Me, Myself, and Twi

Chapters

"Twilight... why are you waking me up at FOUR IN THE MORNING?!"
"Twilight... why did you bring a DRAGON into my room?!"
"Twilight... what's wrong?"
"Twilight... are you SURE this is a good idea?" Nightmare Night, Part 2
"Twilight... why are you looking at me like that?" Nightmare Night, Part 1

"Twilight... why are you waking me up at FOUR IN THE MORNING?!"

Episode I

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just wanted to go back to sleep, but reluctantly had no choice in the matter, as you promised someone you'd help them out with something? Well, let me tell you how my first officially scheduled interview with Twilight Sparkle, the Faithful Student of Princess Celestia, and the bearer of the Element of Magic, went...

I feel a hoof nudge my side, forcing my eyes to shift open. My vision is instantly greeted with a pair of purple eyes coming from a lavender unicorn with an unusually wide smile on her face.

Under normal circumstances, I would question why there's a unicorn in my room, but since I've known this particular unicorn for about a week, now, I feel more accustomed to the gesture.

However, the alarm clock on my nightstand speaks otherwise on how welcoming I feel like being.

"Twilight," I begin to mumble, elevating my head slightly up from my pillow, "why, oh why are you waking me up at four in the morning?!"

She giggles slightly and replies, "Well duh, Justin! I told you I'd be back early today, didn't I? And plus, you did say that it would be safest if I showed up early so that I could avoid being detected from any of your brothers, didn't you?"

I rub my chin, recalling her last visit which, ironically, was last week... our first meeting. With a defeated sigh/yawn combo, I nod my head. "Alright, then... point taken." I then rub my eyes and turn my lamp on. "So, before we start on this interview, can I get you anything? Maybe a glass of water, or something?"

She smiles and nods her head. "Oh, um... well, if it isn't too much of a bother... just a small glass of water, please."

I nod and, somehow, shoot a smile back at her, despite the grumpy feeling in the back of my head. I guess one of her advantages is that it's difficult, if not impossible, to keep being upset with her... and besides that, I did bring this upon myself.

After all, it's not every day that I get to see her... only once a week, due to the portal's limitations... and only on hourly rotations. As such, she said she's willing to help me learn more about her and her world, and I to her in exchange.

And last week, before the portal closed, she passed me a crystal that, when tapped onto a TV screen, allows me to watch a series of recordings about her and her friends, as well as their adventures, misadventures, and heroic deeds as if through some sort of cartoon series.

As I walk into the kitchen to get two glasses of water - one for each of us, that is - I recall what I was able to learn about her from the crystal throughout the week.

Her name is Twilight Sparkle, a noble of a city called Canterlot. Canterlot, being the capital city of Equestria, is a kingdom inhabited by colorful talking aliens called "Ponies" which, to be blunt, slightly resemble the animals of the same name on Earth... but with several noticeable differences, aside from the cartoon-like body structure of them. It houses the ruler of the nation, Princess Celestia, and fairly recently, her sister Princess Luna.

Twilight has five very close friends that live in Ponyville, which is now her home town. Together, they saved the kingdom from two threats - the sister of her mentor and the self-proclaimed "Spirit of Chaos", Discord.

Last week, the latest adventure that she had was something about her forgetting to learn something about friendship, which she thought was what Princess Celestia ordered her to do to remain living there and be her student.

Gotta be honest... the crystal didn't go into too much details on what was going through her mind, but calling it an "overreaction" is quite an understatement!

So that's pretty much the story there. The rest, as they say, is history... or as I would say, history in the making.

I open the door to my room and bring the two cups of water inside. Twilight, after hearing me tap three distinct knocks on the floor with my foot, materializes from, what she would call, an invisibility spell.

She smiles at me as I offer her a glass. With a thankful nod, she then levitates it from my grasp and takes a gentle sip, before sitting on the carpet.

I nod in response before quietly closing my door and walking up to her.

Though it's dark, I'm able to get a clear grasp of her height. Surprisingly enough, she's definitely a lot smaller than any ponies from Earth. Basically, if she were to stand on the tips of her hind legs, her head would barely be able to reach my waist.

But I digress.

I sit cross-legged about a meter in front of her, facing towards the little unicorn, and take a sip of my water. I then set the glass on the floor and clear my throat.

"So, I guess you'd like to hear about my week?"

She nods her head in anticipation. "Yes, please... if it's alright with you, that is."

I nod with a smile. "Of course... though please bear in mind that it's probably nothing as notable as your average day in Equestria... or Ponyville, to be precise."

I then relay the events of my week to her. How I went all across Diamond Peaks, my hometown, to find a job, but failing miserably. I tell her that my mom's still doing well, and that she, like everyone else, isn't aware of the portal under my bed just yet.

Soon I get to the part where my grandmother passed away. She pauses her writing and gives me a comforting hug, to which I accept, albeit a little taken aback by the sudden intrusion of personal space. I decide to count it as one of the "cultural differences" that we and they have... with them being a bit more touchy-feely. I explain to her that it was about a couple days after she left. I did tell her about her health back then, but she didn't expect it to be a terminal sickness.

After the heartwarming moment, and the passage of tears, I change the subject to a much brighter matter. I tell her about some of the jokes one of my relatives said during the service.

"And so she waited until his wife and children got back, before telling them that she used to change his diapers." I say with a light chuckle. Twilight's holding her mouth to keep the laughter from breaking the barrier.

She's fighting a losing battle, though.

"Then when he thought she couldn't embarrass him even more, she told him, 'And if you stay here longer, you might get to change mine, too!'"

That does the trick. Twilight's laughter escapes past her forehooves, and before long, she has to remove them from her mouth to hold onto her chest.

After about thirty seconds, her laughter subsides. I give her a mischievous smirk and rub my chin in thought.

"Wow... didn't think librarians could laugh that hard... let alone, nobles of Camelot!"

She tilts her head at the name I mentioned. "Uh... Camelot? Don't you mean Canterlot?"

I plant my face into my palm and snicker. "Right, Canterlot. Forgot that there are puns in-between our towns' names."

Her eyes widen in bewilderment. "Wait, so there's literally a town in this world called 'Camelot'?"

I shake my head and reply, "No. It's actually the name of a mythological place in Britain... which is an entirely different continent than what we're currently in."

"Oh... so it's like Griffonstone is to Equestria, or the Dragonlands?"

I scratch the back of my head and shrug. "I guess... depends on who runs those places."

"It's alright. Considering the similarities of our worlds, It'd be safe enough to assume that our jurisdictions and national divisions are operated in a similar aspect."

And so, we continue talking about the towns in-between our worlds. Pretty soon, an hour passes, and her horn starts to flicker to life.

"Oh... looks like it's been an hour already! I should probably get back home, now." she says, eyeing me cheerfully. "I'm glad to know that you're recovering well from your grandmother's loss..." her ears fold back, "... but I'm sorry for your loss, nonetheless."

I wave a dismissive hand her way, but pull her into a hug. "Thanks, Twi... but it's fine. She was in pain, so it's probably for the best... even if I find myself hurting more each day. It's one of the few traits many of us humans have that's our strong suit... we can adapt to change quite well."

She returns the hug and, for a brief moment, I swear I could hear her sniffle. Regardless, though, once we break from the hug, I hear the pitter-patter of little feet coming from outside the bedroom door.

"Well, looks like Gracie's up. Better check on her, and see what she's up to this time." I say, wincing as I hear the sound of something loud falling in the kitchen. "And I might wanna be fast, so she doesn't get herself into too much trouble."

"Okay. I'll be back next week, then... but maybe I should arrive during the day time?"

I give her a thumbs-up, and an expectant smile. "Sounds good! I'll see you then... take care of yourself, Twi."

She smiles before waving her hoof and turning towards my bed. "Thanks... and you too, Justin."

Once she approaches the darkness under my bed, her body starts to sink below the surface, in a fashion similar to walking down a stairway. She pauses, though, and turns around, giving me one last joyful smile.

"So does eleven sound good?" she asks.

As I make my way towards my door, I nod and shrug before replying, "It's a date, then!"

I pause as I grip the door handle, then turn around and shake my head. "N-not like that, though! I mean, it's... uh..."

She giggles and winks at me, though. "Don't worry, I know what you meant... see you then!" As the shadow begins to fade, however, she manages to squeeze in one final message before the rift locks for the week.

"Though if you manage to bring me a daisy sandwich, I'll gratefully accept it!"

With a playful roll of the eyes, and a niece to bail out of trouble, I turn back around and open the door.

As the rest of the night/morning goes through without a hitch, having taken the blame for my niece only knocking the trash can down (by accident), I relax on my bed again and stare up at the ceiling, unable to get those few remaining hours of sleep back.

"Smooth one, Justin... now you've got a magical talking pony demanding you for food... what's next, a talking dragon?"

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"Twilight, can I come with you next time?"

"Hmm? Oh! Uh... yeah, sure! Sure you can, Spike... as long as you promise you won't freak out, alright?"

Author's Note

EPISODE I: COMPLETE!

Episode 2 Status: 100% (Posted!)

"Twilight... why did you bring a DRAGON into my room?!"

Episode II

Have you ever had one of those days when you'd ask fate if things could get worse... only to eat those words shortly afterwards? Well let me tell you about how I not only met Spike, Twilight's number 1 assistant... but how things quickly escalated after THAT point...

The week's been quite a busy one. From more job hunts to potential interviews, I've had a lot less sleep than normal... but with great progress, however, came the price of last-minute issues boiling up.

Some of those issues involved my bike's tires going flat. Others ended up being rescheduled appointments and interviews...

But what I didn't expect throughout this week, was to have not one, but two extra guests arriving from the portal and my bedroom door.

It turns out, I've been given the last-minute chore to babysit my niece today, due to a doctor's appointment for my older brother. As a result, I'm having to watch out for a four year old girl and two Equestrians... or rather, a pony and, according to Twilight, a baby dragon.

Baby? Yes, but still. A. Freakin'. DRAGON!

But that's not the worst part! See it turns out, the portal opened up as soon as Gracie got hungry...

So now here I am, standing in the center of my room with a pony, a dragon, and now another human that knows about Equestria... and that other human happens to be a girl who's hyperactive enough as it is without much to think about! Throw in a creature that looks right up her imaginary alley, and I've got a crisis to avert.

Namely, the crisis of her shouting "PONY!" every time she looks at my bedroom door, which is right next to my older brother's room.

Twilight smiles sheepishly at me as I stand with my face firmly planted in my palm. She raises a hoof to speak, but I cut her off by raising my free hand and motioning "One second" to her. Gracie steps forward one time, but stops when I repeat the motion to her as well.

