What If You Could Speak To Yourself? Part I

"This might be the last chance to back out. You're both still sure about this?", inquired the Princess of Friendship.

The past twenty four hours had gone by quickly. The excitement, and uncertainty, of inter-dimensional travel descended upon kindness and loyalty. Initially, there was a loss for words. Being offered the chance to travel to another world, and to meet an alternative version of yourself? Even if you'd previously imagined it, would such a decision really be so easy?To take the plunge off of the reality you knew so well, and dive headfirst into what may as well have been a separate existence? Not such a simple action, when the possibility is presented straight to your face.

"I... uh... yeah, I guess I'd say so. Right, Shy?" The athlete was excited. She'd tasted Equestrian magic. Such power manifested itself within her with wings. In these moments, she could feel the speed; she could feel the power, and all of the confined potential energy. It was almost surreal. She could only imagine what her counterpart was capable of, with full access.

"Oh, I s-suppose so. I mean, it does sound exciting to be able to meet us. I just hope they're friendly, really". Although there was far more to consider than friendliness, friendliness was a concern.

"Friendly? Flutters, please. If anything, the most you have to worry about is not scaring yourself to bits".

"Well, we do have to try to be friendly. A-and we wouldn't want to scare us, even if they did feel like other people. That just wouldn't be very nice".

"Other ponies, you mean".

"Yes, that too".

The princess only chuckled. "Trust me, you two really have nothing to worry about. Rainbow Dash is sufficiently the bravest pony I know, and Fluttershy by far the kindest. Frankly, I'll be more surprised if you are even able to tell the Equestrian counterpart apart from the Human"

"... You know, Twi- that actually gives me one hell of an awesome idea for a prank. Or two". Suddenly, being a multidimensional traveler afforded the athlete with a plethora of new opportunities.

"Rainbow Dash, please. I think Princess Twilight and I would both appreciate it if you'd not harass the innocent ponies of Equestria. Celestia knows one of you is enough of a chore", Sunset yelled, jokingly, as she and the rest of the group approached the statue portal.

"Baconator, please. I think you and I both know that the rest of our counterparts are far from innocent". Rainbow Dash nodded to the farm girl and the fashionista, both with a mischievous grin.

"Is that right?", applejack hounded. "Why, If mah counterpart is anythin' like me, Ah reckon she could have ya hog tied and bound, faster than ya'll could spit".

"Assuming, you know, that she isn't into that sort of thing", sunset bantered. She took note of the athlete's light blush.

"Oh, I must say darling. I always did imagine Rainbow Dash as the type to occasionally indulge in some moderate bondage". The athlete and caretaker both blushed at the thoughts.

"Assuming that Rainbow Dash bears a significant degree of similarity to Indigo Zap, it would be logical to think that Rainbow Dash would be open to most anything, at least once". Abruptly, all girls present turned their attention to the human Twilight Sparkle- Princess Twilight's counterpart.

"Twilight!", Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy exclaimed, simultaneously.

The native Twilight Sparkle courteously nodded to them both. A month ago, she would have simply brushed the enthusiasm off. She was pleased by her own progress. It was, after all, owed to these girls that she was in a better place.

Rainbow Dash seized the moment."Guess what, SciTwi?"

"SciTwi?", questioned the princess. It was an interesting nickname.

"Yeah. Wouldn't it get confusing if we just had Two "twilight"s? This is way cooler, trust me".

SciTwi was getting quite the surreal feeling from this conversation. "Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

The athlete adorned another grin, this one out of goofy excitement. "Fluttershy and I are going to Equestria! Remember when you came to Canterlot High, and started sucking up all the magical energy, and eventually went mad with power and tried to tear the world apart?"

"After turning into a power-crazed, magic-craving she-demon hell bent on destroying the world?", the party animal added.

While SciTwi could but blush and avert her eyes, Sunset Shimmer found a refreshing sense of Déjà vu'.

"Oh, but uh, no offense".

