AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, author JBlaser messaged me about a crossover with My Little Pony: Equestria Girls and Encanto.
I had actually meant to have this chapter up about a week ago, but my computer had a stroke or something and I lost the original first chapter. ARGHH!
But, as sometimes happens with things that seem terrible, rewriting this made me re-examine the way I'd set things up and after some background research on the MLP side, I realized that having BOTH Twilight Sparkles in the story was needlessly overcomplicating things. Besides, for certain character interactions, the human version of Starlight Glimmer works SO much better!
With that out of the way, let's talk about our two worlds and the timelines used!
On the MLP: EqG side, this takes place shortly after the special 'Mirror Magic', thus the inclusion of Starlight Glimmer.
With Encanto, this takes place AFTER the house is rebuilt and the magic is restored.
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STORY SUMMARY: After finding a book with traces of Equestrian magic at an estate sale, Twilight Sparkle (SciTwi) and Sunset Shimmer gather their friends and venture to Encanto, Columbia.
ENCANTO: Worlds Within Worlds
(Crossover with MLP: Equestria Girls)
Princess Twilight's Castle
Ponyville, Equestria
"I can't believe you found a book of Equestrian magic in the human world," Starlight Glimmer mused as she briefly skimmed the old, hardback book. Although, truth be told, the language and magic used felt different that the magic she knew. But depending on when the book was written and the exact abilities of the unicorn or alicorn in question, the differences made sense. "Do you have any idea what kind of spells this is capable of?"
"That's why Sunset suggested we come here," Twilight Sparkle replied. "She wasn't familiar with the wording, and we thought Princess Twilight would know something."
"Well, Twilight's doing some spell research, so she'll be in the library," Starlight remarked, pointing a hoof down the hall. "I'll walk you down there."
Sunset Shimmer and the other Twilight Sparkle followed the student of the Princess of Friendship to the library where Princess Twilight was pouring over a stack of books. "Surprise!" Sunset declared, cheerfully, as everyone approached the table.
"Sunset! Twilight! What are the two of you doing here?" Princess Twilight exclaimed, abandoning her own reading and raising an interested eyebrow as Sunset passed the volume over as she related the story of finding it at an estate sale in the other world.
"We were hoping that maybe you could tell us a little about what the spells in here might be capable of," SciTwi explained, eagerly. "Sunset Shimmer wasn't quite sure and she didn't recognize the author as anyone she'd ever studied."
"It's not anything I'm familiar with, either," Starlight chimed in, nervously.
Looking at the assembled group of ponies, Princess Twilight turned her attention to the book in question, reading to herself as she sat back down at her table. "It looks like some sort of volume on transportation spells," she stated at last, looking first at Starlight before turning to Sunset. "There's one in particular that's similar to the spell you used to travel back in time, but there are also parts that look more like the magic used on the mirror that you used to leave Equestria."
Sunset Shimmer quickly put two and two together and looked both wary and excited as she asked, "So, you think that this book might open a portal to yet another world?"
"One that apparently has a magic all of it's own," Princess Twilight agreed, nodding enthusiastically before letting out a small, disappointed sight. "I really wish I could go with you and check things out. But Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are with Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack handling a diplomatic retreat in the Crystal Empire. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and I are holding down the fort."
Although she knew her friendship lessons with Princess Twilight were important-as was helping her teacher with any magical problems while Celestia and Luna were away-Starlight Glimmer couldn't help feeling like an opportunity had presented itself. A chance to learn something she couldn't being here in Equestria. "I could go with them," she volunteered, trying not to sound too eager. When Sunset Shimmer and the two Twilights looked at her in surprise, she went on. "I feel like this is something I need to do. I-I can't explain it. It's like a... a calling, or something."
Princess Twilight was quiet for a moment as she considered the situation and after a while, she nodded in approval. "Then you'll need these," she said at last, turning to her shelves and pulling down a few more books which Sunset put in her bag along with the book they'd brought with them. "Good luck. I can't wait to hear all about it."
Sweet Apple Acres
Human World
"Big Mac? Apple Bloom?" Applejack called as she got back from meeting with her friends earlier in the day.
"Yer brother and sister went to pick up takeout for dinner," Granny Smith explained as she came put of the kitchen, smiling at her granddaughter. Looking at AJ's nervous expression, she wordlessly beckoned the teenager to the kitchen table and when the two were sitting with cold glasses of apple cider, Granny Smith asked, "Everything alright, Applejack?"
