The next day Spike was placing plates of scrambled eggs on toast on the dining table, when he was done he walked out of the dining room and upstairs to Princess Celestia’s bedroom. He slowly opened the door and called out her name in a singing tone. “Celestia, it’s time to get up.” He walked to the side of her bed and gently shook her. When she didn’t wake up Spike walked over to the window and opened the blinds, filling the dark room with the sun’s bright sunlight.

The white alicorn groaned in her sleep before pulling the blanket over her. Spike chuckled as he walked back to her bed and grabbed the blanket tugging at it. “Come on, don’t make me use force.” Celestia groaned in response which made Spike sigh. “Okay.” He gripped onto the blanket and ripped it out of her grip.

He looked down at the alicorn with a look of disapproval, Celestia smiled nervously at him. “5 more minutes?” Spike huffed and picked her up. "I'll take that as a no."

“You’re going to help Taylor get back home today, Celestia.” Spike said to Celestia who rested on his back laying her head on his right shoulder.

“I know I know.” Celestia replied as she yawned and nudged his neck with her head. "At least you didn't use the bucket of cold ice water this time." They both laughed softly.

Spike piggybacked Celestia to the dining room and placed her down. “I’m going to go get Luna and Taylor, go eat.” Celestia nodded and sat down at the table before she began eating her breakfast as Spike walked back upstairs, he walked to Luna’s bedroom door and opened the door.

Luna was curled up in her bed under the blanket sleeping peacefully. Spike walked over to her bed and gently shook her, Luna rolled over and looked up at him with a weary look on her face. “Hey Spike, how are you?” Luna asked before she yawned loudly.

“I’m doing quite well, how’d you sleep?” Spike picked her up and carried her out of her room in his arms. Luna muzzled his cheek.

“Alright, a lot of ponies having nightmares last night. Please tell Twilight not to spread rumors about a monster that kills you in your sleep? It’s difficult enough helping a few ponies get over their nightmares, but it’s literally a nightmare when over 1000 have the same nightmare and different excuse to not get over it!”

Spike laughed “I will, she usually listens to me anyway.” He soon walked into the dining room and placed Luna down on a chair “Now eat your breakfast, you need your energy.” Luna nodded as she began eating her breakfast.

Taylor walked into the dining room drying her wet mane with a towel. “Morning, everyone.” She sat down next to Celestia who had finished her plate of pancakes and was now drinking a cup of coffee.

“Excited for the day, Taylor?” Celestia asked as she sipped her drink. Taylor nodded while stuffing food in her mouth.

“Slow down, we don’t want you choking to death.” Luna said while patting Taylor’s back. Taylor Slowly chewed her food before swallowing it.

“Sorry, I get easily excited.” Taylor said while smiling before going back to eating. "Never once choked though."

Spike placed a cup of water on the table in front of Taylor. “I understand that you’re excited. Most of us will be too when discovering another universe.”

Taylor took the cup and slowly drank the water. “Yeah. I can’t wait to tell the others about this universe, I bet that they’ll be excited just as I am.” She giggled while vibrating in her chair. “Will your Twilight be coming with us? I would really love to meet her.” Taylor’s question made the room silent.

Until Celestia opened her mouth. “No, she won’t be coming with us, for good reasons but mostly for keeping you safe.” Celestia finished her coffee while frowning.

Taylor frowned in disappointment that had a hint of sadness. “Okay.” She looked down. "Just wanted to ask."

Spike noticed Taylor’s expression and looked over at Celestia. “Why shouldn’t Twilight come with us? I think Taylor would love to meet her.” He asked her while frowning.

Celestia sighed. “No, it’s too dangerous for her.” She leaned in close to Spike and whispered to him. “She might do something horrible to Taylor here, like insult her or even kill her. You know what she’s like.” She leaned back.

Spike groaned. “Taylor, do you mind giving us some private talk?” Taylor got off the chair and walked out of the dining room.

Spike crossed his arms and raised his brow as Celestia as Taylor walked out. “I know you two don’t have the best relationship but, could you at least hide the fact that you hate her guts?”

Celestia quickly turned her head to Spike. “I don’t hate her! She’s just difficult to understand. I try and be friends with her but she keeps pushing me away and insulting me, she even tried to kill me both while I was awake and while I was asleep. I don’t know how she keeps getting out of jail!”

Luna finished her breakfast and cleared her throat. “Um sorry to interrupt but, I invited Twilight to come.” She smiled nervously as the two looked at her.

Celestia placed her hoof on her face and sighed. “Okay fine, she’s coming with us. But if she does anything suspicious, I’m sending her home or worse, the dungeons.”

Spike and Luna nodded in agreement. “Okay, fine with us.” Luna said in response.

Taylor walked back in the room. “Twilight’s coming?! That’s great to hear!” She hopped around in joy while giggling. "I'm so excited to see her!"

Luna smiled and Spike chuckled. “I’ll go visit Twilight to see how she’s doing. I’ll be back.” He clicked his fingers and teleported out of the dining room.

Celestia grabbed the plates and walked over to the kitchen to clean them. Taylor walked over to Luna. “So I take it that Twilight and Celestia dislike each other?”

Luna sighed and nodded. “Yes. Though she isn’t as mean to me as she is to my sister, it’s weird.” Luna looked into the kitchen. “I sure do hope that they work things out and become friends.”

Taylor smiled. “Same problem in my universe and I hope the same thing as well.” The two giggled and walked out of the dining room as they both chatted with each other.

Meanwhile at Twilight’s house

“Must I come?!” Twilight shouted while drying herself in the bathroom. "It sounds so boring!"

Spike waited outside the bathroom door going through his phone. “She really wants to meet you and it wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone new.”