The athlete shot a look to their fiery haired friend, to find a look crossed between amusement and discontent. Sunset Shimmer was struck, wondering if she should be offended by the theft of her "thing".

"None...taken".

"Well, Shy and I are actually going to the other world. We're gonna face all of that magic at its source!", she said with enthusiasm

"Really?" She shot a look to her equine counterpart, to be met with a positive nod. "I... don't suppose I could... you know...?" She really hoped she wouldn't have to finish that thought.

Princess Twilight giggled in response. Just like her, to seek out such an immense research opportunity. She was still learning and studying the human world. Now her counterpart wants to research and study Equestria? Talk about going full circle. "As fascinating as that would be, you probably shouldn't. It's one thing to have two Fluttershys, and another to have two Rainbow Dashes, but two have two princess Twilights? Maybe another time, when you're ready, after you've learned a bit more about friendship." The princess shivered internally, still becoming accustomed to the concept of conversing with one's self in the absence of psychological dysfunction.

"Jeez, Twilight. First Sunset Shimmer, and now you've got yourself as a student? That's deliciously meta of you." The athlete was having fun with it all.

"Ha ha ha", the princess replied, sarcastically. She turned to the bearers of kindness and loyalty. "Are you both ready?"

"I was born ready".

"R-ready".

"Well then, let's get going. There's bound to be a plethora of questions when we get to the other side". With that, the trio turned their backs, prepared to cross the threshold into a realm beyond imagining. Before the threshold was crossed, however, they could hear the voices behind them.

"Oh, dears, do try to remember to bring back a piece of Equestrian fabric! Think of the aesthetic wonders that could be reaped with such multidimensional inspiration!"

"If ya'll wouldn't mind, I wouldn't mind bein' brought an apple from Sweet Apple Acres. It'd be mighty kind".

"If you happen to see princess Celestia, don't be fooled by her size. She's one of the most lenient rulers you'll ever meet".

"Surely, an actual book from another dimension would be invaluable to my studies, not to mention to the pool of culture that we have here"

"Can you bring back a party?!"

Then, came the full weight of the portal. The athlete and the caregiver were, for the first time, struck by the sense of disorientation and imbalance that the princess was quickly becoming immune to.

The world was spinning. It couldn't decide if it wanted to look up, down, or simply stare straight ahead. Rainbow Dash felt light headed, as if she were floating in hot air. Hopefully, that wasn't what flying felt like. She attempted to strain her ears, to try to listen. Much to her surprise, it came easily. Her senses of hearing were sharper, maybe. With her eyes closed, all she could smell was... detergent? No, it was a sweet smell. Sweet, but clean. And then... books? She slowly opened her eyes,to be met with a plane of color. Mostly she saw blue, but it was blurred, as her eyes refocused themselves.

"Ugh, did she ask us to bring back a party?", the daredevil said out loud.

She attempted to stand, and immediately felt something... off. She couldn't stand. At least, not fully? She couldn't quite tell. It felt like she was standing, and not standing at the same time. It felt weird. Then there were the hands. They didn't feel very different, but she was unable to stretch her limbs like she normally would. Everything felt compact.

"Believe me. If anyone in the universe can figure out how to transport a party, it's probably Pinkie Pie. Although, I'm pretty sure she's done it before".

Twilight's experienced voice was a welcome sound as the daredevil's eyes came into focus, staring straight ahead. As her vision was reaffirmed, she saw books. Shelves of books. A room of books. A library? Figures, for an egghead like Twilight.

"Hey, Shy? You alright?", Rainbow called, looking around the room. What caught her sight literally made her jump, forgetting her new anatomy. Which in turn made her fall back on her bottom. Or at least, what felt like it. "Whoa", was all that her brain could immediately muster. The alicorn's wings looked larger, compared to the rest of her smaller pony body. At least, it seemed that way, imagining a human with wings.

Before the daredevil stood, on all fours, The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, in all of her alicorn glory, wings spread. Were it not for the purple coat, Rainbow Dash might have been hesitant to identify her regal friend. "...Twilight?"

