The day was still young, and Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were all sitting on their respective thrones around the cutie map. There was an uncomfortable silence amongst the group, as each one of them looked to the other, almost daring them to speak up first. After an awkwardly long time, Twilight sighed, speaking first.

"So...I assume Pinkie is...?"

There was a general nod of confirmation from the rest of the group, prompting Twilight to continue.

"And she and that drone are...?"

Yet again, there were more nods.

"So...all night?"

More nods, and this time, Applejack spoke up afterwards.

"Eyup. Ah swear, ah can hear those two from all the way over at mah home. Faust knows what it’s like for those ere in town."

Rarity looked to her with some discomfort upon her face.

"I can assure you, Applejack, it's a little more difficult for us. I'm all for romance, but those two just haven't stopped since they got together. I've been missing out on so much beauty sleep the last few days!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes at all of this before adding her own voice to the mix.

"Look, I know it's kinda weird for me to say the real mature stuff, but Pinkie is our friend, and we should, ya now, support her and stuff. I mean, sure, it's kinda weird for us, but I'm sure Pinkie and that new boyfriend of hers really like doing...all that stuff. So...maybe we can just learn to live with it?"

A pause followed the pegasi's words, and the mares all looked to one another for a moment, ultimately ending with Twilight letting out a deep sigh before speaking.

"You know what, Rainbow? You’re right. I mean, it may be a little unbearable for all of us to hear them constantly singing love songs to each other during their all-night baking sessions, but it's hardly fair on them if we try and interrupt it. So...let's just see if we can put up with it, okay girls?"

Another pause followed, after which there was a general murmur of agreement, causing Twilight to smile. Nodding at all of this, Twilight hopped out of her throne, ready to walk off and do something else. However, it was here that something extra-ordinary happened, as there was a bright flash of light just beyond the cutie map, causing all of them to turn their heads in its direction. When the light died down, they saw that it looked like a rip in the air itself, not unlike when Discord threatened to throw Treehugger into another dimension. Needless to say, Twilight was immediately entranced by this, rushing towards it to get a closer look. The thing practically oozed magic, and she studied it carefully, all while the others gathered behind her with worried looks upon their faces.

"Twilight? Wha...what IS that thing?" Spike asked.

The young princess scratched her chin for a moment, pondering that very question, before giving the only answer she'd been able to come up with so far.

"Best guess...it's an inter-dimensional portal. A gateway to another world."

As one might expect, this cause a wave of near-panic to spread through the other mares, eventually leading to Rainbow walking beside Twilight, while keeping her eyes fixed on the portal.

"So...is there gonna be some kind of weird monster or something that we have to fight?"

Twilight turned to her friend, opening her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted when the portal began to fluctuate wildly. Instinctively, all of them took a cautious step backwards, watching the portal careful as it began to twist and convulse. Then, without warning, something was thrown from the portal, landing right at their hooves, much to their shock. Although taken aback by this, they were even more surprised to find that what lay before them now was no monster, but a pony. Even more shocking than that though, was that this was an alicorn. Slowly, the pony began to stir, getting to its hooves, though was clearly weak in the knees from its experiences. Twilight took a step closer, watching this newcomer carefully, and when she finally came face-to-face with it, she gasped with shock. This alicorn, a stallion, had lavender fur, just like her. He had a dark-purple mane styled into bangs, just like her. He had clear purple eyes, just like her. And upon his flank was a cutie mark of a pink star surrounded by smaller white stars, just like her. With her mouth slightly agape, Twilight's next words were hushed, almost to a whisper.

"You...you...you're me?!"

The stallion, still looking tired, nodded his head.

"My name is Prince Dusk Shine. It's...a pleasure to meet you."

To say that everypony was flabbergasted would have been understating it, as they all stood there with their mouths hanging open at the sight of the male Twilight in front of them. But Twilight, looking him over, continued to speak in a low tone.

"This is...this is...this is..."

Then, against all logic and reason, she burst into a massive smile, jumping up and down with glee.

"This is amazing! So Haycartes' theory of multiple realities was true?"

Dusk nodded.

"And the split timelines. And the branching magical theories. All of it. I come from a parallel world from your own, the chief difference being that the sexes of all its inhabitants are the opposite of what they were here."

Twilight looked like a filly on Hearth's Warming Eve morning, squealing with joy at all the wondrous possibilities that now flowed through her mind. As for her friends, they just kept their eyes on Dusk, the latter now realising that he was being observed.

"Um...hi?"

They looked to each other, and shortly afterwards, Rarity took a few steps closer, looking him over slightly before speaking up.

"Well, Prince Dusk. You'll forgive me if my friends and I find this all somewhat strange."

Dusk chuckled at that.

"I don't blame you. Though, to be fair, it's also pretty strange for me, having to see a group that, in my world, are normally stallions. This...this is just weird for everypony."

Yet again, there was a general murmur of agreement, and only now did Twilight come to her senses, raising a hoof and placing it upon Dusk's chest.

"So...why did you come here?"

