...Stays at the Lit Club?
"Rainbow, the incident with the portal during the first game of Truth or Dare happened over a month ago."
"But I'm still curious!" Rainbow exclaimed as Twilight lifted her cup of coffee with her magic.
"I've told you a million times what Fluttershy said to us," Twilight said, pausing to take a sip. "What happens at the Lit Club stays in the Lit Club. She's not going to tell us what happened on the other side of the portal."
Rainbow groaned. She plopped herself down on the seat across from Twilight. "You sure about that?" she asked. "Maybe she said something else."
Twilight had been quietly reading a newspaper and having breakfast at the Ponyville restaurant when Rainbow had spotted her from a cloud she had been napping on. The restaurant was slow, due to the morning being one of a Monday. Only two other tables were being used.
"If I remember correctly, I opened the portal after I fixed it, which wouldn't have been broken if you hadn't thrown Fluttershy in the portal, and before Fluttershy came back to this world, you managed to sneak out of the library in a hopeless attempt to avoid your dares," Twilight said. She raised an eyebrow. "And you're asking if I heard her correctly?"
Rainbow tapped her hooves together, trying to come up with a retort. Moments later, her ears flopped down. She had nothing to say as a counter. "Okay, fine. So what if she did say that? I still wanna know what happened!"
"And you're so persistent in learning what happened on the other side of the portal because?" Twilight asked.
"Besides you and Spike, Fluttershy's the only one who's been to the other world," Rainbow said.
"I've told you what's on the other side of the portal several times," Twilight said. She took a bite out of her sandwich and lifted her newspaper once again.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "It's not the same as actually experiencing what it's like to be human!" she exclaimed. She paused. "I also wanna know what 'lit' means."
"Judging from the way 'lit' is pronounced, it sounds similar to 'light'," Twilight said.
"That's just a guess!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"It's an educated guess," Twilight corrected. "Also known as an inference."
"No offense, Twilight, but even you don't know everything," Rainbow said. "And that's why we should ask Fluttershy what 'lit' means!"
"Rainbow..." Twilight warned, lowering her newspaper.
Rainbow Dash sighed. Convincing Twilight to ask Fluttershy what happened on the other side of the portal was going to be difficult. Sure, she could just go find and ask Fluttershy herself, but Twilight would do everything in her power to stop Rainbow. She also needed somepony to back her up in case confronting Fluttershy on her own wasn't enough.
Rainbow had tried everypony in the Mane Six. As Fluttershy's closest friend, Rarity disapproved of RD demanding answers of the Lit Club from Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie understood the rules of a club very well and said Fluttershy shouldn't tell anypony about the Lit Club. Applejack was too busy with farm work and chores to worry about what happened in the other world. Thus, Twilight was the last pony left. Rainbow knew Twilight could be persuaded to ask Fluttershy, but not without a good argument.
So arguing with Twilight was what Rainbow had to do to get Fluttershy to confess.
"Aren't you curious?" Rainbow asked.
"What would I be curious about?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow had to think for a moment, which she normally disliked. What would Twilight be curious about?
She would obviously be curious to know if Fluttershy had met anyone from Canterlot High School. And Twilight would be especially curious if Equestria Fluttershy met CHS Fluttershy, and how their encounter went. That was what Rainbow wanted to know, anyway. Why wouldn't Twilight be curious?
"Well, maybe you'd be curious if Fluttershy saw anypony from Canterlot High," Rainbow said.
"Anyone," Twilight corrected. "When it's humans we're talking about, the ending of "
"Okay, okay," Rainbow interrupted. She knew well enough that if she let Twilight finish her sentence, she'd give a whole lecture about the appropriate grammar used to talk about humans.
Twilight tapped her chin. "And you're right. I'd like to know if Fluttershy met someone from CHS."
Rainbow Dash grinned. She had done it! Twilight had fallen into her plan, hook, line, and sinker. "So come with me and we can go find Fluttershy to find out if she did!" she exclaimed.
"Or I could just write to my friends in the other world and ask them," Twilight said.
"No!" Rainbow's eyes widened. She needed to know from Fluttershy, not a book and ink. At this point, the only way she was going to convince Twilight to ask Fluttershy what happened was by thinking like Twilight. And maybe a little trickery.
"No?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," Rainbow said firmly. "You know why?"
"No I don't," Twilight said blandly.
"Well, have you tried writing in the journal since the first Truth or Dare game?" Rainbow asked, her brain working overtime.
"I was going to write to them yesterday, but you know, I had the surprise meeting with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in Canterlot," Twilight explained.
"Have you ever considered the possibility that the incident with the portal damaged the book?" Rainbow asked.