Finally, with a heavily strained, obviously forced smile, I speak for the two of them, motioning towards the one who's name is called out.

"Twilight, Gracie. Gracie, Twilight."

They both wave and say "Hi!" to each other before looking up at me, silently waiting for me to continue.

Me, however? I'm slightly taken aback by this... unusually casual meeting.

"Okay...? That went down a lot more smoother that I originally thought it would..." I murmur, before clearing my throat and looking at the two unexpected guests.

"So, I'm sure we all have questions for each other... but before then, I have to ask," I look at Twilight and motion towards the purple reptilian thing, "Twilight... why did you bring a dragon into my room?!"

She looks between the dragon and I before motioning towards the two of us, mimicking the introduction style I did for her and Gracie.

"Spike, Justin. Justin, Spike."

Neither Spike, nor I, however, respond with a simple "Hi".

"You got something against dragons, Mr. Daniels?" he hisses, likely offended by my statement to Twilight.

I'm quickly taken aback by the fact that, apparently, her baby dragon sounds like an eight-year-old that's, apparently, fluent enough to talk like a child, and not like a baby.

Regardless of the newfound knowledge that he isn't an out-of-control infant, I still can't stop myself from feeling offended by his assumption. In such a scenario, I usually call it the results of an unclear mood, which was caused by the stress-elevating events transpiring all around me... but I digress.

I cross my arms and return a deadpanned look at him. "No! I have a thing against fire hazards in my room... and from what Twilight showed me, you're supposed to be a baby dragon! Don't you breathe fire every time you burp or sneeze?"

He rolls his eyes and replies, "No!" Twilight, however, nods her head behind his perspective.

I tilt my head disbelievingly at him, then decide to drop the subject, considering my niece is still present, and I'm not feeling like arguing with a baby... mostly because I might end up arguing with one, anyways.

"Alright, then... anyways, it's not just the fact that there's a bunch of flammable objects in my room. Gracie here is... very sensitive when it comes to making new friends and saying goodbye."

"Goodbye?" she repeats, making my point.

"Yeah, goodbye... but not now, though!" I say, as her eyes begin to water up. Like usual, she completely ignored the second half of what I've said, and is convinced that I'm telling her to leave the area.

I sigh and deadpan as she cries and storms out of my room in a fit of anger and sadness. Twilight winces as she hears her raise her voice in the other room, then looks up at me.

"Um... is this a bad time?"

I shake my head and turn to face her. "Nah. She does this all the time... well, when her dad isn't around, that is."

"And have you reported that to him, yet?" Spike adds, still grumpy at me.

I nod and rub the growing pain in my eyes. "Yeah... unfortunately, though, she learns at her own pace... and half of what anyone says just goes in one ear and out the other. Honestly, the only ways to get her to cooperate in this situation, at least when you're not Ron, is either through bribery or threats to get her dad on the phone... sometimes both."

"Phone?" Twilight asks, only for me to pull said device out of my pocket, refreshing her memory on the subject.

"Ron?" Spike tilts his head confusedly, only for Twilight to answer for me.

"It's the name of his older brother, and Gracie's father... correct?"

I nod my head in response, then sigh. "Yeah..." I then look at Spike and scratch the back of my hair. "Hey, listen, uh... Spike. It's been a pretty stressful week for me... but maybe I've overreacted a bit. I'm on some pretty heavy medication right now, so I'm really not fully aware of some of the things I say.

"That said, I'm sorry if anything I say comes off on the wrong foot... or hoof... or claw, whatever.

"Point is, if you promise not to burn the house down, then I'm cool with you being here. Alright?"

He nods and seems to lighten up at that. "Yeah, okay... sorry for coming here unannounced."

I wave a dismissive hand at him. "Nah, it's all good. Twilight's first appearance was similar... and to be honest, I doubt if there's even a way for us to announce who appears where."

Twilight rubs her chin in thought, then looks at me confused. "I have to ask, though... Spike lives in a library that's literally made out of wood. The pages of the books and even the walls themselves are a lot more flammable than most of the things I see in here. Why exactly were you worried about Spike causing a fire?"

I shrug my shoulders. "To be honest, your world has magic. Literally anything could happen there... maybe your library has fireproof wood? Whatever the case, since this world has no magic in it... or probably a little magic due to the portal and what-not, I doubt if you'd be able to cast a fireproof spell big enough to sustain it in time... at least without hurting yourself too much."

I point at my TV on my desk, where a Wii U and an Xbox One rest in front of it. "Plus I have some expensive equipment in my room... not sure if your magic could fix that if it got burnt... especially considering you may not even have such technology in Equestria."

Spike, however, gasps and stares wide-eyed at the assortment that he's now noticing for, seemingly, the first time.

"Wait... dude, you have games on this planet?!"

I raise an eyebrow as a small smile begins to creep up on my face. "Yeah, actually... lots of 'em. You have video games there, too?"

He nods and claps his claws together. "Of course we do! I sometimes visit my friend, Button Mash. Other times, he visits Rarity's place, and it ends in a sleepover."

"Rarity... that's one of Twilight's friends, isn't it?" I look to said unicorn for clarification. She, of course, nods her head in response.

"Yeah. He's her younger sister's coltfriend, so he visits quite a lot. Every time, though, he'd bring his game systems with him, and we'd either play a few fighting games, or when we feel like cooperation, we'd boot up a few RPGs... or R-"

"Role-Playing Games?" I half-ask, half-complete.

When he gives a toothy grin, my smile grows wider. Perhaps this visit won't be so bad after all.

"So hey, Spike... got room for a few games?"

Twilight interrupts his wide smile with a frown. "Um, sorry to interrupt, but isn't this trip supposed to be about us learning more about each others' worlds, and not mindlessly playing video games?!"

Spike sighs and deadpans at her, before muttering, "Killjoy..."

I, however, already have a plan for this.

"Actually, who's to say that this can't be an educational experience?"

"Uh... what do you mean by that?" she asks, now starting to show intrigue.

I shrug and reply, "Well, we know the genres are similar by name... but who's to say there aren't any differences in what we find entertaining?"

And now, she's confused. I clear my throat and clarify.

"What are the differences between the games of my world and yours?"

She rubs her chin and shrugs. "I don't know... but why would it matter?"

And now it's me who looks shocked at her. Spike nudges my leg, and whispers, "She doesn't like video games."

"Wait... what do you have against video games, Twi?"

"Yeah, Twilight! Why don't we just see if this world's video games are much more interesting than the ones in Equestria?"

She glares at me, before groaning. "Fine... but I get to play the first one!"

I look at Spike, who shrugs and nods. "Alright, then, Twilight... but I get to choose the game for you."

When she agrees, I boot up the Xbox. Gracie peeks inside from the corner of my door.

I look at her and ask, "Gracie... game?"

She cheers and jumps for joy, before carrying her small pink chair in.

Once everyone's all seated, I start the game up... I choose Call of Duty Zombies. Good ol' Nacht der Untoten.

Her mane is frazzled as she rushes from window to window. To my surprise, she's made it to Wave 20 after repeatedly dying due to the lack of understanding in the controls. (Her first death was hysterical. She actually asked how I can wave at it and greet it nicely!)

I've hooked up a second controller for Spike to use. It's quite amazing how well coordinated the two of them are, as well as how strategic their plans have been thus far. When one would fall in battle, the other would rush to their aid.

Gracie's taken quite a liking to them. When she first got her chair, she asked for me to help her because her chair was "stuck"... and by that, it was held in an angle that made it catch onto the crack between the door's hinges. And I could feel her teasingly pushing it further into the crack, as if trying to overpower my strength.

She tends to toy with me a lot... not sure if it's from her grandfather's side of the family, or what. Regardless, though, she gave Twilight and Spike a good laugh or two when she sent me back and forth for Honey Buns.

"Honey... Bun!" I would say with slight annoyance within my tone.

"Hunny Bunny!" she would retort, sticking her tongue out at me, as I continuously try and try again at correcting her English.

Twilight and Spike would at least be entertained from our shenanigans. And what's more, Twilight doesn't seem to mind Gracie addressing her as "Pony"... or in Gracie's Volumetric level, "PONY!"

Before long, though, my watch beeps, pulling them all from their stupor.

"What? It's been an hour already?! But it's almost like we just got here!" Twilight whines.

I roll my eyes and smirk. "Well you were on Call of Duty for over fourty five minutes, before I started fixing us the sandwiches."

She sighs, but nods her head in understanding. "Yeah... though I'm still slightly disappointed in you for not fixing me a daisy sandwich!"

I see the playful smirk on her face, and direct my own wit back at her. "Yeah, because us humans would rather eat daisies instead of good ol' proteins and such."

They chuckle once more before they start heading towards the bed.

As soon as they begin walking, however, Gracie starts to tear up. "Pony?"

I sigh and crouch down to her eye level. "Yeah... sorry, but they've gotta go home for now. Don't worry, they'll be back next week. Alright?"

"Okay..." she says before sniffling.

I've already been through this act before. She's not really that upset, what with them having only known each other for a little while. However, I've already got a plan. I pull a small laser pointer out of my pocket and flash it at the wall outside the room.

"Hey Gracie! Look, it's a fairy!"

She follows my finger as I point at the culprit on the wall. She gasps before rushing towards it.

When she's out, I close the door. "Thank goodness for ADHD..."

I then look at Twilight, who already sent Spike back into the portal.

"So, I take it the games in this world are better?" I ask, to which she silently nods.

"Oh, yes... I was so immersed into it... despite how scary it was, though, I had fun."

I nod my head and smile back at her. "Thanks... I'm glad you liked it."

"But I have to ask... how come you didn't recognize Spike? Wasn't he on the crystal memories I've sent you?"

I think back, but come up blank. "Sorry, Twilight. Can't say I could recall him from those things."

"Oh..." she says, now being slightly downtrodden.

"Hey, what's up? Why are you so down, now?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "Well... ever since I've moved into Ponyville, my main focus was to study on the Magic of Friendship... but up until recently, I've been focusing less on Spike, and his well-being."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Something you need to talk about while he isn't here?"

She nods her head. "Yeah... you see, not too long ago, he got into an argument with me on the matter... or rather, we got into an argument with each other about it."

"An argument, huh? Well, can't say that isn't a common thing here, too."

"I know... but even still, it got pretty heated up... I was afraid that he was going to run off, again!"

"Hmm..." I ponder, only to hear the familiar sound of the portal crackling up.

"Come back tomorrow, and we'll talk more about it, okay?"

She smiles and nods, before rushing towards the portal. "Okay... thanks, Justin! I'll be back around noon-ish!"

"Sounds good!" I wave at her as she vanishes beneath the bed. Mere seconds pass before the sounds of the portal's shimmering fade.

