Parallel

A/N: Breather episode

Chapter 14: Two Timing(?)

I awoke in my bed in the library with the sun attacking my face. It was slightly better compared to my alarm clock, but still annoying. "Twi... you left the window open," I grumbled. There was no response, so I figured she was lucky enough to still be passed out. I had two upcoming study sessions with this girl, one of them taking place today so long as there were no interruptions.

I rolled over to face away from the sun and my eyes fell on the study area we had set up for the day before.

My desk, still piled with books, held something else, a small plate with a salad and some eggs. To the left of the plate was a small cup, and the smell assaulting my nose told me exactly what was in the cup. "Coffee," I whispered to myself, "Hell yes."

I all but tumbled out of bed, stretching much like my cat did whenever he managed to drag his lazy ass off my couch. I flared my wings up and flapped them a few times.

It was a little weird walking with both sets of limbs, much less having an extra set glued to my back, but it appeared I was becoming used to it.

Now that I knew Twilight was up I realized the water in the bathroom was running.

"Welp, no use working on an empty stomach."

The breakfast was delicious, and I managed to drink the coffee by holding the cup in my mouth and tilting my head back little by little. After some fumbling I managed to set the cup back on the desk without breaking it, proud of myself for having only spilled a bit of coffee on my chin, which was easily licked away.

As cool as it was having wings I wasn't able to fly yet, and it would be nice to have some fingers.

Just as I finished up I heard the bathroom door behind me open, and saw Twilight trot out, a trail of steam floating behind her and a brush floating next to her head, "Morning," she said with a grin, "I usually don't have eggs, but you're human, so I figured I'd treat you to something."

"Thanks."

"Oh it's alright." The brush, still surrounded by her magic, started going through her mane as she made her way towards the desks. "Bathrooms all yours."

Well, this was awkward.

"What?"

Twilight smirked at me, "No offense William, but you haven't exactly bathed since you've been here."

It was then that I came to a revelation.

Well shit. I had smelled farm horses once before, not pleasant.

I winced a bit, "Crap, you should have told me. Aren't friends supposed to tell each other when they stink?"

Twilight frowned, "I didn't want to be rude."

I rolled my eyes and walked away from her.

I tried not to think about the fact that I had a date with Tammy the next day, and she was kinda sorta there as a pony at the same time, completely unaware of what had transpired before I awoke in her library.

A good thirty minutes and a clumsy cleaning later and I once again joined Twilight out in the library. Spike was running to and fro organising books and looking like he just got up from an extremely short sleep. "So, find anything interesting?" I asked as I approached her.

Twilight damn near jumped out of her skin when she heard my voice. After a moment of recovery she sighed and planted her head on the desk, "Please don't do that," she said through gritted teeth.

I laughed, "All I did was ask you a question."

"She was in the zone!" shouted Spike from one of the shelves.

I grinned, "The zone? REALLY?"

Twilight turned and glared at me, "I get really into it sometimes, okay?"

"Right... so did you find anything?"

She sighed and pulled herself back up, "Almost nothing. It's mostly hare-brained theories and old ponytales."

"Hahahaha, ponytales, are you serious?!"

"What? What's so funny?"

"Erm... don't worry about it."

"Anyways. The extent of the research on the veil was all done by one pony. Star Swirl the Bearded."

"As opposed to Gandalf the White?"

"What?"

"Nothing, please continue."

I could tell she was getting tired of me interrupting her, so I decided to let her continue that time. "Star Swirl was the one who went through the veil, the only pony to see the other side, at least until you arrived. He only went through once, but he came back with a wealth of information on strange creatures."

"Probably humans."

"Correct, and here's where it gets really interesting. Come here, I'll show you."

I followed her to her desk and we both peeked over the book. Twilight flipped some pages with her magic, and when she reached what she wanted she planted her hoof on the page, "Right there." She moved her hoof so I could read.

In all my career I have never seen anything quite like this. They function much as you would expect an intelligent life form to. Unfortunately, it appears their world is ravaged by war, yet still they carry on. There is much good to be found here. Perhaps we, as Equestrians, have become so accustomed to peace that we have forgotten what war is like. Either way, these 'humans' are very fascinating creatures, but as much as I would like to study them further the veil is not to be trifled with. Emerging on the other side took quite a toll on me; it appeared that I had somehow, in the course of shifting through the veil, transformed into one of these humans myself. When I returned to Equestria the same way I came it drained me of my magic. This would normally not prevent me from continuing my studies, but with the unknown nature of the veil, and the fact that it affected my magic, I am afraid I must consider this matter closed. I will let the princess know, and bury my own curiosity in favor of my continued safety."

"So let me get this straight," I said, "He turned into a human when he crossed over into my world, kind of like I turned into a pony when I crossed into yours. That still doesn't explain why some of you have counterparts and some don't. I mean, theoretically wouldn't there be a pony version of me over here?"

