Taking his daughter’s advice, Aspect went in search of the training field. He… got horribly lost, but after asking a few guards, he was directed out the west side of the castle and into a large, open field. It was an oval shape, outlined with a running track and various exercise and fitness equipment filling the center.

It was abandoned for the most part… sans a batpony mare utterly destroying the training dummies there. She moved from one to the other, their sad training fate ended by strike of hoof, of swing of wingblade. Her fighting style was usually so elegant, flowing seamlessly from one move to the next, like a beautiful dance.

This was raw, unfocused destruction.

The stallion opted simply to watch rather than get involved. He didn’t doubt that those large ears of hers had picked up on his approach, and now he simply would wait to see when she would talk to him. If she would talk to him. He’d never seen her this mad before.

Once there were no more training dummies to destroy, she simply opted to sit in the middle of the field… just… staring at the ground. Once more, Aspect decided to play the waiting game. If she wanted to talk to him, he’d be there. If not...well, he’d also be there.

Her ear flicked in his direction. Yup, she’d noticed him now. He allowed himself to take a few steps closer before she opened her mouth to speak.

“Did you know?” she asked, her voice was a touch coarse, having lost a little of it’s silk-like tones.

“About your sister?” Aspect asked. “No. I hoped that Chryssy was just...playing a game for a good reason. Making herself out to be the villain for a purpose. But I didn’t know for sure.”

“And how do I know you aren't lying?” she said in a low tone. “How do I know you aren't playing some… living chess game like the rest of these damned immortals?” She turned to face him. “What did I ever do you you and yours? To make me think my own sister was dead!”

“I’ve been gone from Equestria, from the civilized world, for a thousand years,” Aspect pointed out. “I wouldn’t have had the time to do something like this. Nor would I have. My approach to problems is much more… ‘apply sword to face.’”

“Then what am I supposed to do with all this bucking anger!?” She screamed at him.

Aspect calmly walked forward, and gripped Midnight in a hug, letting her feel his love for her. “I’m not saying forget it,” he whispered. “I’m not saying forgive her, just yet. But you should bottle it up for now. If she’s true to her word, you’ll actually be meeting with your sister tomorrow. Then, the best way to work out your anger...would be to spar against her, when the fate of the world isn’t in the balance. When you can afford to try and bring it all to bear against Chrysalis.” He paused for a moment, before dropping the other horseshoe. “Oh, and I’ll be taking Gungnir somewhere where it can recharge. Chryssy dissipated most of the energy it had been building up with that cheap bow shot. And I don’t want you trying out your musical talents to bring serious harm to her, because then you’ll encounter some backlash.”

“If she's lying…” Midnight said, leaving the threat open. Aspect was quite aware of what she was capable of.

“If she’s lying, I’ll punish her myself,” Aspect promised. “Trust me, I can hurt her far more effectively than you can.”

Midnight’s hug was getting very tight now…

“I made a promise to myself, Midnight, after Discord,” the stallion said. “If the fate of the world was at stake...if something were wrong. No matter what, even if it were family...I would act. I would fulfill my role.”

Midnight sighed, still holding him. “You shouldn't fight family,” she murmured softly.

“When family is as large and powerful as this?” Aspect replied. “Buck, I’m just upset I wasn’t here for the Griffon wars. I’d have reprimanded them personally. I consider them and the Phoenixes my kids as well. There’s hardly a bit of the world I haven’t shaped in some way.”

“You sure you're not some kind of god?” Midnight chuckled. “Because I am totally for being a mare that fucks gods.”

“Eh, I’ve done some soul-searching in the past millennium,” Aspect replied, waving a wing. “I could have been, if I drank a little deeper from the fountain. At best, I’m...half finished. A half-fired pot. But what I can do is contain and trap essences to redistribute them, reshape them. And now with Arabus removed, I can easily hold another soul, another bit of power. He’s not taking up my focus. But rest assured, I’m no god. I’ll have to give it up eventually. I even have a plan for how I’ll give up Air at last.”

“Way to dash my dreams honey,” Midnight giggled.

“Sorry, no godlings being born from me,” Aspect replied. “Though speaking of that, I’m quite surprised Shining ascended. I guess Yggdrasil was desperate to hold off Arabus...or just didn’t want to disappoint his ‘daughter’.”

“Hmm… I wonder if I could could become an alicorn?” Midnight mused and licked her lips as she pounced him. “The alicorn of procreation~♡”

“One minute you’re angry, the next you’re trying to mount me,” Aspect noted.

“I like to keep you on your hooves….” She looked at the stallion she was straddling. “Relatively speaking.”

“I’ve never been more happy to play mental hopscotch,” Aspect replied. “Though sometimes the jumps between one mental point and another take a moment for me to make.”

“I'm trying to keep myself distracted okay?” Midnight said as she shook slightly. “Else… I can go back to being angry again.”

“My angry defender,” Aspect chuckled as he reached up and drew her in for a kiss. Once it broke...which took a while, he asked a question. “But running from the problem won’t solve it. Would you like to have my help in confronting the issue?”

“I… guess so,” she said and looked away. “Can I be alone for a while?”

Aspect raised an eyebrow, before looking slowly from her to all the destroyed dummies. “I don’t think this place could take much more of you wanting to be alone,” he pointed out.

“Is that an offer to be my new sparring dummy?” she quipped back. “No… I just need to think is all.”

“Fair enough,” Aspect replied. “Try not to destroy more than Chryssy did today, okay? We’re already going to be looking at a hefty repair bill.”

“Mhm,” Midnight murmured as she stared up at the sky.

“In the meantime,” Aspect slowly got out from under her, giving her a small nuzzle. “I’m going to try a thing.”

Midnight paused and slowly turned to him, raising an eyebrow with a questioning expression.

“I promise, nothing silly or endangering,” Aspect replied, holding up a hoof. “Just a small idea to get Gungnir charged up again.”

“Just don't hurt yourself,” she said and pat his back with a wing. “I need my foal’s father alive.” She paused and blinked. “Oh, I didn’t tell you I was pregnant did I?”

“No, no you did not,” Aspect replied, before kissing her gently. “We’ll celebrate with the others,” he promised. “For now, Gungnir and I need to fly.”

“Mhm,” Midnight said again and grabbed him, pulling him in close and kissing him deeply. It caught Aspect off guard for a moment, before he returned it as best as he was able, moaning into the embrace as he held his mare.

She soon broke the kiss and looked at him. “I will give your daughter the benefit of a doubt. If only for your sake okay?”

“Thank you,” Aspect replied as he nuzzled the mare again. “I promise, she’s not all bad. She just portrays herself that way to get things done. When it came to cunning minds, apparently Chryssy got the best one.”

“We shall see,” Midnight chuckled. “I will seal her in a room with mine and Bon Bon’s mothers.”

“...Alas poor Chryssy, I knew her well,” Aspect intoned dramatically.

Midnight just shrugged and chuckled…. before her eyes widened and she suddenly yelled out “He did it!” And then bailed.

Aspect slowly turned to see another… rather pissed off looking guard, eye twitching at the sight of the ruined training grounds.

Aspect could have stuck around to explain that it wasn’t his fault. He could have talked his way out of this one.

