Reflections That Don't Always Show The Present

[magicalrealist]

(With the shattering of the mirrors to other worlds, the ensuing burst of chaos invited a whole slew of interesting factors to Equestria. As per the norm, they were from other worlds, other jamjars...and Twilight even met a few from Mayfield! With such free reign, it wasn't right to really expect certain results, but little would she expect someone from another's past, one who almost became her future...)

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[shimmer_on]

[ It was too Celestia-damned bright. And shiny. And happy and sparkly and the smell of sugar was in the air and the grass was so soft and warm and it tasted too good--wait.

Sunset Shimmer paused through a slow munch of grass and dandelions and paused to chew. She looked at herself. Huh, two hands, two feet, boobs in the place that she had been used for nearly two years... everything was in place apparently.

Stepping out among the bedlam that was apparently Ponyville in its heyday, Sunset ducked behind a wall. Shit, that was Flash, what was HE doing here? And there, that was Pinkie! Did they follow her back through the mirror? Then why was she even a human still? Shouldn't she be a pony? ]

I wish I kept reading up on those books that I found about magic before fleeing through the portal...

[ So engrossed in this, she wasn't looking when she nearly tripped over a knee-high unicorn. Old instincts kicked in and she proclaimed, ] Hey! I'm trotting here you... you...

Oh. It's you Sparkle.

[magicalrealist]

(Literal serendipity had Twilight's path cross with Sunset's. Twilight was quick to apologize for bumping into her, but after getting a good look at the human...that disposition shifted. This is the girl Flash described to her some time ago. His ex, Sunset Shimmer. Last the unicorn heard, this girl was the center of a particularly rough incident with Princess Twilight, but at the very least, that was resolved as quickly as other incidents tended to be solved: through friendship.

However, this is not the Twilight she remembers. Not exactly.)

...Sunset?

[shimmer_on]

Sparkle. Well... I suppose Twilight is better since we're on better terms back ho--wait. [ She crouched down and toinged Twilight's horn for a moment, looking her over. ]

What happened to your wings? Did Celestia demote you or something in the return trip?

[ There was actual concern in Sunset Shimmer's voice. Could you even undo a alicornization? She knew that Princess Cadance earned hers at a young age but something undone like this was kind of jarring, since the girl she knew back home sported none of these features, save for a resemblance, a dog, and a fanatical obsession like all of the girls her age with Daring Do. ]

[magicalrealist]

(The girl has a right to be curious, especially considering the Twilight she knows: a more royal, more winged pony than the unicorn standing before her. It's certainly awkward, but nothing Twilight hasn't already experienced.)

Not...exactly. I'm an alternate Twilight, one who knows that other Twilights ascend to alicornhood, but can't ascend herself...or at the very least, hasn't reached that point in her life yet. It's complicated.

[shimmer_on]

I saw that horde across the way. I'm kind of almost afraid to ask. At least no one's busted out the Elements of Harmony and made me taste the rainbow. Again... It felt like eating fifty skittles and adding jolt to it. With a burning, searing sensation to boot from head to toe.

[ Folding her arms, she looked Twilight over. She looked pretty well prepared, the same magic senses in her own body singing in unison with the flows. She could almost feel some of her old strength coming back just by standing here and hmm... ]

... you wanna get a hayburger? I need a hayburger. I've been getting fodder and hay from the pet shop where Flutters works but I haven't had a decent hayburger in two years and I need to stuff my face. my treat, if they still accept two year old Equestrian Bits.

[magicalrealist]

...Yeah. I'd love a hayburger about now. (Because nothing gets you hungry like a fourth wall event does. That and sharing a library with nine other Twilights and a Philip. Thankfully, she's well past the point of being awkward around other Twilights.)

And you'll be safe from the group, as long as you don't get their attention. I doubt any of them would bring out the elements on sight and normally, there's only three of us. You just came in at a particularly chaotic time, is all.

[shimmer_on]

Oh good, I was getting pretty hungry after all.

[ A particularly chaotic time was an understatement, between all the humans and robots and whatever else there was here. At least Sunset had a pretty good idea what this was in theory anyhow. ]

While I'm glad they won't shoot me on sight, I have got to wonder: three only? What happened? Did Celestia open up dimensional travel for everypony?

[ Well that was a good sign. She was slipping back into the lingo. ]

[magicalrealist]

Not really. It's just the work of a local death goddess called the Pale Pony. She's been bringing in others from other worlds for the past year and it doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon.

(Though Twilight would prefer Celestia getting curious and suddenly letting others slip into her world of ponies.)

This week involved her shattering a mirror to another world and the extra burst of individuals is a result of that.

[shimmer_on]

Huh, sounds like a supervillian plot. That would explain just how weird this place can get at times.

[ Exiled student or not, Sunset liked to read all the time. And even without her magic, she was pretty genre savvy by now. ]

I'm going on a limb though that it's temporary. If the gate back home was opened I'd be back in pony form by now. A shame, I'd miss my jacket a lot.

[magicalrealist]

It's most likely temporary. The magical burst from shattering the mirror was great, but it probably won't last more than a week.

(A smile.)

In the meantime, there's plenty of Equestria to catch up on.

[shimmer_on]

I don't doubt it. This place seems to have undergone some changes lately.

[ A week huh? Enough time for her to explore some of her old haunts. She wondered if her old room was still there, in the castle. Not that anypony would let her in. ]

Does... anyone talk about me?

[magicalrealist]

(She shakes her head.)

No one besides Flash. He told me about you, a few months ago. I...hope you don't mind.

[shimmer_on]

Flash and I... yeah. Don't worry. He and I are just friends now. Mostly.

I mean, it's not like I hold a torch for him or anything... it was just a rough time.

[magicalrealist]

I understand.

(And it's because Sunset was going through such a hard time that Twilgiht didn't press the issue then. She's doing the same now.)

On the plus side, no one will bother you about that here. And the shops here have seen enough humans this week that they won't panic when they see you.

[shimmer_on]

Yeah I guess that's true. I doubt Pinkie can hold a grudge for TOO long and Flash is Flash.

Still... thanks I mean, for talking with me. I wouldn't have expected somepony to give me the time of day.

[magicalrealist]

Everyone deserves a second chance and someone who'll listen to them. No exceptions.

(She offers Sunset a smile.)

The store is just up ahead. We should start looking for a table.

[shimmer_on]

Oh good, I'm pretty hungry to be honest. I haven't had a decent meal since lunch. Granny Smith makes way too much good food all the time.

[ She blushed a little, nodding. ] And thanks Twilight.

[magicalrealist]

(Twilight nods.)

What do you like on your hay burgers? I've always liked pickles.

[shimmer_on]

Pickles. And I like sandwiching hay fries between it to soak up the oil.

[ Sunset paused and smirked. ] Celestia probably instilled the love of pickles on you, didn't she? She did for me.

[magicalrealist]

...Yeah, she introduced me to pickles.

(A pause.)

Though I haven't tried doing that with the hay fries. It sounds really good, actually.

[shimmer_on]

It is delicious. I just hope my biology is able to digest it. It's still technically pony in a way.

[magicalrealist]

There are stranger things happening now, so I think you'll be fine.

(And here they are at the local burger place.)

I've always been curious about their onion rings. Have you tried theirs before?

[shimmer_on]

Not for a long time, but I heard they are first class. We should get some of them actually.

It would be nice to change up the usual order.

[magicalrealist]

Ooh, maybe we can try onion rings in the burgers...

[shimmer_on]

... that actually sounds incredibly good right about now.

Do you want milkshakes with it too?