All Tomorrow's Birthdays: After School Special

“Where is everypony?” asked Princess Twilight, her voice strained with nervous tension. Passage through the mirror had changed her form, but not her panicked state. Even her usually neat hair showed signs of frazzling as she looked around Canterlot High’s courtyard.

“Every one probably went home. It looks like it’s late in the afternoon,” Sunset answered before she wobbled on her feet a few steps away from the pedestal. After three transformations in so short of time, her body felt awkward in many places.

“Maybe you should take a more logical view,” said Sparkle, who looked the least hampered by their world hopping. Sunset thought it likely that some of her comfort came from having her signature glasses back on to fiddle with.

Twilight frowned and looked over at her double. “Logical view? What am I missing?”

Sparkle twirled at a curl from her hairbun with a finger, another habit that was repressed as a pony. “Well… it wasn’t a terrible experience, visiting another world.” As she spoke, she quit her hair fussing and instead reached for Sunset’s hand.

Sunset smiled and laced fingers as she returned the touch with a squeeze. The acknowledgment made her grateful. “She has a point, Twilight. What’s the harm? So they come over here and say hi to themselves. The versions over here already know about Equestria. Heck, they’ve already seen you and Sparkles at the same time. After some of the stuff we’ve gone through, a chat with a twin shouldn't feel that weird.”

Twilight mulled that over before she sighed. “Maybe you’re right. I’m overreacting. They are all grown mares who can handle themselves.”

Sunset cleared her throat. “There’s also the fact that we can’t run around town chasing after them. Not without a change of clothes, anyway.”

Twilight blinked at Sunset and looked down at herself. Their clothes had appeared magically around them when they crossed the mirror. The spell on the portal was nuanced enough to give them summer wear. “What’s wrong with skirts?”

Sunset fidgeted, a small blush creeping to her cheeks. “Try walking, Twilight.”

Twilight did so, and after a few steps her own eyes widened. She immediately froze in place.

Sparkle looked at them, puzzled. “What’s wrong?” When both Twilight and Sunset avoided her gaze, her hand went to her mouth. “Oh! Don’t tell me you both are… you still have...”

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m kinda leery of going through the portal another two times…”

Twilight winced. “Even if we did put on clothes in Equestria, Celestia knows what they’ll end up as on this side.” She gave the pedestal a poisonous look. “That and the flow of time might make us miss just whatever it is Pinkie is planning.”

Sparkle adjusted the side of her glasses. “Well, if you two can manage a bus ride to the far side of town, my parents won’t be home until late. We can pick up a change of clothes and use a phone to call the others.”

Sunset chuckled. “Oh yeah! Phones. Wow, sometimes it’s easy to forget the less magical solutions.”

"—and I still don't see why I got to have the nickname. This is my world! My farm, even!" AJ huffed.

Applejack shrugged. "Your Pinkie loss the coinflip fair 'n square. Besides, you five were already callin' your Twilight somethin' cute."

Across town on the outskirts, AJ and Applejack drove to the family farm in AJ’s old pickup. They spent most of the drive there reflecting on the oddball multiverse situation the Pinkie Pies put them in.

“Tho' the differences are funny, when you think ‘bout it some,” Applejack said as she looked out at the human version of Apple Acres.

“Funny how? Besides, you know, the obvious,” AJ asked.

Applejack snorted, though it sounded more like a sniff with her human nose. “Well, me and the girls, we’ve been up and down Equestria. Just getting to the bayou you got ’bout an equal chance of running into a dragon or manticore on the way.”

AJ arched her brow at her. “You expecting monsters? We ain’t got that ‘round here. Just traffic on bad days.”

Applejack knocked on the pickup’s hood lightly with the side of her fist. “Wasn’t me complainin’ though it sure leaves your flank sore to be sittin’ about the whole way.”

“Maybe we got somethin' for that inside,” AJ murmured.

Applejack chuckled. “You humanfolk got a gadget or some kinda machine for every lil’ thing—” Though before she could crack wise about a specialized flank massager, Applejack unexpectedly caught sight of one of the Applepicker trucks parked in AJ’s driveway. Prominently, there was a ‘F & F Brothers Co.’ sign on the drivers door.