He elected to simply dissolve into air and ride the wind, stopping only to pick up his spear from the medical wing before blasting out of Canterlot on the breeze, leaving the mare to yell rather loudly…

When Aspect finally returned to his room, it was just about sunset on the battle-worn city, and his fur and feathers were sticking out at odd angles. But in his hoof, he held a spear that was thrumming with power once again.

“I need to have adventures more often,” the stallion said as he pushed the door open, putting Gungnir to one side.

And was promptly tacklehugged by Pinkie Pie. The pink ballistic missile grabbing him and hauling him inside as she rattled off something at high speed. Aspect blinked a few times, not comprehending what she was trying to say for the speed at which she was saying it. “I’m sorry?” he offered.

“So you should be!” Pinkie scolded him. “You almost missed the party! I was about to get mad.”

Why did that fill him with existential dread?

“I had an important thing to take care of,” Aspect replied. “That, and Middy pinned the training ground destruction on me.”

“Ahhh,” Pinkie nodded as Aspect looked around. It appeared to be a party… of… he looked up and spied a banner hanging from the ceiling.

‘Happy you found your family and Hooray that you purged an evil spirit’ party.

“...Okay, this is a first,” he stated out loud.

He spied Twilight and her friends, as well as Celestia and Cadance. Shining Armor was absent, likely still recovering. His mares, sans Rainbow were also missing.

And Chrysalis. Sitting at a table and wearing a pink party hat.

‘Help. Me!’ she mouthed at him.

“Pinkie, have you been forcing my daughter to have fun?” Aspect asked mock-seriously.

“Yeeeeessss?” Pinkie said as her own smile widened.

“You’ve clearly not been trying hard enough,” Aspect continued. “Where’s the clown nose?”

“Don’t you dare!” Chrysalis hissed at them both as Pinkie giggled and pronked away. The Changeling took off the hat and sighed. “Do you have ANY idea the mess I have to clean up now?”

“It’s all your fault for making it,” Aspect pointed out as he sat nearby...not noticing the sniggers directed his way due to his fur or feathers being ruffled. What? Flying headfirst into a thunderhead to recharge a magical spear meant he got zapped too.

“Oh, so it’s my fault Princess Blabbermouth upped and shot herself in the hoof with that little speech?” Chrysalis sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, I have a few stories crafting already, one being that it was a Changeling attempting to discredit the Princesses after the ‘failed invasion’.” She made cute little airquotes with her hooves.

“What, Celly didn’t make up for it?” Aspect asked. “I know I left her inspired to try again. It’s not the falling that matters. What matters is how you pick yourself up.”

“Leaving it to her would only invite more disaster," Chrysalis sighed and shook her head. “Well, the public seems to think she’s either kidding, stressed or they just don’t care. The Nobles on the other hoof…”

“For the love of…” Aspect grunted. “Honestly, I’m seriously tempted to pile insult on top of injury here, Chryssy. I want to just...brand them all with lightning, so we know which ones are the scumbags.”

“Don’t tempt me,” she scowled. “Still, my original plan is unaffected nonetheless, and that should hopefully weed out at least the worst of them.” She pressed her forehooves together and sighed. “I have a few ponies that, if I can get them on board, will prove immensely useful to me.”

“Ah,” Aspect nodded once. “You know I have no head for politics. Some of them tried to get me to accept a crown and title when Celly revealed my alicorn form as her father. Even I could tell that was a bad move, though. At least, if I wanted to live my life and avoid upsetting the delicate scales of power.”

“You in charge!?” Chrysalis let out a barking laugh. “Equus would be a barren wasteland in a week with you at the helm… provided you didn’t get lost on your way to the throne room… again~”

“I wouldn’t be that bad,” Aspect demurred. “I’d probably start by kicking the nobles out, though…”

“And that would incite a coup or a civil war,” Chrysalis said and poked his nose. “No, you will stay in your mansion and live in the background like a good stallion. Leave politics to the grownups.”

“Oh bite me,” Aspect replied, blowing a raspberry at her. “I wish you could have met the Diplomat, she had a way with words that got even mutual foes to fight on the same side as each other.”

And it was then that Celestia remembered…

Aspect’s bags still had a Wishing Star.

And they were glowing…

The star shone… before fading away in a small shower of sparkles.

Luna sighed as she reclined in her father’s favourite chair. The kids had been put to bed, and now the alicorn was bored. She stoked the fireplace before she suddenly blinked and raced to the window. Staring up at her night sky, she saw one star suddenly flash and streak across the sky before fading.

“Father… used his Wishing Star?” she pondered to herself. “...On what I wonder?”

“Hmpf, well, if you say so,” Chrysalis said as she stood up. “Well, this party has been… something. But I have a lot of work to do, so I have to go.”

That was before something started to happen in the center of the room. A magical vortex of unimaginable power began pulling ambient power to itself.

A wish had been made. It would be granted.

“What’s going on?” Chrysalis yelled as the vortex grew larger… before a stream of magic flew out of it, streaking through a wall and into a deeper part of the castle. The vortex, after having had it’s fill of the magic it could find, zoomed through the castle in search of one particular thing.

Not the mirror that Celestia had stored away in a vault. But one built like it...like the one in her bedchambers. Once there, the magic bound itself to the mirror, transforming it...not that anybody would know right away. The wish had been granted.

A portal between the worlds...had been opened.

“Father!” Celestia trotted over, her eyes wide. “What on Equus was that just now?”

Chrysalis nodded and looked at the pegasus. “Indeed, what the hell did you do?”

“It wasn’t me!” Aspect said, holding his hooves up defensively. “All I said was I wish-” He groaned as he realized what he’d unintentionally done. “Oh bucking Tartarus...I forgot about the Wishing Star…”

“You… carried that around!?” Celestia exclaimed.

“A what?” Chrysalis blinked.

“Something Luna and I gave him for Hearth’s Warming,” Celestia explained. “It’s a very, very rare artifact that can bring just about any wish into reality.”

“Whhhyyyyy would you give HIM something like that!?” Chrysalis yelled.

“Probably because they were hoping I would use my wish to ‘finish off’ my magical core, join the other Aspects like I should have been if I drank just a little more water from the Fountain of Eternity,” Aspect explained. “I’m not that selfish, though.”

“Well, so what did you wish for?” Celestia asked him.

“For...Chryssy to meet the Diplomat,” Aspect said. “But...the Rainbow she came over has been gone for a literal Age. So...I don’t know if she’s even still alive. Or how she’d get here.”

“Actually…” Celestia spoke in in a small voice. “R-Remember when I talked about Starswirl… and the journeys we took in our youth?”

“You didn’t,” Aspect deadpanned, looking at her with half-lid eyes of irritation.

“I… might not have destroyed the mirrors we used?” Celestia’s ears fell back as she gave him a sheepish smile. “I… sorta keep one in my room for nostalgia’s sake.” She waved a hoof and shook her head. “But it’s inert. The magic in it is long gone and cannot be restored…” Unlike the one she kept locked away in the Vaults…

“This is a Wishing Star’s level of power we’re talking about, Celly,” Aspect pointed out. “I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a damn door by now.”

There was a knocking at the door. “Hello?” a voice that had been touched by time, but still retained all of the qualities it once had, called from beyond the door. “I was looking at myself in my mirror and I sort of...found myself here. If this is an Alice in Wonderland dream, can I please find the Mad Hatter already?”

