A Tale of Two Worlds

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 5

Prologue

The war room doors slam open for Princess Flurry as she rushes in before the Crystal Throne. “Another node,” she pants, “on the horizon. Horde— already spawning!”

Princess Cadence rises to attention. Holograms flicker across the table, stabilizing into a map of the Crystal Empire and the surrounding area. “Where?”

A swarm of black tokens fly from the cabinet. “About ten million so far.” Flurry arranges them just west of the city. “And counting,” she punctuates with another piece.

More tokens land as Cadence studies the map with both royal wizards. Color coded spells criss-cross the landscape; each one marked with a symbol.

Flurry reads their faces, searching for even a hint of emotion as they deliberate. “Mother, what’s happening?” she asks, nudging the last token into place.

“Assemble the remaining Crystal Ponies.”

“Why? What are you doing?” Flurry folds her ears and lifts a hoof. Most of the arcane symbols on display she already understands — others, she can only guess. “You’re looking to weaponize the Crystal Heart? Aren’t you?”

All conversations across the room die at once, leaving the map table’s faint hum to dominate the soundscape.

Cadence nods.

“But what about Auntie Twiley’s mandate about ancient artifacts just before she— before she…?”

A slender hoof caresses Flurry’s cheek. “You remember when your father taught you the meaning of sacrifice?” Cadence wipes away a tear with her delicate wing. “Your uncle and his friends stored some special magic in the Crystal Heart to defeat them,” —she points to the black map tokens— “and now, we have a chance to save as many ponies as there are stars in the sky, even more. You’ll understand one day.” Mother and daughter embrace for a moment. “Now, see to gathering the Crystal Ponies.”

Flurry nods and falls out. Exiting the war room, she swallows hard.

***

The Crystal Empire stands assembled around the palace. Nerves fray at the din echoing off distant mountains. Princess Cadence takes the stage alongside Princess Flurry Heart and Royal Wizard Sunburst.

The “My fellow Equestrians,

“Today, a dark force beseages our borders. Generals of the past have made bold generalizations about the populations they’ve made war against, but I tell you the truth that these monsters are without mind or heart, destroying families until no household is left without a gaping hole. Today, they are here to tear an even bigger hole in Equestria herself.

“I’d love to say I see a future where the past week was one big, bad dream. I’d love to say I see a future where harmony and peace reign supreme. But I don’t. Not while our future is eclipsed by that— that army on the horizon.

“Equestria does not need the Crystal Empire to rebuild into something beautiful. If we cling to the promises of tomorrow without taking care of the children of today, everything ponykind has ever said or done will all have been for nothing. I cannot see many of us living past today.

“I know you are all scared. That’s okay. What’s not okay is to permit that that invasion army to continue tearing holes in our beloved homeland. Today, we are in a position of power: today, we are in a position to finish their evil plans once and for all!

“Think about those you’ve ever loved. Think about those we’ve lost. Stand for Equestria. Stand for the Crystal Empire! Make a stand for every creature under the sun!”

The Crystal ponies charge the Heart. Cadence takes it in her hooves, holding it at flashpoint. A blinding light radiates from her body as she hovers above the stage. Patches of fur across her coat smolder, then burn. She falls.

“MOM!” Flurry leaps to her mother’s side to check her vitals. “Mom, no.”

“Flurry,” —a scorched hoof reaches for Flurry’s cheek— “your spirit is especially attuned to the Heart. You are now the Crystal Princess. Lead your people.” Cadence casts a spell as the light fades from her eyes.

Flurry squints up at the Crystal Heart as it flashes, exploding into a sprinkling of blue dust. Lightning sparks in random directions and her main and tail flow with power. Every fiber of her being resonates with all the love, sorrow, and hope of her nation. “I am Flurry Heart, daughter of Princess Miamora Cadenza and Shining Armor —may he rest in peace— heir to the Crystal Throne, the Princess of Hope. And I do solemnly swear upon the memory of Celestia to protect the world from evil and work to restore harmony!”

A shock wave pulses out from the empire, cracking the distant mountains. Princess Flurry Heart dons her mother’s helmet and leads the remains of the Equestrian army into battle.

A billion figures blacken the countryside between the Crystal Empire and the enemy node. Legion after legion falls to the Crystal army as they burrow deeper into their bulk. They press onward as their own number crumbles away.

Flurry encourages her troops as they march on until the last of her comrades falls. All alone, with only an infinite army for company, she crests a hill and takes flight. Bolts of magic shoot up from the ground as Flurry swoops around each one with the speed and skill of a Wonderbolt, vaporizing hostiles at her whim. She sets sites on the node.

“Your trail of suffering ends NOW!” A rainbow beam of magic strikes the node; a cloud of smoke mushrooms out, blotting out the sky. “No more will you spread your evil across my land!” Another beam strikes the node, knocking it off axis. A shockwave flies out, decimating the figures down below. “This is the end of your line—”

A stray bolt of magic strikes Flurry’s wing as she charges for a final blast to destroy the node. Every nerve is set on fire as the world spins into blackness before the ground rushes up to meet her.

