To both parties’ disappointment, playtime had to end. Pumpkin and Pound’s parents whisked them away and placed them in their cribs. After a little bit of coddling, the two slowly began to drift off into sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Cake kissed them both on their foreheads, whispering some sweet goodbyes.

Artifex watched slightly from afar, a mildly worried expression on his face. “Are you sure they’ll be able to sleep through the noise?” he asked the Cakes.

Mrs. Cake nodded with a smile. “Of course they will, dear. They’ve got to put up with Pinkie, remember?”

He nodded. No doubt they must have had some amount of tolerance for loud noises if Pinkie wasn’t already kicked out for disturbing the peace.

Tapping his foot with his cane, he nodded again. “Right. Well, I think I’ll get going, then. Do you need any help?”

“Actually, could you take some of our belongings downstairs?” Mr. Cake asked.

“Sure, no problem.” Artifex limped over to the suitcases and picked one out, careful not to bang it against his leg. He began to roll it behind him.

“Are you sure it’s not a problem?” Mrs. Cake asked. “Considering your leg, I mean…”

“It’s fine,” he said. He glanced back, a quick smile on his face. “Besides, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.”

Once he heard the two adults grabbing the rest of the belongings, he started to walk down the hall and head for the stairs. At the top, he took a deep breath, before slowly making his way down them, careful not to bang the suitcase against his bad leg. It took him a little while, but he managed to work his way to the first floor without causing any pain. Glancing back, he saw that Mr. and Mrs. Cake weren’t too far behind.

They rolled into the front desk area, where everyone else was waiting. “You’re leaving?” Rarity asked.

Mrs. Cake nodded in reply.

“Hope you have a good trip!” Clyde added. “Don’t worry; we won’t make a mess of things. We promise.”

Mr. Cake nodded as well. “That’s good to hear. And even if you did, I’m sure that you kids will clean up that mess anyhow.”

“Here, let me get the door,” said Fluttershy. She swung it open. Artifex and the Cakes said their thank you’s, then walked out.

A taxi cab was waiting for them, and the driver offered a saluting wave. “Oh, Ernest!” Mrs. Cake exclaimed. “You’re early!”

“‘Course I am, Mrs. Cake,” said Ernest. “Wouldn’t want you and your husband to be late for your trip to the Caribbean, would I?” The driver’s eyes shifted to Artifex. “What’s this? An extra customer, I hope?”

“Actually, he’s just helping us move our things,” said Mr. Cake. “Artifex? Meet Ernest Travels. He’s our favorite taxi cab driver.”

Ernest rolled down his window and stuck a hand out. “Heya, kid. Howyadoin’?”

Artifex shook his hand with his own. “I’m fine. How’s life away from Mareston?”

“The accent gave it away, din’t it? It’s fine. Canterlot is a close second to me home town.” He then waved his arm to the back. “Pop the trunk. You can put your suitcases in there.”

“Are you sure they’ll fit?”

“Of course they will, kid. If not, I’ll just make them fit.”

“If you say so.” Artifex rolled the case to the trunk, and opened it. With a little help from Mr. Cake, he managed to place the item inside. A few moments later, he and the older man had successfully managed to fit each piece of luggage inside.

“Hmm. Like it was bigger on the inside,” Artifex murmured. “Magical.”

“No magic to it, kid,” Ernest said. “Just plain an’ simple power of knowing your car. This beaut can fit just about anything!” He barked a laugh. “And by anything, I mean anything!”

Judging by the man’s tone, and by Mrs. Cake’s blush and Mr. Cake’s shake of his head, Artifex assumed that they were each thinking exactly what he was thinking. “I’ll take your word for it, and pray that there won’t be a live demonstration.”

“Sharp, kid, very sharp. I like that.” In the rearview mirror, Artifex saw Ernest tip his cap. It was only now did he register that the man was without pupils; his eyes were more-or-less bright-blue orb. Somehow, the fact didn’t seem at all disturbing, especially considering his blackened attire.

“Now, enough chit-chat. Didja say goodbye to your kids?”

“Yes, we did,” answered Mrs. Cake.

“And your other kids?”

“Of course!” Mr. Cake said.

“Good, good. You ready to go?”

“Just one other thing,” said Mrs. Cake. Suddenly, she turned to Artifex. She had on a knowing smile, though he wasn’t sure just what she knew. Stepping forward, she wrapped him in a surprising hug, one that Artifex gave back awkwardly.

