Chapters Author's Note
This is just a short prologue meant to establish a few details, like why Fleur and Fancy are in the empire. You can skip it without missing much, which is why it's listed as optional.
Prologue (Optional)
It was around noon on a cool fall day when Twilight knocked on the door of the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest, and heard a voice that sounded not at all like the home's owner call out, “Coming!”
The door opened a second later, revealing a tall white unicorn with brilliant purple eyes and a long pink mane. Twilight, completely unsurprised, because Fleur was Fluttershy's marefriend and supposed to visit today, said, “Oh, hi Fleur. Is Fluttershy home?”
“Non. Family emergency or something up in Cloudsdale. She was gone when I left, though she did leave a note,” Fleur said, before floating over a white piece of paper to the alicorn princess, “So, what's going on?”
Twilight read through the very brief note then asked, “Did she leave anything else?”
“Just a feeding schedule for her animals. Also, you didn't answer my question.”
“Oh, well, I just got a letter from Princess Cadance inviting the six of us to spend all next week in The Crystal Empire, and I came by to see if Fluttershy wanted to come along.”
“Oh. Can I come?” Fleur asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
“Hmm...Tell you what, if Fluttershy and Princess Cadance say you can come and nopony else has any objections, you can come along,” Twilight said.
“I can live with that. I'll go ahead and talk to them when I get the chance.”
“Okay. By the way, Princess Cadance mentioned that Princess Luna will also be there just so you know.”
“Wonderful,” Fleur said, looking rather nervous as she took a quick peek at the feeding schedule.
“Don't worry, I think she's forgotten about the whole candy bowl incident from last year's Nightmare Night.”
“I hope so.”
“Anyway, when Fluttershy gets back, give this to her, please,” Twilight said, passing Fleur a letter.
“Of course.”
Around dinner, Fluttershy returned to her cottage and opened the front door, saying in a tone reserved for conversation and not announcing your return to a house full of animals, “I'm home.”
“Hi, Fluttershy,” Fleur called from the kitchen.
Fluttershy walked down to the kitchen, asking, “Hi, Fleur. Did you get my note?”
“Oui,” Fleur said before giving Fluttershy a quick peck on the lips. “By the way, what happened? Your note was rather vague.”
“Well, um, my grandfather was rushed to the hospital and my mom came down to get me to see him there. Apparently he was having massive chest pains, which she didn't tell me until after we left. As it turns out it was really bad acid reflux. The doctors told him no more alcohol or fizzy drinks ever again and it should clear up.”
“Well that's good to hear. Hopefully, that's all that's wrong,” Fleur said.
“I hope so, too.”
“Anyway, I was just making dinner. Do daffodil and tulip sandwiches sound good?”
“That sounds delicious.”
“And before I forget, Twilight came by earlier and said you and your friends had been invited to the Crystal Empire all next week. She also told me that I could come along if you and Cadance agreed and no one else had a problem with it.”
Before Fluttershy could respond, there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy said, “I'll get it.”
When she opened the front door, it was to find Rarity on the other side. “Hi Rarity.”
“Hi Fluttershy, I saw you coming home and thought I'd come by for a quick word.”
“Oh. What about?”
“Um, I'm sure Fleur mentioned that Princess Cadance invited us to the Crystal Empire next week?”
“Right before you knocked, actually,” Fleur said, having teleported from the kitchen to see who was at the door.
“Well, anyway, when I asked if Fancypants could come along, she said that, if Fancy and Princess Cadance agreed and no one else had any objections, he could come along, and I was just wondering if you would mind him coming.”
“Well, if he wants to, I don't mind. Also, uh, Fleur said pretty much the same thing about her coming with us,” Fluttershy said.
“You want to come with us to the Crystal Empire, Fleur?” Rarity asked.
“Absolument. Spending a week in the absolutely gorgeous Crystal Empire with my marefriend sounds like my idea of a great way to spend a week of my month long vacation, never mind the opportunity to stay in a castle suite...Assuming you don't have a problem with me coming?”
“One of my best clients and a dear friend wanting to come along on a vacation with me? How could I possibly say no?”
Fleur smiled and asked, “Well, if you don't mind, could you talk to the others about me coming along? I'm guessing you're going to want to ask them about your crush coming, anyway.”
“I don't have a crush on Fancypants!” Rarity declared loudly as her cheeks rapidly reddened.
Fleur, still smiling, just rolled her eyes and asked, “Anyway, will you ask them for me?”
“Sure. Just promise me you won't imply that I have a crush on Fancy while we're in earshot of him.”
