A short while later, the group were in Sugarcube Corner, the two Twilight's sitting opposite one another, while Forte was sandwiched between Sunset and Aria. The rest of the group just kept looking between the pair, still quite shocked at seeing the pair together for the first time.

"So," Twilight said, "You're me? From another world?"

Princess Twilight nodded, smiling happily, "Yes."

"And in your world, you're a pony?"

"Yes."

"A pony princess?"

"Yes."

"And Sunset is a pony too?"

"I am," Sunset replied.

"What about him?" she asked, pointing to Forte.

"I'm human,"" Forte replied, "Though I do have a pony counterpart like yourself. Good guy. I can see why people....or ponies like him."

"Narcissist," Sunset muttered.

"Takes one to know one."

"Touche, pony boy."

"Pony boy?" Twilight queried.

"Just a pet name for Forte," Sunset replied, "It came about on his first day at CHS when we teased him over wearing pony ears?"

"Wearing pony ears? You mean those blue and yellow headbands I saw everyone wearing?"

Sunset nodded, "Yep. Which reminds us..."

Taking the cue from Sunset, Rarity reached into her handbag and took out a familiar looking headband and handed them to Twilight.

"Here you are darling. Try them on."

Tentatively, Twilight reached out and took them, placing them on her head, "Is this...normal?"

"It's sort of a tradition for all new Canterlot Wondercolts," Sunset replied, "I did the same."

"Welllllll.....if it's tradition... then I guess I'll honour it," she replied, placing the headband on her head.

"YAY!" Pinkie squealed, hugging Twilight tightly, "SCI-TWI'S OFFICIALLY A WONDERCOLT NOW!"

"Sci-Twi?" Twilight repeated.

"Just a nickname, otherwise we would confuse you with Twilight."

"Speaking of counterparts," Sunset said, pulling Forte into a hug, "How is the other Forte doing?"

"He's doing good," Princess Twilight answered.

"Is that a blush I see on your cheeks?" Rarity asked.

"NO!"

"It is!" Sunset gleefully replied, "Come on Twilight, tell us. How are things going with pony Forte?"

Looking around at expecting eyes, Twilight sighed deeply, relenting to her friend's wishes, "Fine. Things are going well."

"And?" queried Sunset further.

"We....we went on another date," she replied, twiddling her fingers in her hair.

"Tell us more."

"Are you sure about this new school?" the girl asked, "I mean, what if the students don't like me?"

"You'll be fine, dear," the girl's mother replied, "I've heard many good things about this school recently, and apparently the current Principal is considered the best one the school's ever had."

"But still-"

"Stop worrying darling, you'll fit in brilliantly and make lots of new friends."

"I hope so," the girl replied, massaging the bruise on her arm.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Canterlot, a prison van was travelling along a deserted road towards the nearby maximum security prison. Among their passengers, one mouthy teenager.

"FUCKING LET ME OUT OF THIS FUCKING CAGE YOU FUCKING ARSEHOLES!"

The driver sighed, "Does she ever shut up?"

"It's a pity regulations forbid us from smacking her," his colleague replied, "She's long overdue a good hiding."

"YOU CAN'T FUCKING HIT ME YOU FUCKING PAEDO!"

"SHUT UP!"

The entire van fell silent as her fellow prisoners looked at who shouted, wisely choosing to remain silent. Gilda, however....

"Who the fuck do you-"

"I SAID BE SILENT! NOT ONE MORE WORD FROM YOU!"

The ferocity of his voice and intensity of his glare was finally enough to shut Gilda up, the pathetic girl starting to feel a sense of fear she was more used to inflicting on others. Being on the receiving end of it was a new experience for her.

The journey continued on dead silence for a few more minutes, until the sound of screeching tires caught the driver's attention.

"Oh shit."

"What?" asked the other guard.

The driver looked in his mirrors, "We've got company!"

Looking out of the rear window, the other guard could see several black vehicles speeding towards them. His heart rate sky-rocketing and panic ensuing, in his desperate attempts to radio for help, he dropped his radio onto the floor, causing it to break.

"Fuck!"

Stupid cheap shit! Thanks a lot government budget cuts!