Twilight blinked. Judging by her expression, the book's being damaged had not crossed her mind.
Rainbow thought she had Twilight for a moment when Twi said, "That can't be possible."
"What?" Rainbow demanded, stomping her hooves on the table. "Why not?"
"If the book had been damaged, the portal wouldn't have functioned. Therefore, the book is fine," Twilight reasoned.
"Maybe the ability to connect the magic between both worlds wasn't broken, but maybe the ability to write to the other journal was broken," Rainbow reasoned.
Twilight opened her mouth to counter Rainbow's statement, but her mouth closed. She blinked. "You might be right," she said.
"And if we were to ask your friends from the other world what happened, they wouldn't tell you because 'What happens at the Lit Club stays at the Lit Club'," Rainbow explained.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "You're really determined to find out what happened, aren't you?" she asked.
Rainbow nodded. "So, are you convinced now?" she asked excitedly.
"Give me one last good reason I should come with you to force Fluttershy to tell us about the Lit Club," Twilight said. "Then maybe I'll consider coming with you."
"Easy," Rainbow said smugly. "I promise I won't target you during this Saturday's game of Truth or Dare."
"Deal!" Twilight said immediately. She reached out her hoof and Rainbow firmly shook it.
"Now, let's go find Fluttershy!" Rainbow said.
"Can I finish my breakfast first?" Twilight asked, clearly annoyed.
Rainbow blinked and grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah!" she said. "You do that! I'll, uh, finish taking my nap for now."
She zoomed back up to the cloud she was napping on and curled herself into her napping position. She kept one eye open in case Fluttershy happened to fly by.
"I was having a good nap," Rainbow said. "Did you have to wake me up?"
"You're the one who insisted me to go with you to find Fluttershy and make her tell us about her time in the other world," Twilight said. "Or are you rethinking your decision?"
"No!" Rainbow said immediately. "I need to know what happened in the other world!"
Twilight and Rainbow were taking a stroll through the Ponyville marketplace, where Fluttershy made a trip to daily for food. Today, it was bustling with ponies as usual. Food vendors sold groceries and accepted bits as payment. Recently, Pinkie Pie had started helping the Cakes more by opening a vendor at the marketplace. Twilight could smell the delightful sugary fragrance of fresh cupcakes, pies, and sugar cookies. She glanced at Rainbow. The speedster was licking her lips, no doubt being able to smell the aroma. Her expression showed she wanted some treats. Twilight distracted Rainbow.
"Why do you need to know what happened so badly?" Twilight asked.
"Because I want to go to the other world!" Rainbow replied. "I want to know what the other world is like. It's really unfair that out of all of us, Fluttershy, the quiet and timid one, got to experience this whole alternate world!"
"She wouldn't have gone through the portal if you hadn't thrown her into the portal," Twilight insinuated.
"Well, I wouldn't have thrown Fluttershy into the portal if Pinkie Pie hadn't suggested the dare," Rainbow said in her defense.
"Did Fluttershy even agree to the dare?" Twilight's eyes widened in realization. "She didn't agree to it, did she? You threw her into a portal to another world, which could've injured her, without her consent? I told you and the others to come up with a different dare "
Rainbow rolled her eyes and her ears perked up. She saw Fluttershy at a carrot vendor. She was in line behind three other ponies, obviously going to buy carrots for Angel.
"There she is!" Rainbow interrupted Twilight's rant, pointing at Fluttershy.
Twilight looked in the direction Rainbow was pointing. "Buying food for her woodland creatures, I see," she said. "I think we should let her finish shopping before confronting her about her experience."
"You agreed to help me confront Fluttershy," Rainbow said. "So we're going with my plan!"
Without warning, Rainbow shot past Twilight and made her way to Fluttershy.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled. No doubt, other ponies looked at her strangely, but they should be used to it by now. This was nothing compared to Discord or Tirek or Nightmare Moon.
Rainbow didn't hear her. She zoomed towards Fluttershy. Once she was within tackling distance, Rainbow took the opportunity and flew up.
Fluttershy didn't notice the shadow rocketing towards her until somepony in front of her said, "Watch out!"
The ponies in line scattered. Fluttershy knew better to run away as well, but instead, she looked up a split-second before Rainbow crashed on top of her.
"Oof!"
Once Rainbow came into contact with Fluttershy, she wrapped her legs around her and pinned her down. Her wings tried to open, but the ground prevented Fluttershy from doing so. Rainbow had difficulty keeping her arms around Fluttershy because of her saddlebags.