“I promise,” Fleur said.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Interdimensional Meetings
Nowhere in the guest hall was the screaming louder or more varied than Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis' room (though the screams coming from Rarity's did give them a run for their money in the loudness department). When the screams subsided two guards rushed in to find two unicorns taking defensive stances against each other, with angry glares on their faces, a pegasus cowering in one corner of the room and a third unicorn looking for a way out.
The guards tried to place the intruders under arrest, which didn't go as expected as they couldn't agree on who the intruders were. One guard tried to arrest Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis for trespassing by order of Prince Crescendo, and the other tried to arrest the stallion and mare that had appeared in the room in the name of Princess Cadance.
When the guards heard each other, the turned to face each other and the one who was trying to arrest the two ponies who had appeared in Fluttershy and Fleur's room asked in an angry tone, “What did you say?”
“I said I was arresting these two ponies in the name of our rightful ruler, Prince Crescendo, not this pretender to the throne you speak of.”
“Liar! Princess Cadance is the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire, having taken the throne after the defeat of King Sombra almost a year ago! This 'Prince Crescendo' you speak of is the pretender to the throne!”
From here, things started going downhill. After several minutes of arguing, when it looked like the two guards were going to break out the hooficuffs or worse, a third guard burst in and said, “By order of Princess Cadance and Prince Crescendo, all guards in the castle are to report to the throne room immediately for a briefing on our situation. All guests of Princess Cadance and Prince Crescendo are to report to the dining room in one half hour.”
“What for?” The stallion who had appeared asked.
“For breakfast and to be briefed on the situation as we know it,” the guard said, “in the meantime. If you cannot tolerate each others' presence, we ask that you move to different rooms. Any crime committed, including assault and murder, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
As the three guards left the room, the four remaining ponies gave each other confused looks. As no one decided to leave, minimal movement occurred over the next few minutes, mostly consisting of Fluttershy moving to Fleur de Lis' side. Eventually, the silence was broken by the mare who had appeared in the room. “So, uh, nice weather we're having.”
“Yes, much cooler than Canterlot this time of year,” Fleur said looking over this strange pony, as the other pony did to her. The mare in question was a tall, white, blue maned pony with a build nearly identical to Fleur's, but a mane and tail that look like they were stolen from Fancypants and feminized to a great degree. The other interesting thing Fleur noticed was that this mare was apparently in the middle of putting on or taking off a tightly fitted tuxedo, with the bow tie hanging loosely around her neck, several buttons undone, and the collar in mild disarray.
“Honestly, I think it's too chilly,” The stallion said, causing everyone else to turn and look at him. He was a tall, handsome, if rather effeminate, unicorn stallion, with a white coat, moderately long pink mane and tail, striking purple eyes, and a rather healthy build.
Fleur thought, why do I think that I would look just like this stallion if I were male?
“What? I prefer warmer weather is all,” the stallion said, looking confused.
After a moment of awkward silence, the stallion spoke up again, saying “anyway, since we've decided we don't mind spending time in the same room as each other, why don't we introduce ourselves?”
“Good idea. You can go first,” Fleur said.
The stallion said, “as you wish. I am Ecusson, a resident of Canterlot here at the invitation of Prince Crescendo. And you are?”
“Fleur de Lis, also a resident of Canterlot, but here at the invitation of Princess Cadance.”
The blue maned mare spoke next, saying, “My name is Regal Splendor, and I am Ecusson's lover and roommate in Canterlot, as well as a successful businessmare.”
All eyes then turned to Fluttershy, ho meekly said in a voice just above a whisper, “I'm Fluttershy.”
“What was that?” Regal Splendor asked.
Fleur spoke for her, “She said she's Fluttershy. She's an animal caretaker in Ponyville, and my marefriend of almost a year.”
Regal, as Fluttershy had taken to thinking of her, raised an eyebrow at this last statement, asking, “So, how many ponies know about your relationship?”
“It's not widely known but it is public knowledge. All of our friends here, as well as Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, know all about it, and don't care. Also, it was a mutual friend of ours who set us up in the first place,” Fleur said, sounding rather annoyed.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to imply...”
“Don't worry about it. Anyway, what can you tell me about this Prince Crescendo?”
Meanwhile, in the royal bedchambers, Cadance and Crescendo were busy trying to figure out who had arrived in whose castle, having just cleared out everyone who had burst in to report an “invasion” of “pretenders.” Their spouses, Shining Armor and Shimmering Shield respectively, had already left to brief the guards on the situation as known.