“Try to enjoy yourself and the party, dear,” Mrs. Cake whispered in his ear. “You deserve it.”

He didn’t have a chance to wonder what she meant, as she pulled away and got into the cab. Mr. Cake then grabbed Artifex’s hand and vigorously shook it. “Any friend of Pinkie’s is a friend of ours!” he affirmed cheerily, before following after his wife.

At that moment, the doors to Sugarcube Corner swung open again. Out stepped the others, each expressing their goodbyes. Pinkie excitedly bounced up and down, her hand waving so fast that it became a blur.

Artifex heard the sound of a key being turned, and the car rumbled to life. “Right!” Ernest said. “Next stop, the airport! Oh, I should let you know that I’ve had the meter running the whole time.”

“Ernest!” Mrs. Cake gasped.

“Kidding. Only just turned it on now. All set? Good! Hey, kid!” the driver called back.

“Yeah?” Artifex responded.

“Keep care o’ yerself, y’hear?”

“Uh, I hear ya. I mean, you.”

“Great! I’ll see you around!” With a blast of noxious fumes and a short screeching of tires, the cab jetted off into the horizon. Artifex saw the Cakes wave back at them.

He crossed his arms, a little smile dancing across his face. Even though he had just met them, he got the feeling that they were a nice couple. Maybe that was another reason why Sugarcube Corner was so popular. Seeing them go felt like a little piece of that bakery had gone on vacation.

“Okay!” he heard Pinkie exclaim. “Vinyl should be on her way over with her music!”

“Any idea when she’ll get here?” Soul asked.

“Fifteen minutes! That gives us enough time to go over the party list a few more times!”

“Big Mac said he’ll be coming by with some cider,” Applejack said. Catching the others’ slightly concerned looks, she added, “Don’t worry, they’re non-alcoholic. Practically apple juice!”

“Aw, where’s the fun in that?” Rainbow complained with a pout. This earned her a swift punch to the arm by Rarity.

“Rainbow, we are underage! It is illegal to drink!” the fashionista warned.

“Hey, hey! I was just kidding around! No need to be so uptight…”

“Uptight! Why, you—Clyde! Hold me back before I waste this fool!”

“Uh, you got it, babe,” Clyde said as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend.

Rarity struggled for a little while. “I didn’t mean literally!”

“Better take them inside,” Applejack mumbled. She grabbed Dash by the waist and pulled her into the bakery, with Clyde following in pursuit. The girls’ fighting words diminished behind the glass doors.

“Guess Rarity’s still a tad bit sore after that ladder incident,” Swift commented.

“Stepladder, you mean,” Pinkie corrected.

“… We’re not starting this again,” Swift said, following after Applejack and the others.

“That’s just cuz you’re afraid of being proven wrong!” Pinkie let out a huff, then stomped back inside.

“We’d better go make sure Pinkie doesn’t accidentally kill Swift out of spite,” Soul said.

“Do you really think she’d do that, Soul?” Sunset asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“This is Pinkie we’re talking about. Besides, we still have to finish setting up, don’t we?” The couple walked back inside arm-in-arm.

Though, Artifex thought, as he watched them all, I suppose some parts refuse to leave altogether.

He thought back to the twins. And, a part of the Cakes is still here as well. No point in wishing for them to come back already. Enjoy yourselves, you two.

“H-hey!” he heard Sonata suddenly cry. “Get back here!”

He felt something run up against his leg. Looking down, he saw that it was Francis. The cat meowed a hello, rubbing his fur against Artifex’s jeans. The boy bent down and gently rubbed his pet. “Glad to see you’re feeling better, Francis,” he said, “especially after being oh-so-scared of those innocent twins.”

The cat hissed at the very mention. Artifex booped him on the nose. “Now, now. We’re in a public place, and I won’t stand for that kind of language. What do you say?”

Francis made a lower hiss. Artifex nodded. “Good.”

Sonata reached him, out of breath and hunched over. “Sheesh! Francis can run!” she exclaimed.

“Slipped out of your grasp again, did he?” Artifex quirked an eyebrow, amused.

Sonata blew a strand of hair out of her face. “No! He’s just really hard to catch sometimes!”

“Believe me, I know. Maybe we ought to try and paste him with peanut butter. That way, he’ll be too disgusted to even move.”

Francis squirmed, and bared his teeth. He swiped at his owner with a clawed paw. “Kidding. C’mon,” Artifex said to Sonata, “let’s head inside.”