Rainbow was dazed from the impact for a few moments, but once her vision cleared, she could see several ponies looking at her strangely. Beneath her, Fluttershy looked like she was ready to scream. Her expression was a shocked and frightened one. She seemed to relax a little when she realized it was only Rainbow Dash.
"Hey, Flutters!" Rainbow said, a little too enthusiastically. She tried not to be off-putting, but given Fluttershy's nature, it wasn't going to work.
Fluttershy merely blinked. She said in her usual quiet voice, "Hi, Rainbow. Can I help you?"
Polite as usual, too. Rainbow grinned and said, "Now that you mention it, I do have something I need to ask you."
Twilight arrived at where Rainbow pinned down Fluttershy. Glancing around, she realized everypony was doing their usual business.
"I'd be glad to help if you could just get off me first," Fluttershy said.
Twilight felt her horn glow, her magic in action. She lifted Rainbow Dash off Fluttershy. Twilight had to concentrate more than usual because Rainbow was struggling to get herself released from the spell.
She placed her next to her and released Rainbow from her magic.
Once free, Rainbow shook her head. "That spell messes with my head," she said.
"You shouldn't have crash landed on Fluttershy," Twilight said.
"I'll remember that for next time," Rainbow mumbled.
Fluttershy stood and brushed some dirt off from her wings and coat. She readjusted her saddlebag and saw Twilight had arrived. "Oh, hi, Twilight," Flutters greeted brightly. "Do you need help with something, too?"
Twilight began, "Actually, I came here with Rainbow to "
"What happened on the other side of the portal?" Rainbow suddenly interrupted.
"If you're going to interrupt me all the time today, I might as well not speak," Twilight said, narrowing her eyes at Rainbow Dash. The rainbow speedster shrugged sheepishly.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Just continue."
"Right!" Rainbow said excitedly. "So, you remember your time on the other side of the portal, right?"
Fluttershy's eyes darted back and forth. Rainbow looked and saw ponies were staring at them. Residents of Ponyville had dealt with more evil than most places in Equestria imagined existed. But now there was talk of a portal? Some ponies looked incredibly curious. Others whispered about a portal, and where it could take them. A mint green pony named Lyra Heartstrings was whispering like crazy.
"Maybe this isn't the best place to talk," Fluttershy whispered. Or said. It was difficult to tell the difference.
"So you will tell us?" Rainbow asked eagerly.
"You want to know about the Lit Club, don't you?" Fluttershy guessed.
"Yeah!" Rainbow replied.
Fluttershy glanced at Twilight. "I suppose you want to know, too?" she asked.
Twilight nodded uncertainly. "I mean, I'd like to know if anyone from the...er, other place was at the Lit Club, and if you met them," she explained.
Flutteshy raised an eyebrow. "But what happens at the Lit Club stays at the Lit Club," she said. "I have to respect that rule."
"I won't tell anypony," Twilight said. "You have my word." She glanced at Rainbow. She was most likely going to go around Ponyville, telling everypony about the Lit Club. "But Rainbow Dash..."
Rainbow glared at Twilight but knew she had reason to be distrustful. "I Pinkie Promise I won't tell anypony!" Rainbow swore.
"Then you must SAY THE PINKIE PROMISE!"
Fluttershy yelped and hid behind Twilight from the sudden yelling. Ponies turned their heads to the carrot stall. Not only was the pony vendor there, but so was the surprise Pinkie Pie. Pinkie had suddenly popped up from nowhere, pointing a hoof at Rainbow Dash. Several carrots were tangled in her mane.
"Jeez, Pinkie Pie, where in Equestria did you come from?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie.
Pinkie's usual grin replaced her firm frown and she giggled. "My parent's rock farm! Duh!" she replied.
"That's not what I meant "
"AHEM! I THOUGHT you were going to say the Pinkie Promise!" Pinkie said. She was suddenly nuzzle-to-nuzzle with Rainbow Dash. With every word, Pinkie pushed her muzzle, so that Rainbow was craning her neck backward at an uncomfortable angle.
Pinkie stared silently at Rainbow for a moment before RD performed the Pinkie Promise. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow crossed over her heart with her hoof, flapped her wings as best as she could, and placed her hoof on her eye.
"Okay! You are free to go on with your day!" Pinkie smiled but her expression turned dark. "And don't break your Pinkie Promise!"
"Um, aren't you supposed to be running the Sugarcane Vendor?" Rainbow asked.
Pinkie gasped. "You're right! Gotta run!"
She immediately rushed back to the Sugarcane Vendor, carrots falling from her hair as she ran. The carrot vendor pony glared in Pinkie's direction and waved an angry hoof. "Hey, you gotta pay for those!"
