Twilight in Wonderland

Chapters

Down the Book Hole
Sea of Tears
The Canter Race

Down the Book Hole

"Wow!" Twilight called out to herself. She had found the castle library and was astonished to find it was even bigger than her old one. Her voice reverberated off the walls in an echo. The crystal bookshelves reached all the way up to the towering ceilings of the castle. Each book was large, thick, and dusty. Not one was out of place and they were all packed tightly. Twilight stepped into the expanse of books. The different colored covers beckoned for her to come closer. Twilight reached out, and ran a hoof over one cracked leather cover.

"It's amazing." Twilight whispered. Never had she seen such antique books! Not counting the times at the Castle of the Two Sisters. These were all hers, and she could sit and read to her hearts content.

"Isn't it?" A regal voice echoed off the sparkling walls. Twilight turned to find Princess Celestia smiling over her.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight squeaked in surprise and lowered one hoof in a bow. Melodic laughing filled Twilight's ears and she felt her face burn.

"Old habits?" Celestia soothingly asked. Twilight nodded slowly and turned back to the books. Her hoof was on a red book with golden letter emblazoned on the spine. Each small crack in the ancient leather connected like a spiderweb of time. Celestia stepped to the other side of the library, to a shelf with books that seemed relatively new.

"It appears you enjoy antique books. I can understand that, but be careful." Celestia pointed out. Her steady hoof beats made their way over to Twilight, who was still captivated. With one hoof on Twilight's shoulder, she looked into her former students eyes. "Twilight, some of these books contain secrets long forgotten, most forgotten for a reason. If you should come across one of these books, dispose of it. Can you do that?" Twilight whipped around, throwing off Celestia's hoof.

"D-dispose?! How could I destroy any book? Even if it does contain some dark secret, I can tuck it in between other books and never touch it again!" she begged. To her, every book held a small treasure, a treasure that was waiting to be dug up and appreciated. She could never bring herself to actually get rid of one, no matter how it was done,she just couldn't do it.

Celestia gave a sigh and gave a small smile. "Twilight, please try to understand. This is for the good of everyone, all over Equestria. As princess, one of your duties is to protect the citizens, correct?" The red book fell to the gleaming floor in a cloud of dust. Twilight immediately levitated it back to the shelf, where she dusted off the cover and replaced it in it's spot. Celestia could easily see how attached Twilight was to her books.

"Maybe your friends can persuade you?" Celestia suggested. Twilight emitted a small sigh and faced Princess Celestia.

"If it really is that big of a deal, I'll do it, but only if it's really necessary! I shall contact you and ask if I do find anything suspicious. If you agree, then, and only then will I get rid of it." Twilight stared up at Celestia with fierce determination.

A small nod from Celestia signaled Twilight to turn back and select which book she should read first. The white princess spared one more look at Twilight, before turning away and setting off on a slow walk out of the library. Twilight heard the large doors close and she grabbed a book and flung herself onto a small light blue couch nearby. The book she selected was "A Crease in Clocks" by Mareleine L' Eagle.

She positioned herself so her stomach was facing upward and the book levitated inches above her face. She began to drink up each and every word, savoring the lines and details. Then the door opened again with a loud bang. The book fell onto Twilight's nose who shot up, rubbing the sore spot. A familiar orange pony was galloping in, casting a quick glance at each of the shelves.

"Applejack? Is there a book I can help you find?" Twilight was now standing next to a shelf, looking at Applejack with slight amusement.

"No no! I'm fine, just need a book." She took one off and flipped frantically through it, only to find nothing a replace it on the shelf. At this point, Twilight was walking towards Applejack to ask her what the matter was, when the earth pony picked the oldest looking book on the shelf. When she opened it, Twilight was flung backwards as a blinding green light flooded from the book.All she could do was stare in mute amazement as the light faded and the book fell to the ground. Applejack was gone.

"Applejack?" Twilight called. She was never one to pull pranks, but... Twilight hovered the book over to herself and stared at the cover. No symbols, letters or markings of any kind decorated it, just specks of dust and a small glimmer every so often. "I have to see what this is." she mumbled, then slowly opened the worn pages.