And then, silence.

"Well, crap... they looked fine to me... was there something I missed?" I ponder a bit longer, before hearing Gracie knocking on my door.

I open it up, and smile as she jumps in the air. "I did it! I caught the fairy!"

I clap my hands and gently brush her hair. "Good job, Gracie!" I then get to her eye level again, and give her the "Serious Look"... something she's thankfully gotten familiar with when I have something important to tell her.

"But listen, Gracie... can you keep a secret?"

"A secret?" she echoes, to which I nod and make a shushing gesture. She shushes back and nods her head.

"Okay... it's about the pony."

"Pony?"

"Yes, the pony. Can you keep her a secret from everyone?"

"Everyone?"

"Yes... don't tell anyone about her, alright?"

"Alright!" She nods her head and claps her hands, before running through the hall again.

I sigh in relief, knowing that the crisis was averted.

"Daddy!" she yells, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Hey, Gracie!" his voice responds. "How're you doing?"

"I'm good!" she replies. I smile, having had yet another good-

"I played with a dragon!"

I deadpan, then plant my face into my palm.

"A dragon, you say?" he asks, sounding evermore confused.

"Yeah! But we can't tell anyone about the pony!"

And now, my face meets the wall.

Author's Note

EPISODE II: COMPLETE!

Episode 3 Status: 100% (Posted!)

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7,918/7,918 Words

Last Update: 4/10/2017

"Twilight... what's wrong?"

Episode III

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend in need? Perhaps a friend that's going through something that you've been through beforehand? Maybe something similar? Well, let me tell you about how my conversation with Twilight went about a fight she and Spike had not too long ago...

I just finish filling two small mugs up with tea when my watch's alarm begins to beep. Shortly following this, I hear the crackling of the portal underneath my bed.

"Justin? Are you there?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah... I got some tea made, as well. Still couldn't find any daisies, though." I reply.

She giggles at that. "Thanks... and don't worry. I don't think daisies are even in during this season, what with it being October, and all that."

"Yeah... well actually, that depends on the location. Some places still have daisies growing... but not up here."

"Oh... really? Strange, it's different here in Equestria. Normally we have flower shops around every corner, as well as several wild flowers growing in the plains. Daisies, however, are among the most commonplace, and can be found pretty much anywhere."

"Huh... that's nifty. Though I'm guessing with ponies being vegetarian in nature, I can see it being a common thing out there."

We pause for a moment, before I clear my throat, my hands gripping the mugs carefully.

"Anyways, you planning on crossing the portal this time, or would you just like this one to be an average conversation?"

She hums before quickly sticking her head through the portal. She smiles weakly at me before replying, "Um... I was actually wondering if this could be a casual meeting this time? Just a simple conversation through the portal?"

Understandingly, I nod my head and return her smile. "Sure, Twi. Just like the first time, then."

I offer her the second mug of tea, which she levitates through the portal, before returning her head into her own world.

"Thanks, Justin... the tea smells delicious!"

I chuckle and scratch the back of my hair. "Eh, it's nothing special, really... just some ordinary cold-brew tea. Can't even trust myself near a stove."

She takes a sip and smacks her lips silently. "Oh, don't sell yourself short, Justin... I doubt if it could be as bad as my stories around an oven!"

"Twilight, I burnt tea before."

"Like... it evaporated on you?"

I shake my head. "No, Twilight... like, it turned into a black gunk INSIDE the water... and no, the bags were still intact."

Silence fills the air for a moment, before I hear her choking up from her held laughter.

"Wait... seriously?! How in the hoof do you even do that?! That sounds more like magical interference than anything else... but since your world doesn't even have magic..." she begins, followed by a Twilight-style commentary on how it seems scientifically impossible for a liquid like tea to just spontaneously combust into flames.

I quickly resort to just telling her, "Twi, Twi, Twi... if you ever saw me in a kitchen, then you'd understand a bit more."

We share a good laugh again, before silence fills the area once more.

Finally, she catches her breath once again, steadying her breathing pace, and then breaks the silence.

"Thanks, Justin... I needed that."

I smile and nod my head, despite her not physically being there to see me. "Any time, Twilight... laughter is a good cure for depression... but now, I guess it's time we cut to the chase. That is, if you still want to talk about it. If not, I could always throw in a bit more jokes for you... maybe tell you about the time how I woke myself up by my own snoring."

She chuckles again.

"Yeah... as tempting as it sounds, I'm afraid I have to pass on your offer. After all, I did say that I would tell you."

I shrug. "Just remember, I'm not forcing you to talk. If you need more time, I can wait as long as you need to get comfortable with."

"Thanks, Justin... but you're right. I need get this off my chest now, so that my own anxiety doesn't get worse over time... and believe me, just holding it in isn't making me get any more comfortable about it."

"Of course." I clear my throat, then begin. "So, Twilight... what's wrong, exactly? What happened between you and Spike?"

She sighs. "Well... where do I even start?"

"Well the idea would be to start at the beginning, wouldn't it?" I comment with a smirk.

I can already sense her rolling her eyes at me. "Yeah, I know that one, Smartypants!" She snickers, though, clarifying that she's amused deep down, regardless of her expression.

I shrug. "What? It's true, isn't it?"

She playfully blows a raspberry, to which I respond to equally. Then, she clears her throat, and begins her tale.

"Well, anyways... it all started like this..."

And so, she begins telling me of how most of it began, from a rough summary of her beginning, up to today...

Within Equestria's Past...

My name is Twilight Sparkle. For twelve years now, I've been the student of Princess Celestia.

According to the Equestrian Mage's Chart, or ECM for short, my level of potential is that of an "Anomaly". As Princess Celestia explained, I wasn't even supposed to pass in my final test... the same test I took when I was only four.

I was told to hatch the egg of a long-extinct subspecies of a Dragon.

What was the results of, what I'd later learn to be, the Sonic Rainboom performed by one of my best friends, Rainbow Dash, my family gained a new member... Spike.

Ever since that day, I helped mom take care of him. As soon as he could talk, he spoke with me the most. In the end, he was less of a child, and more of a brother to me, despite it being me who hatched his egg to begin with.

That, plus my mom wasn't open to being a grandmother at the age of 28.

Skipping ahead in time, I was tasked with going to Ponyville at the age of 16. I was fresh out of my Senior Class. Due to me already knowing everything within the library, I was given my final test early... I would be in charge of preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.

Little did I know that, from that moment on, my destiny would be tied in with my five new friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

Together, we are the Spirits of Harmony.

In short, we became fabled heroes. We would become the talk of Ponyville! We would be known as the heroes that saved the world!

...

Just kidding!

Though the thought did come across several of my friends' minds, in the end we decided to keep it all a secret. Princess Celestia requested that she be the one who reintroduces her sister to the public... and that, we could all agree, would be for the best.

Especially since 1,000 years worth of changes is bound to lead to a culture shock at some point!

But I digress.

Despite us hiding our heroic deeds from public eyes, we were still called for help from the locals. Simple tasks, and what-not.

Well, simple in comparison to the heroic side of things. I'm not going to return to those thoughts on how hard it was to try to help during the Winter Wrap-Up situation...

Anyways, moving on.

With my focus always being on the lessons I've learned in Friendship, I never even once noticed the one thing that was missing in my life. We would always be there for each other in our times of great need... all six of us.

And that was where my eyes were opened. All along, I was focusing on my new friends, that I was quickly drifting away from my family.

Spike was always there long before they were. He would help me in tasks that I didn't even need help with, simply because he cared. Because to him, I was his older sister - his Role Model!

And I neglected him.

I step inside the library, exhausted from the long day. Planning for the Summer Sun Celebration is one thing... saving the world is another!

I look upstairs and hold back my laughter at Spike, who's clad in pillow armor with a wooden bucket as a helmet.

However, upon seeing the tears in his eyes, my laughter never comes, and I'm left looking confused at him.

"Hey, Spike! I'm back!"

He says no more, before rushing up to me and wrapping his arms around my neck in a hug.

"T-Twilight! You're... you're alive!"

I sigh, close my eyes, and return his hug. "Of course I am, Spike... why wouldn't I be?"

He sniffles again, before looking me in the eyes. "W-when the mayor said that you went into the Everfree Forest... I thought that... I thought that you wouldn't..."

He breaks down again, before hugging me once more. I, however, am shocked. Was he really that worried about me?

I feel the tears begin to fall from my eyes, as the true weight of my actions begin to fall upon me. I might've just saved Equestria, but... in doing so, I caused my little brother great panic!

And knowing how close he is with everypony else in my family... I wouldn't be surprised if I have a few letters from my parents and my older brother waiting for me.

"Oh, Spike... I'm so sorry... I didn't know I worried you so much! I thought you'd be asleep during the whole ordeal!"

"I was... and I had nothing but nightmares! When the mayor woke me up to inform me of what's happened, I... I couldn't even go back to sleep!"

"Shh... it's okay, Spike..."

We both just sat there quietly for a while. I eventually cheered him up when I told him that Princess Celestia told us we could stay here.

"- But with all that responsibility, I'm going to need an assistant to help out. Now who could I count on more than my most trustworthy little brother? Nopony, that's who!"

And like that, the flames are rekindled. He cheers up quickly and begins to tidy the library up, giving it our own personal Canterlotian touches here and there, while still keeping it traditional Ponyvillian in color scheme.

After all, this place is my... no... our new home.

He wants to set an example to all potential assistants I would need, so that he could protect his rights as my "Number 1 Assistant"... even though I don't even plan on looking for another assistant at all! As for me, though?

I have a bed calling my name... and it's getting louder by the second.

It all seemed so nice... that things would get better for us.

...

Oh, if only I knew just how wrong I was...

I slowly trot inside the house. Once our Gala Tickets were exchanged for official VIP Passes, I was, as Applejack would say, "Plum-Tuckered Out"... and now I am, as I would say, "Exhausted".

Spike is already asleep on my back. I gently float him into his basket and tuck him in, before heading to bed. I look at him once before smiling at his sleeping form.

Still a little baby dragon... my little brother, and Number 1 Assistant.

What would I do without you?

I trot inside, covered in sweat, dirt, and scratches. Repairing Ponyville after the Parasprite infestation would take all week!

And it looks like Spike had to postpone his cleanup duties today so that he could separate the ruined books from the ones still intact. (We lost so many important books that day...)

I decide that it's alright, though. Spike's been busy today while my friends and I had to put up with the parasprites and Pinkie Pie's shenanigans.

I mean, sure it's important to listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives when trying to solve a problem... but as the day went on, I began to question that lesson I learned.

What if she told us before, instead of trotting off to find a trombone? And... what even caused the parasprites to follow the music? Is there some kind of gene within them that allows for echolocation through the...