Rainbow turned back to Fluttershy. "So, are ya gonna tell us?" she asked.
Fluttershy glanced from Rainbow to Twilight. Rainbow grinned, trying to make her grin convey the message: Please? C'mon. I'm your friend!
After moments of her indecision, she said, "Alright. I'll tell you girls at my cottage. Come together at 3 o' clock for tea and cookies, and I'll tell you what happened."
"Yes!" Rainbow exclaimed. She soared into the sky and did a loop-de-loop.
She was finally going to find out what Fluttershy did at the Lit Club!
Rainbow firmly knocked on Fluttershy's cottage door.
Next to Rainbow, Twilight was engrossed in a recent letter from Princess Celestia about recent issues with blah-blah-blah, near this-and-that.
"Are you gonna focus on that letter or what Fluttershy's going to tell us?" Rainbow asked, turning to Twilight.
Twilight glanced up from the letter and glared at Rainbow. "I have a job as a princess of Equestria," she said. "I have to take care of pressing matters. You would understand if you were a princess." She promptly put the letter away into her saddlebag.
"Maybe I would," Rainbow said. "But I'm not. We're here to hear Fluttershy's story."
The red wooden door to Fluttershy's cottage opened. Fluttershy appeared. "Hello, girls," she said. "Please, come in. Make yourselves at home."
She moved the door, so Twilight and Rainbow could enter. Fluttershy's cottage was welcoming. The wooden floors were painted pear green. Today, a cyan blue circular rug lay in the middle of the room. Several small birdhouses hung from the tan colored ceiling. Birch staircases zig-zagged from the floor to a mouse door in the light brown wall. There was a cobblestone fireplace, which seemed to be recently used. A green wardrobe? Storage cabinet? was nearby the door. By one of the windows were a light green sofa, chair, and an oak wooden table. Angel, Fluttershy's bunny, was placing napkins on the table nearby the sugar cookies.
"The place looks great as always, Flutters," Rainbow commented politely. She flew over to the sofa and saw Angel wave his paw in greeting. He must've been in a good mood.
Twilight walked in and took a seat on the sofa next to Rainbow. Fluttershy followed. She brought the chair to the table so she was sitting across from Twilight and Rainbow.
She poured some chamomile tea she had boiled fifteen minutes before Twilight and Rainbow arrived. She poured into the three cups and motioned to Angel that he was no longer needed. He hopped off the table and ran off outside.
"Sugar?" Fluttershy asked, raising a small bowl with sugar.
"One spoon," Twilight replied.
"Two," Rainbow replied. She liked being as energized as possible.
Fluttershy added sugar to each of their cups and placed it back down. She didn't like sugar in her tea. She thought tea was as sweet as it already was.
"So, where would you like me to begin?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh! Oh! How'd it feel like to become a human?" Rainbow asked. Meanwhile, Twilight took a cookie and munched on it.
"I guess I'm starting from the very beginning," Fluttershy said. "Make yourselves comfortable. This is going to be quite a story."
The first thing Fluttershy thought was: Ow!
She was lying on cold concrete. She shivered from the touch. It was slightly breezy, but she could only feel pain. Her bones felt sore and out of place. Her muzzle felt strange. She couldn't feel her wings or hooves. Instead of her hooves, she felt several long pieces of...something?
She opened her eyes to the sky.
"Whoa, are you okay?"
Above Fluttershy was a cute boy. Not that Fluttershy liked him. Just...he was cute.
"Just cute?" Rainbow asked. "You've never mentioned to any of us about any cute stallions before. This boy must have really caught your eye, huh, Flutters?"
Fluttershy blushed deeply. "It's not like we were going to become boyfriend and girlfriend in the short half an hour I was there," she said.
"Besides, she's got a crush on Discord," Twilight said in a sing-song voice.
Fluttershy blushed even more. Rainbow grinned and said, "What if this guy is cuter than Discord? She could be Fluttershy's new dream stallion!"
"So?" Twilight asked. "Describe him!"
The boy had soft honey colored eyes, messy pastel blue hair that barely covered his eyes, and a warm smile. His...coat?...was the color of milk. From the angle Fluttershy was in, she could see he was wearing a white T-shirt with golden letters that read: Lit Club Captain. His pants were made of denim, and were ocean blue. On it was a golden and silver spear with a tropical blue aura around it.
Fluttershy sensed that he was no threat, but she still recoiled and whimpered when he reached out his...hand? That's what Twilight called it, right? Her hooves must have been replaced with a hand. Then what was on the end of her hindquarters? Hands as well?
"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said. He blinked as if forgetting something.
