//------------------------------// // The best revenge is a life well lived... With you. // Story: Across the Shimmerverse // by DapperLilArts //------------------------------// The best revenge is a life well lived... With you. Sunset Shimmer wasn’t exactly known for her patience, and neither was Starlight Glimmer. It certainly was peculiar that in this bizarre trio, Trixie Lulamoon was the one that was usually the calmest. Their lair was this surprisingly gorgeous cave– The rent was relatively cheap, for three failed evildoers without many sources of income, and lucky for them their landlord was not a snitch, nor someone who cared about what they did with their time. And once again, surprisingly, Trixie was the most monetarily successful one of the bunch– And she didn’t even always live and sleep here– Not that the other two wouldn’t resort to petty theft for their basic necessities. It was a day like any other. Starlight was attempting to formulate their next plan, Trixie was questionably paying attention, while Sunset, looking at the pool of water that crossed their cave/home, wondered just how her life got to be this utterly frustrating. Starlight, nerve wracked, and yet, determined, studied schematics, notes and pictures. “Ugh, this wouldn’t work either; she already beat us when we tried something similar– I’ve been thinking– Maybe we should try to blow up her castle? Trixie, can you get us some explosives?” With a decisive nod, Trixie giggled. “Not stable ones!” “That wasn’t a no. I’ll take it.” The Unicorn let out an exhale, while she looked at the very amateurish and hastingly drawn schematic of the Princess’s castle. Sighing, finally turning away from her reflection, Sunset decided to address the planner. “Call me crazy but I don’t think petty vandalism through the form of unstable explosives is gonna get us very far with our Princess problem. Twilight’s smart enough to cast defensive spells– And I doubt our capability of sneaking in her castle– Regardless of how pointlessly huge and usually empty it is.” Eyes twitching, blowing air from her nostrils, Starlight stomped a hoof on the table, not making much noise. “I don’t see YOU making a plan, leather jacket!! You’ve been sulking all day, if you’re gonna sit around and judge, give us some suggestions at least?!” Narrowing her eyes, Sunset wasn’t even the least intimidated. “Don’t take that tone with me, tiny– Without me you two idiots would be rotting in a Canterlot prison right now. And reminder that all your plans have had a zero percent success rate, otherwise Twilight would have been beaten long ago.” “Excuse me?! So have YOURS! I’m the boss here! Show me some respect!!” The angry Unicorn huffed. “Earn it.” Sunset snarled through gritted teeth. Before the situation escalated any further, Trixie stepped in between the two, with a nervous smile. “Girls! Girls, you’re both very pretty and evil– Can we get back on track maybe? Let’s dial it back a lot, please! The Great and Powerful™ Trixie suggests we take a quick break! Snack time, whaddaya say?” Neither of the other two unicorns had objections to it, quickly exhaling, even while maintaining the usual stink eye towards each other. Each of them picked up respective snacks for their break, from fruits to sweets, mostly things they had stolen. While chewing, Trixie regarded the leather jacket-clad Unicorn, and her forlorn demeanor, and as expected, approached her curiosity with no decorum. “Sunset, why have you been pouting all day? You seem to be extra broody and grumpy, and that’s saying something.” The Unicorn had a mouth too full to immediately bite back, so she remained, for a few seconds, chewing. Those seconds were enough to cool her off of the anger of the magician prodding on her life. “Didn’t sleep well today.” Was all she could muster to say, and it wasn’t a lie. “Hmm, yes, Starlight’s snores are indeed hard to endure.” Trixie pensively nodded, while chewing on cookies. “Hey!!! At least I don’t practice shows in my sleep!!” the Unicorn was genuinely insulted, not even pointlessly angry over the statement. “You’re always going on about being great and powerful in your dreams, it's just annoying–” “I am always at the stage, Glimmer! Awake or asleep, I must hone my craft!!” She did an overdramatic flap of her cape, and a tilt of her wizard hat. “I dreamt about Celestia today.” Sunset said plainly– It just came out. She wasn’t planning on going into detail, but that needed to be said. Something needed to be said. Anything. A hush fell on the table, with the other two unicorns regarding her with a knowing look of pity. The dream had been good. A memory of her younger life, the good days of being Celestia’s apprentice. Days gone, for a long time now. That’s what made the sleep restless. Sunset quietly took a sip of water, looking back at the two, saying nothing. With a nod, Starlight professed victory. “...Don’t worry. Once we clip Twilight’s wings, she’s next. You’ll get your payback.” “Hm. Wouldn’t that be something.” Absentmindedly, she regarded the pool of water behind her again, seeing her morphed reflection. A brief silence, before Trixie, still chewing on cookies, interjected. “I got an idea. Bears.” Starlight couldn’t help but snort. “Um. elaborate?” “Oh that’s all. Bears.” Trixie affirmed. Shaking her head, but smiling, Sunset disregarded it. “Whatever you’re thinking wouldn’t work. Fluttershy would easily–” But then, and interruption. With a flash, The Princess of Valor appeared out of thin air, falling and crashing through the table; dropping a teacup on the floor, not only shattering it but spilling its contents all over the scattered papers. “Shoot! Sorry, I was drinking tea in the last universe–” She began to apologize, but then stopped. With a quick study of her surroundings, she spotted multiple objects of interest. First of all, the three unicorns. Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie Lulamoon. All three, in the same place. “Ugh, this can’t be good…” Second of all, multiple papers, plans, schematics and even maps of Ponyville scattered all over, including pictures of the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. A full conspiracy board, including one with a few darts stuck to a picture of Twilight smiling. “Ugh. Are you kidding me?” And finally, the location. “Are we… Are we in Maud’s cave?” She tilted her head. “What the fuck are you?!!!” Her other self desperately and very confusedly asked. And of course, not just her, but Starlight shouted some confused profanities, while Trixie complained. “I don’t know who or what the fuck you are but STOP walking over our schematics!!” Starlight commanded. “AND OUR COOKIES!!” Trixie pleaded. The Princess turned to her other self, with an eyebrow raised, and Sunset was stunned. It was her, but taller, stronger, with wings. It was bizarre. A reflection she had never seen. “A-are you a changeling?! A trick?! An illusion?!!” With a quick inspection of her other self, the Princess of Valor spoke. “I’m you from another universe, dumbass. PLEASE don’t tell me you three knuckleheads formed some sort of alliance to try to usurp Twilight or something.” Her other self did not respond– Trixie had the honor. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has two wonderful assistants that aid her again and again in the eternal battle against her nemesis, Twilight Sparkle!!” Starlight quickly nudged her in annoyance. “H-hey! I’m the boss!” And then her attention turned to the Alicorn. She lit her horn, and stepped forward. “I don’t know who or what you are, wearing Sunset’s face. But you better explain yourself right now–” “--I told you, I’m Sunset Shimmer from another universe– clearly one that I’m doing better in, if you’re all stuck together at your worst. I’m fucking married, by the way.” Rolling her eyes, her other self scoffed. “Hah. What, are you married to Flash?” Eyes widened with a mix of anger and concern, the Alicorn stared her down. “NO dumbass, I'm married to Twilight Sparkle!!!” “W-what?!” That shut her other self up immediately, with the sudden realization that she was married to her nemesis in another dimension. Trixie gasped and mocked her immediately. “Oooooohhhh~” “Shut up, Trixie!” Both Sunsets said in unison. “HEY!” Starlight attempted to command the room again, lighting her horn. “Don’t ignore me, intruder!! You’re not welcome here– And Twilight Sparkle is a pathetic twerp that is our ENEMY!! Now explain just what you’re doing here, or I’ll blast you into–” She stopped, as soon as the Alicorn turned. the Princess's glare and demeanor interrupted her instantly. Fully facing Starlight, Sunset raised her wings and spoke in a tone that cut swiftly. “You point your horn at a Valkyrie, you best be ready to kill. Starlight, I’ve had a pretty fucking long day, I’m NOT in the mood for your shit– So point that horn somewhere else, or I’ll break it off and shove it up your ass.” The Unicorn paused immediately, reconsidering picking a fight with an Alicorn, one that continued talking, much to her dismay. “Now, I’d rather lecture you than maim you. So be a good girl and sit.” And embarrassingly enough, Starlight obeyed, face getting red with the humiliation. Once again, Trixie mocked. “Oooooohhh~” “Shut up, Trix…” Starlight muttered in shame. Rubbing her temples, the Princess attempted to calm her nerves. “Ugh, you warned me that you were a little shit before Twilight fixed you– I assumed you were exaggerating…!” She muttered in frustration, shaking her head. Trixie, unaware that she was playing with fire, waved her hooves dismissively at the Alicorn, in a teasing tone. “Soooo, what are you, a Sunset Shimmer that didn’t mess up being Celestia’s pupil? You look great. Congrats.” Her other self, recovering from a fluster, shaked her head dismissively. “No, she’s a Sunset Shimmer that won through nepotism. A gold digger. She married Twilight to be a Princess.” That elicited an instant angry reaction from the Alicorn, who pinned her on the ground violently, snarling. And with that physical contact, she showed her a quick burst of memories of her past. You better pay attention. You better look closely. Because I failed. Again, and again, I failed. I even pursued revenge, unlike you, alone. And I failed. And somehow, Twilight still forgave me. And somehow, Twilight still helped me. I am what I am now because after unending failures, I kept trying. And I tried to be better for her. What you’re looking at right now, is a long, nearly unending list of failures, that with unyielding determination transformed into a success. And now I can raise the sun. Breathing heavily, her other self started to sweat. She had now seen just how much her failures could have turned into successes, if she had only been on the right side. Even just a fraction of what she had seen demonstrated so openly how much time she wasted. “See?” The Alicorn stared her down, almost snarling “W-what did you just do to me?!” “Do you see?!!!”  