"Well..." Dusk began.

"Oooh! Is there some monster in your world you needed help to defeat?"

"Erm, well I..."

"Or is this just an experiment to see if you could do it?"

Increasingly, Dusk was looking nervous, especially with everypony else's eyes constantly upon him. In the end, he simply sighed in what looked like defeat, dropping to his knees before reaching out and holding onto Twilight's hoof.

"Actually, I've come to ask...Twilight...would you marry me?"

The silence that followed was so intense that you could hear a pin drop, and, much like with the changeling's arrival, Twilight found herself at a loss for words. Well, to be more precise, she found herself at a loss for all but one word.

"What?!"

But Dusk kept looking at her, seeming all the more uncomfortable.

"Please! I beg of you! I'm at the end of my rope here! My mentor, Prince Solaris, he's been trying to set me up with every mare in Equestria. If I don't get married by the end of the day, he's gonna arrange for me to get together with his niece, Princess Bluebell."

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"So...you're in a similar situation as me. But…is that princess really so bad?"

Dusk nodded his head frantically.

"You have no idea. She's self-absorbed, always looks down on others, heck, she even treated my friends like dirt most of the time!"

Rarity looked away and grimaced slightly.

"Well, I wonder who could possibly be her counterpart in this world?"

Rarity's sarcasm notwithstanding, Twilight looked down to Dusk with some sympathy.

"Look, Dusk, I appreciate your problem. Believe me, my own time trying to find a consort has been pretty rough so far. But...crossing dimensions so you can get married to a sex-swapped version of yourself. Isn't that a little strange?"

But Dusk shook his head.

"Believe me, I tried a lot of things before I came to this decision. This is my only option left. Unless..."

He looked past her, staring at all the mares behind her. They immediately figured out what he was thinking and simultaneously gave him gestures and expressions of "no way", prompting him to droop his ears somewhat. Seeing this, Twilight placed a hoof upon his shoulder.

"Look...I wish there was something I could do to..."

But, she was prevented from finishing that sentence, as the doors of the palace suddenly burst open, prompting all of the ponies to look in its direction. Yet again, they found themselves shocked, as the one now entering the place was none other than Trixie, Twilight’s one-time rival, who now pointed in an accusing manner to the young princess.

"Twilight Sparkle! Trixie has returned to challenge you once more!"

But, rather than be intimidated, Twilight just groaned in annoyance.

"Ugh! Trixie?! Now?! Seriously?!"

But the blue mare was undeterred, striding towards her at a fair pace.

"Ha! Trixie knew you would be dumbfounded at her return! It's only natural. Now witness the power of...who is that?"

Twilight seemed confused at first, but then saw that Trixie was looking straight at Dusk, and, more to the point, actually had a somewhat amorous look on her face. It took a while, but the lights were switching on rapidly in Twilight's mind, leading to her gaining a somewhat devious grin.

"Oh, how rude of me! Allow me to introduce you. Trixie, this is Prince Dusk. Dusk, this is Trixie."

With introductions done, Trixie walked up to the somewhat confused Prince, looking him over with that look still in her eyes.

"A prince, eh? Well...Trixie is pleased to meet you."

Dusk, still confused, fumbled a response.

"Um...likewise?"

He turned to Twilight, who spoke up before he had a chance to say anything.

"Tell me, Trixie...how would you like to be a princess?"

Trixie's head snapped in Twilight's direction.

"Wha...what are you talking about?"

Turning, Twilight slapped a hoof down on Dusk's shoulder.

"It's just that...Prince Dusk here has been saying how difficult it's been to find a mare to marry, and I was thinking, maybe you and he could..."

But, Twilight was herself interrupted when Trixie rushed forward, hugging the prince, much to the latter's shock. But, before Dusk could speak to Twilight, the princess beat him to it.

"Remember...it's her or Bluebell."

Thinking on that, for a few moments at least, Dusk then put on a smile for the mare now embracing him.

"So...Trixie, is it? I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Parting from him, Trixie swept back some of her mane while wearing a somewhat cocky smile.

"Trixie knows. So...have we met before? Because Trixie swears that you look familiar."

Before Dusk could give an answer, Twilight once more interrupted him.

"Wow, would you look at the time! It's high time for you and Dusk to head on back to his dimension so you can arrange your wedding."

Trixie turned to Twilight.

"Wait...what other dimension?"

But Twilight didn't answer, instead using her magic to lift both Trixie and Dusk together, levitating them both over to the portal. Neither pony could do or say anything before Twilight made her final move, pushing them both through the whole, which, as per the laws of inter-dimensional travel, closed the moment they passed through, and just in time. With the two of them gone, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief before turning, only to find that the rest of the mares, and Spike, were staring at her with incredulity. In the end, she simply shrugged her shoulders.

"A prince returned to his own world and a new relationship started along the way. I'd say that's a job well done."

The group watched her begin to walk past them, looking quite pleased with herself over this. After some time, Spike, after shrugging his own shoulders, spoke what was on everypony's minds.

"Well...that happened."