There was not much left to be done. The food had all been baked and placed in their dishes. The decorations had been hung. Garbage had been thrown away, and tools placed back in toolboxes and closets. The place now looked more like it had on Artifex’s first day in Canterlot, albeit more filled.

The continuous pounding of his feet upon the floor as he did his best to help, however, caused a great strain upon his leg. He managed to last long enough for everything to be finished, then sat himself in a booth with Sonata and Francis. Artifex rubbed his leg, massaging it carefully. The cane lay against the back end of the booth; he had made it clear that it wasn’t to be disturbed.

Sonata craned her head, looking for Pinkie. “Hey, Pinkie!” she called.

“Yuh-huh?”

“What do we do next?”

Pinkie placed a finger to her chin, slightly pouting. “Wwwwwelllll, now comes the hard part. Waiting.”

“Waiting?”

“Yeah! We’ve gotta wait for Vinyl to set up her music, and then for No Clue to come.”

“Oh, right.”

“Vinyl texted me and said she’d be a little late, so I’d say give her up to twenty minutes. Hopefully that’s fine?”

The question was directed to Artifex. He shrugged. “It’s fine; we can wait.”

“Well, yeah, I think we can, but can you?”

“… Yes.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie bounded away in a blur.

Artifex tried not to show his discomfort, though. For some reason, at the mention of No Clue, his leg throbbed. The pain was only a brief feeling, thankfully, and now was nothing more than a memory. Still, it left its mark; he shifted his leg so that it was less cramped beneath the table. Forming a shut jaw, he kept up a neutral expression.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Francis, who meowed, concerned. Artifex looked at him, then back at the others, thinking that they, too, would pick up on the discomfort.

“So!” he began, attempting to dissuade any curiosities. “Have you guys met my cat?”

“I have!” Sonata immediately said, nodding happily. “And I love him!”

“I haven’t,” said Soul.

“Me neither,” Sunset said.

“Well, here he is.” Artifex grabbed the cat by the torso, and gently lifted him up. “Francis, say hello.”

“Mreowo.”

“Huh, that’s a pretty good ‘hello,” Soul said. “Wonder if I can teach my pet to do that?”

“Maybe with a little practice. You have a pet?” Artifex asked.

“Yup. He’s Toby, my dog.” Soul tilted his head. “No offense, but I’m not too much of a cat person.”

“None taken—”

Francis hissed at the boy. “Francis!” Artifex scolded. “What have I told you about keeping your words in check?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sonata said, seeing the others’ surprised expressions. “Artifex can kinda ‘talk’ with his cat.”

“That’s pretty neat,” Sunset said.

“It’s even more neat when he actually listens.” Artifex glared at his cat. “Did we not have a similar conversation just minutes before, Francis?”

The cat scrunched up his nose and hissed at Artifex. “You know I won’t let go until you behave yourself,” the boy said.The cat squirmed and clawed at the air angrily.

Artifex gave a half-grin. “If you want, I can ask Pinkie to make one of her special milkshakes just for you. But only if you behave yourself.” Francis sobered up almost immediately.

The boy raised his head. “Hey, Pinkie—”

“Already on it, Artifex! Anything for your fine, feline friend!” Somehow Pinkie, from all the way in the kitchen, had heard the bribe.

Artifex nodded, then turned back to the others. For a moment, he was unsure how to continue the conversation. Then his eyes caught sight of Francis’s ears swiveling towards Sunset; after a moment, he heard what sounded like a phone’s buzzing.

He gestured his head at her backpack. “Is that your phone?” he asked.

She gasped. “Oh! No, that’s not my phone. It’s my book.”

“Book?”

“You haven’t heard?” Sonata said. “Sunset has this magical book that lets her talk with a princess from another dimension!”

Artifex paused. Days ago, he would have discounted everything that Sonata had just said. To be truthful, he wasn’t sure he could accept all of it readily. But still, given what he had seen, such words had to have had a smidgen of truth to them.

“Let’s say I buy that,” he said carefully. “What does that exactly mean, you can talk to an extra-dimensional princess?”

“Do you remember on Thursday how I said I was going to tell you about where I came from at the party?” she asked, reaching around and unzipping her backpack.

“I do.”

“Well, this has to do with that.”