She asked, pressing her down even further. “Y-yes!” Her other self affirmed, still in shock. “Good.” The Princess of Valor let her go, watching her other self recover. “Now you know not just what you could have been, but what you can be.” Then she turned to the other two, who watched in confusion. “So you two are an item in this universe too, huh? I guess some good things are constants, at least. Even if you’re both still evil.” The two unicorns regarded each other with strange looks. “Um. ‘Item’?” Starlight tilted her head. Trixie let out a scoff. “Oh please. The Great and Powerful Trixie is wayyyy out of her league.” Rolling her eyes, she smirked at Starlight, who looked profoundly offended. “Excuse me, are you implying you’re somehow a catch?! Look in the mirror, Trix! You’ve got FLEAS!” She tried arguing, but the Alicorn quickly brandished her wings, garnering their attention. “OKAY, as much as this is very funny to listen to, I’m on the clock here, so quiet, please! In one hour I’ll be blasted into the next universe, so listen up, time for a lecture–” But just then, another pony entered this section of the cave– One that the Alicorn was surprised to see. None less than Maud Pie, Pinkie Pie’s sister. In her classic monotone, she garnered their attention. “Hey can you four keep it down? Boulder is sleeping.” With a confused grimace, the Princess raised an eyebrow. “Maud?! So you just. Know these three live here?” Starlight blew raspberries, rolling her eyes. “She’s our landlord.” The Alicorn narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering just why Pinkie’s sister was comfortable living with three idiot villains.“What are you doing, Maud?” “Reading my favorite magazine, rock monthly– They have a wonderful new section on tectonic plates that has been profoundly informative and engaging. And geothermal vents are the new hotness, according to the cover…” “No no– I mean. Why are you housing these three knuckleheads– Why haven’t you told Twilight about this?” A single blink was all of a reaction from Maud. “Because I’m not a snitch.” She tilted her head. “Also the pay is good. Rock work isn’t always that monetarily viable, but this helps me pursue that passion without worrying about expenditures–” “Okay, I’ve heard enough.” shaking her head, the Alicorn turned to her other self, trying to actually be surprised that someone from Pinkie’s family would do something like this. The four were silent and surprised, or more adequately, surprised at Maud's lack of surprise. There was an Alicorn in front of her, and yet, she had no reaction. She then regarded the other Sunset, and addressed her. “Oh, and Sunset, if your hot big sister is going to live here, she’s gonna have to pay rent, just like you three.” Shaking her head in confusion, the Alicorn spoke up. “Oh, I'm not her sister, I’m Sunset from another universe– Wait. Did you just say I’m hot?! Are you– Maud, did you just flirt?!!!” Her jaw slacked in complete surprise. “Let me check.” Maud took a handful of quiet seconds to stare at Sunset, observing her from top to bottom, while standing motionlessly. “Yes.” Sunset, for a moment, was flabbergasted– She knew Maud in her own universe, since she herself was best friends with Pinkie Pie. And this Maud was flirting. “Oh, um, I’m married.” She tilted her head, containing her laughter, still reeling from the amusing confusion. “Oh well. Maybe in some other universe.” The smallest grin appeared in Maud’s lips, as she turned around and walked back to her section of the cave. For a single pointless second, Sunset Shimmer reconsidered and recontextualized past interactions she had with Maud. She was getting the hang of flying, with some difficulty. But even in failure, it was incredible. Sunset, having earned wings only a few weeks back, was still feeling an exhilaration with each flight. This really added a lot to her workout routine, and she could easily understand why Rainbow Dash spoke so highly of the exercise. And not just the workout, but also the attention training– With the passing days, she could notice more and more details on the ground, smaller things that moved by with this new advantageous perspective, and she felt her ears training to scan for calls from the ground much more efficiently. And just like that, she heard her friend Pinkie Pie calling to her– Though admittedly, Pinkie was pretty hard not to see or hear, if she wanted your attention. With one swift yet clumsy motion, she nearly dive bombed, pulling up at the last second, her hooves dragging on the floor as she attempted to break, and then, crashed against a bush. Smiling gleefully, she peeked out of it, ignoring any of the pain she might have felt from the rough landing, simply happy to have done another flight. “Hey Pink! Hey Maud! What’s up?” The two Pie sisters regarded her with their own manner of joy. Maud with an miniscule smile, and Pinkie, by bouncing with excitement. “HI SUNSUN!! Wow, you’re getting a hang of the flying thing! Is your leg feeling okay?” Hopping out of the bushes easily, Sunset moved one of her front legs, which had been broken weeks ago, this time with ease. “Never better! Not even sore anymore. I’m SO happy it’s finally healed so I can learn to fly. Why did you call me