This boy was odd. Chuckling, he said, "My name is Nami Spear. I know, my name's a little weird, but a lot of people like it."
His hand was still reached out. Fluttershy didn't know what to do. Surely, she couldn't just stay on the floor? No. She had a million questions running through her mind. Why was Nami standing on his hindquarters? Unless they weren't hindquarters. They were...legs. Fluttershy remembered Twilight's tales.
Fluttershy no longer had a muzzle, it was a nose. She no longer had pony ears, she had weird oval shaped ears. Her wings were gone, unless she "ponied-up," whatever that meant. Her hands were connected to arms, which connected to her shoulders and body. From her new torso down were long legs, and at the bottom were hand-like features called feet. On each foot were five mini fingers called toes. And on her hand were long, soft fingers.
"At least somepony remembered the details of a human," Twilight said with a smirk.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, well, anypony could get feet mixed up with hands."
Fluttershy gingerly lifted her hand onto Nami's.
He smiled and pulled her up swiftly.
Now standing up, Fluttershy could view her surroundings. To her left was a silver block with normal archways. On top of not was a white statue of a pony rearing. No, a horse, a term for a grown up pony. To her right were teens about her age, milling around under the night sky, drinking from foam cups, laughing, and chatting. In front of her stood a building two stories tall, in the shape of an upside-down-U, only straight.
Canterlot High School, Fluttershy guessed.
"How could you possibly know it was CHS?" Rainbow Dash asked. "For all we know, it could've been the castle in the other world!"
"First of all Rainbow," Twilight said, clearly annoyed, "there is no castle in the other world called the Castle of Friendship. Second of all, the statue, the portal that acts as a gateway to our world, is in front of CHS. Third of all, I told ALL of you that there is a school IN FRONT OF the portal!"
"To be fair, Rainbow Dash hasn't been there herself," Fluttershy said in Rainbow's defense.
Rainbow Dash smiled. "Thank you, Fluttershy," she said. "Please continue your story."
The tall windows of the school building were dark. But the front lawn of CHS was full of students. Streamers and confetti were scattered on the grass.
But the students weren't just any students. Several were holding a puppy, a kitten, a rabbit, a hamster, a guinea pig, a bird, or even a hedgehog. They watched as the animals played together, but some kept running off somewhere.
"What what is this place?" Fluttershy asked.
Nami glanced behind him. "Oh, we're just having a little party," he replied. "I guess that's what you mean."
"A party?" she asked.
Nami smiled brightly. His smile seemed to make the night brighter.
"A-HA!"
Fluttershy and Twilight flinched at Rainbow's sudden yell.
She stood on her hindquarters on the sofa, front legs stretched to her sides in some sort of triumph. She was grinning wildly. Rainbow stayed like that until she realized Fluttershy and Twilight were staring.
"Uhhhh..." She grinned sheepishly and chuckled. She sat back down and said, "Well? Aren't you gonna continue the story?"
"Yes," Fluttershy replied, "but not until you explain what you just did."
Rainbow blinked. "Well, uh, I did what I did because, you know, what you said about Nami!"
"Hold on," Twilight said. "You think Fluttershy has a crush on Nami?"
"I-I'll just continue the story," Fluttershy said, her blush returning.
"Yeah!" Nami replied. "This is the party for the Lit club."
"The Lit Club?" Fluttershy asked.
"It's short for the Little Animals Seeking Owners Club," Nami explained. "Also known as the LASO Club. We decided to call the club the Lit Club for short because it would make us sound as cool as the Lit Club that hangs out on Saturday nights. The Lit Club, not this one, is full of the cool kids, the ones who can dab properly and know all the lyrics to rap songs. It also gets people outside of the Lit Clubs confused. We've seen a few popular teens come to our meetings and parties, all confused, but sometimes at the end of it, they join our club."
"That's it?" Rainbow shrieked.
"What's it?" Fluttershy asked.
"The Lit Club is short for the LASO Club?" Rainbow demanded.
"Well, yes," Fluttershy replied.
Twilight smirked at Rainbow's frozen face of shock. "I think you should continue, Flutters," she said.
"Little animals?" Fluttershy asked, a smile growing on her face.
Nami grinned. "Looks like you're a fan of animals," he said. "Would you like to take a look around?"
"I'd love to," Fluttershy said eagerly. She allowed Nami to rest a hand on her upper back and lead her to the other members of the club.
With Nami's help, Fluttershy was able to adapt to the world with her new legs quickly. Though her legs felt wobbly and she nearly tripped a few times, she seemed to be doing well with her new found form.
