My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapter 21: Life Reflected Through Mirrors

“Wake up, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Wha..?” The Unicorn slowly opened her eyes at her mentor’s voice. She saw the princess’s aurora-like mane through blurry eyes. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight sat bolt upright, and immediately regretted it as stiff muscles protested against the sudden movement. She had, she realized, fallen asleep at the table while continuing to do her research. She suddenly had the horrible thought that she might have gotten some saliva on one of Starswirl’s irreplaceable books, but saw that somepony had pushed the nearest volumes clear of her head. “I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, mortified at having had her mentor see her in this state. Again.

“Your secret’s safe with me, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said with a wistful smile. From the look on her face, the princess must have been thinking of old times. “I want you to write a letter for me.”

“But you’re right here,”

“Not a friendship letter, and not to me. To your friends, through Spike.”

“Surely you can do that yourself?”

“I would like this request to come in your writing style. Is that alright?”

“Of course, Princess.” Twilight pulled quill, ink, and parchment closer to herself. “Ready, Princess Celestia.”

“Dear friends,” the Alicorn began, and Twilight began to write.

* * *

Dear Friends,

Princess Celestia has discovered a possible threat, and asks for your help in order to resolve it. The nature of this threat will be revealed once you arrive. Princess Luna can show you the entry passage, but you will need Gearhead’s specialized knowledge to get to the library.

In order to respond appropriately to the threat, Princess Celestia is asking to bring all assets, except for the Elements and the Gemstone.

Please arrive as quickly as possible.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

While Spike went about gathering the others, Gearhead went into the Hangar to prep the Silver Wind for flight. He knew to be careful about what he brought aboard because Princess Celestia had been specific about not bringing the Elements of Harmony or the Fireheart Gemstone. Apparently, however, the Elemental Anklets were below the threshold for what might be too noticeably powerful to bring.

Assuming meeting the threat would necessitate hard combat, Gearhead loaded a full set of capture armour aboard. His latest modifications made them more streamlined, with better integration between the parts, than the originals – although that was also the difference between improvising with the parts he had had available aboard the Wind, and having the time to build his own custom parts.

Gearhead also decided that maximizing his own preparation would be the better part of valour in this case. He took one of the two remaining Dragon Soul Gems and, sewed it, together with three Baby Dragon Tears, into the forelegs of his own armour between the outer and inner layers. Since he did not know what kind of spells he was likely to need, he did not load them yet, instead making it possible to access them by removing a few choice scales.

Gearhead made one last round of the Hangar, looking for other assets he might have otherwise missed. Again and again, he found his gaze drawn to his core prototype, modified not only to keep its magi-tech in line with what he was using on his Twin Engines, but also to fit the colour scheme that belonged to the most likely candidate with whom he would entrust this power. Gearhead nodded to himself. And it would not do to leave the Stabilizer behind, he thought.

* * *

By the time he landed the Wind beside the shop, the others had already arrived. Discord was standing with Fluttershy, with Rarity and Applejack still watching him somewhat warily. Spike stood in the middle, with Doc, KP, Mage, Silver Quill, and Smart Alec on his other side, opposite the three Ponyville ‘natives.’ Dawn and Spring Flight were also watching from beside the shop’s door as Discord read the letter.

“I believe it’s in all of our best interests if I sit this one out,” Discord said.

“Really?” Fluttershy gave the Draconequus a full blast of her big-eyed hopeful look, and several of the others had to look away. Gearhead noticed that she was once again wearing the hairclip he had given her.

“I’m sorry, but I can smell the bad combination from here. Besides, you should be able to manage without me. Good luck. Really.” Discord snapped a talon and vanished.

“That’s too bad,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, we shouldn’t have to worry about him, at any rate,” Applejack said.

“Not for now, anyway,” Alec said.

“Let's just go find out what’s what,” KP said. “I’m sure we’re about to hear another long explanation about whatever happened, and then it’ll be time to clean up the princess’s mess.”