down, anyway?” Putting a friendly arm above Sunset’s shoulders, Pinkie smirked, pointing at her sister. “Juuuuuust hanging out with my sister Maud, remember her? Super cool rock-e-ologist? Isn’t she awesome? And super cool?” Maud stood silently, inspecting Sunset Shimmer from top to bottom. “Sure is!” Sunset affirmed, barely looking at her, still patting some of the leaves stuck on her feathers. “Hello, Sunset Shimmer.” Maud stated in her usual monotone demeanor. Pinkie herself was uncharacteristically quiet, looking at the two of them. “Heya, Maud. I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay in Ponyville!” The Alicorn tilted her head with a warm smile. Nodding furiously, Pinkie nudged her friend. “Oh yeah yeah! She loves it here!! It’s so nice for two ponies like you who’ve only recently entered Ponyville to bond, eh?” She let out a comical wink that Sunset did not catch on. The Alicorn chuckled slightly. “Recently? Hasn’t it been over a year since either of us came to live here?” Ignoring the two, or maybe being too distracted to hear them, Maud spoke, deadpan. “You look good. Have you been working out? You look good.” Finally free of the sticks that might have cluttered her mane from the fall, Sunset peeked at Pinkie, who was simply smiling quietly, while gazing at the two of them– But didn’t make much of it. “Thanks, yeah! For like, over a year now. Even before these wings! I think you’ve seen me jogging a couple times? Or maybe working on AJ’s farm?” “Oh, I've seen you.” The Earth Pony stated, in her usual tone, that hid whatever intentions or desire she might feel. Nodding, once again not seeing through the invisible undertones, Sunset smiled. “Sweet. Anyways, Twilight’s waiting for me, we’re still designing the new Community Center! We decided we’re gonna live in it; Just like Twilight’s old library, the one that exploded, heh. But we’ll get to make one that’s better than ever! Dating a Princess has some awesome perks, heheh.” Maud blinked. “You’re dating? Twilight Sparkle?” Blowing raspberries in amusement, Sunset nodded. “Yeah! Since I got these wings, didn’t you know? What rock have you been living under? Heh. Get it? Rock?” Maud nodded slowly with a small smile. “You’re so funny.” “Hahahahaha isn’t she?!” Pinkie let out giddy laughter. Smiling again, Sunset moved her wings in a comedic manner. “Oh here’s another: How did you not know that? Do you live in a cave? Get it, heh?” Pinkie laughed hysterically, while Maud simply smiled. “I get it. I live in a cave. It’s very funny.” “Your home is pretty awesome, I’d love to visit again someday!” With a smirk, Sunset turned and readied her wings. “Well, this has been great, but I don’t keep my girl waiting. Nice catching up! Let’s do it again sometime!” And just like that, she leapt into the air, and took flight, with some novice, yet efficient motions. “Let’s.” Maud stated, before looking at Pinkie, now that it was just the two of them. “Pinkie, why didn’t you tell me she was taken? I was practically throwing myself at her just now.” “Awww, I felt bad, I didn’t want you to think you had no chance!! You’re a knockout and your flirting skills are SO powerful!!” Her sister apologetically fidgeted. Shaking her head dismissively, Maud turned around. “And she’s even hotter with wings, too. I’m inconsolable. I need a drink or two. Let's go.” Trixie contained laughter. “That was flirting? Seriously? Maud’s neutral demeanor never ceases to amuse!!” Snapping out of it, Sunset blew raspberries. “Whatever.” Then she turned to the three Unicorns, all of which were enemies of her wife– Or at least were, in her universe. Even her. “Listen up, the three of you. Fighting Twilight Sparkle is a pointless waste of time– And not just that, but being her friend improves the lives of each of you immensely, you have no idea.” Blowing raspberries, Trixie was the first to dismiss it. “Oh please. Twilight the Twerp™ is full of it!! Bringing her down is a matter of justice! You wouldn’t get it cause you’re a softie Princess in your world or swagever.” She said as much with an incredibly confident smile. And then she tilted her head, mockingly. “If your universe is sooooo great, why are you here anyways?” “I don’t have a choice, dumba– I’ve been cursed, okay? But that doesn’t matter right now. Since I’ve got a bit of time, I’m trying to make some differences to the universes I come across. Let’s get back on topic; Twilight Sparkle is a good pony, the best pony, and you three are making a mistake by being her enemy!” Shaking her head, speaking in a tone that almost asked for permission, Starlight added her thoughts. “We’ve been fighting her for years– She’s our mortal enemy, and this only ends two ways. With us victorious, or us in the ground. And I'll be damned if I let that twerp beat me even ONE more time!! She’s NOT better than us!!” The other Sunset Shimmer was the quietest. She stared at the ground, still refocusing her breathing. “Even… Even if we gave in, she would never forgive us. We’d just rot in a cell somewhere in Canterlot. It’s too late.” Groaning, rolling her eyes, the Princess kept her composure. For a brief moment, she considered what her wife would say– Because the ‘Sunset Shimmer way’ would likely involve slapping these three idiots around until they listened to reason. “You don’t get it. She WILL forgive you, but it’s not just that– All the reasons you have to hate her are from