“See! Right there’s what amma talking about! You tellin’ me you got them two on your farm with their mechanical whooza-what’sits?”

AJ blinked and looked between Applejack and the offending truck. “The hell you going on about? Those two just run a pawnshop and a car dealership. They don’t do any actual farming, we just rent the trucks from them.”

Applejack snorted again. This time it sounded good and adequately horse-ish with practice. “Well… that doesn’t surprise me. Still, you need a machine? Also, what's with all those busybodies and lookie-loos wanderin' in your orchard driving up.”

After pushing up the brim of her hat with her thumb, AJ rubbed at her forehead, taking a moment to figure out her Equestrian self’s meaning. “You… mean the workers? It’s a big farm. How you expect just me and Mac to do any of that without machines or help?”

“Me and My Mac never had no trouble. And we kick the trees, takes about a couple minute each,” Applejack replied with some pride and a hint of smugness. “Maybe if you two didn’t spend all that time fussing and huffing picking every one with your hands it’d go better.”

“Maybe it works like that in that ponyland, but over here we’d just chip the bark and sprain an ankle tryin’ it your way,” AJ replied.

Applejack made a face. “Guess it can’t be helped. Not looking forward to having processed cider for Pinkie’s party, though.”

“Now, now. We do things different picking that much is true. But the cider and jam are done on the stove by me and fam. Granny wouldn’t have it any other way.”

With that measure of Apple family pride on the line, AJ led Applejack to the kitchen and poured her a glass from one of the home-bottled cider from the pantry.

Applejack took a swig and savoured, for once looking the connoisseur as she swished before swallowing with a smack of her lips. She expressed her judgement when she shook the glass for a refill and nodded. “Glad to see somethin’ being done right on this side.”

After clinking glasses for a second round, Aj chuckled and shook her head. “I think I can show you few more things that you might appreciate.” She went on to lead Applejack on a brief tour of the house. Taking the opportunity of showing up her Equestrian self with modern day miracles like the living room’s sound system and the laundry room washing machine. Even Applejack had to admit that not all the technological wonders were half bad.

Their tour ended at AJ’s room. Applejack stepped in and had herself a look around the paradoxically familiar yet-just-different-enough, bedroom. After a minute she asked, “So where’s Mac and Granny off to?”

AJ rested against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Probably be at the farm for a while yet until the workers get off shift.”

That got a nod from Applejack, and she wandered by the window to fuss with the curtain. “And Applebloom, where she at?”

“Off with her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, most like. Think they wanted to see a movie in town.”

“Mmm, they’ll be awhile yet then too,” Applejack replied as she drew the curtains closed. Afterwards, she ambled towards the dresser and promptly opened the top drawer.

AJ straightened from her lazy rest at the doorway, surprised at Applejack’s sudden nosing. “Hey… now. Maybe you shouldn’t poke around like that. Doncha any of you ponyfolk wear undies over there? That stuff’s rude to touch.”

Applejack didn’t stop her pawing through AJ’s undergarments, only briefly looking up to give AJ an arched brow. “Here I thought you were sensible enough to know what this was all about from the get-go. Ah, here it is!”

AJ had only made it halfway to the dresser before Applejack triumphantly hefted the large dildo out from it. AJ froze mid-step, face reddening.

Applejack bounced the toy, checking its heft before she put it over one shoulder and reached into the dresser for the straps. “I keep mine in a hatbox, but I figured you’d rather it were someplace close.”

That quip brought a fidget out of AJ, though Applejack’s casualness bled out some of the embarrassment she felt. “Y-You don’t think it… um… unusual, huh?”

Applejack finished her work with the fully assembled strap-on stallionhood and peered at it. “Seems about right. Even the same color I gots back at home.”

“Figures, so… umm… I guess we could flip a coin.”

“Now look who's the rude one. Visitin’ guests get first dibs.”

While Twilight’s family were not royalty in the human world, they were well off, with Twilight Velvet being a successful author and Night Light a doctorate level astrophysicist.

Their house was large, expansive and the kind with an enormous master bedroom with an attached bathroom. It was big enough to fit a jacuzzi and a spacious double sink, along with a mirror that nearly took up the entire wall.

“If it’s the middle of the week, why aren’t you two in class?” asked Twilight as she and Sunset undressed.