“Oh, I’m certain it’s not quite like that this time,” Rarity said.

“Exactly how much would you be willing to bet on that?” Quill asked.

“Why? What do you know?”

“About this one, surprisingly little, I think.”

“We seem to be in unfamiliar territory,” Doc said. “But that does not mean our chances of success are any lower.”

Gearhead turned to Dawn and the others. “Of course we’ll take care of things while you’re gone,” Dawn said. “You focus on whatever’s going on in Canterlot, and we’ll focus on Ponyville for you.”

“Please use the Array comms if something comes up,”

“Of course,”

“Alright,” Gearhead said, turning back to the others. “Everyone who is going aboard, please do so now. Once we get to cruising speed, I want you all to take the opportunity to train with your suits in case the threat becomes time-sensitive.”

“Oh, I hope it’s not,” Fluttershy said.

“Judging by past experience, it could be,” Applejack said as she led the way up the main ramp.

“Well then, here’s hoping for something a little more straightforward, where we can –“

Mage was at Rarity’s side in an instant to stuff a forehoof into the other’s mouth. “Don’t say it!”

“Mph?”

“No jinxing,” Quill said. “That’s my job.”

* * *

During the flight to Canterlot, Fluttershy helped Gearhead demonstrate how to put on and use the suits, which provided full body coverage. Naturally since few of them were Pegasi, these suits were different from the originals in that they had extensions for horns or a completely sealed appearance as appropriate for Unicorns and Earth Ponies. Gearhead had even redesigned the ones for Quill and Doc to fit their different body types more fully.

Most of the suits were dark blue on the top and light blue on the belly, but the ones Gearhead had made for Fluttershy and Dash were in the appropriate colours for members of the Wonderbolts Reserve. The most visible part of any suit, regardless of its size or the species it was designed for, was the jewel embedded into the chest. Most of the group needed further training with it even after they landed outside Canterlot Castle, however Gearhead only needed to teach Mage the spell, leaving her without the need to have a capture gem on her suit – so it became a backup device.

* * *

Luna was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp when they disembarked. She nodded approvingly when she saw everyone wearing their capture suits, their helmets attached to the hinges on the collar, but flipped open for the moment. Applejack was carring Pinkie’s and Dash’s empty suits, while Gearhead carried the single-core Engine himself, the core itself perfectly balanced on his back.

“My sister sent me a message telling me to expect you,” Luna said. “I fear we must move quickly.”

“I think she looks taller in the flesh,” KP whispered to Alec.

“We’re just used to a different scale,” Alec said.

“And perspective,” Doc said.

Some time later they stood in front of a set of heavy looking double doors. “This is the entrance to the labyrinth that leads to Starswirl the Bearded’s library. I was never able to get there unguided, however my sister seems to think you can navigate it. Are you ready?”

“No,” Fluttershy squeaked.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Alec said, grinning.

“Let us not waste time,” Gearhead said.

“Very well,” Luna said, and she opened the gates, revealing a wide passage, down which she started walking.

“Are you sure you ought to be coming?” Quill asked. “I mean, the letter mentioned something from around the time all that Nightmare Moon stuff went down. This could be bad for you.”

“Whatever this is, I refuse to stand by while my sister, and possibly the rest of Equestria, is in danger.”

“That, and you’ll get to gloat if it’s her fault,” Alec said.

“I love my sister! I would never...” Luna raised an eyebrow. “You are trying to get a rise out of me, are you not?”

“And it worked,”

Luna took a deep breath. “I will take that as a lesson.”

“That is probably best,” Doc said, glaring at Alec as they came to the first fork.

“Next lesson: where do we go from here?” Luna asked, looking all around them at the signs.

“I believe we go this way,” Gearhead said, quickly choosing one path.

“How can you tell?” Applejack asked.

“I believe it is because the sign says so,” Gearhead said, nodding to the clearly-marked routes.

