In the Space Between

It was another day in the small town of Ponyville. Everyone was on there way to work or school. A pretty white unicorn mare with fabulously curled hair stepped out of her house. It was Rarity. Everywhere she went, people smiled at her lovely demeanour, and boys fell for her. "Applejack, darling, time for school!" she called, trotting to the local grave.

An orange Earth pony with blonde hair in in ponytail, and a Stetson county hat stepped outside. Unlike Rarity, people gave her strange looks and whispered. She was the witch girl of the town. She always did strange things, like staying around a grave, and wearing black on every occasion. But still, Applejack and Rarity were best friends.

"Comin' Rarity" said Applejack, grabbing her black saddlebag.

"Another day in little old Ponyville" smiled Rarity, "But soon I'll have a prince, and a castle"

"Ya know that's not real- right?" Applejack said, rolling her eyes as they walked.

"Oh it's real all right, I can feel it" Every day, Rarity fantasised of her future prince, while Applejack wanted nothing to do with boys.

"Ah think our friendship is all we need" said Applejack. The girls went through the usual boring classes, and dull lunches as always.

"Remember darling, apply blush with upward strokes" said Rarity, levitating the blush.

"I don't see why I need it!" complained Applejack, grimacing as the brush drew nearer.

"Ah! No Applejack, grimacing give you wrinkles" reminded Rarity, "And when I go on with my prince, I want you to get wed to a nice stableboy or something"

The afternoon dragged on, as the pair headed back to the grave, Applejack's home.

"See you tomorrow darling" said Rarity.

"Goodnight!" said Applejack. All of a sudden, Rarity spotted a lovely jewelled mirror.

"Oh, I have to keep this" gushed Rarity, admiring herself in the mirror. And then, the mirror glowed and vibrated, creating a light show. Applejack was heading inside, but saw her friend being sucked inside.

"Rarity! Hold on!" she cried, trying to pull her out of the suction of the mirror. Applejack's grip loosened, and with a scream, they both disappeared into the mirror.

Rarity opened her eyes to find herself in a disgusting, sticky moat. "Eew!" she cried, getting out onto the black pavement.

"Applejack!" she called.

"Here Rarity!" called Applejack. Instead of a moat, Applejack found herself in a beach, with sparkling sand. Thought a moat would have been better for her, it has great healing and smells great.

Rarity ran towards her friend, but she slammed into a barrier. Getting up, she tapped her hoof against the invisible wall.

"There seems like some kind of invisible barrier here!" cried Rarity, "Which means I'm stuck in this disgusting world"

A castle black as tar stood tall behind her, with bubbling stinky moats everywhere.

"And I'm stuck here!" Applejack pointed towards a castle white as crystal, surrounded by pristine lagoons, and rainbows everywhere.

"I was meant to be there, in a beautiful castle with my prince!" moaned Rarity.

"Really? We should worry about how to get out" Applejack said, not admitting she would love to go to the castle which Rarity was stuck with.

"We can multi-task" said Rarity, "I suggest we should go and ask people how to get out of here"

"Good plan. We'll meet here tomorrow" said Applejack. Both girls turned around, gulped, and headed the the castles.

Rarity trudged through the dirt and muck of the icky land she was in. She delicately tried to avoid it, but her hooves were stained with dirt by now. Rarity looked around, and saw other ponies her age there as well. Some had crazy hair, warts, distorted faces, creepy horns. Rarity freaked out when she saw a purple and green small dragon run towards her.

"Hi. I'm Spike. Woah, you sure are pretty!" said the dragon.

Rarity put her fear aside and talked to him. "Um, Spike, I'm Rarity. How do we get out of here?"

"Get out of here? Why would you want to leave? I don't want you to leave" said Spike, saying the last part dreamily.

"Long story. Now about getting out-" started Rarity.

"Not possible. Only person with that sort of magic is Princess Luna" explained Spike,"But no one has ever seen her. Ever!"

"Good enough for me!" said Rarity walking off, "Wait, where can I live?"

"With me...I mean! Uh, since everyone is new here, you'll be assigned roommates and sent off to quests tommorow morning- speaking of, you dropped your sheet" said Spike, handing her a sheet with three names written.

Rarity of Ponyville to room with: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie

Meanwhile, Applejack had caused a real commotion in her side. She had stepped on a vegetable patch, getting into an argument with the gardener, splattered mud on a girl's dress, who made a big fuss, and called another girl's clothes 'ugly', sending her off in tears.

When she arrived at the castle, she was astounded by what she saw. Pixies and fairies were flitting around, and mare's dancing and singing around in poofy dresses, with silver pathways leading to the castle, and princes duelling with swords.

"Seems like something out of Rarity's imagination" muttered Applejack. Out of the sky, a sheet fell into her hooves.

Applejack of Ponyville to room with: Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer

"Hi, I'm assuming you're Applejack?" asked a purple alicorn mare, with straight darker purple hair, with streaks of pink.

"Yes and you are?" asked Applejack.

"Twilight Sparkle, and this is my friend Starlight Glimmer, we're rooming with you" said Twilight, pointing to a light purple unicorn mare with dark purple hair, with streaks of teal.

"May I ask why you have a black saddlebag, and- are here?" asked Starlight, "You don't seem like someone who belongs here"

"My black saddlebag is better than you prissy pink one, and A'm not to fond of stain' here anyway. Iffin' you excuse me, ah need to get out of here" said Applejack.

"If you want to get out of here, you need to see Princess Celestia, but no one has ever seen her!" said Starlight.

"Princess who-what-now?"