The door to the school's bathroom burst open with a loud banging sound. The girl responsible for it slammed the palms of her hands onto the edge of the sink. Sunset was finding it hard to breathe.
She fell into her old self so easily. In that moment, all she wanted to do to that perfect, pretty princess was beat her down until she gave her title up to her. Sunset genuinely felt disgusted with herself. Her trembling refused to cease as she splashed water onto her face.
The redhead dug her phone out of her pocket. She knew Twilight was at school and most likely wouldn't answer but she had to try. She needed to know if her suspension was wrong. She needed to talk to her best friend. The former unicorn would do anything to hear her voice. It had only been a day and a half and Sunset already missed her more than she had missed anyone. Ever.
She scrolled through her contacts and clicked on the one she desired. Sunset expected to hear the regular ringing of the other line. Instead, she heard a warped version of that until eventually, the call ended itself.
A wave of melancholy drowned her as she stared at the screen dumbfounded. Sunset didn't know what happened but her mind and core went completely blank. She stepped out of the restroom, climbed over a vine and continued until she entered her first-period class.
Her teacher had inquired about a late pass but the redhead simply shook her head before sitting in her seat. Fortunately, the teacher didn't make it an issue and chose to continue class.
Sunset found herself feeling grateful that she had been left alone. The more time that passed her magic senses thrummed stronger until then point she could barely sit still. Her blood buzzed and her skin felt warm as the paranormal elements lingered in the halls of the school as the flora grew.
Did this sudden peak of magic in the air have to do with Princess Twilight?
Sunset's pencil started to tap against her notebook. Now that she was thinking, how were the portals opened? What did her Twilight do to do it? How did the Princess do it and then end up at Canterlot High? The new portal they built was nowhere near the high school. She placed her head into her free hand and sighed with exhaustion.
‘What did these damn incisively curious geniuses do?’
The bell rang out causing a class transition. The redhead knew she wasn't going to be attending this period. The redhead noticed that the half of the school she was in had sunny skies but she could hear the downpour of a storm on the other side of the school.
She rounded the corner and was met with the polished front doors of the school. Teal eyes flicked around, noting that the crowd of students were too busy rushing to their classes to pay her any attention. She lightly placed her back on the door and slipped out with the slithery silence of a snake.
Sunset made an effort to stay on the sunny side as she stalked up to the growing beacon of raw magical energy. Worry sparked in her as she noticed small black streaks running along the white glow of the blue uncontained magic. Based on the forbidden texts she had rebelliously read many years ago, black forming in bare magic meant corruption. Either the magic was becoming so much it was collapsing in on itself and was likely to cause catastrophe eventually or dark magic had already been laced in previously. Neither option Sunset wanted to find out. She needed to take care of this and fast.
The former unicorn closed her eyes and focused on the vibrating magic in the air. Her call upon the energy wrestled her flames of hair in an invisible wind along with the leather on her back. The growing sensation made her lightheaded as she lost her thoughts in the magic. Sunset could feel herself drawing the flora trapped in the man-made environment back to their original habitat. It was taking more time than she would have liked but she was willing to settle as she peaked an eye open to witness the beam of magic shrinking.
She almost screamed when an interruption cut her off, “Miss Shimmer? What are you doing?”
Luckily her work hadn't backtracked but only paused. Sunset noticed how the magic wasn't sinking back into the ground like she had thought, but instead it was curling into a ball.
“Miss Shimmer?” the voice said again and Sunset finally turned to see the Principal and her vice at the doors of the school. How much had they witnessed?
The sisters looked at each other before declining down the concrete steps; closing the large gap.
The vice principal spoke, “We’ve been meaning to have a few questions with you. I suppose now is as good a time as any.”
The former unicorn tensed. Had they seen too much? Suspected her of something? Did they somehow know about Princess Twilight and their… exchange.
“Okay..” She squeaked, her hand grabbing the fingers on the other.
Vice-principal Luna pulled out a notebook from a bag and held it out for the teenager to take, “Do any of the contents in this make sense to you?”