No. That's not important right now... and I shouldn't blame Pinkie Pie. We're all a little at fault here, I guess.

I decide to head to bed early... maybe the extra rest could help me wake up earlier tomorrow to help tidy up the place some more.

"Hey, Twilight! How was your-"

"Fine." I tell Spike, interrupting him as I step inside. It was, of course, far from fine, though.

I was held up in the marketplace for over an hour, and the ponies within it were nothing but huge jerks! Honestly, what was the deal with that?! Is it some kind of Ponyville Holiday that I wasn't informed about?!

I grumble and mutter my anger out silently to no one in particular as I trot up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door shut, and locking it. I then levitate the nearest book towards me, and I begin reading.

Before long, this kind of reaction became a routine. Eventually, I stopped talking to Spike for more than just a few seconds daily... until that fateful night, when Lyra came up to me...

Lyra Heartstrings and I are sitting at a small cafe, where a hay burger rests on each of our plates. We've decided that, because it's been more than two months since we've truly been able to hang out (what with us both moving out of Canterlot so far in-between,) we should catch up on things.

However, my mind is set on my meal and our original plans to catch up, while hers is the same as it was since she claimed to have received a vision from one... who-man? Pew-can? No, wait... human! That's what it was... a human!

"So let me get this straight... you think the stars are aligned perfectly every Tuesday, allowing us to get a glimpse into another world? And more specifically, a world inhabited by... humans?" I ask her, deadpanning at our local anthropologist's usual antics.

She nods happily and motions towards the sky. "That's right, Twilight! And with the help of this spell, I just know that you'll be able to see it, too!"

I look at the scroll that she, somehow, was carrying without me noticing, then shoot her a confused look. "Um... okay? And have you even tested this spell, yet?"

She scratches the back of her hair. "Well... not exactly, no."

I deadpan at her, before sighing. "Then why even bring it up? I thought we were going over how things were going since we've moved from Canterlot together?"

"I was getting to that! But, uh... well, I kinda-sorta wanted to ask you for a quick little favor... if that's okay, that is?"

"... And that would be?"

She shifts around uneasily. "I figured that, since you're Princess Celestia's student, you could possibly go over the spell for me? Maybe give it a quick test, and fix any problems that it might have?"

I sigh and shake my head. "I'm sorry, Lyra. Even if I could figure out the spell's functions and dynamics, I would be dealing with the unknown on a much larger scale than I'm legally allowed to work with!"

Lyra frowns at me and sighs. "Oh... well..."

I raise a hoof her way to stop her from continuing. "Listen, Lyra... I'm not even sure where you got that scroll, but... I don't think it would be wise if you kept it for yourself. I'll be happy to take it off of your hooves, though. I'm sure the guards wouldn't suspect me of all ponies carrying something like that around, due to my status, and what-not."

Lyra's ears perk up at that. "Oh, uh... sure! But... can you please just look into it for me? Please?"

I sigh. "Lyra-"

"Pleeeeeeease!"

"Lyra, I can't just-"

"PRETTY please?! With a cherry on top?!"

"Lyra, the physical presence of the pretty and the cherry wouldn't make a difference. My answer's 'no', and that's final!"

She silences after that. I then return to my burger, but pause when I hear her sniffling.

Finally, I roll my eyes and look at the rolled up scroll on the table.

"Okay, then... b-but... I thought you'd be interested in learning more about the unknown... before somepony else does."

"..."

And now, my stomach starts to churn, as an uneasy feeling begins to build up in me. What if this scroll really does contain knowledge that nopony else knows about? What if, deep inside it, there's a spell that even Princess Celestia doesn't know about?!

Regardless of whether its contents are a threat or not, whoever gave Lyra that scroll could be a potential threat... but in order to be sure, I would have to see the contents of the scroll, itself!

"Tell me something, Lyra... have you even read the scroll, yet?"

She nods her head. "Y-yeah... it... it's similar to a portal spell, but with a few adjustments added to it... l-like the location, and... w-well... a few other things, as well..."

"Hmm... so it isn't an enchanted scroll, then?"

Lyra shakes her head. "Not to my knowledge, no."

I look at the scroll again.

"Well... I..."

I let out a long, tired sigh.

"Fine, then... I'll give the spell a look."

Lyra's expression quickly turns back into a huge smile. She pulls me in for a hug similar to Pinkie Pie's (which is very painful, I must admit), and repeatedly thanks me.

"Alright, alright!" I finally manage to squeeze out of her hug, then finally get to resume my burger consumption. "But don't think that this means I'm bringing a human into Equestria if it does work! This is strictly for research purposes, and only that!"

"Understood!" She gives me a salute, only for me to pull her hoof down.

"And please, please don't let anypony find out about this... under any circumstances! Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!"

...

"And don't call me 'ma'am'! I'm only sixteen years old!"

She recoils at my voice, then smiles sheepishly at me. "Sorry..."

With that out of the way, I tuck the scroll into my saddlebag and the two of us continue talking about normal things.

"So do you have any stories about humans in your library?" she asks.

I slam my forehead on the table and groan as a response to her version of "normal".

"So what happened after that?"

... I let my curiosity get the better of me. I shut myself out for a week, studying the spell. After that, Spike came into my room, while I was having trouble with a particular part of it.

"... Do you need me to get you a tissue, or a paper towel?"

... Yes, please.

...

"There ya go... now please, continue... unless you'd like to call it a night here?"

*Giggle* Don't worry... I'll be fine.

My mane is a mess, now. I haven't even slept for days, as I continue to stare at the scroll, transcribing its contents into a separate one, and making corrections where necessary.

I'm currently in my room... as I have been for longer than I care to know.

I suddenly hear the feint creak of my bedroom door, but pay it no mind.

"Twilight? You've been in here for days, now... are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Spike." I reply, keeping my eyes glued on the scroll.

...

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I sigh and nod my head. "Yes, Spike... I'm sure I'm fine! Now please, just let me concentrate!"

...

I hear him shift closer to me, though.

"Well, then... since you're feeling fine, I was wondering if you wanted to help me with something right quick?"

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later."

"You sure? Because it's pretty important to me... I'm trying to put this book back in its place, but I just can't reach it... I could use your help reaching it."

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later." I repeat.

"Hmm... well, could you at least make my arms longer, then? Just temporarily so that I could-"

I stomp my hoof on the ground and glare at him.

"NOT. RIGHT. NOW. SPIKE! CARE FOR ME TO REPEAT MYSELF ANY MORE, OR HAVE YOU FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT?!"

He recoils back, and trips over his own tail. I immediately notice the tears in his frightened eyes.

Then I turn back to the scroll, and continue to read through it. My ears twitch as I hear Spike scamper back up and rush outside my room, slamming the door behind him.

"Hmm... so far, this whole thing sounds one-sided... like, he didn't have any fault in the matter, aside from being concerned about you."

I haven't gotten to that part... there's more that soon followed.

"Such as?"

The following day, I finally finished the spell, and was able to figure out the part that I was stuck on. As such, my mood was a lot brighter... but Spike, on the other hoof, was still hurt from the day prior.

And yet, I still dismissed him when I was getting the preparations for a temporary version of the spell. Needless to say, THAT was when he got his point across.

I hum and continue making the adjustments to the spell's runes.

"Hmm... if my calculations are correct, the portal should appear on Tuesdays... but with this adjustment here, I can alter it to enable the portal again any time willingly... while this one here can grant me the powers to remove the portal from both sides, closing the connection, should things get hairy!"

I rub my chin, before continuing to speak with myself.

"Ah... though I should probably make the portal only allow nonliving organisms to pass through... or, no, maybe I should just make it a sound portal? Yeah... just in case I end up opening it in the middle of the planet's core, or something. Heh... wouldn't want that leaking in the middle of my room, now, would I?"

I then examine the spell on the scroll.

"And then this one would make the time-based adjustments link together, allowing the passage of time for the portal's appearance on the other side to be equivalent to the amount of time passed in this world, thus normalizing the passage of time in that world to be the equivalent of the passage of time in this one. Don't want our weeks to end up being their months, after all...

"And then, the amount of mass around that one should at least be on the top of the surface... but theoretically. I'm still not quite sure about the differences of the gravitational pulls in their world... might need to make a few more adjustments in the portal's lift, just in case the portal sinks too low into the ground there... or maybe I could just adjust it once I've got it opened? As long as I'm keeping it from absorbing any matter, it shouldn't be a problem... it should just phase through the objects, after all..."

"Twilight?" I barely even hear Spike's voice behind me as I continue to mutter my readings and research to myself.

"Uh-huh..."

"Listen, Twilight. I was wondering if we could go to the store? We're running low on groceries, and they won't let me buy anything without you being there."

"Not right now, Spike... maybe later, okay?"

He goes silent once again.

"That's what you said yesterday, you know?"

"Uh huh." I say, though mostly to my thoughts on the particular part of the spell I'm looking at.

"Are you... gonna keep ignoring me?"

"Ugh, Spike! I'm this close to finishing this spell! Can you please just let me concentrate for just a bit longer? Please?!"

...

"No."

My eyes widen as my concentration is suddenly broken. I turn around and stare at my glaring drake assistant/brother, who approaches me with his claws balled up.

"What? Spike, what do you mean 'No'?! Why can't you just let me finish with my research and-"

He quickly places his claws on my cheeks and leans his head closer to mine. Then, in as loud a voice as he could muster up, he shouts, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID RESEARCH!"

I almost hear the sound of glass shattering at this point. Something snaps inside me, as I magically push his claws from my face. A glare now forms on my own face, as an unknown sense of rage begins to take control over me.

"Stupid... research?! STUPID RESEARCH?!" I stomp my forehooves on the ground, causing the wood below them to crack. I then lean closer to Spike, who doesn't even flinch from my own raised volume.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS SO-CALLED 'STUPID RESEARCH' IS?!"

He rolls his eyes. "AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO! YOU'VE ONLY MUTTERED ABOUT IT ALL WEEK! DO YOU EVEN REALIZE THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN TOLD?! HONESTLY, DO YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR STUDIES MORE THAN YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN FAMILY?! YOUR FRIENDS?! EVERYPONY ELSE THAT'S BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU?!"

"YOU KNOW THAT ISN'T TRUE, SPIKE! STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M THE BAD PONY HERE!"

"I WILL ONCE YOU START ACTING LIKE A GOOD PONY AGAIN!"

We both are breathing heavily, teeth clenched, as the metaphorical sparks begin zapping between our eyes.

"I. Have. Been. Busy. Spike!" I mutter through my teeth.

He rolls his eyes once more. "And there it is again, with you being 'too busy' to care about anypony besides yourself!"