"Huh, nothing weird he- AAHHH!" The green light cascaded from the pages once more, instead this time, it was sucking her in! Her head fell in through the book and she struggled to pull it out, however only succeed in pulling herself farther in. Eventually, her entire body fell into the books yawning void.

Twilight went tumbling around a dark hole, a sharp contrast from the bright green light just moments before. She lit her horn and gasped at the things that surrounded her. Books of all sizes flew around, along with chairs, desks and other peices of furniture. The walls were a pale gray. Below her hooves, Twilight saw nothing but empty blackness.

"Will I just keep falling forever?" Twilight thought, with panic rising in her throat as she fell farther and farther away from the castle, if she was even in Equestria anymore...

Sea of Tears

"Ugh, what a drea-" Twilight sat up, rubbing her head. "This isn't a dream is it?" she muttered. Although it made no sense, being sucked into a book down a dark hole and down into this odd passageway.

Blue and red tiles decorated the walls, and a dirty looking white carpet stroked against Twilight's shaking hooves. The only sound was a faint yelling at the end of the corridor. It echoed faintly and caused Twilight to pick up the pace. Hoping to find anyone she would ask what in Equestria was going on, she failed to notice that her magic did not open the door at the end of the deserted hall.

"Ow!" she cried out as her nose collided with a thud. The door was slightly smaller than a regular door in Ponyville, yet something seemed off about it. Trying once more, a purple glow surrounded her horn, but to no avail. The door remained sealed.

"This is... what is it?" Twilight reached out a hoof to try the knob. To her great surprise, it opened, revealing something that caused Twilight to yell out in frustration.

"Oh come on!" On the other side of the door, was a tall domed room with vibrantly colored walls that changed color every time you look at them. Doors of all sizes, shapes and colors adorned the walls, everyone of them could lead someplace else. Then a rustle from the other side of the room caught her eye. It was Applejack.

"Applejack! I'm so glad I found you! Where are we?" Twilight cantered toward her, but stopped and bit her lip to restrain a laugh. The farm pony sported a blue waistcoat and a large pocket watch that ticked loudly with every second gone by. Her face wore an expression of pure panic as Applejack turned towards Twilight. However, upon her head were two large orange rabbit ears, flopping about.

"I am really late!" Applejack yelled in a panicked voice. She glanced at the clock, and a new wave of fear washed over her. "I really gotta go!" she exclaimed, then dashed to the other side of the room. Twilight, eager to question Applejack's intentions, galloped after the quickly trotting pony.

As she stopped for a breath, Twilight saw a door slam a few feet away. Before she went to it, however, a strong sense of curiosity lured her to the other doors. Wondering what was on the other side, she picked a metal with a silver knob and slowly opened it, revealing the wonders. A shiver ran through Twilight as a blast of chilly air wafted from the room beyond. Inside was a snowy biome, covered in ice and powder. In the distance, a faint voice called out.

"Anyone want some snow cones?" it said. Carefully, Twilight closed the door and returned to the one that Applejack disappeared down. The door swung open with a sharp jolt, and she peered inside.

The other side was a room, with even higher ceilings. Purple paint covered the walls, with oddly colored checkered floors. The other end had a tiny door, oak wood with a gold knob. In the middle was a glass table, with some brownish stains riddling the top.

"Hello?" Twilight called into the room. Upon only hearing her own voice echoed back, she stepped in. The first thing she sought out was the door, going directly to it. "Ugh, it's so small! Only my hoof could fit through there!" she called out. In vain, Twilight attempted to open the door with her own two hooves. This only succeeded in the doorknob crumbling up in disgust and squinting up at her. Wait....

"What was that for?" a familiar voice whined. The golden knob stared up expectantly. "Well? I'm waiting."

"S-sunset Shimmer?!" Twilight managed to squeak. "You were sucked into the book too?" The only response was a heavy sigh.

