Caught Between Worlds

by Detsella Morningdew

Rating: everyone
Tags: Human, Slice of Life
Length: 8409

A human boy discovers a strange artifact that takes him on the adventure of a lifetime. Or rather, two.

Mark is an ordinary boy in an ordinary family. A strange discovery on the beach changes his life permanently. By no means take this seriously. I am a terrible writer.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-31 19:22:25 UTC

Chapter 1

     Mark walked along the beach with his family, watching the sunset. It was his turn with the metal detector, not that he was particularly excited about it. It was a cool machine, but the most exciting thing they ever found with it was spare change.

    So it was wjth some surprise that Mark turned to the frantically beeping detector. He set it aside and dug with his hands. Money was money, after all. His hand touched something solid, and--was that gold?

    He picked up the old, but untarnished coin, and looked at its face. No, it couldn't be. He knew that symbol. A unicorn with wings, or an Alicorn. Or was that just a term used in My Little Pony? Anyway, the same one was on his mirror at home. He looked at his family, playing on the beach. Of course, as the discoverer of this treasure, he was allowed to keep it, according to family rules. Still, he wanted to keep this a secret for now.

    He flipped the coin over and went to put it in his pocket when he froze. There, on the coin, was an unmistakable profile of himself. Unnerved, he placed it in his pocket. There was no chance he was telling anyone about it now.

     That night, Mark couldn't get to sleep. He just could not clear his mind. Finally he got up again, and took the coin back out of the stash he kept in his dresser. He stood in front of his mirror, comparing the coin to the ornate metalwork on the mirror frame. As he suspected, it was a perfect match.

    He reached out, touching the metalwok, and quickly recoiled.

    "Ow!"

    The coin grew hot, and he dropped it. What was happening? Mark felt a tingling sensation, grew lightheaded, and knew no more.

    Mark woke up, rolled out of bed--and froze. He was already out of bed. He was on the floor. He got up off of the floor. Then promptly fell back down. He tried again. Same result. What was wrong with him today?

    He grabbed his bedpost to pull himself up, and his hoof slid right off. Wait, what? He looked over himself in growing panic. What happened? Oh, nevermind, the mirror happened.

     Mark had to admit that this was pretty cool. Hadn't he been fantasizing about this for about a year? Still, there was a big difference between a fantasy and seriously thinking about it. What would his parents think? What would the world think? This would completely redefine his whole life.

    He looked at himself in the mirror. A nice dark navy blue with lighter hair, a unicorn--nice. Wait a minute--why am I a filly?

    Mark paced the room. His mother would call him any minute for breakfast. What could he do? Where would he hide? He paused in front of the mirror, an idea forming. If the mirror turned him into a pony when he was holding the coin, maybe it could turn him back. But first, he had to find it again. He hadn't seen it since he blacked out.

    He turned away from the mirror, and a flash of gold brought him back to it. That wasn't there before.     Around his neck was a necklace of somehow flexible navy blue crystal. And the centerpiece-the coin, the alicorn facing outwards.

     "This should make things easier," Mark thought.

     He jumped, touched the engraving...and knocked the mirror over.

    "Are you okay?" his mother called up the stairs.

    "I'm fine," he called back.

    He had to hurry.

    Mark stared at his non-human body, frustrated. Maybe he had to be in direct contact with the coin? He touched the coin with his hoof, and it flipped over, showing the human side.

     "Oh..."

     A shock travelled through his body, and he felt lightheaded, but he held on to his consiousness this time.

    "Well, that's convenient."

     He picked the mirror back off the floor, and went downstairs for breakfast. At least the mirror had the decency to give him clothes. Sure, not his old ones, but close enough.

    Mark wolfed down his breakfast. Now that he was out of immediate danger, he wanted to study that mirror. He looked at his watch, almost choking as he realised that it was not his watch. It was navy blue crystal with the coin where the watch face should have been.

     He hid it back under his sleeve. It would raise too many questions.

    "What's the rush?" asked his mother, amused.

    "Nothing, Mom" Mark said quickly. "I'm just really hungry."

    His mother looked at him suspiciously, but let it go.

     Mark walked upstairs intentionally slow. No need to cast too much suspicion on himself. He walked into his room and shut the door, locking it for good measure. Then, he finally felt safe enough to examine the mirror freely.

    He walked around his old mirror with new interest. It looked the same as ever, but he knew there had to be more. Now that it activated his coin, he knew; this was a magical artifact.

    He felt along the ornate frame, searching for secret buttons. There had to be something more here.

    As he ran his hand along the frame, his hand slipped and touched the surface of the mirror. It rippled.

    Now Mark felt slightly embarassed. He flipped the coin over on his wrist, and immediately stepped through the portal, for that, of course, was what it was.

    Apparently it is not a good idea to launch yourself into a new world at the same time as undergoing a process that almost knocked you out the last time you did it, and succeeded in doing so the time before that. Mark was knocked out almost instantly.

    He woke up to find a very worried pegasus above him. He fainted again.

    Mark woke up again in Twilight's library, all six of them gathered around him, worried. Well, five of them were worried. Rainbow Dash looked more suspicious.