When Sunset turned back to him, in her hands was a brown, thick notebook. Unlike the typical, spiral-ringed ones that a thrift store would have sold, this one was bound in a seemingly exotic material. If Artifex had to guess, it was much closer to velvet than anything else. Directly in its center was a figure of a sun, though not one he had ever seen before. Four, sharply distinct rays stood out in all four cardinal directions, while smaller, wider ones filled in the spaces between. The sun and its complementing parts were the same color as Sunset Shimmer’s hair; an odd detail, Artifex found—almost too specific to be coincidental.

When the notebook vibrated another time, then fell silent, Artifex was almost certain he was seeing and hearing things. Putting his skepticism to the side, he asked, “That’s yours?”

“Yup,” Sunset said. “I use it to communicate between this world and my home dimension, which is also where Sonata comes from.”

“Equestria, if I remember correctly.”

“Yep! That’s exactly right!”

He gestured with his left hand. “And… you write in this notebook, and this… ‘princess,’ somehow receives it?”

“I understand it sounds crazy,” said Soul, “but yes, that’s true. I even used it myself to give Sunset a gift once.” The white-haired Writer scratched the side of his head. “Think of it like a phone with text messaging. Both sides can communicate with each other, but only through what is written.”

It took Artifex a good ten seconds to search for a simpler term. “It’s a phone book.”

“Well, I mean… actually,” Soul said, looking at Artifex, then at Sunset, with surprise, “… That makes an alarming amount of sense.”

“It’s a phone book,” Artifex repeated, incredulous. “It’s a literal phone book.”

“Well, not quite,” Sunset said. “Sure, like a phone, it has a limited amount of communicating you can do, since there’s only so many pages available. But, unlike a phone, this doesn’t run on electricity. It runs on magic.”

“Magic. Right.” Artifex blinked, then turned to the ex-Siren beside him. “Sonata… you told me that your amulet worked off of magic, didn’t you?”

“Yup, that’s correct,” she said with a confirming nod.

“Is this the same magic, then—”

“Oh, no,” Sunset quickly said. “This one’s, as far as I can tell, simple, honest-to-good pure magic.”

Artifex looked back at Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “There’s a distinction between the two, I take it.”

She nodded. “I won’t get into the details, but basically, there’s regular, good magic that a lot of us use, and then there’s dark magic, what Sonata and the Sirens used. A skilled unicorn can use both, as can an alicorn, but—”

“Wait, wait. ‘Unicorn?’ ‘Alicorn?’” Artifex held up his free hand, keeping Francis tucked in the other. “I know what the former is, but what’s the latter?”

“Basically, it’s a hybrid of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony. They have insane amounts of magical energy. I’m talking about the kinds that would give a lot of energy corporations a run for their money.”

Artifex caught onto another detail. “Hang on; pony?”

Sunset patiently nodded again. “Yep. It’s gonna sound crazy, but I come from a place where ponies are the dominant species, and no humans have ever existed beyond myths.”

The young man felt a childish curiosity grow inside of him, like a balloon of questions being inflated. “Ponies.”

“Yep.”

“As in, horses, equines—”

“Just ponies is fine. Um… horses isn’t a particularly fond word to use, and equine just feels too formal.”

“Right, right, sorry. So… that means that you’re a pony.”

“Yes.”

“And Sonata… is a pony-Siren?”

“No, I’m just a Siren. But I guess if I ever did go back, I would kinda look like a pony. But with fish tails in the place of hind hooves.”

“Okay. And…” Artifex recollected another detail of Sunset’s. “You said there are unicorns, pegasi, earth, and alicorn ponies. Those are—”

“The three main races plus the rulers of the land,” Sunset explained. “And even though unicorns and alicorns have a good connection to magic, all of the races can access latent magical powers. For example, pegasi can control the weather, and earth ponies can bring in a more bountiful harvest.”

“What? Control weather… control crop production?”

“Yeah!” Soul exclaimed. “Isn’t that so cool?”

Artifex shook his head, then leaned back. “It’s… completely surreal.”

Sunset grinned. “Well, that’s not the half of it. You see, back before all the ponies lived together in harmony—”

She was interrupted by another vibration from the notebook; a shorter one, but still enough to derail her train of thought.

Artifex rubbed his eyes with his free hand. “Maybe we should skip the history lesson for now, and talk about what we originally were discussing: the notebook.”

“Aw, are you sure?” Sonata asked. “I was getting into it.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Really, Sonata? Didn’t you and your sisters live through a good amount of the early years?”