“I don’t see anything that says ‘library,’” Alec said.

“You might if you read Latin,” Gearhead said.

“This must be what Celestia – I mean what Princess Celestia meant when she said we’d need some ‘specialized knowledge,’” KP said.

“I was hoping for something more spectacular,” Mage said.

“I was hoping for explosions,” Quill said.

“Perhaps later,” Doc said as Gearhead took the lead. “Now that I’m looking for the signs, everything looks so clearly marked. It’s like a librarian made all this.”

“I always thought Starswirl was a little too into books,” Luna said, “but I never paid it much mind. Now his hat? It had such bells on it that even a thousand years would not dull my memory of it.”

* * *

“Luna? What are you doing here?” Celestia asked when she spotted the group approaching the table where Twilight and the others were continuing to do their research.

“I had to see it all myself, Sister. Besides, I could not possibly leave after showing them the way.”

“Very well, since you’re already here. But we must be careful.”

“Fine,”

“So what’s going on?” Applejack asked as she and Gearhead put the extra gear on the floor.

“I am afraid that much of what will likely come is my fault,” Celestia said. “You see, I used to help Starswirl the Bearded in his research of other worlds.” The princess turned to Twilight, who was grinning from ear to ear, and even bouncing a bit in her seat. “Would you like to explain about the portals, Twilight?”

“Can I?” At Celestia’s nod, Twilight cleared her throat, and sat up straight. “It’s really quite amazing. Starswirl and Princess Celestia worked powerful enchantments into mirrors, so that each one would become a portal tied to a specific world. In each case, they took precise notes about the worlds they visited, including one inhabited by giant, carnivorous lizards.”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said.

“If the world was too dangerous, they didn’t visit it again, but there were some they visited multiple times. Like one where Sombra was the king of Equestria. From Starswirl’s notes, it looks like they had a drink called ‘coffee’ that he really liked.”

“And from the princess’s expression, it looks like there was something she really liked,” KP said.

Celestia cleared her throat, and stopped blushing. “Yes, I did find some missing companionship in King Sombra’s world.” She looked at her hooves. “This was not long after I banished my own sister to the moon, so I was lonely and depressed. King Sombra offered me solace from my guilt...” She looked up at her sister. “As did talking with that world’s Luna.”

“You replaced me?”

“You know I would never seek to do that. You are my one and only dear sister, Luna. But I could not speak with you. All I could remember were those last angry words, and after banishing you, there was not anything I could do, or so I thought. When I went to that other world, though, there was another you, kind and loving. And there, too, was Sombra.

“But as time wore on and we continued to visit, Starswirl noticed strange coincidences that would occur. It was small things at first, like somepony on Sombra’s world deciding to cook something, and then the same pony here cooking the same thing. But then the changes began to carry more impact. Starswirl decided to seal the portal rather than risk the two worlds converging and clashing – to what end, who can guess?”

“Here we go,” Alec said.

“To my shame, I continued to sneak off to be with King Sombra, even going behind my friend’s back and lying to him about it. I risked both worlds’ stability because I could not bear to be apart from him. I thought that a short visit every now and again would not have such a great impact, but then Starswirl caught me, and we have never spoken of that other world since. Sometimes I am not even sure we are still friends.”

“You mean Starswirl is still alive?” Doc asked.

“Starswirl the Bearded is a powerful Unicorn who specializes in many different kinds of magicks. This includes time magic, making him capable of surviving the millennia in an entirely different manner from my or Luna’s longevity. So while I have not seen him in some time, I do believe he is alive.

“In any case, I did not use the mirror for decades at a time after that, although I wanted to. Recently, however, you six returned my sister to me, and so I have not been nearly so lonely. But I decided to visit King Sombra just to see how he and his Equestria were doing. Unfortunately, the news is not good, because like that world’s version of me, that Luna is also now evil as well.”

