Twilight slumped back against her bed and laid her head back, eyes closed. She sighed and opened her eyes and just looked at the ceiling. "I know," she said in a defeated voice. "I don't have to like it though."

"I don't like it either," Sunset said sympathetically. She shifted her weight so she could look more directly at Twilight. "It is just the girls though. As far as we know. We could send the boys away until we face it. Honestly though, I doubt that'd make much of a difference. I think the di has already been cast."

"I know. I know. They're just kids though. Of course I say that knowing I'm dating one," Twilight let out a bitter laugh at that thought.

"Don't feel bad; I have a date with one this Friday," Sunset said with a rye smile on her face.

Twilight sat bolt upright and looked at Sunset in shock. "No way! How . . ."

"I met him the other morning while leaving school. Nice guy. Musician, always a plus. Cute. It just kind of happened," Sunset finished with a shrug.

"How's that going to work with all that we have to do? And with coming back to Equestria?" Twilight's voice was raising. She was surprised and concerned about Sunset's behavior.

"I don't know Twilight. You tell me."

Twilight calmed down a bit. "Point," she simply said then slumped against her bed again.

"Truth be told Twilight, it feels weird to even talk about returning to Equestria at this point. I've been here so long now, the last couple times I did go back, I don't know, it felt strange."

"I know what you mean. Having hands and walking upright does feel good after awhile." Twilight turned to Sunset and smiled.

Sunset smiled back. "Yes they do," Sunset laughed a little and then she turned around and sat back against Twilight's bed. "It doesn't seem real anymore," she continued. "You know, I hated playing the part of a teenage girl for the longest time. Yet, when I look at those girls, I realize I'm no better than they are. They're trying to figure out what to do with their lives, what they want to be, and that's exactly what I'm doing. You'd think I'd have it figured out by now."

"You partly do. You're a princess. You may not have an exact title right now, but your duties are the same. The general ones at least. Protect, serve, and keep the peace."

"That's another thing I'm not used to yet. I mean I always wanted to be a princess but now that I am, it doesn't feel like it and I don't know what to do about it."

"I never wanted to be one but I know what you mean about not knowing what to do with it. It took me almost two years until I got comfortable with it. Don't worry, you'll find your purpose."

"I still can't see myself back in Equestria though. I still think I'll keep on as I am in this world. That's part of the reason why I decided to go out on a date - because I can't see myself not being here."

"Is that why you stayed after the second time I came here?"

"No. I told you that was because I still felt there was something for me to do here; and I was right. If I had gone back with you after defeating The Sirens, I wouldn't've been able to stop your human self and then what?"

"Maybe that was the last future I saw. I told you about the time loops and alternate futures. The last one I saw was of a completely dead Equestria. I never figured out why. But maybe that future was from timeline where my human self was unopposed and drained all the magic out of Equestria."

"It's possible. Heck I could have been the cause of that one. Who knows." Sunset stopped and thought for a moment. "So many possible outcomes, so many possible futures. It's hard to think about all of them."

Twilight nodded. "I keep trying to think about my future. Just recently I started to think about having kids for the first time."

"WHAT! You? With Flash?"

"Well he's the only one right now. So yeah," Twilight answered a bit annoyed. Spike had just asked her the same question the other night so it was kind of annoying she had to answer it again. It was doubly annoying that they would if ti was Flash in the first place. What was she going to say? - no, I'm not thinking of having children with the only guy I EVER dated. I'm thinking of a future guy I'm going to leave Flash for.

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm sorry too. I got too snippy. But, yes, with him."

Sunset waited for a while then asked, "Soon?"

"No, not soon," Twilight responded; irritated she would ask a question like that.

"Oh thank god," a voice cam from the other side of Twilight's door.

Twilight jumped up, ran to her door, and flung it open. Out it the hall stood Mrs. Sparkle; her face bright red in embarrassment.

"MOM!" Twilight yelled in disgusted anger.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I wasn't ease dropping, I promise. I was just walking by when I heard you say children and, well, I just had to stop and listen. So, I guess I was ease dropping."

"Mom; I'm not stupid! I know I'm not ready to have kids yet. There's a lot I need to do yet. OK? Besides, I haven't even, you know, been with a boy in that way yet. But I am at that age when I have started to at least think about."

"You're right, you're right. I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have listened in on you. I'm your mother and I get concerned and I worry and you've grown up so much, so fast. I'm just not used to thinking about you in that way- as a young adult."