They had already come to the conclusion that the only items that had gone on the trip were those that were being worn, based on the fact that there wasn't twice as many beds or wall hangings as before. With that knowledge in hoof, they decided to check both closets for the one item that could only belong to one pony: a wedding dress. Depending on whose closet it was in, that pony would be the one whose universe the other had arrived in.
Cadance quickly started sorting through what was either her or Crescendo's closet while her counterpart did the same with Shining or Shimmering's. Due to the sheer amount of stuff in both closets, though, it took a few minutes before Cadance said, “I found it!”
Crescendo turned around, a slightly defeated look on his face, as Cadance removed it from the box it was in and held it for him to see. He said, “Well, with that established, now what?”
“Hmm...Well, I think we should start by figuring out the extent of the damage.”
“By which you mean determine how far out from the castle the interdimensional teleportation occurred?”
“Exactly. Also, I think we should have princess Luna and um...your version of Princess Luna-”
“Prince Nocturnus.”
“-Thank you. Prince Nocturnus fly out for Canterlot and speak with Princess Celestia about what could have caused this and how we can fix it,” Cadance said.
Crescendo asked, “Why don't we just ask Luna and Nocturnus if they have any ideas on fixing it first?”
“Good point. Let's do that now.”
It was a fairly short walk through the surprisingly empty hallways to reach the room Luna had been given. When they arrived, Cadance remarked, “it's awfully quiet in there.”
“I know what you mean. I expected more of use of the royal Canterlot voice.”
Crescendo knocked on the door, and was soon greeted by a rather annoyed looking Princess Luna who said, “If you are here about the sudden appearance of a male version of myself, then I must inform you I am well aware of his existence.”
“Actually, we're here because we thought you might be able to help us figure out how to get him and everyone else who appeared in the castle back to their own dimension.”
“I see,” Luna said, as a burly dark blue alicorn stallion wearing what looked to be a partial set of armor, presumably Prince Nocturnus, appeared next to her. As her expression softened, she said, “Well, I am not as well versed in interdimensional issues as my sister is. You would be better off asking her.”
“Well, in that case, could you head back to Canterlot and speak with her? I'm afraid I'll be needed here if the empire's population has doubled.”
“Do you not have the magical fire mail system set up?” Luna asked.
“Eh...I may have run out of the required reagents for maintaining it last week, and forgot to ask for more, which may also be why you received your letter through the regular mail.”
Luna facehoofed, as did Prince Nocturnus, who said, “Let me guess, you ran out of reagents too, Crescendo.”
“Um...yes. I meant to ask for more, but I've been so busy that I forgot.”
Another pair of frustrated sighs later, Nocturnus said, “In that case, we will fly out to Canterlot and speak with Princess Luna's sister this evening. We will also bring back the reagents you need for the mail system. In the meantime, you should learn the full extent of this issue and take steps to keep chaos from descending on the empire when the citizenry learns what has happened.”
“That's the plan,” Cadance said.
“Also, you may wish to check up on Rarity. I heard loud screaming from her room shortly after the light faded,” Luna said.
“Of course. We'll talk more later.”
Luna nodded and shut the door again. The two pink royals went to Rarity's room, right next door to Princess Luna's, and found her and her apparent male self awkwardly trying to ignore each other, as they did what looked to be sketching on opposite sides of the room. The two royals watched for a moment before Cadance loudly cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both ponies. Upon seeing them, Rarity said, “Oh, hello Princess and um...prince.”
“We just came in to see if everything was okay. Princess Luna said she heard screaming,” Cadance said.
“We're fine. I just got scared when this stallion appeared in my room,” Rarity said.
“Yes, we're fine, thanks to the timely appearance of the guards. By the way, since when are there two of you, Prince Crescendo?” The stallion asked.
“Since that flash of light erupted throughout the castle. And it's not just two of me, but two of every pony in the castle, as near as anypony can tell. Including you, Elusive.”
The stallion opened his mouth, then shut it again. Rarity filled the silence by asking, “So, wait, he's...me?”
“As near as we can tell, yes,” Cadance said, “Just as Prince Crescendo is me from another dimension. Anyway, if things are under control here, there are things we need to do. We'll offer a more complete explanation at breakfast.”
“Okay. How long until breakfast?”
“About twenty minutes,” Cadance said.