Nimble fingers retrieved the journal from the dark-skinned woman. The former mage flipped open the book.
Oh, it was familiar. Almost too familiar. She had seen this exact handwriting- or rather horn writing- in other journals. Ones that belonged to Starswirl the bearded. This journal had logs, data, sketches and notes all about portals, raw magic, dimension-hopping, and magic-concealing spells/objects. Sunset wondered if this Starswirl was the same from her own world.
As she flipped a new page she saw its data and notes about the school. It only confirmed Canterlot High was a hivemind for magic. Apparently due to the portal being opened here thousands of years ago. Ever since magic from her homeworld had been leaking slowly into this world. It had gotten to the point that the journal writer had created the Wondercolt statue as an inconspicuous way to contain the magic they couldn't capture and bring back to Equestria.
For the second time in one morning, Sunset felt loathing agienst herself. Her emotional breakdown had caused the magic to be unleashed. All of the magic that had built up was now free and causing chaos in the weather and forest.
If it wasn't fixed it would soon affect the rest of the city, and then the world. Not to mention how this world's magicless bodies would react to sudden uncontrollable magic.
“W-where did you get this?” Sunset asked, fighting to appear as if nothing was wrong.
Principal Celestia answered, she thought to choose her words carefully as Sunset wasn't hiding her panic as well as she thought she was, “It was our grandfathers. The role of protecting this school and its statue has been passed down throughout our family line. Unfortunately, he wasn't around enough to grant our parents knowledge on magic and the contents in that logbook. Our comprehension is even more limited.”
“You appear to know and understand it though,” Vice Principal Luna mentioned.
Sunset Shimmer contemplated her options for a moment. She chose to tell the truth, “I do. I'm… from the same place he is.”
“We thought so,” Celestia admitted.
“But, Starswirl invented the magical science of dimension portals a little over a thousand of years ago. How is he only your grandfather?”
“Is time difference between worlds possible?” Luna asked.
That simple question added another three pounds of anxiety that Sunset would have to investigate later.
“Yes, I… Didn't know the difference could be that severe.” Sunset admitted quietly.
The sisters looked at each other in a silent conversation.
“To be frank, it's clear you are familiar with magic. Do you know how to stop the magic that is causing the forest to go haywire?” Principal Celestia asked.
“I-”
“What's going on here?” a familiar inquiring voice she had gotten to know in only a couple of months said. Sunset rolled her eyes and turned to see the princess of friendship and nosiness analyzing the shrunken magic beam.
The principals jumped but looked ready to use the excuse they had been, “Miss Sparkle, there's nothing to worry about. I must have forgotten to mention during your orientation that a statue used to sit here- this is just a little show we are having to introduce the new one,” Luna explained.
Principal Celestia stepped to her new student, “I'll help you back to class.”
Sunset flinched away from the violet eyes she knew on another person.
“It's none of your concern.” Sunset said through gritted teeth.
“It's clear this is rogue magic- I can help. You know that,” Princess Twilight expressed. It was something she normally never does but she ignored the principal that looked like her sun goddess guide back to the school.
If there was one thing this princess had in common with her human counterpart, it was their stubbornness to find answers.
“The original portal container was destroyed. That's what caused this.” Sunset said, keeping her voice short and monotone with the annoying princess.
“Hmm,” she placed a closed fist to her chin as she circled the magic beam, “It was clear to us on the other side that the portal was made incapacitated in some way. How did it happen?”
Curious yet knowing eyes looked into guarded teal ones. The adult women could feel the growing tension between the girls. As they knew it, today was Twilight Sparkle’s first day at the school- even though Principal Celestia had no recollection or paperwork for the new student. She assumed under the stress her sister and her had been under they had forgotten about it.
It was as clear as the sunny side of the sky that these two had history in some capacity. Based on the few things the new student had said, She's knowledgeable of magic. Possibly to the degree of Sunset Shimmer.
“At the moment it's not important Miss Sparkle. What's important is getting the magic under control and returning the forest to normal before the general public starts asking questions.” Principal Celestia guided.