a fundamentally wrong perspective. Starlight!” The Unicorn straightened her back when her name was called. “You formed a cult because your childhood best friend left– But guess what. After all of that, years later? After you tried being an evil shithead, and Twilight Sparkle helped you get better? Sunburst was the best man at your wedding!!” The Unicorn's eye twitched. “S-sunburst? I met him again?!” Nodding enthusiastically, the Alicorn approached her with a smile. “Yeah! Best man!! At your WEDDING!!” Quietly, Starlight stared at the floor, not believing it fully– But certainly considering it. “Trixie!” The magician was munching on a cookie she had fished out of the ground, but at least her attention was garnered, even if not fully. “All your distaste for Twilight only came from insecurities over your own lack of ability with magic– But once she helped you become good, you realized what makes YOUR talents special, you became super famous for your tricks! And you’re married!!” Blinking in confusion, Trixie nearly choked. “Wait, did I get to kiss a mare?!” “Weird that you focus on that but YES. You did!” Trixie’s jaw hung open and pieces of cookie fell on the ground. Then finally, the Alicorn turned to her other self. “Other me. Twilight is literally the best thing that ever happened to you. She humbled you– You need to see that for the gift that it is– The fact that she managed to be a better pupil to Celestia than you ever could demonstrates all that you lack, and all that she has. This isn’t something to hate– It’s a lesson! And DON’T try to convince yourself that her way is wrong– If it was, you three wouldn’t have been beaten, again, again, and again!! Once you learn what you’re truly capable of, all while being loved for what you are, when you can finally feel real, true pride and joy… you… You could become me!” The three unicorns were justifiably quiet. But finally, after a moment of thought, Sunset Shimmer shook her head. “Listen, other me– I don't know if what you’re saying is bullshit or not– Frankly, it sounds like it is– But even if it isn’t, just because it worked in your world, doesn’t mean it’ll work for us.” The other two nodded quietly, and Starlight was the only one that spoke. “Honestly I’m still not convinced this isn’t some sort of stupid dream or trick. For all we know, you could be just a shapeshifter, or some kind of illusion! A trick by Twilight, trying to make us into goody-two-shoes like her!!” Exhaling, the Princess shook her head. “Okay. Time for the big guns.” She motioned for the three of them to come closer, which they obeyed reluctantly. “What I’m about to show you is a memory– A memory of the day that the Starlight and Trixie of my world got married. Pay attention.” It was the day of the wedding. And since my wife– Well, back then, just girlfriend– was the one officiating it, I had a vested interest in making sure the wedding went off without a hitch. Unfortunately for me, Trixie was the one getting married.  Sunset Shimmer flew at the fastest speeds she could manage– As an Alicorn in training, she wasn’t entirely comfortable with her flight skills yet– But she already had come a long way. Regardless, she would not allow Trixie Lulamoon to ride on her back, so she simply dragged her through the air with levitation magic. “Are you KIDDING me, Trix?! Are you honestly telling me you thought bringing a WYVERN to your WEDDING was a good idea?!”  Trixie, who wore a very flamboyant tuxedo adorned with constellations, fitting for a wizard, which she was not, refused to admit fault. “How can you not see my genius!! This will make my wedding EPIC! Unforgettable! The greatest and powerfullest wedding of all time!! And when my wife slays the beast she will proclaim her love to me above a pile of its ashes–” “Your not-yet-WIFE is getting her hair DONE right now!! UGH, HANGON!!--” Sunset rolled her eyes, with the Wyvern in sight, and she picked up even more speed, the wind blowing savagely around them.  A Wyvern wasn’t anything I was scared of– But Starlight and Trixie were my friends, and not just that, my wife’s friends. I couldn’t let anything happen to them on a day so important.  The beast was getting dangerously close to Ponyville– She absolutely could not let any damage be done to the town. “--And did you think to ASK her, if she felt like fighting a beast on her wedding day?!” Sunset allowed herself only a second to give Trixie the stink eye. “Oh I don’t need to! Glimms always loves my surprises.” “I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT!!” Sometimes I think that Trixie rushed to propose to Starlight just so that she could beat me to proposing to Twilight– I wouldn’t put it past her, she still loves to antagonize Twi sometimes, for the fun of it. And I love being there to bite back. With a skillful corkscrew-like movement, Sunset spun from beneath and above the beast, hitting it with several explosive magical projectiles, resulting in the beast letting out a roar of anger and pain. “Sorry about this, Trix!” Sunset said with a smile, letting go of the levitation grasp she had on her, not before tossing her upwards. “GOING DOWN!” The Alicorn yelled, doing a flip above the Wyvern, which ended with her stomping on its head. She also ignored Trixie’s screams of terror, with her ascending and then rapidly descending. With one powerful magical channeling, the Princess increased gravity on the