“The timing on the other Luna turning from good to evil can’t be coincidence,” Twilight said. “Just like the other Sombra is a mirror of ours, the second Celestia and Luna are also mirror-like reflections, at least to some degree, according to these notes.”

“I fear that the dark versions of myself and Luna are plotting something with Sombra’s Equestria, and worse it could have something to do with our own world as well. This might not be so bad for us if the mirror had remained completely sealed, but when I checked on it last night, the portal was very close to being reopened. Unlike the large amount of magical energy it would normally take to open the portal, the current amount required would be comparatively little. It would be sheer disaster if the other me found and opened it. I also fear that, sensing the change, Sombra’s Equestria may not have much time before they put their plan into action.”

“So we’ll be up against an evil Celestia and an evil Luna? Sounds like a lot of opportunity for fun,” Quill said.

“You may not have as many opportunities as you might want,” Celestia said. “It is quite possible, with this timing, that the portal is resonating with the energy released by the portal that brought you five here, in which case it is impossible to tell if and when the portal’s stability could change. On top of that, the resonance may have already affected the worlds’ convergence. If they become too close, it could lead to disaster between linked beings.

“Twilight Sparkle, please lead your friends in an effort to help King Sombra and save Equestria from the evil versions of myself and my sister.”

“You can count on us, Princess Celestia.”

“What’re the chances we’ll come across mirror us’es?” Mage asked.

“We don’t even know if you have counterparts who exist in our world,” Twilight said. “You might not have any there either, in which case you’d be unaffected by the convergence. But we exist here.” Twilight looked at Gearhead, and did not have to finish the sentence aloud: if the royal sisters were evil in the other world, they could expect their Elemental Six, and Gearhead, to be evil as well.

“Wait, why doesn’t Sombra just use his world’s Elements of Harmony to fix things, like we did on Luna?” Pinkie asked.

“Unfortunately, as far as I know the Elements do not exist in that world. Nor can we risk taking the Elements we have into that world, lest they destabilize the balance, or fall into the wrong hooves.”

“How long do we have before the situation becomes critical?” Gearhead asked.

“The portal on the other side has not been opened yet, but it may be a matter of days before it is found if King Sombra’s guards cannot keep the curious away. What do you have in mind?”

“Assuming a link between ponies in both worlds, we cannot use direct force on your counterparts without risking injuring you. Nor, from the sound of it, can we simply purify them of their evil. But we have alternate equipment capable of neutralizing an opponent without harming her.”

“The capture suits,” Dash said, grinning.

“Yes. However you, Fluttershy, and I are the only ones here with experience using them. I have begun the others’ training, but it would be more ideal if we had more time in which to allow for more complete mastery. And there is one more who needs training with a special piece of equipment.” Gearhead looked at the Alicorn Engine on the floor, the purple of the main vest and the pink filigree seeming to shimmer slightly in the light.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked after a couple of seconds of staring at it. “I thought you weren’t going to let anyone else have them. That’s why you stopped that automated one, right?”

“I stopped the harmful one. You, Twilight Sparkle, I trust with my life. We eight, including Spike, have been through many trying situations, and we have come out of their fires and storms weathered but stronger. I chose you in particular because you know what it is like to have great power, and to have none. Also, you cannot normally fly so this would give you that advantage. And you have seen me use it. Given the situation, I believe releasing the Alicorn Engine to your use is appropriate.”

“I’m honoured,” Twilight said, bowing.

“In that case, we will also need a set of plans which you can invoke with a simple letter and numbered phase system, to which the rest of us can quickly respond.”

“If we’re going to do this quickly, we had best keep it simple to avoid confusion,” Doc said.

“And practice,” KP said.

“I do not think you have many days in which to prepare,” Celestia admitted.

“How many do we have then, Princess?” Applejack asked.

“Three, perhaps.”

“’Perhaps?’ I don’t like the way she said that,” Alec said.

“Yes well, this latest development with the portal is new. It is... unpredictable.”