Princess Twilight bowed (Sunset facepalmed at the action), “Of course. After my extensive research of this world, I understand magic is not easily accessible. To the point, most humans don't consider it possible.”
The adult sisters looked at Sunset. The look in her eyes confirmed to them that the recent addition to the high school was from the same dimension as their grandfather and Sunset Shimmer.
Three pairs of eyes watched as the leather-clad former unicorn began walking away, her eyes reattached to the journal of magical notes.
Princess Twilight started to follow, “Where are you going?”
Sunset didn't look up as she rounded the building, headed towards the forest, “We know the type of magic causing the forest to go crazy but we need to fully lift the magic into its own source.”
“That doesn't make any sense. We should be able to dissolve it to controllable levels,” Princess Twilight said confused. She scanned over the page and it clicked, “How particular, magic in this world works incredibly strangely in this world.”
“That’s because it's not natural to this realm,” Sunset said as if it were obvious, “and without something to contain the magic this spell is only going to be temporary.”
“Right. I suppose that is why we’ll need to take so many extra steps,” The princess theorized as the gears in her brain began to make a plan. The researcher in the journal instructed magic in this world must be handled carefully. Logs in the instructions explained any life or objects being affected by rogue enchantments would need purification, magic had to be removed through physical lifting spells and put into a container. It was very unlike Equestria. Pure, wandering magic could easily be transfigured into the air or something else. Unfortunately, magic can't be destroyed so the magic that leaked here simply had nothing to do other than exist and be confined in an attempt to not cause damage to the natural flow of this dimension.
Sunset never answered and instead stopped in front of the entry trail of the forest, “It's like the Everfree Forest two point oh,” she commented.
The powerful mage princess stepped to her side and offered her hand. Teal eyes stared at the hand and then back up to the princess that shared a face with her best friend as if she were offended, “What are you doing?”
Princess Twilight offered a smile, hoping to deflect the tension- she could admit that tension was partly her fault. She wasn't exactly proud her emotions had gotten the better of her and made her hostile.
“I'm here to help. If we want to do this quickly and efficiently with long-term effects, we will need to fuse our magic.”
Sunset kept her guard up, her eyes full of mistrust, “Why? I threatened you barely two hours ago. So why do you want to switch and help me?”
“Because you're trying to help,” Princess Twilight said.
“What?” Sunset questioned sharply.
“This school in this strange world doesn't belong to us. Yet here you are going out of your way to fix the magic that, if it got out of hoof, could cause larger, dangerous effects to the rest of this world. That shows me you have no ill intention.” The equestrian princess explained.
Sunset rolled her eyes, it's not the first time she's heard something like this, “I'm only fixing what I caused and you don't know me or what I've done,” she whispered, her head held in shame.
A lavender hand placed itself on her shoulder. Sunset could feel her fingers were clasped into a fist, likely because the pony-turned-human wasn't sure how to work the lanky appendages yet. It felt awkward. The memories of Sunset's own confusion when she had first gained hands had made her weakly chuckle.
“I… have a small idea,” Princess Twilight admitted, “But I don't see that mare that was described in front of me now. It shows a lot that you are here working to fix a mistake. Yes, my crown is missing and it's crucial to find. But I'm starting to be convinced that you had no involvement.”
“I didn't,” Sunset replied. It was true, she wasn't lying. She had no involvement in stealing the crown (even if she had planned to do it months ago). She had no clue her Twilight would do that or get that plan from her own when she told the scientist about it. Twilight was a certified genius- she should have known the girl would quickly figure out how to open the portal and use the insight she got from Sunset to achieve her goals. And Sparkes didn't even grow up with magic! Unlike Sunset and the princess. A part of Sunset felt used but a much larger part of her felt impressed. She admired her genius friend. To the point it made her stomach flutter and her blood flow downwards. Sunset wasn't going to accuse Sparkes. Not before she talks to her. Sunset especially wasn't going to mention her skepticism to the princess. She also wasn't going to help the princess.
“Then let's fix the forest!” the princess enthusiastically encouraged, “after that we find the true thief and get my crown back!”