As she walked with Nami, she remembered what had happened before she had woken up. She had been in the Castle of Friendship. Rainbow had raised Fluttershy up into the air in the library, in total chaos because of Rainbow Dash, in front of the mirror portal. Pinkie Pie activated the portal with a lever...several books dropped...Twilight?...Rainbow Dash threw her into the portal at a high velocity once it opened. Fluttershy remembered screaming...then...she had woken up on the floor.
I need to get back to the portal, Fluttershy thought. But Nami was so welcoming, and the LASO Club seemed like something for herself.
"So, what's the LASO Club about?" Fluttershy asked politely.
"Our club is about finding owners for little animals that have been in shelters for so long," Nami explained. "Some little guys haven't found any homes, so the shelters were thinking about putting them to sleep."
Fluttershy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "That's terrible!" she said.
Nami nodded. "That's why this club started," he said. "Well, I started it. I'm the leader of the LASO Club. And so far, the club's gathered a lot of members." He grinned. "Would you like to join the LASO Club...er, I didn't ask what your name is. Heh, that's awkward. What is your name?"
"Fluttershy," Fluttershy replied cautiously.
The grin on Nami's smile fell. He looked blankly at her. "Fluttershy?" he asked. "You weren't wearing that a few minutes ago. Weren't you with Sunset Shimmer near the entrance a few minutes ago?" he asked.
As if on cue, two humans arrived next to Nami. One girl had wavy red and yellow hair. She had aquamarine eyes and golden yellow...skin. She wore a mint green blouse and denim pants like Nami's. It was difficult to see her shoes in the dark, but they looked like black high heel boots.
Sunset Shimmer.
Sunset blinked as if seeing a ghost. "Fluttershy?" she asked.
"Yes?"
Fluttershy looked to the girl next to Sunset. She nearly jumped out of her new skin.
It was Fluttershy. She had the same light pink hair and light yellow coat. Her eyes were the same shade of turquoise. They were equally as shocked as Fluttershy's own eyes. She wore a white sleeveless shirt, a light green skirt with two butterflies on it, and light green boots.
"Is-is that...?" Other Fluttershy blinked.
Sunset Shimmer looked to Other Fluttershy, then to Fluttershy. "You're Fluttershy?" she asked.
"Why are there two Fluttershys?" Nami asked.
"How did you not notice this Fluttershy" Sunset gestured to Pony Fluttershy "is different from this Fluttershy?" She gestured to Human Fluttershy.
"I-I don't know!" Nami replied. "The second Fluttershy was wearing something different so I thought she wasn't the first Fluttershy?"
"What Fluttershy are we talking about?" Sunset asked.
"This is Fluttershyception!" Nami said.
Fluttershy wanted to crawl into a hole. The next best thing was to go back home.
So Fluttershy turned around and bolted towards the portal. She didn't want to be here anymore. The world seemed better without the clone Fluttershy. Now this world was scary. There must have been a clone Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie, too...
Fluttershy expected the portal to be open. But when she rammed herself into the bottom statue, she slammed her body against solid stone.
The portal wasn't open.
Fluttershy slumped down against the statue, very aware of the running footsteps coming towards her. She had to try again.
She pounded her hands against the stone, hoping that it would open. But to her horror, there was no portal.
"Open, open, open!" Fluttershy pleaded. "Please just open!"
"That's not how this portal works."
Fluttershy whipped her head around. Nami, Sunset Shimmer, and Human Fluttershy stood a yard away.
Sunset Shimmer walked towards her. "You must be the Fluttershy from Equestria," she said cautiously. "I'm Sunset Shimmer. You're friends with Princess Twilight, aren't you?"
"Y-Yes," Fluttershy whimpered. "And now I need to get back to her!"
"The portal can only open two ways," Sunset said, "one, when 30 moons pass, or two, if Twilight uses her journal in some sort of way. It'll be a few days until thirty moons have passed, so you must have come to this world through the second way."
"And now it's closed," Fluttershy whimpered. "How do I get back?"
"I'm not sure there's much you can do for now," Sunset said. She was now a foot away from Fluttershy. "Just...I have a lot of questions. Like, why is your hair styled differently than the Fluttershy here?"
"My mane's different?" Fluttershy asked.
"Hold on," Sunset said. She took out something from her pocket and handed it to Fluttershy.
She looked at it and realized it was a mirror. Sure enough, her mane...hair, Sunset Shimmer had called it...was kept in a braid on her shoulder. A few strands of hair were loose.
She moved the mirror down. She saw she wore a light green tank top and a pink chiffon skirt. The skirt had the same butterflies on Human Fluttershy's skirt. She also wore light pink flats with a butterfly on each shoe.