Knowing what was on the cyan pegasus' mind, the princess smirked. "Yes, Rainbow Dash. This is me. In my standard form, anyway. How do you feel?"

"How do I feel? I feel like I just woke up. My body feels all... tingly".

"Ah. Don't worry, that's just the orthostatic hypotension. It'll wear off within a minute or two.

"The what now?"

"Nevermind. How do your wings feel?"

"Wings?!" In the moment, the daredevil had forgotten the objects of her excitement.

"We really need to get you a mirror".

The princess directed the mare to a shelf on the far side of the room, which contained, in addition to a number of books, a mirror and a picture frame.

After making her way to the mirror, Rainbow Dash looked at every angle of her new body. It was sleek, and appeared well-toned. For the first time, she gazed upon her cyan wings, in all of the pegasus glory. They were awesome.

"Hey, Twilight? How fast can I go with these things?", she asked ambitiously.

"How fast? Please. Rainbow Dash is the fastest pony in Equestria".

With a hyped ego, the daredevil prepared to take off, to let out a burst of her highest possible speed, without the slightest hesitation or delay. She was at the pinnacle of her potential. She was just about to take off, before she felt a strong presence wrap itself around both her wings.

"No, Rainbow Dash!", the princess playfully scolded. "I have enough trouble with you breaking and entering as it is. To be frank, I don't need you making another mess, not to mention another injury. Let's do this outside, instead. You'll have much more room, and a far larger range of motion. I'm sure your eager to see just what kind of awesome you're capable of.

Just then, they both heard a soft whimper from the other side of the room, signaling Shy's arrival to Equestria. Rainbow had initially been too distracted by her own introduction to Equestria to notice.

As the athlete turned her head to meet her girlfriend, the picture frame caught her eye, and her attention. The picture encased by the glass appeared to depict six ponies, all varying shades and styles. She studied the picture for but a moment before something struck her as odd. Her eyes turned to the mirror, then to the picture. To the mirror, and to the picture once again. It was obvious. The ponies in the pictures- she was one of them. Rainbow Dash was in this picture, it had to be Rainbow Dash. She was in this picture. And.. Twilight. And there was a pony with pink hair, hair that looked all too similar to a certain party animal's, all too easily given away by the unmistakable menace of a poof. And then there was a pony with a stetson. That human hat, combined with that blond hair? Had to be Applejack. Can't not be Applejack. After a few moments more of studying the photo, Rainbow Dash had a pretty good idea of exactly what- or, rather, whom- she was looking at. This was a picture of the six of them. And a small lizard thing. The picture captured their friendship just as it might in the other world.

In her fascination, the rainbow mare was torn abruptly back to the tangible realm of consciousness by a soft voice. "Uggh. T-twilight? Dashie?"

Turing her head, Rainbow Dash allowed her gaze to meet the source of the familiar voice. Even across worlds the figure was unmistakable. For several moments, cerise eyes rested upon the figure. A yellow pony, with long, pink hair, almost like a wave. Intact pegasus wings, just like the athlete's own. Those light blue eyes. For what was probably the second time in a span of ten minutes, there were no immediate words. She only watched Fluttershy's every move from a distance, as the shy pegasus recollected her bearings.

"Fluttershy! You're conscious! Tell me, how do you feel? Any general sense of malaise?", inquired the princess.

The shy mare recovered relatively quickly. Her eyes opened, taking in the sight in her immediate vision, before scanning the room, looking for familiarity, and locked eye contact with Princess Twilight sparkle. "O-oh my".

"Ha. That's about what I expected. I'll trust you're feeling alright, then?"

Fluttershy continued staring for a moment longer, taking in the sight. Princess Twilight Sparkle. A pony. With wings, and a horn. "Yes, I'm... fine.