Sparkle poked her head from around the corner. “Miss Cheerlie let me do the classwork early for the extra day… she usually lets me do it early… okay, I always do it early.” She coughed.

“I just played hooky,” said Sunset with a laugh.

“Sunset Shimmer!” Sparkle and Twilight both exclaimed in the same tone of shocked, matronly voice.

Sunset jumped and looked between the two accusatory faces. “What? It’s not like I need help with the classwork, either.”

Sparkle ‘tsked’ and went back to building them an outfit in the adjoining bedroom.

Twilight shook her head as she unhooked her bra. “I might have to hit you with another friendship rainbow if you’re going to be backsliding to your wicked ways.”

Sunset reached over and twibbled Twilight’s nipple. “I thought you liked bad girls.”

Twilight swatted Sunset’s hand away and stuck her tongue out, though it was only a momentary distraction from the task at hand. “Just the skirts now…”

With that last article of clothing gone, they stood and looked in the mirror, quietly taking stock.

Eventually, Sunset said, “I hope you can change us back. People over here have enough trouble getting their heads around the idea that I'm not a demoness, but just a talking horse from a magical ponyland. This might be the last straw."

“Of course, when we are all done on this side it should be just a matter of going through the pedestal and undoing the spell before coming back,” answered Twilight before muttering, “Maybe.”

Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Maybe?”

“I don't know, okay? I didn't think about how it would interact with other meta-transformation magics. That mirror has so many layers of enchantment on it that I’m thankful that it didn't try to be creative with substituting our horns!” Twilight let out with an exasperated breath. “Sometimes I think Star Swirl built it with a sense of humor.”

Sunset rubbed her face with her palms. Though the situation soon had her chuckling. “I guess it serves you right for being so generous with that spell, especially with yourself.”

Twilight frowned. “What? What are you talking about?”

Sunset faced Twilight and leaned in to emphasize their height difference. “I’m taller than you, but you’ve got a few inches on me.”

Twilight crossed her arms and puffed. “Well, I’m an alicorn. Everything we have is bigger... generally.”

“Are you two seriously arguing over penis sizes?” Sparkle called from the bedroom.

“No! We’re making very scientific comparisons. You approve of that, right?” Sunset yelled back.

Sparkle entered the bathroom and began picking up their discarded clothes. “I do, but you aren’t doing it right.” She paused and adjusted her glasses as her eyes dropped below their waists. Her cheeks colored and she hurried out again.

“Wait! What about our clothes?!” Sunset cried after her. She looked at Twilight. “Where is she going?”

Twilight shrugged and took another long look in the mirror. “I’m not sure,” she said with some distraction. “Sunset, have you given thought to what might happen if we pony up like this?”

Sunset groaned. “Not until this very moment, no. She might need to raid your brother’s dresser or something.”

Sparkle returned again, holding a toy in one hand and a measuring tape with the other. “Okay, I want both of you to sit at the edge of the tub.”

Sunset stared at Sparkle and what was decidedly not spare clothing held in her hands. “Where did you get a yellow dildo, Sparkles?”

“Online. I wanted to find one that matched that could also be used as a strap-on,” said Sparkle in a matter-of-fact tone, though her blush deepened.

Sunset had to smile at that. Yet more proof that Sparkle had been admiring her long before now. “You sure do plan ahead.”

“Well, I still couldn’t anticipate you getting the real thing… but it makes for a good control now.”

Twilight peered over. “Oh! Is that what passes for average here? You humans are so adorable.”

RD kicked the soccer ball with a flourish, sending it right into the goal. It was her tenth one in a row, and she pumped her fist in the air. Each time she scored, she made a point of stepping back a little more. She was already getting in the long shots from past quarter-field.

“That’s pretty good, but I know you can do better!” A voice called.

“Okay, who has the b—” shouted RD as she turned to face the speaker, already frowning that someone would interrupt not just her practice but her cheering. Nobody interrupted her victory laps.

Except herself, apparently.

RD stared. At first, she thought it might be someone trying to mess with her, but one look at the hair had her convinced. She could spot a multicolor-dye job or wig a mile away. “Whoa… you’re the me from Equestria!”