Twilight smiled and gave Mrs. Sparkle a hug. "You raised me right Mom. You and Dad. It's, I'll be ok."

Mrs. Sparkle smiled, hugged Twilight back and walked off down the steps. Twilight shut the door, walked back over and sat down beside Sunset.

"Is that true," Sunset asked in a state of disbelief, "that you've never had sex before?"

"No!" Twilight answered back, annoyed that Sunset would even think she would have. "I never thought about it. I was a loner. I mean, I didn't even want friends let alone that."

"And how old are you?"

"Sheesh. I'm twenty-seven. Three years younger than you. I thought we'd already talked about our ages."

"Twenty-seven and you've never . . ."

"Will get it off it already?! No! Never! Alright?" It was then the full implication of what Sunset had been saying hit her. "Whoa, wait; you have?"

"Well, yes. Both back in Equestria and here."

"Here!" Then something else hit Twilight. "Wai, hold on. You used to date Flash."

"Don't worry. I, we, never went down that road. I tried, I'm not going to lie, but he was too much of a gentleman to."

Twilight suddenly felt relieved. It shouldn't matter what he and Sunset did or didn't do in the past; yet it kind of did. "I'm sorry Sunset. I shouldn't have . . ."

"Me either," Sunset said as she waved her hand in front of her face. "And I also should have realized you were a virgin. In all our letters, I never heard you mention ever having had a boyfriend before or even gone out on a date."

"I do think about it now though. I mean, obviously I'm thinking about that if I'm thinking about having kids. I know where babies come from."

"Well I would hope," Sunset laughed.

Twilight laughed too. Then she grew somber again. "Oh Sunset, what are we going to do? Boyfriends from different dimensions, the age gap, everything is so complicated."

" I know," Sunset sighed. "But all that won't matter if we don't defeat whatever it is."

Later that night, after Sunset had gone home, the family had eaten, the dishes done, and Twilight was in bed; Mrs. Sparkle crawled into bed and laid next to her husband.

"Were you and Twilight arguing earlier, upstairs?" Mr. Sparkle asked.

"No, not really. She caught me ease dropping on her. I hate myself for doing it, but I thought I heard her say she was thinking about having kids," Mrs. Sparkle said disappointed by her own behavior.

"I'm not surprised. I mean, with Shinning and Cadence having their first child; it's only natural," Mr. Sparkle said in a calm, unaffected voice.

"I know that. I just jumped to conclusions. God, I really have turned into my mother. I swore I wouldn't be like her. Yet here I am; ease dropping on my own daughter."

"I had a similar conversation with myself whenever Shinning was about sixteen, seventeen. The cold hard fact is, we all become like our parents to some degree at some point. I'm sure at some point both Shinning and Twilight will be having similar conversations with their spouses down the road."

"Yeah, I know. I just, well, it makes me feel old though. I can still remember being sixteen like it was yesterday. Now look."

"Well, that's why parents never want their kids to grow up. It's not because the love changing diapers but because kids growing up means they're growing old. But, just as our parents had to step aside and let us grow up, we have to do the same for our kids. I still get upset with things Shinning does. Then again, I'm also sure there are times when my dad would love to throw me over his knee again because he thinks I'm being stupid." Mr. Sparkle laughed at the mental image of his elderly father trying to spank him.

Mrs. Sparkle just shook her head. "But growing old also means dying. I never thought much about it before. Now I'll see an obituary and the ages keep getting closer and closer to my own. I hate it. I hate that feeling of having a clock above my head."

"Me too, but we all do. It's life. We inherit this world from our ancestors, try not to mess it up, and then leave it for our descendants. Can you Imagine if no one died? You think resource depletion is bad now? Imagine if everyone who ever lived was still here; continuously having children, the earth would be unlivable."

"I get that. I get the whole big picture thing. I personally just don't want me or anyone I love to pass on."

"No one does but we all have to."

"I guess," Mrs. Sparkle said, sad and defeated.

"Hey," Mr. Sparkle said, cuddling up next to his wife, "we may not be the young, beautiful people we were, but we're not wrinkled up old prunes either. We still have some really good years ahead of us. Some really good nights," he said with a devilish smile, raising his eyebrows.

Mrs. Sparkle looked at him and smiled. She gave him a playful slap. "Oh get off it," she said with a laugh.

"That is the goal."