"Again, that's not TRUE, Spike!"

...

"You know what?! That's it, this ends now!" he proclaims before running behind me and pulling the scroll from my desk.

"SPIKE! WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING?!" I begin to panic as he looks back at me with a scolding frown.

"What I should've done before! It's for your own good that this stupid thing gets destroyed!"

He takes a deep breath, preparing to either burn the scroll, or worse... send it directly to Princess Celestia!

As such, my instincts kick in and I teleport the spell from his grip, where it returns behind me once again. However, what I don't take into account is my magic surging around me, causing a quick burst of energy to blow the objects around me away, and shoving Spike two feet back, tripping him in the process.

My mind doesn't register this yet, though, as I shout, "DON'T DO THAT!"

I rub my head as a small headache occurs from the sudden surge. Spike, however, doesn't even show physical pain as he stands back up and brushes the dust off of him.

"Twilight... I'm not going to stand here and watch you continue to hurt yourself over that stupid spell! You're not making this easy for me!"

My glare intensifies. I take a deep breath and, lifting my forehooves up, I shout once more, and stomp hard enough to shake a few books off of the shelves, and crack the floor even more.

"THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Again, my magic surges, forcing him back onto the ground. This time, however, he recoils; his anger now replaced with shock, followed by a shocked gasp.

My anger, however, doesn't let up, as I continue hovering over him, breathing heavily.

"..."

He continues to stare at me in shock, while I turn back around and adjust my scroll back onto my desk.

"...

"Fine... if that's what you really want... I'll just leave." he finally says.

I continue to read my scroll, now blinded by my anger. It takes me a few seconds to register the sound of the door softly closing... and a few minutes later, I hear the sound of another door closing.

And then... everything hits me suddenly.

I gasp as my attention quickly goes to my bedroom door.

"... Oh, no... Spike!"

I quickly stand back up, only to trip on a pile of fallen books that were knocked from my shelf. Landing directly on my snout, I yelp in pain and grip my nostrils, before checking my hooves.

I'm bleeding, now... but the adrenaline makes me ignore the pain as I stand back up and rush to the door.

Forcing it open, I hurry down the stairs, and look around.

Sure enough, Spike is no longer there.

"Owlowiscious! Quick! I need you to-"

I turn towards Owlowiscious's perch, and gasp when I see it unoccupied.

"Owlowiscious? Spike?"

Soon my worry escalates into a state of panic as I gallop through the library, searching high and low for any signs of where Spike might've left.

Finally, with no other options left, I rush to the front door. Immediately, a note taped on said door catches my attention.

Dear Twilight,

Owlowiscious and I went to Rarity's for the night. You... no... we need to cool our heads off, before one of us does something they might regret.

I know you didn't mean what you said, but... it still hurts that you'd even think of saying something like that. We're all worried about you, Twi... ALL of us!

I didn't tell you this before, because I thought it would hinder your work, but... even LYRA is starting to worry about you. When we told her about how you've become somewhat of a recluse... well... she feels guilty about this whole thing.

We love you, Twilight. We want what's best for you... but right now, what I think you need is some time to think about what you've done... while I spend some time thinking about how I could've approached you without being confruconf
without arguing with you.

I'd advise you keep your distance from Rarity tonight, and tomorrow morning. You know how she can be when it comes to dramatic things like this.

Love, Spike.
Your #1 Assistant.
PS: I didn't tell anypony about what you were doing. To them, we just got into an argument. However, you can't keep it a secret forever. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell them.

"So then what happened?"

I couldn't think straight after that. I was overwhelmed by a mix of sorrow and anger; both aimed towards myself, and my actions.

"You let your studies get the better of you... then you lashed out at him for interrupting you from said studies."

Yeah... go ahead, berate me... it's what everypony else did then, anyways. I probably heard it all at this point.

"Twilight... I don't berate people for their past actions, ESPECIALLY when they've already been forgiven for that. Heck, if anything, I'm just surprised that it's only something as simple as an argument."

... What do you mean, simple?! I almost lost my brother there! And my friends!

"No, Twilight. From what I've seen in those crystals and in person, your friends and family ALL love you. Plus you and Spike are siblings... it's normal for siblings to fight! Heck, my own brothers and I fought a whole lot... and many times, it even got physical!"

Really? But... you don't seem like the type that gets into fights, though!

"That's mostly because I've grown past that stage... but even still, old habits can return from time to time. Unfortunately, it's just another one of those problems in life that we may never truly be able to get rid of completely."

Huh... so it's... normal? Not just a problem that Spike and I have alone?

"Of course not, Twilight! Why, don't you have any other siblings? Another brother, or maybe a sister?"

I have an older brother... but we've never actually fought before, though.

"Never? Not even over a toy or something?"

No... if anything, he was the overprotective brother of mine... but he was, and forever will be, my B-B-B-F-F.

"Your... what?"

Big-Brother-Best-Friend-Forever.

"Ah... well anyways, you got sad and angry... did you chase after Spike and Owluh... Owwa... who?"

*Giggle* Owlowiscious... and no. I... well, I know it might sound a little melodramatic, but...

"... You ran back into your room and cried, didn't you?"

*Sigh* Yeah...

"Don't worry. Again, that's a normal thing."

I'm lying in my bed, with my face planted in my soaking pillow, muffling my screaming and crying. Soon, however, my eyes turn to the desk, where mere moments ago, I balled up the scroll and threw it under my bed.

Due to my emotional distress, my magic surged during that time. My guess is that the scroll burnt underneath, as a brief flash sparked underneath, and all that I saw where it landed was nothing more than a large burnt pile of dust.

I then decide to stand back up and walk over to my desk, where several scrolls, books, and quills rest.

"Okay, then... time to face the music," I murmur. Levitating a quill and straightening out a blank scroll, I take a deep breath and start to write, speaking as I do.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

I pause as a strange chill builds up across my spine. My fur begins to raise as an unusual presence starts to appear behind me. Though I face the letter, I can tell something's looking right at me... and almost instinctively, I gulp and slowly turn around.

I see nothing at first. Below my bed, however, I notice that it's gotten a lot darker than usual. Curious, I look closer at it, before I slide off of the seat and tip-hoof towards the shadow.

As soon as I'm mere inches away from the bed, however, two glowing red eyes open... followed by an equally red fanged smile.

Before I even have time to react, it lunges directly into my face, covering my sight in red.

And then, I scream and pull my head from my pillow.

I turn towards my desk, only to find that it hasn't changed a bit. It's still covered in papers, books, and quills of varying colors.

With a sigh, I trot up to it, and notice that, while I've dreamed up the letter part, I didn't dream of my outburst, where I balled up the scroll and threw it under my bed.

I sigh, wishing that this whole entire thing was just a bad dream.

"Spike was right..."

My eyes drift to the desk. I grasp an empty inkwell and glare at it. My magic shakes it up, before I let out an angered growl.

"This whole entire spell idea was just. Plain. STUPID!"

With that, I throw the inkwell towards the opposite wall, where it flies underneath my bed and into the shadow.

*Clunk!* "Oww! What the hell?!"

As Twilight concludes her story, she returns the empty tea cup to my end of the portal.

"And just like that, we met... I'm sure you remember the rest."

I nod, accepting the cup from her magical grasp.

"I see... well, I can definitely relate to quite a few things you've mentioned... however," I raise my finger, "I can also say that, while his approach wasn't the only way, it seemed like the only thing available for Spike to do at the time... y'know, the whole 'Attempting to burn the scroll' thing."

She sighs. "So... I was the one who was wrong. I had a feeling... my friends told me that the following day, after all."

"So why'd you need me to tell you that?"

I hear her hoof brushing up against the floor. "I don't know... an outside opinion, I guess... maybe some closure?"

"Ah... well, if it helps, I'm actually glad you went a little mad there."

"What? Why?!"

"Well, you gotta look at it in the long run... like I said, had you not obsessed over the spell, would we have met?"

"I..." She pauses, then giggles. "I... guess we wouldn't have, huh?"

I nod. "Exactly! And I'm gonna guess that, since you and Spike are getting along pretty well once again, they've all forgiven you?"

"Yeah... but even still, I shouldn't have-"

I cut her off. "Don't even stress about it, Twilight."

"But... the pain that I've caused! If I didn't get so caught up on that spell, then-"

"-Then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, and you would be short one friend."

...

"But... are you absolutely sure that they've really forgiven me, though? After shutting myself away like that?"

I smile and crawl up to the portal. Then I stick my head over it.

"Twilight... look at me."

She peeks up (Or is it down? Freakin' world looks upside-down on her end!) at me. I can see the worry in her eyes.

I also see the tear strings, and quickly lift another tissue from the box. Then I reach across the portal and wipe the tears from her eyes, causing her to smile softly.

"What you have is beyond special, Twilight! If what those crystals showed me is true, then I can guarantee that you've been forgiven long ago."

She sighs and looks away. "Yeah... but... Idunno... I would still like to know what to do... you know... to make sure that I don't fall back into those old habits, again."

I rub my chin in thought, before looking at the calendar on my wall. "Hmm... well... is there a holiday in October that y'all celebrate?"

"Well, there's Nightmare Night... but I haven't really celebrated it, though."

I ponder the name curiously. "Nightmare Night... does it involve children, costumes, and candy?"

She nods. "Yeah... but I usually found it to be just a waste of time... and plus, the candy wouldn't last long with Spike around. He would get out of control, and eat until his stomach gets hurt!"

I snicker. "Well, then... looks like he'll have to muscle through it this year, because I have an idea!"

...

"Wait... are you suggesting that I... celebrate Nightmare Night with Spike?!"

I nod. "Well, yeah! You need to get out more anyways... why not use that to ki... err... take care of two birds with one stone?"

"Umm... not sure about that analogy, but... absolutely NOT!"

...

"Kay, then... why not, exactly? Are you afraid of it, or something?"

"Wha?! No I'm not afraid of it! It's just that... well... not only is its main subject Nightmare Moon, but there's also the fact that I would bring candy into the library, and would need to find a hiding spot for it! Plus, it's just a bunch of random nonsense about myths that aren't even true about her!"

I smirk and reply, "You and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon, the sugars in candy can be quite helpful when you have low blood sugar, making it a good treat for the occasional visitor with problems like that, and the spares can easily be disposed of in the portal conveniently placed underneath your bed. And lastly, I happen to be an expert on random nonsense, so... I could easily make it seem like normal! You're a smart mare, so I'm sure you can adapt, since you're friends with, not only me, but also that pink pony!"

She remains speechless... this means she's either surprised that I countered her worries, or she's thinking about something... and knowing her, it's probably both.