And before anypony else could respond…

Pinkie flung the door open and grabbed the being on the other side, dragging her past the threshold. “Wheeee! New guests for the party!”

What was revealed was a person out of myth. She stood about five and a half feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a set of jeans and a casual shirt, along with a set of comfortable shoes. Her eyes betrayed a bit of panic as she looked around from pony to pony, before finally settling on Celestia.

“Oh for the love of…” she muttered. “Is that you, little Cel? Am I really back in magical Ponyland again?”

“M-Megan…” the alicorn whispered as Pinkie dangled off of the woman’s arm. Her blue eyes flicked from her, to Celestia, then to Aspect.

“Ooooh, are you one of Aspy’s super funneriffic friends too?” she beamed brightly.

“I’ve never seen most of you before,” Megan replied. “The only one that’s familiar to me is Cel here. Mostly because Christopher would run to me for advice on raising a tiny pony whenever I was around. Used to live on a ranch, you know—” And any further words were cut off as Celestia virtually tackle-hugged the poor girl. Full grown alicorn meeting a small human…

“I’ve missed you so much!” the alicorn said in a mix of happy and crying as she held the woman to her chest tightly.

“OOOF!” Megan managed to say, trying to return the hug and free her ribs at the same time. “Ease up, girl,” she chided the alicorn in her famous ‘stern’ voice. “It’s only been, what, twenty years since I left? How’d you grow up to be a full-sized queen horse, eh?”

“Princess?” Twilight spoke up. “Who is this human?”

Celestia released her and looked down. “Twenty…” She paused and exhaled. “Only twenty years…”

“Yea—oh f-fudge,” the human nearly swore. “My girls will be coming home soon. Stacy and Becky...one’s old enough to consider college credits, the other’s still in middle school...and they’re both curious. If I don’t steer them away from the magical mirror…”

“I…” Celestia’s head swam as Twilight rattled off questions in the background. “There’s so much I—”

“Look,” Megan said, putting a hand to Celestia’s face. “I do like seeing you all. I do. Honestly! It’s basically confirmation my youth wasn’t just a fanciful imagining. But if I don’t keep my kids from playing with the mirror...I don’t want to have them wander in and be lost, Cel.”

“R-Right… of course,” the alicorn mumbled as she released the human from her embrace. “Where did you come in from?”

“I...don’t know,” Megan said as she stood up. “I do know the mirror was just as tall as I was, though. I keep it in the living room, I was just examining myself to make sure I hadn’t missed anything when it rippled and...pulled me in. Then I started wandering the halls...”

“Must be the mirror in my chambers,” Celestia said and opened the doors… just as two smaller human girls ran down the hall, the younger one giggling as the pair was promptly chased by two of her Royal Guard.

“Aaaaand that would be Stacy and Becky running through the halls,” Megan sighed. “...There’s probably no hope of them coming back on their own now.”

“And that would be my royal guard chasing them…” Celestia sighed and whistled. A moment later, a brown blur shot past and…

Was that a pony with bat wings dragging her girls back by the scruffs of their coats?

“I...see I’ve missed a fair bit,” Megan blinked a bit at the odd sight, before crouching and looking her girls in the eyes. “And what have I told you two about playing with unusual phenomena?” she scolded them.

“To always make sure you pack accordingly should the phenomena lead to a world of tiny talking equines?” Stacy, the older of the two said and pointed at her large backpack. “Food, water, clothes and…” She pulled off a large, metallic object and pointed it at the scary batpony holding her. “My BB Gun.”

“You know that won’t do anything but sting, though I suppose you could try putting an eye out and hope for the best,” Megan replied. “You also know you won’t be able to wield an actual gun for about two more years thanks to the law. So again, why did you poke around with the odd thing out?”

“Cause we wanted adventures like you Mommy!” Becky giggled as she looked at the ponies… then vanished from Midnight’s hold, already latched onto Celestia’s foreleg. “OHMYGOD! It’s a real unicorn! AAAAHHHH!”

“I’m sorry,” Megan said to Celestia. “They were practically raised on the stories of my youth. I might’ve...downplayed the danger a bit from when I was here.”

“You didn’t mention castles on mountains in your stories,” Stacy quirked an eyebrow. “Really, senile at your age Mom?”

“To be fair, this castle wasn’t here when your mother was…” Celestia said as she lifted a leg and nuzzled the smaller child. “That was a long, long time ago.”

“W-Wait,” Megan’s facade began to crack at that. “So...how long ago? I mean...Heartthrob, Posy...all the ponies in Dream Valley...they can’t all be…”

“I’m sorry,” Celestia said in a quiet voice. “It’s… it’s been nearly two thousand years.”

The woman didn’t so much collapse as fold in on herself as the weight of how long she’d been gone hit her. She wasn’t crying. She was beyond tears. This...this wasn’t just sorrow. It was a feeling of emptiness. They’d been ripped away with no chance for her to say good bye. Sometime in the last twenty years...she’d utterly lost her friends beyond any hope of seeing them again.

“I am… sorry to tell you that,” Celestia said, kneeling down next to her and putting a wing around her. “I miss them as well, and the Valley. But, some are still here. I am for one, as is Lulu. And it turns out that Twinkle was hiding away in another realm and has returned recently.”

That opened the floodgates, and Megan leaned on Celestia as she began staining that white fur with her tears.

“Is Mommy gonna be okay?” Becky asked the pegasus stallion she found herself standing next to.

“She’ll be fine,” Aspect spoke up, and that shut Megan up, raising her bloodshot eyes to glare at the stallion. “Oh dear,” he chuckled. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”

“You,” Megan growled. “Of course you would survive as well.”

“Honestly Megan, it’s sort of my thing as of late,” Aspect said, his form glowing as he retook his human form for the first time in a while.

“Christopher Gale,” she muttered as she stood up and walked over to him. “As I recall, you overruled me on several decisions about who could be saved.”

“And I stand by that, the fate of this world was in the balance each time,” the male human nodded.

The two stared at each other for a moment longer...before Megan nodded. “Good on you,” she said. “I was younger and foolish then. You were right.”

And that...completely floored Christopher, his jaw hanging open slightly.

“Huh…” Celestia said as she looked between the pair. They never really stood eye to eye on a lot of things back then.

“WILL SOMEPONY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON!?!?!” Twilight yelled, clearly at the end of her rope now, as locks of her mane sprung up and her eye had a dangerous twitch to it.

“Oh, I suppose I can,” Megan said as she walked over and knelt before Twilight. “My name is Megan Williams,” she introduced herself. “When the ponies lived in Dream Valley, my younger brother and sister and myself would come over the rainbow to lend them aid in dark times, or just to help them get a society going.”

“You… You’re the Diplomat that Aspect has mentioned before!” Twilight zipped up to her, now looking normal.. Well, normal for Twilight. “H’oooooohmigosh! I have SO many questions!”

“And my girls and I have to go home and have dinner,” Megan countered. “Plus they have school tomorrow.”

Twilight dropped her notebook, her ears falling back as her eyes widened, growing moist as the little unicorn looked to be on the verge of tears. The Cute combined with heart-shattering sadness…

“Nice try,” Megan chuckled. “I’ve helped raise baby ponies before, and I have two kids of my own.” She put a hand under Twilight’s chin, to raise it up a little.