Twilight walked out of the bathroom with the towel around her neck. Her figure was a bit different than other mares, her body was skinny but yet had stallion features despite being a female “Fine, but I’m only going because this alicorn has peaked my interest and that I get to spend more time with my favorite brother, you.” She threw the towel on the couch and walked upstairs to her room.

“Thank you, Twilight. I’ll buy you some food if you want or I can get you-” Twilight interrupted Spike as she walked back down stairs wearing a purple hoodie.

“Don’t, spending time with you is the payment.” Twilight grabbed her saddle bag and put in a lot of snacks and a six pack of beer. “Now I’m ready and now let’s go.” She put the saddle bag on her back

Spike placed his hand on Twilight’s back and teleported back to Canterlot. When they arrived Twilight quickly ran over to a vase and vomited in it, Spike cringed as he had forgotten that Twilight gets very sick when teleporting. “I’m very sorry! I forgot about that.”

Twilight walked over to Spike after vomiting. “It’s alright Spike, but now you owe me a burger.” She patted his back. “Now let’s go.”

They two walked over to the throne room where Celestia, Luna and Taylor were in chatting to each other. “I got her, is everyone ready?” Spike asked the girls and they all nodded.

Taylor quickly bolted over to Twilight and examined her “Wow, you’re tall up close. I think you’re a foot taller than me.”

Taylor chuckled while Twilight just stared at the small alicorn in confusion. “How old are you, kiddo?” Twilight asked her thinking that she was in her teens.

“35 years old!” Taylor answered loudly, Twilight raised both her brows while still frowning

“Hm I thought you were younger by the looks and the height but, you’re 5 years older than me. I thought all alicorns were tall, guess I was wrong.” Twilight placed a hoof on Taylor’s head moving her head left and right while Taylor giggled. “So what’s the plan here?” Twilight asked while looking at Spike.

Celestia got off her throne and walked over next to Spike “We’re going to take Taylor back home. She got into our universe through a hole in the ground, it should be an easy job to do. I will also add that we might need to study it as well.”

Twilight was taken aback by this short information “Hold on, this little gremlin came from another universe.” Twilight looked over at Luna “You never mentioned that at all in the letter.” She frowned as Luna nervously laughed which made her sigh in frustration.

“So we’re dealing with different universes now? What’s next, the devil himself? A God? A dead girl?” Twilight said while her hoof that was on Taylor’s head formed into a claw, luckily the claws didn’t pierce Taylor’s head, in which Taylor didn’t care at all but she did keep smiling.

“Don’t jinx it, we don’t need to fight either of those.” Spike said with a chuckle as he removed her claws from Taylor’s head. “And please don’t harm her, Twilight.”

Taylor rubbed the top of her head “She wasn’t hurting me, but it was a bit concerning.“

Before any words were spoken, Twilight’s stomach growled loudly which got everyone’s attention. “Did you have anything to eat today?” Luna asked with concern.

Twilight frowned “Well yes and no, I vomited earlier. Do you guy have any burgers by any chance?" She said while scratching her chest.

“Perhaps we should have lunch first.” Spike said while smiling nervously before quickly frowning and crossing his arms “But I’m not cooking, I brought some food last night and it’s in the fridge and pantry.”

Luna laughed “Okay Spike.” The group walked back into the kitchen to have their lunch.

16 Minutes Later

“Now let’s get going.” Spike said as he finished his gem sandwich “There might be a blizzard there soon and we don’t want to get caught up in that at all.”

Taylor smiled “Spike’s right, let's go!” She said as she hopped out of the chair.

Twilight quickly finished her 10th beef burger. “Okay, I’m now full and ready.” And with that, the gang walked out of the castle and made their way to their destination.

While walking halfway into the forest Spike noticed that the sun was setting, he looked at the girls and stopped in his tracks “We should set up camp soon, it’s getting dark.”

Luna looked at the sunset and looked at Celestia who nodded with agreement. “We should find a clearer and bigger area.” Celestia said to Spike who nodded.

“Found one!” Twilight shouted from the distance. “It even has a waterfall!” The group walked towards where Twilight was and she was right.

The area was big and had a waterfall. Spike looked at Twilight and patted her back. “Good job, Twily.” Twilight huffed and dropped her things and laid down.

Taylor and Celestia set up camp while Luna and Spike went out to find firewood. Twilight just laid on the grass eating a packet of chips and reading one of the PlayPonies magazines.

While Spike and Luna walked around the forest collecting sticks Luna placed a hoof on Spike’s chest. “Spike, how much do you trust Taylor?” She looked at him concerned.

Spike smiled “I just have a gut feeling that I should and my gut is always right. It was right about you even though I knew that you were truly a great mare.” He laughed as Luna blushed and looked away.

“Okay, I trust you with this.” Luna said before the two continued collecting sticks.

Meanwhile at one of the trees

As they set up camp a snowy owl who had been watching them, flew away and later on flew into an area in The Ghostly Expanse where an ice castle stood place, the bird landed on the balcony “She’s coming to the area soon, should we do something?” The bird asked.

A figure who laid in the shadows giggled “No, let her come. The portal chose her and I have a feeling why.” The figure stood up and walked out of the shadows revealing herself. The mare who was a pegasus had a light blue coat with wings that had a fade that went a darker blue to white and to a purple, purple freckles on her muzzle and flank, her slightly curly and slightly spiky mane was a snowy blue and her eyes was a pale blue.

The mare looked outside and petted her owl “Thank you for your help, Otto.” She tapped the owl and it vanished into a pile of snow. “Now rest, you need it.”

She sighed and breathed out a small puff of icy breath “Looks like the Gods have finally got my message. About time you know, I’m starting to get really tired.” She slowly walked back inside and closed the door gently making a quiet clicking sound.

Author's Note

Chapter 2 is done. I wonder what this mare wants with Taylor. You all shall find out soon.