The princess of friendship sported a humorous grin. There was just something so funny about the situation. It reminded her of the Fluttershy she'd met several years ago, when a studious unicorn first arrived in Ponyville. Memories. "Great!", the princess exclaimed, examining her shy friend's wings. "Now; W'll want to get you both acquainted with flying, first. When I first arrived in your world, it was awkward trying to walk. Try moving, flying, walking".

Both of us. Dashie!

The caretaker turned her head quickly, thinking of finding anything closely resembling a rainbow head of hair. It was a short search. As soon as she caught the gaze of a blue pony with wings- like herself-, and with rainbow hair, their eyes locked.

For several moments, the two inducted mares studied one another's form, searching one another's eyes for the light they both knew all to well. Even across worlds, Fluttershy stared into pools of cerise, and saw the same loyalty and love she'd grown to love, while Rainbow Dash lost herself in orbs of cyan, immediately recognizing the same, undeniable kindness and care.They spent these moments observing their forms, before clumsily closing the gap in between them, to the beckoning of curiosity.

"Wow", muttered the daredevil, in an attempt to loosen the mood. She looked back to the picture for a moment, and then back to Fluttershy. "You know, shy? Even in another world, you still somehow manage to be the most adorable of all our friends", she said with a grin.

The shy mare giggled, and lightly blushed, delighted at talking to her girlfriend in another form. "Oh Dashie. You're just as cool here as you are there". In an attempt at intimacy, the two attempt to join hands, only to meet with resistance. The most they could do was bump hooves. It's harder to join hooves than to join hands.

"Wow. That... sucks. Guess I never really thought about not having hands".

"Ha. Well, I suppose your variable anatomy could prove bothersome. Now, what are you going to do? You're in my world now. That means no hands, only hooves". The princess of Friendship was genuinely intrigued.

The athlete pondered. It was a classic thought; Humans had hands. With hands, humans could do a lot of things that ponies could not could not. Then, how do they get by? She flexed her front arms, or legs, and then her wings. They were extensions of her pegasus self, and moved like arms. Suddenly, she had an idea. She nonchalantly hung a wing over the demure pegasus' back, almost like a human would wrap an arm around a shoulder.

The caretaker found it to be a rather nice feeling.

"Don't worry, Twi. Mission accomplished". Rainbow Dash drove the point home, further, by flexing the opposite wing, just for show. She was going to get used to this pretty quickly.

No surprise there. Not even 15 minutes in that body, and she's showing off . "Touché, Rainbow Dash. Touché." She was met only with a sustained smirk.

"Yeah, So, Twi...". The athlete was still as eager as ever to reach her full aerobatic potential. "You said something about goin' outside? I really want to put these babies to work." Even now, the unoccupied wing was itching for speed, flapping arbitrarily.

"Hmph. Eager, are we?" What happened to all that patience you supposedly had, Rainbow? You know, the patience that ran corollary to your plentiful kindness?", the princess teased. She knew all too well of Rainbow's impatience. Meanwhile, the representative of kindness payed the rainbow mare an inquisitive look.

"That, Twilight Sparkle, is where you are sorrily mistaken". It was time to fire back, in self defense. "I said I could be kind. I never said I was patient. As it is, my kindness leaves a lot to be desired. I will not allow you to make such accusations of my character!". By this point, the daredevil was just being playful.

"Really, now? I must admit, I would agree with most of that. Emphasis on most, Ms. Dash".

"Oh, but I don't know about that, girls", Fluttershy chipped in. "I think you can be really sweet when you want to, Dashie. I know you like being sweet when w're alone together..." , she teased, as she nuzzled her girlfriend's neck.

"S-shy...??" There was now a moderate blush on the cyan mare's face.

The Princess of Friendship, however, had to repress an amused giggle.

Rainbow Dash put her head down, in attempt to save herself some embarrassment. Fluttershy, however, was not fully ready to cease. Instead, she continued nuzzling the back of the cyan neck, along with the rainbow mane.

With a smile, Twilight allowed this to continue for a brief period. "Alright, Fluttershy. I think she's had enough grief for now. What say you both we take this outside? I'll tell you about the legendary sonic rainboom", she said, with an emphasis on rainboom.