Meanwhile, half the room away, Christopher had fallen over, clutching his chest with a hand.

“Still...assuming we leave after dinner, I suppose we could stay for a bit,” Megan mused.

Twilight instantly cheered and smiled brightly. “Yes! Aspect… I mean, Christopher is a huge butt and won’t tell me anything. So I can’t wait to hear from somepony more agreeable.”

“It’s probably bad memories,” Megan pointed out. “Keeping in mind, he was, what...sixteen, when he picked up that sword? And it was only a year later that he had to actually use it. We have a saying back home. ‘Every time you take a life, you lose a bit of your soul.’ It means you become less human the more you kill.” She got back up and looked over at the downed male, before chuckling. “Though, I guess he only did it out of necessity, rather than because he wanted to.” She pursed her lips at the thought. “Unlike what my younger self thought,” she muttered, seemingly to herself...forgetting that ponies had much larger ears.

“Yes well, Aspect’s reliance on sword over words still doesn’t sit well with a lot of us,” Twilight nodded and spared him a glance.

“Says you!” Rainbow flew up to defend her stallion. “I happen to think Chris is really cool. Well, he wouldn’t be marrying me if he wasn’t.”

“...How long did it take you all to wear him down?” Megan asked. “I mean, I saw that he can apparently shapeshift now, which reminds me a lot of Katrina…”

“Got no idea who that is,” Rainbow said. “But… I guess, I sorta like him no matter what he looks like ya know…” She drifted off, mumbling and blushing.

“Indeed,” Midnight purred, having snuck up behind the woman. “We would not be marrying him based on simply one of his forms. But my oh my, the things he can do with that thestral tongue of his~”

“And that’s more than my daughters need to hear,” Megan bluntly cut that line of thinking off. “Sheesh...leave a guy alone for twenty years, he goes native on you.”

“Well I mean,” Christopher forced himself up, before snaring Dash and putting her in his lap, running his fingers through her mane. “Admit it, if you’d been stuck here long enough with a stallion, you might’ve considered it,” he posed to the woman.

“...No comment,” the female human replied.

“Or a mare~” Midnight mused and blew lightly in her ear. “Some of us aren’t picky~”

“Double, extra-special no comment,” Megan said firmly. “So...what’s there to eat around here?” she asked. “Knowing the black holes my kids have for stomachs, I’m pretty sure they’re just as curious what’s for dinner.”

“Weeeeeeell,” Pinkie rolled up… literally. She just curled into a perfect sphere and rolled over before unfurling that didn’t at ALL sound like certain formshifting robots. “We still have a party inside with tons of yummy foods!”

“Remember to leave some for the others,” Megan said to Becky and Stacy, the girls already tearing inside as they shouted something akin to understanding.

Once everypony entered the room, it just left Megan, along with Christopher, Dash, Midnight and Celestia in the hall.

“I can’t believe you have children now,” Celestia whispered and giggled. “What poor sap did you rope in for that?”

“One that didn’t mind my...antics,” Megan replied. “He’s overseas right now, but he’ll be coming back home in a few month’s time. He always sees my preparedness training for the kids as something akin to too much worry, but I’ll be sure to rub this in his face when he gets back.”

“What is this?” Midnight asked as she looked at the discarded BB gun. She turned it around in her hooves… before it went off with a pop… and shot Christopher in the butt.

“Yipe!” the human jolted a bit, before looking over at Midnight. “A projectile weapon,” he explained. “It uses pressurized air to shoot a pellet at fast speeds over a short distance. The weakest of the sort.”

“And she’s actually being trained in firearm handling,” Megan supplied. “I’ll not have them wandering out into the wilderness without their own protection in their pockets. Unlike a certain foolish human female who shall remain nameless.”

“Is she talking about herself?” Dash piped up, still enjoying the petting.

“No comment,” Christopher and Megan said at the same time, causing them to look up and raise their eyebrows at each other. Megan giggled a little afterwards.

“So,” she said, looking around. “What’ve I missed?”

“Oh… you know, little things,” Celestia said. “Like the Valley being eternally frozen over. And ponies making a new nation… being enslaved by a Chaos demon… Several new alicorns, Father finally being rid of Arabus… Civil war, among other things.”

“...I see,” Megan mused. “And where’s Lu? You and her were inseparable, last I knew.”

“Watching over Aspect’s growing number of children,” Celestia replied. “And keeping her out of the fight we literally just went through yesterday. The city’s a wreck, so I’d avoid going outside for the time being.”

“What? This immature idiot, having kids?” Megan walked over and gave Christopher a noogie. “Don’t tell me he’s training up a small platoon of sword-wielding foals to take over for him.”

“...You are not teaching our child to wield a sword,” a new voice said as Bon Bon walked up behind them. “I was wondering what the racket was all about.” She looked the woman over and then to Christopher. “Old girlfriend?”

“Bon Bon, meet Megan Williams,” Christopher said, ducking his head out of Megan’s grasp. “Also known as the Diplomat, the counterpart to my being the Sword.”

“Ah, so she’d be the smarter, more agreeable one then?” Bon Bon said with a small smirk. Oooh, the snark was strong with her today.

“It’s not a burn when it’s true~” Megan sang as she knelt in front of the new pony. “So, you’re the one in charge of keeping this idiot in line?” she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Christopher.

“Somepony has to,” she sighed and held out a hoof. “My name is Bon Bon, first of his trio of fiancees. It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Megan.”

“Please, no miss, just call me Megan,” the human replied, gently taking Bon Bon’s hoof and shaking it, before looking back at Christopher. “Three mares? Last I knew, you wouldn’t even look at one like that.”

“It’s...a long story,” Christopher replied, still petting Dash.

“Let’s see how long it takes us to get through over dinner,” Megan countered.

“Well, I apparently seduced him with cooking,” Bon Bon giggled as they entered the dining hall. Megan’s daughters were currently giggling as Twilight floated them about a foot off of the ground with her magic.

“Oh geeze,” Christopher muttered as he watched the spectacle. “Methinks the mare doth profess too much enjoyment over learning of the past,” he muttered.

“These girls are wonderful,” Twilight giggled as she danced them around in the air. “Stacy has been telling me all about the schools she’s attended. Did you know she’s majoring in Anthropology?”

“Mom! I think I wanna live here… for like, ever!” Stacy said from within the magical aura that held her aloft.

“Of course I know that, I’m her mother,” Megan sighed as she approached. “Girls, what’s the rule about magic?” she quizzed them.

“What? Miss Twilight seems legit,” Stacy said with a giggle as the unicorn set them down.

“Yeah, legit,” Becky mimicked.

“And this is why I don’t set them loose until they can recite the rules to me,” Megan muttered, before looking at Celestia. “How do you manage it?” she asked. “I can’t just keep them locked up all day, I’m their mother, not their warden.”

“Honestly, you don’t want to know,” Celestis said and looked down, her previous speech still fresh in her mind. “Just… learn from the mistakes you make, and have faith that your children will grow up willful, strong and kind.”

“See, that’s the sort of thing Mike keeps telling me whenever I start getting upset,” Megan chuckled as she gently guided the children to the ground. “So how many have you had then, Cel? You seem to be pretty apt at being motherly now.”