"I'd also like to know what you're doing on this side of the portal," Sunset said.
"It's a long story," Fluttershy said.
Suddenly, an adorable dalmatian puppy bounced up to a spot in front of Pony Fluttershy. The puppy started yapping and wagging her tail. Strangely, Fluttershy could understand what she said.
"Whoa. Hold on a second."
"Looks like you're dumbfounded," Rainbow said smugly.
"Yes, quite frankly I am," Twilight said. "You could still talk to and understand animals?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I'm not so sure why," she said.
"Then why couldn't I use my magic?!" Twilight demanded.
"Aww, you're hungry?" Pony Fluttershy asked, taking the dalmatian into her arms. "Don't worry. I'm sure these nice people will give you some good food to eat."
Sunset Shimmer stood, completely stunned. "You can talk to animals?" she asked in shock.
Human Fluttershy, however, immediately rushed over to Pony Fluttershy. "You can understand what she's saying?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course," Pony Fluttershy replied. "Can't you?"
Human Fluttershy sighed. "No," she replied. "How can you understand what she's saying?"
"I..." Fluttershy faltered. "I'm not sure. I thought there wasn't magic in this world. I shouldn't be able to understand what she's saying."
"That's so amazing that you can understand!" Human Fluttershy said. "Do you take care of animals in the other world, too?"
"Why, yes," Pony Fluttershy said. "I have a cottage that I live in with several animals. Of course, some stay outside, but nearby. If somepony's pet is sick or needs help, I'm the one most ponies go to. I have a way with animals.
"I've got several kinds of animals I take care of. I have this bunny named Angel "
"You have a bunny named Angel?" Human Fluttershy asked. "I have a bunny named Angel, too!"
"What's your favorite animal?" Pony Fluttershy asked.
"I don't have one; they're all just too adorable!" Human Fluttershy replied.
"I think they're all too adorable as well!" Pony Fluttershy said.
"What kind of animals do you have in your world?" Human Fluttershy asked.
"I think that the majority of the animals here are in my world," Pony Fluttershy said. "We've got dragons, you've probably already met Spike, he's a dragon in my world, and Breezies, these adorable creatures..."
"Did you talk about animals the entire time you were there?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No," Fluttershy said.
"Would you like to adopt Cookie Dough?" Human Fluttershy asked. "She was recently rescued from a car accident, which killed her previous owners."
Pony Fluttershy stroked Cookie Dough. Hearing her story, she didn't have the heart to leave it behind.
"Of course I'll take her!" Pony Fluttershy said, cradling her new puppy.
"So, where is Cookie Dough?" Rainbow Dash. "We didn't see her when you came back through the portal."
"You didn't see her when she came back through the portal," Twilight corrected. "After I told everypony that I made sure you weren't going to leave the castle, Cookie Dough sprung up from Fluttershy's mane."
"That's right," Fluttershy said. "I asked Pinkie to take her back to my cottage. Seconds later, she's back and we're running to the front doors of the castle."
"So where is she now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"She's currently taking a nap upstairs in my bedroom," Fluttershy replied.
"Oh! You have to see Nami's pet kitten!" Human Fluttershy said. "His name is Monster, but he's such a cutie!"
"Well, looks like you're going to fit in here very well," Sunset Shimmer said as the girls rose.
"But the portal..." Pony Fluttershy glanced at what was supposed to be the portal.
"I'm sure Twilight will activate it soon," Sunset reassured her. "Right now, you should join the party. I heard DJ Pon3 is making a special performance just for tonight!"
"Sounds like fun," Pony Fluttershy said.
"Come on!" Human Fluttershy grabbed Pony Fluttershy's hands and dragged her to the crowd of students gathering at the stairs of the school.
The next few minutes were a blur. Fluttershy took several selfies with the other Fluttershy and several animals. When DJ Pon3 started playing music, red shades were being thrown everywhere. Fluttershy managed to grab herself a pair and put them on. They were upside down, but the Fluttershys giggled in harmony. They danced to the electric music while the animals howled along. People were passing out sodas, and Fluttershy got herself one. Having a soda late at night made her hyper, to say the least. Which was not a very good idea.
Fluttershy saw several humans arrive, looking very confused. One was even Human Rarity, who, after several attempts at explaining what was going on, gave Pony Fluttershy a silk scarf and a diamond pin as gifts.
"Does your Rarity dress as fabulously as I do?" Rarity had asked.
"Yes, and she's such a talented designer," Pony Fluttershy replied. "She has a shop in Ponyville, Canterlot, and Manehattan."
Suddenly Rarity grabbed Fluttershy's shirt. "SHE HAS HER OWN SHOPS!?" she yelled.