Immediately, at the sound of her own intellectual creation, the cyan mare diverted her eyes upward, to meet the princess's. "Rainboom? As in the Rainbooms?

Knew that would get her attention. "Well, not quite. The sonic rainboom is, well... you could say that it's a trick, a maneuver. In your world, you enjoy sports as a pastime, Rainbow Dash. In my world, you enjoy performing, creating, and practicing new flying tricks, and stunts. You're quite the daredevil, actually". Twilight knowingly was feeding the Rainbow mare's ego, but it was OK. She wanted to see this happen.

"Just like yours truly, Twi. How does that sound, Shy? You mind if I try out some tricks?"

"J-just be careful, please".

Rainbow Dash grinned. "You got it, careful".

"Careful, huh? I only wish that the other you were more careful".

Before any of them realized it, they'd been walking and talking, and had already made it to the castle's front door. On the other side of the door existed Equestria, the land of ponies, friendship, and magic. It was a whole new world, in every possible sense of the phrase.

The princess paused, momentarily, before opening the gate to the other side. "Oh! Before we go outside, there's one last thing. There are a couple things you both should probably know about being in Equestria. Specifically, Ponyville".

"Go ahead and lay 'em on us, Twi. We're ready for anything".

"We'll do our best, not to upset the locals". Both the yellow and cyan mare, being so close to the Equestrian domain, were anxious to see it.

It was enough of a signal for the princess to continue.

"Alright, first thing's first, I suppose. This is Ponyville that we're about to enter. You've both lived here for several years, longer than I have. The ponies here are very friendly, and will more than likely say hi to you. We're all- the six of us, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity- virtually famous, as a consequence of having saved the world several times over. This means that pretty much everybody here knows you. Do you understand?

"Loud and Clear".

"We understand".

"You understand? Good. But that's not all". The princess of friendship steeled herself, trying to find an appropriate balance of comfort and discomfort in her explanation. "Look- I know you've both encountered Equestrian magic before. You helped defeat Sunset Shimmer at the Fall Formal, the sirens at the Battle of the Bands, and even the other Twilight, during the Friendship games. But in its own way, despite the prevalence of friendship, harmony, and magic, Equestria can be a very... volatile place".

"It'll probably be OK though, right Twilight? I mean, demons and sirens? I don't think you can get much more freaky than those".

The alicorn only looked at the rainbow mare with a blank expression. She had to remind herself that these things didn't exist in the human world. "N-no, Rainbow Dash. There are things far worse than teenage sirens. Far worse than Sunset Shimmer, or rogue magic. Teenage demons? Please. You haven't seen a real demon yet". Memories started reeling once more. Memories of an eternal night, wrought by the Alicorn of the Moon. Memories of a world at war, ravaged by the spirit of darkness. Memories of a broken Equestria, terrorized by the theft of love. Memories of a world thrown into discord by the spirit of chaos. And memories of an Equestria without magic, left to the mercy of a dark lord. "I'm not expecting anything to happen, but, then again, I don't think we ever are. The chances you two will get caught up in some magical crisis? Not very high. The possibility? The possibility exists. Do you understand? Are you both OK with that? If anything comes up while you're here, I'll just send you back through the portal. Alright?"

At first, neither human said anything. They contemplated the words of the Princess of Friendship. To face a demon, in and of itself, was surreal. To face worse? That just sounds dangerous, and terrifying. Or so thought Fluttershy. "Oh my.... We understand, yes".

Rainbow Dash wasn't one to be intimidated, and if she was, she would likely never admit it, but she couldn't quite shake a slight feeling of tension. "Yeah, no problem. We got ya".

The princess took a moment to soak everything in. That was that, then. "Alright. Good? Good? Everything's fine. Come on, you two". She opened the large door to the outside.

Author's Note

There's going to be a lot more to this chapter, which is why this is Part I. I was not about to publish a 10,000 word chapter all at once