Celestia squeaked and blushed. “I ah… have not had the uh…”

“She’s a virgin,” Rainbow said from beside Megan, but quietly enough that her daughters didn’t hear.

“Rainbow!” Celestia hissed through a clenched jaw, her cheeks a bright pink.

“Ah,” Megan nodded sagely. “Well, can’t win them all, I suppose.”

“Despite her awkward attempts at trying,” Christopher pitched in.

“I swear I will just drop the sun right here and now,” Celestia groaned and headed for the nearest cake to drown her sorrows and embarrassment in.

Christopher chuckled as he picked out a spot near Dash to sit in, using one hand to feed himself some of the treats left on the table. The other was busy distracting Dash with more pettings.

“Yo dude… any particular reason you’re petting me?” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. “I mean… not that I mind or anything but…”

“What?” Christopher asked. “I can’t pay attention to one of the ones that brings so much color to my life?”

“...was that a joke about my mane?”

“Clearly our time apart has brain-damaged you, you never talked like that before,” Megan quipped. “No, wait, you were pretty dumb to begin with,” she observed after a moment.

“Attacked on all sides,” Christopher swooned into his chair.

“Only if it’s not true,” Bon Bon said with a wink. “I’m pregnant because you forgot about dragon scales.”

“...And that’s a story I want to hear, just not now,” Megan replied, using her eyes to indicate her two kids.

“Ah, I see,” Bon Bon nodded. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few of her namesakes, the little candies wrapped in plastic foil. “Here, I made them myself. It’s what I won Chris over with.”

“Oh boy, pony cooking, especially Earth pony cooking,” Megan chuckled. “I dunno if I’d survive this. It’s been so long since my mind was blown, after all…”

“Well, I’m not forcing you or anything,” Bon Bon shrugged. “Perhaps we should have something more substantial for dinner that isn’t cake…”

“Blashphemy!” Pinkie and Celestia cried out.

“Sit!” Bon Bon barked at them and the two mares parked their rears with loud thumps. “Rarity, Applejack, may I get some help in the kitchen?”

“Of course darling,” Rarity smiled as she got up.

“Sure thang,” AJ echoed as she followed the alabaster mare.

Megan blinked as the ponies left, before turning to Christopher.

“No,” he immediately replied. “I thought the same thing, but Rarity only looks like Majesty. Applejack isn’t the same, but she is of the line. Heck, I even gave her your hat.”

“...It looks good on her,” Megan supplied. “It was...like they’d never left.”

“I know,” the male human sighed. “I...might take you to Dream Valley one day, or what’s left of it.”

“Can’t you simply ask Gelgeth to unfreeze it?” Bon Bon asked. “I mean, he’s an Aspect too isn’t he?”

“He’s Ice, he can’t simply unfreeze something,” Aspect replied. “It’s not in his power list. Thawing isn’t his domain. Though, once I explained the importance of the valley to the ponies, he did call back his kids and his power from the valley. So, assuming it’s been getting enough sun, it should have thawed out.”

“Well, I hope it has,” Celestia said with a weary sigh. “Still… I can’t believe how much older you’ve gotten Megan. Though, I suppose it beats the alternative idea I had in my head.”

“You’re surprised at how old I am?” Megan asked, running a hand through Celestia’s ethereal mane. “I missed so much of you growing up, it’s ridiculous.”

“Yes well, my new manestyle didn’t come without… a good deal of sacrifice,” she sighed. “Sorry, I’d rather not talk about it right now.”

“Fair enough,” Megan replied. “At least we got to meet again.”

“Yes, all because of my father’s foolish choice in words,” she chuckled. “If that’s what it took to bring you back, I’d have done so long ago.”

“Hey, it was a slip of the tongue!” Christopher replied.

“Oh, because you’ve never had that happen before,” Megan fired back.

“Wow, she’s got you all figured out huh?” Rainbow quipped with a smirk.

“I should send a message to Luna,” Celestia said as she summoned a scroll. “She’ll be rather furious if she doesn’t get to meet you before you leave.”

“Wasn’t she the clingy one out of you two?” Megan mused.

“You say that in past tense?” Celestia mused as the scroll flashed away.

Midnight, whom had been close by, took a few healthy steps back from the human woman, as did Celestia.

“Incoming in five, four, three…” Christopher counted down.

“Wha—”

“MEGAN!” a voice boomed as Luna teleported in, tackling the girl at high velocity with a patented Luna Grade hug. “VERILY!? THOU HAST RETURNED AT LONG LAST!”

If Megan said anything, she couldn’t hear it herself because of her ringing ears. Nor was she able to struggle thanks to the strength of the hug.

“Luna dear,” Celestia raised a hoof. “Megan isn’t as durable as father is.”

“Ah…” Luna’s eyes widened as she released the woman. Thankfully, Twilight had used a silencing bubble to shield herself and the two children.

“I can hear colors,” Megan slurred. “Blue is loud…”

“Oh dear,” Celestia giggled as Luna helped her up, nuzzling her not unlike a cat would as she hummed happily.

“Oh hey Lu, when’d you get here?” Megan asked as she started stroking the lunar pony’s mane.

“Mmmm, just now,” she hummed happily as she leaned into the petting. “Art thou truly Megan? We thought thee long gone, lost to time like all the others.”

“I still remember hand-feeding you porridge to teach Chris how to do it,” Megan muttered.

“We have grown much since then,” Luna pouted and folded her forelegs. “We only require feeding when we are feeling tired or lazy.”

“And I’m assuming you go over to Chris and spit up on him when you feel like being difficult,” Megan countered. “You were so well behaved for me and your mother, but you always gave him such a hard time.”

“I was but a newborn, we do not remember such things.” Luna huffed again.

“I do,” Megan smirked. “It was hilarious seeing him coated in porridge.”

“Oh do not worry, he will be getting that times two in a few months,” Midnight chuckled and rubbed her belly.

“Seriously?” Megan asked, turning to Christopher.

“Hey, she at least asked for it,” the human defended himself.

“Just...I cannot believe you right now,” Megan muttered.

“None of us do,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “Oh the stories I could tell you when the young ones aren’t around.”

She wouldn’t dare… Would she?

“So, what’ve you been up to on your side of the connection, Megan?” Chris asked. He was terrible at derailing lines of thought.

“Oh, not much, just writing stories,” Megan demurred.

“Mommy has the bestest stories!” Becky smiled widely at her mother’s growing horror. “In fact… this is just like them!”

"Yeah, she made a bunch of stories titled ‘My Little Pony’,” Stacy said with a shiteating grin. “I wonder where she got the idea from?”

Slowly, all heads turned to the adult female human in the room, who was chuckling nervously.

“Aheh...it was...just a little fantasy thing,” she answered. “Something to help me cope when the Rainbow Connection left. Nobody else would believe me about where I went, after all…”

“Some of our neighbours still say things,” Stacy said with a shake of her head. “School was not fun when you’re the kid of the ‘crazy unicorn lady’.”

“I, we know aaaaall about crazy unicorn ladies,” Rainbow chuckled and looked at Twilight, the unicorn frowning and glaring back.