"We don't really know if there's not."

When Twilight spoke I realized just how close we had huddled together over the book, and decided it would be in my best interest to retreat slightly before my face caught fire.

'Really?' I asked myself, 'Fuckin' really? She's a horse!'

So are you.

Twilight turned to me, "Are you okay William?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, JUST PEACHY, totally alright!"

'You've got a DATE tomorrow.'

Yeah, with HER.

"Are you sure? You look kind of pale. Are you sick? Oh no, did I make too many eggs?! Was it something in the coffee? I went through the recipes EXACTLY, it shouldn't have..."

'That would be two timing... would it be two timing?'

"I'm fine, promise, the breakfast was great, everything is great. I just... got a shiver is all."

Twilight still looked worried.

Have I mentioned that I'm a horrible liar?

"William, if you're not feeling alright then I can help."

Suddenly, I felt like a dick. Twilight made me breakfast, was doing her best to figure out the whole veil thing with me, and was obviously fussing over my health. Not to mention the fact that my little shenanigans had pretty much everything to do with her.

Whether I liked it or not, it was her business, and she deserved to know.

"Well, remember how I told you that I had to go to that party?"

She tilted her head, "Yes?"

"Well, everyone was there, and we kind of hung out." I decided to skip over the part with Discord, there wasn't much they could do short of jumping through the veil and joining me, but there were already human versions of them over there, and who knew what kind of chaos that would cause? "And you... that is, Tammy, was still in a wheelchair from the hospital. I pushed Tammy back to the hospital when the party was over, and when we got there you kind of... asked me out on a date, and I said yes."

There was a moment of silence...

And then a moment of clarity.

The realization could have been a physical thing bouncing around Twilight at that moment, and it wouldn't have surprised me one bit.

First her eyes widened; then her mouth opened, as if she were planning on saying something, and clamped shut before she could get the words out.

I could almost hear the gears in her brain come to a grinding halt.

Then her face turned a deep shade of red, "Oh... I um... I see."

I didn't know at all what that was supposed to mean, so I started to panic a little and decided to pick up where she had left off, "And you're uh... okay with this?"

Twilight grinned nervously, still blushing like mad, "O... of course, why wouldn't I be? I mean, it's not like it's bad or anything, just..." She looked down at the floor and scuffed it with her hoof, "So do you really like m..."

BOOM.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

The entire library erupted in a storm of confetti and party streamers.

Pinkie bounced through the door that she had nearly knocked of its hinges and tackled both of us, nearly taking a confused Spike into the mess as all three of us went tumbling across the wooden floor.

"OOOOO, you have NO idea how much I've been looking forward to this day. I keep telling everypony that nopenopenope my friend Twilight isn't a stick in the mud, she just really likes books, and now here you are with your very own COLTFRIEND! I'm so happy for you I could just explode, but NO! I need to start planning the party and..."

Twilight gritted her teeth, trying to struggle free to no avail, "Pinkie..."

"I mean, how long have you been in Ponyville? I thought you would get lucky at Shining's wedding, but then the whole mess with Queen Chrysalis happened and I didn't know if you would EVER find your special somepony. I wonder when the others will find someone they can like like a lot lot!"

Twilight growled, "Pinkiiiie..."

"I want a coltfriend too, but they all seem to run away. I wonder what's wrong, I just..."

"PINKIE!"

Pinkie finally released her death grip and hopped away from us, but I didn't know whether it was out of shock or because she just decided to bounce away for the hell of it.

We sat up on our haunches to face our pink adversary.

I had to hand it to Twilight, she kept her composure, but her face was STILL red, possibly even moreso than before, "Pinkie... one, how did you even know what was happening? Two, he's not my coltfriend, I just..."

"He TOTALLY is though, I mean, he JUST said he agreed to go on a date with you!"

Twilight frowned, "Pinkie that's..."

Pinkie waved a hoof and scoffed, "Oh what does it matter. TwilightTammy PhoebePinkie DanielsDashie, a hoof is a hoof and an apple is an apple!"

That was... a simple way to look at things.

Wait, how did she know all their human names?

Twilight turned back to me and laughed nervously as she stood, "Sorry about this."

I shrugged and pushed myself forward to stand with her, "It's no big deal."

"Heh, I guess... it wouldn't be too much of a stretch, you did save my li... oh NO!"

"What?"

"Your basket!"

She ran upstairs with a speed I had yet to see from her, and came back down with the basket she had tried to give my on the first day I came back after giving her the medicine.

Opening it with her magic, she ignored all the arranged sweets and floated the black package from the basket. When she laid it in front of me I could tell it was a book just by looking at it.

She used her magic to open it, and I smiled when I saw the title of the book.

Flying for Dummies: Beginner and Expert Pegasi Tips

Okay, that was awesome.

"SO!" shouted Pinkie, "Do you need help setting up a date?!"

Well, this was awkward.