"Listen, I don't know who you are, but do you want to go through or what?" Sunset said impatiently. Twilight bobbed her head hesitantly and Sunset rolled her eyes. "Bottle's on the table." she stated simply.

"What bottle?" Twilight glanced at the dusty glass table, only to see that a glass bottle filled with a white liquid. Trotting over to it, she levitated the bottle to her mouth a took a cautious sip. "What kind of weird magic potion is this?" Twilight inquired as a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped her body.

"Stop asking questions." Shimmerknob groaned.

"It tastes kind of like these cupcakes I had once." Twi said, licking her lips. "Now apple pie." The knob tried to restrain a laugh as Twilight gradually became smaller, but without her knowledge. "Blueberr-AGH!" Twilight shrieked as the nearly empty bottle fell to the ground, now three time taller than the pony.

"Oh yeah... Totally forgot to tell you something." Shimmerknob sighed, a cocky grin on her face. "I'm locked, gonna need the key up on the table!" she cooed.

Directing her gaze up to the table towering above her, Twilight saw that a key was indeed up there. But she was determined not to show Shimmerknob how weak she was, so Twilight flapped her wings. A steady woosh told her that she was airborne. Casting a smug glance down, she found that she was no more than a foot off the ground, with just one more to go. Filled with new found strength, her flapping intensified, only to cease and cause her to plummet to the ground. In between snorts of ferocious laughter, Shimmerknob managed to choke out a helpful tip.

"Here.... I'll give you... a box of sweets that make you.... grow!" and no sooner than the words spill from the keyhole, than a gilded box pop up in between Twilight's hooves. Without thinking twice, she took one out and popped it in her mouth. A tingling sensation spread through her whole body and she began to expand.

Disgruntled and frustrated, she grabbed the key and stuck it in the hole.

"How will you get out? You're too big!" Shimmerknob's muffled voice called. Reaching her breaking point, realizing the door still wasn't open, and the doorknob were just too much. Twilight began to squirt salt water from her horn.

"Hope it stings! I really do!" she hysterically moaned. Water began to flood the open room. Fearful, the knob pleaded,

"Drink the bottle! You'll be able to go! I'll drink it or whatever!" she screamed. Finally getting to her senses, Twilight downed the remaining liquid as the bottle floated by, and she shrunk rapidly, plunging into the bottle, and landing in a puddle of sticky residue. Shimmerknob opened her huge mouth and began to chug all the salt water down her key hole, due to the fact the key floated away.

At first, Twilight saw nothing but darkness. Then a cloudy sky and stormy sea enveloped the lonely bottle. Tall waves crashed down and lightning crackled overhead.

"Maybe I went a little overboard..." Twilight regretfully informed herself. Suddenly, she saw a silhouette. It was a pony shaped figure being pushed by two birds over the choppy waters. The birds spoke to the figure in odd accented voices.

"We're nearly there Captain Dodo!" a crow cawed. Twilight stood up, pressing her hooves to the glass to balance herd=self against the rough waves, catching a fleeting glimpse of-

"Fluttershy?!"

The Canter Race

"Fluttershy?!" Twilight tapped the glass of the bottle, hoping to get the yellow pegasus' attention, but Fluttershy was carried away on the waves with the two birds. The choppy sea nearly overwhelmed the bottle at times and Twilight was about to fly into a full blown panic!

"Oh Celestia! I'm going to be stuck out at sea!" she groaned. Then something caused the small glass refuge to sway more violently than the waves had. Sea creatures of all kinds were swimming past her. Lobsters of an unusually bright red glided past in a style that was similar to the water aerobics team in Canterlot. Otters paddled their small feet against the current. With each passing group, Twilight cried out for help. Eventually she tried to attract them by flashing her horn, but they simply swam on. With rising dread, she sat down and watched the bubbles rise from the transparent floor.