“Look, it had happened once, okay?” Megan sighed. “I...didn’t want my kids walking back into Ponyland if it ever happened again without being prepared. I know I worried my parents when I disappeared for days at a time. Now that I’m older and wiser, I know better, I can prepare them in case whatever magic picked me latched onto the next in line. Some of the things that threatened the ponies...I’m surprised I’m still alive, honestly.” She ruefully looked over at Christopher. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

“Just doing my job,” Chris replied honestly.

“Please don’t enable him,” Twilight sighed. “I swear, the Magic of Friendship screams and jumps out the window when Aspect walks into a room.”

“His best friends are a pile of talking paintings,” Rainbow nodded.

“I’m getting better about not reacting violently,” Christopher replied. Chrysalis frowned and pointed at her bandages. “...Not today, obviously. But that’s because I was literally thrown into a combat situation designed to draw out the demon I’d been hosting for a thousand plus years to the surface.”

“You’re welcome by the way,” Chrysalis said as she strode over to Megan. “So… you are the Diplomat he wished, literally, for me to meet hm?”

“Scary monster pony!” Becky shouted and hid behind Twilight.

“Why thank you,” Chrysalis smiled and bowed.

“Hmm,” Megan looked the bug mare over with a critical eye. “...Yeah, that looks like armor plating,” she mused. “I’d probably have to bring out my sawed-off with buckshot if you got uppity with me.”

“Chitin actually, and believe me, if you fought me it would not end well for you,” Chrysalis chuckled and with a flash of green fire, Megan found herself staring at a clone. “Not when I can be anyone I choose,” she said in her own voice. Then she became Becky. “Anyone~”

Megan reached out, grabbed the imposter by the back of her head with one hand, and then-

Click!

“This right here is a magnum,” she explained quite simply. “It is, simply put, one of the more powerful handguns in the world. I pull this trigger, your brain would be decorating the far wall.” She jammed it up under Chryssy’s new chin. “Don’t you ever take the form of me or my family, got it? Otherwise it will not end well for you.”

Chris very carefully avoided moving. Or startling the woman. He didn’t want to be down a daughter, after all. And he knew how powerful guns were.

Chrysalis simply… laughed?

She flashed back into her true form and pulled Megan close with a leg. “Oooh, I like this one Daddy! She has guts. Threatening a powerful, immortal shapeshifter like that. Can I keep her?” She looked down and licked her fangs. “Our children will be deliciously cunning~”

“Already married,” Megan grunted as she holstered the gun behind her again after reapplying the safety.

“He can watch~” Chrysalis purred right back at her. “Or join, I’m up for sharing.”

Megan rolled her eyes and shoved Chrysalis back a step. “No,” she said firmly. “And I’m serious about that threat. I find more of my daughters turning up, I will quiz them about things you couldn’t know just to weed you out before shooting you.”

“Oh do try and relax,” Chrysalis waved her off. “I’m only kidding. All this sappiness in the room was making me ill. Now,” she pat the human on the shoulder and hummed. “Have you some free time in the near future? Say, the next couple of days?”

“I don’t do much these days,” Megan said warily. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing much. I simply wish to weed out the less desirables amongst the noble caste,” she murred. “Celestia is far too lenient with their ridiculous behaviour and Luna would likely just vapourise them. So, I could use a partner that’s more aligned with my methods of persuasion.”

“Oh...you mean like King Bullion,” Megan muttered. “He was alright...his son, however...right snob. I don’t know what became of them.”

“Their line ended up producing Princess Platinum...who nearly ended up freezing the ponies due to tribal fervor,” Christopher added in.

“Still, I was able to sidestep him,” Megan noted. “I got a lot of practice at speaking in a courtly tone thanks to him.”

“Ohohoho, you and I are going to get along just fine,” Chrysalis purred, apparently utterly unaffected by the death threat. She’d probably transform, just to see if she was good on her word. Though that might make her father angry. “In any case…”

“Food’s ready y’all,” Applejack hollered as she walked into the room, pushing a cart that once the scents hit Megan’s nose, her mouth started to water.

Apple family cooking and Bon Bon cooking in the same room. Christopher was certain that nopony was ready for this.

“Girls,” Christopher called to Megan’s kids. “Remember this day. It was the day when your taste buds got a taste for what a truly talented pony can do in the kitchen.”

“...We dun hafta eat oats and grass do we?” Becky asked aloud as every pony in her room turned to look at her.

“Oh you silly girl,” Christopher chuckled. “Applejack? Mind spoiling the tots?”

“With pleasure,” Applejack said, trying to ignore the look she was getting from Megan as she pulled the covers off of the trays, showing off a pile of delectable apple dishes. “This here is fer dessert. Fresh apple pie with whipped cream and sugar-cinnamon.

“Oooohhhhh~” the two children said as Bon Bon and Rarity walked in, setting down their own dishes.

“And the main course,” Bon Bon said. “For the humans… and thestral of our party, Chicken alfredo and grilled vegetables. For everypony else, we have the same, minus the… meaty supplements.”

“You spoil me, Bon,” Christopher said, holding a hand to his heart. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Likely suffer from subpar foods… or outright starve to death,” she giggled as she leaned across and kissed him lightly on the lips, earning a gagging noise from Becky and a cute coo from Stacy.

“I’d make it a few days at least,” Chris countered.

“Mhm…” She looked at Megan and chuckled. “I have to precook dinners when I'm not around. He simply refuses to eat anything else these days.”

“Lies and slander,” Chris huffed, crossing his arms and looking away with a small pout.

“Oh dear,” Megan chuckled, before looking over to her girls. “Now remember girls, we can’t come over here all the time, so enjoy it, but don’t—”

Her girls were simply sitting there, mouths ajar and eyes wide, holding forks that had food on them. They'd glimpsed the face of the kitchen God. And she was a little cream candy mare.

“Well, you’ve broken them,” Megan sighed. “Guess you get to keep them now.”

“Eh… I'm getting used to collecting children under Christopher’s name,” Bon Bon chuckled as the children snapped out of their euphoric state and started on the meal like ravenous wolves.

“I am not that bad,” Christopher replied, eating his meal at a more sedate pace.

“Celestia. Luna. Artemis. Pupal. Chrysalis. Nightmare. Realm and the Kirin I'm pregnant with, plus the thestral foal of Midnight’s,” Bon Bon pointed out helpfully.

“You left out Neptune and Pyroclastia,” Celestia pointed out as well. “As well as Gelgeth and Yggdrasil.”

“My apologies,” Bon Bon bowed her head and smirked at Chris. “Oh, and that random Harpy mare you knocked up the other day.”

Celestia coughed and spluttered, before looking at Chris with a raised eyebrow that screamed ‘Really!?’

“Are we sure I’m in the right world?” Megan asked. “The Chris I knew was more focused on raising Cel and Lu right and fighting off the horrors than adopting kids into his life.”

“Oh… it appears that I corrupted him quite thoroughly,” Bon Bin giggled.

Megan finally bit into her own dinner and her eyes widened at the taste. “No wonder,” she said after swallowing her mouthful. “I can’t imagine he could say no to you for anything.”

“He's pretty whipped,” Rainbow mused and nuzzled him. “But he's alright.”

“So what about you hmm?” Midnight hummed having appeared out of nowhere next to Megan.