Twenty minutes later, Twenty ponies were gathered around the large table in the castle's dining hall, which still had seating for ten more. Cadance had expected to see the two groups seating themselves amongst those they knew before the incident, but Pinkie and her opposite sex counterpart ensured that wasn't going to to happen, as said counterpart sat himself between Fleur and Twilight, who had been the first to seat themselves, and Pinkie sat next to the blue maned mare from Fluttershy and Fleur's room. From there, and with some encouragement from both of the non-royal pink ponies, seating was largely first come first served, aside from ponies in relationships sitting together, and Rarity talking her way into a seat next to Fancypants.
After everyone was seated, the food was served. The meal was less extravagant than yesterday's dinner, partly because it was breakfast and partly because they were feeding twice the ponies. Twilight, who was eating a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal, and sitting next to a very purple stallion, asked, “So, Cadance, what's going on? Why are there suddenly ten more ponies here, who seem to think Prince Crescendo is the rightful ruler of The Crystal Empire?”
“I was about to explain that actually. Or at least what we know, which, unfortunately, is very little.” Cadance went on to explain the sequence of events that had led up to breakfast, putting special emphasis on who had arrived where and what evidence there was for this revelation.
When she finished, Prince Crescendo said, “There are still several unanswered questions, of course, including how this happened and how we're going to get back. However, we do know that we are perfectly safe within each others' vicinity. There have been no negative reactions beyond screams and annoyed squabbles. Do try to keep it that way, please. In the meantime, Prince Nocturnus and Princess Luna will travel to Canterlot to speak with Prince.. er Princess Celestia about how to get us home, and we will be determining how far out the flash of light that brought us here reached and how many of us were brought here. Also, none of you are to leave the Empire without permission from Cadance or myself. Am I clear?”
Getting affirmative answers from around the table, Crescendo nodded and ate another bite of his cereal. As Cadance said, “I hope we can fix this quickly.”
“So do I,” Shimmering Shield said darkly, “so do I.”
Author's Note
I did say I would explain the significance of preening in this chapter, and I admit I missed that mark, but I came to a natural conclusion point for this chapter and decided to explain it in the next chapter. Apologies.
Anyway, check my latest blog post if you want to see what I imagine the rule 63 ponies present looking like.
And lastly a few character notes:
Don't expect to see much of Pinkie, Applejack, or their Rule 63 counterparts. I have never felt comfortable writing Pinkie, and only felt comfortable writing AJ when she's in Ponyville.
Author's Note
I'd like to admit right now that this chapter is very plot light, due to the plot being stalled for the most part until Luna leaves the empire. Because of that and the fact that I chose not to skip that far ahead (perhaps a dumb decision), this chapter is mostly dedicated to starting or advancing some subplots. Also, I finally worked in the whole wing preening explanation, though I'm not completely satisfied with it (I was rather tired when I wrote it and simply did my best to fix it up rather than rewrite it, which left it a bit rough).
Don't worry the plot will pick up again in the next chapter.
After Lunch
An hour or so after lunch, and a few hours after confirming that the entire crystal Empire's population had doubled, Fleur, heading to the castle gardens to see Fluttershy, stumbled upon Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, and their opposite sex selves sitting at a table which was covered with papers and figures. When they all turned to look at her after she sneezed, she said, “Oh sorry. I was told this was the quickest way to the gardens.”
“Don't worry about it. And yes, this is the quickest way to the gardens. Just go out the far door and the first door on your left will take you out to them,” Cadance said.
“Merci. By the way, is all this necessary to solve the empire's little problem?”
“Actually, this is everything we need for a game of Castles and Centaurs. Since no one here knows anything about dimension magic, we're a little stuck on the issue of how to get everyone back to our dimension until Luna and Nocturnus go get Celestia, so we're just passing the time right now,” Shimmering Shield said.
“Ah, so no crisis management or anything like that?” Fleur asked.
“No, we told the guards to keep order, arrest lawbreakers, and explain that we're working on getting everything back to normal as quickly as possible. That, reorganizing the guards' schedules so there's enough free beds, and managing ponies' positions here in the castle is all that's really needed on our part for the moment. If other issues arise, we will, of course, respond to them, bit for now, we have nothing to do, assuming no other crises come up.”
“Ah. By the way, why do we have to stay inside the empire's borders until the crisis is resolved?”
“We don't know the long term effects of allowing those from other dimensions spend time in our own for extended periods so we're trying to keep everyone corralled until we can get them home to keep anyone from getting stuck here. Also, it's a simple way to show that we're taking the issue seriously.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I'll leave you to it, then,” Fleur said, as she opened the door to the next hallway and wondered why they were so open with her about their reasoning for doing this.
When she reached the garden she saw three figures sitting near the fountain in the garden's center, one somewhat larger than the other two. She made her way over, assuming Fancypants had taken the opportunity to relax a bit.