I chuckle and cross my arms. "So, got any more excuses or worries that I can shoot down for ya?"

...

"Um... Twilight?" And now, I'm starting to worry.

And not because of her safety. Rather, because she's actually in deep thought... which means she might be dragging me into some sort of plan of hers without my consent.

Then finally, she gasps. "Hey! I just got an idea!"

Well, crap...

"Okay... and should I be worried about it?"

"Justin... are you free next Monday?"

I scratch my head in confusion. Okay... what are you planning?

"Uh... yeah, I should be. Why?"

She claps her hooves giddily and pokes her head out of the portal.

"Because I was wondering if you could come with us?"

I unfold my arms and recoil at her question, even having to catch myself from falling on my back. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"You could keep an eye on the candy, while I try to find fun festivities that I can help Spike with!"

I roll my eyes as my palm, once more, meets my face. "Okay, Twilight... not only is that idea ridiculous, but... well... it's very ridiculous!"

She tilts her head confusedly. "What do you mean?"

I sigh and drag my palm below my face, briefly pulling my eyelids. "Well, let's see... if not only for the fact that it's technically illegal for us to be communicating in the first place, how exactly do you plan on sneaking a colorless six-foot-tall human through a town full of colorful, two-foot-tall ponies?!"

She rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Oh... that? Trust me... I already have a plan for that!"

... "Of course you do..."

I shake my head and smile at her sheepishly. "Come on, Twilight... seriously, what's your plan? I mean, it's not like you can just turn me into a pony in the blink of an eye!"

"Well... you're right. I can't do that. Transformation spells of that level aren't possible... at least for me to cast... but that doesn't mean you can't turn yourself into a pony!"

... I deadpan.

"Um... even though I can't use magic?"

She nods. "Exactly! Or rather, there's a way you can disguise yourself as one of us, at least!"

...

"Okay... now I'm confused and concerned. Are... you on some kind of medication? I can't just go around town dressed like a pony! I don't walk on four legs, and crawling around town would just hurt my knees!"

She's sighs and opens her mouth again. She's about to respond, but my watch beeps, and the portal briefly flickers, pushing her back into her side of the portal mere seconds beforehand.

(Apparently it's a safety feature she put in it to keep the portal from cutting us in half during the closing time... a trick which I'm quite thankful for, to say the least.)

She quickly levitates a green book across the portal and, to my bemusement, pulls a single strand of hair from my head and draws it through the portal as it quickly shrinks. "Here, just read up on this. Don't worry, I'll explain-"

And then, the portal closes completely.

I sigh and pinch my nose in mild irritation.

"Twilight... just what in the heck are you planning?! And why can't you just ask one of your friends up there?!"

Then I ponder her idea. "Hmm... well, Halloween's on a Monday, and it's celebrated at night. While opening the portal drains a lot out of her, it would just naturally open itself back up in a few hours, anyways... so returning home won't be a problem."

...

"So why the heck am I getting a bad feeling about this?!"

My attention turns to the book she threw my way. I pick it up, and examine the cover.

The art in question looks like some sort of bug-like pony with a black chitinous body that bears holes in its legs and mane. Across it, there's a green lightning-shaped slash that divides the image with a black coated pony wearing a triangular necklace. Below the picture, the title reads "Changelings and Charms: A Guide to Manipulating the Manipulators"...?

Curiosity gets the better of me. Before long, I find myself engrossed in the strange book, while Twilight, as far as I can tell, begins working on... whatever the heck she's planning.

"Twilight... are you SURE this is a good idea?" Nightmare Night, Part 2

Episode V

Have you ever had one of those moments when you think something's going to happen, but it doesn't? Maybe something completely DIFFERENT happened, but not necessarily for the better? Well, let me tell you what really happened when I went to Equestria for the first time...

When I heard the cracking of the portal, I expected it to be like usual. She opens the Astral Gate, and either steps inside, or checks to see if I'm ready to begin whatever the plan is... in this case, me doing the stepping.

But what I didn't expect... was for the portal to suddenly grab me, and pull me directly into Equestria... or more specifically, Twilight's basement, which also couples as a science lab.

So now, here I am, sitting on a chair, ice pack on my forehead, and an apologetic-looking Twilight smiling sheepishly at me, and apologizing profusely.

I, of course, wave her off, telling her that it's alright. Apparently, even she didn't expect the portal to pull me in like that. Luckily, she closed it before it could make a mess of things, and pull more than just myself into it.

... I'd hate to explain how our entire house was suddenly dragged into Equestria, let alone inside my unicorn friend's basement... which might've been crushed or perhaps blown up if that were to happen.

If anything, I'd imagine it would be my house that were crushed, since... eh, magic tree house. I'm sure it can take quite a beating.

But, I digress. Now, it's time for me to inquire more about this plan of hers.

Or, more specifically, "How in the hell she expects to sneak a six-foot-tall human into a land full of little, colorful ponies."

Her response? Well... magic.

... Why do I get the feeling that will be the answer to 90% of any questions asked in this world?

Regardless, though, this form of magic is something I didn't really expect. I figured she would just use her horn and "poof" me into a pony in a fashion similar to a pair of odd fairy parental figures... but nope. Her method involved a little bit of alchemy, enchanting, jewel crafting, and transfiguration... in the form of a black necklace with a circle on it, and a coin within the circle that has the engraving of a pony on one side, and a hand on the other.

I hold it in front of me, eyeing the coin curiously. Upon closer inspection, there's a barely noticeable arrow pointing at the hand. The other side, however, lacks said arrow, but has a small cage-like contraption that can flick open and closed if enough pressure is applied to it.

"So, you mean to tell me that your plan is to sneak me around by... making me wear a magic necklace?" I ask the unicorn who, as I've just now noticed, is wearing a blue starry robe with a goofy mage's hat and beard.

Star-Sparkle the Bearded Mare nods her head, motioning towards a mirror.

"That's right! The idea is to have you wear it tonight, while it gets used to your body. According to the book, once a user wears the necklace long enough, it would be able to transform him or her into a pony without the need to wear it... eventually, though."

I rub my chin in thought. Examining the necklace, it seems pretty obvious how it works... now that she's given me the explanation.

"So I slip it on, unhook the coin, flip it to where the pony and arrow meet, and then clip the cage piece back over the other side?"

She seems genuinely impressed... apparently. "Maybe she didn't expect me to pick up on it without an explanation?"

Regardless, however, she nods her head and smiles widely at me. "That's right! How'd you figure that out so fast?"

I shrug my shoulders, slipping the necklace over my neck. "Eh... just a theory. The symbols make it seem pretty obvious, actually."

Taking a deep breath, I decide to speed things along. Unhooking the cage piece, I rotate the coin. To my relief, I hear a click before and after I move it, indicating that it at least has a little bit of a safety mechanism, should the cage come undone, so it's not like the coin can just spin around like a coin being flipped at the flick of a thumb.

"So, there isn't a risk of me transforming a hundred times a second if I were to drop the necklace... good." My subconscious assures me.

With the pony face clicking in place, I close the back of the necklace.

The arrow above it suddenly glows green, and before I could even blink, a white flash covers my eyes.

My ears are ringing loudly, and my brain feels as if it's been poked by a failed acupuncture treatment. What's more, I'm lying on the ground, and my vision is completely blurry.

Letting out a low groan at the splitting headache, I bring my arm up to my forehead to rub the pain... only for a horn to block my... hoof? I look at my hoof, only to find it tan colored... almost like my skin tone.

"Well, at least I don't have a black coat... no offense to the black-coated stallions out there. I'd rather not look like an emo in this colorful world."

I look up, and dark brown covers the upper half of my vision, which thankfully doesn't take long to clear back up.

"Brown hair... nice! So I'm still pretty much myself, and..." looking at my back, I'm relieved to find the lack of a pair of wings.

"And I don't have to worry about being the center of attention for being some random Alicorn, at least."

According to Twilight, Alicorns are a rare species, fated to be rulers of this world. And cool or not to be able to fly and use magic, I really don't feel like going through that kind of complication.

Furthermore, as I look around, I notice that the world seems taller. I see Twilight, and notice that we stand eye-to-eye, now!

Furthermore, she appears completely shocked, as her open jaw would point out.

"Heh... like there was any doubt her idea would work without a hitch!" I think to myself, internally laughing at my subconscious that, otherwise, sensed that something was going to be off.

"Huh... Looks like it worked, Twi-"

My hoof suddenly claps over my mouth-snout. "Why did I sound like a... oh, no... oh, HELL no!"

I look at a mirror conveniently placed to my left and, sure enough, my fears are confirmed.

Dark Green eyes looking back at me with its mouth agape, the figure in the reflection speaks in-sync with my own words.

"I'm a MARE?!"

Everything's been a blur. First I see my reflection... only to find out that I'm a mare.

Or, y'know, that I'm disguised as a mare, as Twilight clarified... after pouring a bucket of water on my unconscious form. Never been a fainter, to be honest... must be a side-effect for the sudden increase of hormones, and the decrease in testosterone.

Regardless, though, I've come to terms with this after asking her why I was a mare, instead of a stallion.

Long story short, it boiled down to her taking that hair sample from me last week. As it happened, the hair was only to get my color patterns, while a different sample was required in order to get the body shape... one that involves chromosomes and basic genetic makeup.

I would've asked her what sample she used, but seeing her face turn red at the word "different sample" pretty much said enough... and might've caused me to shift my eyes away from her, brushing my hoof against the floor, and trying to ignore the sudden burning sensation in my cheeks.

"Well, now... that's an image I'd rather not be thinking about... Wait a second!"

"Did you at least wash-"

"Yes... yes, I did." she interrupts before I could even finish that sentence. I sigh in relief.

While normally I would be bugged for not being able to finish my sentence, this particular subject I am more than willing to skim past.

On the bright side, at least I don't have to worry about being shunned from society... I just have to blend in. Play it cool.

Act natural.

Thankfully, the necklace altered a bit of my brain patterns temporarily... perhaps what that inner brain probing was that I felt beforehand... err... beforehoof?

Screw it. Just calling it "before".

But in other words, my anatomy still feels natural, despite my hind legs bending backwards, and my hooves no longer being hands.

This, of course, means I don't have to worry about learning how to walk again.

... And yet again, I digress.

"So! Are you ready to celebrate Halloween... Equestrian Style?" she asks, grinning at me in anticipation.

I sigh, weakly and nervously smiling back at her. "Of course, Twilight... just as long as I don't have to get involved in some sort of end-of-the-world scenario."

She scoffs at my comment, waving a dismissive hoof. "Oh, pfft, come on, it isn't that dangerous here!"