“Mmm,” the female human mused around her next bite of dinner. Once that had been processed, she answered the question. “I spent the first few years after the connection died trying to rationalize everything that had happened over in Ponyland. Eventually I started writing stories about my experiences, to start working through them...and some big-shot in a toy company got wind of what I was writing, so he brought me on to write more. I haven’t written a lot in the last few years, been mostly focused on raising my family right. Mike was the first one who didn’t call me crazy for writing the things I did with such attention to detail...nor does he think I’m mad for knowing my time here was real. Still...I think I can go back with some...new inspiration.”

“Well I've made up my mind!” Stacy nodded, her plate licked clean. “I'm gonna write a paper on ponies!”

“Stacy, how do you think that’s going to go over back home?” Megan chided her. “They probably wouldn’t believe you.”

“Didn't stop you now did it?” the young girl snarked back.

“Because I marketed it as a fiction, and they paid well for a story they could sell toys to,” Megan countered. “If you try to sell it as fact for your school...that would lead to questions.”

“Ooooor, I could research the history and lore of this place and write things targeting an older audience,” Stacy hummed. “I know you watered down the badguys in your stories.”

Christopher perked up at that, and Megan pointed her fork at him. “No,” she said sternly. “Absolutely not. If I find you told her about the villains you had to slay, I will shoot you until you stop regenerating. If I find you told her about Grogar, I’ll find a way to haunt your dreams so you never rest peacefully again.”

“Who's Grogar?” Stacy piped up, having heard every word of that. Her eyes shining with excitement.

“I already said no,” Megan put her foot down. “I am not letting you give yourself nightmares over the sorts of things Christopher had to face.”

“Seriously mom?” Stacy quirked an eyebrow. “I'm studying for college. I'm not some little kid anymore!”

“You will always be my little girl, and our world doesn’t have someone who looks after dreams,” Megan replied. “Last I knew, Chris had killed the Sandman, but hadn’t passed the essence of Dreams on to someone else…”

Luna decided to clear her throat loudly at that moment. Megan turned to look at her with a raised brow.

“Oh?” she asked. “I thought you could only be one at a time.”

“Dreams didn’t fight being put into her, something about their realms being compatible,” Chris explained. “Took her about a week to get used to the abilities, though.”

“Yes well, that's all in the past now,” Luna sighed and shook her head as Becky played with her starry tail. “The Aspect of Dreams has a new host now.”

“Eeesh,” Megan winced. “Still, our home has nobody to watch their dreams, so no,” she turned back to Stacy. “You are not asking Christopher about the sorts of things he had to fight.”

“Oh come on!” Stacy pouted and stomped her foot. “You saw this stuff when you were Becky’s age!”

“And it’s only because Chris was there to keep me safe whenever we encountered a fiend that I survived to have you two,” Megan replied. “Granted, I didn’t like him at the time, but my role was to try and talk them around, to use my words and bravery to fix the situation. He was much more…”

“‘Apply sword to face?’” Chris finished for her.

“Yes, that,” Megan nodded in thanks. “Looking back, I was foolish when I was younger. And I am not going to expose my children to that sort of horror if I can stop it.”

“You just threatened the bug pony with a magnum!” Stacy almost yelled.

“And she's lucky she's Daddy's friend,” Chrysalis said. “Also for the record, I'm a Changeling. And a Queen at that.”

“Yes well when you start trying to mimic my girls, I tend to respond violently,” Megan replied. “Especially when you consider that this is Ponyland, where horrors crept out of the treeline every other week.” She sighed as she got up from her spot and walked over to where Stacy and Becky were sitting at the table, holding them close in a hug. “I just want you two to be safe,” she murmured. “Back home, I could keep you...mostly safe from all the known threats. But here...there are literal monsters just waiting to be discovered by some fool adventurer. I don’t want that to be you.”

“Actually,” Celestia raised a hoof. “One, this world is called Equus now. And this nation is Equestria. And two, it's relatively safe… sans the Everfree Forest and Dragon Lands.”

“Not helping,” Megan muttered. “I…” she sighed as she stood up and looked at Celestia. “Can you actually promise me that they’d be just as safe as any of your ponies?” she questioned with steel in her voice.

“How about I assign a guard to them?” Celestia said. “Midnight Song here is one of my finest. She can go hoof to hoof with Christopher at his peak for a few moments. And I'll assign my personal maid to look after their health and wellbeing. They'll not want for anything while here.”

Megan considered it for a moment before sighing and sagging slightly. “It’s not enough,” she muttered. “I don’t think anything would be. But I guess it’s as good as we can ask for.”

“Just take it easy mom,” Stacy pat her back. “Seriously. It's like you're expecting the apocalypse to drop from the sky. What's the worst that could happen?”

“Well fortunately, we just had a small apocalypse happen here,” Chris dryly noted. “Otherwise I’d be afraid to find out.”

Chrysalis stared at him flatly. “Oh sure, stage a city wide invasion to help a father out and you get nothing but flak for it.” She looked at the girls and sighed. “Take note, impressing parents is impossible.”

“Noted,” Stacy chuckled.

“I’m not saying I don’t appreciate it, Chryssy, but you did sort of...destroy most of the city in a hail of green fire,” Chris pointed out.

“Yup, that qualifies,” Megan agreed.

“And how many ponies were even remotely injured?” Chrysalis said. “You don't count and Midnight started that fight.”

“And you’re only alive because Aspect says I should believe your word,” the thestral hissed aggressively.

“Ladies,” Chris held up a hand to them both, keeping them separate with his own body. “Okay, I think that’s enough after-dinner talk for right now,” he suggested.

“For the record, the answer is none,” Chrys said as Applejack divided up the pies she made.

“Okay everypony, eat up,” she said, blinking at the looks Megan was giving her but said nothing.

“Oh boy,” Chris chuckled as he pulled his thestral mare back over to her own seat. “If you all thought the food was good, then the dessert is going to blow you away.”

“Applejack did make the best pies in Dream Valley,” Megan mused.

“The recipe has only gotten better with age,” Chris promised.

“I think y’all are blowin’ this a lil outta proportion ain’t ya?” Applejack rolled her eyes as she finished passing the desserts around.

“No, no I’m not,” Chris replied simply. “Megan you might want to think twice before you pick up that for—”

Rainbow covered his mouth with a hoof. “Shhh! You’ll ruin it.” She said with barely contained glee.

Chris muttered something that was muffled by the hoof over his mouth. Megan raised an eyebrow at the almost finished warning, before picking up a fork and putting a little of the pie on it. “Girls, remember, only eat it if I determine it’s safe,” she said, before popping the first bit of pie in her mouth.

“Now look here,” Applejack frowned. “If y’all are insinuatin’ that mah food ain’t safe ta eat, Y’all can jus’—”

Megan let out a whimper as she tasted the pie, her eyes watering from joy.

“Are… are you crying?” Stacy blinked slowly and looked warily at the pie. For Megan, not only was the pie delicious, the sheer nostalgia it brought back, along with the near perfect doppelganger that served it…

“It’s...it’s too good,” Megan whimpered. “It’s...it’s better than the one I taught the Applejack of Dream Valley how to make. How is it better?”

“Two thousand years of Apples being the best at what they do will do that,” Celestia chuckled. “You think that’s good? Wait until you try their Zap Apples.”