However, when she got close enough, she realized that it wasn’t Fancypants, but Regal Splendor sitting by the fountain. Fluttershy and her opposite sex self, whose name Fleur didn't know yet, were sitting nearby, playing with a few squirrels. She loudly cleared her throat, and got all three ponies' attention.
Regal spoke before anyone else could, saying, “Oh, Fleur. I was hoping to speak with you. There's been something I've been wondering about.”
“I'm listening,” Fleur said.
“Well, the Prince and Princess said that opposite sex copies of everyone appeared here, yes?”
“Yes...”
“Well, if we're copies of each other, then why is is Ecusson is my coltfriend, while you, his apparent opposite sex version, are Fluttershy's marefriend?” Regal asked.
“Uh, are you sure I'm the one you wanted to ask about this? I don't know anything about other dimensions or anything related to them.”
“Neither do I. I mostly asked you because you're the most notable difference between our two dimensions, outside of gender. Also, as far as I know, my sweet Eccy is completely straight.”
“Well, I admit I wanted to go out with Fancy, who already knew of my bisexuality, but a minor misunderstanding on my part put a lid on that. I ended up with Fluttershy instead, after Rarity set us up on a date. So maybe Eccy is just hiding his bisexuality?” Fleur suggested
“...Maybe. By the way, do you ever wish you ended up with Fancypants?”
“Sometimes I wonder what could have been between us, but I think being with Fluttershy broadened my horizons far more than being with Fancy ever could, and she is just so wonderful to be with. Really, I wouldn't give her up for anything.”
“...Then, should I be concerned that Eccy and Butterscotch are such close friends?” Regal asked.
“Why are you asking me? I may be a different version of him, but that doesn't mean I know what he's thinking.”
“Er...good point.”
Fleur nodded, and went over to her marefriend, deciding she had had had enough of Regal for the moment.
The squirrels Fluttershy and her opposite sex self had been playing with had wandered off, apparently too tired to keep playing, and there weren't any other animals in sight at the moment. Before they could decide what to do next, Fleur made her presence known a second time, this time by verbally greeting her marefriend then giving her a quick peck on the lips.
“Hi, Fleur. What did Regal want to talk about?” Fluttershy asked.
“She was wondering how it was that you and I are together, since my opposite sex self is with her. Before you ask, I don't know. Anyway, I can see your enjoying some time with yourself.”
Even with Fleur's silly grin, it took Fluttershy a second to figure out what she meant. When she did, she said, “Oh, yes. It's wonderful to be able to spend time with somepony who knows as much about animals and is as passionate about them as me.”
“You know I'm working on that,” Fleur said, feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy.
“I know, but in the meantime...”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, to step away from my being a work in progress, there is something I've been wondering about since last night.”
“Yes?” Fluttershy asked.
“First, let me apologize if this isn't the sort of thing you discuss in polite company, but is there some sort of special significance behind you asking me to preen your wings? Or were you just nervous for some other reason?”
Before Fluttershy could respond, Butterscotch, in a moment of boldness, said, “When a pegasus asks you to preen their wings, their saying they trust you deeply. They're essentially saying, 'I trust you enough that I'm going to entrust you with helping keep the things that make me a pegasus in order without damaging them.'”
“Yes, what Butterscotch said,” Fluttershy said.
“Wow, suddenly I feel honored,” Fleur said, not sure how to react, and making a mental note to ask Rainbow about this later. “Um...anyway, do you want to go into town? We can see those sheep you told me about seeing the first time you were here, and do some shopping.”
“Sure. Do you want to come, Butterscotch?” Fluttershy asked, turning to face the other yellow pegasus.
“Um...no, thank you. I think I'll spend some more time here in the garden,” Butterscotch said.
“Oh, okay. I'll see you later, then.”
“Keep this up, Flutters, and I might stop thinking you're a lesbimare,” Fleur said with a wink.
Fluttershy ignored her mischievous prodding, and started walking out of the garden, wondering if there were now twice as many sheep as before in the market.
Meanwhile, entering the garden was a pair of blue pegasi having a loud conversation As they drew closer, Regal Splendor could start making out what they were saying.
“-way you could ever be faster than me!” Rainbow Blitz stated.
“Yeah? Prove it!” His female counterpart said.
“Gladly! How?”
“I challenge you to a race. From here to the edge of the Crystal Empire and back!”
How did they get all the way out here, arguing about who's the fastest and only now decide on a race? Regal wondered.