AJ took a deep breath and outlined what Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, and Starlight Glimmer had related about the spell to transport everyone to an unknown world for the summer. "I wish I could go with them, but with everything that needs done around the farm, there's just no way I could-"
"Now you just stop right there, missy," Granny Smith cut in, her tone kind but firm. "You work yourself to the bone around here and I never hear you raise a peep about doin' something' for yourself. This here trip sounds like it's just what you need."
"But what about Apple Bloom's birthday?" Applejack protested, weakly. Taking a deep breath, she went silent as she tried to get control of her emotions.
"Yer Mom and Dad wouldn't want you usin' them as an excuse to stop livin' yer life," Granny Smith assured her granddaughter. "That's another reason I think you need to go with your friends. Every summer you start mopin' around, thinkin' on what you've lost when you need to focus on everything you've gained."
"Thanks, Granny Smith," Applejack replied, hugging her grandmother.
Encanto, Columbia
Exiting the magical portal onto the bank of a wide, yet shallow river, the Main Seven plus Starlight Glimmer were in awe as they looked about the bank, eventually staring at the narrow gap in the mountains nearby.
"Whoa...," Sunset Shimmer breathed as she started towards the pass, everyone following behind her.
"This happened recently," Twilight Sparkle noted, studying the sides of the mountain. "Within 6 months, I'd estimate."
"An earthquake?" Applejack suggested, curiously as they all made their way through the gap before finding a spot to rest and plan their next moves.
"I don't think so," Twilight replied, nudging her glasses up her nose. "The breaks were too smooth. Hazarding a guess, I'd say some other powerful force broke them."
Looking at how the ridge stretched around the forest, Rainbow Dash looked at the others. "It looks like the mountains are circling the entire area. That pass might be the only way in or out."
Wondering why the portal would bring them to such an enclosed place, Sunset tried not to become self-conscious as she noticed everyone looking to her for guidance on where to go next. Pointing out the path they'd stopped by, she gave her friends a smile and said, "Well, let's follow this. I'm sure it'll lead to somewhere. If not, we can always come back to the river and try going the other way."
"Lead on, Sunset," Applejack instructed, hefting her camping backpack higher on her shoulders.
As everyone followed the path, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight couldn't help marveling at their surroundings.
"It really is gorgeous here," Rarity said, admiringly, looking at the colors and the flowers growing everywhere.
"I've never seen so many animals in one place before," Fluttershy added, as a flock of birds passed overhead.
"I wonder if that's because of the mountains," Twilight mused, thoughtfully. "If they used to be closed, then all these different species would have been mostly contained in this one area."
Coming to a stop, Starlight looked at Sunset before turning to Fluttershy. "Maybe you could ask some of the local wildlife about where this path leads?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened a bit as she realized that she'd forgotten about using her powers. Looking about, she tentatively asked, "Hello? Is there anyone who can tell us where this path leads? We're strangers in this place."
A toucan swooped down, perching on a branch nearby as he chirped excitedly, studying Fluttershy intently.
"Really?" Fluttershy replied, her eyes wide in surprise. Looking at her friends, she translated. "He says that there's a young boy in the village who also speaks to animals."
Sunset Shimmer raised an interested eyebrow as she asked, "A village? Where? Is it far from here?"
The toucan chirped again, pointing further down the path before taking off, looping the teenagers once before flying at a sedate pace, back-tracking as needed.
"He says to follow him," Fluttershy explained.
Sensing that Fluttershy was a bit reluctant to take charge, Starlight gave her a smile and a quick nod before saying, "We're right behind you, Fluttershy."
Continuing down the path, stopping for a quick lunch after a few hours, the group eventually emerged from the forest and there was a collective gasp as they saw the town below.
Closest to where they stood, a beautiful hacienda-style estate was sprawled and there was a road leading away from the house into the town itself.
Fluttershy's toucan friend flew off towards the estate and by the time the girls got close, they saw three people coming towards them, one of whom was a 5-year-old boy sitting on the back of a fully grown jaguar.
"Welcome to Encanto!" A short, heavyset man greeted, jovially. "I'm Felix Madrigal and this is my sobrina, Mirabel. My son, Antonio, says that you and your friends came through the mountain pass?"