Suddenly she found herself launched towards the neck of the bottle. It had been plowed into the sand by the current. Relieved at being able to walk on ground that didn't cause you to fall about, Twilight gazed at her surroundings. The beach itself was covered in wet sand, and an impending forest lay just beyond it. With some degree of surprise, singing wafted from a little ways to the left. Upon further investigation, it was a sight Twilight never would've thought to see Fluttershy in. She was standing atop a large brown rock, nearly two ponies high, and animals of every kind were prancing about in a circle. They were the source of the singing, ignoring the faint calls of Fluttershy.

"Um, you can have a turn on the rock now, please, don't-" Fluttershy let out a small shriek as a wave rolled in, enveloping the animals and sweeping Twi off her hooves. Twilight found herself on the circle, getting trampled by paws, webbed toes, and possibly even a fin. She struggled to get up, but kept getting her face shoved back down in the sand.

"Oh my! Are you okay?" Fluttershy called down to the trampled princess, who had now joined in the running animals. "I hope you're getting dry, I certainly am, but I want to make sure that everyone else is first..." she hung her head and turned a faint shade of pink. "That's the first rule of the Canter race." she trailed off, watching as a particularly haughty raccoon shook its fur and sent drops of water flying. They continued singing the song:

Over, under, round and through

Come and sing along!

Nothing gets you drier than a jolly Canter Race!

Twilight stretched her wings and flew straight from the circle. Animals don't typically sing. Do they?

"Fluttershy!" she called upwards. The pegasi cast a confused glance at her. Before Twilight protested, she remembered Shimmerknob. How did they even get here? Why didn't they remember her? Eager to get to the bottom of things, Twilight bidded Fluttershy farewell and trotted into the forest beyond.

Vines reached out and tangled themselves around Twilight's hooves, causing her to trip and fall many times within a few feet. Besides the occasional groan of Twilight as she fell, there was barely any other source of noise from the impending trees. After falling and coming nose to nose with an odd caterpillar, Twilight got to her hooves once more and recoiled in shock. Standing motionless before her, was Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom. They all wore hats with small red flags on them and stared off into the distance. Being curious, she poked Scootaloo in the stomach, and the orange filly let out a small squeak.

"Hey! What ya do that for!" Scoots protested. She then shoved her hooves into the fillis on either side, and they let out a squeak in return.

"Who's that?" Applebloom questioned, looking up a Twilight.

"I dunno! I thought you would know!" Scootaloo cried out. Sweetie Belle watched the echange with quite some interest as they began to punch each other, letting off humorous beeping with every blow.

"Stop! Stop!" Twilight separated the two fighters and asked, "Can you tell me who you are first?"

"I'm Tweedle Dee!" Applebloom said, puffing out her small yellow chest.

"Tweedle Dum, at your service!" Scootaloo pointed to herself.

"I'm Tweedle Da." Sweetie Belle grinned at Twilight and they all wrapped their hooves around each other

"Oh, um, okay! I really must be going however, I'm looking for someone you see-" Twilight began to step a bit deeper in the empty sounding forest, when the CMC grabbed her tail and hoisted her back.

"Wait! That's not how you do it!" Scootaloo protested. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle grabbed Twilight's front hooves and began to bounce around. Scootaloo, much to her suprise, began to sing:

"You say 'How do you do?' and shake hooves shake hooves. 'How do you do' and shake hooves. That's the proper way." On 'way', they let go and looked up with their big round eyes.

"Wanna hear a story?" Sweetie Belle asked. Her friends wore nearly the same grin, inviting Twilight to sit and listen.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time." Twilight did not want to get wrapped up in this. She needed to find Applejack and ask her the many questions that swirled about her brain.

"Nonsense! Ya'll have all the time in the world!" Applebloom stated, and they all shoved the princess down onto a musty old log. "You all cozied up?" Applebloom said, innocence written all over her face.

"Guys, come on, please-" Twi got cut of by the trio telling their tale. With every line, they acted out the story, almost like a play.

The sun was shining on the sea, shining with all it's might!

Celestia did her very best to make this day bright!

But this was odd because it was

the middle of the night!

The griffon and the carpenter went walking hand at hand-