“You're on! But we need someone to keep time,” Rainbow Blitz said, before looking around. Regal noticed he spent a rather long time looking at Butterscotch.
Honestly curious about how this would turn out, and not sure if Butterscotch had a bias that would affect the outcome, she said, “If I may offer my services, I think I can accurately time you two.”
“I didn't know you had a talent for timing, Regal,” Rainbow Blitz said.
“I don't, but I do know a simple spell that I can cast on a pair of flagstones. Whichever one is touched first will glow green and the one touched second will glow red, because I'm assuming you two will have a close finish. Fair?”
“Sounds fair to me. Which two?”
“These two,” Regal said, pointing to the two next to her. “Also, I would advise stopping short of the edge. I think Shimmering Shield put up a shield to let her know if someone tried to leave.”
“We're not going to touch the shield, don't worry.” Rainbow Dash said, “but how do we know you're going to be honest?”
“Simple. Rainbow Blitz and I aren't friends, so I can't really be biased in his favor. Also, I'm honestly curious as to how this will shake out.”
“If you say so. Anyway, on three we take off and you cast the spell.”
“Okay. Move to your positions.” After they did, Regal said, “Okay, one, two, three!”
Butterscotch, who had been watching from nearby, asked, “You're not cheating for Rainbow Blitz, are you?”
“Not at all. Don't worry. I simply wish to sate my curiosity as to which is faster.”
In Rarity's world, things were going swimmingly...ish. She and Elusive had decided to collaborate on one interdimensional dress while things were being figured out, and since they were opposite sex versions of the same pony, this looked like it would work out perfectly...Except they couldn't agree on some of the details, specifically hemline, and color. They were close, but couldn't come up with a compromise.
“I really think we should go with the cinnamon and a floor length hem,” Rarity argued.
“No, I'm telling you an ankle length hem in cherry would look much better.”
What sounded like two explosions in rapid succession prevented further arguing. Rarity asked, “What was that?”
Elusive said, “I'm going to guess that Rainbow Blitz and Rainbow Dash have decided to race, and those are sonic rainbooms since I doubt there's anything else that could cause large airborne explosions,” Elusive said, pointing out the nearby window.
“That makes sense, I guess.”
A tall, pink maned unicorn stallion walked in after Rarity said this, saying, “I did see them bickering a few minutes ago over something, so it seems likely.”
“Oh, Ecusson. I'm glad you're here. Can I borrow you for a second?” Elusive asked.
“That depends. Will Regal approve of whatever your borrowing me for?” Ecusson asked.
“Don't worry. We just need an opinion. Which do you think looks better, this dress in cinnamon with a floor length hem, or this one in cherry with an ankle length hem?”
“I'd say the cherry one, though I think it would look better with a floor length hem, rather than ankle length.”
The two dressmakers looked at each other, then seemed to consider it. After a moment Rarity said, “Yes, I think that would work just fine.”
Elusive said, “Yes, I agree.”
“So, who'll be modeling it when you finish it?” Ecusson asked.
“I was thinking Fleur. She always looked good in red. Maybe, Regal Splendor could model it with her, since they look like they have about the same build,” Rarity said.
“Actually, that would be perfect,” Elusive said.
“Well, if you want to suggest it to her, be my guest,” Ecusson said.
Fancypants was bored. He had planned to enjoy himself by watching the jousting tournament they were planning on having during their stay, but those had been canceled due to recent events, and although there was talk of bringing them back the next day with a revised structure, that didn't help him now.
At the moment he was browsing the Crystal Empire's library in an attempt to learn more about the history of the place. Or read lurid tales from another time. He hadn't decided yet.
After a few minutes of searching through one of of the massive bookshelves, he found a book called “The History of the Crystal Empire from the crowning of Queen Amore to the rise of King Sombra”. Making a mental note to ask what the other universe's version of Queen Amore was named and wondering how this book survived King Sombra's reign, he went to the front desk and asked to check it out.
“Certainly. Just return it in one week's time. And do not damage it. This is the only known copy to escape destruction by King Sombra.”
“Don't worry. I take very good care of my books,” Fancypants said as he placed it in his saddle bag. He then made his way outside and quickly bumped in to two of his friends.
“Hello, Fleur, Fluttershy,” he said.
“Hi, Fancy. What are you up to?” Fluttershy asked.
“Honestly, not much. I planned to go to the jousting tournament before they canceled it due to all this business about dimensional travelers and now I'm just trying to pass the time. You?”
“We were going down to the market to see if we could do some shopping, then see about stopping at the petting zoo since Fluttershy wants to spend some time with the sheep there,” Fleur said. “Would you like to join us?”