The driver however, could do nothing as four more powerful and manoeuvrable black BMW M5 F90's boxed the van, slowing down and eventually forcing it to a stop. Several balaclava clad men got out and immediately pulled out pistols and semi-automatic rifles, aiming them directly at the prison officers.

"OPEN THE DOORS!" one of them yelled, running towards the van, soon joined by his comrades.

Not getting a response, the first man fired a warning shot into the front, barely missing the driver.

"NOW!" bellowed the first man.

Not wishing to put himself or his colleagues in further danger, the driver complied and getting out of the van, unlocked the rear doors, allowing the other man to open them. The driver and the two accompanying guards were then forced to the ground. While they were kept under gunpoint by other men, the first two went to the van and, using the keys they took off of the guards began freeing the prisoners.

"About time you showed up," one of the prisoners said, "What kept you?"

"Orders from the boss," the first man replied.

"HEY!"

The men looked over to see a teenage girl.

"Are you going to fucking blabber all day or are you going to fucking free me too?!"

"You're not one of us," the first man replied.

"Fucking get me out of this fucking cage you fucking prick!"

The man just stared at the girl.

If she knew who I am and who I work for, she wouldn't shout her mouth off like that. Then again, she could come in useful. We could do with more fall guys.

The man walked over to the girl's cage.

"If I let you out, it means you join us as payment."

"Deal."

"You don't even know who we are."

"Don't give a shit. I just want to get the fuck out of here and get my revenge on those little shits who put me here."

"It's fine," a fellow prisoner said, "Gilda can join us. The Boss can decide if her membership is permanent."

We could do with more pawns to take the blame. This stupid girl fits the bill perfectly.

The man nodded and began to unlock the cage door and then the girls handcuffs.

"Follow my colleagues," her fellow prisoner said, "And they will show you to one of our cars."

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"His boss, but not the boss," the man replied, pointing to the first man, "Now, we need to get moving before the cops show up."

They freed the other prisoners, who, like Gilda, agreed to join them in exchange for freedom. They were already facing life in prison, so it's not like they had anything else to lose.

Gilda was escorted inside the enormous house. The large hallway with marble flooring, with staircases on either side and doorways to six other rooms was larger than the pitifully small house her useless parents had. As she followed the men further into the entrance way, a tall, purple skinned woman approached with a large scar over her right eye. At over 6ft tall, without high heels, she was easily the tallest woman Gilda had ever seen.

"You're late!" she spat, "The Boss was expecting you an hour ago!"

"We had a delay with a jumped up copper who'd been watching too much Z-Cars," the caporegime replied.

"And he has been dealt with?"

"Gilda here subdued him," he replied, pointing to her.

"Subdued?" the woman replied, "By this little girl?"

"LITTLE GIRL? JUST WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FUCKING TALKING TO?"

The woman didn't bat an eyelid, instead she just looked on deeply unimpressed at the lack of respect and cordiality.

"Easy Gilda," the caporegime replied, "She's Tempest Shadow, Underboss to the Storm King."

"And she would do well to learn to hold here tongue when her superiors are talking."

Before Gilda could shout her mouth off again, Tempest continued, "Now come, the boss is waiting."

Without another word, Tempest turned around and walked away, quickly followed by the others through several rooms, all ornately decorated and absolutely spotless, until they reached a pair of mahogany door that were closed. Tempest knocked on the door and waited a few seconds for them to open.

"Ah, Tempest!" a loud voice boomed, "Enter!"

"Wait here," she said to Gilda, "Do not enter until you are told to do so."

Despite wanting to tell Tempest she can go and do one, she obeyed. Tempest entered the room to face her boss, accompanied by two bodyguards and his consigliere.

"Sir, I have returned with the two caporegimes."

"So I've been told. I also understand they received assistance from an outsider?"

"Yes, sir. She is outside the room right now."

"Bring her in."

"Yes, sir."

Tempest walked over to the door and looked at Gilda, "You may enter."

Gilda followed and saw almost straight away, sitting at a large mahogany desk, a huge, well dressed man.

"Hello there, little girl, I am the Storm King." he said, "I understand you assisted two of my men today?"

Gilda resisted the urge to tear a strip off of him, insulted at being called a 'little girl', but knew that getting into a fight with the boss boss of a crime gang was rather unwise.