    Twilight stepped forward. "Hello, what's your name? Do you know where your parents are?"

     Oh. Right. He was a filly. Well, Mark would sound rather strange as a pony name...

    "Um...I don't remember." Best play it safe.

    Twilight stepped back, deep in thought. She found this filly unconsious in her bedroom with no sign of a break-in. He wasn't there when she woke up, and nopony had entered the library since. This made about as much sense as Pinkie Pie. As in none. But the fact remained that there was a filly here that had no idea who he was or who his parents were. Obviously, she would put up notices. But for now, she decided, she would take responsibility.

    "So, would you like a place to stay?"

     Mark, getting more uncomfortable by the minute, brighened up instantly.

    "That would be great...Princess Twilight," he said, noticing her wings and realising that he was not one of her close friends.

    "You don't have to call me that," said Twilight, embarassed.

    "Okay, thanks," said Mark, relieved. He did not want to have to remember Twilight's title whenever they spoke.

    Suddenly, he got an idea. "Could I look at some of your books?"

     "All right, I'm outta here," interrupted Rainbow Dash.

    "I guess you got it handled here, Twi," Applejack  said.

    They all left, leaving a very happy Twilight with Mark.

    "What sort of books are you looking for?" asked Twilight. Fiction books were fun, but--

    "Do you have any beginner's magic books? I don't know anything about magic, but I really want to learn."

    Twilight stopped, a look of pure bliss on her face. Today was going to be SO much fun.

     Mark had never worked so hard, and had so much fun doing it, in his life. By the end of the day, he was already able to lift books and turn pages, if not at the same time. Twilight let him know that he was learning very fast. Mark credited his more mature mind's ability to focus. Twilight was a great teacher too, but he saw how normal fillies might get overwhelmed with the excess information. Twilight was beaming. She finally found somepony who truly was interested in what she had to say.

    Secretly, she was also examining his crystal necklace. Did he come from the Crystal Empire? No, he wasn't a crystal pony. If only he had his memories back...The memory spell wouldn't work. Twilight would have to know what memories to restore first. Nopony knew of a true amnesia cure...

    It was around sunset that Mark noticed two things. One was that he was starving, and Twilight probably was too. The other was that his parents were probably worried sick.

    Well, he knew his priorities.

    "Um...Twilight?"

    "Yes?"

    "Shouldn't we eat soon?"

    Over dinner (salad with potato wedges) Twilight explained that he had been found unconsious in her bedroom. Mark still feigned amnesia. Right now it seemed easier to ask forgiveness later than to explain his very complex predicament now. And Twilight just seemed so happy with a student of her own.

    Mark finished his dinner purposefully early, and brought his plate to the kitchen with some effort. Then, he snuck into Twilight's room, and found the mirror that accompanied his. They were almost identical. This one had a human face worked into the metal. At least it wasn't his face. That would've been creepy. He jumped through the mirror.

    As soon as he touched his bedroom floor, he telekinetically flipped the coin around his neck. It was going to take forever to get used to that feeling.

    Anyway, everybody was probably looking for him. He walked downstairs to find his family...still at breakfast.

    He walked slowly back upstairs. That was rather creepy. He spent a whole day with Twilight, and no time had passed at all. That meant...he could spend all the time in Equestria he wanted, and no time would pass here. Interesting.

    Well, he was tired, and it was about time for bed at Twilight's, so...Mark jumped back through the portal.

    When he emerged in Twilight's room, he transformed, then climbed into her guest bed.

    It took about an hour for him to find a comfortable position. Ponies sleep a lot differently than humans.

    About half an hour after sunset, Mark heard Twilight come upstairs to bed.

    It was a long day, and Mark normally would have gone to sleep instantly, but excitement kept him up for at least two more hours. Tomorrow was going to be an exciting day.

     Mark woke up, a little past sunrise, to hear Twilight talking to Cheerilee downstairs.

    "--but I AM qualified to teach him all of that, Cheerilee! He's much better off with me."

    "I know that, Twilight. But he needs to be around fillies his own age."

    Mark understood what was happening, and stepped in. "I have an idea."

    They both looked at him, startled by his sudden appearance.

    "I could bring the books I'm working on to school, and Twilight could work with me on weekends."

    "That could work," Twilight said thoughtfully. "I rarely have to give you guidance, except for assigning you books."

    "It

would be a little extra work, but I'm fine with that. What do you think, Cheerilee?"

    "I...guess it would be fine." She still looked slightly nervous. "See you around first hour!"

    Cheerilee left, and Mark walked back into the library. First hour? That must mean an hour after sunrise. That makes sense. Why did Cheerilee look so nervous, though? Maybe she had some difficulties getting kids..no fillies to school. Kids are baby goats.

    "Well, you should get packed, then," said Twilight.

    Mark levitated his books (one at a time) into some saddlebags. He noticed that Twilight seemed deflated, somehow. "Twilight, after I finish school, I'm sure you can still teach me plenty. This way, you won't have to abandon your friends just for me."

    He walked out the door, leaving a reassured Twilight waiting for his return.

