A Wacky Read

"Oh, yeah, of course. Here it is." When Glimmer entered the kitchen, it was obvious, that the baked goods were waiting here. The counter of the vast castle kitchen was covered in colourful boxes, all filled with Pinkie’s treats.

"Cakes in the kitchen, that makes sense." Glimmer was stepping forward and looking around, "And yes, I'm talking to myself again. Good job, Starlight."

The boxes in various colour were surely supposed to represent her friends, Starlight was sure of it. She used her magical horn to open the nearest carton. It was yellow and contained a mix of carrot- and strawberry cupcakes. Certainly it was meant for Fluttershy on the other side of the Mirror.

Starlight had no idea Pinkie baked this many goods. Thank Celestia carrying them all was no problem, due to her magic.
She levitated them all into order and stacked them neatly, before framing the pack with her powersome glow.

It was only when she turned around with a smile, when she was delayed.

A weird stranger stood in the door, holding it open with his long arm and his three blue fingers. Glimmer looked up into his alien face, at his beak and at her reflection she saw in his round purple sunglasses. Her levitation stopped at once and the pack landed roughly back on the counter.

"I knew I smelled something", Rook plainly said. "Didn't know it was horse though."

"What the fu-"

"Now now", Rook interrupted her. "I trade for a cake. It is cake, right?"

"Who are you?", Glimmer asked with tilted head and a raised brow. It could well have been, he was a visitor from a foreign land, looking for the Princess. Which would be half true.

"Oh, me?", Rook smiled. "Just me. But he!", he pointed back into the corridor, "He's not me."

"What?"

More faces and more voices went into the kitchen. Hati, Krator and Knom stepped in, scattering all over the place. Krator was eagerly checking the cartons, smiling while doing so.

Hati on the other hand turned to the rosé Pony with the cyan highlights and reached out his three fingered claw. "Hey there, I'm Hati." Soon he noticed that reaching hands was probably not custom here and retreated.

They all made space for Rex when he majestically strode through the door and looked down at her ever so arrogantly. "Why, a little talking horse, colourful too."

"Hey!"

"Somewhat mannered, I hope?"

"You ... what?", she looked at the weird folks that searched her kitchen, "Who are you guys and what are you doing?"

"Can I eat this?", Krator asked, pointing at the boxes.

"What? No! Get away from those!"

Even Elisa opened the doors and cupboards, looking for something to bite. "Whaaat?!", she yelled when she grabbed the jackpot. "Guys! Look at this." The Elf dragged a sack of sugar out of the kitchen-counter.

"Wow!", Hati said loudly, "You guys have sacked sugar?! Amazing!"

Like savages, Hati, Elisa and Rook sat around her sack of sugar, licked their hands and dipped in, to then lick their sweet hands again. In the meantime, Krator stole some of the baked goods behind the Unicorn's back.

Hectically Starlight’s head jumped and twisted, her eyes searched for a solution. Just when she yelled "STOP!" and used her magical glow to freeze the aliens in motion, the kitchen got silent again.

That is, until Rex opened his grin. "Why, isn't that interesting?"

Even though Morty and Hati were framed by the glow as well, the magic didn’t exactly freeze them, which might have been a side effect of the curse they were bearing.

"I'm sorry", Hati apologised, "I forgot to ask. Can we borrow some sugar? We kinda left without food."

"If you're hungry, don't eat sugar!", Starlight explained yelling, "You're gonna get a tummy-ache!"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Everything was under control.
Her smile was forced but her attentions were pure. The glow vanished and everyone was freed.

"Hi! I'm Starlight Glimmer! Welcome to Ponyville! Or ... Equestria. I don't know where you're from, so. Please, let me bring you something to eat."

While she was shooing Krator away from the cupcakes and collected ingredients, Rex talked to his savages. "That concludes it. I'm certain of it. We're not on Xerexarea anymore."

"Xerexarea, the continent?", Hati asked concerned.

"Xerexarea, the planet."

He pointed his finger at Rex and his look changed into a tired one, "You know what? I had a hunch."

Morty finally joined them and he brought his heat with himself. "Wasn't that clear?", he asked cynically. "Only the gods know now, whereto the ring brought us."

It rendered Hati slightly mad, "Did you really think a magic portal, that looked like water, would what, extinguish your flames?"

"Not like I had anything to risk. I'm immortal. You didn't have to follow me."

"Well, but now we're here", Krator hammered his plated fist onto the kitchen-board, "Let the Princess make a portal to bring us back, why wouldn't you?"

Glimmer turned around, her ears twitched, "Princess?"

Rex walked up to the board, "Why, yes! Let's try, shall we?"

"Bring it, Princess!", Krator met the mage’s gaze with his own. Their rivalry has always been a wildfire within the group, despite an actual burning skeleton in its midst.

Rex took his book and ripped out one of the pages. After it was tossed onto the floor, the magic did it's work and created a ring of light, a doorway through space.

The conjurer looked down at it with concern. It should have shown the world on the other side. But it didn't. Instead the portal within the glowing ring was black. Something about this didn’t feel right with Rex either. His magic usually never fails.

"Well", Hati sat at its edge, "This looks odd, right?"

Rex nodded.

Starlight levitated a plate in front of herself, bringing it to the aliens. On it were fruits, bread and a carafe of milk.

As soon as Rex spotted the plate near his portal, he hit it casually, so the meal would fall into the portal and into the void. Shocked and finally grumpily, Starlight looked after the stuff, into the portal and back up to Rex. "I guess you weren't that hungry after all."

Rex had his arm laid around his hips and grabbed onto his cloth, so it wouldn't slip. His other arm was resting upon it while he was rubbing the two horns on his chin with his three fingers. It was his usual thinking pose.

"Do you see this black carpet, Unicorn?"

"You mean the portal?"

"Why, yes. It is a portal to our home."

"That doesn't look very cozy. But, you do you."

"It's not working for some reason."

"Maybe someone turned off the light?"

He looked down to her with tired eyes, "Tell me, is there anyone in this castle, that might be able to help us. Someone that isn't stupid, or a horse, or both?"

Her eyes said it all. She was done. She tried not to be insulting. So rather than losing her temper, she decided to leave.

"Wait!", Hati stood up and followed her, "He didn't mean it."

She stopped and he walked up to her. "Well, he did", he added. "But he's just one of us. Maybe you can help us, help me? I'll talk to him. You don't have to."

She turned, slightly smiling. "I'm Starlight."

"I know. You said earlier."

"Right! Right."

"I'm Hati."

"I know. You said earlier."

"Right! Right."

Both chuckled.

"So, tell me", she came closer and looked up to the tall, green Lizard, "What are you doing in Equestria? Or in this castle for that matter?"

"I'd say if I knew. I have no idea. We found some artefact, some gateway, and the end of it was in your library. That is most of the story. And to put all cards on the table, we weren't the only ones. There's some Humans searching the castle. You know what a Human is, right?"

Her eyes told that she knew. "Oh no. Twilight has to know!" She ran off before she remembered, stopped hard and turned. "But I can't leave you alone."

"Oh? Alright", Hati understood, "We can totally follow you, it's alright."

And so Hati collected the insane, the hungry, the silent and the grumpy ones of his friends and made them go back to the library, but this time on official business and guarded by a little Unicorn. The cupcakes weren't exactly forgotten either. The rest that wasn't eaten already, Krator took along to share with his Elf and his Hati.
If only there was more to be had.