“Yeah,” Sonata said, “but that was so long ago. I didn’t even know Nightmare Moon had come back, or that Discord was around, or that Tirek broke free, or—”

Seeing Artifex’s growing bewilderment, Sunset giggled. “Maybe we should save that for another day. I don’t want Artifex to become overwhelmed with too much.”

Artifex nodded slowly. “That… would be preferable.”

His curiosity came back to him, and he gestured back to the book. “So, this journal lets you communicate with your home dimension?”

“Well, more like it lets me communicate with a friend of mine from there.”

“Really? Then she must be pretty far in that dimension, if you have to write letters just to talk.”

“Actually, from what I’ve heard from her, the portal that connects our two worlds is in her castle.”

“Portal?” He blinked at the word; then blinked again as he repeated the statement in his head. “Wait, castle? She lives in a castle?”

Sunset nodded again. “Yes, yes, and yes.”

He scrunched up his brow. “Where is this portal’s entrance… on this ‘side,’ I mean?”

“You’ve seen it several times,” Sunset said. She grew a smirk as she watched Artifex attempt to put the pieces together. “Take a guess?” she offered.

“The school?”

“Not quite. The school statue—”

“The statue—oh.” He thought back to the large horse statue that stood in front of the school. “It didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, though—huh.”

“Thought of something?” Sunset asked.

“No, that actually makes a good amount of sense,” Artifex said. “Since it looks not at all suspicious, no one would think that it’s a portal to another world.”

The amber-skinned girl smiled at Artifex’s insight. “That’s one of the theories we have going as to why it’s even here. Starswirl was more clever than we give him credit for!”

Starswirl? … Never mind.

“Anyway,” continued Sunset, “what used to happen was that the portal would be open for only a select number of moons. But, thanks to some engineering done by my princess friend, we’ve managed to be able to keep the portal open as long as we need it.”

“But how do you prevent people from accidentally falling in?” Artifex asked. His petting of Francis ceased, but the cat didn’t mind. In fact, he, too, seemed intrigued by what the girl was saying.

“Well,” Sunset explained, “a lot of the students at CHS have a good idea of what’s going on. They know to keep away from the statue.”

“What if someone else tries something, though? Maybe they’re an exchange student, or some curious individual, or a suspicious interloper. What’s going to stop them from investigating and accidentally falling in?”

Sunset rubbed the back of her head, closing her eyes. “Unfortunately, we’ve no definitive solution for those kinds of situations. Our best bet is to simply persuade people not to lean on the statue, or to build something to prevent them from falling in.”

“The latter possibility, however, meaning you’ll have to obstruct the entrance.”

“Right.”

Artifex tapped his chin, closing his eyes for a moment. The statue seemed like a matter worth investigating further. He recalled his initial conclusions about the school, supposing the “magical anomalies” that that girl online had spoken about. The way Sunset was describing it, it seemed more like a “door” than anything sinister.

He thought back to Sonata and her Siren sisters. Then again, what comes through isn’t always going to be something sweet. He looked at Sonata through the corners of his vision. But that isn’t to say that things don’t change.

Still, there was the matter—or, rather, the conclusion—that the portal was essentially an entrance point, without so much as a lock or handle to keep it shut. However, if the stories of the Sirens and of Sunset herself were to be believed, then surely the school had some form of “defense” to combat potential threats. But that thought seemed illogical; they were all teenagers, and he couldn’t imagine the principals having the ability to rehabilitate the Sirens.

He cast the matter aside. What was done was done, and he was worried that if he started questioning it, more odd occurrences would happen. He wasn’t the superstitious type, but he knew when life was trying to be funny.

But back to the door. Why keep it open when Sunset can just as easily communicate via notebook?

“Artifex?” Soul’s voice called out to him. “Is something wrong? You’ve been staring at the bench’s backside for quite some time now.”

“Hmm?”Artifex shook himself out of his ruminations. “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, I was thinking.”

“What about?”

His finger rested back onto Francis’s head, scratching it slowly and absentmindedly. With each scratch, the cat blinked, letting out low coos and purrs. Artifex’s other hand came up and rested on his chin. “Forgive me if I sound repetitive. I’d like to confirm some things with you, Sunset.”

“Huh? Okay. Go ahead.”

“First: this portal is constantly open, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And you have a friend on the other side. A ‘princess.’”

“I guess it’s a little hard to believe.”

“Actually, it isn’t. I mean, considering everything… but anyway. You talk with your friend via notebook.”