     Mark took out the map Twilight had given him, locating the school. He walked through the town, fully taking it in. It was a dream come true. Even the map he was carrying would be envied by any brony back home. The experience was overwhelming.

    He arrived at the schoolhouse, and instinctually knew he was a few minutes early. Apparently that was why he never saw watches on ponies. Clocks were only there when you had to be precise.

    He walked in uncertainly, and was greeted by Cheerilee at the door.

    "What's your name? Twilight didn't tell me."

    "Umm...I don't remember."

    "You don't remember?"

    "I don't remember anything about my past. I guess you could say that I'm a blank slate...Hey! I know what you could call me! From now on, my name is Blank Slate."

    "Okay. That works for now."

    "Just until I figure out who I am"

    As in, my cutie mark. he thought to himself.

    Ponies started to file into the classroom, and Cheerilee showed him where to sit.

    Cheerilee called the class to order. "Welcome to the first day of the new school year!"

    "Oh, great," Mark thought. "I came here right in time."

    "...We have a new member of our class this year: Blank Slate!"

    Mark, or rather, Blank, stood up.

    "More like Blank Flank," whispered Diamond Tiara a few desks away. Apparently the CMC heard as well. They perked up and waved to him, smiling, their eyes clearly telling him to meet after school. He smiled back, then focused back on Cheerilee, who was beginning the math lesson.

    Mark was amazed at how Cheerilee managed to integrate all grades into the one classroom. Sure, there were only four years of study, but it was still impressive.

    He was also impressed at the high level of mathematics that was being taught, some of which he had never seen. They still taught at children's pace, though, at which he would take out Twilight's books.

    The fillies around him seemed jealous at first, until they glanced at what he was reading. Most fillies were still mastering levitation. Twilight didn't hold back, allowing him to study concepts like teleportation even as he was mastering basic levitation.

    History was the most interesting subject for him, completely holding his attention. He made good use of the notepaper Twilight had packed for him, much to the confusion of the ponies surrounding him. No one had ever taken notes in class before. Mark doubted that many of them even knew how to take notes. But anyway, he would put thesenotes to good use on Earth.

    During most subjects, though, Mark would practice levitating objects, particularly books, under the table, practicing both the strength and agility of his telekinesis. Cheerilee knew what he was doing, but other class members looked at him funny, noticing his almost constantly glowing horn.

    He made good progress, though. By the end of the day, Mark was able to levitate several books at once, or turn the pages of one in the air. Studying magical theory helped, too. He found out that it was relatively easy to shoot "lasers" of raw magical energy, although in his case they would hurt no more than a static shock. They still looked cool, though.

    When the bell rang, signalling the end of school, the CMC beckoned him over.

    Scootaloo spoke first "So, I couldn't help noticing that you don't have a cutie--"

    "Scootaloo! That's rude!" said Sweetie Belle. "What Scootaloo means to say is; do you want to go looking for your cutie mark with us? We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The only requirement to join is that you don't have your cutie mark yet. So what do you think? You wanna join?"

     "I guess so, but Twilight might get worried if I stay too late after school."

     "Aww..."

    "Wait, you live with Twilight?" said Applebloom.

    "Just since yesterday," Mark said. "But...I'm sure Twilight will be fine if I stay with you guys for a while. Just as long as I don't stay too late."

    "Great!" said Scootaloo. "Let me show you our clubhouse!"

    "...and you don't remember ANYTHING before yesterday?"

    "Nope. Nothing."

    "Wow," said Sweetie Belle."

    "What were you thinking about doing today?"

     "Well, we were going to try out stargazing tonight, but you wouldn't be able to come with," said Applebloom.

     Mark breathed a sigh of relief at the non-dangerous option. "I'm sure Twilight would be fine with that. She would probably even allow us to stay in the library tonight. She has all kinds of telescopes."

    But Applebloom was already on a different track. "...but where would we even GET scuba diving equipment?"

    Mark sighed. It was going to be a very long day.

     Mark acted as the CMC's voice of reason. When he finally went home, it was an hour before sunset, and he was exhausted.

    Twilight immediately understood when she found about the CMC. They ate dinner together, and went to bed. Well, Twilight stayed up a bit later researching something, but Mark was too tired to care.

    When Mark woke up, Twilight's bed was still empty. Knowing Twilight, she probably fell asleep with whatever book she was reading.

    Now that he was fully awake, Mark remembered what he wanted to do. He walked through Twilight's mirror.

    On the other side, he changed back into a human with clothes the same shade of blue as his coat. This might be a problem later. Perhaps he could convince people that it was just his new favorite color.

    He picked up the scrolls of notes he had brought and put them near his computer. One of Twilight's textbooks followed that. He sat down. Time to start writing the history of Equestria.

    Parchment rolls off desks easily. Despite the irritation, it did teach Mark something: Magic works just fine in his human form. Sure, having your palm glowing is weird, but it was undeniably useful at keeping papers in line. It was for that reason that he locked his door.

    Mark had missed what should have been breakfast at Twilight's. So he was greatly relieved when lunchtime came around. He hid the scrolls and the book in his closet. He didn't want anyone snooping around, least of all his younger brother, Jacob.