“Well, I have nothing else going on...sure, why not?” Fancypants said.
Fleur and Fluttershy both smiled as they quickly started trotting to the market, with Fancy following not far behind, surprised at their speed.
A short time later, Fleur asked Fancy, “So, I know Rarity is one of your best friends, Fancy, but I'm curious, what do you really think of her?”
“What do you mean? She's a dear friend of mine, nothing more.”
“I see, never mind.”
Fancypants looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing.
Comings, goings, and guards
Luna and Nocturnus left the Crystal Empire for Canterlot by air shortly after dinner and returned with Celestia in tow shortly after midnight. Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor were awake and ready to receive her, as were Dusk Shine, Crescendo, and Shimmering Shield. Cadance said, “Thank you for coming so quickly, Celestia, and my apologies for sending your sister to get you.”
“That's okay. Anyway, I have the reagents for the mail system here,” Celestia said, passing several bags to her niece.
“Thanks. I'll try to remember to order more next time I'm running low.”
Celestia nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, “So, do we know why the population of the empire suddenly doubled?”
“No. All we know is shortly before breakfast this morning, a strange light was reported as appearing in the throne room then extending throughout the empire, transporting opposite sex versions of every pony present here from another dimension before disappearing. If you have any theories as to what it was, I would love to hear them,” Shining Armor said.
“Unfortunately, I do not. However, I believe I do have a way to get them home. It will take several days and the help of all of you and several of your guests, however. Specifically the unicorns.”
“We'll be happy to help. Just tell us what to do,” Twilight said.
“Okay. There is a spell that I can teach you that will open up a portal to our visitors' home dimension, but in order for it to take all of all the ponies present here home, we will need to be able to keep it open for several hours at least, which will require a vast amount of magical power,” Celestia explained.
“More than even you can put out, princess?”
“Yes, much more, which is why I will teach you this spell. When my own power falters, I need you to be able to take over for me in maintaining the portal, and when each of you falters, the next one must be able to take over in his or her stead until the last pony from the other dimension have returned home. Cadance, how many unicorns are staying in the castle as your guests?”
“Between both dimensions, and counting Twilight and Dusk Shine, um...eight,” Cadance said.
“That should be enough to give us some breathing room if all six of you are willing to help,” Celestia said.
The six other alicorns, as well as Shining Armor and Shimmering Shield all gave affirmative responses. Celestia then said, “Okay, we will begin preparations in the morning. For now, I would like to rest.”
“Of course. Let me show you to your suite.”
The next morning, all of Cadance's and Crescendo's guests were told what would be happening over breakfast. The unicorns were then asked if they would be willing to help, and all gave affirmative responses. This was followed by Elusive saying, “Before I forget, I just wanted to thank you, Princess Cadance, for finding all of us suites to stay in until we can get home.”
“You're quite welcome, and please, call me Cadance.”
Celestia, sitting near the head of the table, said, “anyway, I will teach Luna, Cadance, Twilight, Nocturnus, Crescendo, and Dusk the spell after breakfast, and they will teach it to all of you over the next few days. The spell should only take an hour to learn at most.”
“Why can't you teach it to all of us at once?” Fleur asked.
“Well, I could, but the nature of the spell makes small group teaching easier. Also, I need to return to Canterlot in a few hours to make arrangements for a longer absence, and can't afford any delays. I will return however, when it is time to open the portal.”
The rest of breakfast was occupied by other questions about the portal, like if there were any dangers in opening it (not if everyone was careful) and what it would feel like to go through it (no straight answer given).
After breakfast, as the seven alicorns went to a side room, Fleur asked Rainbow Dash, “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, what's up?”
“I was just wondering if there was any special significance behind a pegasus asking somepony to preen their wings?”
“Lemme guess. Fluttershy asked you to preen her wings last night, you said no, and now you think she's mad at you,” Rainbow said.
“No, no. She asked me two nights ago, and I agreed to do it. I simply wondered why she was so nervous about asking me.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Yes. She said it was a sign of deep trust. A sign that she trusts me enough to trust me with helping her with the thing that makes her a pegasus, if I recall,” Fleur said.
“That's pretty much what it is, actually. It's a pegasus' way of saying they feel close to and very trusting of you. Even the sluttiest pegasi, who will sleep with anyone who asks, usually only has two or three ponies they trust to preen their wings. I only trust three, personally, and you're not one of them. No offense.”
“None taken. Anyway, it's not a sign of love or anything like that?”