“We should grant them as many days as we can, and keep watch over the portal in case of changes,” Luna said. “I should like to go myself as well.”

“Except for the stability issue, so would I, Sister.”

“Then the best we can do is to send you twelve, with Spike being able to send messages between your party and my sister and me here,” Luna said.

Twilight nodded. “Then we have a basic plan.”

“Well, this may go better than if we’d just rushed on in,” Quill said.

“Sort of like how we just dropped out of the sky?” Alec asked.

“Exactly,” Quill grinned.

“Fortunately we have some leeway here, even if it is not as much as we would like,” Gearhead said.

“That said, I believe it would be wise to get started,” Celestia said.

* * *

Fluttershy and Dash took over training the others to use the capture suits, with some help from Applejack, Rarity, and Doc’s group, since they had a slight lead from practising while en route to Canterlot – not a lot of practice, since the Wind flew quickly, and there was not much distance between the city and the town.

Gearhead worked with Twilight, teaching her how to use the Single Core and its Stabilizer. For the sake of preventing word from getting out, they used the space inside of, and around, the library, only going deeper into the cavern system, instead of closer to the castle. Gearhead tried to tune the Engine so it would react better to Twilight’s developing flight style, and for her part, Twilight was a fairly quick study, perhaps because she did not have any preconceived notions on how to fly.

Gearhead had replaced the original vest-type harness with microscale armour, and for the purpose of this mission, decided to swap out any partial coverage another version might have offered for a cover-all solution. Likewise he had replaced the goggles with a more rounded version of the tinted HUD glasses he wore. The core itself was slightly more compact and rounded, making it four inches shorter, but no smaller. Nor did it have any less than the original six rings and one conical section within the housing.

Now that Gearhead knew they would be going up against versions of the princesses, he also knew that if it came to battle, he would want to have some spells readily available that would make them take notice, so perhaps the others could make the capture. Unfortunately, evil princesses were less likely to allow Gearhead enough time to transform or reconfigure his cores. Fortunately, there were dozens of tomes right there filled with time-related spells. Gearhead perused them and chose a set he could use. Then he loaded an extremely selective time advancement spell into the Baby Dragon Tears he had brought. That would allow him to transform more quickly, or to finish loading his magic bullet if it came to that.

Whenever they needed a break, the twelve of them took it together so they could all contribute to the plan, remembering to keep things simple and memorable. The group brainstormed several, and then arranged them according to how ideal the situation would be, allowing each plan to launch. They then broke each plan down to short, actionable sections to create the numbered phases. For coordination purposes, Gearhead ensured he had a comm for every member of the team, both an earpiece and the one built into each suit’s helmet.

Three days after Gearhead and the others had arrived, Princess Celestia came before them again. “It’s time,” she said, the slight bags under her eyes showing how carefully she had been watching the portal.

* * *

The room in which the portal had been kept until now was more like a long closet, secured with a heavy door on which Starswirl had placed many magical wards and locks. Princess Celestia, however, had long since gotten through those locks. Now she and Luna had moved the mirror into one of the more open sections near the back of the library so they would have more room, and still remain fairly undisturbed if anyone did happen upon the library, unlikely as that might be.

Princess Celestia had arranged the group into three concentric rings of four around the mirror while she prepared to open it the rest of the way. “Remember, my ponies, your actions may have consequences in this world as well, so take as much care as you possibly can. But if it does come down to it, do not hold back, for the sake of both Equestrias.”

“We’ll remember,” Twilight said over Quill’s objection that he was, in fact, a Hippogriff. The Unicorn turned to the others. “We don’t know what to expect, so brace yourself for anything.”

“What if I turn into a Unicorn?” Dash asked.

“You could also turn into an Earth Pony,” Applejack said.

“We’ll deal with it if it happens,” Twilight said, although she was clearly uncomfortable with the chance that she could lose her magic. “Gearhead, this could be an opportunity to get some readings on how the portal works.”