    Mark walked downstairs and sat down at the table. He picked up his fork and began to eat.

    "So...why were you so excited this morning, Mark?" his mother asked.

    He had been expecting something like this. "I just had some...inspiration for a story I'm writing."

    "Can I read it, or do you want to wait until it's finished?"

    "I don't think that it would be very interesting for you. I'm pretty much the only one here into MLP."

    His brother made a face. "I'll say. I just don't see what you see in it."

    "I know I may not know that much about the show, but I'd like to see what you wrote sometime. I'd like to see how good of a writer you are," she said with a smile. After all, she did write in her spare time.

    "Okay, I'll show you after we finish eating." After all, he had cleaned up beforehand. There wasn't anything she couldn't see.

    "I'm impressed. Sure, your storytelling could use some work, but the content here is amazing. If you could rewrite it to sound less like a textbook, you've got gold right here."

    Right. Less like a textbook. "Well, it's not like I'm doing this for money or anything."

    "Well, you should. How do you come up with these fantastic names?"

     "I can't do this for money. I'm writing about a world that is copyrighted."

    "But if you applied these talents elsewhere..."

    "Listen, Mom. I just wrote this for fun. I don't really want to become a writer. No offense to you, but that's not really what I want to do for a living."

     "Okay...I understand. I just got a bit too excited."

    "It's okay. I love you, Mom."

    "I love you too, son. Now you get back to writing. Or at least that's what I'm assuming you've been doing all day."

    She left, and Mark waited for her footsteps to fade away before quietly taking his materials out of the closet. He scrolled to the bottom and began to write.

    After dinner, Mark was tired. A full day of typing and staring at a screen had left him exhausted.

    He shut down his computer and went too bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

    As he drifted off to sleep, however, he couldn't help but feel that he was missing something. Something important.

     Mark woke up, confident in his plan. It was time to go back to Equestria for more lessons. He packed his bags with the scrolls from his desk when he froze.

    A scroll was missing. And his door was wide open. He had forgotten to lock it.

     To Be Continued...

Chapter 2

       Previously...

    Mark woke up, confident in his plan. It was time to go back to Equestria for more lessons. He packed his bags with the scrolls from his desk when he froze.

    A scroll was missing. And his door was wide open. He had forgotten to lock it.

    He had to get that scroll back. How much had Jacob seen? That particular scroll wasn't just notes on Equestrian history. It included notes on day-to-day Equestrian life that was unmistakably first-person. If he was suspicious about the obviously parchment scroll, then this would confirm his suspicions.

    Mark doubted that he would guess the truth. That would be unbelievable. But his brother was inherently suspicious, and would stop at nothing to find out what he was doing, especially if he thought he could get him in trouble for it.

     Then he had an idea; he had all the time in the world to prepare for the recovery. Or at least, all the time in Equestria.

    He flipped the coin on his wrist, transformed into a pony, and leapt through the portal.

    His main priority was not to be found out. He was going to stay in Equestria until he learned something like an invisibility spell. Or silent teleportation. Or perhaps both. The more prepared he was, the better. Even if it took years. He would not be found out.

    Mark emerged in Twilight's bedroom, intent on his new purpose for studying magic. Well, breakfast was before that. One must keep track of priorities.

     At breakfast, Mark noticed that Twilight was looking at him strangely.

     "What?"

    "Why are you holding a bunch of books above your head? You've already pretty much mastered levitation."

     "I'm trying to increase my magical power. If I exercise like this, it will be a lot easier when I try more difficult spells."

     "I see. That makes sense. Though, could you not do that at the table? It's distracting."

    "Okay," Mark said, lowering the books to the ground. "Anyway, where's Spike? I haven't seen him since our first lesson."

     Twilight sighed. "Asleep. He seems to go to bed as early as possible, then sleep in just as late. Except when he's helping me, of course."

    "Well, I'm not surprised," Mark said. "Adult dragons prefer sleeping for decades at a time. Spike's sleeping habits aren't so bad."

     "I suppose, if you put it that way..."

    "I should get going. I don't want to be late for school."

    Twilight instantly shook herself from her train of thought. "Of course not! I packed your bag with all you need. Now get going, before you're late!"

     "That's what I was just saying," Mark thought to himself.

    He trotted off in the direction of school, having finally mastered the use of all four limbs to walk.

    School was very similar to the day before. Today's special lesson was a review of cutie marks to those who weren't there the last year.

     Mark continued to practice magic under his desk, managing to create a small, flickering magical shield. He was so surprised at his success that it promptly shattered at a light breeze.

    Lunch was, as yesterday, a flower sandwich, but at least they had the decency to change the kind of flower. If this continued, he might look into bringing his own lunch.

    The CMC, although good friends, were exhausting, so he was relieved to find out that yesterday was their only meeting until the weekend.

    Mark took the scenic route back, going past familiar buildings like Sugarcube Corner.