“Not really, no. For example, Fluttershy and me aren't lovers, yet we preen each others wings,” Rainbow said.
“I see. Thanks for explaining it.”
“By the way, do unicorns do anything similar for your horns?”
“Not really. Personally, even as beauty-conscious as I am and protective of our horns as unicorns in general are, all I do is wipe it down with washcloth in the shower every night. It doesn't need any more than that,” Fleur said.
“Really?”
“Oui, why? What were you expecting?”
“I dunno. I guess I thought it would be more complicated than that,” Rainbow said.
Fleur simply rolled her eyes and turned to walk off, when Rainbow asked, “By the way, do you intend to help out with the whole 'portal to the other ponies' home dimension' thing?”
“Of course. The princesses need the help of several unicorns, so why wouldn't I offer my assistance?”
“Just curious, is all.”
Celestia returned to Canterlot a few hours later, having trained the six alicorns in the spell they would be using and, word was, another spell that would help them tune it to the proper frequency. The alicorns weren't speaking about the spell, only saying that the unicorns would be trained in its use the next day. Twilight, looking for an excuse not to talk about the spell, asked Rainbow Dash, “so, who won your little race, yesterday?”
“You heard about that?”
“Yep. Regal Splendor told me, but she didn't say who won.”
“Well, actually, we don't know because her spell, which was supposed to show who won, apparently didn't work or something,” Rainbow Dash said.
“That's odd. If it's the spell I'm thinking of, it should have been relatively simple and foolproof. Maybe there's some sort of dimensional differences causing an issue?”
“Maybe. Anyway, we're planning on trying again in a few days, if you want to help.”
“I'd be happy to. Just let me know when you intend to go again,” Twilight said.
“Alright, thanks!”
Shortly before lunch, Cadance and Shining Armor were discussing security with their guard captain, Stone Wall, after a few unnamed guards started showing some erratic behavior. Shining asked, “Do you think it has something to do with the cross-dimensional travel or the presence of ponies from the other dimension?”
“Maybe. There's no way to be sure unless we can identify them, and that's proving difficult, due to the illusion spells on their armor and the fact that they're appearing well away from any set patrol routes. Even then, it likely won't be possible to confirm the issue with 100% certainty.”
“Understood. Please begin investigating the guards' behavior regardless, and ask my counterpart for permission to investigate her guards. If she declines, let me know, and I will speak with her,” Shining Armor said.
“And if she wants a joint investigation?” Stone Wall asked.
“If she wants a joint investigation, I see no reason to say no,” Cadance said. “Any other questions?”
“No ma'am. I will speak with her right away.”
“Thank you.” As Stone Wall left, Cadance turned to her husband and asked, “Do you think he'll find anything?”
“Maybe. Either way, you have to admit that we've been getting too many reports to ignore.”
“True.” They walked out on to the nearby balcony, overlooking the empire, and Cadance said, “regardless, I hope this is solved quickly.”
“It will be, I'm sure of it.”
Around the same time, Fleur, Fluttershy, Butterscotch and Rainbow Blitz, were, at Rainbow Blitz's suggestion, taking a walk around the Crystal Empire together. At the moment, they weren't saying anything, partly because they wanted to take in the sights and partly because they weren't sure what to talk about.
After a while, Blitz broke the silence, asking, “So, how long have you two been together?”
“About a year now,” Fluttershy said.
“And a wonderful year it's been,” Fleur said with a smile, turning to look at their two male companions. “What about you two? Do you have a very special somepony?”
“No,” They answered simultaneously.
“That's too bad. Well, do you have your eye on somepony?”
“Um, yes, but I've been too scared ask them out,” Butterscotch said, and Fleur noticed him taking a small but obvious glance at Rainbow Blitz.
It was all Fleur could do to hide her reaction to this little glance and keep walking. She thought If that glance means what I think it means...Oh this could be such fun!
Rainbow Blitz said, “Yeah, I also have my eye on somepony, but I haven't found the right time to say something,” while also taking a brief but noticeable glance at Butterscotch.
Fleur, calming herself down a bit, nodded and looked back to where she was walking, forming a plan even as she chatted with her companions.
Author's Note
Ah, the shipper on deck.
Anyway, apologies about this taking so long. Before two weeks ago I have no excuse, but over the past two weeks, I have had three doctor's appointments (one with a neurologist, one with an optometrist, and one for an MRI (seizures)), and I've been adjusting to my new medication (Celexa, for my Social Anxiety Disorder, AKA the reason I've not been reading comments) so it's been exhausting