beast tenfold, and together, they crashed towards the ground. It wasn’t the first time that one of my fights caused a crater in the streets of Ponyville, but it wouldn't be the last. This time though, I’m happy to say the crisis was minimal. The beast was forced down by its head, and it slid violently on the dirt road of one of the streets of Ponyville, with Sunset riding it skillfully. As soon as they stopped, the Princess flipped to the floor, quickly analyzing the creature, ensuring it was indeed knocked out. The ponies around the town that had just observed Princess Sunset Shimmer kicking ass– An occurrence that was not strange to them–  Began cheering. And then she realized she was forgetting someone. Yeah, Trixie almost gets herself killed pretty often. I’d be lying if I said I dislike that about her, though. I always loved a reckless action or two. Trixie’s screams were fast approaching above her, and Sunset went “Oh.” With a mixture of teleportation and flight, she was quick to reach the falling magician, and upon doing so, stopped her fall with levitation. They both landed in front of the passed out Wyvern. Trixie looked like she had just been inside a dry washing machine– Her mane a mess, her suit even more so. For once, the magician was struggling to find words, after her dizzying drop. Always a surprise, seeing a speechless Trixie. But her wedding day was as good of a day as any for it. “Hey. You’re welcome.” Sunset said with a smirk, pointing at the defeated wyvern with a wing. “...Rarity’s gonna kill you when she sees how your suit ended up.” She said, inspecting the magician thoroughly. With a cough and a wheeze, Trixie regained her senses. “OUGH. See? Greatest and powerfulest wedding EVER!!” the ponies around her sure seemed to agree, with cheers of excitement coming from every direction. She certainly had a point, this day would be remembered not just as their marriage, but it would be nearly immortalized for the Wyvern attack– The first one in Ponyville. “That’s great, but you realize that this isn’t your wedding, right? We’re literally just in the plaza. Your wedding is over there.” the Alicorn stated, pointing with a wing to the other side of town. “Not to mention, it only starts in like— Three hours.” “I still count this as a win!! After all–” But she was interrupted by two ponies teleporting besides them, Starlight and Twilight. The former was with a very much unfinished hairdo, and a very much unfinished dress. The latter, with a significantly more finished hairdo and dress. And finally, another teleported in, adorned in a dapper suit. Sunburst, the best man. Twilight’s gaze immediately landed on her girlfriend. My heart fluttered– A wedding day, and the mare I loved, and they weren’t even related. I didn’t want to be a softie, but this day had been pretty good for me, purely on fantasizing me and her doing the same. “Oh my gosh, what happened?! Are you okay?!” The Princess of Friendship Stepped forward, inspecting her girlfriend, who shrugged. “Oh you know. Trixie wanted to spice up the wedding, and I did some chaperoning.”  Starlight, suppressing her anger, pouted at her soon-to-be-wife. “Trix, look at me. Is this the Manticore thing all over again?!” Laughing nervously and flustered at the sight of her soon-to-be-wife, Trixie stuttered. “Hiiiii Glimms, hahaha so h-here’s the thing um. Isn’t it bad luck for us to see each other before the wedding…?” Shaking her head with a fluster, Starlight came closer. “Unbelievable! I’m not letting you out of my sight!” She proceeded to levitate Trixie on an open axis, checking her for wounds, ensuring that she wasn’t hurt. “Glimms! I’m okay, I promise! As great and powerful™ as ever!!” “You are SO lucky you’re so cute. C’mhere.” She then proceeded to kiss her soon-to-be-wife, who was levitated upside down. Even I had to admit, those two were pretty damn cute sometimes. Sunburst, with an excited smile, hopped closer to the unconscious beast. “My goodness, a Wyvern, here? Trixie, how in Equestria did you manage to get this beast all the way to Ponyville?! They’re not native to anywhere near here!” Almost bragging, Trixie smiled smugly. “A magician never reveals her tricks!” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Be thankful this thing didn’t eat you in one bite, Trix.” With an exhale, Starlight then turned to Sunset, relieved. “Thank you so much for keeping her out of trouble, Sunset. Don’t worry, I'll take it from here!” “It was nothing!” The Alicorn responded with a smile, but was interrupted– Twilight was inspecting her and found something she didn’t like. There was a pretty large cut on Sunset’s flank. “Oh, no!! No no no…!” “Oh, shoot, I didn't even feel that…! I oughta get some armor, or something…” With some quick inspection, Sunset looked at one of the sets of claws in the Wyverns wings, still damp with her blood. Before she could say another thing, Twilight got really close. “D-don’t worry, I've got you. Hold still, please…” And with that, She channeled healing magic, one she had mastered at this point, knowing her girlfriend was no stranger to getting into scrapes. Not the first time she tended to my wounds– And certainly wouldn’t be the last. “H-hey, wait, Sparkles, don’t get blood on your dress!” But that fell on deaf ears, the Princess of Friendship made sure her work was done efficiently, wiping what remained of the now-healed-wound off with her own dress, with questionable results. With it, they met muzzle to muzzle, and Twilight shook her head, right before kissing her. “It’s your blood. I don’t mind.” That was the sort of line that absolutely worked on me. Can you blame me? “Look who’s having fun now? Best wedding ever, right?” Trixie gave her a wide grin, while still being held upside down. Giggling, Twilight addressed the bride with the unfinished hairdo. “Don’t worry, me and Sunsun will clean this up– Get back to the boutique, go get ready. We got this!” Starlight couldn’t contain herself, lunging forward and hugging Twilight tightly. “Thank you so much, Twi. for everything.” “First student privileges, hihi.” The princess of Friendship giggled some more at the inside joke they had.  