    He thought about Pinkie Pie, and wondered why she hadn't invited him to a "Welcome to Ponyville" Party. He'd have to ask Twilight later. Wait, no, he wasn't supposed to know about Pinkie yet. Nevermind.

    He walked the rest of the way home. Home. Strange how he had stayed in Twilight's library for not even three days, and he already considered it home.

     As soon as he got there, he immediately started practicing that shield again. It was easier than he thought to create. It was just a barrier of psychic energy. Like the grip of levitation, but solid.

     Once he had managed to make a stable one, he recruited Twilight to break them. By throwing books. His shield shattered instantly. Apparently more practice was in order.

     Over the next few days, Mark practiced his shield spell with an obsession that rivalled Twilight's. She assured him that he was progressing amazingly fast, but he would have none of it. This should be the easiest spell, right after levitation. It was a derivative of the same concept.

    Finally, the shield was able to withstand a book thrown at it, and Twilight convinced him to work on something else. Mark wanted to practice until it could withstand Twilight ramming it, but she convinced him that that was not feasible right now, and he was ready enough for other spells.

    Personally, Twilight wanted him to take a break. He was already past the ability of most adult unicorns. But Twilight knew, just like her, he would not stop anytime soon.

     Mark started teleportation next, much to the frustration of Twilight. She insisted that he practice the slightly harder Safe Teleport spell. It would abort if not complete, making sure that he did not partially suceed. The remaining energy, however, was released outward, resulting in a small explosion.

    Obviously, he was forbidden from practicing it anywhere but outside.

    Mark, alias Blank Slate, came to a tentative agreement with the CMC, hanging out with them on weekends, but skipping all meetings during the week. He needed some direction from Twilight.

    The CMC were impressed with his magic, Scootaloo in particular thought it immensely cool that he could somehow explode without being hurt.

    He tried to explain that he was trying to teleport like Twilight, but they seemed to think it was much cooler to explode.

    One positive about all this was that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seemed a lot more wary when he was around.

    It took him over six frustrating months to teleport anywhere. He finally managed to disappear eventually, however, much to the alarm of the CMC, who thought he finally managed to blow himself up.

     It took another two months to control where he was actually going. There were way too many accidental trips to the Everfree Forest, though thankfully not too deep.

    It became commonplace in Ponyville to have a Blank Slate appear randomly in your midst.

     Finally, he mastered it, and by the end of the school year, he consistently teleport to school instead of walking. Twilight considered this a huge achievement. Teleportation was harder at longer distances. Doing so accurately was impressive.

    The school year ended, and Twilight was able to teach him directly. She forced him to take days off from time to time, and the CMC visited regularly. Of course, Twilight spent most of her time with her friends, but she always had time for his questions, and they frequently had long study sessions together.

    About a year later, Mark thought about his original goals. He knew teleportation, but there was no silent teleportation spell. That was a problem.

     He thought about it for a while. Why did the teleportation spell make noise in the first place? Sure, the normal "Magic Noise" was unavoidable. But teleportation had an extra snap to it. Why?

    He paced around the room of Twilight's castle, feeling the breeze from the open window. Of course! The space you teleport TO is not empty! He would have to teleport the air back at the same time as he was teleporting forward!

    He wrote down the modified spell and started testing, starting short-range for ease.

    After a few tests and tweaks, he managed to teleport just with the minimal background noise.

    Suddenly, he felt a tingling on his flank. He looked, and saw that his cutie mark had appeared. It was a very curious cutie mark. There had to be over a hundred miniscule stars. Strange. He didn't understand how improving a spell would result in stars. He knew that a star cutie mark would usually relate to magic, but why so many? He made a mental note to ask Twilight about it.

    Frankly, he was surprised that he could even get a cutie mark. He was a human after all. Or was he? He could be just as much of a pony as he was a human.

    He ran downstairs, and Twilight noticed almost immediately.

    "Wow, congradulations! If I might ask, How did you get it?"

     She was almost bouncing with excitement. She also was bashing herself internally for not being there when it appeared.

     "I managed to improve the teleport spell."

    "What do you mean, improve? I thought it was just fine. Starswirl invented it."

     Did anypony but Starswirl do anything, ever? he thought to himself. "You know how the teleportation spell is rather loud?"

     "Yes, of course. It's always been that way. Why?"

    "I found a way to remove the sound."

     Twilight's mouth dropped open. "How?"

    "I just figured out why it made that sound, then changed the spell to remove it. It's slightly harder now, but less rude to other ponies."

    "Oh. That does make sense. I guess I just never thought to change it."

    "But I am confused."

    "Yes?"

    "My cutie mark is strange. I know that stars normally mean magic, but mine is a bunch of tiny stars. I can almost see constellations, and I know my special talent isn't stargazing. Sorry about those telescopes, by the way.

    Twilight winced at the memory, but continued. "It seems your special talent IS the stars."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Stars, historically, aided magic. Improved it. After all, the stars strengthened Nightmare Moon's magic enogh so that she could escape."

    "So..."

    "It seems that your special talent is to improve, and I guess strengthen, magic."

    "It does make sense, based on what I was doing."

    "Now you should get going. I'm sure those Crusader friends of yours would love to see that mark of yours."