I, of course, respond to her with a deadpan. "Giant space bears, manticores, hydras, dragons, diamond dogs-"

"Okay, I get it," she rolls her eyes, stuffing a hoof in my mouth, "it isn't that safe here, either! But trust me on this, Justin... you're safe as long as you're with me... and Spike, too, of course!"

I nod my head, before a thought occurs. "Speaking of Spike... where is he, anyways?"

"He went over to Rarity's, so she could help him with his costume." she replies.

As if on cue, the front entrance to the library opens up, revealing said dragon. His costume is... a... dragon?

"What the hell is he even dressed as? Himself?"

Regardless, though, he steps inside, while a pair of little fillies follow him, being chaperoned by a red stallion that stands behind them.

The fillies are an orange pegasus and a yellow earth pony. The red stallion appears to be wearing a top hat and a black jacket... probably dressed as some sort of vampire character, or... something.

In-sync, the fillies yell in a sing-song tone, "Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!"

"Oh, joy... the day even comes with its own song... ah, well. Kinda suits them. Colorful world needs its colorful songs, and what-not."

...

"And oh, holy crap, those little fillies are adorable!"

I can't help but smile at the sight of the group... and more specifically, their silly little costumes.

"Oh! Well hello there, Scootaloo! Apple Bloom! Big McIntosh! Happy Nightmare Night!" Twilight says, before magically floating a piece of candy into their bags that were already starting to be loaded up with candy.

"Heh... even got the whole candy at the door thing going. This'll be easy!"

The yellow earth pony filly, who I'm guessing is Apple Bloom, nods to Twilight in appreciation for the candy.

"Thanks, Twilight! Big McIntosh an' I are 'bout to be doin' the hay ride! An' we was wonderin' if Spike would like ta join us?"

Spike opens his mouth to reply, but Twilight quickly covers it with a hoof and shakes her head, smiling sheepishly. "Actually, I'm afraid he and I will be too busy at the moment."

The fillies tilt their heads in confusion, while I raise a confused eyebrow. "Too busy for a hay ride? Just what are you planning to-"

As if reading my mind, Apple Bloom takes a couple steps inside. "Busy? What're y'all talkin' about? Busy doin' what?"

Twilight then turns towards me, and replies, "Well... I have a, umm... Pin Pal who just recently visited from... a land far away from here... and, uhh... she might need some help getting, umm... acquainted with everypony?"

As she says that, her expression grows more uneasy. I, of course, smile at her and shake my head.

"What's got her tail in a knot? It's not like she's offending me, or something... though gotta give her credit for at least trying to be subtle... even if she's using the worst poker face I've ever seen."

It's at this point when I realize that they didn't even recognize me standing here until just now. I look away from Twilight, and my smile drops for a brief moment.

As all eyes focus on me, a small sense of nervousness builds up within me. Nervously smiling, and with my head slightly slumping down my shoulders, I wave at the group, while I notice Big McIntosh staring at me with... oh, crap.

"I hope that look he's giving me isn't what I think it is... wait, crap! Do I look like I'm shyly waving at them?!"

He shyly turns his head away, but damned if I don't see the pink on his cheeks.

"STOP WAVING AT HIM LIKE THAT, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE GIVING HIM THE WRONG IDEA!"

His eyes drift towards me again, and his lips form a small smile.

"It was at this moment, that he knew... he fked up." my inner thoughts taunt me, as I slowly back up, the lab door mere inches away from my hind legs... but to my unfortunate case of bad luck, the fillies decide to approach my nervous form, clearly oblivious to my discomfort.

But it's the pegasus that speaks to me. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be looking at me like a potential predator would to its prey.

"Well hey, there! I'm Scootaloo! This is Apple Bloom, and that's Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom's older brother! Though you can also just call him Big Mac if you want. Most ponies do."

I follow her hoof's motions, and feel even more disturbed by the looks that the earth ponies are giving me; Big Mac for his infatuated looks, and his younger sister, who seems to look like a kid who finally found that one toy they were looking for weeks ago, after seeing that advertisement on Television.

As for why she is looking at me like that, I haven't the slightest clue... unless...

Realization dawns on me.

Younger sister. Older brother. No signs of their parents in those memory crystals. She was more than likely raised with him being a father figure to her.

This must mean that, since the closest thing to a mother is her older sister, her brother must be single... which means he... and with her being a child... playing matchmaker... oh, hell no!

The look on her eyes says it all, though. She's probably going to try hooking me up with her brother!

AND I JUST GOT HERE, TOO! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FILLY'S PROBLEM?!

"Find a happy place, find a happy place, find a happy-"

"Are y'all single?" the filly asks.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As if hearing my internal screaming, Twilight comes to the rescue. Scooting in-between the curious fillies and I, she chuckles nervously. "Well, anyways, I think we better get going! Don't wanna be late for that hay ride, do you?"

Thankfully, the fillies get the message loud and clear.

With a gasp, they quickly rush out of the library, while Scootaloo tells the curious stallion, "Hurry, Big Mac! We've gotta get going!" They then turn back to us and wave. "Thanks, Twilight!"

But Apple Bloom brings up a question that I'm actually thankful she asked. "By the way, what's yer name, Miss?"

Twilight quickly closes the door before she could receive the answer, though.

With a tired sigh, Twilight looks at me and smiles sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Justin... didn't realize that would happen."

I scratch the back of my hair- mane, and shrug. "It's fine, Twilight... let's just... not talk about this, again... ever."

"Agreed."

Spike, on the other hand, looks at me in bewilderment. "Wait... you're Justin?!"

I raise another confused eyebrow, before internally mouthing an "oh" in realization.

"He wasn't here when I transformed... of course he wouldn't have noticed."

"Yes, Spike... it's me. Please, don't ask why I'm a mare."

Luckily he takes the hint and waves a hand dismissively. "Don't worry, buddy! Your secret's safe with me!"

"Secret? What secret?"

As if he were hearing my mind, he idly shrugs, and starts walking towards the kitchen. "It doesn't matter to me if you were curious what it feels like to be a mare. Heck, I sometimes ask myself the same thing."

"THAT'S NOT THE... GAH! WHAT THE HELL'S THAT EVEN SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

I decide to just stare wordlessly at him as he moves out of sight. This leaves me in the living room with Twilight.

With a sigh, and newfound conflicts I'm likely going to have to deal with, I plant my face on my hoof, and groan.

"Great... so not only do I have to pretend I'm a mare, I also have to deal with a bunch of stallions flirting with me, and children trying to hook me up with their dads... or their brothers... or both... ugh..."

She pats my shoulders, winning my attention once again, and coos, "Hey, it's alright! Just stay close to Spike and I, and we'll keep you safe from that kind of thing... or, if you want, you could stay here and just watch over the library, while Spike and I go do Nightmare Night."

"What? But... that's not what I had in mind!"

"Besides, this is a lot to take in. I honestly wasn't expecting that necklace to turn you into a mare, either. Trust me... if you want to relax, and just get more accustomed here on your own time, I'll understand completely."

Though tempting the idea sounds, I find myself inclined to at least humor them.

"Ah, well... it's not like I'm going to be staying here forever, anyways... perhaps a few nights every other week, or so." I convince myself.

"Although, we might want to consider bringing you over to Rarity, right quick. That way, she could work out a costume for you!"

At her sudden suggestion, my thoughts snap back to reality.

"Costume? Wait, she doesn't have one I can just throw together at a moment's notice? I have to go out there in all my unnatural glory?!"

Once more, I rub my chin, deep in thought. The unwelcoming feeling of unease begins to build up once again as soon as I look at the front door, hearing the laughter of fillies and the voices of parents outside; all of which tempting me to just call this whole thing off, and try again another day, while I curl up in a fetal position by the nearest corner, keeping my anxiety in check.

"... But think of the benefits, dude!"

On the flip side, however, I did make it clear to her that I'm still quite curious about things up here a few weeks back... and sure enough, the thought of being the first human to explore an alien planet gives me about as much bragging rights as Neil Armstrong.

Of course, the bigger question is if I can even handle the pressure of being flirted with by a particular red stallion... or any stallions for that matter! While I don't hold any offense towards those that swing that way... well... I don't swing that way, and I don't want to leave a bad impression on these inhabitants.

... Come to think of it, I'd even be disturbed by a mare approaching me like that! But damned if it's a male of any kind that... I digress again. Moving on!

"I don't know, Twilight... I mean, I wouldn't want to burden your friends like that. Are you sure it's a good idea? Can't I just throw a sheet over my body and call myself a ghost?"

She, of course, laughs at my expense and shakes her head. "Come on, Justin! It'll be fine! Besides, don't you want to meet all our friends?"

I deadpan at her. "Umm... they're your friends?"

"Not after tonight! They'll be both of our friends, then!"

Before I could retort, I feel her magic grip my necklace, and pull me towards the door. Spike follows along, eager to claim more candy than I believe he's ever been allowed to get in his lifetime.

His childish giggles actually calms me down a little.

The door swings open, and the three of us are about to leave, when another group of fillies accompanied by an elderly green mare blocks our path, singing the traditional Nightmare Night song.

"Oh! Hello, fillies! Happy Nightmare Night!" Twilight looks up at the elderly mare and nods her head respectfully. "And Happy Nightmare Night to you, too, Granny Smith!"

The elderly mare groans, replying, "Ah should've been asleep five hours ago!"

"There, see? You aren't the only one doomed to suffer! Perhaps the locals won't even have time to notice you!"

I can't help but smile at my conscience, though I direct my eyes to the fillies, who each happily accept the single pieces of candy that they receive from the bearded unicorn mare.

"Maybe it won't be so bad... maybe I'm just exaggerating things... blowing it all WAAAY out of proportion."

"Thanks, Twilight!" the fillies say, before a fourth one appears from behind them, dressed up as a pirate.

"Yar-har! I'm 'ere to gather me treasure! 'Oof o'er your candy, Missy! ... Um, please!" the pirate states, making his little voice as gruff as his tiny throat could muster up... and I mean tiny, as in... he's probably the smallest colt in the town! Does his parents even feed him?!

"Yeesh... I bet he has it kinda bad with the locals... but- oh, wait. Nevermind. They're just treating him as their equal. No prejudice for the little guys... bonus points! I think I'm gonna like it, here!"

The elderly mare clears her throat, catching my attention... and I realize she, too, has noticed me, now.

"Well hello, Missy! What's yer name?" she asks.

I open my mouth to reply, only to pause.

"S :pinkiegasp: t! I haven't thought up a name, yet?! What do I say? How do Equestrian Names work?!"

Thinking back on the conversations I've had with Twilight, I've taken an internal note that, apparently, most of their names are either colors, inanimate objects, animate objects, or a mixture of the three, in two different phrases, with one and three-worded names a bit rare, though possible.