Sunset Shimmer nodded, looking a bit caught off guard. Indicating herself and her friends as she spoke, she quickly introduced everyone. "We're on vacation and we, uh... decided to do a little exploring."
"So where are all of you from?" The teenage girl asked as she absently scritched the jaguar's head as he purred.
Hesitating slightly, Sunset suddenly wondered just how much she should divulge about their own world. Before she could explain anything, however, Pinkie Pie cut in, talking in her usual quick fashion.
"We're from an alternate world," Pinkie Pie explained, brightly. "-except for Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer who are from yet another alternate world where they're actually unicorns. Twilight Sparkle here-" Pinkie hugged Twilight from behind as she went on. "-tried to take over their world just like Sunset but that failed thanks to the magic of friendship, and now all 7 of us have magical geodes that gave us powers except for Starlight but that's only because she hasn't really hung around all of us long enough to have magic in our world."
Mirabel's eyes widened for a moment before her face slowly morphed into a smile. "Well, our family has magic from when my abuelo sacrificed his life to save Abuela and her children from murdering bandits. My oldest sister can conjure plants at will and my middle sister has super strength."
"Twilight Sparkle here has telekinetic abilities, Sunset Shimmer is empathic, and Rarity can conjure physical contructs out of thin air!" Pinkie Pie countered, not about to have her friends' powers be outdone.
Felix raised an eyebrow in astonishment as he added, "My wife can control the weather and my son can shapeshift."
"And my sister, Dolores, has super hearing!" Antonio piped up, enthusiastically. "That's how we knew all of you were coming!"
Before anyone could ask further questions related to magical powers, Rainbow Dash's stomach gave a loud, rumbling growl and she looked a trifle embarrassed as she looked at Mirabel. "Heh-heh... Sorry. Uh... I don't suppose there's anyone in your family that has magical cooking abilities, is there?"
Exchanging a look with her Tio Felix, Mirabel nodded as she smiled welcomingly. "Come on. You're just in time for dinner."
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"Oh, my word..." Rarity exclaimed, leaning back slightly in her chair. "I don't think I could possibly eat another bite. That was fabulous!"
"You really are an amazing cook, Mrs. Madrigal," Sunset Shimmer proclaimed, watching Mirabel's mother stand to start clearing away dishes with her sister's assistance.
Julieta beamed at the compliment and replied, "Thank you, Sunset. And you don't have to be so formal. You're all welcome to call me 'Julieta'."
"Well, in gratitude for such an extraordinary meal and for offering to host us during our summer holiday," Rarity proclaimed as she stood as well. "-I insist you let us help clean up."
Isabela nodded in agreement, shooting her mother a look. "Mama, you always clean up the kitchen. Let other people handle things for once."
"Isa, Rarity and her friends are our guests," Julieta pressed. "We shouldn't be making them do work in exchange for staying here."
"Think of it as repaying your hospitality," Rarity countered.
Letting out a defeated sigh as she smiled good-naturedly, Julieta threw up her hands in surrender. "It seems like I'm outnumbered. Very well," she conceded.
"I'll help as well," Isabela offered. "Just to make sure everything goes back in the proper places."
Before Julieta could say anything else, she turned back to the table as she saw Applejack standing quickly and hurrying out to the courtyard, clearly suddenly distraught about something. Following the young woman, Julieta found her sitting in an alcove, sniffling as tears fell down her cheeks.
"What's wrong, my dear?" Julieta wondered as she sat down next to Applejack.
After a few moments, Applejack wiped away her tears, looking up as she replied, "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. It's... You just... You remind me of my mother."
Taking a deep breath as she realized what the young woman meant, Julieta brushed Applejack's bangs out of her eyes as she asked, "Would I be correct in presuming that your mother is gone?"
Applejack nodded, taking a deep breath of her own before she explained. "My parents died when I was little. Mom was getting ready to have my little sister, Apple Bloom, and she and my dad were in an accident on the way to the hospital. My-My sister survived, but... You know, I've still got her and my brother, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, but... But they're just not..."
"But it's not the same as having your parents," Julieta finished, nodding in understanding. Pulling the young woman into a hug and rubbing her back as AJ began crying again, the healer wondered how long the poor girl had been keeping her emotions bottled up.
"One of the last memories I have of my parents," Applejack went on, trying to explain her sudden departure from the table. "-was when we had a mini Apple family reunion for Ma's baby shower. Even though Mom was pregnant, she had to help Granny Smith get everything ready."
