Portal to Another World

by Backburner

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Human, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 48552

Twilight is convinced to use a new spell to take her friends on vacation, only to find no way back.

Twilight Sparkle wakes to a normal day in Ponyville, a bright sunny sky greeting her. The only pony who doesn’t seem able to enjoy it is Rainbow Dash, who is dodging weather duty and begs Twilight to hide her. After being invited to stay at the library for the day, Rainbow discovers Twilight is working on a new spell, a spell that could take any group of ponies anywhere.

Twilight soon finds herself pressured into taking her friends on vacation, somewhere far away from Ponyville. When the group of six arrives in a wooded clearing for a picnic, and feel themselves grow incredibly tired, Twilight opts to cut the vacation short only to realize she can’t open the portal back. Stuck in this unknown place the friends discover a strange line in the ground cutting the forest in half, and then an even stranger creature piloting a huge machine that towers over them.

When the creature nearly makes off with Applejack, managing to dislocate her leg, Twilight tries to figure out how the group could possibly get home, and what was preventing them from using their gifts to open the portal. She is driven to drastic measures when another of the creatures finds the clearing they arrived in, and finds out getting it to help her may be her only hope to lead her friends to safety, and discover the truth behind this other world.

Published 2012-07-25 05:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-15 11:48:35 UTC

Ponyville

Ponyville was having another sunny day; the dawn had already broken over the horizon lighting the sky in a symphony of colors. Shops and businesses were just opening for the day, as the market place grew packed. Sugarcube Corner let in its first group of customers while The Carousel Boutique’s display of new summer dresses caught the eye of ponies out for a stroll. Even the Everfree Forest seemed to brighten under the smile of the sun while Ponyville greeted the day. But as the town awoke, inside the Ponyville library it was still as dark as Luna’s mane.

Twilight Sparkle lay in her bed, indulging herself in a peaceful sleep. All around her lay books in neat stacks that cluttered the room, indicating another late night study session had taken place. One book lies open next to Twilight’s pillow; its pages ruffling as Twilight breathed. The noise of ponies outside however soon filtered its way into the library as a soft hum of conversation, waking the motionless Twilight. Slowly opening her eyes, Twilight blinked at the darkness as the world came into focus. The book before her drew a smile to her face as she saw the pages turn.

“I must have been exhausted last night, I didn’t even place you back on your shelf.” Twilight sat up, looking around at the stacks of books about the room. “Or any of you for that matter.” Twilight’s horn glowed as she pulled up the shade of her window and was surprised at the abundance of sunshine that leapt into the room. Covering her face with a hoof, she allowed herself time to adjust to the light of day. “Well I sure overslept, it’s already morning. Spike, it’s time for us to get going.”

Twilight looked down at Spike’s bed to find it empty. “Spike?” Twilight said, confused. “It’s not like you to go out without telling me.” Twilight rolled off her bed and made her way through the stacks of books to the basket. Inside was a small note that had previously been hidden from her view. Twilight’s magic brought the letter to eye level as she read aloud.

Twilight,

You stayed up pretty late last night looking through those books; I didn’t want to wake you. As you may remember the list we made a few days ago about what you planned to do today is on the windowsill. As much as I wish I could be here to help today, Princess Celestia sent me an urgent letter about going to see her. I should be back tomorrow, so I have all my chores done for the day after that, just in case.
See you soon,

-Spike

When Twilight finished reading the letter she turned to see the list under the window she had opened only a moment ago. “Alright Spike, I guess I’m on my own today.” Levitating the list over and replacing it with Spike’s note, she looked through the day’s agenda. “First, pick up Owloysius from Fluttershy’s cottage. Then Rarity needs somepony to model dresses…that’s it? It’s a short schedule today, Spike picked a good time to be busy.”

Twilight rolled up the list and placed it back on the windowsill. She decided to leave the books out until she came back that evening. No sense in putting up what she would get out again when she got back, and she was probably running late as it was. Making her way downstairs and grabbing a quick breakfast, Twilight made her way out into Ponyville. Twilight loved the sight of Ponyville in the morning, and the Pegasus ponies had outdone themselves on the weather, only the occasional stray cloud broke the perfect blue sky.

Traveling through town toward the path to Fluttershy’s cottage, Twilight expertly made her way through the traffic of ponies. As she made her way through one of the various side streets staring at the rich shade of blue, she felt a gust of wind sweep past blowing her mane into her face. Magically moving the hair aside, Twilight saw a ruffle in a hedge in front of her. Ponyville was a place for odd things to happen, most of them turning out stranger than Twilight would like, but curiosity overtook her as she trotted to the hedge looking it over quizzically.

“Um… is somepony in there?” She asked.

“Shh,” The bush replied as it shook slightly.

“Who’s in there?” Twilight said stepping closer.

“I said SSShhhh, they’re going to find me!” Came the bush’s response.

“Rainbow Dash?” Said Twilight questioningly. “I thought it would be Fluttershy running from her shadow again or Pinkie…doing that…hiding thing. Why are you hiding?” Rainbow Dash stuck a hoof out of the hedge and pointed at the sky.

“The Cloud Patrol.” Rainbow said before pulling her hoof back into her hiding spot. Twilight looked up to see a squadron of Pegasus ponies clearing away the few stray clouds from the skies over Ponyville. “They want me to help move the clouds over the Everfree forest. But there’s no way I’m working on a day like this.”

Twilight remembered being introduced to the cloud patrol during her first Winter Wrap Up. They kept clouds formed in the Everfree Forest from drifting over Ponyville, and organized Equestria’s precipitation. The base of their operation was Cloudsdale, but squadrons flew around all of Equestria.

“Rainbow Dash, you can’t run from The Cloud Patrol forever, they’re all around Ponyville and-”

“-And if they catch you talking to a bush their going to know something’s up, so why don’t you just…do whatever Earth ponies do on sunny days. Read a book or something.”

Twilight turned to continue on her way, but looked back before she started off. “Good luck Rainbow Dash, hope you get a chance to enjoy the day from somewhere outside the foliage. By the way, this light is great for reading.”

“Yeah, Yeah, I might like reading now, but not on a day like this.”

With that, Twilight left Rainbow and continued through town. After finding her way through the crowds of the Market Square and into the city limits, she decided to detour slightly and visit Sweet Apple Acres. It was after all only a minute or so out of her way. Twilight spotted Applejack and Applebloom sitting under a shady tree talking. Applejack was turned away from Twilight looking down at the cross hoofed Applebloom.

“Applebloom, I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a sleepover tonight. Big Mac and I don’t got much in us to supervise young’uns for awhile.”

“But Applebuck Season’s over! Why can’t we just stay in the clubhouse?” Came Applebloom’s disappointed response as she looked up at her sister.

“‘Cause if we put ya in the clubhouse we know ya won’t stay put. Applebloom, y’all don’t have the best record when it comes ta not running off.”

“You can have your friends over whenever ya want, why can’t I have them tonight?”

“Applebloom, listen ta your big sister on this one, maybe some other time.” Twilight had already reached the tree, but had been reluctant to interrupt the argument or pass by. Applebloom had heard enough from Applejack however and stood up to leave. She noticed Twilight standing near the tree and gave Applejack a hateful look.

“I told ya, ya already got ponies showing up!” Turning abruptly, she then ran off into the apple orchard. Applejack watched her go before turning to Twilight.

“That filly,” she said. “I don’t like tell’n her no but me and Big Mac just can’t handle two more fillies today.”

“What exactly is stopping you?” Twilight asked as she sat down next to Applejack opposite where Applebloom had been.

“Applebuck Season was hard on us, this year’s crop had to be taken to market in six extra cities. Big Mac and I rode the train more times in the past week then I can count. Sell’n, set’n up stands, load’n ‘n unload’n, needless to say we ain’t exactly well rested. So the idea of watching three school age fillies ain’t a welcome prospect.” Twilight knew what a hoofful the girls could be having foalsitted them a few times in the past.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to get them together, I’m actually heading to Fluttershy’s cottage, want me to ask her if she could watch them?” Applejack smiled at Twilight and tipped her hat.

“I’d be much obliged, y’all need a job done I could help with to repay the favor?” Twilight thought for a second before responding, a smile crossing her face.

“Actually there is, do you think you could drop by Rarity’s in about an hour? She asked for some help today, the three of us could get through it no problem.” Applejack nodded her head in agreement.

“You got it sugar cube. You plan’n to stick around for an early lunch, or do you want to head out? Fluttershy’s cottage is quite a walk from here.”

“I think I’m going to get on my way, but thank you for the offer.”

“No problem Twilight, see you at Rarity’s.” Twilight stood and wished Applejack a good end to Applebuck season before continuing on her way. Once back on track to her destination, Twilight allowed herself the pleasure of a daydream. The path, much like the mare she was off to visit, was always very quiet and peaceful making the journey seem much shorter when you had something to think about. Twilight was so lost in thought she had nearly reached the cottage before she heard the faint screams from behind it.

Jarred back to reality Twilight circled the building to find Fluttershy and Pinkie chasing bunnies around the open field. Angel was the only one to stay still, watching the whole scene with stubborn silence. Fluttershy seemed to be the one Twilight had heard, occasionally squealing as she chases the bunnies. Twilight rushed through the chaotic scene wondering what had spooked Flutershy’s animals this time.

“What’s going on here,” Twilight said, upon reaching Fluttershy. “Why are all the bunnies running rampant?” Fluttershy turned to Twilight, a playful smile on her face that starkly contrasted from Twilight’s worried expression.

“Oh…Twilight, today’s the day all the little bunnies start to leave the care of their families to start their own. This is their first day without parents and Pinkie Pie is helping me keep them from running off too far.”

“Yeah!” Cried Pinkie Pie from across the yard. “Isn’t it fun to see how they bounce around? Bouncy boing boing boing!” Pinkie Pie then bounced around the bunnies leading them closer to Fluttershy and Twilight. Picking one up in a forehoof and showing it to the pair. “Soooooooooooooo cute, right!?” Fluttershy squeaked as one of the bunnies nudged against her leg, backing into another she let out a sharp yelp, but it was clear she was squealing from joy instead of fright. Twilight smiled at the bunny on Pinkie’s hoof who’s darting head observed the world from the new height it found itself on.

“You’re right Pinkie, as much as I wish I could stay to watch them with you I’m really only here to pick up Owloysius.” Twilight turned to Fluttershy who was motioning for Angel to join in the bunnies’ frolic. Angel returned her gesture with crossed arms and a stubborn face at which Fluttershy shook her head.

“Owloysius is on top of the cottage.” She said, now turned to Twilight. “His checkup went well but I think he could use another in a week or so in order to stretch his wings a bit, if you wouldn’t mind dropping him off again.”

“Of course Fluttershy, I’ll bring him back as soon as I can spare him. By the way, Applejack wanted me to ask if you wouldn’t mind Applebloom and the Crusaders having a sleepover here tonight.” Fluttershy looked around at the bunnies and the smile dropped from her face before she answered.

“I’m sorry Twilight, but I don’t think I can do much of anything with the bunnies here, but you can tell Applejack I’m available next week.”

“That sounds fine, I’m supposed to meet her soon at Rarity’s so I’ll pass along the message then.”

Fluttershy nodded before returning her attention to Angel. The little bunny hadn’t moved an inch since Twilight arrived, which made her believe it would take a lot more to get him to budge. Twilight shook her head as she made her way to Fluttershy’s cottage. Owloysius was napping on the roof; Twilight didn’t know how he was able to ignore the sound of the bunnies running about and Fluttershy’s squeaks. But being nocturnal, she guessed he was used to ignoring the noises of the day.

“Owloysius,” she called. “Time to go home.”

Even this however wasn’t enough to wake the bird, who barely ruffled a feather at his owners voice. Twilight smiled as she lit up her horn. Picking up the snoozing form of the owl, she gently lowered him down onto her back. Twilight began to make her way back to Ponyville, but just when she was out of ear range of Fluttershy’s outcries, a pegasus squad lowered themselves in front of her.

“Hello Ms.Sparkle” Said one of the ponies. He was a large green stallion with a purple mane and tail. Around his neck he had on a red sash to show he was in charge of the group behind him. Twilight recognized the strap as belonging to a cloud squad. “You wouldn’t happen to have a spare moment?”

“Of course. This wouldn’t be about Rainbow Dash would it?”

“Unfortunately it is. You see she hasn’t reported to cloud duty. My team here has been tasked with locating her. We figured as one of her close friends you would know where she is.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know where she could be, I saw her in town earlier today though.”

“Thank you Ms.Sparkle.” The stallion turned around to his team. With a nod of his head they took off into the sky toward Ponyville. Twilight watched them fly away and was about to continue walking when a voice from behind startled her.

“Thanks Twilight, I was sure they had me that time.” Twilight looked all around her for the place where Rainbow Dash was hiding, finally spotting her tail hanging from the highest branch of a nearby tree.

“Rainbow Dash what are you doing out here…I can see your tail.” Rainbow’s tail quickly vanished into the leaves of the tree.

“Too many ponies out today, one of them was gonna spot me if I stayed in Ponyville, but now that the patrol is looking for me there I’m free to catch some Z’s!”

“You do know that’s not the only patrol out today, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If they were looking for you they aren’t just limiting the search to Ponyville.”

“What’s your point?” Said Rainbow Dash ruffling the leaves of the tree.

“If they come back here to find you, you’re not going to find many other places to hide.” Rainbow Dash poked her head out of the leaves to see the open countryside sparsely dotted with vegetation before meeting the Everfree Forest. “The city is full of places to hide though. I think you should head back.”

“But that patrols are going to be on the lookout for me there. I can’t go back!”

“You can’t stay here. You just said they almost had you, what are you going to do when I’m not here to redirect them.” Said Twilight matter-of-factly. Rainbow wrinkled her nose, pulling her head back into the tree. Twilight sighed. “Think about it Rainbow.” She said as she resumed her walk to Ponyville.

As she passed the many ponies doing their daily tasks she reached The Carousel Boutique to find a line nearly forty ponies long. Cautiously she made her way to the front of the line and with a shy smile she pushed her way into the door. Rarity rushed about trailed by several pieces of fabric and supplies surrounded by her magic aura. She was so busy she didn’t see Twilight until after Owloysius had been moved from Twilight’s back to a comfy spot near the door.

“Oh, Darling! Thank goodness you’re here. I desperately need a second opinion. Look at Applejack and tell me if her flank looks too big,”

“Now hold up their, I ain’t gatta help you if I don’t want to.” Came a voice from across the room.

Twilight spotted Applejack tucked away at the side of the shop modeling a half-finished blue gown. Applejack cast an accusing glance at Twilight, which Twilight pretended not to see.

“Now darling I meant in the dress, your flank looks fine on its own.”

“Y’all best mean that.” Applejack said as she turned to look longingly at her hat hung by the door

“The dress looks beautiful Rarity.” Said Twilight as she followed the white mare dashing around the room. “Is Applejack your only model today?”

“Well as you may remember, I lent one of my stands to Sweetie Belle for one of her cutie mark quests, unfortunately she thought I said she could use them all, and hasn’t returned yet. So when Applejack here came in and saw my abysmal efforts she offered to help, I’ve made her my temporary replacement until I get my hooves on that little rascal.”

“Almost makes me wish I’d stayed in bed.” Came Applejack’s smug reply. Twilight couldn’t suppress a smile as she looked at Rarity.

“Well I actually came by to help, but if Applejack is modeling I can help with the customers outside.”

“Oh, darling, would you? I know you didn’t expect this. Thank you, thank you so much!”

“No need to thank me, I’m happy to help.” Twilight walked back outside to see the line of ponies growing slightly antsy. From somewhere out of Twilight’s sight a voice called out to her.

“Will Rarity let us in yet?” Another voice further back cried out.

“We’re being let in!?!” The few voices turned into a roar as the ponies shuffled forward pushing the line closer to the door. Twilight moved herself in front of the door and attempted to push back a young stallion that had the misfortune of being first in line.

“Everypony keep calm, Rarity is trying her best to get everypony’s orders ready! Just wait a moment and you’ll all get what you came for!” But the roar of the ponies drowned out her voice. The stallion in front of her wiggled his way out from between Twilight and the mare behind him, but Twilight kept herself in front of the door, blocking his rout.

The line began to clump at the front as ponies desperate to get in tried to bypass Twilight. She tried to step back to stop them but each step she took made them change their course. Twilight found herself being forced back against the door, in desperation she used her magic to form a bubble around herself. Slowly the bubble expanded forcing back what had become a wall of ponies pushing and shoving their way to the door.

Twilight stood behind the bubble which was now about 4 feet in diameter. The bubble had served to stop a lot of the shoving as everypony could see it had become a useless effort. But any resemblance of a line had collapsed. Eagerly the ponies looked in on Twilight confused and ready to bolt should the bubble drop.

“Everypony be patient. Rarity will be right out.” As Twilight said this, the door swung open and Rarity calmly strutted out as if on cue.

“Oh my, Darling, what happened out here? Why is this tacky bubble over my front door?” Twilight raised a hoof to point at the ponies that had begun a slow rumble of conversation as a response to Raritys’ emergence.

“It’s to keep them from trying to rush in the door. I don’t know how long I can hold them back so I hope that you’re coming to say you’re ready to see some of them.” Rarity looked out at the group of ponies.

“Well by all means darling let them in.” Twilight’s hoof dropped as she looked at Rarity in confusion. “The door can only let in two at a time. If you use your magic to close it after each pair enters I should be able to handle it.” Twilight followed Rarity inside and dropped the force field around the door. Ponies slowly filtered in and order returned in a sense.

After an hour or so the last of the orders were placed and Rarity was busier then ever making new dresses, much to Applejack’s dismay. When it was apparent that Twilight’s help was no longer needed, she went to pick up Owloysius.

“Now hold up there.” Came Applejacks voice. “Twilight, you ain’t leaving me hear alone are ya? I don’t think I can take much more of this frilly stuff.” Twilight turned to Applejack as she put Owloysius on her back.

“I’m sure you will be fine Applejack. Just think of how grateful Rarity is.”

“You mean not a’tall?”

“Applejack, now you know that’s not true.”

“I’ll put the farm on a bet that says she won’t give me a lick a thanks.”

“ Even if she doesn’t say it she’s still very grateful that you would do something like this for her. If you needed something I’m sure she would come to help you. You’ll be fine, unfortunately though I have some bad news.”

“Nothing can be worse then what I’m already in. What is it?”

“Fluttershy says she’s to busy with the new bunny families to have the girls over ‘til next week. She wants to, but it looks like she’s got her hooves full already.”

“Well, I guess that ain’t all bad, I wish everypony weren’t so busy.”

“I hope you find somepony Applejack, I’d offer to take care of them myself but you know what they’d do to the library.”

Applejack nodded. “I understand, I just hope I survive this frilly nonsense.”

“You’ll be fine.” Twilight said as she made her way out the door toward home. Now that the line of ponies was gone Ponyville had returned to its peaceful tranquility. Twilight walked along looking up at the clear blue of sky, endless rows of brightly colored houses stretching before her. She was so absorbed in the day’s brilliance she almost didn’t notice Rainbow Dash jumping in front of her.

“Twilight you gotta to help me!” Rainbow Dash said grabbing on to Twilight’s shoulders. “They’re right on my tail, I thought about what you said and I knew I couldn’t stay outside of town. So I came back to hide in Sugar Cube Corner with Pinkie but there was a patrol at the entrance. I think they saw me come this way, please, please, please help me find a place to hide!” Twilight put a hoof on Rainbows forelegs and lowered them to the ground calmly.

“Now, Rainbow Dash you need to calm down.”

“Calm down, CALM DOWN? They want me to WORK, on a sunny day like THIS, how can I calm down!” Twilight smiled at Rainbow dash. The cyan pony may be the element of loyalty, but she was by no means the element of subtlety.

“Why don’t you come back to the library with me. The patrol has already questioned me so I don’t think they will try looking for you there.”

“You want me to stay IN A LIBRARY on a day like this. That might be worse than working!”

“Well it’s that or you try to find another bush.” Rainbow Dash thought this over, Looking in every direction to see if a patrol was coming. Finally her eyes met Twilight’s again.

“Alright you make a good point, let’s get going. Hurry before they find me!” With that, Twilight and Rainbow Dash made their way back to the library; Rainbow hopping from fruit stands, bushes, and behind startled ponies as she avoided the sight of passing squadrons.

When they arrived Twilight was practically shoved through the door by Rainbow Dash who then slammed it shut. Flying around the library she checked to be sure they were alone, shutting every window shade and checking behind every door. Satisfied by what she had found, she dropped herself down on Twilight’s bed in the middle of the stacks of books. The book Twilight had been reading the night before flew off the bed into one of the stacks scattering them on the floor.

“Boy Twilight, you sure have a lot of stuff just lying around.” Rainbow Dash said as she looked at the mess. Twilight sat Owloysius on his stand and made her way upstairs to Rainbow Dash

“Rainbow I didn’t exactly think I’d have company today, plus I had a study session last night.” Rainbow sat up and opened her mouth pretending to insert a hoof.

“I don’t get you Twilight, how can you sit around and read ALL the time. I mean, reading isn’t always bad, but a lot of its BOOOORING!” Rainbow Dash fell back on to the bed to emphasize her point. Without moving to see Twilight’s response she added, “What were you reading anyway?” Twilight picked up the book she had been reading when she fell asleep from its resting place on the floor. Using her magic she held it in front of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow adjusted herself so she was sitting and then took the book. It was rather old, the tittle all but worn off. “Portal Walkers.” Said Rainbow Dash reading it. “What’s it about?”

“Well it’s actually very interesting. It’s a biography of various ponies who used there magic to transport large groups to places all over Equestria. It’s a guide on this spell and how it can be used to…”

“Wait hold up there, they could take a group of ponies anywhere?” Twilight stopped her summery to answer Rainbows question.

“In theory they could, but it’s been a long time since anypony has used this spell, I haven’t yet found out why.” Rainbow flipped quickly through the pages, her eyes darting from word to word.

“Twilight, this looks like it tells you how to cast it, can you do this spell?”

“Well I haven’t exactly mastered it, I’ve barely started, and…”

“So that’s a yes right?” Rainbow was getting excited; she hovered over the bed staring at Twilight. “You should take us all on vacation! The girls would have a blast in Filledelphia, or Manehatten, Even Las Pegasus!”

“Rainbow, I can’t just uproot everypony to go on vacation. Everypony is hard at work with there own lives. Rarity has a huge amount of dresses to make, Fluttershy and Pinkie have the new bunnies to look after, Applejack is still recovering from Applebuck season, it would be wrong to just force them to go somewhere when they’re busy with other things.”

“You wouldn’t be forcing them, in fact that’s exactly why you should do this. Think about it Twilight, everypony here is so overworked they need a vacation to keep from going crazy. Come on Twilight, what about for just a day, one day, how can that hurt? We travel somewhere new and exciting, have a good time and get back before anything can go wrong.”

Twilight thought about it, she knew her friends would all love an opportunity to relax. But she couldn’t ask them to just pack up and go. She started to say no again but Rainbow Dash was dead set on this idea. There was no way everypony would agree with this, was there?

“Alright Rainbow Dash, if, and only if you convince everypony to go, I’ll see what I can do.” Twilight hoped this would quiet Rainbow, but her smile only broadened as she flew to the door and, pausing only to check the sky, rushed out into Ponyville. Twilight knew Rainbow Dash; she was going to do everything she could to get this. Twilight stood looking down at the door for a moment before she made her way to her bookstand and placed the book in front of herself. At the very least she was going to be prepared.

* * *

A short time later five ponies entered Twilight’s tree, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and lastly Rainbow Dash who quickly closed the door behind her. Twilight had been studying the book the majority of the time Rainbow was gone and was surprised at the sound of the door slamming. But after seeing her friends she walked to the door to greet them.

“Hello everypony, I don’t know what Rainbow Dash has told you, but…” Twilight paused as she noticed the saddlebags each pony had on their backs, all fully packed. “Rainbow, what did you tell them?” Rainbow looked at Twilight proudly.

“I told them we’re going on a picnic. They all brought some food and essentials. Blanket, plates, boots, umbrellas-”

Twilight interrupted. “What, why all this? I thought we were just going for a few hours to get away from Ponyville.”

“Well at first I went to Applejack to see if she could bring snacks I could bribe Pinkie with.” Rainbow Dash pointed to Pinkie Pie who dug into her pack for an apple tart she proceeded to devour. “Applejack herself wasn’t easy to convince, I had to find somepony to help Big Macintosh watch Applebloom and get Rarity to promise not to make her wear a dress wherever we where going.” Applejack cast a suspicious glance at Rarity, who returned a smile.

“Rarity wouldn’t talk to me at first, but I heard her say she wanted inspiration so she could put a new style on her dresses or something. I told her we were going some where far away from Ponyville and it would give her as many girly ideas as she could want. So she said she needed to bring supplies to get at least some of whatever she was doing done and make some drawings.”

Rarity interrupted here “I believe you mean designs Dash.” Rainbow Dash waved her off with a motion of her hoof.

“Sure, sure, designs whatever. All that left was Fluttershy, and let me tell you I had an easier time convincing Cheerilee to help watch Applebloom. I eventually got her to go by promising to find somepony to take care of the bunnies. So I…”

“You’ve only been gone an hour! How did you do all this?” Twilight said with a mixture of amazement and shock. Rainbow looked at Twilight and smiled mischievously.

“Sounds like your not prepared. You need more time to get that spell ready.” Twilight’s ears fell back, but she tried hard to keep a confident face.

“Its not that Rainbow, the spell is actually very simple. It’s just, I don’t know what specifically I want.” Twilight turned around and looked into the book. “The book says the portals could literally take you anywhere, so you have to be specific on where you want to go. Such as if I wanted to go to Cloudsdale city hall. If I just told the portal to take me to Cloudsdale, I could end up anywhere in the city. In the rainbow waterfall, on top the tallest building, or even inside the cloud the whole city’s built on.”

Fluttershy started to back away from the group. “This doesn’t sound very safe.”

Twilight looked behind herself to see her friends. “Well as long as we say exactly where we want to end up it should be fine.”

“I don’t know about y’all,” said Applejack, stepping toward Twilight. “But If we can go anywhere, I think it be real neat to see how far away we can get, lets tell this fancy portal to take us as far from Ponyville as possible.”

“Oh, Applejack.” came Rarity’s voice, from the group by the door. “Did you not hear what Twilight said, if we go as far away from Ponyville as we can we could end up somewhere ridiculous, like the moon, or blank space. And I am not prepared to go on such an expedition.”

Twilight walked to the group of her friends and faced Rarity and Applejack. “Rarity’s right, let’s say we want to go to the farthest place away that’s comfortable, that way we know we won’t end up somewhere ridiculous.”

“I’d also like to go somewhere exotic, give myself a fresh perspective for my dresses.” Rarity said “But not to cold, I didn’t pack a scarf.”

Applejack said to Twilight. “Not to warm neither, I don’t want to end up in a desert, or rainy forest, or where ever the place is Rarity goes to fill her head with such hot air.” Rarity glared at Applejack but said nothing.

“Alright, exotic but not to warm or cold. Anything else?” Asked Twilight as she turned to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had grown bored of the conversation and shook her head to focus herself.

“Hey, I don’t care where we go as long as we get going.” Twilight looked at Fluttershy who turned away, but said in a hushed tone.

“I’d like to get going to please. I don’t want to be away for too long. Angel might not be able to handle the little ones even with help. Let’s just go somewhere peaceful.” Twilight nodded her head and made her way to a space she had cleared near the center of the library.

“Everypony stay back.” She said as she warmed up her magic allowing her horn to glow. As the magic built itself her horn gradually became brighter and brighter, the other ponies had to turn away to keep from being blinded by the light. Slowly, a large gray vertical line drew itself from the floor to nearly six feet into the air. Twilight released the magic and her horn stopped glowing. The ponies all gathered around the line that had formed itself.

“THAT’S supposed to be a portal?” Said Rainbow Dash unimpressed. Twilight turned to her to explain.

“This is a portal without a destination. We need to tell it where to go.” Twilight stepped up to the portal and spoke as loud as she could without shouting. “Rip in space save me time, take me to where I may find, a place as far from here as we can go that’s exotic, sunny, not to warm or cold…”

“Or rainy” said Applejack

“…or rainy…”

“Or dirty” said Rarity.

“…or dirty…”

“Actually let’s make it not to windy, I kind of want to fly” said Rainbow Dash.

“…OR WINDY.” Twilight almost shouted. The line split open forming a tall purple opening about four by six feet the same color as Twilight’s magic. Twilight stepped forward and looked at the purple fog that obscured their destination. Turning back to her friends she said, “It looks rather stable, I think it worked.”

“How can ya tell, looks like a bunch of blobs to me.” Said Applejack staring squinty eyed at the portal.

“Who cares, it’s open, let’s go.” Said Rainbow Dash galloping into the portal, disappearing from sight. Pinkie Pie bounded up to the portal, and stuck her head through. Without a word she stepped all the way in and vanished. As one by one the ponies entered the portal, Twilight found herself slightly worried. There was after all no telling where they were going. However as Rarity, Applejack, and finally Fluttershy walked through, Twilight put on a brave face and gathered her courage. Approaching the portal, she stepped into a new and unknown destination.

Clearing

The journey (If you can call it that) was instantaneous. Twilight had closed her eyes, only realizing she had walked into the portal when the terrain beneath her hooves changed from the hard floor of the library into wet grass. Twilight’s first feeling after realizing she was no longer in her home was that of fatigue. Washing over her entire being was a sense of sleepiness; even her magic that in her longest study sessions had proven inexhaustible, now felt significantly reduced.

Twilight had not read of such fatigue in the book, she attributed her feelings to nervousness and shook her head to clear it with little effect. As the portal closed behind her Twilight observed the new place she found herself in. All around her was a hilly forest, but the portal had placed Twilight and her friends in a relatively large, flat, and open clearing surrounded on all sides by trees.

Twilight noticed her friends exploring the clearing. Applejack was at the opposite side looking at some of the leaves that had fallen from the trees. Nearby Pinkie Pie attempted to climb one of the smaller trees that had unusually large branches closer to the bottom. Rainbow Dash alternated between flying around twenty feet off the ground over the clearing and walking around the area with Fluttershy trailing behind. Rarity had taken the liberty of unpacking everypony’s saddlebags and was arranging the picnic in the center of the clearing. A large red cloth had been spread on the ground that was starting to amass a good selection of apple based foods. However Twilight immediately noticed that something was wrong.

“Rarity, can I have a word with you?” Twilight said as she approached the white mare. Rarity, who had been arranging the food in the middle of the cloth, looked up at Twilight. “Why aren’t you using your magic?” Rarity frowned at Twilight as she put down the small apple pie she had been holding between her hooves.

“Twilight it’s the strangest thing, I can use my magic, but for some reason it’s a lot harder to do the simplest of spells. And anything but the basics is impossible. I tried to simply open the bags and get this fabric out to use as a picnic blanket. But just unfolding it left me exhausted. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to try and do anything else.”

“Now this is just a question Rarity, but are you feeling, tired? Or is it only your magic?”

“Now that you mention it, that portal made me incredibly sleepy, but am I not supposed to feel this way?”

“I don’t know, I mean everypony else seams to be unaffected. Maybe the portal just has a different affect on unicorns.” Just as Twilight said that Rainbow Dash flew over to her, both of her wings beating profusely. When she reached Twilight and Rarity she dropped down onto her hoofs.

“Boy, I don’t know where we are, but it’s hard flying. I can barely get thirty feet before my wings start to hurt. It takes all my energy to move forward at just a moderate speed. And Fluttershy’s doing even worse.” Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked to see Fluttershy slowly walking toward them breathing hard, her wings hung at her side. Twilight looked beyond Fluttershy to Applejack, she was circling a tree appearing to observe the pink flowers that where emerging from the many small buds dotting the branches.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with Applejack.”

“Maybe you just can’t see it from so far away.” Said Rarity, a slight amount of concern detectable in her voice. “Although I think it’s a good sign I don’t see Pinkie Pie anywhere.” It was true; Twilight couldn’t see the pink pony anywhere in the clearing, the tree she had been attempting to climb now had a branch broken off.

“This doesn’t feel right, I think we should go see if the others are feeling like we are. At the very least Fluttershy looks like she could use a hoof.” Her own weariness forgotten, Twilight started a slow trot to Fluttershy. With her friends following behind her, Twilight was just about to reach the exhausted looking pony when Fluttershy collapsed.

Twilight quickly changed her pace, running to the place she saw the pegasus fall, her friends close behind. Fluttershy made small movements in the grass around her. At first Twilight feared the worst, but as she drew closer she discovered Fluttershy had only fallen asleep. The three standing ponies gathered around her unsure what to do. Applejack apparently saw what had happened and had rushed to the group.

“What the hay is wrong with Fluttershy, is the poor mare ok?” Fluttershy opened her eyes and wearily lifted her head to see the ponies around her.

“Why is everypony looking at me like that, what happened?” She asked, with her lack of strength apparent in her voice.

“I think you fainted, Fluttershy.” Said Twilight inching closer to her friend to help her up.

“Must have worn you out trying to keep up with me.” Said Rainbow Dash confidently.

“You alright, sugar cube?” Said Applejack. Supporting one side of Fluttershy as Twilight helped her up with her nose.

“I’m, I’m just so tired…” Said Fluttershy now standing dazed and leaning heavily on Applejack.

“Tired?” said Applejack, apparently unfazed by the extra weight. “But we just got here.

“You’re telling me you don’t feel the least bit drained?” said Rarity.

“No, we’ve only been ‘ere two minutes, I’d think y’all had a might more spunk then that.” Applejack said confused.

“It’s not that Applejack.” Said Twilight. “I think the portal might have affected us in some way. Rarity is having difficulty using her magic, and I don’t know if my own abilities are running at full strength either. Rainbow’s told me she’s finding flying difficult here, and you just saw what happened to Fluttershy after attempting flight.”

Applejack looked to each of the ponies and then back at Twilight. “Now I ain’t the brightest mare in Equestria, but this don’t sound to good. I reckon we best find another place to have our picnic.” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash.

“Do you think you could go with Applejack and try to find Pinkie? Rarity and I will stay here with Fluttershy and try to open a portal back to Ponyville.” Rainbow Dash nodded as Applejack tried to keep Fluttershy standing but eventually had to set her back on the ground before she sped off into the woods; Rainbow made two feeble attempts to take off before angrily galloping after Applejack.

Twilight turned to Rarity and told her how to work the spell. The white mare asked no questions and soon the two unicorns were charging their magic. Twilight was amazed at how difficult it was to focus on her task; every second was harder than the last and they hadn’t even started the spell. As first Twilight and then Rarity began to direct their magic, the line began to draw itself toward the sky. Even with Rarity’s help however progress was incredibly slow.

Twilight couldn’t help but worry when she saw this. A task only moments ago she completed without effort had somehow become ridiculously difficult even for two unicorns to complete. As the line grew it became too hard to focus the magic; Twilight fell to her knees as her horn stopped glowing. The spell was too much for Rarity to hold on her own and it quickly dissipated. What’s going on here, what’s happened to her magic? Twilight couldn’t think straight.

Once Rarity had stopped her magic she dropped her head breathing hard. As Twilight turned to see her friend, she was amazed that Rarity was able to walk next to her and help her up. Twilight felt completely depleted, every fiber of her being felt spent. She groaned as she stood up, leaning on Rarity for support. But Rarity was not as strong as Applejack, barley able to support the weight, and wobbling on her hooves.

The three ponies made a rather sad sight, Twilight and Rarity panting and magically spent, and Fluttershy barely able to keep her eyes open. But as the two unicorns caught their breath and Twilight eased off Rarity, Rainbow Dash came galloping back from the woods.

“Oh Rainbow darling,” Rarity said, with relief plain in her voice. “Please tell me you’ve found Pinkie and we can start figuring out our next move.” But Rainbow Dash’s face was full of worry. When she had caught her breath she began to speak.

“We found Pinkie, but she found something else. There’s this, it’s, it’s like a line but it’s, it doesn’t matter. Theirs something wrong with Pinkie, she’s acting funny, like funny even for her! Twilight you have to come fix this.” Twilight was still tired from her attempt at opening the portal, but hearing the gravity of the situation in Rainbows voice she began to walk toward the forest in the direction Rainbow Dash had come.

The rest of the ponies, including Fluttershy who virtually dragged herself along, followed at the pace Twilight set, Rarity filling Rainbow Dash in on the attempt at reopening the portal.

“But you can open it right, if you try again you can do it can’t you?”

“I don’t know Rainbow, we gave it our best shot.” Said Rarity sullenly. Rainbow Dash refused to accept that answer, She galloped up to Twilight who hadn’t said a word since they began walking to find Pinkie and Applejack.

“Twilight, you’re the most powerful unicorn in Ponyville, tell me we’re going to be home once we get Pinkie to snap out of it.” Twilight stopped and turned to Rainbow Dash who was trying hard not to look worried.

“I’ve been thinking about that Rainbow, and I don’t know. Until I find out what’s weakening my magic I don’t know what we’re going to do. For now we have to find Pinkie Pie and Applejack. When we find them I’ll work on getting us home.” Rainbow turned to Fluttershy and Rarity in desperation, but they returned looks that could provide no encouragement. Twilight continued walking deeper into the woods, the other ponies following behind. “Rainbow how much further is it to Applejack and Pinkie Pie.”

“Not much further.” Said Rainbow Dash, her voice burdened by the knowledge of their peril. “We should be nearing the thing Pinkie Pie found about now. Twilight was incredibly curious as to what this thing was. From the description Rainbow Dash had given (or more appropriately lack of one) it sounded harmless. Although Rainbow's warning of Pinkie acting strange made it so Twilight didn’t know what to think.

It was in a state of pondering what it could be that she noticed the ground under her hoofs had changed. Twilight looked down to see a solid black surface and jumped back as her hoof began to burn. Before the ponies was a long black line that stretched to the horizon on either side of them splitting the forest in two. As Twilight had observed firsthoof, the surface was smooth and hot. In the center of the line where two much thinner yellow lines that seemed to be painted on, and followed parallel the black lines course.

“What’s this,” said Fluttershy, moving behind the rest of the ponies, her eyes now fully open and alert. “It looks like a really big shadow.”

“I doubt it,” said Twilight “When I stepped on it, it burned my hoofs. Besides, the yellow lines in the middle don’t make it look like any shadow I’ve ever seen. I think it’s more likely this is a path of some sort considering how it cuts through the trees like that, but I’ve never seen a path like this before. I wonder what pony made it.”

“Well it’s certainly wasn’t this pony, Black is not my color.” Said Rarity joining Fluttershy. “Even if it isn’t a shadow it doesn’t look very inviting.”

Rainbow Dash stepped up to Twilight and looked both ways down the path. “I think they’re this way.” She said pointing to her right. Rainbow started off but the other ponies were less willing to continue traveling next to this newly discovered oddity. When Rainbow realized she was the only one walking she turned around to face the other ponies.

“What are you three waiting for? All I want to do is go home, I don’t like this place, I don’t like being unable to fly, and I don’t want to waste time. Guys, this isn’t good, I know as much about this thing as you do, but it hasn’t jumped up to get me yet. When I left Applejack with Pinkie Pie, Pinkie didn’t look to good, and something serious could happen to her if we don’t hurry. Unless you can find them on your own this thing is the only way I know to guide us to them.”

Twilight didn’t know what to say, exertion and worry clouded her mind. A silence followed broken only by the sounds of the woods. Rarity was the first to break the stillness of the scene.

“Darling I’m sorry, there really are bigger things at stake here and I’m sure everypony knows this. But we don’t know what this is, and if it made Pinkie act differently how do we know it won’t do the same to us?” Twilight looked at Rarity, despair taking the place of the confusion.

“We don’t, but if we don’t get moving we’ll go insane from standing around wondering what is the best choice.” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash, and the sight of cyan pony smiling at her put a slight amount of confidence in her stance. “Lead the way Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash seized the opportunity, and before more protest could be heard started off again followed closely by Twilight. Rarity reluctantly followed shadowed by a terrified Fluttershy. It wasn’t long before they spotted Applejack trying to calm Pinkie Pie, who sat near the path crying a steady stream of light tears. Applejack sat beside her talking too softly for the other ponies to hear. Applejack spotted the group from a distance and greeted them with a sigh of relief.

“I calmed her fits as best I could. But this fillies got allot of her marbles missing right now.” Applejack said running a hoof down Pinkie’s now straight mane.

“What’s wrong with the poor dear?” Said Rarity, her concern quickly replacing weariness and fear.

“Oh girls,” said Pinkie Pie choking back a sob. “I hate it here. At first I thought this would be fun, a picnic with my friends on a sunny day. But after I went through the portal I started to feel weird. I couldn’t bounce nearly as high as before and I got really tired. I tried to climb a tree by bouncing up it, but the branch broke out from under me, that NEVER happens!”

“Now, now, sugar cube it’s all right, don’t fret.” Said Applejack continuing to stroke Pinkie’s mane.

“I thought I’d go look for a town nearby, to invite some new ponies to our picnic. But as I walked through the forest I was hit on the head by a falling branch. Normally I wouldn’t mind, it didn’t hurt that much. But what bugged me was my Pinkie sense didn’t tell me I was in danger. I didn’t feel a thing!”

“Now darling that’s alright, all of us have had strange things happen to our talents.” Said Rarity in an attempt to soothe Pinkie.

“But that’s not the worst part!” said Pinkie, fresh tears flowing down her already wet cheeks and into her mane. “I tried to do that thing, where I fit behind a really skinny tree and nopony can see me, but I fell flat on my face, so I tried singing a song to make myself feel better. But I couldn’t hear any music, NOTHING!” Pinkie’s tears streamed full force down her face; her sobs shook her body as she looked up at her friends.

“Hey, Pinkie don’t start crying like that, it’s not all that bad.” Said Rainbow Dash stepping closer.

“Oh, Dashy it is this bad, I was so afraid when I couldn’t hear the music that I started to run into the woods. I didn’t know where I was going, I just didn’t want to be here. That’s how I found this.” She gestured to the path with both hooves. “I tried to figure out what it was. But it looked so strange and when I tried to turn my head upside down to get a different view I fell over onto my side. I couldn’t help it anymore, I sat up and started to cry. I’d been here only five minutes and I felt so different. Twilight please oh please take me home.”

“Pinkie, I’m sorry you’re so upset,” Began Twilight, choosing her words carefully. “But Rarity and I had trouble opening the portal. Something about this place is preventing us all from using our talents. I promise as soon as I find out what it is we can leave.” Pinkie Pie turned away from Twilight and the others as she continued to cry.

“Now why did you have to go and tell her someth’n like that.” Applejack’s voice was harsh as she turned to Twilight. She stopped stroking Pinkie’s mane and walked over to the group of ponies. “Can’t y’all see she’s upset enough, I don’t know what’s going on here but we better do SOMETH’N or Pinkie is gonna have a breakdown.”

“Darling I think we’re already at the point of a breakdown.” Said Rarity looking past Applejack at the sobbing Pinkie.

“I’m sorry Applejack, but I didn’t want to get her hopes up.” Said Twilight.

“Y’all wouldn’t be getting her hopes up, but even if ya did it’d be better then what’s goin on now. I ain’t seen a pony cry like that since Applebloom was born.”

“This is bad girls,” said Twilight. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. We should probably get Pinkie back to where we left all our things. Maybe if Rarity and I try again we’ll be able to open the portal this time.” Rainbow Dash, who had been standing at the edge of the conversation, walked into the middle of the group and turned to Twilight.

“That’s a plan, sounds great, but there’s just one problem. How are we going to get THAT back to the clearing.” The group turned to see Pinkies hopeless state. But as they stood pondering their options Fluttershy slowly approached the sobbing Pony.

Twilight had forgotten Fluttershy was there. Her quiet nature and tired state had kept her out of the conversation. But as she approached Pinkie something held Twilight and the rest of the ponies from stopping her.

“Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy’s quiet voice was barely audible above Pinkie’s sobs. The ponies leaned in to hear, but none of them made a move to step closer. “This morning, I woke up to a sunny day. All the newly released bunnies were running around the field, and just as I thought I’d never be able to watch them all, a pony came bounding up the road. A smile plain on her face, and when she saw I was overwhelmed, she didn’t hesitate to help me.” Pinkie rubbed at her eyes with a hoof.

“Fluttershy what are you trying to say? I remember coming to help you.”

Fluttershy kept going as if she didn’t hear. “Then I was invited to a picnic. At first I didn’t want to go, but Rainbow wouldn’t take no for an answer. So once help had been found for Angel, I packed some things, and went to see all my friends excited and ready to go on another adventure. I was worried about Angel, I had no idea where I was going, and no idea when I’d be back.”

Pinkie Pie had stopped crying, but she still snorted occasionally as she stared up at Fluttershy. “Then when I got here, I felt tired, I couldn’t fly without falling unconscious, all my friends felt at least as bad as me if not worse, and to top it all off I might not get to go home for hours, days, maybe ever.”

Pinkie sniveled again but kept herself from crying, Fluttershy put out a hoof and held it on Pinkie’s shoulder so she wouldn’t turn away. “I’m not going to lie to you Pinkie. I want to do what you’re doing right now. I wish I could sit down and cry and make this go away. I’m terrified, if I ever make it back to Ponyville I’ll have a hard time stopping myself like I am now. But until we get home I can’t do that, everypony needs you to cheer up, we need your help.”

“Fluttershy.” Pinkie said looking like she was about to start seriously sobbing again. “What can I do? Everything I’ve tried to do hasn’t worked out close to how I’m used to. I don’t know if I can do anything like I did back home.”

“Pinkie Pie, do you remember your Element of Harmony?” Pinkie’s tears slowed, her face turned from sadness to confusion as she tried to turn away only to be stopped by Fluttershy’s hoof.

“Laughter.” Pinkie said as Fluttershy smiled down at her.

“You know I never thought that was right, I always thought it would be better to call you the element of joy. You make everypony laugh because you make them happy. You’re not just funny, you’re fun. Right now we’re in a bad situation, Twilight and Rarity have to focus on getting us home, Rainbow and I have to deal with not being able to get around like we’re used to, and this is riding all our nerves. If we ever needed you to make us laugh it’s now.”

Pinkie stopped crying. Her eyes were wide as if expecting more. But Fluttershy said nothing as she lowered her hoof from Pinkies shoulder. Pinkie looked down at the ground before gazing at the ponies behind Fluttershy. Slowly, a smile crossed her tear stained face and her main puffed itself out. Fluttershy turned to walk back to the group and Pinkie followed behind her.

“You’re welcome.” Said Fluttershy as she walked through the group and turned around to see the faces of her shocked companions and the shyly smiling Pinkie. The relative chaos of the past few minutes since their arrival finally caught up with the tired group leaving them emotionally spent and another silence deafened the little group before Applejack finally spoke.

“Y’all, I think we should head back to our fixins. We came here for a picnic so we might as well have it afore we figure out what ta do.” Nopony could respond, so without another word they began walking back to the clearing.

The journey was nearly as silent as the response to Applejack’s proposal. The sounds of the ponies hoofs ruffling the twigs and brush on the ground was the only thing anypony could hear. The time it took was shorter coming back and soon the ponies reached their destination. As the ponies circled around the blanket and the food upon it, each looked at the others to see who would make a move to eat.

“Isn’t anypony hungry?” Said Rarity. The first of them to speak since they began walking.

“No thanks, I lost my appetite trying to find Pinkie again.” Said Rainbow Dash.

“I ain’t got much of a hunger nether.” Said Applejack.

“I know this may sound weird.” Said Twilight as she looked around at her friends. “But we’re all pretty tiered, if we’re going to get home any time soon I think we should all try to rest.”

“But it’s like, the middle of the day.” Said Rainbow Dash, not quite understanding.

“Rainbow, your welcome to stay awake if you want to, but I’ve read that when confronted with a problematic situation sleep is often a good idea in order to help find a solution.”

“I’m sorry Twilight but I must agree with Rainbow. I am a lady, and I will not be reduced to sleeping on the ground.” Said Rarity, her voice taking a serious tone.

“Make up your own minds, but I’ve been tired since I got here and I’m going to sleep. Rarity, do you have any spare cloth?” Twilight said.

“Of course darling, but I don’t think it would…” Rarity’s attempt at protest went unheeded as Twilight rustled through her bag. Seizing on a purple cloth, she took it to an area of the clearing a comfortable distance away. Laying it out on the ground she created a makeshift bed by folding the fabric into a neat (if thin) square. As she lay down upon it the fatigue of the journey and stress of the situation she found herself in overcame her. It wasn’t long before the pony had closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Machine

Twilight awoke from a fitful sleep, to observe an early afternoon. The trees surrounding the clearing blocked the sunset, and Twilight was only able to discern the time by the many colors of the sky. Twilight looked around her to see what had happened while she had rested. Apparently sleep had gotten the better of her friends as well; Rarity was about three feet from Twilight and apparently had placed several pieces of fabric atop one another supporting her half an inch above the ground.

Rainbow Dash had flown up to the top of a nearby tree and curled herself up on a branch, her tail dangling over the limb. Fluttershy rested beneath the tree, her light pink mane wrapped around herself as if it were a blanket. The food had been packed away and all the bags were neatly organized where the picnic had been set up, Pinkie Pie lay as their guardian, A half eaten fritter by her fore hooves. Twilight stood and shook herself to wake up. So as not to wake her friends, she quietly walked off to another part of the clearing. Twilight sat down on the grass; she had slept for a few hours but somehow still felt exhausted. What was this place doing to them, could Rarity and herself be losing there magic?

No, Twilight refused to believe that. It had only been an afternoon; whatever was going on couldn’t keep her down forever. No magic was powerful enough to completely suppress the magic of Celestia’s apprentice! Standing up, she stared intently in front of her. Slowly and cautiously, she charged up her magic. Closing her eyes to help her concentrate, she began to cast the spell. Her horn glowed brightly and the gray line started to trace itself. But Twilight felt her magic grow weaker and weaker. She simply didn’t have the power to open the portal by herself. With a sob, she dropped the magic and the portal vanished.

Twilight staggered as she released the spell. Twin tears made there way down her face. Without opening her eyes, she stood unsteadily. Slowly sitting down again she made no effort to wipe away the light tears that snaked down her face.

“Y’all tried your best.” Applejack’s voice had come from behind Twilight. She’d jumped at the sound breaking an almost total silence, but recognizing the voice she didn’t turn around. “Listen Twi, I know you’re under a lot of pressure. But we can all see ya tried, the girls and I were talk’n and we know your going to get us through this. We already had Pinkie break down, I don’t know if we can take another episode from anypony, let alone you.” Twilight said nothing for a long time, but finally she raised her head.

“I know,” she said, turning to face her friend. “Applejack I know everyponys worried and scared. I’m amazed only Pinkie’s had an emotional breakdown. But that’s not what I think is getting everypony down.” Twilight stood up and wiped at her cheeks before walking to the orange mare. “We all have special gifts we’re born with. Things we learn how to use before we even get our cutie marks. But somehow this place is keeping us from using our talents.”

“Well not exactly Twilight, Rainbow was able to make it to the top of that tree, and even though you couldn’t finish it you started to open the portal.”

“How long do you think were going to be able to even do that? What if this place is slowly taking away our gifts? It’s not just hindering our magic or flight. Its taken away Pinkie’s… Pinkie! Whatever it is it can pick out things about us and weaken them. The only pony so far unaffected is you.”

“Actually Twilight that’s not exactly true neither, I just went out into the woods to see if I could find something useful. I couldn’t sleep so I figured I’d at least do something productive. I don’t know what I was look’n for, but I found a tree just brimm’n with nuts. I tried to buck them out of the tree, but when I hit the trunk a shoot of pain ran up my legs. I thought I had just hit it wrong so I tried again, but it just hurt more. My legs just ain’t work’n right.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s the worst sign yet, whatever’s going on is affecting more then our general talents, it’s affecting our special skills. With Rainbow Dash and Myself, it’s harder to tell because the gifts were born with are our special talents. Pinkies problem worried me specifically, because she wasn’t born with her talent, but learned it over time. When Fluttershy calmed her down, I was reassured by the fact that at least she was acting normal. But now that you’re having trouble with something such as strength it’s only going to get worse from here.”

“Sugar cube, you’re letting this whole thing tie you up worse then a twisted lasso. I ain’t say’n we’re not in a mess of trouble here, but this ain’t as bad as you’r a think’n it is. Do you remember Discord? All the trouble he caused. How about the Ursa Minor? You didn’t hesitate when a dragon was try’n to run us out of Ponyville or when any’a your friends include’n me had trouble. If you sit down to let this run ya over we definitely ain’t going home.”

Twilight listened to Applejack without a change in expression and offered no response when she finished. The orange pony approached her friend and put on a smile that almost brightened the gathering night, without another word she wrapped her front hoofs around Twilight’s neck in a hug. Twilight returned the embrace once again letting tears fall down her face. The two ponies held each other in the gathering dark, Twilight’s light sobs the only sound. When Twilight made a move to pull away Applejack quickly dropped the hug and looked into Twilight’s foggy eyes.

“Why don’t we take a walk through these here woods before it gets too dark. Maybe we can tucker ourselves out before we got no choice but ta sleep again.” Twilight smiled at the offer and agreed prompting Applejack to lead the way as the two set off into the woods. Twilight thought of the dangers associated with the Everfree forest at night, but the Everfree was full of wild animals and so far Twilight hadn’t seen a single living thing besides her friends and the plants. The two ponies talked about idle things attempting to raise each other’s spirits. Both of them so enveloped in conversation they lost their way in the woods.

“Applejack, do you know if were going the right way?”

“Twilight don’t fret now, I’m sure I can figure it out, this place ain’t nothe’n but a bunch a trees. And I’ve been handling trees since I was a filly. I can find our way back before it gets too dark.” But darkness had already begun to engulf the world in its chilly grip. As each step the ponies took seemed to drive them further into the night, Applejack and Twilight stumbled upon an unwelcome sight.

“Twilight, now I know we done and gone the wrong way.” Said Applejack, her voice betraying her surprise. Twilight trotted next to her friend in order to see what she was talking about.

“What do you…” but Twilight soon saw the problem. The path Pinkie had found earlier was stretched out before them.

“Twilight, the others said that this thing burned your hoof when you tried to step on it, is that right?”

“Yes, I did…I mean it did…I mean… yes.”

“Well I just stepped on it, I didn’t see it until I felt the ground change under hoof. But it didn’t feel hot a’tall, in fact its pretty darn cool.”

“Applejack, we’ve gone the wrong way, we need to try and find the place we entered the woods earlier today and maybe then we can find our way back.”

“Twilight, Do you see the yellow lines on this thing? This has got ta be the strangest thing I’ve seen since Discord took over. What ya suppose the lines are?”

“Applejack, I don’t know what they could be, but it might be dangerous. Let’s just go back to the others.” But Applejack’s stubbornness had taken over, and the orange pony placed a hoof back onto the black surface.

“It’s…broken, it’s made up of lots of small pieces.” She took another step.

“Applejack, please stop, this isn’t a good idea.” Twilight wanted to force her friend back, but she didn’t want to use her magic without a guarantee that it would work, and she certainly wasn’t strong enough to push Applejack off with the earth pony fighting back. Applejack took slow, small steps toward the center of the path. As she neared the yellow lines, she quickened slightly. When she had reached the center, she bent her neck, in the dwindling light, now almost gone, she stared at the marks.

“Applejack, please come back, this isn’t a good idea.” Twilight looked around, constantly checking the horizon where it met the path and seamlessly fused together. To her surprise and horror, as the last rays of the sun seemed to vanish a glow came from the horizon “APPLEJACK!” Twilight screamed.

Applejack looked at the light; neither of them had ever seen something like that before, and as Twilight panicked on the side of the path Applejack stared with curiosity and amazement. The light grew on the horizon, and as the ball of light expanded a sound slowly grew with it. A rumble of metal that was soon joined by a shrill high-pitched wail that sounded erratically as the light grew ever brighter

Twilight made a hasty move, she rushed out onto the path straight at Applejack. Her hooves made loud thuds on the hard ground. At full speed she ran into Applejack’s side causing Applejack to cry out as she stumbled sideways. Now snapped out of her trance she followed Twilight off the path as a piercing screech added itself to the cacophony of sound.

Suddenly the light stopped growing, The noises had mostly quieted but a loud rumble still bombarded the pony’s ears. As the ponies looked past the blinding beams, they saw a monstrous creature. Its huge metallic body glistened in the dim light A long nose extended from a great head topped with two horns that forced out large amounts of steam. A small segment connected it to a perfectly rectangular body. The whole thing suspended on pairs of wheels spaced down the length of the beast. Twilight gawked at the behemoth that stood before her. Its shape was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

But Twilight was unprepared for what emerged from the front of the hulk. A section of the side of the beasts “head” opened, and from the space it left behind came a creature unlike any Twilight could have imagined, revealing the huge rumbling beast to be only a machine. As it entered the light staring straight at her Twilight was able to make out its form in the darkness.

It walked on its two back legs, and had on a kind of blue cloth pants that covered it from hoof to waist. Its back hooves themselves were covered by a long brown horseshoe that wrapped itself around every part of the hoof, extended forward double the size necessary. On its upper section it had a shirt, but unlike any in Ponyville.

Small, round, flattened beads spaced themselves evenly down the middle of the creature. The shirtsleeves ended at the joints of the fore hoofs, revealing the dirty white flesh and dragon like claws at the end of the fore hooves. But unlike dragons, whom only had four claws, this creature had five on the end of each hoof. They also differed from a dragons claw in that they had a rounded tip instead of a claw like point.

But the strangest thing of all was the head of the creature. The eyes were incredibly small for it to be full-grown. The nose was disconnected from the mouth and only protruded an inch or so from the face. The mane was kept short and stopped above the neck. This creature was without hesitation the strangest thing she had ever seen. But what scared her most was it was looking straight at her.

The creature made gestures to the ponies and opened its mouth to speak, but the noises it made were indiscernible. Twilight had no idea if it was speaking or making random incoherent sounds. The creature didn’t waste much time making noise, it ran back to the hole in the behemoth it emerged from and stuck its front section in, creating a new blend of noise to add to the symphony that had already come from the beast.

Twilight and Applejack had been dumbfounded by the sight of the creature, and stood frozen in place. Yet as the creature ducked its head out of sight, they regained their senses. Twilight looked over the massive form before her and realized she was not looking at two creatures, but a creature and its machine.

“Twilight, for the love of Celestia tell me you know what that thing is.” Applejack said, Her voice was collected, but a twinge of fear made its way through.

“No idea, I’ve never read about anything like this before. But it looks intelligent, if it can work something as huge as this thing.” Twilight replied, gesturing to the hulk towering before them. “But I don’t have the faintest idea what it said or what it’s doing.” Twilight was startled as the creature emerged with a foreleg behind its back. The hoof they could see reached out to the group of ponies as the creature slowly approached.

But Twilight new better then to trust this act, she backed away twice as quickly as the creature advanced. Applejack made to do the same, but accidentally ran into a tree and let out a yell of surprise, spinning around to see if it was another threat. The creature saw its opportunity, bringing around the previously hidden hoof, it swiftly slipped a rope around Applejacks neck.

Applejack knew for sure she was in danger this time and lashed out with her back hoofs in an attempt to buck her assailant. But the creature stood nearly double Applejack’s height and with some impressive agility dodged the desperately flailing hooves with ease. Using the rope too reel her in, it scooped up Applejack in its fore hoofs prompting an outcry from the terrified pony.

“HELP, TWILIGHT DO SOMTH’N A FORE IM HOGTIED AND GONE!” These events had taken only a few seconds, and Applejack’s outcry prompted Twilight to another rushed response. Her horn glowed as she seized the creature by the back of its shirt. The creature hadn’t expected this, and when Twilight pulled hard using her magic, the creature was thrown off balance. It released the captive Applejack and fell backwards onto the front of its machine. Applejack hit the solid surface of the path, and let out a scream of pain.

Twilight winced at the sound of Applejack’s scream, but knew she had to eliminate the danger before she could help her friend. The creature however had learned its lesson from the initial blow of Twilight’s magic. When Twilight made to use it again the creature retreated inside its machine. It quickly closed the side of the machine’s “head” it had emerged from and sped off into the distance.

The only light now came from the glow of Twilight’s horn, the only sounds were the low rumble of the retreating creatures machine, Twilight’s labored breathing, and small whimpers from Applejack. Twilight let her magic fall but had no time to act as tired as she felt. She rushed to Applejack who lay on her right side breathing hard through clenched teeth.

“Applejack, are you ok, can you stand?” Twilight said frantically, not sure what questions to ask. But noticing the rope still around Applejack’s neck, she used her magic to untie the knot and pull it aside.

“I don’t think so sugar cube. My back legs hurt’n pretty bad. I think I landed on it when that thing dropped me.” Twilight looked down at her friend, she knew she had to find a way to help, but what could she do?

“Applejack, I’m going to try to flip you onto your other side so I can see what happened to your leg, brace yourself ok?” Applejack sucked in a gust of air and tightened every muscle in her body. Twilight could tell moving hurt the leg, but Applejack stayed quiet until Twilight had completely flipped her over.

As both ponies looked down at the injury, Applejack breathed a sigh of relief. The leg was dislocated, but didn’t appear to be broken. Applejack started to stand up, but Twilight put a firm hoof on Applejack’s side to keep her lying down.

“Applejack I’m no doctor, I’m not even sure what I can do to help, but if you get up you could make this a lot worse.”

“Now Twilight what do you expect me to do down here? If I can’t get up how am I getting back to everypony else?”

“Applejack I’ll think of something. The first thing we have to do is get you away from this path.”

“Now sugar cube, tell me how you’re going to do that without me standing.”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find a way.” Twilight’s focus darted around trying to find a way to help Applejack. Using her magic had made her to tired to try carrying or dragging Applejack anywhere. And unless Applejack was able to crawl over twigs and rocks to get back to the others they were stuck.

Twilight thought desperately for a solution, and as her options slowly dwindled, she heard a sound in the distance. At first it was soft, but gradually it grew into a recognizable call.

“Twilight…Applejack…come on you guys, I can’t fly for too long.” It was Rainbow Dash’s voice, coming from over the tree line.

“RAINBOW DASH!” Twilight called out. Rainbow’s voice stopped for a second.

“Twilight, Twilight can you hear me!?!”

“Rainbow! Rainbow we’re on the path!” Rainbow appeared slightly to the right of Twilight and Applejack on the side of the path opposite them. Using Twilight’s glowing horn as a guide, she zoomed down to the pair and nearly crashed into the ground beside Twilight. Panting slightly she looked from Twilight to Applejack and grimaced at the dislocated leg.

“What happened to her?” Rainbow said catching her breath.

“Long story.” Said Twilight. “But the bottom line is I need you to go get the others, we have some work to do in order to get Applejack back to the clearing. Rainbow Dash nodded and took off, after a few minutes the rest of the ponies found their way to Applejack and Twilight.

“Oh my, what a ghastly knock. I knew you where in trouble when I heard all that noise coming from the woods, but I didn’t expect this.” Said Rarity, turning away from Applejack’s injury. Twilight rolled her eyes as she began giving out everypony’s instructions.

“Alright everypony, I know it’s late but I’m going to need all the help I can get. Pinkie, I need you to go find some large branches.” Pinkie shot a hoof to her forehead in a salute and attempted to bounce into the woods, but when she tripped and nearly fell on her face she settled for a fast trot.

“Rarity, when Pinkie gets back I’m going to build a small platform for Applejack. You need to lift Applejack onto it using your magic. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash will have to carry the platform between them through the trees back to the clearing. The rest of us will support the under side to help take some of the weight. Any questions?”

“Only one darling.” Said Rarity. “How are you going to hold this platform together?” Twilight took the rope that the creature had used on Applejack and held it up for Rarity to see in the dark. “Now where in Equestria did you get that?” Twilight was about to explain when Pinkie returned with several large branches that she pushed along with her fore hoof.

“Found some Twilight!” she said enthusiastically. “A super duper big tree fell over close to the edge of the forest and I broke off the branches that weren’t to skinny.” Twilight smiled as the bubbly nature of her friend shown through again. She had been worried after the episode earlier today but Pinkie seemed to be coping well.

Twilight quickly assembled the platform. Aligning the branches with her hoofs and securing a section of the rope on either end. She knotted a length of what rope remained dangling off the center of each side for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to use.

“You two ready?” She asked the pegasi.

“Sure Twilight, I need to get used to flying here anyway.” Said Rainbow Dash, taking one of the ropes in her mouth.

“I’ll do my best Twilight, I just hope I can make it back without stopping.” Said Fluttershy, taking the other lose rope. Rarity sneaked a peek at Applejack and quickly turned away seeing the wound.

“Twilight, please tell me you’re going to help me lift Applejack.” She said nervously. But Twilight was still exhausted from the earlier use of her magic and though she had built the platform quickly she now showed her fatigue.

“I’m sorry Rarity, but I don’t think I’d be much help. Try your best, I know you can do it.”

“Uh Twilight do I get a say in this?” said Applejack, she lay facing into the forest, and turned her head over her shoulder to be able to see the other ponies. “I don’t see why you can’t just pop this back in place.”

“I wish it was that simple Applejack, but nopony here has any experience with medicine. Fluttershy is the closest dealing with animals, but she has no idea how to help a pony. Besides, even if one of us did know what to do there’s no way of knowing if you didn’t injure more than just the socket, it could be broken. All we can do is get you somewhere safe and get home.

“Oh horse feathers Twilight, it ain’t broken! It just needs to be popped back in’ta place.”

“Applejack I’m sorry, but this is all we can do right now. If you’re ready we can bring you back to the clearing.” Applejack dropped her head and said nothing, which Twilight took as a ‘go ahead.’ She nodded at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash who took off and hovered about four feet off the ground. This was high enough that the platform was lifted slightly above the heads of the ponies.

Rarity’s horn began to glow as magical energy engulfed Applejack. Very slowly Applejack raised into the air.

“Now Rarity, you drop me, an leg or no leg I’m gonna buck you so hard you’ll need more than a trip to the spa to fix yourself up.”

“Don’t struggle so much darling.” Said Rarity. “It makes it hard to concentrate.” After the platform was moved under Applejack, Rarity gently set her down onto it. Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie quickly got underneath the platform to support it

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy struggled to keep the platform stable. The fact neither of them could talk made it even more difficult. But the six ponies made it back to the clearing without much trouble, only hitting a tree twice.

When they arrived they set Applejack back on the ground Fluttershy practically falling out of the sky. She collapsed on the ground next to Applejack and spat out the rope. “Twilight, next time can I get the branches.” She said, breathing hard. Rainbow Dash managed to land and get the rope out of her mouth before collapsing.

“Twilight, next time just leave me in the woods, everypony’s gonna be sore tomarra.” Applejack said shyly, but the ponies that had taken the brunt of Applejack’s weight were in no position to talk.

“Applejack I’m sorry but we’re exhausted. In the morning we’ll find a way to help you, but right now we all need our beauty sleep.” Rarity managed to say before heading off to her makeshift bed. She managed to stagger her way to the heap of fabric before sleep overtook her. Pinkie barely made it halfway there. Twilight was content to curl up next to Applejack, and before long joined the others in an uneasy rest under Luna’s star filled sky.

Creature

The gentle sun danced across Twilight’s eyelids to wake her. Raising her head she shielded her eyes from the sunbeams reach. From across the clearing, her movements had attracted the attention of her friends. Everypony but Applejack had gathered for breakfast and the group now motioned for Twilight to join them. Twilight noticed Applejack was still asleep, so she kept quiet as she groggily made her way to the others.

Pinkie Pie was overjoyed. “Good morning Twilight, day two of our picnic, well we didn’t do much picnicking yesterday, or anything really, unless you count sleeping, we did a lot of that, oh and walking, lots of walking and…”

“Yes Pinkie I know, but Applejack’s trying to sleep, so do you think you could try to keep it down?” Twilight said sitting down in the circle her friends had made around the saddlebags. “Anypony have any idea what time it is?”

“I don’t know, around six.” Said Rainbow Dash. “Wonder what time it is in Ponyville.”

“Darling don’t say such things. If you talk about home too much you’re only going to make it harder on the rest of us.” Said Rarity with a rather forgiving tone.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t like that we’re still here. We never told anypony where we were going and nopony is going to come looking for us here. If we can’t find a way back I don’t know how we’re going to get out of here.”

“Now Rainbow you say that as if we’re trapped.” Rarity replied.

“Well we are, until Twilight finds a way to send us back home we’re stuck here. Now that Applejack’s injured we have even less of an ability to leave. You guys don’t know what it feels like for me to be stuck here, or anywhere. I hate being forced to stay in one place. I can’t even fly around to blow off some steam.” Rainbow kept herself from shouting but Twilight could tell she wanted to.

“Rainbow has brought up a good point.” Rarity interjected. “How exactly was Applejack injured, Twilight?” Twilight told the ponies the story about how Applejack and Twilight came across the creature and its machine. She left out the part about trying to open the portal again, but from what she said the ponies were all stunned.

“Oh Twilight, that sounds horrible!” Said Fluttershy, cowering behind Rainbow Dash. “What do you think it was trying to say to you?”

“I don’t know. What worried me most though is it seemed to be friendly until Applejack turned around. With most creatures you can tell if they’re hostile or not just by looking at them, and this creature seemed to be friendly.”

“Until it tried to abduct poor Applejack and nearly broke her leg.” Said Rarity, the tone in her voice now harsher, but calm. “I hope we’re better prepared to face another one of these if they come back.” This is something Twilight never thought of. What if more of them come looking for her group of friends? Twilight had no idea how she could help the others if another creature came.

“Would somepony bring me some food, I’m a might hungry.” Applejack’s voice broke Twilight’s train of thought. She snapped quickly back to reality and gazed at the small amount of food before her.

“Is this all we have?” she asked the others. Rarity nodded, and Twilight gathered it in the center of the cloth it was placed on. She carried the bundle to Applejack and set it in front of her friend. “It’s not much Applejack, but it’s all we have left.”

“Aw sugar cube I can’t eat all we got. Has everypony else had a share?” In truth Twilight had not eaten. But Applejack needed the food more than she did.

“Yes Applejack, this is what we saved for you. You need to eat what you can to keep up your strength.”

“Twilight I ain’t dying, just got a little setback is ‘tall.”

“Applejack this is a little more than a setback. But just hold tight while I see if Rarity wants to try and open the portal again.”

“Sugar cube you remember last night, no offence but I don’t think the two of you can do it alone.”

“We can try.” Twilight said. She headed back to the group of her friends to talk to Rarity. Rarity was unwilling to try again, but with the coaxing of Rainbow Dash, and to a lesser extent, Twilight, she agreed. The two ponies stood next to one another and warmed up their magic. As the spell began to form and the line began to draw itself Twilight let herself feel a small glimmer of hope.

But as it neared one and a half feet high and the glow of the unicorn’s horns began to brighten noticeably the difficulty increased exponentially. Twilight tried to hold the spell together but when she saw the lines abysmal progress she dropped the spell. The ponies looked to one another but said nothing. Twilight feared the line had risen less than the previous attempt, as if their power was weakening even further. While Twilight and Rarity stood recovering, Fluttershy suddenly cried out and rushed behind the pair. Twilight turned to the startled Pegasus as she huddled staring into the woods.

“Fluttershy what’s wrong?” But Fluttershy could only manage a squeak in response. Twilight turned to look at what Fluttershy was staring at. Her head began to spin even worse when she saw it; a million things ran through her brain at once. Coming from the forest, was another one of the creatures. Twilight was still tired from trying to open the portal; she couldn’t count on magic this time. How could she fight this thing?

This creature acted much like the one before. Its speech was a garble of sounds Twilight couldn’t understand, and it took slow careful steps toward them. Unlike the first creature however, this creature had both its fore legs held out in front of it toward them. Both were bent in the middle as if the creature was holding them back. The blunt claws where slightly bent and faced toward the ponies.

Rainbow Dash was the first to react, standing up and jumping in front of the others. She flapped her wings and then left them erect at her sides. The creature stopped its advance. It now stood twenty or so feet away from the ponies and five feet from the forest it had emerged from. Again it tried to speak in its garbled language, but Rainbow Dash interrupted it.

“Look, I don’t know what your saying, but you better leave us alone!” Twilight had recovered from the shock of seeing another one of the creatures. She leaped to Rainbow’s side, allowing her horn to glow but careful not to use any magic. She saw the creature was dressed differently then the first one she encountered. This creature had the same type of pants but his shirt was missing the small beads down the middle, it almost looked normal.

But this small difference was only a minor distraction, Twilight had to come up with a way to defend herself from this creature if it attacked. She tried to look as strong as possible, bending her neck slightly and narrowing her eyes at the creatures. But something that disturbed her was the fact that the creature was smiling. Even with Rainbow and herself standing there it wasn’t enough to make the creature afraid. Could it tell she was bluffing?

Twilight raised her head slightly, not knowing what to do if the creature called her bluff. But when the creature saw Twilight raise her head it took another step forward. Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings again and shouted “Stay right there, don’t even think about it.” Whether or not the creature understood her it stopped again, pulling its fore legs closer to itself and straitening its claws.

“Twilight, how do we fight this thing?” Rainbow Dash whispered. But Twilight had no idea what to do. She couldn’t expect the creature to just leave, and both Rarity and herself were in no position to stop it. Could Rainbow Dash take this thing on her own? But then the creature did something Twilight didn’t expect. It looked beyond Twilight, and its face changed from a careful smile to one of worry.

Twilight didn’t want to take her eyes off the creature, but Rainbow noticed the creature’s expression and whipped around to see if there was another threat. “Is there something behind us Rainbow?” Twilight whispered.

“No, only the other ponies.” Came the reply, “It has to be a trick.” Rainbow turned back around and resumed her previous stance. The creature looked back at Twilight, its face still in an expression of fear. It tried to say something, but the ponies didn’t move. The creature pointed past Twilight and then at its leg. It made a fake grimace and grabbed its leg with both fore hooves before using one to point back behind Twilight.

Rarity spoke up from behind Rainbow Dash. “I think it’s talking about Applejack.” Twilight was suspicious, the other creature had shown interest in Applejack too. She wasn’t about to let her friend get hurt any worse then she already was. But the creature continued to alternate between pointing and holding its leg. After a few times of doing this, it pointed to itself and then back behind Twilight.

Twilight was definitely not letting this thing get behind her. She took a sharp step forward and slowly shook her head from side to side. The creature’s expression changed again, this time to one of desperation as it looked back beyond Twilight to Applejack. Fluttershy had stayed well behind Rainbow and Twilight during the exchange. But when the creature turned its attention back to Applejack she quickly made her way beside Twilight.

Twilight felt the brush of Fluttershy’s mane against her leg and wiped herself around to face the terrified mare. Twilight looked at her friend and almost facehoofed at her forgetfulness.

“Fluttershy,” she said. “Your good with animals, can you understand this creature?” Fluttershy looked up at Twilight.

“No, I have no idea what it’s saying. I’ve never seen anything like it before, I thought I knew every kind of animal there was but…I’ve never seen one like this.” Twilight processed that, if even Fluttershy had never heard of this animal where in Equestria where they? Twilight ran through her options, and an idea came to life.

“Fluttershy, do you think you can try and talk to it?” Twilight said. Fluttershy shrunk back.

“I don’t know, I mean from what you said happened yesterday I…”

“Fluttershy I don’t have many options right now do you think you can talk to it yes or no?”

“Well I could try but…but I don’t know what to say.”

“Just try and figure out what it wants with Applejack, I’ll figure out what to do once I know what exactly it wants to do.”

“You’re not seriously letting her talk to that thing are you.” Rainbow Dash protested. But a stern look from Twilight quieted her. Fluttershy took short slow steps toward the creature, it noticed this and turned its head to face the advancing pony. When Fluttershy was nearly ten feet from the creature she stopped and looked up at it. The creature looked down at her and lowered its fore legs and wrapped the claws of one hoof over the other.

“What’s your name?” Fluttershy asked, but it was clear the creature did not understand. Instead, it attempted to take a step forward toward Fluttershy. Twilight and Rainbow prepared to sprint forward, causing the creature to stop again when it noticed their movement. Turning back to Fluttershy it gave her a look of longing.

Checking the reaction of Rainbow and Twilight, the creature bent a knee and brought itself down so that it was almost at eye level with Fluttershy. Looking into Fluttershy’s eyes, it again tried to speak, stretching its arms out to the ponies. Fluttershy took cautious steeps forward. Before Twilight had time to say anything she was nearly five feet away from the creature.

Rainbow Dash reacted quickly, she raced in front of Fluttershy and turned herself sideways blocking Fluttershys path. The creature was startled at Rainbow’s speed and drew back its hooves. The creature looked around Rainbow at Fluttershy, Twilight couldn’t tell if Fluttershy was looking back.

Rainbow started to push Fluttershy back from the creature. The creature said something, a short simple phrase. It repeated itself, softer this time. Twilight was startled at the way it spoke, not the phrase it said, but the emotion with which it said it. It almost seemed like it was begging Rainbow Dash to stop. Rainbow had no idea how to react, she stopped pushing Fluttershy just long enough for the light yellow Pegasus to slip around her.

This time Rainbow did nothing as Fluttershy approached the creature. As Fluttershy came within the creature’s reach, it spoke again. But the creature did not reach out to touch her; it instead pointed at itself and then Applejack. First Fluttershy and then the creature looked at Twilight. Fluttershy with a soft expression befitting her nature, and the creature with a much more pleading gaze.

“I still don’t understand him, but I can tell he’s not dangerous.” Fluttershy said. Twilight feared the worst; this creature couldn’t be trusted. But on the other hoof it had been very cautious, and had left Fluttershy alone despite the fact she was directly in front of him. She didn’t know what to do; the pleading eyes of the creature and the piercing glare of Rainbow Dash didn’t make the decision any easier.

With clear disdain, Twilight let her horn’s glow dim, she stood up straight and nodded her head once so the creature would understand. As the creature stood, Twilight approached where Rainbow Dash was standing.

“Watch it closely, I don’t trust this thing yet.” She said as she passed Rainbow and joined Fluttershy next to the creature. Fluttershy stayed in front of the creature, leading it to where Applejack was lying. The rest of the ponies followed behind including Pinkie and Rarity. Twilight had to crane her neck in order to see the head of the creature, just as before it nearly doubled her height, she could only imagine where in Equestria something like this had hidden.

Applejack was facing the opposite way from the approaching group. “Alright everypony, what’s go’n on, I must’a heard my name in there at least once, you ponies plan’n somethin?” But when first Fluttershy and then the creature entered her view her joking tone turned to one of fear. “FLUTTERSHY LOOK OUT! YOU GOT ONE A THEM MONSTERS AFTER YA!” Fluttershy tried to explain they thought it was here to help, but Applejack would have none of it. “All it wants to help with is whisking me off to Celestia knows where.” She said, never taking her eyes off the odd hooves of the creature.

“Applejack please, we promise we won’t let it hurt you.” Fluttershy said, her wide-open eyes pleading her case. Applejack said nothing, but her suspicious gaze never left as the creature got on its knees beside her dislocated leg. Slowly and carefully, it extended its fore hooves toward the limb. Each of the ponies tensed as they made contact with the haunch.

Before anypony could react the creature pressed on the bone and Applejack cried out in pain. A swift kick from Applejacks back legs knocked the creature onto its back. Before the creature could do anything else Twilight was on him, pinning him to the ground. The creature coughed and sputtered but Twilight simply dug her hooves deeper into its chest to keep him still. Rainbow and Rarity quickly surrounded the creature on either side. As the creature’s eyes darted about at the angry faces around it Applejack spoke.

“Well look at that, it fixed my leg!” The ponies all turned to see Applejack get up effortlessly. The creature had popped the leg back into place. The pony’s faces softened as they turned back to the creature. Twilight removed her hooves from its chest and backed away. The other ponies soon followed, making a small group around the platform Applejack had been lying on. The creature put both fore hooves on its stomach where Applejack had struck it sputtering and coughing. After a moment, it sat up slightly and looked at the ponies. Applejack made her way through her friends toward the creature.

Fearing another strike, the creature drew back. But Applejack looked into the eyes of the creature with noticeable guilt, and the creature adjusted to be at her eye level. Applejack now stood a foot away from the creature, she allowed him to slowly lift its hoof and cup it on her cheek. It ran its hoof down her mane; a smile slowly forming on its face, Applejack returned one if not as broad, just as much sincere.

The other ponies watched the scene from where they had gathered; the world seemed incredibly quiet until Pinkie couldn’t take it any more. She ran up to the creature and nearly tackled him with a hug. “Thanks for helping Applejack,” she said squeezing the creature. The creature winced in pain, but managed to hug Pinkie back.

Twilight watched her friends interact with this creature. What exactly was it? Where did it come from? This one looked to be friendly, but Twilight couldn’t shake the feeling that she couldn’t trust it. Her friends one by one went to apologize and interact with it, even Rainbow’s curiosity got the best of her. Twilight was the last to approach, and she only went so as not to draw the suspicion of the others, or even worse, the creature itself.

The creature seemed overjoyed that the ponies now accepted it. It tried to speak again, but the ponies simply looked at each other, unsure what it had said. The creature laughed, and pulled out a small bag made of a clear material, inside was a collection of seeds. The creature poured some of the seeds onto the middle of its hoof and held it out to the ponies.

The ponies looked at the offering, but none took from it. As the creature held it toward each pony, Twilight heard her stomach growl, she had given her share of food to Applejack, and the sight of food reminded her she hadn’t eaten since yesterday. When the hoof came to her, she forgot her suspicion and approached.

The smile never left the creatures face as Twilight drew close. Twilight used her magic to pick up the seeds and ate them four at a time. The creature noticed her hunger, and offered the rest of the bag to her. Twilight took the bag with her magic and retreated back to the other ponies.

The creature sat looking at the ponies, and the ponies stood looking back. The creatures smile infected the ponies leaping from one to the other. Even Twilight softened at the stranger’s kind face. After a minute or two the creature stood up and went to examine the platform Applejack had been carried on. The creature said something, more to itself then to the ponies, and bent down to examine the platform closer.

The creature picked up one of the ropes and started talking to itself. The creature then looked at the ponies with an expression of curiosity and wonder. Looking around the clearing the creature saw the saddlebags of the ponies. Curious, it headed over to that location.

Pinkie walked next to Twilight whom had just finished the last of the seeds. “Why did you say this thing was mean? He doesn’t act very mean; in fact he’s really nice to me! To everypony really, and he’s just so cute I couldn’t resist giving him a hug, and the way he helped Applejack, what could we have done without that? Now he can help us get home...” That got Twilight’s attention.

“Now hold up Pinkie, slow down. There’s no way that thing’s helping us to get home.”

“But… but Twilight why else would it have come here? Look at it, it seems so excited and happy to see us, how can it not want us to get home?”

“Pinkie, we don’t even know what it’s saying. If we can’t communicate how can it help us?”

“Well, it seems to have food. It lives here so it must have something to eat. If we can’t go home today aren’t we going to need food and water?” Twilight couldn’t believe she had been so short sighted. Pinkie was right, if they didn’t find food and water they could be in big trouble.

“Pinkie, have you brought this up with anypony else?”

Pinkie shook her head, “No, why, should I?”

“No, Pinkie, don’t tell the others. I don’t want anypony to worry about our situation here. Getting used to our new… to that thing is enough of a shock to them for today.” Pinkie looked confused, but she agreed and ran off to talk to the creature.

Twilight had a lot to take in. In two days she had been taken from her home and sent to some place with strange creatures she’d never heard of before, learned the creatures were hostile, then friendly, and to top it all off her magic was getting slowly weaker. Twilight was sure this was true, low level spells seemed to be doable, but Twilight knew that if today’s attempt was any indication, if she didn’t find a way to get her magic back, they where going to be here a long time.

Twilight picked up the clear bag and took it to the creature. Pinkie Pie was darting around pointing at ponies and their bags communicating incredibly well being unable to talk. Twilight used the bag to nudge the fore leg of the creature. It looked down at her with puzzled eyes as it took the bag from the air.

Twilight used her own hoof to point to first the creature and then the bag. The creature shook its head; Twilight shook hers right back. She pointed to the creature and then herself before pointing to the spot in the woods the creature had emerged from. It might not be the best plan, but without assistance Twilight was unsure how she could help her friends.

The creature looked where Twilight was pointing and then turned back to see the other ponies making conversation in another part of the clearing. The creature looked back at Twilight and gestured broadly to indicate all the ponies and itself, then pointed to the woods. Twilight nodded and called the other ponies to come join them before instructing them to pack up their things.

“We’re going on a trip to see where our new friend comes from, I don’t know if we’ll be back so we have to bring everything with us.” The ponies gave little protest. But even saying it aloud Twilight was uncertain if this plan was a good idea.

She was about to trust the safety of herself and her best friends with a total stranger. Under normal circumstances this was unthinkable, but there was little alternative but to sit and wait for a miracle. When the ponies were packed Twilight turned back to the creature; its smile had turned into a more calculating line curved only at the edges. Yet when the creature saw the ponies where ready it turned to set off into the woods.

When it reached the edge of the woods it turned back around to make sure the ponies were following. Seeing that they were only a few steps behind it, it said a few words in its indiscernible language and started its journey through the forest.

Twilight felt like she did before entering the portal to this strange new land. A light fear licked at her, and everything she could possibly find in this forest ran through her brain. But the courage and wellbeing of her friends drove her onward. She was setting out into an unknown world, and there was a very real chance her only hope resided with its most inhospitable inhabitants.

Dictionary

The creature constantly checked to see if the ponies were still following it. Twilight was leading her group of friends behind the creature and often met the creature’s eyes when it turned around. The creatures smile never seemed to leave its face, Twilight didn’t know if she liked this or not. She hadn’t given up the idea that they were being misled. But until the creature became openly hostile, it was her only lead to food.

The ponies said little as they made their way through the forest. Pinkie as usual was the chattiest of the group, but even she held back all but an occasional comment on the scenery around them. Twilight couldn’t help but notice how quiet the forest was. She had little experience with forests outside the Everfree, but in the Everfree you always heard birdcalls or some other kind of noise. Why was it so quiet here?

Twilight kept her mind off the silence by focusing on her magic. She tried picking up rocks from the forest floor and seeing if it tired her or not managing to get to one as big as her hoof without any noticeable affect to her strength. She wanted to try and lift something larger like a branch, but she didn’t want the creature to get suspicious.

After a short time, they emerged from the forest. The sun beat down upon Twilight in a warm embrace, providing a slight contrast from the shaded forest. Even the clearing had been mostly shrouded in the shadows of trees making the new warmth even more comforting. Twilight saw that the path from the woods emerged here and turned into a kind of T stretching now in three directions. The forest stretch looked relatively straight, but the other branches of the path curved and twisted around the edge of the forest.

Sitting on the side of the path inside one of the corners of the T was another one of the creature’s strange machines. This one was much smaller than the first one Twilight had encountered maybe two and a half times the length of a pony and twice as tall. Twilight stopped in her tracks holding up the line of ponies behind her.

“Hey Twilight why are you stopping? Are we there?” Rainbow Dash called from near the back of the line. The creature heard Rainbow’s call and turned to face the group of ponies. Twilight's gaze stayed firmly on the machine, even as the creature approached her she didn’t move until it brought itself to her eye level. The creature spoke to her in its strange language. Its smile looked genuine, but Twilight was not about to trust one of those machines.

Twilight stepped aside to allow the other ponies to leave the forest. As one by one they filtered out they noticed the machine in turn. Applejack was even less willing to go near it then Twilight was and joined her next to the point where they exited the forest. The creature saw the ponies’ reluctance, and looked at them sympathetically. Suddenly, it stood and walked to the machine.

It placed its fore hooves on the back most part of the metal and pulled it down. Twilight could now see the back of the machine was an open area that took up the majority of the space above the wheels. The creature looked back at the ponies and sat on the portion of the machine it had pulled down.

“Well…are we going to follow it?” Rainbow Dash asked

“I don’t know, this looks a lot like when Applejack was nearly… I don’t know what to do.” Said Twilight.

Rainbow turned to look at the creature. “I don’t think it wants to hurt us. Why would it help Applejack if all it wanted was to fillynap her? Wouldn’t she be easier to get away with if she were injured? I’m going for it.” Rainbow Dash walked up to the creature and flew up onto the machine beside it. The creature smiled at her as she tested the metallic surface before setting down.

Rainbow Dash turned back to the other ponies. “It doesn’t seem too bad. It kinda feels weird but I’m not dead so far.” Pinkie was next to approach the machine. She tried to jump onto the back, but fell short. The creature got down from where it was sitting and knelt next to Pinkie. Extending both hooves toward the pink pony it wrapped its forelegs around her.

Twilight noticed how similar this movement was to when the first creature grabbed Applejack. She was about to react, when the creature picked up the giggling Pinkie and placed her in the machine.

“DO IT AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN.” Pinkie hollered bouncing on the machine causing it to bob up and down. The creature turned back to the other ponies to see who was next. When none of them made a move toward it Rarity volunteered herself. She winced as the creature wrapped its fore legs around her but kept herself calm as she was set down with the others.

Twilight knew she would have to go next. Fluttershy would need every assurance it was safe and Applejack probably would to. When the creature turned back she timidly walked forward. The machine looked bigger up close, but Twilight couldn't tell if this change was because of her own nervousness or the change in perspective.

The creature’s hooves were warm against her coat, as its muscles tightened around her she held her breath as she was lifted into the air. When the creature set her down she made sure to look back at Applejack with a smile to encourage her. Applejack stared back at her with a blank expression as she made her way forward.

Fluttershy was close behind Applejack as the creature bent down to lift her into the machine. Applejack squirmed a little but the creature had a strong hold, she was set down quickly and gently. The creature turned to Fluttershy and waited a second to see if she would fly in on her own. But when she didn’t move he picked her up as well.

Fluttershy let out a small squeak as she was raised by the creature and ran into the main body of the machine as soon as the creature let go. The creature closed the back of the machine and looked in at the ponies that were now sitting in two lines facing each other with their saddle bags in the middle. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie on one side, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight on the other. The creature said a few words and then went around to the front of the machine

Climbing inside, it made a small movement of its hoof causing the machine to roar to life. The ponies jumped as Fluttershy lay down and covered her eyes with her hooves while Pinkie started to giggle again. Applejack tried to hold her hat to her head, but as they started down the road she settled for having it beneath her back hoof. Twilight tried to talk to her friends but the constant bumps of the path and sound of the engine made communication difficult.

Twilight remarked at the huge expanses of open farmland they passed. For the whole of the journey they didn’t see a single living creature, but enough farmland to feed thousands. Applejack seemed the most impressed, her eyes grew huge and bright as she watched the rolling countryside stretching around them. Fluttershy was eventually convinced to raise her head, and joined Applejack and Twilight in marveling over the surroundings.

Rainbow Dash stood with her front hooves on the raised part of the machines “head”. Her mane and tail whipped behind her as she shouted into the air bombarding her face.

“ALRIGHT…I HAVEN’T FLOWN LIKE THIS IN TWO DAYS… FASTER…I CAN DO DOUBLE THIS…FASTER!” The journey took around seven to ten minutes; Twilight couldn’t be sure exactly how long. The machine pulled into a dirt path that led up to a large farm on a section of the open countryside. The creature turned off the machine and came back around to open the back and let the ponies off.

Twilight was first to be lowered to the ground, as she walked up to the front of the farmhouse she was struck by how big everything was. It was nearly as tall as her tree, maybe only a foot or so shorter; the door itself doubled her height. All she could see was the front of the structure, how big was this place when you accounted for length? Twilight wondered if everything was this big in this part of Equestria, or if some of it got even bigger.

When the ponies had all been lowered to the ground and given their saddlebags the creature approached the door of the farmhouse. It reached into a small pocket on the side of its pants and produced a ring of keys. Using one to unlock the door, it stepped aside and extended a hoof indoors as it bowed slightly. The ponies entered one by one, marveling at the size of everything.

A gigantic staircase graced the center of the room. Along the top was a row of white doors evenly spaced along a dark and light green vertically striped hallway. The first floor branched left and right to double doors on either side. The doors on the left where wide open and led to what looked like a living room. The creature closed the front door and headed toward this room motioning the ponies to follow.

When Twilight entered the room she saw it indeed was a living room. A large sofa big enough for four ponies to sit comfortably faced a bare coffee table in the center of the room. A large painting of a sunset adorn the opposite wall, and all along the remaining space where row upon row of books. Twilight gazed with awe at them, she levitated one toward her and opened it to find it was written in a language unlike any she had seen before.

The creature smiled at her as it gestured the ponies toward the couch. Motioning for the ponies to stay put, it disappeared through the only other door in the room on the south wall. (The door the ponies entered being in the north west corner.) Twilight looked at the book intently, her focus so deep she nearly bumped into the coffee table as she went to sit down.

“You enjoy’n that book Twilight?” Applejack asked as she placed her saddlebag near the door to the room and joined Twilight on the couch. The ponies gathered around Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack on the couch while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat on the floor.

“Not exactly Applejack, I can’t read a word of this.”

“Then what’s got you all scrunched over starin at gibberish?”

“I’m thinking about trying something. A long time ago the language of the dragons was impossible to understand just as this creature’s speech is. Nopony could communicate with them until a piece of their writing was found on a small slab of rock. Some of Canterlot’s finest studied the rock, and created a spell that allowed them to read it.”

“Wow, I always thought we just…well I don’t know what I thought, but it wasn’t that.” Rainbow said.

“However the spell wasn’t perfect, they could only understand words that had been written in the message, and when they tried to ask for more written text, they where unable to form the correct words. In fact the initial group sent to return with more examples of the dragons language nearly started a war! It was only after several volumes were collected that we became able to understand them like we do today.”

“Well that don’t sound too bad, what’s stopping you from trying it?” Applejack asked excitedly.

“What’s stopping me is I don’t know if I have enough magic to finish the spell once I start. I could end up understanding both languages, or neither, possibly even understanding only some of each. This spell hasn’t been used in years, I don’t know if it’s safe.”

Rarity spoke up from beside Twilight “Darling why didn’t you say so, we wouldn’t want you to get hurt, I’m sure we can get by without speaking to this, thing.” Twilight stared at the book; she had a hard time accepting the fact that she was looking at a language, possibly a culture ponykind had never seen before. She didn’t want to miss this opportunity, but what if it went wrong?

Twilight remained silent as the creature returned to the room. It carried with it a wooden tray covered in vegetables. Carrots, celery, and lettuce nearly fell off the side of the vessel they were on. The hungry ponies dug into the food once it was placed on the coffee table. Only Twilight stayed where she sat.

The creature noticed the pony lost in thought. It sat down next to her on the couch; Twilight turned to see it was now at eye level. Twilight noticed for the first time the color of its eyes, a light shade of blue resembling Pinkie’s. The creature said something, but Twilight smiled and shook her head. The creature laughed and pointed to the now ravaged tray.

Twilight shook her head and pointed to the book. The creature pointed to Twilight and then to its head before pointing to the book. Twilight took a second to realize it was asking if she understood. She shook her head and saw the creature’s expression turn to that of confusion. It pointed again at the book then Twilight and shrugged its hooves. Twilight pointed to the book, then her head, and then at the creature.

The creature smiled, Twilight didn’t know if she trusted it yet, but it looked genuine. “Everypony.” She called out to the feasting group. “I’m going to try the translation spell.”

“Ya sure Twilight, we wont blame ya not going through with it if it’s too dangerous.” Applejack said swallowing a mouthful of lettuce.

“Twilight, please don’t do this unless you’re sure.” Fluttershy said, concerned. But Twilight had made up her mind, standing on the couch, she started her magic. The ponies stood and gaped as the book pages began to turn. Slowly at first, but gradually faster until they nearly flew out of the book. When the book hit a cover it simply started back the other way.

Soon, small dots could be seen flying off the pages at Twilight, then symbols, then whole words and sentences leapt from the pages to Twilight’s forehead. They collected themselves at her horn and eventually covered it so completely it turned black.

It was clear Twilight was feeling the strain of her magic use, but she was determined to finish the spell. And after a long moment the book slammed shut and Twilight collapsed onto the couch. Her eyes glazed over as she tried to process all the information, a collection of sound filled her brain with such noise she almost didn’t notice the voices of her friends.

“You okay sugar cube?” Came Applejack’s voice sounding distant.

“Oh, Twilight, please get up.” Fluttershy’s worried voice drifted in, closer, but still dim.

“Nobody will ever believe I saw that.” Twilight sat up, she knew she had never heard that voice before. It was deep and calm, like the statement was more to itself than anypony else. Twilight thought it was just in her head, but it sounded closer then any of the ponies voices. Had the spell worked?

“Twilight…your horn.” Rarity stammered. Twilight looked down at the glass of the coffee table to see her blackened horn. Slowly before her eyes, the dark covering faded, and her horn returned to its proper hue. Twilight looked at the pages of the book, flipping through them she found nothing but blank paper.

“Now do the words come out of your horn? Or am I down a dictionary?” Twilight jumped, this time there was no doubt, she heard a new voice. She turned to the creature who looked amazed, and confused.

“Can you understand me?” She asked it. The ponies let out a collective gasp as the creature stared amazed at Twilight.

“You spoke! You speak! You can talk!” it said, wide eyed. The ponies looked at each other with worry.

Rarity approached Twilight on the couch. “Twilight dear, can you understand us?” Twilight turned back to the ponies.

“Yes, do you understand me?” The ponies breathed a sigh of relief.

“IT WORKED!” Pinkie cried jumping for joy.

“Wait, you just spoke to me, how come you’re back to speaking that, that, pony talk?” the creature said even more confused now.

Twilight turned to the creature, her face a mix of emotions. “Do you understand me? I tried a spell to learn your language, can you understand?” The creature nodded dumb founded.

“Now I know no one will believe me.” It said. Twilight turned back to her friends.

“It worked,” she said, now smiling.

“How are you doing that?” the creature said as it stood. “I had no idea it was that easy, I have a million questions.”

“YOU have questions, what do you think WE have.” Twilight said.

“Fair enough,” said the creature. “I guess I’ll start by introducing myself, odd because we met nearly half an hour ago but, my name’s Roger.”

“Roger, never heard that name before. My name is Twi…”

“Twilight Sparkle.” The creature said for her. Twilight’s smile turned to an expression of surprise.

“What, what’s going on,” Rainbow Dash asked. “What did it say?”

“It, it knows my name,” she said. None of the ponies could respond to that.

The creature didn’t seem to notice Twilight’s shock “Can the others talk to me now, I mean it’s unlikely they’re all just being shy. That might be Fluttershy’s excuse but so far she seems to be doing ok around me.”

“Wait,” Twilight stopped Roger there. “You know Fluttershy too!?!” The creature barely missed a beat before responding.

“Of course Twilight, I know all of you, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and yourself.” Roger pointed to the ponies in turn as he said each of their names. The ponies looked confused but said nothing.

“I mean, it’s unbelievable I’m talking to you right now. How did you even get here?” Twilight was speechless, what else did it know? “It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s just so amazing, I didn’t think that truck driver was telling the truth but look how wrong I was.”

“Roger, how do you know our names?” Roger stopped completely this time. He looked at Twilight not knowing how to answer.

“What do you mean how do I know, don’t you know?” Roger attempted to resurrect his smile, but only managed it halfway.

“No Roger, I don’t. We don’t even know where we are.” Roger let that information sink in, he sat back down onto the couch and looked out at the ponies.

“Where do you think you are?” He asked. Twilight told the story of the previous day, everything from when she woke up to when Roger first came to the clearing. Roger silently listened to the tale as the other ponies whispered to one another wondering what Twilight was saying.

“So I have no idea what part of Equestria we’re in, or how long we’re going to be here. Honestly I don’t see myself using magic again today after a spell like this. I’m still kind of dizzy from it, but now that you know why we ended up here could you tell us if you know a way back?” Roger was quiet for a moment, the whispers of the ponies on the floor died out creating a still silence.

“It’s no wonder you guys didn’t trust me. I had no idea he tried to do that to Applejack. Twilight, I don’t know what to say to you. If you can’t use your magic, there IS no way back.” Twilight was incredibly skeptical. Any obstacle could be crossed SOMEHOW. Even the Everfree Forest had a path through most of it, how could there be no way back?

“Roger, I’m sure whatever’s in our way can be crossed. Do you know how far away Equestria is?”

“No, I don’t, but it can’t be any closer than 4-”

“-MILES!” Twilight said, amazed she had traveled so far beyond the boundaries of her home.

“No,” Roger said. “Light years.” It was Twilight’s turn to sit quietly and listen.

“I’m sorry to tell you this Twilight, but Equestria is farther away then you can travel on foot, or fly to. It’s so far away you can’t even see it from here. You’re on a place called Earth, that’s the name of the planet. You haven’t seen something like me before because I’m not from your world. The only reason I knew who you were is because…well this is a little harder to explain.”

Roger stopped and leaned his head against the back of the couch. Twilight said nothing, unable to form words after such a claim. How far away where they? How WERE they going to get back? Twilight couldn’t concentrate, this couldn’t be right. Then suddenly the creature stood abruptly making everypony in the room jump.

“Follow me, Twilight, there’s something you should see.” Roger walked through the double doors and turned to see the rest of the ponies standing up to go with Twilight. “You’re going to want them to stay here, it’s better you tell them in your own words later.” Twilight was beyond arguing. She didn’t know where Roger was leading her, but she had to find out if he was telling the truth. She shook her head at her friends and followed Roger to the second floor.

Roger went to the door slightly to the left from the center of the hallway. “Before we go in, brace yourself, you’re not going to like it.” Twilight doubted anything through that door could be as bad as what he had already suggested. She looked up at him; the smile faded from his face, as he opened the door and walked in, she followed.

Lies

The room was an office type space; clothes dotted the largely empty ground. A small bed sat in the corner of the room next to a simple desk with a chair in front of it, atop the desk was another machine looking object shaped like a cube with a glass front and plastic on all other sides. It was the opposite wall, however, that caught Twilight’s attention the most. On it was a large poster about two by three feet. It was covered with a collection of ponies from Ponyville. Princess Celestia, Spike, she even saw herself on there, but how could this picture exist?

Roger walked to the machine on the desk and sat down in the chair, pressing a button on the side of the plastic cube. The glass lit up with another picture, this time of Twilight and her friends huddled around a large sign. My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, it was written in Roger’s language. Twilight knew THIS picture was fake, it had to be, she had never seen anything like this before. Roger turned toward Twilight; his face was serious, but compassionate.

“Look, this isn’t going to be easy, but I really need to tell you this. When I found you in the woods all sorts of things ran through my head, I never thought I’d get an opportunity like this. You see… this picture is from your television show.”

Twilight, remarkably, knew what this meant. The dictionary she had absorbed contained a plethora of words for which there were no equestrian equivalents, one such word was television. If she was on a television show…

“Roger, I don’t understand. Do you mean I’m an actor or…”

“No Twilight, you’re from an animated show. You have a voice actor, but there isn’t anyone like you here.”

“You have a word for pony, if you have a television show about us you must have had something to reference as to what we look like, are other Equestrians here?”

“I’m afraid not Twilight, the ponies we have aren’t from Equestria.” Not from Equestria, how was that possible? All ponies came from Equestria didn’t they?

“Roger, this doesn’t make sense, are you telling me I’m not real?” She asked it flatly, expecting the answer, but Roger took on a worried expression when she asked this.

“No! No if you’re here you must be real, you can talk and look like any other living creature. In order to get here in the first place you must have been real.”

“If I’m on a television show how could I end up here? How could I be here if what you’re saying is true?”

“I don’t know Twilight, I don’t have any experience with magic. What exactly did you tell the portal that brought you here?” Twilight looked away from the screen and sat in the doorway staring at the floor.

“I don’t remember exactly, everypony wanted something different. Not to rainy, or cold, or windy, I…” Twilight’s voice trailed off as she remembered what Applejack had told her. “We told it to take us as far away from Ponyville as possible.” Twilight didn’t need to say anymore. A world where you don’t exist is farther away then you could ever get.

Roger looked at her sympathetically; he adjusted in his seat as silence gripped the room. Twilight now understood what was going on, her magic, Rainbow and Fluttershys wings, Pinkies…Pinkie, all didn’t exist here. It wasn’t the portal or the surroundings that weakened them, it was the fact they didn’t belong here.

Twilight stood up and walked back toward the staircase, Roger didn’t follow. What was she going to tell the others? How could she tell them? It’s not every day you walk up to a pony and tell them they don’t exist, never existed. How is this possible? When she returned to her friends they gathered around her noticed her morbid expression and bombarded her with questions.

“What’s the matter darling?” asked Rarity.

“What did that thing do to you?” Rainbow said, her wings sticking straight up as her nostrils flared.

“Come on Twilight what’d he tell ya?” Pinkie said jumping onto the couch expecting Twilight to join her. Twilight’s original intention was to rest on the couch before starting, but as the ponies’ questions and faces became more intense she cracked.

“Girls, it’s bad. I don’t think we’re going to be going home.” She said. The questioning stopped as the group processed this statement.

“Whatcha mean by that Twilight?” Applejack said worriedly.

“Exactly what I said, Roger showed me something, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“Well darling I don’t like being left out of a scandal, I think the suspense would kill me faster than anything you could tell us would.” Rarity stated. Twilight looked at the faces of her friends, how could she tell them? Tears snaked down her face as she began.

“Girls, we’re a lot farther from home then we thought.” How would they react? “Roger told me where he believes Equestria is and he has some pretty convincing evidence.” Did they really need to know? Twilight paused to ponder this. They all trusted her, believed she could get them home. How could she tell them there was no home to go back to, At least not one that they would ever truly be able to call real again? Did they need to know?

“What is it sugar cube?” Applejack asked. Twilight wiped away her tears and put on a stony face.

“Equestria is…” The ponies looked up at her hopefully eyes wide and expecting. “I’ll be right back.” Twilight said as she bolted from the room leaving behind a stunned audience. Roger was making his way slowly down the stairs when Twilight rushed past him

“Hey!” he called after her “Twilight where are you going?” Twilight ran into the room Roger had shown her and tore the picture off the wall. “TWILIGHT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” Roger nearly screamed when he caught up and saw this.

“How do you turn this thing off?” Twilight asked pointing to the glowing box on the table. Roger rushed over to the machine and pressed the same button he had earlier. The screen went dark as he turned to face the frantic Twilight. “Do you have anything else with us on it?” Twilight said as she neatly folded the picture into a small cube with her magic.

“Twilight hold up, what’s all this about? Why are you ruining my poster?”

“Roger I’ll explain in a minute, do you have anything else with us on it, yes or no?” Twilight’s voice was intent and serious.

“My bedspread, I have a comforter of you and Celestia.”

“Where?”

“Next door to the left.”

Twilight galloped out of the room, poster held tight in her mouth as she carried the machine behind her using her magic. When she reached the door she thankfully found it slightly cracked and pushed it open with her nose. Tossing the folded poster and machine onto the comforter she folded the entire bedspread over itself so none of the picture showed. Roger entered the room as she pulled the bundle off the bed.

“Is that all you have?”

“Yes that’s everything, now will you please tell me what’s going on here?” Twilight looked around the room and spotted a window in the wall opposite the door, opening it using her magic she pushed the bundle through. Before Roger could react she had dropped it to the ground and peered out to see if any of the image shown. When she was satisfied the other ponies wouldn’t find it; she turned back to a speechless Roger.

“I’m sorry Roger, but I can’t have the other ponies seeing these things. I don’t want them to find out we’re not in Equestria.” Roger slowly nodded his head; his expression locked in a concerned stare, as Twilight continued. “Everypony is counting on me to get them home, and I need them to keep up hope until I can find a way to do that. I’m sorry to ask this of you Roger, but is it possible for us to stay here tonight? We don’t have many other options and you already know who we are so you might be able to help us.” Roger nodded again.

“Twilight I don’t mind if you stay but do you think-” Twilight didn’t stick around to hear any more. Darting around Roger she made her way back downstairs, pausing at the top of the staircase to change her speed and pretend she had been walking the whole time.

Shocked ponies stood silently outside the room Twilight had left them in watching her approach. When Twilight reached the bottom of the stairs she looked up at Roger standing on the upper floor. Motioning with a hoof for him to follow her, she approached the group of her friends. The ponies shared similar faces of confusion, their focus strictly on Twilight.

“I’m sorry about that everypony,” Twilight said. “I needed to convince Roger to come and help me explain. He can do it a lot better than I can.” Twilight’s smile was obviously forced, but the skeptical ponies accepted her answer before and were quickly ushered back into the living room. When Roger reached the bottom of the stairs Twilight quickly turned to him. “Did you get all that Roger?”

“What, you mean all that… pony speech? No Twilight I can’t understand you when you do that.” Roger replied. Twilight was still getting used to switching languages, but the fact only she could understand Roger was what gave her this idea.

“I hate to do this, but I don’t want everypony to panic when they find out we’re not in Equestria. Right now we all just need to calm down a bit so I can figure out what to do. I’m the one who brought us here and It’s my responsibility to get us back, a bunch of panicked ponies isn’t going to help with that so I need your help to convince them you know where we are. I’ll find a way to break the news to them when the time is right.”

“Twilight, I don’t think it’s a good idea to lie to your friends. What would Applejack say?” But Twilight had made up her mind; she walked into the room without giving an answer and took up her same spot on the couch. Roger stood in the doorway casting a disapproving look at Twilight before the other ponies could notice him.

“Everypony you’ve already met him, but this creatures name is Roger.” Twilight pointed to Roger with a hoof as his expression changed to one of a calm smile.

“What kind of name is Roger?” Rainbow Dash said smugly. “It sounds so… like what can you do with a Roger?”

Pinkie jumped up from the corner of the room. “What’cha mean dashie!?! You can do all kinds of things with Roger! We can go kite flying or scuba diving or cupcake eating or room painting or hang gliding or banana hammocking or cow chasing or Canterlot yodeling or interning or beetle chasing or..."

“Pinkie that’s not what I mean!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “With normal names you can kind of tell who the pony is. Applejack works on the apple farm, Twilight Sparkle knows magic. But what the hay is a Roger?” Rainbow Dash made a good point.

“I’ll ask him.” Twilight said, happy to delay telling the ponies where they were, she turned to Roger. “What does your name mean?” Roger looked confused.

“What do you mean Twilight, like what’s it mean in your language? I told you I don’t speak pony.”

“No Roger, I mean what do you do? What’s your job?”

“I’m a farmer.” Twilight repeated that to the ponies.

“Well, I coulda told y’all that.” Applejack said. “What type a farmer is it?”

“He.” Twilight said.

“He.” Applejack repeated.

“They want to know what type of farmer.” Twilight told Roger.

“Well I mostly grow wheat and corn, but recently I started raising horses.” Twilight perked up at this. Horses? Other creatures like her? Granted no pony had seen a horse since the times of caveponies but it was something. What did he mean by he ‘raises’ them?

“Why do you raise horses? Can’t they raise themselves?” Roger searched for a response.

“Well…they can, and some of them do. But I don’t think you’re thinking of the same thing I am.” Twilight tried to form a response, but before she could say anything Rainbow Dash interrupted.

“So what did HE say, Twilight, don’t keep us hanging.” Twilight turned to her friends.

“He grows wheat, corn and…‘raises horses.’” The other ponies were just as confused as Twilight.

“You mean he takes care of them?” Fluttershy asked.

“Twilight that’s silly.” Pinkie added. “Horses aren’t real, maybe he was just telling you a little pony tale.

“I don’t think so, he said it’s different from what we might think.” The ponies sat pondering this. Fluttershy spoke first.

“Can we see them?” she asked. Twilight thought about this, maybe one of the horses could tell them how they got here. Maybe they could tell them how to get home. Twilight turned to Roger.

“Do you think we could see the horses you…‘raise’?” Roger looked surprised at the suggestion. He looked at the ponies and tried to look calmer than Twilight knew he was.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, my horses aren’t…”

“Your horses?” Twilight said, “what do you mean by that?” Roger froze, Twilight could tell he was hiding something. “Roger, what do you mean when you say you raise horses?”

Roger dropped his false smile. “Twilight you don’t want to know.” Twilight stared at Roger square in the eyes. His sorrowful look returned by her questioning gaze.

“If you know me as well as you say, you’ll know that’s a lie.” A long pause followed, each passing moment brought no change in either of their faces.

“I’ll get my truck keys.” Roger finally said with a dejected tone as he turned around and made his way to the stairs.

“Are we going to see the horses?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think so.” Twilight responded. “Looks like I’ll have to tell you where we are later girls.”

“I wonder what these horses are like, being so far away from our civilized culture I’m sure we’ll be treated like royalty.” Rarity said checking her mane in the glass of the coffee table.

“This place not city enough for ya Rarity?” Applejack said. “I woulda thought you’d love being in a place big enough to actually hold your ego.” Rarity ignored the orange mare and continued with her touch ups. When Roger returned the six ponies followed him outside and were loaded into the machine.

“Roger can I ask you something?” Twilight said.

“Sure Twilight, I’ll do my best to answer anything you want to know.”

“You said a truck driver told you where we were. If I’m right you referred to what you’ve got us in now as a truck. Are you telling me this machine is called the same as that huge thing he was driving?”

Roger thought it over before responding. “ Well it’s more to do with transporting things then the size of the vehicle. Both this truck and his truck take things from place to place. That’s why they’re called the same thing, they perform the same task. Understand?” Twilight nodded and Roger got into the front of the truck

Fluttershy shrieked when the truck started, but once they started to move she calmed down. Roger drove around the house allowing Twilight to get a good look at the building, it was even bigger than she thought, with easily double as much space as Applejack’s barn.

“Oh Celastia that’s big.” Rainbow Dash said. “I wonder if clouds hit the top of it when they float by?” Twilight looked up to see clouds lazily floating across the sky. “Wait a second, I just got an idea.” Rainbow’s wings shot straight up as she stood in the back of the truck. “Why don’t we just wait for the next cloud squad to find us?”

“What are ya talking about Rainbow, the cloud patrol just came through Ponyville yesterday. They won’t know we’re gone from Ponyville for at least a week and they don’t know where we are any more than we do.” Applejack countered.

“No, look up at the clouds.” Rainbow Dash pointed at the sky as everypony looked up.

“Oh Dashie that’s brilliant! if we’re close to Equestria we can just wait for a passing cloud patrol. We’ll be home in no time!” Pinkie elated.

“Now hold up, Twilight never said we were close to Equestria, she said Roger knew where it was.” Rarity interjected, “Twilight, do you think we’re close enough for a cloud patrol to find us?” Twilight didn’t know how to respond, on the one hoof she hated lying to her friends, but on the other she couldn’t let them worry about how they we’re going to get back.

“Umm…Roger says where a couple of miles from the edge of Equestria’s borders. I don’t think any patrols come out this far.”

“Well if they won’t come to us why can’t we go to them? They’re only a few miles away, we can make that journey.” Rainbow said, getting revved up. Twilight had to think of something quick.

“It’s not that easy Rainbow, we can’t just walk back.”

“Why not?” Rarity started. “Darling I’m not much of a fan of trudging along for miles, but I want to get home sometime before Sweetie Bell ruins everything I own.”

“Roger hasn’t told me exactly what’s stopping us, but we can’t do that. I’m working on it, I promise.” Rainbow realized Twilight was shooting down her idea and sat back down, folding her wings back at her sides.

“Great, I almost thought I’d be able to fly for a moment.” Twilight winced at Rainbow’s words, she didn’t like this, but what other options did she have?

Roger had taken a path around the back of his house that went relatively straight through fields of corn. As the group finished their conversation the corn began to give way to a large fenced field. At first there was no signs of the horses, but soon the ponies could see them in the distance.

Roger stopped the truck and turned it off. He got out and carried the ponies one at a time to the fence. It was a good four feet high and Twilight was surprised he could place them on the ground inside of it before letting go. When all six of them were inside the enclosure, Roger climbed over and started walking into the middle of the field.

The ponies followed, and Twilight could tell they were all nervously eager to see the locals. As they got closer to where the horses were gathered, Roger stopped. He turned to Twilight and said, “Last chance to turn back.” Twilight responded by walking past Roger toward the gathering. The horses were about as tall as Princess Celestia, easily hitting five feet. When Twilight approached one it snorted and got up on its hind legs, waving its fore hooves in the air. Twilight didn’t know how to respond.

“Hello, we’re from out of town, what’s your name?” The horse set itself down and turned away from Twilight. She managed to see its lack of cutie mark before it galloped away.

“Well that was rude.” Rarity said. “Couldn’t take the time to show a young mare around the…field?”

“Where are all their houses?” Twilight asked.

“They don’t have any.” Roger said. “I’ve got a barn for them to sleep in but a lot of the time they stay outside to sleep under the stars.”

“What? Why do you do that? It’s borderline abuse!”

“They want to.” Roger replied. The group of ponies walked around the field approaching horse after horse to no avail. Each time the group tried to communicate with one of them they received no response. After nearly an hour of fruitless effort, the ponies made their way back to Roger who had been observing them from a small hill on the way back to the truck.

“Roger,” Twilight said. “Why won’t anypony talk to us?”

“Twilight I told you this wasn’t going to be what you’re used to.”

“Roger…what’s going on here?” Roger sighed,

“I only raise horses, but if I had any other animals you’d find that all creatures act the same here. They don’t talk, or live in cities, or do anything like you or I can. On this world you not only don’t exist, but outside the human species there’s nothing, nobody and nopony, like you. I didn’t want to tell you, but you gave me no choice. They won’t talk to you because they can’t, they don’t understand you; they’re not sentient beings.”

Twilight’s eyes fogged up. Maybe it was all the stress finally catching up to her, maybe it was what Roger had said, but somehow knowing there was nopony else who wasn’t a world away to talk to planted a rock in her stomach. She kept herself from crying as she turned to her friends; did they need to know?

“He says horses don’t talk here, there mute.” Another lie, but Twilight told herself it was for the best.

“Twilight I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a mute horse.” Rarity said.

“But then again we’ve never seen a creature like Roger a’fore today” Applejack said.

“I want to go home” Fluttershy wailed unable to keep back her tears.

“So much for waiting ‘till we get home to cry.” Pinkie pie said. While the other ponies went to comfort Fluttershy, Twilight and Roger locked eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Roger said. Twilight said nothing, but hung her head. Roger walked up to her and knelt on both knees. Before Twilight could react he lifted her head and wrapped his fore legs around her neck in an embrace. Twilight did not return it, but pressed her cheek against the side of his face.

“I think it would be best, if you took us back to your home.”

Plan

The ride back was the noisiest silence you could imagine. The sound of the car engine and Fluttershy’s dry sobs melded themselves together into a stillness that was clear on the group’s faces. Row upon row of corn flew by until they reached the house. Roger hadn’t smiled since he told Twilight about the other animals, but he tried his best not to let the ponies see his morbid expression.

The ponies followed Roger inside, but standing in the foyer of the grand farmhouse they made no move to head back toward the living room. Roger looked down at Twilight and the rest of the ponies. “I was thinking about what you said earlier, about you staying here for a few days. If you want to I can show you around the house a little bit.”

“That would be great Roger.” Twilight said quietly. Twilight explained to her friends they were going on the tour, nopony complained. Roger led the group to the double door at the right of the entrance that had previously been closed. When Roger opened it he revealed a gigantic flat screen hanging from the wall with a dinning table below it and several chairs spaced around the table. The ponies, temporarily shocked out of their sorrowful state, stared in awe.

“Ooooohhh,” Pinkie said, wide eyed. She walked into the room and looked up at the Television. “What is this?”

Twilight didn’t know how to describe it. Her knowledge was restricted as to what each word she had learned translated to; she knew what it was but not what it was. “That’s a television Pinkie, it shows you pictures of things to pass the time.” As Pinkie gawked at the shiny screen, Roger walked toward the only other door in the room as he spoke.

“This is my dining/T.V. room. I like to watch my favorite shows while I eat.” Twilight translated as they reached the door. The new opening led further back into the house, as Twilight and the group (including the now mesmerized Pinkie) walked through it they discovered the kitchen. A counter circled the room only breaking for the door the party had come through and a door at the east wall, In the corner was a Refrigerator and stove.

“Here’s the kitchen, feel free to use it at will.” Through the next door was a rather large pantry stuffed full of boxed and canned goods. In a corner was another one of the trays like the one Roger had carried the food on. A few sacks of vegetables lay scattered on the ground.

“Sorry about the mess, you guys looked really hungry so I kind of hap-hazardly put everything back. But this is the pantry, again help yourselves.” Twilight gazed at the walls of food before her. There was enough there to feed all of Ponyville! Roger made his way through a door on the north wall that led back to the room full of books. Quickly passing this one as the ponies had already seen it Roger headed to the second floor.

He explained that the door farthest to the right was a storage space and bypassed it for the next room. It contained a large bed that was slightly taller then the ponies. A large lavish comforter was draped over a double mattress embroiled with a golden design on a black background. Despite its massive size however it was dwarfed by the total emptiness of the room, the stale yellow walls empty of any markings or items.

“This is the guest room, I don’t usually have visitors so I never bothered to spruce up the room. I’m sure we can fit three of you into this bed.” Twilight was amazed, how could she even get in that bed without being able to fly? But Roger had already started to move on so the group was forced to follow. The last two rooms Twilight had already seen earlier that day, but Roger surprised her with his description of them.

“This is Lily’s room, all that’s in here is what she left behind when she moved out. One of you can take her bed.” When Twilight translated this the ponies perked up slightly.

“Lilly, who’s Lilly?” asked Fluttershy. When Twilight asked Roger he drew in a light sigh.

“She’s my daughter, currently she lives somewhere in the city but every once in a while she comes to visit. I don’t think she’s to well off but she refuses to tell me anything.” Twilight wanted to ask more about the subject, but Roger seemed unwilling to discuss it further. The last room they came to was heavily furnished (Compared to the last two.) containing a double bed, dresser, nightstand, and a large lamp in the corner of the room. The window Twilight had used to dispose of the comforter still hung open.

“This is my room, two of you can sleep in here for the time being unless I find something better.” Roger said.

“But Roger, that’s a bed for all of us but you.” Twilight said with concern for her host. Roger turned to Twilight with a slight smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take the couch downstairs. I’ve spent more then one day on that thing when nobody was here, I’ll be fine while you ponies find a way home.” Twilight told this to her friends whom responded gratefully.

“Twilight could you ask Roger something for me?” Rarity said shyly.

“What is it Rarity?” Twilight asked noticing something odd about Rarity’s stance.

“Well I just noticed that theirs no little mare’s room here and I desperately need the service of one. Could you ask him where it is?” Twilight translated the request and Roger motioned the ponies to follow him downstairs. When they reached the first floor, to Twilight’s amazement (and Rarity’s dismay) Roger headed outside.

The confused group of ponies followed Roger to the right side of the house that had been previously hidden from view. A lone wooden building of about two square feet that stood five or so feet tall was the only feature before the cornfields started. On the door was a hole in the shape of a moon.

“You can’t be serious,” Rarity said “there is no way under Celestia’s sun I will use that beastly outhouse.” Applejack stifled back a laugh with her hoof.

“What’s the matter, your fancy derriere to high and mighty for a little country plumbing.” She said.

Rarity turned a disapproving glare on Applejack. “A hole in the dirt is in no way plumbing.”

“Well it’s that or hold it till we get home.” Rainbow Dash said smugly. Twilight watched Rarity weigh her options, Roger tried to motion the other ponies inside but nopony moved. Rarity eventually started to slowly approach the outhouse and tapped her hoof on the door. Creaking hinges gave way from the pressure and the door swung slightly open.

“Oh it smells horrid!” Rarity whined. Applejack burst out laughing and started rolling on the ground Rarity turned to her with a hateful glare blushing crimson red. Twilight got Rainbow and Pinkie to help her drag the hysteric Applejack back inside the house. Roger and Fluttershy followed to give Rarity some peace.

Twilight couldn’t help but smile herself at Rarity’s predicament and Applejack’s laughter. The day had weighed her down so much this small incident was a breather she desperately needed. By the time they made it back through the door Pinkie and Twilight were giggling right beside Applejack.

Roger looked from pony to pony, a confused look on his face. But the laughter was infectious. Soon he couldn’t hold back his own giggles, and when Rarity returned from the outhouse blushing even redder then before even Fluttershy roared with laughter.

“Not funny.” Said Rarity, but the ponies could barely hear her. After everypony calmed down enough to speak through their broadening smiles Roger turned to Twilight.

“I have no idea why that was so funny, but you guys can stay here as long as you need to if everyday ends up like that!” Twilight nodded, unable to tell if the tear running down her face was from laughing, or Rogers statement.

* * *

The rest of the day consisted of ponies running around the farmhouse exploring there temporary home, Twilight spending most of her time reading through the books she found in the house’s living room. She was astounded at the sophistication of these creatures; things like robots and electricity, things Equestria had never seen flowed from these pages.

Twilight studied the planet’s history from dinosaurs and Dragons to space travel and colonies on mars. Great biographies like Oliver Twist and I’m hosting as fast as I can. How were all the things they did possible without magic? Twilight was engrossed in a book titled Foundation, about humanities colonization of the universe (a feat mind boggling to ponykind.) when Roger approached her.

“You getting along there Twilight.” He said sitting down beside her. Twilight jumped at the voice, but when she realized whom it was she relaxed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Its fine Roger, these books you have are incredible! Everything is so exciting, I wish I could share it with the other ponies.”

“What’s stopping you?” Roger asked sympathetically.

“I can’t risk them putting the pieces together. What if one of them figures out we’re not on Equestria?” Roger smiled down at Twilight.

“With any luck you will be soon, I’ve been talking to the other ponies and…well I think I’ve thought of something.” Twilight matched Rogers smile, what could he be planning? “What causes magic Twilight?” Twilight’s smile turned into a look of confusion.

“Well a number of things, many who study it’s properties believe it has something to do with the natural energy that collects in objects, the denser an object the more energy. A unicorns horn is very dense, and is able to tap into this energy to cast spells. In a kind of odd way however, the denser an object is the harder it is to use magic on. This makes combat magic and manipulation of ones own body the hardest types of magic. Why do you ask?”

“Well I was talking to Rarity and she explained to me something similar. But she also told me the stronger your connection to an object the easier it is to use magic on, is that right?” Twilight nodded. “Well here’s what I’m thinking, what happens when you’re not casting magic on an object, but you still feel connected to it? Can this object help you cast the spell?”

Twilight thought this over, she honestly didn’t know. “I guess it could work, every object has a trace amount of magic it channels all the time. But I still don’t see where you’re going with this.” Roger’s eyes lit up.

“What if we put you and Rarity in a circle, but not just any circle. A circle of all your friends and…possibly myself, so you could draw magic from us. You have a strong connection to your friends and a small one to me, maybe you could open the portal if we were all there to help!” Twilight ran this idea through her brain.

“Roger that’s brilliant! Let’s go!” Twilight jumped off the couch forgetting her book.

“Hold up Twilight!” Roger shouted. Twilight turned around a huge smile on her face. “I’m glad you’re eager, but you’ve already used your magic a lot today. You nearly passed out when you did the translation spell, if we try this it’s going to need to happen tomorrow. Twilight’s ears fell back, for a moment she had almost thought she’d be going home right then. But Roger was right, what if it didn’t work?

“Roger, you’re right, I just got excited.” Roger waved his hand in dismissal.

“It’s fine Twilight, I understand. If you really want to improve your chances you can get some sleep, the better rested you are the more energy you’ll have for the spell. Twilight agreed and galloped upstairs, allowing herself just enough hope to keep her smile.

The beds had already been decided upon. The tall bed would be shared by Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, And Applejack. The only three who could actually get on it. Rarity had requested Lily’s room for its privacy, leaving Pinkie and Twilight Roger’s room. Twilight was fortunate to find Pinkie already asleep; the pink mare was not known for keeping quiet before bed.

Time had apparently gone by faster then she expected, outside the window stars shown brightly. Twilight gently got onto the bed and didn’t bother covering herself for fear of disturbing Pinkie. Twilight closed her eyes tight hoping to fall asleep quicker, but after a few minutes of lying awake, she ran through what Roger had said when suddenly...

“Rarity told him what!?!” Twilight opened her eyes wide when she remembered that. Roger said he had been talking to Rarity. How? In which language? HOW? But as Twilight felt this sudden burst of realization she discounted herself. That couldn’t be right. He must have meant figuratively. Maybe he was watching the “show”, that must be it. But Rarity NEVER talks about magic. Where did he get this notion? Before Twilight could come up with a reasonable answer however the surge of adrenaline subsided and she felt the long day way her eyelids down putting her in a fitful sleep.

* * *

Twilight awoke with a start sitting up in bed. Pinkie had apparently already gotten up for the day and left the blanket askew on the lower portion of the bed. Thoughts of last night’s conversation filtered through her brain. Was it real? Twilight got up and replaced the sheets before looking out at the sky of a richly colored dawn.

All around her the cornfields bent and waved in a gentle breeze that brushed lightly against Twilight’s face when she opened the window. Taking in a deep breath of air she almost forgot for a moment where she was. The simple touch of nature almost made it feel like home. She could see why Roger liked it here. A knock on the door broke Twilight’s concentration however as Applejack’s voice could be heard on the other side.

“Morni’n Twi, your food’s gonna get cold if y’all don’t hurry it up downstairs. Rogers been hold’n off Pinkie thus far but I wouldn’t count on that last’n.” Twilight suddenly became awair of the smells wafting through the room. Toast, pancakes, grilled celery, Twilight’s stomach growled with delight. “From the sound a’things I’ll tell everypony you’ll be down soon.”

Twilight opened her door just in time to see Applejack disappear downstairs. Following close behind she arrived to see the dinning room abuzz with activity. The giant T. V. captivated the attention of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash whom sat beneath it wide eyed. A program featuring a tuxedoed man on a speedboat hypnotized the pair.

Roger sat at the end of the table next to Pinkie pie and Rarity with a plate of food towering before him. The group of three seemed to be communicating exceptionally well using a mixture of nonverbal signals and gestures. Pinkie seemed to be the main speaker, effortlessly moving her fore hooves to form various signs. When Roger noticed Twilight he motioned for her to join the conversation.

“Morning Twilight, I’m glad to see you want your breakfast.” As Roger spoke he made gestures so Pinkie and Rarity could understand.

“You created a new language in less then a day?” Twilight said, impressed, confused, and skeptical at the same time, but relieved to see she had heard Roger correctly the day before.

“Not exactly, Pinkie Pie already knew it, she just taught it to me and Rarity. Didn’t you get suspicious when I said I’d been talking to Rarity?” The irony of that sentence was almost laughable. “Help yourself to the food Twilight, Applejack will have more out soon.”

Twilight approached the table and sat next to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie greeted Twilight with a hug and a cheerful “Good Morning!” Rarity smiled at Twilight but returned to her conversation with Roger before a greeting could be offered. The spread of food had a distinctly Equestrian look, Applejack must have been busy harvesting dandelions and daises that morning. Twilight started levitating various foods onto her plate just as Applejack came in from the kitchen.

“Next round a vittles coming up!” Applejack hollered as she placed a plate of steaming potato slices in front of Twilight. “I knew your stomach would wake you up sooner or later, but if were going to get home in time for our morn’n doings, I decided sooner would be the best idea.”

“Who told you we were going home?” Twilight asked slightly surprised.

“Well Roger an Pinkie in that crazy hoof speech, we all know!” Twilight hadn’t thought Roger would share the plan with the others. She was hoping to find a way to tell them what was going on without getting their hopes up. However from what Applejack said this would now be near impossible. Twilight’s stomach growled again and Applejack gave a quick nod toward the food before heading back into the kitchen.

Twilight dug in, and was soon joined by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash who grabbed a plateful of potatoes before returning to their spots in front of the television. After serving another plateful of food Applejack sat down across from Twilight next to Rarity and had her own breakfast. Roger told stories about great people and far away places (Careful never to mention where the stories took place.) that kept the ponies mesmerized.

After awhile the ponies had eaten their fill and Twilight helped Pinkie and Roger clear the table. Roger had to do most of the washing being the only one who could work the sink, but Twilight and Pinkie dried and put the clean dishes away. Pinkie and Roger never stopped talking in their wild gestures, Roger often flinging water everywhere as he ‘spoke’. From what Twilight could understand, they were talking about Ponyviile.

Roger would ask a question about the town or a particular pony and then Pinkie pie would talk about them for ten minutes. Roger watched every second of it, enthralled with the jumping, flailing pony. Twilight almost wondered if Roger was even really listening or just humoring Pinkie, but his occasional comments proved he was.

By the time they had finished Twilight had almost completely forgotten about the attempt to open the portal. Watching her friends overcome something as complicated as Trans species, even possibly Trans dimensional language barriers bolstered her spirits. When Twilight returned to the hopeful eyes of the ponies that had gathered around the television, she felt like there was no way she could fail. Twilight approached the group with a confident smile that leapt to each face she turned to.

“Has everypony been told about Roger’s idea?” Twilight asked the group. Applejack nodded in response as the rest of the ponies turned to Twilight. “Then if everyponys ready lets see if this works.” Twilight led the way outside and picked out a flat spot on the grass near the front of the house. The ponies made a semi-circle around her and Rarity, Roger sitting in the center of the arch.

“Do you think we’re actually going home this time?” Rarity whispered to Twilight.

“I hope so” Twilight whispered back. As total silence descended over the group broken only by the gentle kiss of the wind. Twilight lit up her horn, bathing the early dawn in a new bright light. Rarity followed suet and soon the field was washed in a purple glow. Twilight could see the gray line creep its way toward the sky; slowly it snaked its way up fighting her every step. Twilight could feel the energy of her friends, faint, but present, even the slightest of tugs from Roger. The hope she had and the presence of her friends giving her the strength to fight through its stubborn resistance.

Twilight allowed that energy to build and build until the line passed her eye level when suddenly the work became sharply harder. Rarity evidently felt this change to as she snorted out a puff of air before squeezing her eyes shut to concentrate. Twilight pushed (or it’s equivalent in magical terms) her magic, creating a glow from her horn that rivaled the ambient light around them. Twilight didn’t want to close her eyes, she wanted to be able to see the line as it drew itself, know when she had finished. She started to think about home again, Ponyville and all its inhabitance, she had only been away two days or less. Yet it felt like forever.

The group behind Twilight silently cheered her on. She could almost feel how much they wanted this to work. As Twilight redoubled her efforts she saw the line grow slower and slower despite its nearing the peek of its height. “Just another few inches.” She said to herself. “Almost there.”

But just as the line neared the zenith, Rarity collapsed. The pony that had stood strong before when Twilight fell in the clearing left her completely unaided. Twilight held fast attempting to hold the spell, but without help it was impossible. Letting the glow drop from her horn, she watched the line recede into the ground. Just before it disappeared Twilight tried to start the spell again and held out for another few seconds before releasing the portal again. A new silence gripped the ponies, this time made impure by the heavy breathing of the unicorns.

“So close.” Twilight said aloud this time, all the hope she had put into this plan splintering before her.

“Don’t worry Twilight, We’ll get it next time.” Rainbow said as she helped Rarity to stand.

“That’s better then any try we’ve seen so far.” Applejack quietly added.

“What do we do now?” Pinkie asked. Twilight didn’t have an answer for that one. What could they do now? Roger’s plan was a long shot but it was the best shot they had. They had so nearly made it, everypony had been so hopeful.

“Twilight,” Rarity said between gasps for air. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t…”

“It’s ok Rarity,” came Twilight’s response “it’s my fault.”

“Now Twilight, don’t be upset.” Fluttershy said attempting to comfort Twilight.

“What if our magic is still weakening?” Twilight said slightly louder then she meant to. “What am I going to tell you next time? Don’t get your hopes up but lets see if we can finally do the thing we’ve been trying to do for three days now. Except it hasn’t been we, it’s been me. I’m the one that got us here.”

“Sugar cube don’t talk like that.” Applejack said.

“This is what, the fourth time we’ve tried this?” Twilight said turning on Applejack. “Every time we get closer but we never get there. What’s going to happen when we wake up one morning to find the opposite? That each attempt is worse then the last. What’s going to happen when I can’t even start the spell?”

“If the world where full of what ifs I can guaranty this would be the least of our problems.” But Twilight was having none of it.

“Applejack I don’t know if you noticed but right now this is the biggest problem. Everypony wants to go home and ever time I fail I make it worse on them.”

“Then tell me Twi how exactly throw’n fits like a fillies gonna help?”

Twilight let tears flow down her face. “Because if I can’t get this to work we can’t go home! EVER!”

Truth

Twilight regretted saying that as soon as it was out of her mouth, but through her frustration and tears she let silence fill the void her words left. Rainbow held Rarity beside her, the weak unicorn trying to disguise her heavy breathing in order to prolong the emptiness of the moment, or guard against asking the question everypony wanted to. Roger made a quick series of signs to Pinkie who whispered a translation.

“He wants to know why Twilight shouted, and why we’re so quiet.” Twilight stared at the ground and didn’t speak. Pinkie started to repeat herself slightly louder “He wants to know why we’re so quiet!” When nopony responded she started again louder HE WANTS…”

“We heard you Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Then why won’t Twilight say anything?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh please don’t cry Twilight.” Fluttershy said. “Pinkie and I have already cried since we got here and if you cry everypony else is going to start crying and if Rainbow Dash starts to cry then I don’t know what I’ll do!”

“Sugar cube, it’s not that bad.” Applejack said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. This was the last thing Twilight wanted. Throwing off Applejack’s hoof she looked her straight in the eyes.

“Applejack you don’t understand, we might not go home! We might never see Ponyville again. It’s all my fault for bringing us here without more help from the book and my responsibility to get us back. I know how much you girls want me to get this over with, but the truth is I don’t think I can do it.”

“Twilight it’s ok, even if ya can’t do it ya told us Equestria ain’t too far away. We’ll walk back if we have ta but we’ll get back somehow.”

“Applejack you don’t…”

“I don’t nothin, we’re going home.”

“No we aren’t.” Twilight said.

“But… Darling…if we know where it is why not?” Rarity said, still collecting her breath.

“Because we can’t” Twilight said; now turned to Rarity.

“What do ya mean we can’t, why would we be doing all this if you knew it wouldn’t work?” Rainbow Dash said, eyes narrowing at Twilight.

“No, it can still work but…”

“Now which is it Twi, will this thing help us or not?” Applejack asked.

“That’s the point! If this doesn’t work there’s no other way back home!”

“No way home?” Fluttershy said. “But… why not?” Twilight didn’t want to tell them, how could she? How could she tell her friends they don’t exist?

“Because,” she said, “we just can’t.”

“Why not? Twi you’re not make’n a lick a sense ” Applejack said.

“Because, because…”

“Twilight what is it?” Rainbow Dash said, as she moved herself directly in front of Twilight forcing Rarity to support herself. Twilight felt like she was being backed into a corner, Rainbow Dash’s nose was nearly touching her own.

“THERE IS NO HOME.” Twilight sobbed, she couldn’t hold it in. Everything she knew, they knew, was farther away than they could ever know. Everything rode on her to get them back to a place that didn’t exist.

“Twilight that’s a bigger lie then I ever heard you say before, what do you mean there’s no home.” Twilight didn’t respond, but ran around to the back of the house. Grabbing the bundle she had thrown from the second story the day before, she dragged it back to her group of friends. Roger stood as if to stop her, but Twilight pulled open the comforter before he could make it over to her.

The ponies stood around looking at the picture imprinted on the fabric. Twilight unfolded the poster to show them the gathering of ponies it displayed.

“Did I miss that party, or did I drink too much cider, because otherwise I’d never forget a party THIS big.” Pinkie said.

“Darling, what is this?” Rarity said, eyes transfixed on the objects before her

“Roger’s world has a television show about us, in this world we… we’re characters, like from the Hearts Warming Eve play. Made up figures they watch for enjoyment.”

“Twilight you must be mistaken, I knew I was turning heads but the thought of creatures like Roger watching me, that can’t be right.” Rarity said.

Twilight sat down in the grass, a weight from her shoulders lifted in exchange for one on each of her friends. What could they do now? Roger walked over to the comforter and inspected the computer. Without saying anything, he gathered the items Twilight had brought together, and carried the bundle inside. Nopony moved until he returned a few moments later and motioned a few words to Pinkie.

“He says he’s sorry, but there’s good news. He didn’t know if the portal would work or not, so he invited his daughter over tomorrow so we could have another friend to help us get home.”

“Oh great.” Said Rainbow Dash. “Another surprise, it just gets better and better.” Twilight agreed, how would Lilly react to seeing characters from a television show in her old house? How would they introduce themselves? Oh hello, you may or may not know us from our show, but we’re trying to get back to the fictional world we came from so if you would just sit down with your father this will all go by quickly ok? In the middle of Twilight’s thought however, a sudden burst from Pinkie Pie startled the group.

“WHAT, NO ROGER THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT.” She blurted out temporarily stopping Roger’s signs.

“What now.” said Twilight.

“Rogers telling me what a television show is! Is it true we’re on that big screen in his dinning room!?!” Twilight nodded prompting Pinkie to rush inside, returning after a moment to stand in the doorway and bounced wildly. “Comeoncomeoncomeon lets see what we look like!”

“Pinkie no offense but I’m still warp’n my noggin around this, I don’t know if we…” Applejack started only to be pushed by Pinkie toward the door.

“Applejack this is great! I don’t know why Twilight didn’t tell us sooner! If Roger has a show about us maybe it could tell us how to get home!” Pinkie said desperately shoving Applejack.

“Pinkie hold up now” Applejack protested to no avail. When Pinkie realized she couldn’t budge the stubborn pony she tried forcing Rarity to much greater success.

“Pinkie stop! You’ll scuff up my coat!”

“Girls please,” Pinkie said. “What do we have to lose? Rarity you told us once Unicorn magic always has a reason, maybe this whole thing is just so we could see this show! Please!” Rarity wormed her way away from Pinkie and stared at the pink pony.

“That is NOT what I meant.” She huffed. Pinkie turned to Twilight now.

“You’re with me right? Why else would you show us this?” Twilight looked back at the poster Pinkie was now waving her hooves at. The thought had crossed her mind to watch the show, but how strange would it be to watch yourself in third pony like that?

“I don’t know Pinkie, we don’t know what we’ll see.”

“That’s the point!” Pinkie replied. Twilight wanted to respond, but before she formed the words Rainbow Dash interrupted her.

“I’m with you Pinkie. If we’re not going home today it’d be nice to see what we’re trying to get back to so we can try again tomorrow.” Rainbow Dash walked toward the house a bit before turning back to Twilight. “I trust you Twilight, I don’t know why you kept this from us or what this all means but I’m glad you told us. I trust you even if you don’t trust yourself, and I know everypony else thinks the same.”

“That’s a wonderful speech Rainbow but forgive me if I say I may have confidence in Twilight, but none in this… portrayal of us.” Rarity said.

“Rarity please.” Pinkie pleaded. “Just come in and see it with us.” Rarity tried to ignore the groveling statement, but found herself faced with a stare from Rainbow that spoke more volume than anything Pinkie could have said.

“If looks could kill.” Rarity muttered. “Alright.”

“So that’s it then?” Applejack said. “Twilight just revealed a mind blowi’n secret and we’re all gonna go look at ourselves prance about on a wall? Alright, I ain’t got any better ideas.” Applejack walked past the other ponies and into the house Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow following.

“Twilight,” Flutershy said. “I’m confused, how can Pinkie think this will help us?”

“I don’t know Fluttershy, but if it keeps our friends occupied until I decide how to handle Lilly’s arrival tomorrow, I won’t complain.”

“What just happened?” Roger looked to Twilight. “They all seemed, so calm as they went inside. Did I miss something?” Before Twilight could answer she heard Rainbow Dash’s call from inside the house.

“Hey how do you work this thing?” Twilight turned from Roger to the house, and then back to Roger.

“Whatever’s happening, it’s not happening out here.” Twilight said as she headed inside. Roger followed and complied with the request to put on the show. Apparently he had all three seasons on demand. As one by one the episodes played, Twilight translated word for word phrases and scenes they all remembered. Discord, Nightmare night with Princess Luna, The Grand Galloping Galla. Everything spot on to how it actually happened.

“It’s like they were there.” Rarity said.

“I never told anypony about half this stuff, how could they know.” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh man remember that party? That was great! And that one time nopony came to my party and I got all sad but I found out it was my birthday and you all threw me that party in applejack’s barn! And that other time we had that party after Cranky Doodle got together with his long lost love!” Came Pinkies constant comments.

Roger was the only one to focus on other things besides the television screen. Constantly gauging the ponies’ reactions as early dawn turned to midday, and midday into night. When they had seen several episodes, finishing out nearly all of season one and two, Twilight turned to Roger.

“How do you know all this about us? Where did you…who could of told you this? How did you get all this information?” Roger shifted in his seat before responding.

“Well a number of people work on the show, but if I had to point out one specific person responsible for it I’d have to say Lauren Faust. She created the show and helped design all the characters.” That was a hard one to swallow, Equestria and by extension Twilight, had a creator. Twilight wasn’t very fond of that idea.

“I’m sorry if I have to leave you empty…hoofed, but I think we should get some sleep before Lilly arrives tomorrow. We’ve been up all night watching this show and you’ll need your strength once we convince her to help you try to get home.

“Roger you can’t go to bed now, I have so many questions. Who is this Lauren Faust and how does she know about us? Where is she and who exactly works with her? And those are just the foremost questions on my mind, my friends doubtlessly have more!”

“I’m sorry Twilight, but I think it would be better if we waited until morning for questioning.” Roger tried to stand up and leave, but Twilight rushed to the door, blocking his way.

“Roger this is important, anything I learn about the show could help us get home, and right now you’re the only pony…err person, who can tell me about it.” Roger took a minute to think over Twilight’s words.

“Well… in all fairness I’m not the best person to ask about this, there are thousands of people around the world who are better authorities on the show than me. I think I might have a way for you to talk to them though. But if I do, you have to promise to get some sleep.” At this point the other ponies had started to stare at them. Something was better than nothing Twilight supposed.

“Alright, what do you have in mind?” Roger stepped around Twilight and headed into the living room. When he returned he was carrying the plastic cube Twilight had thrown outside with the rest of the My Little Pony stuff. “Roger what are you doing?” Twilight asked him as he headed upstairs.

“I’m hooking up my computer, if it still works you’re going to talk with not just one or two, but EVERY brony I can find.”

“Brony?” Twilight said confused, but Roger didn’t respond. Twilight followed Roger, leading her group of friends to Lilly’s room. Roger plugged a tail like extension of the cube into a pair of holes in the wall before pressing a button on the front of the cube, and crawling under the desk to fiddle with the cubes back. After a moment the glass lit up and flooded the dimly lit room with light. Fluttershy shrieked and hid behind the others, as the group stood mesmerized.

“What’s that Twilight?” said Pinkie, her pupils nearly swallowing her eyes.

“I don’t know exactly, Roger calls it a computer, I think it’s used to communicate with other members of Roger’s species.” Roger paid little attention to the ponies as he continued to work. Using a small curved instrument in his right hand, and a large flat object with a hundred or so buttons he directed the computer through several screens before finally coming to rest on an astounding site. The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Wiki. Twilight had no idea what to think.

“Roger, what is this,” she said drawing closer.

“This is a place where people go to talk about the show and everything to do with it. If it’s not on here it doesn’t exist.” Roger explained to Twilight how to work the computer, using the “mouse” as he called it, he showed them page after page about Equestria. “Feel free to explore this, just get some sleep ok?”

“Roger this…I don’t know how to describe this.” Twilight said.

“I know it’s confusing, but trust me if it came from my mouth it would be ten times worse. I hope you find some answers.”

“Aren’t you going to help us search?” Twilight asked, a little overwhelmed with the idea of working this alien machine.

“I’m going to sleep, I need to be rested so I can have a clear head when Lilly comes. No doubt she’ll freak when she sees you and I want to be as calm as possible so I can calm her down.” Roger stood and made a quick motion that Pinkie translated to mean goodnight. When Roger left Twilight turned back to the computer and stared at the screen.

“So Twilight, I can’t believe I’m so accustomed to asking this but what did he tell you this time?” Rarity said.

“What is that thing?” Fluttershy said, still a little frightened from when it originally started. Twilight explained what Roger had told her and the ponies gathered around the little cube.

“What can these Bronies know about us that we don’t know?” Rainbow Dash said.

“Try to keep an open mind Dash,” Applejack said, “This things just here to help us with a few minor questions.”

“Minor, right.” Rainbow Dash said unconvinced. Twilight tried moving the mouse with her magic and managed to get the hang of it without draining any strength, at least some of her powers still worked. After looking over the page Twilight settled on looking over the list of ponies. It was a big surprise to see her and her friends as the top six members of that list.

“Wait up, wait up, wait up, look at me! Move that pointer thing over to my picture.” Rainbow Dash said as she saw herself on the screen. Twilight clicked on Rainbow Dash’s name and the computer took them to a page summarizing Rainbow on the show. “Twilight what’s it say.” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight read the page and found herself surprised at how close to reality the description was. Once she had finished she couldn’t help but look at her own page and the others followed suit.

After Reading their own biographies the ponies hopped form page to page looking at their friends, relatives, even pets. All of which fell nearly spot on. Twilight soon found herself reading aloud anything and everything she could find well past pony descriptions.

“How do they know so much about us?” Fluttershy asked.

“How was this supposed to answer our questions, if anything its brought up more.” Twilight said, but before she turned to her friends to speak again a name caught her eye. “Lauren Faust.” She said absent-mindedly.

“Who’s that now Darling?” Rarity asked.

“Roger said she created the show we’re on, she has a page here.” Twilight said selecting it. The smiling face of Lauren replaced the picture of a street in Cloudsdale they had previously been reading about and a lengthy description of Lauren soon had the ponies too shocked to speak.

“That just can’t be true, I’ve been willing to put up with this whole thing thus far but there’s no way under Celestia’s sun I’m going to believe this lady did all that stuff.” Applejack said once Twilight had finished.

“I agree, how could we know more than the show…um…showed, if she did that?” Rarity said. Twilight didn’t have an answer. The passage was rather straight forward, but there was no way it was true.

“I think that’s enough of this.” Twilight said before pushing the button on the computer turning the room dark. “We have enough to think about.”

“But Twilight that things lying to us right? Because if it’s not then...then…What are we?” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie don’t ask that.” Rainbow Dash snapped. “Of course it’s wrong, tell her Twilight.” Twilight kept a straight face in the darkness.

“I hope so.” She said.

“That’s it” Rainbow responded. “You hope so or you know so, Twilight if anything this place is the imaginary one, tell us that thing was lying.”

“I hope so.” Twilight said, and walked to Roger’s room.

Lilly

Twilight couldn’t sleep, or she didn’t want to. Pinkie had gone to bed with minimal chatter and now Twilight was alone with only the sound of the pink pony’s breathing. All in all, telling the truth to her friends had gone over easier then she had expected, Rainbow Dash having caused the most fuss. Twilight had heard the verbal exchange between her and Applejack before a string of sobs from Fluttershy quieted them.

Twilight quietly got up and walked to the door that had been left open by Pinkie when she had followed her to bed. There was no point in lying awake all night, so Twilight decided a quick walk followed by a glass of water might help her ease into sleep. Twilight rounded the corner of the hall and started to descend the stairs when she noticed a light on in the room she had left her saddlebag.

As far as she knew everypony had gone to bed hours ago, so it was probably just left on by mistake. Upon reaching the ground floor and just prior to the lighted room, Twilight was abruptly halted by a small but familiar noise. Curious, she walked lightly over to the door and peered in. She saw Roger sitting on the couch looking through one of the many books that had lined his shelves, paying careful attention to each page. He wasn’t spending enough time on each page to actually read them, as the book was huge, but the kind of far away look he had made Twilight abandon her pretense of caution and walk unhindered over to him.

“What book is that?” She asked. Roger looked up and Twilight could tell by the look in his eyes that he had been awake as long as she had.

“It’s an old photo album, my wife used to keep them until Lilly started to become too much of a handful. This one is kind of a scrapbook, anything that didn’t fit in the others ended up here. I was just looking through it before Lilly arrives, hard to believe some of these were taken just a few months before she moved out.” Twilight walked over to Roger and joined him on the couch, looking at the book, she noticed the open page was full of family portraits.

Roger looked a lot younger in the pictures than he did now. The pictures showed him with short black hair that was now starting to show the faintest shade of gray, and he was considerably tanner in the photo than he was now. Beside him was a woman who’s playful smile seemed to be stifling a laugh in every photo she was in. Curly red hair reminiscent of Pinkie Pie’s style came down to her shoulders and her tall thin body was a nice contrast to the younger looking Roger. Between the two was a young blond girl who gave a huge grin revealing a missing tooth.

“What happened to you wife?” Twilight asked, she looked even younger than Roger in the pictures, it was hard to believe something had happened to her. Roger looked at the pictures for a moment collecting his thoughts before responding.

“She was in town for something, groceries of one kind or another. She was getting out of the car when a stranger came up to her and demanded the keys. My wife was a trusting sort; she didn’t believe what was happening. She tried to ignore him but he pulled a gun on her.” That was another word Twilight had never heard before.

“Why did he do that? I don’t know much about your technology but the gun couldn’t hurt her could it?” Roger said nothing as Twilight let her mind run through everything the dictionary had told her. After a long silence, she spoke again. “Why would you make something that could hurt you like that?” Roger looked at her with the saddest expression Twilight had ever seen.

“Not everyone is kind to everybody else, and sometimes that means they put themselves before others. This man decided he needed our car more then my wife needed to come back to Lilly and me, so he acted accordingly.”

“I’m sorry.” Twilight said, unable to grasp what it must feel like to lose somepony so suddenly.

“Lilly took it harder than I did, she left the farm right after the funeral and I barely ever see her. It’s a miracle I got her to come back here on such short notice.”

“Why didn’t you go with her?”

“Well, for a number of reasons. I’m a farmer, that’s what I’ve been doing most of my life and we had invested too much in this farm for me to get up and leave. Plus I found ways to get around the grief that I don’t think Lilly had the benefit of.”

“Like what?”

“My wife had certain hobbies I could never understand when she was still alive, one of them was your show. Ponies aren’t something grown men and women watch, no offense. When she started to get interested I thought she was joking with me, but after asking me to look at it countless times I came to think of it as just a quirk in her personality and shoved off her attempts to get me to watch it. When she passed away I decided I’d give it a chance if for no other reason then to see why she had loved it so much, long story short I found out.”

This was a lot for Twilight to take in. She was glad she had been able to help Roger get through his period of mourning but she still didn’t know how she felt about the show or this new revelation that his wife’s death was caused by another of his own kind. It was almost as if there was a rumbling in her head. Twilight shook her head to clear the noise but it wouldn’t go away.

“Do you hear that?” Roger asked. Twilight looked up at Roger as two sharp horn blasts rang out. “Shoot, Lilly’s here! I wanted her to arrive before dawn so I could get a chance to talk to her before you ponies woke up. Quick, maybe we can sneak past her if we-” But as Roger stood and headed for the main door a car door slammed and a loud voice floated in.

“Dad, I’m here!”

“Shoot!” Roger hid near the door to the room and turned to Twilight. “Stay in here, I’m going to go talk to her.” Before Twilight could say anything Roger walked through the door and disappeared from Twilight’s view. Twilight heard the door open, and then Roger’s voice, “Lilly, it’s so good to see you come out all this way for your old man on such short notice.” Lilly’s voice was slightly rough in tone despite its sweet sound and expressed only faint joy at seeing her father.

“Dad I only live twenty minutes away,” she said. “What are you doing downstairs? I thought you would be asleep.”

Twilight tried not to move as the conversation played out, hopefully Roger could figure out what to say.

“Oh I was just, sleeping on the couch.”

“Again? I don’t know what you do out here to get you so tired, but whatever it is you do that way more often than you probably should. I still have no idea why you told me to get here so early.”

“Well I actually have something to tell you.” Roger sounded nervous, Twilight just hoped Lilly couldn’t tell.

“Well we can talk in the morning, I’m going to bed.”

“NO!” Roger shouted making Twilight jump back into the coffee table, accidentally knocking the book onto the floor. The carpet muffled the thud it made but a thin sound escaped to Lilly and Roger’s ears.

“Did you hear that?” Lilly said. “Is someone in the living room?”

“No.” Roger said, “Listen honey I need to talk to you.”

“Dad you know you’re a horrible liar, now who’s in there?”

“Honey listen you have to understand that-”

“Dad, tell me who’s in there or I’ll go check for myself.” Lilly’s response was plain and matter of fact, the consequences of what it could mean, however, made Twilight tense.

“Lilly you have to listen, just let me explain and soon you’ll be on your way back home.”

Lilly had taken a small, friendly pleasure in cutting through her father’s terrible ability to lie, but she was growing worried now that he was getting rather defensive.

“Ok now I have to see, if you’re going to go through all this trouble to bring me here and hide something just to send me back.” Twilight panicked; desperately searching for a place to hide she dove under the sofa and tried not to make a sound.

“Lilly as your father I’m asking you to please listen before you go in there, this is important.”

“Dad, that’s not going to work.” Twilight heard rushed footsteps coming toward her and could see Roger’s feet in the doorway facing outward from under the couch.

“Lilly just hold on a second, I promise I’ll show you in a second just please let me speak first.” Lilly made small, quiet steeps until she was standing directly in front of Roger. Twilight noticed how skinny her legs where compared to her fathers. “Let me explain, and then you can see.”

“Alright dad you’ve blocked me, but you forgot something.” Roger stood motionless as Lilly, bolted from the doorway in the opposite direction. After a moment of confusion, Twilight figured out why. “She’s going for the other door.” Twilight half whispered. Roger realized she was right and tried to make it to the pantry door, bounding across the room. Roger arrived just as the door swung open and Lilly burst in.

“Ha, caught you!” Lilly said as she slammed the door behind her to prevent Roger from pushing her back out. Seeing nothing there Lilly made a move to search the room only to be stopped by Roger.

“Young lady you listen to your father. It’s crucial I get a word in with you right now.” Roger’s voice was harsher than Twilight had ever heard it before, but the adrenaline flowing through her veins numbed her response to the heavy sound.

“Alright dad, I’ll just take a seat and you can tell me why it was so urgent I come today.” Lilly walked to, and sat down on the couch. Twilight had to press her head against the floor to avoid tipping off Lilly she was there. “Alright, spill the beans.”

“Lilly,” Roger began, “do you remember what your mother liked to do before she passed away.”

“Shop online, talk to me and my boyfriend, loiter around the house, am I getting warm?”

“Well, do you know what type of shows she was interested in?” Lilly paused momentarily as if trying to remember.

“Anything comedy really, South Park, Big Bang Theory, My Little Pony...”

“Stop right there, that’s the one” Roger said as he approached to sit on the couch next to Lilly, much to Twilight’s dismay.

“What, My Little Pony? What about it?” Lilly adjusted in her seat, causing a lose spring to quickly jab itself in the back of Twilight’s neck. On impulse, Twilight cringed and bumped the couch above her. Lilly shrieked, and stood up abruptly.

“What was that?” she said

“What was what?” Roger said, but before he could stand Lilly had dropped to all fours and looked under the couch, locking eyes with Twilight.” Lilly shrieked again, louder this time. Cats out of the bag now, Twilight thought. Lilly tried to stand but knocked into the coffee table toppling it. Scuttling behind it, she created a kind of shield between herself and Twilight. “WHAT IS THAT?” Lilly screamed.

“Shh, don’t be so loud you’re going to wake the others.” Roger said standing up.

“OTHERS?” Lilly screamed. “WHAT IS THAT THING?” Twilight wanted to say something or come out from under the couch, but anything she did would only result in Lilly unleashing another scream.

“Lilly just listen, Twilight isn’t going to hurt you.”

“Twilight? Twilight is a book dad, whatever’s under there isn’t a book it’s some sort of weird purple… it’s not a book.” Twilight could see Lilly putting a small bag onto the ground and ruffling around for something, before she found it however a new voice made itself known.

“My word, what in Equestria happened in here?” Lilly whipped around to the doorway where Twilight could see Rarity was clearly standing. Lilly screamed again causing Rarity to wince.

“Dad, please tell me this thing is as harmless as it looks or that I’m hallucinating, this can’t be real!”

Twilight decided there was no point in hiding anymore now that Rarity was in plain view anyway. Crawling out from under the couch to the shocked and surprisingly silent Lilly and the desperately helpless Roger, Twilight tried to put on a smile and spoke softly, “Lilly it’s ok, everything is going to be fine.”

“That one speaks,” Lilly said pointing to Twilight. “I mean the other one speaks to but I can understand that one. What do you want, why are you in my dad’s house!?” Lilly slowly scooted away as she said this never, letting Rarity or Twilight out of her sight.

“KEEP IT QUIET DOWN THERE, SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!” Rainbow Dash called from upstairs. Lilly was a bundle of nerves darting her head around the room, Twilight was unsure if she was looking for a way to escape, or searching for another place a pony could be hiding. Twilight turned to Rarity, “Rarity, could you go talk to Rainbow and the others, tell them what’s happening and that they should stay upstairs for now.” Rarity nodded and disappeared through the doorway. Turning back to Lilly Twilight saw she was trying hard to compose herself.

“This could have gone better.” Roger scoffed.

“Lilly, I know you’re a little shocked, but I’m not here to hurt you.” Twilight tried to step closer and Lilly shifted slightly with every step.

“I know,” she said with a defeated sigh. With the heat of the moment cooling and a sudden sense of familiarity coming from the purple being in front of her, Lilly was quickly able to connect the dots between her father and the situation before her. “Mom watched your show all the time before she passed away, but... how do you know who I am?”

“Roger told us about you, we need your help.”

“My help, oh nononononono NO, I, am not helping you with anything until I get some answers. How did you get here?” Twilight told a condensed story about the portal and how Roger found her group of friends. A moment or two after she finished Lilly spoke. “That’s a wonderful story but what does it have to do with me?”

“We need your help getting back home, Roger has helped us form a plan and you’re a part in it. I know this is confusing and scary for you but please try and understand we mean you no harm.” Roger made his way over to Lilly and helped her to her feet. This allowed Twilight her first decent look at Lilly’s form, as unflattering as this ordeal had made it. She was far skinnier than Roger and much less covered. Her shirt exposed a large amount of her mid section and her pants barely made it to her knees. In her left hand she held a purple bag about as big as Twilight’s head.

“So, you keep saying us and we, where is this we?”

“You want to see the others?” Twilight said a little surprised after her initial reaction.

“Sure, why not, if I’m going to help you, which I haven’t decided on yet, I might as well know who I’m helping.” Twilight turned and led the way up the stairs where five pony faces anxiously waited, none more so than Pinkie Pie who began signing all sorts of things to Roger and Twilight.

“What’s she doing?” Lilly asked.

“Being Pinkie pie.” Roger responded. This answer was obviously not enough for Lilly but there was no time for her to say anything before they reached the top step. Pinkie rushed up to Lilly and hopped from hoof to hoof as best she could.

“Hello there! My names Pinkie Pie although some ponies call me Pinkie Or Pie or even Pinkamena Diane Pie or any number of other things, anyway what’s your name, bet I can guess it, don’t believe me, I can, you ready, ready, Lilly! Did I get it right, did I, I bet I did, you know besides Roger you’re the first human I ever met ever and you know what that calls for!”

“Pinkie I don’t think…” Twilight began.

“A PARTY!” Pinkie said standing on her back hooves for a second or so before losing balance and falling backward to be caught by Applejack. “Oh, forgot I can’t do that.” Pinkie said.

“Lilly,” Twilight said, “This is Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack and…”

“Pinkie Pie.” Lilly said. “She was the only character from the show I ever learned the name of. How long have you guys been here?” Twilight thought for a second. “We’ve been here three days, tomorrow makes four.”

“What have you tried in the way of getting back?”

Twilight once again ran through a section of her story. When she finished Lilly turned to the faces of the other ponies, “I don’t know… uh…”

“Twilight.” Roger said

“Twilight,” Lilly repeated, “what can I do that my dad hasn’t? I’m not going to lie to you I never watched the show like he did, does, or…I’m not the right choice for this, why me?”

“We can’t trust just anypony to keep the secret that we’re here. Applejack and I know from personal experience that not all humans are friendly and with only Roger able to contact someone you’re the only hope we’ve got to make this work.”

“I… This is a lot to take in… I know you want my help but I’ve been driving all night and I’m really tired. Can we talk about this in the morning when I have my head on straight?” Twilight didn’t want to let her go so quickly, but it would be more damaging to force her to make the choice now.

“Of course Lilly.” Roger said. Roger made a quick series of signs at Rarity who nodded. “I’ll show you to your room.” When Roger and Lilly disappeared into Lilly’s room the ponies stood for a moment before speaking.

“Well that was eventful,” Rainbow Dash said. “You got to teach me how to speak like that so I don’t have to keep asking what’s going on.”

“She didn’t look too willing to help us.” Fluttershy said.

“She wasn’t” Twilight replied.

“Well, I’d like to say I’m going back to bed but I have no idea where I’d be going to.” Rarity said.

“Y’all can take my spot, I got to get some more fixins’ for tomorrow’s breakfast.” Applejack said. “Hopefully that fancy room with all the vittles has daisies, or at least some ferns.”

“I hate ferns.” Rainbow Dash mumbled, heading back to her room.

Suspicions

Four days. Twilight thought about that fact. They had only been here four days and already so much had happened. Still, as shocking as all this had been, Twilight found herself thinking about the strangest things. What did Spike do when he came back to Ponyville only to find Twilight missing? Has anypony started a search to find them? It would be a useless effort; the only clue to their location was an open book on the reading stand, and even if they found it nopony else could be certain where they went.

Then there were the mysteries of this new world they found themselves on. Was it possible to convince Lilly to help them? What would happen if she says no? And how under Celestia’s sun does Rarity still smell like lavender when she hasn’t bathed in four days? Twilight almost felt like just giving up and lying in bed until her skin grafted to the sheet.. Alas she would never do that to her friends. Speaking of her friends, they’re taking this whole thing pretty well in retrospect. Maybe finding out you don’t exist makes you more docile.

“Oh dear Luna what’s going to happen to Fluttershy?” Twilight absent-mindedly said aloud at the thought of an even more pacified version of the quiet mare.

“I don’t know, is something wrong?” Pinkie said making Twilight jump. “Sorry, didn’t mean to spook you.” Pinkie’s voice was very calm and smooth with the usual perk absent.

“It’s ok Pinkie, I didn’t know you were still awake.”

“Everypony is, you didn’t think we were just going to sleep after Lilly got here screaming like it was a surprise party, did you?” Twilight knew something was wrong, Pinkie didn’t even say the word party with her usual enthusiasm.

“Pinkie, are you ok?”

“Yeah, of course Twilight.” Pinkie’s response fell flat between them, they both knew it was a lie.

“Pinkie I don’t believe you, whatever’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

“I’m not supposed to.” Pinkie said in a rather reserved voice. She’s turning into Fluttershy on me, Twilight thought.

“Pinkie, please just tell me.” Pinkie waited a long time before she spoke.

“The other ponies are, well we’re all acting funny, and not funny ‘ha ha’ funny, funny bad.”

“What do you mean?” Pinkie sat up and Twilight did the same when Pinkie turned to look at her.

“The girls were talking at the top of the stairs when you were with Lilly. Rarity said she missed home and would do anything to brush her hair back into its usual shape. Rainbow Dash said she missed flying and the feel of clouds. Applejack told us she was worried about Applebloom and Fluttershy, didn’t say anything.”

“Pinkie I don’t understand, how is that bad? Our friends always act like that.”

“No they don’t, back home Rarity would pull out a sofa and start bawling if one hair on her main was out of place. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t complain about not being able to fly, she’d keep trying and trying till she passed out or got what she wanted. Applejack would still talk about Applebloom, but she’d soften the blow for the rest of us and try to make it seem like we would be ok. Even Fluttershy would try in her quiet way to comfort us.” Twilight began to understand what Pinkie meant.

“You and I aren’t doing any better.” Pinkie continued. “Ever since I lost my ability to do, pretty much everything I do back home, I’ve tried to make the most of it. Walking along instead of bouncing isn’t so bad, and when I talk to Roger I feel like my usual self again, but that’s just it. I don’t feel like my normal self. It’s like we’re all losing our personalities, not on the same scale as when Discord came, but… we’re becoming like animals.” That statement hit Twilight hard.

“Pinkie if you’re thinking about those horses…”

“No twilight, I mean like dogs, dogs have thoughts feelings and emotions but half the time they lie around and do nothing all day. They don’t speak or pay attention to anything, not even to their friends. I told the others about this and they said I shouldn’t tell you because you’ll get sad again. But for some reason I don’t think that’s possible. The saddest thing in the world could happen to me right now and it wouldn’t even straighten my mane. I think we all feel that way.” When Pinkie finished she turned to look at the opposite wall.

“Pinkie… I…” Twilight started but was interrupted by Pinkie, her words gaining a slight zeal that was noticeable but nowhere near its usual level.

“And I know why too. This whole time everypony has been so focused on getting home and so worried about our talents going screwy we forgot what we still have.” Pinkie paused for a moment and looked back at Twilight. “Each other.”

“Pinkie, I don’t know what to say. I’m trying all I can to get us home”

“You’re missing the point. You don’t have to say anything.” Pinkie said as she leaned in and hugged Twilight. “We’ve all said enough, we all believe you’re going to get us home and I know once you do everything’s going to get a lot better. The reason I’m telling you this is because the only way we can go home is together. Twilight your one of my bestest besty best friends, don’t let this place or anything else make you forget that.”

Twilight returned the embrace and the two mares sat together for what felt like half an hour before Pinkie pulled away. “Goodnight,” she said before falling fast asleep in under ten seconds, not even bothering to lie flat on the bed. That’s Pinkie for you, Twilight thought, gives a heartwarming emotional speech under the influence of a world we don’t belong in and still manages to end it in a distinctly Pinkie way. Twilight laid back down and dwelled over Pinkies words before finally falling asleep.

* * *

Twilight rested the night through without making a peep and awoke to find Pinkie still asleep next to her. She had somehow managed to stay upright all night and her slow breaths made her pink main tickle her stomach making the pony giggle in her sleep. Twilight got up and left the room without disturbing the pink pony, shutting the door behind her before heading downstairs.

Applejack could be heard in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Twilight always wondered how she got so little sleep and did so much. It couldn’t have been later then 3 in the morning when Lilly arrived, what had she been doing all that time? Twilight got an answer when she entered the dinning room and found Roger clutching a full stomach with mountain upon mountain of apple based foods untouched in front of him.

“Morning Roger.” Twilight said.

“Good…morning…Twilight…Please help me before Applejack comes back with more…”

“Vittles coming up.” Applejack said barging into the room.

“Food,” Roger said. Applejack placed a gigantic apple pie the size of a newborn foal in front of Roger and cast an equally portioned smile at Twilight.

“Well looky here, Twilight’s gone from last to first one to open those eyes. Pull up a seat and I’ll bring out the next tray soon as I can.” Applejack had the same pacified feel as Pinkie, but it was much less obvious in Applejack’s case. Twilight sat next to Roger and helped herself to an apple tart.

“Where did she find all these Apples?” She asked Roger.

“I made the mistake of running to the store. Forty minute trip for an hour tasting food, I’m about to burst.” Twilight laughed slightly as she looked at the uneaten pie.

“Applejack always did think everypony needed just as much if not more then she could stomach as a portion. I learned that the hard way my first day in Ponyville.” Roger and Twilight made small talk as Applejack occasionally brought in more food. After a couple minutes Applejack left with the goal of waking the others for the re-introduction to Lilly.

“Twilight, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I know you must miss your home, everypony must be worried sick. But I was wondering, now that you know about the show, do you think things can just go back to normal for you?"

“I’ve been wondering about that myself Roger, and I don’t know. I’m going to have to gauge my reaction when I get back. For now all I know for sure is I need to get home, and what happens next happens.”

“I wish I could go with you, no matter what happens I hope you never have to come back to this place though. Earth is no place for Equestrians.”

“That’s not exactly true dad.” Came Lilly’s voice from across the room. Twilight turned to see her approaching from the doorway, her eyes firmly on Twilight and her hands grasping the little purple bag. “An Equestrian also means horse lover, horse lovers fit in just fine here.” Lilly took a seat on the opposite side of Roger, Twilight noticed she didn’t put down the bag, but held it in her left hand as she ate some of the mound of food.

“Thanks hun,” Roger said. “You sleep well?”

“As well as I could I suppose, still getting used to the idea of talking ponies. It’s not every day you see something like that.” Tell me about it, Twilight thought. “Can they all speak English or just this one?” Lilly said pointing to Twilight.

“Just me,” said Twilight.

“Can they understand English?”

“No, just me.”

“Then I guess there’s no point in waiting to ask this, could you explain to me exactly what I’d be doing if I decided to help you?”

“To put it frankly, all we need you to do is sit next to your father while Rarity and I cast the spell to summon the portal home, simple as that.”

“A portal?” Lilly said. “Is this some sort of one way kind of deal or a connection to another portal, like how dose this portal work?”

“Well, after we create the portal we tell it a destination, in this case home, and a twin portal appears in that location for our use.”

“Is this portal the same one you used to get here?” Twilight didn’t know where Lilly was going with this but she played along.

“Yes it’s the same spell.”

“So this portal, it can take you anywhere you want?” Twilight didn’t like that question. If there was something this place hadn’t diminished it was her brain and she knew when somepony had something else planned.

“Yes, it brought us here so I’d think it could take you anywhere.”

“Interesting,” Lilly dwelt on that for a second before continuing “How about…” but before she was able to finish Applejack returned with a trail of chatting ponies behind her. Each of them took a seat around the table and looked to Twilight for what to do next. Twilight looked around at her friends and motioned for them to begin eating. When everypony had begun to enjoy the spread Twilight saw Lilly stand to leave.

“Where are you going Lilly?” Roger asked.

“I’m going to make a quick phone call, I’ll be right back.” Lilly left the room through the kitchen so as not to disturb the other ponies, her little purple bag clutched in both hands.

“Roger,” Twilight started “is Lilly always that… inquisitive?” Maybe it was the way she said it but Twilight couldn’t throw off a suspicion of Lilly’s motive behind asking about the portal.

“Don’t worry Twilight, Lilly may not be someone you’re used to, but she’s got her heart in the right place.”

“Do you know what’s in the bag she’s carrying” This question was more out of personal interest then mistrust.

“No, she’s had it as long as I can remember. My wife bought it for her moving out present and ever since she’s never let it leave her side. I don’t know if you noticed, but yesterday she even held on to it despite having the daylights scared out of her.” Twilight decided to let Lilly’s questions go and joined her friends in the breakfast spread. Roger sat patiently watching as he rubbed his full stomach. When the ponies had finished and the dishes had been put away, Twilight found herself the center of a barrage of questions.

“So, what’s the plan with Lilly?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She didn’t scream when I woke her up, which is a good sign I suppose, but has she decided to help us? Applejack added.

“How about it Twilight?” Pinkie chimed in. “Just say the word and I’ll get to work on some great things for you four to do!”

“Us four?” Twilight said. “What do you mean us four?”

“Well darling it’s not just you working the magic.” Rarity said playfully, if not a little flatter than her usual tone. “If Lilly’s going to help us then I’m going to need to be her friend as much as you, and of course Roger will be doing this with us.”

“Now wait, when did you girls decide all this?” Twilight asked.

“Well just before breakfast actually.” Applejack said. “We figured to get your magic at it’s fullest you would need all the help you could get.” Twilight thought this over; Applejack did have a point. No connection means no magical help from Lilly, and any boost from Roger just might…” But before she could finish her thought Lilly returned from her phone call, her purple bag gripped in both hands.

“OK,” she said. “When are we going to try and do this?” she asked Twilight and Roger as the other ponies stayed silent in frustration of being interrupted before Twilight could give an answer.

“Dose that question mean you’ll help us?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, I believe it does.” Something was off about Lilly’s voice, Twilight couldn’t put a hoof on it but something had changed about Lilly since yesterday. “So do we just sit in a circle sing kumbaya and summon this thing or what?”

“Well it’s not that simple,” Twilight said, taking note of Lilly’s tone. “The principle we’re going to be exploiting is our attachment to each other. Somehow we need to build a bond before we can actually start the spell or your presence will do us no good.” Lilly clutched her bag a little tighter, Twilight couldn’t tell if it was out of nervousness or…

“So you need to cast a bonding spell and then the portal spell?”

“No, there is no bonding spell, we need to become friends.”

“Really, that’s it? Ok we’re friends let’s go do this.” Twilight chuckled a little when Lilly said this, thinking it was a kind of joke. But when Lilly said nothing more Twilight stifled the giggle.

“It’s not that easy, Rarity and I need to feel a connection to you.”

“And how exactly are we going to do that?” Twilight nodded toward Pinkie and a giant smile spread its way across the pink mare’s face as she rushed outside.

“If there’s anypony that knows how to make friends it’s Pinkie Pie.”

“Alright… so how long is this going to take exactly? I’m due back to my job in a few days so I can’t stay forever.”

“Well it depends,” Twilight said, heading toward the door motioning for everypony to follow her. “If I know Pinkie it won’t take too long, but there’s a lot to do for sure. Even the most casual friendships take time to build.”

“You’re starting to sound like a Saturday morning cartoon special.” Lilly said jokingly. Twilight didn’t know what she meant by that, but it didn’t help to quell the feeling of distrust she had. This is no way to make friends with somepony, she told herself. How could she become friends with Lilly when she didn’t trust her? But there was something strange about Lilly, Twilight wished she could figure out what it was.

When the group walked outside they found Pinkie tracing a little circle in the dirt with a stick. A chair had been positioned facing the circle about a foot away from its edge. When Pinkie finished her circle she trotted up to Twilight and explained what she was supposed to do.

“It’s called a trust fall,” Pinkie said, her voice still lacking its usually perk. “One of you stands on the chair and falls back into the hooves of the other. Any good friendship is based on trust so this will give a foundation for everything else I have planned.” Twilight translated this all to Lilly as Pinkie said it causing Lilly to clench her bag even tighter in her right hand.

“Everything else?” Lilly said. “How long can it take to be friends with someone, is this really necessary?”

“In all honesty no,” Twilight replied, “but if we want the best possible chance of getting the portal to work in the shortest amount of time this is how we’re going to do it.” Twilight highly doubted Lilly wanted to take the time they would need to form an authentic friendship, and she doubted even more that her friends would be willing to wait while that friendship grew. Lilly looked to Pinkie’s simple drawing in the dirt with slight concern she attempted to mask with a smile.

“How are you going to catch me?” she asked Twilight.

“What do you mean? Just like Pinkie said I’ll stand behind you and…”

“I know how it’s supposed to work, it’s just… you’re kind of… small compared to me. Standing in that little circle you’re not going to be able to stop me from falling until I’m parallel to the ground. And even then only if your back can support my body weight.”

“I’m not going to catch you with my back,” Twilight said smiling a little. “I’ll use my magic.” Twilight lit up her horn to emphasize her point, but Lilly started to shift uncomfortably on her heels.

“Are you sure you can do that? I mean I don’t want to be rude but you said your magic wasn’t working at full strength, that’s the whole reason we’re doing this in the first place. How do I know it’s safe?”

“Well if your scared hun I’ll go first, I’ve got faith in Twilight.” Roger said.

“You’re doing this too dad?” Lilly said.

“Well of course, they need to be friends with me too.”

“Rarity and I will go first,” Twilight interjected. “We’re already friends with each other so we’ll just get that out of the way and see for ourselves if we can do this with only our magic or not.” Twilight trotted over to the circle and instructed Rarity to climb onto the chair. With only minimal effort and surprisingly lax protest she managed to position herself so she was standing on her back hooves facing away from Twilight. Using the back of the chair to steady herself.

“Twilight, promise me if you fail to catch me you’ll at least stop me from falling in the dirt, I’m dirty enough as it is.” Twilight promised and lit up her horn as a cue for Rarity to fall. Rarity straightened her fore hooves against the backing of the chair and pushed herself backward. As it became clear she had passed the threshold of being able to stop herself, Twilight pushed against her with her magic. Rarity came to a stop slightly above Twilight’s horn looking up at the sky.

“You ok Rarity?” Twilight asked.

“I must admit I was a little frightened for a second there, but now that I think about it this is a rather comfortable view.” Twilight gently lowered Rarity to the ground and stopped her magic. She had meant to turn Rarity right side up but found herself already pushing her magic slightly beyond where she wanted it. As Rarity flipped herself over and stood, Twilight climbed onto the chair. Standing on her back hooves was the difficult part, and once she had her balance she found herself enjoying the new perspective from this height.

“Alright Twilight, you can push off now.” Rarity said lighting up her horn. Twilight complied and sailed backwards only to be stopped at roughly a seventy-degree angle from the ground. Twilight could barely feel Rarity’s magic holding her up, giving her almost a feeling of weightlessness she found herself enjoying. After being lowered to the ground Twilight stood and turned to Roger.

“Would you like to go next?” She asked him, hoping the reassurance of seeing her father take the fall would ease Lilly into it. Roger agreed and stepped up onto the chair.

“Now Twilight I’m a bit bigger then Rarity, so please account for this when I… well… don’t drop me.” Twilight gave him the signal and Roger fell back, letting out a small shriek when Twilight stopped him with her magic. Roger was much harder to stop then Rarity and Twilight was glad when she had finally set him down but was proud of how little it fatigued her. Maybe it was the fact that most of the magic she had attempted since arrival on Earth had fallen flat, but this small accomplishment felt like a milestone to her goal.

Roger caught Twilight without incident and Rarity had little trouble catching or being caught by him. All that was left was Lilly. Lilly tentatively made her way to the chair and stepped up onto it. After a slight wobble Twilight saw she was still holding her little bag.

“Aren’t you going to set that down first?” Twilight asked. Lilly shook her head and clenched the bag tighter.

“I’d like to keep it with me, whenever you’re ready I guess.” She said turning to face the other way. Twilight gave the signal and Lilly let out a high pitch shriek on par with her original screaming the night before. Twilight caught her and lowered her to the ground, out of the corner of her eye she saw Lilly held the bag even after Twilight had climbed onto the chair. Without bothering to question it she fell backwards and felt a slight twist of fear when the sky zoomed past her view.

Lilly caught Twilight slightly lower then parallel to the ground and balanced her precariously as one hand still clutched the bag. Lilly tried to set Twilight down but her hand slipped inches above the ground dropping Twilight on her flank. When it was Rarity’s turn this repeated. The magic caught the screaming Lilly and Lilly fumbled Rarity just above the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Lilly said in a tone that seemed genuine. “I’m not used to catching ponies.” Yet somehow Twilight couldn’t help but notice the way Lilly squeezed her bag when she said this.

Secrets

Pinkie had planned a surprising amount of activities for having such short notice, even if the grand majority of them involved corn. A corn shucking competition, five-legged race, corn maze, leaf-based arts and crafts, and corn eating contest to name a few. Roger made a great effort in all of them but Lilly somehow managed to lose or under perform in every event. And through every single game and corncob Pinkie presented her with she held fast to her little bag.

Twilight’s curiosity was overflowing as to what could be inside of it. Luna above if it was some kind of drug or stolen object that could lead to a visit by the local sheriff, or worse. Anything that could take Lilly away before they went home was a major cause for concern, and somehow Twilight suspected this bag could do just that. After a day of non-stop Pinkie Pie style friend-making Twilight couldn’t take it any more. Around one o’clock in the afternoon Twilight suggested a lunch break, which the others gladly accepted.

“Watching you guys run around like fillies is hungry work,” as Rainbow put it. Everypony sat around Roger’s table and waited for Roger to prepare what he called, “A personal favorite, and an Earth delicacy.” Lilly had volunteered to help leaving Twilight an opportunity to ponder what she was hiding. However as her mind swirled with every possibility from stolen gems to espionage equipment (all of which sounded absolutely ridiculous). Applejack roped her into a conversation to break the silence.

“So Twilight, ya think y’all are maken’ any progress with Lilly and Roger?” Twilight pushed away her suspicions and turned to Applejack.

“Well these things take time, and we’re not working under the best conditions due to time constraints, but if we keep making progress I think we should be ready for another attempt some time tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!” Rainbow Dash said. “Ugh dose that mean I have to sleep with Rarity again tonight? That bed is crowded with three, but four of us means I’m sleeping on the floor.” Rarity turned up her nose in mock disgust.

“For your information Rainbow, I’ll be bunking with Twilight and Pinkie tonight should it come to that.” It was good to hear her friends talk like there normal selves. Pinkie’s words had rung true all day as to the change in their party’s mood. Twilight just hoped Lilly would be the final push they would need to finally open the portal so she wouldn’t have to see her friends sink back into their docile ponysonas.

“Hey, why don’t we all sleep down here tonight?” Pinkie asked, bouncing slightly in her seat. “We could bring down some Pillows and blankets and make a fort under the table and have a SLUMBER PARTY!” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the idea.

“Well sugar cube I reckon that’s a mighty fine idea.” Applejack said. “We can even invite Roger and Lilly to join us and help with all this friendship building and whatnot.”

“And, maybe we can watch some more of our show to motivate us tomorrow.” Fluttershy suggested.
“Well then I guess it’s pretty much settled.” Twilight said with a smile.

“YAY!!!” Pinkie nearly exploded with joy. “I haven’t had a party in four days you guys, FOUR DAYS, that’s like forever! We’re going to need cake, and cupcakes, and balloons, and streamers, and games, and music, and…”

“I think we get the idea Pinkie.” Rainbow Dash said. Twilight smiled as her friends bounced ideas for that night. Time quickly ate itself away and before she knew it Roger had Lilly hold the door while he carried a huge steaming pot into the dinning room.

“Fillies and gentle colts, I give you my world class, unbelievably delicious, unimpeachably tasty, indispensably nutritious, I can’t believe-able concoction of macaroni and cheese you will ever eat.” With a flourish, Roger set the pot upon the table and removed the lid to allow the steam to vent. A strange smell made it’s way to Twilight’s nose as Roger sent Lilly back into the kitchen for plates and a serving spoon.

“Either this is an exotic dish, or something went very wrong with its preparation.” Rarity said.

“What did he call this?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight. Twilight didn’t exactly know how to respond, there being no word for macaroni in Equestria.

“I don’t know exactly, but it supposedly has cheese in it.” Lilly returned with the plates before Twilight could ask Roger for more detail on the dish and before long each of the ponies had a heaping plate in front of them. Roger and Lilly sat down and immediately began to eat, but the ponies where more hesitant. Rainbow poked the food with a hoof and tried to fan away the steam still poring off it.

“Careful, it’s hot.” Roger said as he signed the same message to Pinkie Pie. Rainbow ignored him and took a nibble from the top of the mound of food. Twilight was more then happy to let Rainbow be the guinea pig and watched intently as the cyan pony chewed.

“It’s not half bad, a little slippery but I’ve had worse.” Rainbow stuffed her face into the food and took another bite. “In fact, it beats anything I’ve had since we got here, no offence AJ.” She said between mouthfuls.

“None taken,” Applejack said taking a bite herself, followed by a mouthful. “This stuffs good enough to serve the hoity-toity’s in Canterlot.” The rest of the ponies had soon licked their plates clean and gone for seconds. When the pot sat empty on the table and everpony returned their plates to the kitchen it was almost two thirty in the afternoon. Twilight mentioned to Roger the sleep over idea Pinkie had and was able to quickly convince him of allowing it.

“Well of course we can do that Twilight, in fact why don’t I run into town and get some party provisions while the stores are still open? If I’m invited to a Pinkie Pie style party I want to get the full experience.” Twilight knew this meant little to no chance of continuing the friendship building exercises, but this was the best idea to keep up moral that had been presented so far, so…

“Alright, I’ll tell the others where you’re headed.” Twilight said.

“Actually I need to ask Pinkie Pie what she’ll want me to get, she’s much more savvy about these things than I am.” Roger called Pinkie over and asked her what he would need for “the best party this side of Equestria.” Pinkie’s face lit up into a smile that nearly split her head in half. She hopped from hoof to hoof as her fore hooves listed item after item. “That’s quite a big list Pinkie, I’m going to be gone awhile.”

“You want the best, that’s what you need.” Pinkie said while she signed.

“I don’t even know if they have mini-pudding pies in town, but I guess there’s no harm in checking.” Roger told Lilly to try and get to know Twilight and Rarity a little more while he was gone before grabbing his keys. As Roger pulled away from his house Lilly turned to Twilight and nervously clutched her bag.

“So,” she began. “Enjoying your stay here?”

“Yes, we all are.” Twilight said. “It was very kind of your father to take us in like he did, he has been very helpful in our attempts to get home. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t homesick but I’m very thankful for…”

“Great, great.” Lilly interrupted. “Why don’t you and Rare-y join me in the living room. My dad wants us to get to know each other better so why don’t we sit down and talk in there?” Twilight didn’t know which she found more rude, the fact that Lilly had interrupted her, or how she so hideously mispronounced Rarity’s name. However when Lilly left to claim a spot on the living room couch, Twilight motioned Rarity to follow her.

The living room had not been cleaned since Lilly’s arrival and thus the coffee table still lay on its side. A few books lay scattered on the floor and when Lilly entered she casually kicked them aside before setting the table back on its legs. Lilly took a seat in the center of the couch and Twilight and Rarity took a place on either side of her.

“I never really liked that coffee table,” Lilly said. “Mom bought it at a yard sale when she was young, which is why I think dad has been reluctant to get rid of it, but personally I think it’s far past dated.” Rarity made a sign in Pinkies silent language that Twilight recognized as asking what something meant. “I’m sorry I don’t speak sign language.” Lilly responded. Twilight translated Lilly’s statement and Rarity nodded her head.

“Well, no problem I suppose, as long as you don’t mind playing middle party Twilight.” Rarity said. Twilight said she didn’t mind and turned to face Lilly.

“So, what do you do in the city Lilly?” She asked.

“Well as of now I’m unemployed, I was recently laid off of work due to factory bankruptcy. Dad’s been kind of worried about me lately because of it but I think I’m doing relatively well. I’ve applied for several new jobs in town and as long as I stay afloat on the rent I should be able to work things out.” When Lilly finished Twilight translated this to Rarity.

“If you’re having trouble with money why don’t you ask your father for help?” Twilight asked. Lilly was hesitant to answer, letting the room slip into an uncomfortable silence before responding.

“I thought of doing that a few times, but I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

“Why not? Are you afraid he’ll say no?” Lilly turned away from Twilight and looked at the coffee table.

“It wouldn’t feel right to ask for anything after what happened with mom.” What did her mom have to do with asking for help? It probably wasn’t a good idea to press the matter but that seemed like an odd reason to…

“Twilight.” Rarity said, interrupting her thought. “What are you two saying?” Twilight translated as she tried to figure out how the two fit together. Rarity seemed less concerned about it than she was and voiced a different question. “What exactly was it that happened?”

Twilight took a second to realize what she meant. Twilight hadn’t told anypony about the story Roger had shared with her before Lilly arrived, and she wasn’t sure it was her place to say.

Twilight looked up at Lilly who was still facing the table, her bag clutched close to her in her lap.

“Lilly, Rarity wants to know what happened to your mom.” Lilly didn’t say anything for a moment, but she began to rhythmically squeeze her bag repeatedly as Twilight let her think.

“Mom was going to town, I-”

“Lilly I just need to know if it’s ok to tell Rarity what happened,” Twilight interrupted. “Roger already told me the story.” Lilly turned to Twilight when she said her father’s name.

“What version did he give you? You know what don’t bother answering that I know he left out the bad parts.” Lilly leaned back on the couch and let her eyes wander around the room. “He didn’t even give me the full story.”

“What do you mean? I know how your mom… died, if that’s what you mean.” Lilly turned a hateful glare back at Twilight.
“Did he tell you who did it? It’ll surprise me more than finding you here if he did.” Twilight didn’t answer. “Figures, can’t bring himself to tell the cute little pony how cruel the world can be. When the cops caught my mom’s murderer and brought him before a court he said he did it because she was one of the nicest people in town. He didn’t think she would do anything to stop him, and she didn’t.”

“Lilly that doesn’t make any sense. If he knew she was so nice why didn’t he just ask for a ride?”

Lilly turned away and said nothing as she starred down at the floor. Twilight followed her gaze to one of the photo albums she had kicked aside when she entered the room,

“because when people want something, they often don’t let anybody stand in their way, especially people weaker than themselves. My mom made the mistake of thinking everything could just work itself out if she sat there and smiled, and I lost her because of it.” Twilight couldn’t say anything after that, but Rarity, who had remained quiet through that exchange, spoke up.

“Was that question to personal, I’d hate to think-”

“This isn’t working.” Lilly said as she stood up and started to leave. “I don’t know why dad wanted me to talk to you.” Rarity turned to Twilight with a sad look on her face, and Twilight could only stare back in response. When Lilly left the room, the two mares sat together for a moment before speaking again, but there conversation quickly ended as they both excused each other to collect there thoughts.

When Roger finally arrived home the suspicions Twilight originally had about Lilly had nearly completely subsided. She was, after all, being introduced to and associating with characters from a show thought, until now, to be fictional; how else could she have reacted? Maybe Twilight had her out wrong. Roger had found nearly everything on Pinkies list and his truck was packed with all manner of party apparel. Pinkie squealed when she saw it and managed an impressive jump into the back of the truck to sort through the bags.

Lilly and Roger carried most of the bags inside while the ponies set up the festivities. A buffet of cupcakes, pies, brownies, and all manners of sweets littered the table, as all around party games and balloons crowded the space. The corner farthest from the television became a dance space and everything had a distinctly equestrian feel. When everything was ready and Pinkie kicked off the party with a root beer drinking contest (another Earth dish the ponies adored) Twilight almost felt like she was home again.

Pinkie led the party all around the room, always followed closely by Roger who never missed a beat. Applejack and Rainbow Dash went from game to game constantly challenging each other to even greater feats of skill, including an hour-long game of 3-sided twister. Rarity and Fluttershy stayed near the dance corner and listened to the music filtering through the room while Lilly was content to stay by the buffet watching the ponies have their fun and occasionally enjoying a cupcake or two. Twilight was swept away by everything around her, the stress of the last few days forgotten as she and her friends lost all track of time.

When both Rainbow and Applejack where exhausted and Fluttershy and Rarity had heard every song they could twice, the party started to wind down. Pinkie had long since outlasted Roger as she rushed around the room, but Roger made a valiant effort to observe her antics. The sun dipped behind the horizon as Twilight turned on the television so Roger could put on their show. Pinkie put up only a slight protest.

“But we haven’t even broken the piñata yet.” Pinkie pleaded.

“I don’t think Roger got a piñata Pinkie.” Twilight said as she moved a pillow in front of the television.