"Cutie Mark! What's your Cutie Mark?!"

My gaze moves towards my flank, and I'm slightly baffled to find that, apparently, I have one of those!

And it's a... blue star.

"Blue Star?"

"Blue Star, Ma'am." I reply, smiling in relief that I was able to come up with a name.

However, Granny Smith tilts her head, and gives me a bit of a confused look, before clearing her ears out with her hooves, and turning her head to where they are slightly closer.

"Ah'm sorry. Did y'all say y'alls name was 'Blue Star'?" she asks, to which I nod my head.

"Yes, Ma'am. Blue Star is my name!"

She squints in my direction, before slightly snickering to herself.

"Fer real? Why'd y'alls parents name y'all that? That's a dern colt's name!"

"Great... I'm being teased by an old nag... literally!"

And like that, my smile's gone. I sigh and look away, feeling my ears pressing on the back of my head.

However, I notice an old, wrinkly green hoof pat me on the shoulder. Looking up, I see her smiling warmly at me, all of a sudden.

"Ah, don' worry, Miss! Ah'm jus' messin' around! Ah can tell y'all ain't from around 'ere, so maybe it's a normal thing 'round yer hometown."

I scratch the back of my hair, and open my mouth to reply, but she cuts me off.

"Besides, y'all look more like a 'Starry Blue', if anything!"

"... Idea! Just roll with it!"

"Well, my friends usually call me that. It's just... well, my parents expected a colt, and already had the paperwork signed. In the end, though, they were in for quite the surprise, when they saw a filly popping out, instead. So now, I live with that miscalculation as an, um... embarrassing reminder... though only by formal means do I ever really address myself as such... it's actually why I took so long telling you."

She shakes her head and chuckles. "Well, if'n it's alright with y'all, Ah'll jus' stick with 'Starry'. Ah don' want y'alls visit here ta be a problem, after all. Jus', umm... don' worry about lettin' 'em know yer real name, though. It'll save ya from the embarrassment that much more, dearie!"

I find my smile returning to my features. Giving her an appreciative nod, I reply, "Right... thanks for the advice, Misses Smith."

"Please, Dearie, jus' call me Granny Smith. Ain't no need fer them formalities most Nobles use 'roud Canterlot!" she then heads back out the door, while the fillies, Twilight, Spike, and I join her... I wager the group will be split by the time we reach Rarity's place.

"Guess my faith in this place is restored... and in less than a minute! Wow, either this feminine body has me going through a bunch of mood swings, or this place truly might be a whole lot better than I thought..."

"Speakin' of colts, by the way... have y'all met my grandson, Big McIntosh, yet? Y'all might have a lot in common, given yer shy nature! How 'bout Ah introduce y'all to 'em?"

...

"I f :facehoof: king hate this place, already..."

Author's Note

I had to go through quite a few idea changes here, thus the huge delay. Have a few long-term ideas planned for this, though, so the next few updates will come a lot quicker, so long as I can get a decent schedule working!

Anyways, the first idea was that I be transformed into a horse similar to those on Earth, but with a few Equestrian twists, such as facial structure, and what-not. It would've made me still stand out like a sore thumb, as I'd still be towering over everyone, including Princess Luna during her inevitable arrival (which will be next chapter!)

I then decided to go with "Blue Star", an Earth Pony stallion who wins Twilight's attention, and stirs up competition between her friends, as well. (Hence the "Romance" tag... which is still staying, despite my plans resulting in this.)

Finally, I asked myself, "What have I not done, yet? Write in a female's perspective!"

So, instead of write a new story based on a female character, I turned myself into one (sort of), and decided to make life screw me over, but in a lot more of a comedic way than my real one has been doing.

This way, I can at least overcome my anxiety, depression, and other problems by laughing at them, and turning them around.

So, here we go! "Starry Blue, the mare who's actually a man and an illegal alien, who's about to meet the Princess of the Night, while also enduring a bunch of stallions flirting with her(him).

How will this turn out, one might wonder...?

Anyways, for those of you curious about how "Starry Blue" looks, here's a Pony Maker pic with a few edits here and there:

I know, no necklace. I'll make that later, if anyone asks.

Decided to speedily post this, so expect a few errors here and there. Lemme know if you find anything, and I'll work on fixing it! :twilightsmile:

"Twilight... why are you looking at me like that?" Nightmare Night, Part 1

Episode IV

Have you ever been forced into a situation where you just can't say "No", regardless of how hard you tried? Or perhaps you've been talked into a situation that you had a hunch couldn't possibly end well, despite the signs pointing out otherwise? Well, let me tell you about the first time I went to Equestria...

Friday, October 28, 2016
Three Days Remaining.

I've finished with the book... and now, I just need to figure out what half of the crap in it even meant...

Something about DNA, necklaces, Unicorns, and Changeling Magic. I can understand the DNA and Unicorns part, since it's obviously magic we're dealing with, but... is she planning on disguising me as a unicorn? If so, then why is the only magic being used supposed to be coming from a changeling?!

And... what the heck even is a changeling?! Some kind of magical fashion thing?

Saturday, October 29, 2016
Two Days Remaining.

I find myself at the end of washing dishes. A large stack of clean dishes rests at my right, while the counter stands empty at my left.

With a relieved sigh, I dry my hands with a towel, only to feel a tug at my shirt. Curious, I turn around and find Gracie standing there with a dirty cup.

"I help!" she says with a smile.

I return the smile and accept the dirty cup from her. "Alright, then... thanks, Gracie!"

"Mm-hmm!" she responds before running back into her room.

Immediately after I put the cup in the sink, she returns with a small stack of dirty plates.

"Oh... thanks, Gracie."

"Uh-huh!"

I roll my eyes before continuing with the cup. She then proceeds to bring me a few more dirty dishes.

"Seriously, girl?! Where are you even getting these things?!"

"I getting in my woom!" she replies nonchalantly.

"You're getting these from your room?" I parrot, to which she nods and runs back into the hallway.

Curiosity gets the better of me. I decide to follow her through the hallway. When I reach her room, however, I'm in for a surprise as I see numerous toys scattered across the floor. In the center, her trash can contains a bunch of trash with roaches and flies circling it. And scattered around it lies several stacks of plates and cups - all of which contain trace elements of food scraps and at least one or more roaches on it.

I stare at her in disbelief, while she innocently smiles at me.

"Um... it just wittle dirty."

And my face reunites with the wall... it's a very fast reunion.

Sunday, October 30, 2016
One Day Remaining.

I yawn and stretch from my bed, then eye the strange doll that lies across the room.

The doll is a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail. It brings back memories on my first time meeting Twilight... and my hand reaches my forehead, where the ink jar hit me as I was bending over to pick the doll up.

My thoughts are then brought back to Twilight. Sure, I'll have to return this doll, considering it isn't Gracie's, but... it also brings some questions back up.

I don't know if I should just cancel my proposed visit to Equestria, or if I should just go with it.

But once more, curiosity gets the better of me.

"If I do decide to go, then who's to say I won't learn a lot more about Equestria?"

"And if we get caught?"

"I'm sure Twilight has a plan for that."

"And if her plan doesn't work?"

"When was Twilight ever wrong, though?"

"Pinkie Sense, Gilda, Zecora, that dragon Fluttershy scared, the Gala, the Parasprites, the-"

"'Aight, now shut up, Self-Consciousness! That's not helping!"

"I can only shut up when you shut up!"

"Grrrrrr..."

My eyes slowly drift open. I feel the all-too-familiar presence of another party in my room.

"Justin? Are you up, yet?" I hear Twilight's voice whispering from below my bed.

"Yeah... gimme a minute." I whisper back.

A few seconds pass, and I'm finally out of bed. I look at Twilight, who's looking at me with a very very cheerful expression on her face.

"Okay, so... I've made a few modifications to the portal, which should allow you to transform into a pony whenever you pass it!"

I stare at her blankly. "Umm... okay?"

She sighs and crosses the portal. "Come on, I'm sure it'll be fine!"

I roll my eyes. "Fine, geez..."

And with that, I follow her through the portal.

First a flash, then a loud ringing in my ears... those are the first few things I feel upon arriving on the other side of the portal.

Standing in Twilight's room, my hand automatically reaches up to rub my eyes... however, instead of a hand in my vision, a pitch black hoof is in its place.

Twilight is now staring at me; shock adorning her features.

"Uh, Twilight... why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh my gosh! Justin! You're... y-you're a... an..."

"A what? What am I?" I ask, only to feel a pair of wings extend on my back. Curious, I look at a mirror... but instead of the pale, brown-haired man I grew up to be, a red eyed, black-coated, red-maned alicorn stallion stares back at me.

I gasp... and then a smile starts to form on my face.

"Oh... my... gosh... I feel so... so alive!"

Mere seconds pass before a loud explosion fills the sky. I turn around, only to spot a large serpent-like figure with a pony head and several other animals' parts for its limbs.

I recall seeing him in one of Twilight's crystals... Discord!

"Ha ha ha haaa! I have returned... and I shall have my vengeance by turning this whole world into stone!"

"Not so fast, Discord!" I shout, before taking flight.

"Oh? And just who are you, exactly?" he asks.

I grin as the distance between us quickly draws shorter.

"I am this world's new god, little girl! Bow before my glory!" I instantly shoot a rainbow cannon after him.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" he shouts, before disappearing in a burst of confetti and rainbows.

The sky then turns from a black shade to a nice, pink one. The colorful ponies below me cheer me on, making me smile as I fly through the town, greeting the inhabitants with a bright smile.

And as they continue to sing and cheer for me, I soon find myself humming with the tune... of how everything will be just fine.

"I know for absolute certain... that eeeeeeverythiiing will beeeee fi-" I soar through the sky, but fail to notice the tree right in front of me before it's too late.

My eyes slowly drift open. I notice that, once more, I am in my bed, and now covered in sweat.

I breathe heavily and throw the blanket off, staring at my hands and my human body once more.

Finally, I let out a deep sigh in relief, while wiping the sweat from my brow.

"Oh, thank goodness... I thought I turned into a complete and total f-"

*Crack!*

And before I could even finish the sentence, the all-too-familiar sound of the portal opening catches my attention.

Author's Note

Originally intended for April Fool's Day, I've decided to throw this little bit in about a month late.

Rest assured, that last bit of the story isn't a sign for any of my original plans for the Equestrian half of this story! (Yes, Equestrian half. This story is more than an HiE and PoE story... it's both! :pinkiegasp: )

And don't worry. I won't turn myself into a freakin' alicorn... besides, if I were a pony, I'd rather be an Earth Pony like this handsome devil!

Spoiler alert: it's me! :pinkiegasp: