"Fluttershy, " Apple said irritated, "why'd you go and tell him Twilight's back? Don't you know this aint healthy fer none of `em? They need to get over each other and move on." Apple liked Flash as a person, even a minor friend. She also liked Twilight as a true friend. She wanted both of them to be happy. And from what she saw, the only way for them to be happy was to move on with their lives. The odds against them were so overwhelming that if they tried to make something work, it would only blow up in their faces and cause them more harm down the road. While Fluttershy might have the best of intentions, helping them pursue a romance doomed to failure seemed almost cruel.

"I know what you're thinking Applejack," gone was the mousiness from Fluttershy's voice. She spoke with a confidence that very few had seen before. It was as if she was being powered by an outside force. "But they need closure. However this works out; they need to know they tried their best. Besides, " she added with a playful smile, "you don't know how this will end. There's a reason they keep bumping into each other."

Sparkle listened to what Fluttershy had said. She thought again about how things kept moving along as if scripted. Everything seemed too neat, too literary. Real life is confusing, messy. Things don't add up, there are lose threads and ends at every turn. That's why people turn to religion and conspiracy theories; to fill in those holes and tie up the lose ends. But they don't because they can't; and in the end just create more lose ends and "plot holes".

This was different.

How could a portal not only change the physical structure of a creature but clothe them and give them the power to converse in the local vernacular? How could a society of sentient equestriennes ever evolve? And what about the doubles? Not doubles physically, but intellectually? And what about MAGIC ? Magic was a violation of every scientific principle there was. Humanity made it's greatest leaps forward when it abandoned the superstitions of yore for the light of logic and reason. Yet, magic existed. She had had it flowing through her body.

Yes, everything did appear to be contrived; like a plot to a movie or TV series. Which went back to the fundamental question she had earlier - if this is a story; who's the author?

She thought about the notion of God. It was a notion that while she never fully rejected since there was no way to test for It's existence; she did find the idea to be rather silly and a relic of the unreasoned past. But if events were being orchestrated on a level far above mere chance, then who or what else could it be? And if these events were being arranged by a higher power, then to what end or what purpose? Sparkle could barely figure out what other human beings were thinking, how could she ever figure out the mind of God?

Rainbow just looked at Fluttershy. Something was up with her and she wanted to know what. Did she have an experience like Rainbow did? The voices she heard in the woods that night called her "The Warrior" and she saw a symbol descend upon her. Ever since then she struggled to figure out what it meant. It couldn't just mean she was an athletic warrior. If Fluttershy had a similar experience; what was her title? She couldn't be a warrior as well. And what about the others? Did they have experiences too? She would have to pull Fluttershy away later and ask her.

"But how are they going to get closure?" Apple asked Fluttershy, still irritated. "All they's gonna do is get their hopes up, try for something, and end up broken hearted."

"Then they'll be no worse off then they are now Applejack. And you don't know," Fluttershy added with a smug humor that was not like her at all, "love sometimes finds a way."

"She's right," Micro Chip added. "Look at us. Heck, look at me! There is no way I should have a girlfriend who isn't a computer program but here you are. Not just an actual, living, breathing, although that is a bit redundant. I mean if you're living, you're obviously breathing. I mean the two go hand in hand. But either way, we're together when by most accounts, we shouldn't be."

Apple took his hand and smiled. Chip was an amazing boyfriend and a 100% the opposite of what she thought she had wanted. "Yes, but you're not from another dimension and we're the same species."

"No relationship is without it's problems, uh, sugar cube."

Apple smiled even more. "Darlin', how `bout you leave the pet names to me sweetie; ok?"

"Ok." Chip smiled back and Apple gave him a hug.

Sparkle watched this all in a state of confusion. Out of all of them; Chip was the most like her. If any two sort of "belonged" together, it was them. But he appeared to quite easily fit in with the others and even formed a pair bond with Applejack. Now it was true even brilliant and scientifically minded boys like Chip were still controled by the forces of biology the same as all the rest; but still, it seemed strange that those two would hook up as they did. Maybe once she got the whole friendship thing down, she could work on the dating thing (not that she was in any hurry).

"In any case," Rarity chimed in, "it's not our place to keep them apart or put them together. As their friends, we are simply here to help them with whatever decision they do make. And while it is rather unlikely that a relationship between them will work out; it is also true of EVERY relationship. You two, Fluttershy and Sandal, Rainbow, you and Soarin, all have equal shots at failure as well as success. So, instead of stacking the deck against them, why not just let nature run it's course. It will either be or it won't be; simple as that."

"Whoa, that's deep Rarity," Sandal said.

"She's the healer," Fluttershy said.

"Excuse me darling?" Rarity asked, confused. She failed to see how saying something that was considered deep qualified her as a healer.

"I don't know why, but I think I understand," Rainbow said. "You want to help people. That's why you volunteer. What you said there, you said because you want to see Twilight and Flash happy and if things go wrong, you'll be there for them both. You heal people." Rainbow looked over at Fluttershy who nodded in approval.

Rarity felt a bolt of electricity go up her spine and let out a little gasp. Something told her that Fluttershy was right. More than that, there was something to that name, The Healer, than she could ever guess right now. It was something she'd have to take up with Fluttershy and Rainbow later.

Pinkie, Apple, and Chip all looked at each other confused. Something was definitely going on, they just couldn't figure out what. None of them noticed that Sparkle had gone off in search of her other self.

Author's Notes:

The great thing about long fiction is I have more time and space to explore the characters more deeply and expand on some main themes.