Rainbow grinned. “That’s right! We’re all visiting for the day. Pinkie’s got a party planned for later. I'm supposed to go get you for it.”

RD rolled her eyes at hearing Pinkie’s name. “I bet the whole thing was her idea, right?” She glanced towards the goal, then back at Rainbow. “Hey, do you play?”

“Nah, but it looks simple. You knock it into the goal, and there is a goalie that tries to stop you?”

RD nodded and added. “And the rest of the team, but that’s pretty much it. That and you can’t use your hands.”

Rainbow looked at her fist and wiggled her fingers, afterwards she shrugged. “Fine with me.”

RD jogged over to the goal and brought the ball towards the center of the field. She dribbled the ball between her feet before she kicked it towards Rainbow. “Show me what you got!”

Rainbow waited and then abruptly spun to boot the soccer ball backward. She stumbled and flapped with her arms for balance as she did.

RD leapt upward and stopped the ball with a headbutt. When she came back down, she planted a foot on it. “The hell was that?”

“Sorry. It’s not easy to look over my shoulder like this. Try me again.”

RD set up another shot and kicked the ball over. Once again Rainbow did an about-face, but this time she kept on turning. The motion had her rear kick become a spin kick that sent the ball in another high sailing arch. RD took the ball square on the chest to stop it.

Annoyed, RD kicked the ball hard to return the favor. Rainbow grinned and turned to stop the ball with her shoulder instead of her tits. She bounced it on the tip of a foot afterwards before she ran with it in a sprint for RD’s goal.

RD first backpedaled, then turned to keep up. Damn, she’s fast!

Bringing her foot around, Rainbow spinkicked a shot at the goal in from the side.

That had RD needing to dive and swat the ball out of the air, though she winced at the welt it left on her fingers.

“Hey! You said no hands!” protested Rainbow.

RD shook the sting from her fingertips. “The goalie can when they are in the box in front of the goal. See the lines? Sorry, forgot to tell you that part.”

Rainbow eyed her twin before she scoffed. “S’okay. I know you need any help you can get.”

RD frowned. Was she usually like this? Though she wasn’t going to let that comment slide. “I was only gonna go easy on you, but if you want every bit of my awesomeness...”

Working the ball between foot and knee, RD feinted left before she broke right and zig-zagged around her Equestrian double. She went flat out and charged at Rainbow’s open goal. Her kick sent the soccer ball flying down the center.

A ripple of air and flapping wings rushed over RD's head as Rainbow zoomed to to the goal and punched the ball mid-flight down into to the grass like spiking a volleyball.

Afterwards, Rainbow hovered in place and looked down at herself. She apparently had ponied up complete with the ears, wings, and extended hair. “Huh, you guys can do this over here? Why didn’t you fly from the start?”

When Rainbow pointed at her, RD looked over her own shoulders. Sure enough, she had ponied up too. She had been so focused on making the goal she hadn’t even noticed the transformation happen.

“It’s usually only when we play music,” said RD while she scratched behind her pony ear. “I guess it also happens when we get worked up, too?”

Rainbow grinned. “Well, you look way cooler now. Kinda cute too. Wanna go at it again now that we both got wings?”

RD couldn’t deny a bit of competitive curiosity. Finding anyone to match her in soccer was hard enough, and when would she ever get another chance to face off with another ponied up pegasus? Sparkle and Fluttershy were hopeless with sports.

They faced off at the center of the field with the ball between them. RD threw out a kick and Rainbow countered nearly at the same time. With no place to go, the ball flew skywards, and both ponygirls flapped to rise with it. RD got over first and headbutted the ball forward, forcing Rainbow to fall back to intercept.

Before it could even hit the ground, Rainbow spin-kicked it over. With the addition of flight, the game played more like volleyball than soccer, each girl meeting the ball before it could land.

RD led Rainbow into going higher and higher before she booted the ball downward and dove underneath, skimming the ground while she kicked the ball to keep it going as she raced for the goal. She slid on the final yards, kicking as she did. It was a shot from nearly mid-field, but when her foot landed, the ball took off on a streamer of rainbow-colored magic. Her longest shot yet!

Rainbow dropped from above into the goalie box with her eyes widening. She had only just enough time to fall down and push off the ground with her hands while she threw both legs back in a buck.