Twilight always had been a great teacher. And with her, Starlight, you thrived. Your happiness was contagious. And of course, it spread to you too, Trixie. I could see in your faces, every day we saw each other. Sunburst chuckled, before giving advice. “Make sure to restrain its wings, but don’t worry about the mouth– Apart from the sharp teeth, this species doesn’t spit fire!” Starlight shook her head, with a snicker. “Heh– Sunny, it’s Twilight Sparkle– She knows. C’mon, best man.” Taking excited steps away together, Starlight and Sunburst waved goodbye, all the while Trixie questioned how safe it was to return to Rarity’s presence, while wearing a suit in this state. But they continued nonetheless. With grins as wide as they come. “Look at those two dummies, heheh.” Sunset snickered, shaking her head with a smile. “Our wedding is gonna be much better.” But then she paused– realizing what had just come out of her mouth, and the silence that followed it. Twilight Sparkle regarded her with an immensely quiet fluster. “U-um. If we get married, I mean! Haha! Hah!” Sunset attempted to cover her joyful desire poorly. Could you ever blame me for fantasizing about it often? I couldn’t, especially considering just how happy I've been since. This day affected me– This day and its joy. I couldn’t help but think of us. Her joy and my joy, united. Eternal. Twilight interrupted her girlfriend’s embarrassed laughter with a kiss, and then she nodded slowly, with her face as red as a tomato. “I-it’s okay… I agree…!” And there you have it– merely a fraction of the joy we had, as a strange quartet. What’s the common denominator here? Twilight Sparkle. She saved us. She’s everything. The Three Unicorns gasped in surprise, being let out of the Alicorn’s grasp of memory lane. Raising an eyebrow, inspecting their surprised faces, Sunset smiled. “So, what have we learned?” More Silence. Starlight was staring at the floor, muttering something to herself, her face getting redder. Meanwhile, Trixie’s jaw was fully open, and any remainder of cookies she had attempted to eat were now on the floor. Sunset was the quietest of the bunch. She looked at her reflection in the pool of Maud’s cave intently. Waiting patiently, the Alicorn sat observing the three. Until finally, Sunset spoke, making eye contact with her princess self. “Hey. Other me. How do I seduce Twilight Sparkle?” The Alicorn smiled widely, seeing the change in tune from her other self, but before she spoke, Starlight complained, in disbelief. “S-Sunset?! How could you say that?? What the hell?!” Shaking her head, Sunset addressed her partners in crime. “You saw the same memories I saw– Call me a golddigger all you want– But if my life is a choice between getting defeated by a Princess every week, or marrying a Princess?! I’m going with marriage. Revenge is stupid, fuck this.” She then turned back to her other self, who was nodding with excitement. “Okay other me– How do I seduce Twilight Sparkle?” Chuckling with excitement, the Alicorn smiled even harder. “Okay, okay. First of all– Ask her to teach you the magic of friendship– Be her student if you need to, she LOVES teaching. Second of all– You have to befriend her friends, she loves it when ponies are friends with her friends. You should start with Pinkie, she’s the easiest one to befriend out of all of them!” Nodding sagely, her other self took mental notes. “Maud’s sister, the loud annoying one, right? Damn. Well, if you say so! What else?” “Thirdly, If your Twilight is anything like mine, she has never been in love– So you have to show her how it feels. You have to be direct, but respectful. Let her get there on her own, but show her how.” Clearly, the Princess had considered all of this before. Nodding sagely, her unicorn self continued to take notes. “Hm, hm. Will be difficult, but I got this. Anything else?” “Wear leather jackets often. She’s into it.” “Awesome.” The unicorn smirked, and started making her way out of the cave, not before Starlight complained at her again. “H-hey! Sunset? Are you seriously doing this?! We’re her mortal enemies!!” Chuckling, the Punk Unicorn shook her head, smiling. “Hey, this was fun. But it’s time I try a new strategy. I hope you two consider a new one, too. See ya! And thanks for the lecture, other me. See you around.” “Don’t mention it. Good luck!” The Princess, observing this, couldn’t help but smile with pride. The future of this universe was uncertain, but at least this Sunset was trying something good, even with questionable intentions. She then turned to the two, and Trixie, with her face slightly reddened, was staring at Starlight, reeling on the