“Yes, this one. It’s magically powered, allowing me to talk to her across dimensions.”

“And the portal’s exit lies in her own, personal castle.”

“Yes, that’s also right.” Sunset frowned. “You just said everything I talked about back to me. What are you driving at, Artifex?”

“It just seems a bit… strange,” he said, forming his own frown. “If she’s a close friend, who has access to the portal on an assumed, consistent basis, and the portal’s open… why don’t you visit her in person?”

Sunset’s reaction shocked him. She visibly cringed, and withdrew herself physically. Her confidence had evaporated on the spot, and Soul moved quickly to comfort her.

Knowing that he had touched upon a sore point, Artifex distanced himself physically, letting his back run up against the booth. Francis jumped off of his lap and onto Sonata’s, who yelped in surprise. Artifex ignored the shout; a creeping nervousness ran up and down his arms. Something itched, and he rubbed his forearm.

His frown slightly trembled. “S-sorry,” he mumbled, not daring to look directly at Sunset. “I… I didn’t mean to offend—”

Soul quickly raised a merciful hand. “It’s okay, Artifex. You were curious, that’s all. Right, Sunset?”

The amber-skinned girl nodded, trying to reassure Artifex. “Y-yeah,” she stuttered, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, too. I thought that it wouldn’t keep hurting after all this time.”

Artifex finally looked back at her. As Soul moved away, he saw that she was trying to keep herself composed. She, too, was nervous, leading Artifex to still think that he had said something wrong.

She took several deep breaths. Then she managed a slightly forced, yet kind smile. “Don’t beat yourself over it, Artifex. Everyone else knows, so you’re bound to be curious.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But, like I said. This… opens up old wounds.”

For a second, Artifex’s eyes dropped to his wrists; then they bounced up and looked at Sunset. He nodded.

“Where to start?” she asked herself.

Artifex kept quiet.

After a number of seconds had passed, she nodded to herself, and began her tale.

“In Equestria, the land is ruled over by two alicorn rulers. Their names are Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. The former has the power to control the movements of the moon, and is called the Princess of the Night. The latter wields authority over the sun, and is called the Princess of the Sun.” Noticing Artifex’s curiously disbelieving look, she chuckled dryly. “Yes, it’s true; Equestria’s rulers control the sun and the moon. Believe me, I was just as confused as you are right now when I first came to this world, and realized that the sun and moon moved independently.”

To the side she added, “Of course, back then there was only one ruler, but… that’s a whole different story.”

Artifex let the matter slide.

“I was a unicorn back in Equestria, and I was the student of Princess Celestia for most of my childhood.”

“You say that like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“It is! Or, was, anyway. You didn’t just have to be a unicorn to study under the pony who’s considered one of the strongest magic users in the world. You had to be incredibly gifted. Which was why, in Canterlot, there was a School for Gifted Unicorns, where you got tested on your magical ability.

“Long story short, I was the top of my class, and was selected by the Princess to train my magic.”

“Sounds strenuous,” Sonata said. “Oop! Sorry; I didn’t meant to interrupt.”

“It’s okay, Sonata,” Sunset said. “I guess you’d be curious, too.”

Sunset then looked to Artifex. “Does that make sense so far?”

He took a moment to consider his next words. “… About as much sense as talking to a girl from another dimension would merit, I suppose.”

“Huh. You’re… really not at all freaked out about this.”

He shook his head. “I think I wasted my ‘freak out’ the day I met all of you.”

“Right. So, anyway, where was I? … Oh, yes.

“I studied under Princess Celestia’s tutelage for many years. I was growing more powerful and much smarter each passing day. But, at the same time… I was getting consumed by it all.”

“‘It?’”

“The power. The opportunity. I thought I deserved everything that Celestia was giving me, and more. I wanted to be the most powerful pony in Equestria.”

Sunset’s face cast a dark shadow as a cloud rolled in front of the sun.

“And… as time passed… that need grew into unquenchable want. I wanted more than just magical power; I wanted status. I wanted to be praised as a goddess, like my mentor. I thought that I was on the path of glory, to princesshood or alicornhood, and I thought that I could have the world grovel at my hooves.”

Artifex placed his hands together and set the underside of his wrist on the table. His chin settled on his fingers as he released a breath. “I see… you were drowning in more power than you thought possible.”

Sunset nodded solemnly. “Yes. I grew selfish; arrogant. I started to look at my life through a narrowed lens, focusing on only helping me, rather than trying to help others. I was boastful and condescending to everyone, even though Princess Celestia tried to teach me humility.