    The Cutie Mark Crusaders were happy for him, and extatic that one of the group finally got their cutie marks, they were still disappointed that none of them had gotten theirs.

    Mark had an idea. Maybe since he had gotten his cutie mark, they might listen to his advice. After all, he wanted them to get their cutie marks as much as they did. They were almost teenaged now, and even Mark would find the lack of a cutie mark embarassing.

    "I know I'm not technically part of the club now, but I want to say one more thing. I found my cutie mark doing something that I like, even though I had to do it for a long while before it appeared. Cutie marks don't just appear randomly. Do what you like to do. It will come eventally."

    He looked at the CMC warily. Were they...actually considering what he said?

    Sweetie Belle spoke up. "You kind of sounded like Rarity there..."

     "And Applejack," interjected Applebloom.

     "But I kind of see what you're saying," said Scootaloo, and Mark breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. Finally. Something got through to them.

    Mark, now that he had his cutie mark, decided that a name change would be appropriate. Starry Night was what he decided on. It matched his cutie mark, at the same time not obviosly stating his real special talent.

    He continued studying magic from Twilight, even after he was deemed old enough to graduate from school. He was now adult-sized, and about the same age as his human form was five years ago. Wow, that was a long time.

    His magical knowledge, thanks to his good study habits, approximately matched that of Twilight when she was sent to Ponyville.

    He began to realise that something like an invisibility spell was not feasible. He was just stalling. It was time to go back and face his problems instead of hiding from them. He was going back through the mirror. Tonight.

    Or rather, in the morning. Better not confuse his body's internal clock.

    Star...um...Mark woke up, and immediately walked past a sleeping Twilight into the mirror. He thought he saw something move, but he was determined. He had decided to return, and he wasn't going to let a distraction stop him.

    On the other side, he flipped the coin. The sensation was staggering. He had forgotten how intense it was.

    It was strange to walk on two legs again, and it took a while for him to adjust.

    It seemed that his attire had also changed when he got his cutie mark. His navy blue shirt had gained a few hundred stars. At least it wasn't too glaringly obvious.

    Once he was back on his feet, he checked the time; it was 7:00. A Sunday. His brother would certainly be asleep, especially if he had been up late reading. Which he obviously had been.

    It was Mark's goal to take the scroll back. Hopefully, he hadn't gotten the chance to read the whole thing, and just read his history notes. That would be easy to explain.

    He silently teleported into Jacob's room. The scroll was right on his desk. It was too easy.

     "I thought you would come back for that."

    Uh oh.

    "Whatever I was suspecting, it wasn't this," he said with a half-smile.

    "Uhh...I can explain!"

     "And I probably would have believed you if you actually used the door. If you aren't my brother, what did you do to him? If you really are Mark, what the hell is going on?"

    "Well, it's kind of a long story."

    "I'm listening."

     "Well, it started last Friday night when I was using the metal detector on the beach..."

     Jacob listened, growing more incredulous by the minute. That is, until Mark transformed as proof. Then, he just listened in shocked silence.

    At the end of his story, Jacob said, "So that makes you, what? 21?"

    "Personally, I thought you'd freak out more."

    "Trust me. I am."

    "Now do you see why I wanted this kept secret?"

     Jacob sighed. "Yes, I do. I won't be any more trouble. I won't even tell Mom or Dad. They wouldn't believe me, anyway."

     "Thanks."

    Mark sighed and went back to his room. All those years of preparation, and he needed none of it. How could he have trusted his brother so little?

     Mark stayed for the entire week. He had forgotten in his extended stay just how much his family meant to him. he needed some time to find his roots again, before he set off again. Friends were important, but family comes first.

    Mark walked back through the mirror, ready to start another day in Equestria.

     He emerged to find Twilight inches from his face.

     "Explain."

Chapter 3

       Previously...

    Mark walked back through the mirror, ready to start another day in Equestria.

    He emerged to find Twilight inches from his face.

    "Explain."

    Mark sighed. This was going to be a long day.

     Twilight was a good audience, listening patiently until the end.

    "I certainly don't approve of your secrecy, but I guess it was understandable. If I had known from the beginning that you were from another world...lets just say that I don't have many positive examples."

    "I just wanted a normal life here. I didn't want ponies to know, because I don't want to be treated any differenty, whether better or worse."

     "I understand. I will have to notify the other princesses, but I will attempt to follow your wishes, and ask them to do the same. I can't make any promises, but..."

    "That's great. Thank you. I just hope that this doesn't ruin our lessons. I understand if you don't want to teach me with this...change."

    "You haven't changed. You are the same person I've known for five years. This knowledge was unexpected, but i've seen weirder."

     "Thank you. I didn't want to lose this. Although, I must admit, it is strange that you're still a head taller than me, and I'm full size."

    Twilight laughed. "Yeah, it must have been strange to be a filly when you were just as old as I was. It's strange for me too, growing still while my friends stay the same...well, I shouldn't worry about that until it comes."

    "Well, you're all still connected, so I wouldn't worry about that."