memories of their marriage. “...Damnit.” Starlight groaned, closing her eyes, trying to not enjoy how good that memory felt. “Glimms. Glimms. Glimms.” Trixie nudged her excitedly. “What!!!?!” “You’re hot.” “Damnit!!” The Princess laughed. She still had a bit of time to spare in this universe, and she wouldn’t mind using it to help these two have a better future. Twilight adjusted her glasses, a nervous tick she always had, but this time, it was more of concern than nerves. Sunset Shimmer groaned next to her, looking at the same schematics she did, leaning back on her chair with profound disappointment. “It’s hopeless, Twi. We’ve tried everything. Ugh.” The poindexter shook her head in pity, trying to comfort her. “Aww, d-don’t say that!! We can totally still get revenge!! M-maybe we could try that castle-exploding plan you had? I thought it was pretty cool…!” That at least got a snicker out of Sunset, who looked back at her with a sly smile. “Look at you. Wanting to blow up a castle. I’m so proud.” This led to Twilight blushing quietly. But just then, they were interrupted– The Princess of Valor appeared out of thin air, crashing on another table. “Augh!! Damnit, another table!! Fuck!” Dusting herself off, she looked around, and was pleasantly surprised– Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, both unicorns, side by side, looking at her with disbelief. “Oh thank Celestia– FINALLY an universe where we’re together!! Sheesh!!” She loudly proclaimed, with both joy and annoyance. And of course, her other self was the first one to speak. “What the fuck are you?!!!” Twilight studied her with a nervous glance. “Oh my gosh– A spatial temporal anomaly, or maybe a-a shapeshifter?? An illusion??” Smiling warmly, the Alicorn observed the adorable sight of her not-wife, much smaller, with glasses and a cute bow tie-suit. “Close, Sparkles. I'm a Sunset Shimmer from another universe. You look so friggin’ cute with glasses…!” A quiet blush of confusion from Twilight, As she stammered “T-the multiverse is real– it’s real?! Parallel realities, divided by our choices?!” All while the other Sunset had her jaw dropped. “Wh- Are you me from an universe where I was a perfect student of Celestia’s?!” “Not even close, other me!” The Princess gleefully smiled, while taking a look around. The surroundings were, unfortunately, familiar. The room itself seemed to be one of the hideouts she lived in, when she was exiled– Which immediately made her grimace. “W-why are you wearing a birthday cap?!” the other Sunset questioned in utter confusion. “Oh, forgot.” The Alicorn removed it, and tossed it aside. “The me from the last universe was working as a magician on a foal’s birthday.” She ignored the two for a moment, scanning the environment, and what she saw next caught her attention. A conspiracy-like board, full of schematics, pictures and text. And a picture of Starlight glimmer, with several darts attached to it, who was not only wearing a crown, but had wings. “‘P-princess’ Starlight Glimmer?!” the Alicorn spoke, attempting to suppress laughter, but she couldn’t. She started laughing hysterically at the bizarre images, of not only Starlight being the Princess, but also her friends were absolutely not the same that Twilight had– Trixie Lulamoon was in a picture, next to Starlight, also adorning wings. Which only made Sunset nearly collapse with laughter, almost tearing up with how absurdly funny the images were. The other two unicorns simply observed her in endless confusion– A completely incomprehensible image, Sunset Shimmer, an Alicorn, laughing hysterically at the images of their nemesis. “O-oh, for the love of Celestia, t-that’s fucking funny– What a bizarre universe!!” she said, not before laughing some more. Finally, managing to laugh it all off, she turned to the two. “Okay, okay, okay. So what’s going on here– Are you two a couple, seeking revenge on Starlight for becoming a Princess where you both failed or something?” Twilight blushed, while stammering, while Sunset just shook her head. “Right about most things– but we’re not a couple.” The smile on the Princess quickly turned into a frown. She approached her other self with a scowl, pointing at her not-wife.  “Twilight Sparkle is a goody two shoes in every universe I’ve seen her in. Did you put her up to this?” “I-I mean, yeah! Why wouldn’t I? We both want the same thing!” her other self recoiled a bit. “Y-yes!” Twilight nodded, stuttering. “W-we want revenge!” Narrowing her eyes, the Princess then turned to Twilight, and quickly, but gently touched her with a hoof. “Excuse me.” I am Twilight Sparkle. I was an apprentice of Celestia– but I wasn’t good enough, and neither was Sunset Shimmer– eventually somepony better came along. I don’t care for revenge. But Sunset Shimmer makes for amazing company, and she sees me like no other pony does, so even if we fail, we fail together. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life with her– This elicited near immediate giggles from the Alicorn. She laughed, backing up a bit, reveling on these two dummies. In a sense, this was not a universe in which she and her wife were together– But it was close. All they needed was a push in the right direction– And even if their chances to be Alicorns had passed, this still had the chance of becoming a good ending, a good life. Together. “Okay, okay. Gather round, you two. Time for a lecture.”