“That was around the time I found the Crystal Mirror.”

“You mean the one in your princess friend’s castle?”

“Yes, that one. It was, as I said, originally in Canterlot, and I had seen it myself back when I was a student of Princess Celestia’s. When I looked into it, I saw myself as a beautiful alicorn, a ruler of Equestria—a perfect princess. I wanted to learn more about what I saw, but Princess Celestia forbade me.” Sunset closed her eyes. “I have to wonder if that was because she was starting to see me turn into something else. Something darker. Something… sinister.”

“Well, the important thing is that you’re no longer that kind of person—er, pony, Sunny,” said Soul quickly, giving her a squeeze; he had sensed her growing discomfort.

Artifex, too, had sensed it, but knew that she needed to push through the memories. “What happened next?” he asked.

Sunset sighed. “I wanted to look at the mirror again, so I began researching dark magic to see if I could understand what made the mirror special. But I was quickly found out by the guards and the Princess.”

Her discomfort grew, even as Soul did his best to comfort her. Her brow scrunched up. She closed her eyes and trembled. Artifex waited, not daring to push until she was ready.

Looking at her now, though, Artifex couldn’t picture her as ever being less than kind and compassionate. It was comparable to Fluttershy, but with more confidence in her actions. She was an affirmative voice with an intelligence to back it; no longer Soul had fallen for her. But to think she was ever cruel? Was that feasibly possible?

Does this Equestrian magic change a person? Or does something else? At first, it seemed like a silly pair of questions. But, with magic now as a factor, Artifex had to wonder if something intense had happened to completely change how Sunset acted.

Finally, she appeared more-or-less composed.

“I… said some things I’m not proud of saying. I accused her as purposely holding me back out of fear of being usurped. I cursed her and her name.” She buried her face in her hands. “God, I was so angry and stupid…”

“It is as Soul said,” mentioned Artifex softly. “That’s in the past; that’s not who you are anymore.”

She nodded, then continued her story. “Celestia revoked my student status, and was about to throw me out of the castle. But I wasn’t having any of that, so just as the guards made to grab me, I jumped through the mirror.”

“And you ended up here.”

“Yep, and just as you see me. Well… with a lot more negativity than I have now, at least.”

Artifex nodded, reclining back. “And you’ve remained here ever since?”

She nodded. “I thought I couldn’t go back. I thought that I would be captured, and thrown into a dungeon.”

“Is it really that harsh in Equestria?”

“Well, I did threaten to return with an army to take over the throne by force.”

“Ah… yeah, that would require a number of years in… a dungeon.”

Sunset let out a dry, short laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

She fell silent, and Soul hugged her close. Artifex looked down at Francis, thinking on what to say. He sensed Sonata stir a bit, but the former Siren didn’t appear willing to speak.

“How long?” he finally asked.

“Hmm?” Sunset tilted her head, not quite understanding.

“How long has it been?”

“Oh… roughly three, four years, I think. Time here and time in Equestria move at different rates.”

“I see.” Artifex nodded, looking back up. His eyes softened their pinpointed gaze, becoming somewhat warmer. “And… that’s why you haven’t gone back to talk to your princess friend? Because you don’t want to face your former mentor in person?”

A slow nod met his assertion.

He let out a low hum. “Well… have you considered going back?”

“Oh, of course!” Sunset’s voice noticeably brightened. “I mean, sure I’ve gotten used to being human, and I wouldn’t want to leave Soul here to suffer all alone—”

“I’d suffer a lot without her,” Soul commented.

“—but, it’s still an intriguing possibility.” She let out a sigh. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to use magic on command.”

“Yeah, me too,” Sonata said with a whimsical tone. “Sometimes I like to wonder what would happen if I had my magic and could control everyone in this booth with the sound of my voice.”

Everyone gave her strange looks. She shrugged. “What? Once a villain, always somewhat a villain.”

“We’ll just have to make sure you don’t try and get your magic back, then,” Artifex said. “I’d prefer to think on my own, thank you very much.”

“Aw! Don’t worry, Arty; I could never control you! Unless I wanted to, for some reason…”

“… Right. Anyway…” He turned back to Sunset. “So, you haven’t even thought about going back just to visit your princess friend? Even if that meant you didn’t have to see this Princess Celestia?”