     Twilight came back to reality. "Well, I believe you wanted to contine your lessons. I believe you were rather excited to study gravity spells."

     "Yes, I have some ideas for modifications, but that's not for a while. I have to master the base first."

     "Modifications?"

    "I want to see if I can change the direction of gravity in other ways."

    "Hmm...I see. How would that be useful?"

    "Climbing walls? Just for fun? I think I just like modfying them."

     "Well, you'd better get started, then. Gravity spells are over there."

    Mark got to work. The castle library had become his home over the past four years or so. Losing the familiar Golden Oaks library was hard on both of them, but they rebuilt eventually.

    Mark, for the first time in five years, was completely at peace. He had no secrets to uphold. Everything was great, and he was able to travel between his two homes without any trouble. Everything was perfect, but he was bored. Learning magic was great, but what was he to do on Earth? Everything seemed so mundane. Something needed to happen. Something big. And he was going to start it.

    He was going to make a connection between Earth and Equestria. He needed to contact Celestia first, but he was determined to do so. There was to be no more secrets.

    He would wait a couple months for Twilight to tell her about him first. Rushing things was not a good idea.

    Twilight liked the idea, and was completely supportive of the idea. Mark was more cautious in his planning. He knew the atrocities his people could commit. There would have to be a strict screening process. He did not want any incidents.

    He spent a lot of time at Canterlot, talking to Celestia. Twilight had put in a word for him, and she trusted him, or at least she trusted Twilight's judgement.

    Twilight's mirror was moved to an empty hallway in her castle, and the first guards were assigned to guard it. He would move his side later, after ambassadors were sent through.

    A problem surfaced, when Twilight tried to go through. She had to be touching Mark as they went through. Otherwise, it was just an ordinary mirror.

    He would have to guide all travellers personally through the portal. That wouid prove very problematic if they were to, as Mark intended, create a permanent "border" between Equestria and Earth. Or more specifically, the United States.

    Right at this pdint, it didn't matter. The only ponies (or humans) that would be brought through were only one or two ambassadors.

    Celestia decided that those ambassadors would be Starry Night (he had decided to keep his Equestrian name for now) and Twilight. Her decision made sense. Mark had to go through anyway, and was essentially a native of both lands. Twilight knew Equestrian government, and the other Princesses' wishes almost as much as they did themselves. And it seemed obvious to send the Princess of Friendship to a country they wanted to befriend.

    Mark spent most of the time educating Twilight about Earth's history, focused, of course, on America.

    She was confused about a lack of magic, and a little creeped out that the weather took care of itself, but was intrigued by technology.

     Twilight was sadly unsurprised about the atrocities of the past. She knew of some of the true history before Discord.

    She was interested in the nature of US government, led by representatives, but Mark explained that it was to keep corrupted leaders in check. Equestria was very lucky that it did not have too moch change in leadership. Twilight still was confused.

    "Think about it this way," he said. "What would happen if one of the Equestrian nobles suddenly had control of the country?"

    "Oh."

    "That's why the United States has representative government."

    "Then who are we ambassadors to?"

    "The President is a sort of leader. He or she has power, but it is limited by the other branches of government. He is the leader of the military, and represents our country in foreign matters."

    "Okay, that does make sense."

    "The only problem is that the capitol is on the other side of the country."

    "Shoulnd't the capitol city be in a central location?"

     "It was, when the country was first formed, remember?"

    "Oh, yes, I remember now."

    "We'd have to disguise you somehow..."

    "Why?"

    "Remember? Humans don't exactly react well to new things. And you'd be a bit too...familiar to some."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Let's just say that I think our worlds are a bit closer together than you think."

     "I still don't understand."

    "Ask Pinkie Pie. Before I came here myself, I thought this world was fantasy."

    "What? You knew of this place?"

    "As I said, ask Pinkie. There's a reason she didn't throw me a party when I came. She knew that I had already seen Ponyville before. Not in person, but..."

    "So you were watching us from your world? That's really creepy."

    "I thought it was just a story, just like Daring Do. I don't think the creators of the show even knew what they were really doing."

    Twilight took a deep breath. "So these people...already know me?"

    "Some of them. Most have no idea, but the idea of visitors from another world is scary. I don't know how any of them will react. You need a disguise. Just until we reach the President. Since you're an ambassador, he can give you official protection. I know you can take care of yourself, but this country is ruled by the people. We want to make a good first impression. It is the representatives of the people that decide whether the country declares war."

    "I understand"

     "Now how do we disguise you? A simple costume won't work..."

    "What about your necklace? That changes you between a pony and a human."

    "I don't think that'll work. That coin had my face on it."

    "What happened when you first picked it up?"

    "It shocked me...oh..."

     "Enough magical energy for it to copy your face."

    "All right. It's worth a try."

    Mark took the coin out of his necklace. He braced for the sensation of transformation, but it never came.

    "Wait a second...I don't need the coin on to remain a pony? That would have been useful information! Like, five years ago!"

    He put the coin back on his necklace and flipped it over, transforming into a human. He gave the coin to Twilight, who he directed to stand in front of the mirror. Mark looked, and noticed her profile on the alicorn side of the coin.