Rarity stayed with some of her own friends. Fluttershy helped give away several animals, including three puppies, four kittens, and even two hedgehogs. Everywhere she went, Fluttershy's new puppy followed.
Several people questioned the sight of two Fluttershys, but they knew not to ask questions. They'd probably seen stranger things happen.
After a few minutes, the two Fluttershys sat down on the top of the portal. They had gotten up with Nami's help.
"Have you ever had this much fun?" Human Fluttershy asked.
Pony Fluttershy stroked Cookie Dough's fur. "I don't think so," she said. She paused. "Well, back in my world, we were in the middle of a game of Truth or Dare. It was so much fun until my Rainbow Dash threw me into the mirror portal."
Human Fluttershy giggled. "Then thank you, Rainbow Dash!" she said. "I never thought I'd ever get to meet you. You're such an amazing person. We have so much in common!"
"I'm glad I got to meet you," Pony Fluttershy said. "Imagine what would happen if the Pinkie Pie from my world met the Pinkie Pie in this world."
"That would probably end the world," Human Fluttershy said.
They laughed and giggled together.
"So, what's up with Nami Spear?" Pony Fluttershy asked. The Coca Coola was getting to her head.
Human Fluttershy blushed. "He's a really great person," she said. "But he's a year older than me. He's going to college next year, so the possibility of a relationship between us is impossible."
"Shame," Pony Fluttershy said. "He's cute."
Human Fluttershy smiled. "Yeah," she whispered.
Suddenly, a sharp electric current surged through Pony Fluttershy...magic.
"The portal," she whispered.
"What about the portal?" Human Fluttershy asked.
"Can't you feel it? The portal's open again," Pony Fluttershy said. She held Cookie Dough tightly and jumped off the statue. It was a slightly rough landing, considering landing on her feet was a big feat.
"Fluttershy, whyyyyyyy," Rainbow asked, face-hoofing.
Fluttershy smiled. "Oh come on, Dashie," she said. "It was a good one."
"Does this mean you're leaving?" Human Fluttershy asked, dropping down.
"I'm afraid so," Pony Fluttershy said. "We're still in the middle of Truth or Dare. And it's Rainbow's turn. I wouldn't want to miss that. Besides, my friends are probably worried about me."
Human Fluttershy smiled. "I'm sure they are," she said. "It was nice meeting you, Fluttershy."
"Ditto," Pony Fluttershy said as the two embraced as best as they could with Cookie Dough still in her arms.
"Tell Sunset Shimmer and Nami I say goodbye and I'll miss them," Pony Fluttershy said, Human Fluttershy letting go.
"Hey, I'll miss you, too!" Human Fluttershy said. "Oh, and one last thing. What happens here at the Lit Club stays at the Lit Club. Got it?"
Pony Fluttershy giggled. "Yes," she replied. It was a strange rule, but if her new friend (is that what you call someone who's you?) wanted her to keep the Lit Club a secret, she'd respect her wish. "I'll miss you too, Flutters. I'll see you soon!"
"Goodbye!" Human Fluttershy said as Pony Fluttershy walked into the portal. With a bright flash, Fluttershy entered the portal back to her own world.
"The end," Fluttershy concluded.
Across from her, Twilight and Rainbow sat frozen. Twilight was in the middle of eating a cookie. Crumbs fell from her mouth as it was agape. Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to drop her tea cup.
After several seconds of silence, Rainbow Dash finally spoke. "So, you when you went through the portal, you woke up wearing different clothes than the other Fluttershy. You now have a crush on a guy named Nami Spear, which is pretty lame, except for the spear part, and the other Fluttershy also has a crush on Nami. You adopted a pet dalmatian named Cookie Dough and helped put other animals up for adoption. You should've gotten a hedgehog, in my opinion. You not only met your alternate self, you also met Rarity's alternate self. You saw Sunset Shimmer, who realized you were the other Fluttershy and openly accepted you. Not only did you do that, but you partied? Partied? Since when do you party?!"
"How could you talk with the animals?" Twilight asked, swallowing what was left of her cookie. "I couldn't use my magic when I went to the other world. How could you still have the ability to talk to animals? Also, how is Cookie Dough still a puppy? Wouldn't she be a dragon? Spike went in as a dragon, came out as a dog, and came back a dragon. You met the other Fluttershy. How did that meeting go so well? The meeting between the other Twilight and I was really awkward. How? Just how?"
Fluttershy looked at the both of them. She didn't get them as shocked as they were now any other time.
So naturally, she raised her porcelain teapot and asked politely with a smile, "Would you like some more tea?"
