"Wow, it's been almost two months since I got a chance to speak to Twilight," Spike said, shifting in his seat as the Friendship Express cleared the tunnel and approached the final few miles to Canterlot, "time does fly by!"

The girls chuckled.

"Ah'm just glad you're not feeling lonely, Spike," Applejack said.

"Nah, I get to spend time with all of you, and assisting Cheerilee has been fun." He sighed, drooping up a little. "But I really miss her. And I know you've told me that she's okay, but…" he looked up at the others, opening his claws helplessly. "W-what if she needs a new checklist? Or they run out of quills? Or nopony makes her her favorite hay fries? What if she finds a new assistant?"

"Oh, Spike," Fluttershy gave the little dragon a hug. "Twilight could never replace you."

Spike hugged her back. "Thanks." He perked up a little. "Well, at least I get to write to her this time!"

"Princess Celestia wasn't very forthcoming with why the sudden urgency," Rarity said, "She did say Twilight was okay but… well…"

"Oh, come on, this is Twilight we're talking about," Spike said. "I'm sure she's probably panicking about something and she needs her friends for help," he paused. "Speaking of which, hasn't she made any? The last I heard was that Sunset was taking care of her but… what?"

His friends had all fallen silent, and kept giving each other sad, cringy looks. They were hiding something from him.

Spike narrowed his eyes. "Girls? What's going on?"

"Oh, Spike," Fluttershy said, shaking her head. "A lot of Twilight's friends… they… are not there anymore."

Spike blinked. "They left?"

Rainbow Dash grimaced from where she was lying down and looked at the dragon. "No."

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity spoke up, surprised. "Are you sure that's a good—"

"It is," Fluttershy interrupted, surprising everyone. "He should know."

"Um, girls? Know what?" Spike looked around at the now-depressed group and centered his attention on Fluttershy.

"You see Spike… you remember that Twilight and Sunset are in a world that is at war, right?"

"Well, yes!" Spike smirked confidently. "It's dangerous, but if my comics have taught me something is that the good guys always win!"

Fluttershy shook her head. "It's not a comic, Spike."

The smile disappeared. "What?"

"Most of the rookie squad that Twilight was a part of was betrayed and killed," Rainbow Dash stated bitterly. "And she saw it happen."

Spike fell back on his butt, staring blankly into space. "Oh."

"But she's okay," Fluttershy assured him quickly. "And even though she was captured, Sunset rescued her."

"But not all is lost!" Pinkie then spoke up. "We know that there's a Rainbow Dash there, right? Maybe Twilight got lucky and found the rest of us!" her frown turned upside down, she started bouncing. "Maybe that's why they want us to talk to Twilight! Maybe she wants to compare notes!"

"Ah don't think that's the case…" Applejack muttered.

"Oh, come on, AJ!" Pinke slid up to her. "Can you imagine?! The other you is probably going to organize a rodeo…"

"Pinkie…"

"And then, Rarity can decorate a room… didn't she say that the ship they're in is huge?" the pink pony wrapped her foreleg around her friend. "I'm sure your other you could set it up…" she imitated Rarity's accent, "fabulous!"

"Pinkie…" Applejack insisted, "just drop it."

"And of course their Rainbow Dash could do an air show, if she's as good as our Dashie!"

"Pinkie, Ah'm telling you to stop this."

The others glanced from Applejack, who had stood up and was looking rather exasperated, to Pinkie who ignored her.

Pinkie bounced to the middle of the room. "I—well, the other me will bring out the bestest cakes and cupcakes in the whooooole world! And all of them can celebrate!"

"Fluttershy can bring her bird friends too!" Pinkie hopped up and down, eyes wide. "Oh! That's what I'll write her! Let's tell her to find the other us and make a huge party!"

"Don't you dare write that!" Applejack snapped, drawing attention to herself. Suddenly regretting her outburst, she cringed and looked away. "Don't say stuff like that."

"Aww, why not?" Pinkie asked. "Sure, they're older than her, but they can still be friends right? And no matter where we are, or what version of us it is, we'll always be Twilight's besties!"

The girls laughed, all but Applejack who turned around.

"Why the frowny face, Applejack?!" Pinkie asked. "Come on! If she finds them all maybe we can all meet one day!"

"That won't happen."

The statement quieted everypony down, and they watched the increasingly annoyed Applejack with some worry.

"Don't be a grumpy pony!" Pinkie said. "I bet you and Otherjack can have an apple pie baking competition!"

"Pinkie, please drop it, we can't do that."

"Aww, I'm sure they'll both be delicious! Oooh!" Pinkie's smile grew even wider. "I bet I and me can have an awesome cake fight! CAKE FIGHT!"

"We can't, alright?"

"Why not?!" Pinkie, elbowed Applejack, making her grit her teeth. "Are you afraid you'll lose at the baking competition? Or is it because—"

"It's because we're dead!" Applejack shouted, facing Pinkie snout to snout. Immediately her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with her hoof, but she was too late.

"Dead?" Spike asked.

"I'm not… dead," Rainbow Dash said. "The princess read that letter from Twilight."

Applejack looked down and sighed. "Ah spoke to the other you."

Rainbow Dash blinked. "What."

"Ah… gosh darn it…" Applejack sat down and took a deep breath. "This one day when we were at the castle, Ah got a call from Princess Celestia. She met me at my room and teleported the both of us to her study. She gave me Sunset's Diary and… Twilight had asked for me. She had left a message there… explaining that Rainbow Dash was torturing herself because… because Ah had died a long time ago there."

The others exchanged worried glances.

"So, we talked," Applejack said, "because Rainbow Dash had cut all contact with us and our sisters." She licked her lips. "She was afraid to face Apple Bloom… and tell her what had happened to me." She grimaced. "Rainbow Dash… and Ah mean their Rainbow Dash, told me that only she, Rarity and Fluttershy were still alive."

"Why… didn't you tell us?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack sighed. "Twilight made me promise not to say anything. All Ah know is that Rarity is working for the enemy—"

The others gasped.

"That Fluttershy is the leader of a rebel settlement, and that Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are still friends."

"Nothing about their Twilight?" Spike asked. "Or their… um… me?"

Applejack shook her head. "They never met Twilight there, although Rainbow Dash said she had seemed familiar."

"I...see," Rarity said, looking down sadly, "I suppose it was inevitable that our worlds would be so different."

A hoof slammed on the floor, making them all look up.

Pinke stood in the middle, her eyes hard, her expression serious. "Girls. And Spike. This only means one thing."

The others exchanged baffled glances.

"Um, what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It means we have to be extra, super-duper supportive of Twilight!" She walked up and down the car. "It means that Twilight might have some friends left, but she needs us more than ever!"

"She needs to know we're all waiting for her," Fluttershy said with a calm smile.

"And that we'll always have her back!" Rainbow Dash added.

"And that we'll do everything in our power to bring her back," Rarity said, nodding.

"And that we always think of her," Spike added. "And that we can't wait for her to get back!"

"And we'll be waiting… with the biggest, most amazing, most awesomest party ever!" Pinkie declared. She turned her glare to Applejack. "Are you with me?!"

Applejack blinked in surprise, then gave Pinkie a solid smile and pulled her into a hug. "Hay, Pinkie Pie, Ah'm with y'all… all the way."

"And next time," Pinkie said, returning the hug, "Don't keep secrets from us, okay? You're really bad at it."

Applejack could only nod.

"Well," Rarity said. "This gives us a lot to think about, I suppose." She shook her head. "Heavens know that I have much more to say to Twilight next time I get the chance."

"We all do," Applejack said, drawing Rarity into the hug. "We all do."