"Yeah," she shrugged, "Do I get a reward?"

Tempest could almost feel a vein burst inside he head.

The Storm King however, reacted differently and instead burst into laughter, surprising everyone else in the room who had expected the boss to unleash a furious grilling for such appalling attitude and lack of respect.

"I like you, little girl."

"My name is Gilda!"

"I'll be sure to remember that, little girl. Now, what can I offer in return for your assistance?"

"Return?" Gilda queried, forgetting about being called 'Little Girl'.

"Of course. You helped us, so we shall reward you. What do you want? New car? Luxury holiday? Luxury mansion? Enemies killed?"

"What do you mean, 'enemies killed'?" Gilda asked, unsure what she had just heard.

"Is there someone you don't like who you'd like killed?" the Storm King asked casually.

Gilda didn't hesitate to tell him exactly what she wanted.

"I want those shits!" she replied, slamming a fist down on the Storm King's desk, "I want to fucking hurt them for the lies they made about me! I want to smash their fucking faces in for insulting me! I want to rip their finger nails out! Smash their fucking kneecaps with a sledgehammer! Cut their ears off and gouge their fucking eyes out!"

"And who are these 'shits'?" the Storm King asked, impressed with Gilda's proclivity for extreme violence and exacting revenge with merciless brutality.

"Just a couple of goody two shoes, smarty pants dweebs who need to be taught a lesson. Give me some guys and let me find them."

The Storm King smiled, "I like you. Tempest, assign some underlings to her to track down these 'dweebs'. And when you have them, assign them a room each in our.....hostel."

"Yes, sir," Tempest replied, "It shall be done."

The cold winter wind blew gently through the girl's hair as she walked through West Canterlot Park, the only source of light being from the streetlights along the path. The girl was in no rush to get home, taking a steady pace and taking in the sights of her new home city and eagerly looking forward to starting at CHS.

She had just turned down the path into a dimly lit park, headed directly for her home, when she felt a blow to the back of the head and her vision going black.

*MEANWHILE*

Forte was sitting with Sunset on the sofa, the other girls having gone back to their homes, with a large tub of popcorn in her lap and large bottle of Pepsi Max on the table, with the latest Power Ponies beginning on the TV.

"We have the same thing in Equestria, except actual ponies are the superheroes."

"Why is our side's version called Power Ponies if ponies aren't used then?"

"No idea, but the rumour is the creator was an avid Equestrian, by which I mean he enjoyed horse riding."

"Have you...." Forte began, nervously rubbing the back of his head, "Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Once, on AJ's farm not long after I opened up to them."

"What did you think?"

"It felt a little weird. Even more so considering that equines don't talk in this world. What about you? Have you ever ridden a horse? Or a pony?"

"I rode on the back of your Princess's back."

"That doesn't count," Sunset deadpanned.

"IN that case, no. I haven't."

"You could ride me like a pony if you like."

"Sorry? I couldn't hear you."

"Oh nothing, Pony Boy."

Note to self, buy some more toys.

The girl woke up groggily, the pain in the back of her head still throbbing. She went to rub the sore area to soothe the pain, but felt herself unable to move or see.

She then tried to speak, but just as quickly discovered she was unable to that too. Moving her jaw and tongue around as much as she could, she felt a ball gag in place.

Gagged and bound, panic set in as the girl desperately thrashed against her bindings, but whoever had tied her up had done an excellent job. She thrashed around for several minutes, the ropes not loosening in the slightest, instead all she accomplished was tiring herself out, sweating and panting.

Moments later, she heard the sound of a door being unlocked and the sound of heavy boots approaching.

Without warning, her blindfold was removed and she came face to face with her captor, her face possessed with psychotic unhinged rage. Moving so close their noses were almost touching, her captor spoke.

"Hello, Sunbitch!"

"Thank you for letting us know officer," Travertine said.

"Have a good day, sir."

The police officer left, Travertine closing the door after him. In the lounge however, a shaking Sunset, being held in Fio's arms, could only think of what would happen to them should the worst come to pass. Forte, was typing out a message to his friends, to inform them of the situation.

Guys, there's a problem. We've just been told that Gilda has escaped police custody while on route to prison. I don't know the full details but apparently she made a run for it when the prison van was ambushed.