“Or its energies could overload the suits, rendering them useless. I believe it would be wise to use Hermetic Mode during the first transit. Then we can run a diagnosis on the other side to see whether the system could withstand a second transit in Regular Mode.”

“I’d like to see an overload,” KP said.

“No you don’t,” Mage said.

“Ah, you’re right.”

“Helmets on, please,” Gearhead said, nodding sharply to knock his own helmet into place. As at the Academy, his had the longer display area. “Using remote access to switch to Hermetic Mode.” Their displays went dark, as the systems isolated themselves from all powerful influences, going to a safe mode that was deeper than Standby Mode.

“Opening the portal,” Princess Celestia said, and her horn lit up in a swirl of gold and blue. Her magic connected with the mirror’s frame, and the surface area in the middle rippled, then shimmered. “It’s open. Good luck.”

“Here we go,” Twilight said. She took a deep breath, then charged right at the portal. Despite this, Pinkie was the first one through, Spike holding tightly to her tail. The mirror was only wide enough for one pony at a time, so everyone followed her or his leader in the line, until they were all inside.

With the swirling, mixing, and constantly changing colours, it was impossible to see much within the corridor. Sometimes it was even difficult to see the others as they fell and flowed through. At one point Gearhead marked Rarity from her distinctive hairstyle, rather than her colours because she was not white and purple anymore. Finding this display more confusing than anything else Gearhead decided to focus purely on what was directly ahead of him. That was probably how he spotted the opening and spun his whole body with a Wind spell coming easily to mind.

Everyone spilled out of the portal and flopped onto the ground in a complete tangle. Everyone except for Mage, who started to levitate herself clear as soon as she was out of the portal and back in normal space, and Gearhead, who was prepared when he hit normal space, his spell blasting him clear of the pile. “System scan, please.”

“[Scanning... all boards blue].” The computerized voice said, its activity only visible through a small, flashing blue light.

“Exit mode, please.”

“[Exiting Hermetic Mode],” Gearhead’s HUD lit up as his systems came back up to their normal levels. His Engines spun for a moment to refill the condensers, and then the sensors on all the suits scanned the area, resonating off of each other for an overlapping picture – especially since some of the others were still in the pile. “[System now running in Normal Mode, all boards blue].”

“'Blue?' Is that why I can’t feel my legs?” Quill asked, sitting up with his talons resting against a pair of tan forelegs.

“Those are mine,” Alec said, grimacing slightly. “Get off, you heavy Hippogriff.”

“Nice alliteration, although I prefer ‘handsome,’” Quill got up anyway, and extended a forelimb to help Alec up.

“I know you do,” Alec said, while Doc helped KP.

“Was your portal like this too?” Dash asked.

“I think it was less bumpy,” KP said.

“Also, we fell straight down, not sideways,” Mage said. “Anyway, this place looks...”

“Bleak,” Quill said.

“I certainly hope our Equestria doesn’t look like this if we fail,” Rarity said.

“Then we won’t fail,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow at a statue of Discord wearing some sort of costume. “Come on, lets go see King Sombra. I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Neither can I,” Pinkie said.

As the group walked cautiously up toward the palace, Applejack pawed at the ground. “I can’t believe how neglected the earth has gotten,” she said.

“You mean ‘dry,’ right?” Rarity asked.

“No, it’s more like it hasn’t been tended to at all, in years.”

Gearhead watched as Twilight trained her sensors on the ground around them and took a reading. Because the suits were linked, Gearhead saw the sensor take on the right side of his right lens. “You’re right,” Twilight said, “all the nutrients needed to grow plants are here. But no one’s using it. And it’d take some work to dig down to it again.”

“Canterlot’s Earth Ponies let the ground go to seed, or were not allowed to tend the land as they usually would in our world,” Gearhead said. “That would mean whoever is providing the citizens with food is under additional strain to do so.”

“Their land, too,” Applejack said.

“What a waste,” Alec said.