Sunset shook her head. “It’s more than that. I think… I think at some point I’ll have to go back to Equestria. Not permanently,” she quickly added, “but… I think it’s something I’ll have to do. But only when I’m ready.”

“And you’re saying you’re not ready now.”

“I don’t think I am.”

Artifex glanced at Soul, then around the entirety of Sugarcube Corner. Seeing so many familiar faces, and all of them connected to Sunset in some way, made him wonder about the girl’s last statement.

“What about your parents?” he asked.

“Oh!” At that, Sunset did manage a smile. “I saw them, actually. Last year, around Christmas time. It was thanks to Soul that I did.” She pecked him on the cheek. “Still love you for that, babe.”

Soul blushed, and rubbed the back of his head. “I just wanted you to be happy, Sunset. You were really down during that time. And if seeing your parents was something that would make you yourself again, well, who was I to let the opportunity slide?”

“I was with them for a week in Equestria,” Sunset further explained. “But I didn’t want to see Celestia during that time. I just wasn’t ready.”

An old phrase came to Artifex. It sounded familiar, but he didn’t think that he heard it from anyone before. “Our biggest regrets are often the biggest actions we never took.”

Sunset blinked, then nodded. “I get it, Artifex, really. I should try to go home and patch things up. One day.” She repeated the phrase to herself, like a mantra. “One day…”

Artifex waited a moment to see if Sunset would say anything further. He slowly realized that she wouldn’t.

“Is that it, then?” he asked. “It’s fear that keeps you from reconciling with Princess Celestia?”

Sunset didn’t nod, but she didn’t shake her head either. “It’s more than just fear. I… I want to prove something.”

“Prove something?”

“I want to prove… that I have changed. That I am better than I once was. That I’ve matured, that I’ve learned my lesson!”

Artifex matched her tone with an exclamation of his own. “And I’d argue that you very well have! Sunset, I’m a pretty perceptive person. Normally, I can tell what a person is like based only on how I see them when we first meet. But I can’t—nor couldn’t—detect a trace of malicious intent in you when we met on Monday!” He leaned forward, eyes sharpening once more into a concentrated gaze. “I knew, then, that you were a good person. You reached out, and you helped me, despite me being a complete stranger.”

Soul nodded, then put in his own input. “Sunset, you saved the school already once. And you tried not to let the pain of your past stop you from trying to help out wherever you could. Trust me; would I have fallen in love with you if you hadn’t changed?”

Artifex continued his point. “Look around, Sunset. You’ve made friends; changed lives, or at least mine. You’ve done so much good because you wanted to do good, and because of that, you have clearly changed, and for the better. If that’s not proof enough, then I don’t know what is.”

“And it’s more than just Artifex’s life you changed,” Sonata said, beaming. “I mean, sure, it sucks that I can’t do magic stuff anymore, but because of what you and your friends did, I made new friends and started to really like singing again!” She adopted an out-of-character smirk. “Plus, I’m sure that ‘villain reformation’ would be great to put on your resume, if you ever want to return home to Equestria.”

Sunset was quiet for a little while, and Artifex began to relax back into his original position. He wondered if he had said enough—if he had said the right thing.

As if sensing his master’s worry, Francis purred, and rubbed his cheek against Artifex’s thigh.

Sunset’s voice came softly. It wasn’t quite tired, nor was it quite chipper. It seemed more accepting than anything. “I know you guys are right. Trust me, I do. But… I’ll go when I’m ready. Really.”

Artifex waited a second, then leaned back into his seat, giving Sunset an even gaze. “And that’s all we’ll ever ask.”

Sunset nodded, then flashed Artifex a smile. “You’re pretty good with motivational speeches, Artifex. Have you considered joining a club for them?”

He tapped the side of his head, offering a small grin, relieved that the issue had been momentarily resolved. “Hmm. Guess all that practice on Francis has paid off.”

They all laughed, even as Francis lifted his head and scratched irritably at Artifex. For the moment, the mood was lifted.

“Oh, hey! Vinyl’s here!”

Pinkie’s excited voice came from their side. Turning their heads, they looked to the window.

Outside, a fancy-looking car was parked. Vinyl Scratch was in the back, rummaging through the trunk, but she stopped and waved when she saw them all standing there.

Pinkie waved excitedly back. “Wow! That looks like your biggest bass cannon yet!”

“It certainly looks big,” Artifex commented.

“It sure does,” Sunset said. “C’mon; let’s help her bring it in.”