultaneously, talking about pranks, and parties. Rainbow had never had a worse nightmare in her life. She loved her friend, but she really wished she had an off switch at times.

Twilight's jaw was dropped as she stared at the Pinkie that had stepped through the portal. They locked eyes and simply stared at each other for several moments.

Pinkie wanted to rush to her arms... hooves, and let the alicorn hold her while she cried and sobbed quick 'I love you's to the pony, but her legs would not move. Pinkie could adjust to any situation, so she knew that she could control the legs normally, but seeing Twilight's tear streaked face staring at her with eyes full of compassion and regret simply stopped her from moving.

"Pinkie..." Twilight breathed.

"H-hey, Twilight." Pinkie forced an obviously fake smile. "F-fancy meeting you here, huh?"

"She lives here." Rainbow said.

"Oh yeah." Pinkie said.

"You're me!" The Pinkie Pie standing next to Twilight cried as she trotted across the room to greet her second self. "Oh my gosh, this is so exciting. I don't think I've ever been so excited, well-"

"Don't." Human Pinkie said.

Pony Pinkie seemed perturbed by the interruption but said nothing of it. "Guess, you're still at that stage, huh?" she asked.

"What stage?" Human Pinkie asked.

"You want to forgive her, but you're too scared of what could happen, or that she'll just break your heart again." Pony Pinkie said.

"That sums it up." Human Pinkie said.

"My head hurts." Rainbow said. "You." she said, pointing a hoof at Pony Pinkie. "I'm calling you E.P. Equestrian Pinkie. You." she moved the hoof to the Pinkie from her world. "You're H.P. Human Pinkie. That's the only way I can sort this mentally."

E.P. smiled, nodded once, and tied a ribbon around H.P.'s neck. "Now you can tell us apart too." she chirped happily. H.P. grinned and held a hoof to the ribbon, smiling at it slightly as she nodded.

"Alright, that's great. Thanks, E.P." Rainbow said. "But, where did you get the ribbon?"

"Don't think about it too much, Dash." Twilight said as she slowly approached the group of ponies.

E.P. and Rainbow stood away from H.P., allowing Twilight to stand before her. "Pinkie..." she said.

"Twilight..."

"I'm so, so, sorry." Twilight said. "I really just want to explain myself. I want you to know exactly what I did and why." she said. "Can I do that?"

"There is nothing..." Pinkie said slowly and quietly. "That I want more.... than to hear what you have to say... and forgive you..."

Twilight allowed a small sad smile to pass over her face for but a moment, before she grew grave once more. "I don't have any excuse that's worth forgiveness, Pinkie." she said quietly. "I'm sure you've guessed by now, but I was also with your Equestrian counterpart."

E.P. nodded and H.P. asked. "Was?"

"We broke up." E.P. said quietly. "We actually started dating after your sessions started..." she said.

"After I started dating my world's Pinkie, I didn't have any sessions with you, because I thought that would be cheating... but, I still wanted you and that's why I felt like I was cheating anyways... and I felt like I was cheating on you, because, even though we were never really a couple, I did care for you... and after a while I figured out that you cared for me too..."

"She told me about it... and my idea was for us to break up and all of us meet up and talk together." E.P. said. "But, when she went through the portal, you assumed the worst and sent her away. She was going to tell you the sessions needed to stop because she loved you and wanted more with you..."

"Why would you do that?" H.P. asked E.P. "You of all people understand how badly I've been hurt before... why wouldn't you warn her?"

"What are you talking about?" E.P. asked.

"I'm talking about Navi!"

"Who's Navi?" E.P. asked.

H.P. blinked once. This version of her didn't know who Navi was. That meant that this version of her had never been hurt and betrayed. Pinkie smiled at her equestrian double as tears formed in her eyes. "Thank goodness..." she said quietly. "I'm so glad there's a world where you didn't have to go through that..."

"Pinkie..." Twilight said. "Both of you... that's why I couldn't just pick one of you. You aren't the same. You are, but not exactly. You talk the same. You look the same. The majority of the time you act the same, but you're still different, because of the different lives you've led." she said. "That's why I didn't think I deserved either of you, but I wanted both of you."

E.P. smiled at her double. "That's why I suggested that Twilight and I break up until we could talk to you... I wanted all of us to be together..."

"What?" Rainbow asked, finally allowing herself to express a small piece of her confusion. "Like the three of you in one relationship?"

"Yes." Twilight said. "I don't know if it counts as polyamory if two of the ponies are the same person, but I know I love both Pinkie's and I want them both to be happy... if you'll have me..." she said quietly to the Pinkies.

H.P. sighed loudly. "There's just one problem." she said quietly. "In a modern polyamorous relationship all of the parties have to love each other for it to work. I don't know if I can be compatible, romantically, with myself."

"I'm not even gonna ask why you already know that." Rainbow mumbled.

E.P. shrugged before approaching her double. "One way to find out." she said as she locked lips with Pinkie. Both Pinkie's closed their eyes and moaned into each other's mouths as their passionate kissing led them to lay upon the floor.

Twilight sat on her haunches and stared at her two lovers kissing. "I've had this dream before." she said quietly. It was true as well.

Rainbow grew uncomfortable quickly as the moaning grew louder. Twilight's creepy grin as she watched them didn't help anything either. Rainbow quickly trotted out the door of the room. She assumed that regardless of what happened after their kissing session was over, she did not need to be there at the moment.

From the sound of things, as Twilight's moans quickly joined her two partners, Rainbow guessed that everything would be fine.

After the new trio discussed the specifics of their new relationship, Rainbow was sure one of them would come find her. Besides, she thought as she stepped from the castle entrance, how often is it that somebody gets to explore an alternate dimension.

Rainbow smiled as she took in the sights of the world. It was truly breathtaking. There were small houses lined up the valley before the castle and ponies (some of which were vaguely familiar) walked down the streets a few of them waved and even called her by name, but they kept their distance.

The clouds in the sky hung low, and Rainbow was sure her new wings could carry her far above them if she wanted. She would not have been so confidant with them if she had not had practice with her human form's wings. She slowly unfolded them as she decided to test them out.

Twilight's castle was huge, so she was sure that if she stayed within the limits of the town she would be able to find her way back.

With a mighty flap of her wings she soared quickly into the sky, whooping loudly as she passed the clouds within mere seconds. Her human wings had been perfect practice for this, but they did not compare to the rush of exhilaration she felt as she soared through the skies as a pony. She slammed into one of the clouds and whooped again as it broke apart.

After several minutes of flying, Rainbow spotted a rainbow contrail on the other side of town. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a similar one. "So that must be this worlds me..." she said aloud as she grinned. Rainbow laughed as she flew directly for the other Rainbow.

"This should be good."

Author's Notes:

Hey so... I know that the Pinkie arcs resolution seemed really quick and easy, but (honesty time) Pinkie's relationship wasn't the only one they needed to go to Equestria to solve. Still, if anyone feels cheated by this ending to Pinkie's subplot, please, tell me what an unbearable bitch I am in the comments.

Speaking of comments, you guys know I like those (and no, I won't stop asking for them either). Next chapter is going to be a Rainbow forgiveness arc, and who knows, we might even get to see a little bit of our new favorite villain be a badass. Also, the comment section isn't very well named, it's also a great place to ask questions if you want.

I regret absolutely everything nothing.