“Well, we have a chance to change all that,” Dash said.

“You think this has something to do with this world’s version of the princesses?” Applejack asked.

“I doubt it’s ‘cause of Discord being ‘Captain Good Guy,’” Pinkie said.

“Is that what that was?” KP asked.

“We’ll know if we meet him,” Quill said.

“Oh please let us meet him,” KP said.

“I don’t think he’ll be that different,” Fluttershy said.

“Yes, but this is a Discord who is a hero without our influencing him,” Gearhead said.

“If Discord and Sombra are good guys here, then what about my brother and Cadence?”

“I suspect you don’t want to know, Prin—ow! Oh come on, even here?” Quill rubbed his head where the washbin had hit it and looked at the item as it settled on the hard, unworked ground. He groaned when he saw what was engraved around the rim.

“’Made in China.’ Where’s that?” Pinkie asked.

“Another world, unless there’s a ‘China’ in Equestria?” Mage said.

“Not that we’ve ever been there,” Twilight said. “What exactly were you trying to say there? It sounded like you were calling me a—“

“Nevermind that, Twilight, and just focus on the task at ha – I mean, at hoof. Heh,” Quill chuckled. “I have no idea how close I might’ve come that time, but I’m not taking chances anymore.”

“I don’t get it,”

“Luckily you don’t have to,” Alec said.

“Are you sure..?”

“Hey look, a guard!” Quill pointed ahead with a talon, and indeed there was a pair of guards stationed one step above the area where they were. Now Gearhead noticed how grey the buildings and road seemed. The image of the world being bleak was not at all helped by the plain, grey and white plate armour the guards wore.

* * *

“Who goes there?” One guard called. His partner turned and likewise levelled his spear at the approaching group.

“Hi, good morning. Or afternoon. It’s kind of hard to tell here, actually,” Twilight chuckled nervously to herself. “I’m kind of hoping you’re familiar with the other version of Princess Celestia who sometimes visited this world, maybe with a Unicorn wizard named Starswirl? Because she actually sent us here to help King Sombra with this world’s Celestia and Luna.”

The guards stared sceptically, clearly not buying a word of it. “Wait a minute,” one of them suddenly said, “some of these ponies look familiar.” He took out a parchment and looked down at it, then back up at the thirteen assembled beings. When he looked up, the other guard looked down at the paper, so that one of them always had his eyes on the suspicious newcomers.

“It’s the Malcontent Six!” The second guard said.

“Pardon me?” Rarity asked.

“Would you prefer ‘Malicious?’”

“No, thank you.”

“Murderous?”

“Oh Celestia, no!”

“Miserable?”

“This place looks it more than we do,” Alec said, grinning.

“Moldy?”

“Now you’re really stretching it,” Dash said.

“Lemme see that,” KP said, having quietly flown over so she could look at the page over the guards’ shoulders. “Hey Applejack, since when did you wear a black hat?”

“I ain’t no black hat-wearin’ cowpoke,” Applejack said.

“Never saw this expression on Fluttershy’s face either,” KP said. “Check it out,” she said, grabbing the page and flying it back to the others.

“Well, I’d never,” Rarity said.

“There’s only one thing to do,” Pinkie said, at which point the guards took up fighting stances. “We’ll have to turn those frowns upside down!”

“You’ll never – wait, what?” The first guard slumped forward slightly.

“We don’t have the time to wait, I think,” Twilight said. “While we’re out here, talking, the Celestia and Luna here are up to who-knows-what. We need to deal with them before they find a way to make things worse here, or find a way to our Equestria. That’s why we need to see King Sombra.”

“Your story is too incredible to be believed,” one guard said.

“Yeah, got any proof you’re not just spies?”

“You did say that Celestia and Luna sent you here. The only ones we know of are after the crown and some sort of spell.”

“I guess it’s been awhile since Princess Celestia was here,” Dash said to Twilight. “What now?”

“We need some sort of physical proof they’ll accept that we’re from a different world,” Twilight said.