It looked ridiculous, but when Rainbow’s soles hit the soccer ball, it flew back like a multi-colored rocket. RD dodged on reflex before she cursed when she saw it continue straight down the field. No way she’s gonna score on me from the damn goalie box!

RD winged hard after it. The air felt funny and colors of magic surrounded her as she flew. When the ball crossed the goalie box of her own goal, she fell on it in a tackle. Hitting the ground in a tumble and rolling with it as she hugged it tight to her chest. She bounced right into the goal netting, and the thing collapsed around her.

“You… hah… are.... okay?” asked Rainbow as she approached the tangled up RD.

“You… ah… hah… di-didn’t score!” replied RD, clutching the ball in arms and wings, fending it from the netting all around her.

Rainbow lifted the goalpost’s netting. “Ha! I don’t think the rules are that different. Ball’s in the goal even if you hugging it.” She winked and reached out with a hand. “You did a great job, though, don’t be sore.”

RD eyed the hand and reached for it. She tried to pull Rainbow down, but Rainbow braced for it and instead hefted RD up to her feet.

Rainbow’s free hand hooked around RD’s hip and took a firm squeeze on her rear before RD could try to trip her. “Not gonna fall for that eith—hmmph” Her smug assurance broken at last by the sudden kiss RD gave her.

RD finished the kiss with a small nibble on Rainbow’s lower lip. “Showers?”

“Showers,” Rainbow agreed.

Rarity was in heaven.

A heaven made by the row after row of hair products. Display cases full of mascara swatches, lipsticks, liner and more. Her first thought was of how Aloe and Lotus would swoon if they could see such a wealth of products, but then she saw their human versions in the Spa tending to customers. It had her giggling.

Seeing the humanized versions of the spa ponies brought an interesting dilemma. Wait for someone familiar to be available, or be adventurous? Still giddy in the spirit of traveling to parts unknown she looked for someone she didn’t recognize from Ponyville.

Oh My Celestia! Look at the mane on that one, she must spend a fortune on it! I bet she knows everything there is to know about human hair care.

Rarity went over to the bright, orange haired girl and readied her opening pitch. “Hello! I am new in town, and I am looking for—”

“You!” The girl exclaimed with a narrowing of her eyes. “What are you doing here?!”

“Yes, it is I! And if you would allow me just a moment I will say,” chided Rarity before she resumed her practiced speech. “I am new in town, and I am looking for the absolute best you have to offer in this spa.”

“You've got a lot of nerve coming in here to ask me that!” said the girl. She looked furious.

Goodness, these humans can be so rude!

Inwardly, Rarity had thought the mirror could have done a better job in her outfit. She would have preferred a dress more fitting of a mare who owned three boutiques in three cities. She needed to have a talk with Twilight about adjusting it to be more fashion sensitive.

“I know I look like a vagrant, but you cannot fault a lady at the beginning of her travel. Coming to the spa is a step in getting myself respectable. You could even say it’s a treat for myself.” Rarity knew if her human self were to visit Equestria the reverse would be true. She had no intention of looking like something bedraggled at their first meeting.

Thankfully, the mirror had turned her saddlebags into a rather cute purse. Rarity brought out a few gemstones from it and laid them on the countertop. “You see! I'm a mare of means. I will forgive you for thinking otherwise.”

The girl paused and looked down at the countertop, then at Rarity. “Mare? You… are from Equestria? Are these Equestrian gems?”

Rarity brightened. Twilight mentioned how some CHS students knew about ponies after she came to their rescue twice. Or was it thrice? Rarity couldn’t quite remember all the details of those stories, but it made this exchange considerably easier.

“They are! I assure you I’ve had a dragon test their worth and quality,” answered Rarity. It wasn’t an untrue statement, though she did wonder if Spike judged them more on flavor than their intrinsic value.

“Do you have two more of these?” the girl asked, very carefully she picked out a ruby from the countertop.

Rarity smiled, feeling the proverbial bite on the line. Now to reel her in. “Oh, I might! Though I must say that for those rubies I’d want the complete makeover.”

Adagio Dazzle peered into the gem, and a smile crept on her features. “Complete makeover, hmm? That can be arranged.”