    Twilight transformed, and the coin appeared in a golden band on her head. His crystal watch-band disappeared. Interesting.

    Twilight got shakily on her feet, looking at herself in the mirror. "Well, this is different than last time."

    Oh right. She had become human before. Or rather, human-ish.

    "Wait, the first time I was transformed, I was knocked out completely!"

    "It wasn't that bad. How many times have I used the Elements of Harmony? Those were much worse."

    Oh. Right.

    "Well, we'd better get going. Twilight, I should probably have that coin back. You look a bit too conspicuous with that crown on."

    "Right." She handed him the crown, and it turned back to his crystal watch, forming around his wrist.

     "Wait."

    "What?"

     "If this coin works on everybody, maybe we can make this portal work for everyone as well. Remember that work we did on 'freezing' spell states?"

    "Yeah. It would lock the power of a magical item on the object it was affecting, making that effect permanent. In theory, that would work with the Elements of Harmony, but they would be unusable for as long as they were locked."

    "I believe this coin has two enchantments. One for the transformation, and one for opening this portal. Since this coin does work for everyone, I am going to lock it's state once it opens the portal for me."

    "Wouldn't that make it unusable for transformation?"

    "Not if I'm right. We can undo the lock if it causes any problems."

    "All right. It's worth a try."

    Mark stood inside the portal, half inside Equestria, half inside his house on Earth. Now that he thought of it, this new connection with Equestria would be a huge source of spoilers for bronies. They still were watching the Season 4. They would be so mad. He smiled, then activated the lock.

    There was a huge wave of force, a blinding light, and Twilight gasped. The mirror face had disappeared, revealing an ordinary room. Mark's room. And he was nowhere in sight.

Chapter 4

       Previously...

    There was a huge wave of force, a blinding light, and Twilight gasped. The mirror face had disappeared, revealing an ordinary room. Mark's room. And he was nowhere in sight.

    Mark regained his senses, and he recognised this ethereal place immediately.

    "Oh no..."

    Celestia walked up to him. He quickly bowed, then transformed into a pony. It was just polite.

    "Congratulations, Starry Night."

    Mark stood back up. "I'm sorry, Princess, there must be some sort of mistake. I'm no leader."

    "I don't make mistakes this big. Cadence wasn't chosen because she was a leader. She was chosen, because I saw something inside her. Same with Twilight. And same with you. You don't stop when something is 'good enough'. You strive for something better. You strive for the best, the maximum potential."

    "But I'm not ready yet!"

    "Neither was Twilight. Or Cadence. Both of them learned."

    "But why now? Can't you and Luna handle things by yourselves?"

    "Nopony is immortal, Star. Alicorns live a long time, but my time is almost over. Do not tell anypony. Right now, they need their rock. But I am fading."

     "Since when have you known?"

    "Since Chrysalis invaded. I am weakening. And Luna will follow. It is only a matter of time. But I need to appear strong for my subjects, especially in this dark time, old evils surfacing every six months. But enough of this sad subject. Keep my secret. Don't give up hope. And brace yourself."

    "Wait, what?"

    A blue light came from inside him, growing and circling around him, raising him off of the invisible ground. It came from inside himself. Inside. It was there all along. He was going to be just fine.

    Mark descended outside Twilight's castle. The sun had already set, and he could see the countless stars scattered across the night sky. He walked back in the castle, easily finding the hall where the mirror was kept.

    Everyone in the room was staring at the portal sadly. He could have sworn he heard Twilight sniffing.

     He couldn't take it.

     "Looking for somepony?"

    Everyone turned around instantly. Twilight, still a human, ran towards him.

    "Star! You're..."

     She noticed the change. She stopped, her mouth hanging open.

    "You're still probably about a head taller," he said, smiling.

    "Not funny! I thought you died!"

    "Well, so did your friends, and they didn't complain."

     "Oh. I never thought about it from their perspective. Anyway, now that I'm over the shock, congradulations. Now all you have to do next is figure out your purpose."

    "How do I figure out that?"

    "Don't worry you'll find it eventually."

    Celestia had told him why she had picked him, but not what he was supposed to do. Why couldn't it be simple for a change?

    It couldn't be his special talent. The Prince of Improving Things? Ridiculous. Anyway, he still had a job to finish. He reached to his chest to flip the coin on his necklace. Interesting. It had turned gold. Like when it was on Twilight. It now had his profile on both sides. He transformed, and was intrigued to discover that he felt no shock at all. He never really looked at both sides of the coin when Twilight had it. Was it that alicorns were magically tougher? Or was it something else? He thought more about the pictures on the coin as he first found it. An alicorn and a human. Maybe the coin was just more compatible with alicorns.

    Anyway, back to buisness. He would have time to test his theories later. He looked back at his wrist, and was surprised to find the coin on a golden bracelet there. At least it wasn't a crown.

    The mirror was no longer a mirror, but a direct physical link, an oval hole. Mark and Twilight walked through, and he couldn't help noticing that something was not right. It was not nighttime when he left, it was barely morning. And his room looked like it hadn't been used in years.