“Or that we weren’t send here by their Celestia and Luna,” Fluttershy said.

“Like what?” Mage asked, cocking her head.

“Like Applejack’s hat?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight sighed. “Too bad we’ve already been over that,” she said. “Really, we don’t know anything about this world other than what our Celestia told us, what was in Starswirl’s journals, and what we can see in front of our faces.”

“I guess it’s too bad we couldn’t bring any of those journals with us,” Pinkie said.

“I would have liked to, but who knows who might’ve gotten their hooves on them,” Twilight said. “Ah-ha! The journals are the key in this situation.”

“But you just said you didn’t bring them,” Pinkie said.

“I didn’t, but there are a number of things one world has that the other doesn’t. We only need to have brought something simple from our world that doesn’t exist here.”

“I don’t see what the journal has to do with that,” Rarity said. “Also, we’re all wearing items that probably don’t exist here, and yet these guards clearly are not taking them as proof.”

“We’ve seen armour,” the first guard said, shrugging.

“I guess there is a me here too,” Gearhead said, “but that does not help us.”

“We just need something that’s common in our world, that we’d normally take for granted and overlook.”

Gearhead watched out of the corner of his eye as Rarity walked a short distance away to a flat rock and took a large pink cloth out of one of her saddlebags to lay on the rock. She then started to take out saucers, cups, and even a teapot.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Dash asked.

“Oh but Darling, we need to at least do something while we think of what proof to present to the guards. And this seems like the perfect opportunity for tea.”

“That’s it!” Twilight said, pointing.

“What’s it?” Dash asked.

“Tea!”

“Tea?” Alec, Applejack, and Dash all managed similar, skeptical expressions.

“Yes, tea. It’s one of the things Starswirl said this world doesn’t have.”

“Oh my, how could they ever get by without tea?!”

“They have coffee, made from a bean.”

“Why would anypony ever want to cough?”

“It’s another sort of pick-me-up drink,” Doc said. “It’s quite bitter plain, so an acquired taste, but it’s also a stimulant and good for you in small quantities.”

“Which is tricky to keep to because of the buzz,” Alec said.

“Starswirl liked it,” Twilight said. “A lot. King Sombra let him bring lots of it back to our Equestria, along with some other things. This world has coffee, but not tea. Rarity, would you mind sharing some of your tea with the guards?”

“Why, not at all, Twilight dear,” Rarity said, smiling. She poured two cups, and then levitated them over to the waiting guards. The guards shifted their grips on their weapons so they could take their sips.

“Wow, what a nice, mild flavour!” The first guard said.

“I tell you, I haven’t had tea at all in almost a year.”

“Wait, I thought this world didn’t have tea,” Doc said.

“King Sombra had some cultivated, but most of it has withered away,” the second guard said.

“Even that was never as good as this,” the first guard said.

“I think I know why the king wanted to grow more so badly,” the second guard said.

“Tea made with fresh leaves has the best, most refined flavour,” Rarity said. “Of course, mine has been in my saddlebags for a while, so it’s not as flavourful as it could be.”

“You’re kidding: better tea?”

“Darling, I don’t ‘kid’ about tea,” Rarity said.

“You do realize we would never have this sort of conversation with the Malcontents,” the second guard said.

“Yes, and do you realize that we wouldn’t be talking with them at all?”

“True. And it’s not just six of them, either,”

“Of course I realized that: they’re behaving way too differently compared to our versions.”

“Wait, don’t tell me you would’ve been satisfied just with what you could see,” Dash said.

“Well, yeah,” the first guard said.

“We’re not stupid. It’s just been ages since we’ve been able to have any fun around here,” the second guard said.

“Excuse me, sirs, but time is of the essence. Can we please see King Sombra now?” Twilight asked, somewhat archly.

“Oh, of course. Right away,” the first guard said.

Rarity sighed. “Of course now I must pack my tea back up.”