Julieta smiled warmly as she wiped Applejack's tears away. "She sounds like a very special woman. I think I would have liked to meet her."
Unable to help a smile, AJ nodded. "She would have liked you, too," she confirmed. "The two of you would have been cooking up a storm." The smile faded and she looked away as a fresh wave of tears started up. "My big brother and my grandmother do their best, but... But sometimes I need my parents. I need my mom to hold me and tell me everything will be alright when I have a bad day. And I need my dad to help on the farm so I don't have to work so hard." Realizing how the last part sounded, Applejack shook her head, withdrawing slightly. "That sounds terribly selfish of me, I know..."
But as Julieta placed a gentle hand on Applejack's shoulder, her look was one of understanding and compassion as she disagreed. "It sounds human. Believe me, I've had days where I wish my father had lived and I never received my magical Gift. I've wanted to be just like everyone else... grown up as a normal woman. It's not selfish to wish for a different, easier life." Waiting until Applejack looked at her, Julieta tentatively spoke, "I'd understand if you didn't want to-and I would never try to replace someone so special in your life... But while you're staying here... could I be a mother to you?"
The idea of being treated as someone's daughter-not granddaughter or little sister-made Applejack's heart swell with joy and she hugged Julieta, crying into her shoulder once again as the healer's arms held her tight.
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"Is everything alright with your friend?" Bruno wanted to know, looking worriedly at Sunset Shimmer.
"Next week is the anniversary of her parents' deaths," Sunset explained, sadly. "It's also her sister, Apple Bloom's, birthday."
"It's a terrible thing to lose and gain family at the same time," Alma Madrigal mused. "I lost my husband shortly after the birth of my children."
As much as Sunset appreciated the Madrigal matriarch's attempts at a connection, she let out a sigh as she murmured, "It's worse, though, when you don't know what happened to your family." Everyone suddenly turned their attentions to her and after taking a moment to think about how to explain, she began, "My friends and I told you how Starlight Glimmer and I are from a different world, right?"
"Is that where your parents are?" Pepa inquired.
"Supposedly," Sunset continued. "My mother was a pegasus and my father was an earth pony. And neither of them knew how to handle raising a unicorn, especially when I really started showing signs of powerful magic. They dropped me off at Princess Celestia's School of Magic one day and... That's the last time I ever saw them. I don't know if they're still alive or..."
Alma felt her heart clench as she imagined Julieta and Agustin giving Mirabel away just because their youngest daughter didn't receive a Gift. To cast a child aside simply because you didn't know-and weren't willing to learn-how to raise them...
Bruno gave Sunset a sympathetic look as he nodded, slightly. "I-I know what it's like to have powers you're not fully in control of... powers that other people are afraid of..."
"That's the thing," Starlight interjected. "Sunset Shimmer and I did have control. The two of us had all this power... But you're right. When everypony, er... I mean everyone is afraid of what you can do, and they try to tell you to contain your abilities... Well, let's just say we all have our dark sides."
"We also know what it's like to have to account for what we've done and make amends," Sunset added. "I know we seem like we're all best friends-and we are-but for Starlight and me, that wasn't an easy journey. I know at Canterlot High School I still get looks from other students when something goes wrong."
"I'm still afraid of my powers," Twilight Sparkle chimed in. "I know my friends are there for me, but there's always this fear that I could lose control and become evil again."
Smiling at Twilight, Starlight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, Sunset felt something inside of her release as she admitted, "If I'd had friends like you all back when I was Celestia's student, I don't think I would have started down the road I did."
"Agreed," Starlight mused. "After my friend, Sunburst, got his cutie mark and left me, I thought that the only way to stay friends with anyone was if no one was special."
Listening as Twilight spoke about being alone at Crystal Preparatory Academy, Mirabel realized that the three teenagers were each a dark mirror for what might have happened for her after her door disappeared.
She could have sought the power to destroy her family and the miracle to make up for how everyone had treated her.
In an effort to understand why the miracle denied her a Gift, Mirabel could have been consumed by her quest.
In desperation to not feel so alone, she could have found a way to take the Gifts away from her family...
It was more than some old book that brought these girls to Encanto, Mirabel decided as Abuela and Tia Pepa figured out sleeping arrangements for everyone. It was destiny bringing everyone together for some greater purpose that was yet to be revealed.
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