“Speakin of, that season’s gettin’ close,” Applejack nodded and looked at Chris. “Y’all are in fer quite a treat with that one~”

“That’s new to me,” Chris noted, having finally pried Rainbow’s hoof off his mouth. “In any case, girls, if you’re ready to have every other sweet spoiled for you…”

Stacy rolled her eyes. “Pfft, it can’t be that—”

“I can see flavours~” Becky moaned as she immediately dove facefirst into the pie.

“...did you put LSD or something in it?” Stacy quirked an eyebrow.

“Earth Pony cooking needs no drugs,” Chris said solemnly. “It is just that good.”

“...huh,” Stacy took a bite and hummed. “Ay, it’s not bad. Pretty good actually.”

Chris raised an eyebrow at that. ‘Pretty good’? Just what had this kid eaten?

“Just not overly fond of sweets is all,” Stacy said with a shrug. “Like cake, I usually only eat it on my birthday.”

Celestia dropped her fork, eyes wide.

“Oh boy,” Chris chuckled. “Ponies here love sweet things,” he explained. “It’s an edible artform to them.”

“I thought ponies eated grass and oats,” Becky piped up. “And unicorns eat stars and poop rainbows.”

Every horned pony in the room paused and stared at the child… then at the mother.

“Well it’s not like I could provide any real examples of unicorns to debunk her earlier thoughts,” Megan pointed out. “Though, Becky, do take note that they all have a slice of pie.”

“Huh…” Becky shrugged and resumed destroying her own dessert.

“That said,” Celestia cleared her throat. “If you do intend to stay here, I’d recommend going to Ponyville. Canterlot is going to be under repair for some time.”

“Ponyville. Canterlot…?” Stacy groaned and put a hand to her head. “The puns… they hurt.”

“How do you think I felt when I came back and learned that they’d all been named like that?” Chris grumbled. “Seriously Tia? Do you just have a fondness for puns that you never told anyone about?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Celestia whistled innocently as Luna sighed and applied her hoof to her face.

“Of course not,” Chris grumbled. “Well,” he turned to Megan. “The town’s going to be under reconstruction for some time,” he explained. “The castle got off...okay, I suppose. And there’s always the archives. But if you’d actually like a better place to explore in the meantime, we could always move the mirror to Ponyville once you’re all home.”

“Let’s do it!” Stacy begged, clapping her hands together. “Pleeeeaaaassssseeeeee!”

Becky soon joined in on the endless pleading, now in stereo surround sound. And for some reason, Pinkie Pie.

“Oh for the love of- Fine!” Megan grumbled. “You can move the mirror tonight, when we’re all in bed. Because some girls have school tomorrow.”

“Awwwwwwwww…” they pouted together, and Pinkie again.

“Don’t you pull that out on me,” Megan pointed a finger at them. “I am not going to just let you explore a whole new world without supervision and abandon your schooling! You all want to have a healthy life back home, right?”

“I want a unicorn!” Becky said firmly, hugging Twilight close. The mare simply looked to anypony for assistance.

“Bad, very bad Becky,” Megan scolded her. “Unicorns are people too. You don’t own people.”

“Can I be her friend? An’ take her to school an brush her pretty mane an—”

“Becky!” Megan cut her off. “She has a life here. You can visit, but you can’t take her from it. Understand?”

“It’s alright,” Twilight smiled and nuzzled her. “Honestly, I’d love to see the human world. It must be absolutely amazing!”

“It’s not as nice as this world,” Megan warned her. “We’ve...had our scrapes with a few things in the past, so new things like unicorns would typically be ‘contained on sight.’”

“Aww,” Twilight pouted and sighed. “That's disappointing.”

“They could try, nopony can catch me!” Rainbow said smugly.

“Helicopters,” Megan and Chris answered in unison. “And jets,” the female of the pair added. “Frankly, they would be able to track anything new once it started making waves. My home would suddenly see a lot of men in black suits trying to contain us.”

“Yes, I'm afraid you must not go there Twilight,” Celestia said. “Their world also has no magic from what I remember. So you would be defenseless.”

Twi shuddered at that one.

“Anyhow,” Celestia smiled. “We have reunited with old friends once again. This is reason to celebrate…”

Pinkie started to vibrate.

“On the weekend,” Tia finished and Pinkie deflated. “I trust that's acceptable Meg?”

“Ehh...I don’t have any other pressing concerns at the moment,” Megan replied. “And hey, you never know. You never tested to see if Earth could have magic. After all, Firefly created the Rainbow Connection on Earth somehow.” She pursed her lips suddenly and looked at Christopher. “Oh, by the way. I found your family.”

“Oh?” the human’s eyes widened. “Oh. Yeah...I suppose they...would be worried about me, wouldn’t they?”

“It’s been twenty-some years, Chris,” she chided him. “I don’t know what happened to your brother, but at least I found—”

“Brother?” Chris asked with a furrowed brow. “I don’t have a brother.”

“Really?” Megan asked with a raised eyebrow of her own. “His name was Daniel, you were camping together for the weekend, you both just vanished…”

Luna and Celestia in particular stared at the human male. That said, he was getting looks from his mares too.

“I honestly don’t remember any brother in my life,” Chris said, holding up his hands defensively. “It’s just been me as far as I can tell.”

“Look. It has been an eventful week,” Celestia said. “Let's all call it for the night and discuss it once things calm down.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Chris nodded. “Brother…” he muttered to himself before shaking his head. “Nope...not ringing a bell.”

“Apologies,” Celestia said to Megan. “Father's been through quite a bit recently. Perhaps another time.”

“It’s fine,” Megan replied. “Girls, find your things,” she told Becky and Stacy. “We’re going home for the night. Maybe tomorrow after school you can explore, it’ll be the weekend then.”

“YAAAAAAY!” Came a chorus of cheers as they grabbed their bags.

“Thank you for the dinner, Cel, it’s been lovely,” Megan replied, doing her best to bow without seeming too deferential. “But we do have lives on the other side of the mirror to attend to. We can’t stick around.”

“I'll see about lining up the time difference,” Celestia said. “Else a few hours for you would be months for us.”

“Well if we go back and a few hours have passed, I’d call it lined up already,” Megan pointed out. “But if only a few minutes have, then clearly I’ll have to hop back in and tell you.”

“Hmm, well we shall see,” Celestia chuckled as she hugged the woman. “I'm still overjoyed to see you again old friend.”

“At least you’re still around to tease,” Megan replied. “I still have your foal pictures back home, you know~”

“You wouldn't dare!” Celestia gasped in mock shock.

“Maybe in a few days, once the mirror is moved and you wouldn’t be able to stop me,” Megan replied with a grin that would have suited a Cheshire Cat.

“Oh Lulu~” Tia sang. “Meg says she wants a biiiig goodbye hug!”

“Ack, no, my ribs can’t take a second time!” Megan warded the lunar alicorn off with an arm.

Luna just laughed as she scooped the human up into a normal strength embrace.

And it clicked to Megan… on just how much she'd missed this.

She sighed as she returned the hug, relaxing for a moment. Part of her felt vindicated that she actually might have proof that she wasn’t crazy, all those years ago.

The rest of her...felt like she was home at long last.

Author's Notes:

And here's the character I wanted to introduce!

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