It was a little manipulative and Sunset felt guilty for it but she was going to protect her first friend at all cost, “It must be someone in the school. This is the only place that has enough magic to reopen the dimension hopper.”
Princess Twilight tapped her closed fist to her chin, “hmm, that makes sense.”
“There is also the fact that someone knows you well enough to use your cutie mark in order to frame you,” Princess Twilight theorized.
“Right…” Her cutie was used to frame her? Only her Twilight knew what a cutie mark was and that her sun symbol was that. She had to convince herself to not jump to conclusions about the framing part.
“Anyways,” Sunset redirected the topic as she placed the journal on the ground, opened to the page of the spell the mages would need, “Let's get this over with, I don't want to miss art class.”
Despite Sunset’s hesitance they clasped hands, “Since we don't have horns with these bodies, focus your magic into your hands. Magic feels weird in this world so don't let it surprise you and break your focus.”
The princess nodded and closed her eyes, it barely took a second for her nerves to begin tingling, like little fireworks igniting against her skin. They refocused the feeling to their hands and began the magic removal spell off of the plants and forest.
Sunset was trying her best to ignore her hammering heart and the dejection growing in her chest. She wished this was her Twilight Sparkle. She wished she was holding hands with her best friend. She wished she was doing, fixing and discovering the magic of this world with the girl that consumed her dreams, thoughts and feelings. The human Twilight Sparkle with cute glasses, a bright giggle and an impeccable brain. Sunset Shimmer wanted this moment to be with her. She wanted her.
Princess Twilight could help the small gasp she emitted as a sudden wave of warmth went through her. Next, the rogue magic also increased and swarmed around them. She peaked an eye open and witnessed blue waves of shimmering raw magic with black streaks flowing past them and into the sky. The large vines that had taken home in the school's halls were now driving themselves back into the forest whilst shrinking to their natural size.
It was working!
After several minutes the mages had confirmation from the principals that the flora was clear and no longer infiltrating the school building. Apparently, it hadn't gone as unnoticed as they hoped as most first-floor classrooms had been invaded by plants. Everyone in those rooms had very clearly witnessed the vines, leaves and flowers shrink and run back to their original forest home. The principals continued to use the gist of it all being an event buildup for the fall dance in four days.
“We did it!” Princess Twilight exclaimed, “This is wonderful!”
“For now it is,” Sunset said as pointed to the large, concerning ball of blue raw magic in above the forest, “we’ll need to find a container for that soon. Remember, without that, the self-holding spell will only hold temporarily. For now… I'm not sure what to do with it.”
Princess Twilight hummed in thought, she noticed that the sky had returned to a sunny blue and the leaves from green to orange as they remembered the season, “for now we will keep an eye on it until we find a suitable receptacle.”
“This isn't going to disturb my garden is it?” an annoyed voice asked behind them.
Both girls jumped out of their hydes before turning around. A loose-limbed girl stared back at them with peeved eyes. She had sage green skin with long and messy leafy green hair.
“Well?” She gestured with annoyance for them to answer her.
“Uh, garden?” Sunset question. She had no idea the school had a garden other than the greenhouse for agriculture club and class.
The girl in an oversized brown sweater rolled her eyes, “It's a bit ways down the forest trail. That,” her brown eyes looked up at the sun of magic, “isn't going to negatively affect my plants is it?”
“It… shouldn't?” Princess Twilight answered with uncertainty.
Sunset placed a hand on her hip, “Why are you out of class? I haven't heard the bell ring.”
The green girl pulled a smooth green rock out of her pocket, “Since when were you a hall monitor? Why are you out of class?”
Sunset pointed to the magic with her thumb, “you just saw why.”
She huffed and rolled her eyes before walking into the forest.
Princess Twilight had her fists dangled close to her chest with confusion written all over her face, “who was that?”
“I don't know,” Sunset admitted, “and I thought I knew everyone at this school.”
“Well,” the princess brushed off, “time to go find my crown,” she declared as started her journey back into the school.
“Good luck, princess,” Sunset replied. She had her own important thing to go find.