“But theirs so much left to do! Please Twilight just a few more party games.” She practically begged, eyes wide. “It’s my first party on Earth, and Roger wants it to be the best Pinkie Pie party ever.” Pinkie pointed at Roger who was getting ready to start the next episode. “Don’t tell me you want to stop his party early.

“Pinkie this is you we’re talking about.” Rainbow Dash said taking a position in front of the television. “Every party ends early for you.” Pinkie couldn’t counter that one, and was thus silenced. When the ponies had gathered around the television (including the disappointed Pinkie) Roger started an episode titled The Cutie Mark Chronicles, which the ever stubborn Applejack and Rainbow Dash barely made it halfway through before dozing off.

Episode after episode played before Twilight, featuring herself and her friends, each bringing up new memories. Before long she was the only one in the room still awake, and upon noticing this somewhere in the middle of season three, she went to turn off the television when something caught her eye.

Lilly had decided to sleep down here with them as per her father’s request, and her purple bag was lying beside her held tight by her right hand. Twilight’s suspicions came flooding back to her as she forced herself to look away. This wouldn’t be the first time Twilight’s suspicion about somepony had little to no basis yet proved to be right. But Lilly was just adjusting to this situation, same as they where, wasn’t she?

Twilight turned off the television and picked a spot on the mattress between Fluttershy and Pinkie determined to fall asleep. Yet as hard as she tried to put the little bag out of her mind she couldn’t help but raise her head to look at it. Slowly, she stood and stepped off the mattress.

“This isn’t right,” she told herself. “I shouldn’t be doing this.” Drawing closer to Lilly’s sleeping form, Twilight silenced her inward protests as her suspicion gripped her. Lilly gripped the bag tightly, even in her unconscious state. Whatever was in it she didn’t want anypony to see it. Twilight used her magic to gingerly open Lilly’s fingers one by one, pausing after every breath Lilly took. When she had finally opened her vice like grip, using her mouth she lifted the bag from Lilly’s palm. “What am I doing?” she asked herself as she slowly backed away and released Lilly’s fingers.

Taking the bag into the kitchen so as not to disturb the sleeping forms in front of the television, she placed the bag on the ground in front of her. It was leathery and smooth with a clip lock at the top that Twilight took a minute to figure out. She looked at the bag for a full minute before working up the courage to actually open it, and when she did it took her another breathless period before she looked inside.

The bag was a lot smaller on the inside then it appeared to be from the outside, the actual size somewhere near two thirds of what Twilight had assumed. Twilight removed the contents one by one, a lipstick tube, a few rectangular pieces of green paper, and other objects Twilight didn’t recognize. However when the bag was nearly empty twilight found something flat against the bottom of the bag. Twilight pulled this out and realized it was a photo of a woman around Lilly’s age, at the bottom it was signed Roxanne.

Twilight was raising the picture close to her face to observe the woman more closely when she was startled by the door to the dinning room being thrown open. Lilly stood in the doorway until she saw Twilight with the bag. Rushing over, she quickly tore the picture from her magical grasp and shoved everything back in the bag.

“Lilly, I can explain-” Twilight said as Lilly franticly checked the bags contents again.

“Twilight I don’t know what you do with your other friends things but stay out of my purse. I don’t touch your stuff don’t touch mine, got it!?” Her tone was frantic and harsh as she responded to Twilight. When she finished speaking she turned a piercing gaze at Twilight who backed away slightly as her ears became plastered against her head.

“Lilly…I’m sorry I…”

“I don’t care if your sorry, I didn’t think I’d have to tell you this but this is my purse, and if I catch you with it again before you go home tomorrow… just leave it and me alone.”

“Lilly, wait…” Twilight stuttered as Lilly rose to go back to the dinning room. “I… there’s nothing really in there except a picture, is it this Roxanne that your protecting or…” Lilly snapped a hateful glance at Twilight.

“Don’t call her that, not ever, and not in her house especially. She might have loved your show but she’d never let anybody call her by her full name, not even you.” With that, Lilly stormed through the dinning room and into the main hall. Twilight could hear her walk up the staircase and stayed motionless until she heard the door to Lilly’s room close. When it became clear the others had somehow miraculously stayed asleep through the exchange, Twilight went back to the dinning room and closed the door to the kitchen.

“Great job Twilight, now you’ll be lucky to get her to talk to you, let alone call you a friend.” Twilight laid back down on the mattress and shut her eyes to try and sleep, but all she could think about was the angry way Lilly had looked at her, almost as if there was something Twilight didn’t understand about that picture.

Fitful thoughts soon turned to fitful dreams as Twilight drifted into a deep sleep. When she awoke the next morning it almost felt like she had never slept at all. Roger and Applejack were already up, no doubt making breakfast. But the lack of smells from the kitchen soon disproved that theory. Twilight stretched and made her way into the living room where she found Roger reading one of the many books that lined the walls. Roger looked up when Twilight walked in and set down his book.

“Morning Twilight, sleep well?” he asked. Twilight pulled herself onto the couch next to him and yawned in response. “Guess not, nervous about the attempt today?”

“It’s not that Roger, Lilly and I are...well I...I made her real upset with me last night.”

“Oh…what happened?” Twilight retold what happened last night and how horrible she felt about invading Lilly’s privacy.

“I was just so curious about that bag. She held it so tight and had it with her all the time, I just wish I never took it.” Roger listened sympathetically, and when Twilight finished he was hesitant to speak.

“Lilly didn’t take it very well when her mother died. She was always mommy’s little girl. I think one of the reasons I don’t see her as much is because she can’t stand to think of this place without Roxy in it. I never knew she kept a picture of her though, I thought she was just being protective of her makeup or something.” Twilight might have laughed at that if she was a little more awake and had a little less on her mind.

“I don’t know much about make-up, but I don’t even think Rarity cares that much about her blush.” Roger chuckled a little at that comment and smiled down at Twilight.

“Lilly’s a good girl, I’m sure that if you apologize she’ll forgive you.” Twilight wasn’t so sure, but she thanked Roger anyway and went to get some fresh air hoping to be awake for the attempt to open the portal. A wonderful sunrise graced the horizon to meet her as Twilight opened the door. That was something Twilight was always astounded by, the beautiful scene of the sunrise you could get from Roger’s house.

Twilight thought about going home seriously for the first time since she arrived. Before, she had been trying to get home but never really thought her attempts would bear fruit. Even with the situation between her and Lilly she felt for the first time in five days that this might actually be the one to take them home.

Roger’s question finally starting buzzing in her head, how would she face Equestria again knowing what it was in this world. Rainbow had a point when she said they couldn’t tell if this was the imaginary world instead of there own, but somehow that didn’t seam right. Twilight sat herself down in front of Roger’s house and watched the sunrise. Maybe… somehow, they both were real.

Portal

Twilight sat alone until the sun had risen several feet above the horizon. Her thoughts flowing from Equestria to what she would say to Roger should this actually work, to the sun in front of her. It was a long time before she noticed Applejack’s voice coming from inside the house. “You alright out here Twilight?” She asked. Twilight was startled by the sudden noise amongst the silence, but once she recognized the voice she stood and walked toward Applejack.

“I’m fine Applejack, just nervous. Is anypony else up?”

“Yes but we can’t seem to find Lilly anywhere, you know where she is?”

“She’s probably asleep in her room. I’m going to get everypony together out here, why don’t you go tell her it’s time to get up.” Applejack nodded and put on a small smile.

“You ready to go home?” she asked.

“I think so.” Twilight responded with as much conviction as she could muster. “And if this doesn’t work I’ll be ready the next time we try to.”

“Atta girl.” Applejack said before heading up the stairs to wake Lilly. Twilight would have done it herself if she wasn’t on such bad terms with her. Walking into the dinning room, Twilight found her friends silently preparing for what they all knew was coming. Rarity shared a brush with Fluttershy as she tried desperately to give her mane its natural volume. Rainbow sat in a corner stretching her wings as if preparing to take off, while Pinkie smiled at Twilight from a comfortable position on the mattress as she puffed and played with her mane.

“What are you girls doing?, we’re only going to go outside and try opening the portal you don’t need to...”

“Oh we know darling,” Rarity said, “but assuming this works I want to look my best. Or the best I could after spending five days without so much as a hooficure.”

“And if we do get back I’m planning on a sonic rainboom or twenty,” Rainbow said. “I’ve never gone this long without flying and I’ve got a lot of lost practice time to catch up on.”

“I just hope Angel did ok without me,” Fluttershy remarked, “he never was very good on his own taking care of the animals and I can only hope they’re all ok.”

“I don’t have a reason to get ready, I just like playing with my mane.” Pinkie said bouncing the curl over her head with a hoof.

“Twilight we know you’re nervous,” Rarity began, “I am to, but in all honesty we know you’re going to do it this time. We were so close on our last attempt, now that we have Lilly to draw magic from there’s no way we can fail.” Twilight stood in the doorway looking at her friends, they believed in her, they believed so much that she could do it. What did they know she didn’t? Twilight shook her head after thinking that, no, this time it was going to work with or without Lilly’s help.

“Whenever you girls are ready head outside, I’m going to go get Roger.” Twilight turned and was able to catch a glimpse of Lilly leaving her room before she entered the living room where Roger was reading. “It’s time,” she said. Roger put down his book and stood up.

“Then lets get this show on the road, I’ve got a good feeling about this time.” Roger said. Twilight and Roger walked outside just as Applejack and Lilly reached the bottom of the stairs. When Twilight saw the semi-circle of her friends before her she found herself looking at their hopeful faces and almost returning one just as genuine. A kind of confidence floated around the group as if there really was no possibility for failure.

Twilight watched as Roger, Applejack and finally Lilly joined them to complete the arc, and was suddenly struck by the silence. All eyes were on her and Rarity as Twilight took her place in the center of the half circle.

“You ready to take us home?” Rarity said. Twilight thought about everything they’d been through over the past few days, everything they’d discovered, and the new friend they’d made. In retrospect it seemed like so much more, and so much longer than it actually was.

“Yeah, let’s go home.” And with that Twilight started her magic with Rarity following close behind. Twilight watched as the gray line began to draw itself and felt the magic flow to her from her friends. Just like last time it was faint, but enough to make a difference. Roger seemed to be giving just as much as the others this time and Twilight smiled when she thought of how she didn’t find it strange to have a friend from another world.

The thing that most surprised her however was the complete lack of a connection to Lilly. Twilight didn’t feel a thing coming from her; Lilly must have taken her snooping harder than she thought, but this was no time to think about that, Twilight had to concentrate on the task at hoof. The line drew itself until it reached Twilight’s eye level and just like their last attempt, became much harder to hold. Twilight and Rarity held fast, the portal fighting them every step of the way.

The portal began to grow slower and slower as it inched its way to its zenith. Twilight’s magic was holding but she feared what would happen if Rarity had to stop the spell again. However Rarity was holding her own, and it became clear she wasn’t going to drop out so easily this time. When the portal was nearly complete, Twilight almost felt like they were going to make it, but just as it looked like the portal would finish, it stopped growing.

It was clear Rarity and herself where putting all they had into this. If this didn’t work they may never get it to. As Twilight thought about this, she refused to allow this attempt to go the way it did last time. Without thinking, she poured all of her energy into one last jolt. Twilight’s horn lit up unimaginably bright as she forced every fiber of her being behind her magic, and the last thing she saw before she was forced to shut her eyes was a blast emitting from her horn.

Twilight collapsed onto the wet grass, completely spent. Her eyes burned from the bright light of her horn, every muscle aching. When Twilight heard the sound of cheers, then shouting, followed by strict silence, she thought she was going to pass out. A kick to the side made her release a cry of pain and Twilight forced open her eyes only to stare up at Lilly’s angry face.

At first Twilight didn’t understand what was going on, until she saw what Lilly held in her hand. The bag Lilly usually clutched had been discarded in front of Twilight, a small door Twilight hadn’t noticed the night before revealed a cavity behind a now open panel in the bag’s bottom. In Lilly’s hands was a metal object shaped like an L. Lilly held the object with the longer part of the L toward Twilight and her fingers clutched tightly around the object’s back.

“LILLY, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING!” Roger screamed. “PUT THE GUN AWAY!” Gun, this was a gun? It looked so harmless...this couldn’t be the same thing that killed Lilly’s mother. Even if it WAS a gun why would Lilly have one, why would it be pointed at her?

“I’m going to say this only one more time pony, how do I work this thing?” Lilly was frantic and her expression betrayed her fear. Lilly’s view shifted constantly as she tried to observe every figure individually. “How do you get this to open?”

“Lilly… what are you doing?” Twilight said as she tried to stand.

Applejack took a step toward Twilight “Twilight I don’t think it’s…” she said before Lilly pointed the gun at her.

“Nobody here talks unless it’s in English. If I can’t understand I don’t want to hear it.” Applejack stopped her advance and looked up at Lilly,.

“Missy I don’t know what your saying but I’m just going-” she said as the gun let out an ear splitting bang. Fluttershy squealed as she ducked behind Roger and Applejack jumped back staring at a hole in the ground next to where she was standing.

“The next shot won’t miss.” Lilly said matter-of-factly.

“Lilly,” Roger said, his voice shaking behind a false calm, “whatever reason you’re doing this, I’m sure we can work it out without violence.” Lilly pointed the gun at Roger as Twilight managed to make it to her knees, her head still spinning from her burst of magic and the sound of the gunshot.

“Dad, I…” Lilly pointed the gun back at Twilight when she noticed her movement. “I’ve got this covered, just let me handle this and you can thank me latter. Now if I have to ask you one more time...”

“Lilly,” Twilight interrupted. “I don’t understand, what’s going on.” Lilly’s expression grew angry and then softened slightly.

“Maybe they don’t have these where you come from, but this is what we call a hostage situation. I want you to tell me how to open the portal, and in return I might decide not to kill your friends here.”

“Lilly this is crazy.” Roger said.

“Shut up dad!” Lilly said angrily. “I’m doing this for you too but I’m not afraid to force you along with me if you don’t stay quiet. Now listen here my little pony.” Lilly put special emphases on pony, as if almost spitting out the word. “I’ve got eight bullets left in this thing, so I can make it an incredibly painful demise for at least two of you. I suggest you do what I say before I have to give you a demonstration.”

“Lilly…” Twilight said, everything around her was moving so fast. And every second she spent trying to get her head on straight Lilly got a little angrier as was clear by her expression. Twilight wanted to comply, to just open the portal and let Lilly go wherever it was she wanted. But even in this confused state she knew once the portal was open there would be no guarantee Lilly wouldn’t use the gun on them anyway. Not to mention this may be the only chance to go home that they had. “…Where do you want to go?” Deciding to play along until she could find a way out, Twilight needed time to think of a plan.

“Well the specific isn’t important,” Lilly said smiling a fairly subdued grin for the situation at hand. “You’ve seen the picture in my purse, I want to go to that women.”

“You mean you’re taking away our chance to go home, to visit your mother?” Twilight didn’t know if she was angry or relieved, the gun replaced whatever emotion she would have had with fear far too quickly for her to know. Roger quickly spoke up after Twilight’s comment to keep Lilly from processing the question.

“Honey, I don’t think even magic can…”

“DON’T CALL ME HONEY!” Lilly screamed, looking up at her father. “I hate that name! And don’t you dare say what magic can or can’t do when proof of magic’s power is standing all around us! Magic took what never existed and made it real, magic created this portal behind me and if it can do that magic can bring me to mom!”

“Lilly,” Roger said, slightly braver than Twilight would have expected. “That’s not the same thing, this portal may be able to cross space and apparently dimensions with ease, but time is an entirely separate entity. The most this portal can do is take you to her grave and if you want to see that I can…”

“SHUT UP!” Lilly screamed. “This portal will take me anywhere I want because if it doesn’t everyone here’s going to regret it.” Twilight tried to keep calm as she put together a risky plot. If it worked they just might make it back to Equestria unscathed, if it didn’t…

“Lilly, I can’t open the portal.” Twilight said, her face displaying only a fraction of the fear she felt. Lilly turned to Twilight furious.

“If this is a joke you better have a dam good punch line cause I am not in the mood.”

“No punch line, I don’t have enough magic to open the portal, if you really want to see your mother I’m going to need to tell Rarity how to cast the spell.” Lilly processed this for a moment before responding.

“How long will that take?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but I’ll go as fast as I can.” Lilly took another moment to think.

“Make it quick,” she said. Now came the trickiest part of Twilight’s plan, Lilly couldn’t understand her when she talked to her friends, somehow she had to get her plan out to them while looking like she was only talking to Rarity. For the most part her friends had remained frozen in fear after Lilly fired the gun, with the exception of Applejack’s scramble backwards and Fluttershy cowering behind Roger, so at least they were all relatively close to her.

“Nopony move,” Twilight said as she turned to Rarity. “I’m going to get up and go to Rarity, but I’m talking to all of you.” Twilight pulled herself to her feet and slowly walked over to Rarity. The white mare looked horrible, and that was putting it nicely. She was barely able to stand, from summoning the portal or fear Twilight couldn’t tell. Her mane was sticking out in all directions and Twilight was convinced this was the worst she had ever seen her friend’s coat.

“Lilly wants us to let her use the portal and she thinks I’m telling Rarity how to open it. Rarity nod your head so it looks like I’m only talking to you.” Rarity complied and slowly bobbed her head, paying close attention to Twilight and the gun Lilly held. “Shortly, Rarity and I will turn to the portal and pretend to open it. When we do several things need to happen so I need everypony to pay really close attention.”

“Lilly will most likely turn toward us to watch us open the portal, but that’s only going to hold her for a moment. While she’s distracted Applejack needs to position herself behind her before she thinks to look at anypony else. Rainbow, you’re faster than anypony else here, once Applejack is in position your going to need to make a run for it. When Lilly sees you and tries to react Applejack will buck her from behind and knock her off balance at which point I’ll go for the gun. Without the gun Lilly will have no choice but to let us go back to Ponyville. I’d ask if they’re were any questions but you wouldn’t be able to answer.”

“Twilight this is crazy,” Rarity protested. “You can’t ask Rainbow to do that, what happens if…” but Rarity couldn’t bring herself to say it. Twilight knew what she was asking her friend to do and if something went wrong Rainbow would probably be the one to get the short end of the deal, but without assurance Applejack would have enough time to position herself and hit Lilly without a distraction this was the best they could do.

“Try and look confident Rarity, we need her to believe nothings wrong until we have her where we want her.” Rarity clearly still had her doubts but nodded her head again to show she would comply. Twilight turned back to Lilly who still had the gun trained on her.

“You two ready to begin?” Lilly asked, her patience wearing thin.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Twilight said. She motioned to Rarity and the two walked directly in front of the portal. Out of the corner of her eye Twilight could see Lilly slowly turn to watch them and Applejack creeping behind her. When She reached the portal Twilight turned to Rarity. “We need her to think we’re opening the portal, so say whatever you want but make it convincing.” Rarity adjusted herself on her hoofs and started.

“Portal…I hope you don’t mind if I call you that. I can’t exactly tell if you’re a ‘Miss’ portal or ‘Mr. Portal’ and you’re certainly not going to tell me…” Twilight could see Lilly beside her out of the corner of her eye. Just as she thought, Lilly turned around shortly after Rarity began speaking and presumably noticed Rainbow Dash.

“HEY, GET BACK HERE!” She yelled, raising her gun. But then a voice Twilight didn’t expect rung out.

“NO, DON’ T SHOOT.” Roger jumped in front of Lilly just as Applejack kicked her in the back of her legs. Falling forward Lilly and Roger both tumbled to the ground. Twilight turned around to grab the gun, only to see the two rolling on the grass fighting for exactly that. Twilight suddenly realized Roger had no idea what they had tried to do; he didn’t understand pony so he didn’t hear the plan.

Roger was far stronger physically then Lilly but it wasn’t long before Lilly had wormed herself off of him and onto the grass. Roger tried to keep hold of the gun, but as Lilly ripped it from his grasp it emitted another loud bang. Roger screamed out in pain as he clutched at his stomach, Lilly looked at her father completely in shock. Bright red blood slowly stained the shirt Roger was wearing as he lay himself back down onto the grass.

“Dad, no, no, no, this… this wasn’t supposed to happen. Dad I can’t lose mom and you to. Dad I…” But before she could finish a sharp thud met everyponies ears as Lilly fell forward and landed next to her father. Rainbow dash stood behind where she had been kneeling, facing the opposite direction with a hoof in the air.

“Somepony hold me back before I kick her again.” She said as she lowered her hoof, malice in her eyes. Twilight hurried over and pulled the gun away from Lilly’s hand, tossing it aside before checking to see Roger and Lilly’s state. Lilly had been knocked out cold by Rainbow Dash’s kick but was going to be fine once she woke up. Roger on the other hoof was bleeding pretty badly.

“Fluttershy, you’re the closest thing to a doctor we have,” Twilight said, fear turning to worry and regret. “What can we do to help him?” Fluttershy had stayed where she was when Roger jumped in front of Lilly, and when the second gunshot sounded she had covered her eyes with both hooves and begun to cry. Twilight made her way over to the terrified pegasus and tried tapping her on the shoulder, but this only succeeded in scaring her further. “Fluttershy if there were ever a time to be brave and push through a situation then it would be now.” Twilight said, but to no avail.

Pinkie and Rarity went to work calming Fluttershy as Rainbow, Twilight, and Applejack stood panicking over Roger.

“Twilight,” Roger said. “I don’t know how long that portals going to be open but you need to get your friends through before you lose your chance. I’ll be fine here just…”

“Hoarse feathers Roger, we need to get you to a hospital before this gets really bad, just hold tight while I figure out what to do.

“What’s he saying Twilight?” Applejack asked, as she examined the bloody stain spreading from his midsection.

“He wants us to leave him here.” Twilight said, as she tried desperately to think of a solution. “Roger do you have a first aid kit anywhere, could you make it to the hospital or get them to come here or…”

“I’ve got band aids and that’s about it. The nearest hospital is two hours away and the doctor in town can’t help with something like this.” Roger sounded surprisingly calm for the situation he was in; Twilight didn’t like that.

“Twilight, what are we going to do?” Rainbow said.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “and the more time we waste the worse his chances become.”

“Then let’s not waste any time.” Rarity said, leading the shaking Fluttershy as Pinkie continued to calm her. “I can’t speak for everypony, but I think I know what we have to do.” Twilight turned to her friend who somehow looked worse than she did before Twilight explained her plan about Lilly. “We can use the portal to send him where he needs to go.”

“What,” Applejack said. “Now I know we’re running out of options but let me remind you that portals our only ticket home.” Rarity nodded.

“And it could be Roger’s only hope. I don’t like it here girls, I hate it here, but Roger’s been very gentalcoltly to us over the past few days when it’s clear we don’t belong here. He’s fed, housed, and supported us and, may I remind you, ran to Rainbow’s rescue when Lilly was about to, well do this to her. I may not like this place but if it’s a choice between Roger’s life and my comfort I’m going to have to say Roger.”

“Rarity’s right,” Rainbow Dash said. “I hate it here to, but Roger’s a cool guy, and I don’t want to go home if I’m leaving him here to suffer. Especially next to this daughter of his.” Rainbow turned an angry look on Lilly’s unconscious form before turning to stare down at her hooves.

“Now hold up y’all, how do we know they can even fix him up if we do get him to the doc’. Maybe he wants us to go because he’s to far gone already.” Twilight weighed her options. The portal probably wasn’t going to stay up forever and Roger definitely wasn’t in a state that he could wait. Twilight had to decide now if she was going to choose to save him. Without saying a word more she turned and headed for the portal.

“Goodbye twilight.” She heard Roger say as she ran to the gray line that she had waited so long to see.

“Twilight what are you doing?” Applejack called after her, but Twilight had made up her mind.

“Rip in space save me some time, take me to where I may find, Ponyville…”

Home

“…hospital.”

The portal opened and took on the purplish hue of Twilight’s magic. Running back to Roger, she took a mouthful of his shirt and began dragging him toward the portal.

“Twilight,” Roger said. “What are you doing, the portal’s open, you need to go.” Roger’s plea went unheeded as one by one the other ponies helped pull Roger toward the portal. Pinkie even managed to convince Fluttershy to help, Twilight didn’t hear the full conversation but it had something to do with her Element of Harmony. As the group made it through the portal, Twilight raised her head just slightly enough to see Roger’s face as he passed out.

* * *

Twilight awoke on a hospital lounge chair sitting bolt upright. On either side of her were the sleeping forms of her friends all getting well-deserved rest. It was at this point Twilight realized Rarity wasn’t the only one who looked ragged; everypony was in desperate need of a bath and a hairbrush, but they had all refused to go home until they received word on Roger.

It was quite a sight when the group came through the other side of the portal. They had ended up on the third floor where a small group had formed around the opening. Needless to say, a group of nurses and doctors suddenly confronted with a gaping hole to another dimension with six horribly mattered ponies and a never before seen creature coming out of it created a chaos Discord would be proud of.

After Twilight had a chance to explain what had happened and Roger’s predicament he was rushed away to surgery while the ponies where escorted to the lobby. There they had stayed for almost a day now waiting for word of his condition. Twilight looked around the room and saw everypony that had come to join them. Spike, Sweetie Bell, the Cakes with twins, the entire Apple Family, Twilight was surprised when the mayor herself didn’t show up.

Everypony had been so happy to know Twilight and her friends were ok, they all decided to spend the night with them in the lobby. There was probably a friendship lesson in that she should write the princess about, but after what Spike had told her happened to Ponyville since they left, a letter explaining what happened to them over the past few days sounded better. Twilight was about to drift back to sleep when one of the nurses walked into the room from the main section of the hospital.

“Everypony,” she said in a voice loud enough to wake the sleeping forms, but soft enough to do it gently. “Your friend has stabilized and as far as we can tell he’s going to be fine. The object lodged in him required extensive surgery to remove and we were working on a creature we had never studied, but the doctor has instructed me to inform you that the surgery will be classified as a success.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief and could hear her friends do the same. It was good to know she had made the right choice in bringing him here. “However, we don’t seem to be able to communicate with him. Is anypony here familiar with his language?” Twilight got out of her chair and walked to where the nurse stood.

“Wait, I can talk to him to!” Pinkie said. “Can I come?” Pinkie hopped after Twilight, something she was happy to be able to do again.

“I might not be as good as you two, but I can understand some of the things he says.” Rarity added as she trotted behind the bouncing pink pony.

“I’m sure Roger will want to see all of us,” Twilight said, checking the nurse pony’s reaction before inviting her friends to join her.

The group followed the nurse into a large room close to the lobby door, Roger had been placed on two beds that had been pushed together and slings had to be attached to his feet so they wouldn’t hang off the bed. Roger’s shirt had been removed and a layered wrap covered his midsection.

“Six to see you sir,” the nurse said before leaving.

“Somehow that didn’t sound like feeding time.” Roger said. As Roger slowly sat up and saw the ponies come to visit a huge smile crossed his face. “Thank god, someone to talk to, Twilight I’m thankful you brought me here but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to help me tell the nurse what I eat, that sandwich tasted like it was full of grass. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if it was grass.” Twilight smiled.

“Unlikely, but it could have been ferns.” Twilight and her friends gathered around Roger and with a nod from the others, Twilight looked up at Roger with a glint in her eyes. “The girls and I have been talking, and we know you may not want to, but we’d like to invite you to stay with us until you recover. Of course you can go home at any time, but you’re welcome here as long as you’ll stay.” Roger thought it over for a moment.

“I suppose in my condition travel is out of the question, and what better place than Ponyville to recover from a traumatic experience. But I don’t know Twilight, you sure you want the reminder of what you learned in my world?” Twilight nodded.

“Even if we aren’t real there, we are here, you were such a good host to us it would be wrong for us not to offer.” Roger thought this over.

“Well… I could stay a day or two, ‘till I got better that is, no longer.” He said. Twilight smiled at her new friend, maybe Roger didn’t belong here and maybe he would fit it perfectly, but after what she and her friends had been through, somehow this creature from another world seemed like a long lost friend.