Chapter 1

A bit lay in the middle of the homeschool table, a notch on the side of the coin facing up. A golden gray Unicorn stallion paces along one side of the table, the many stars decorating his blue robe occasionally catching rays from the setting sun peeking in through the basement window. Textbooks line a number of shelves, their pages filled with enough knowledge to provide half an education. “Reach out... feel the coin... lift,” Shimmering Dust instructs his son.

For the first time ever, a reddish orange spark, then a haze coalesces around the colt’s horn and the coin and levitates. The yellow and orange coated colt beams with delight as he sees the bit dancing to his will.

“Smile!”

Applesauce flicks his head around to see his father snapping a picture. The flash disorients him; his oversized horn drops the coin.

‘Magic!’ Applesauce thinks to himself as he rubs his eyes. “By Celestia, I reckon I did it,” he giggles at himself and starts bouncing around the room like the local Party Pony. “I did it, I did it, Ah did it!” He bounces upstairs, dances into the kitchen, and proclaims his success, “Hey, Mom... I did it! I made a bit jump like a kitten in a fox hole!” He demonstrates his newfound powers by shifting a plate on the counter a couple inches.

Shimmering Dust climbs the last of the stairs. He smiles at his wife, an Earth Pony by the name of Apple Turnover, enduring the barrage of excitement their son is dishing out. He discreetly sheds a few tears while pulling out a present. “Hey, Applesauce,” he calls over the bouncing colt, “I have something for you.”

Applesauce plants himself in front of his father, and receives the gift. He plops it on the ground, secures it with the tip of his horn and uses a hoof to remove the paper. He flips open the box lid. “A pair a books?” He turns the fancier book over and uses the tip of his horn to open the front cover. A huge grin breaks out across his face. “My very own spell book? Thank ya, Dad!” He glances up at his father and continues browsing.

“This is a special spellbook I wrote just for you, and this...,” Shimmering Dust levitates the other book in front of Applesauce, “...is a real journal we got you to record your life’s adventure.”

Applesauce takes the journal in his hooves, sets it aside, and pulls his parents in for a group hug. “I love y'all so much.” He jumps when something tickles the fur on his back. His big, green eyes bug out. “Wait, Wha’?” he cranes his neck around to see the foreign object now draped across his body. “Dad? Ya givin’ me yer robe?”

Apple Turnover pulls out from the hug. “Shimmerin’, Darlin’, are ya sure our little sugarcube is ready for such a mighty big mantle?”

Shimmering Dust casts a spell over the cloth. “Applesauce, why don’t you go upstairs and start writing in your new journal? Your mother and I have a few important things to discuss. The family robe will adjust to fit its new bearer. It should take an hour or so.”

Applesauce grabs his gifts with his mouth and scuttles upstairs to his room in the attic, somehow managing to avoid tripping over his Dad-sized robe. He pulls back his curtains, letting in the early-evening moonlight. Outside, the occasional pony can be seen departing Twilight’s crystal castle. A certain spirit of chaos is moonwalking down the street toward the Everfree Forest, showing off something around his neck to everyone in sight. The other three Crusaders are bidding their goodbyes as they go their separate ways. One of them scooters past.

“Heya, Scootaloo,” Applesauce calls out to his friend. She kicks her scooter sideways and slides to a stop. She looks up and parks her scooter in front of the nondescript Ponyville townhouse. “Y’all are never gonna guess the surprise I got for our meetin’ tomorrow!”

The flightless Pegasus flaps her orange wings for a moment of air. “Is your Dad letting you have the day off? That’s so cool!, Cool as a cherry with.. an ice cream on top!” The foals crack up at the lame attempt at a new countryism.

“How about, ‘Cooler ‘an an apple in a freezer in the snow?’”

“I guess that works. Hey, what’s the surprise? Did you finally get your Cutie Mark?”

Applesauce frowns and shakes his head. “Still workin’ on that one.”

“Anyway, I gotta bail. See ya tomorrow at the meeting. Remember: full dress!” Scootaloo remounts her scooter and waves goodbye before racing off.

Applesauce waves back, but it’s too late. He leaves the window open and sets his brand new journal on his desk. ‘I gotta practice if I so much as hope ta lift anythin’ tomorrow.’ After closing his eyes and focusing really hard, he lights up his oversized horn and tips the inkwell toward his bed. A right hoof shoots up to the unstable container to steady his scribing tools, sending the inkwell tilting the other direction. It rolls around precariously before settling on not spilling. Applesauce wipes the pretend sweat from his forehead, imitating Auntie Applejack after a hard day’s work, “Phew, that was a close one! I reckon it'll be a season before I can do my writin’ from my horn and have it look right.” ‘Maybe Sweetie Belle can give me a few pointers. I can’t wait for the look on her face when I show up at the clubhouse tomorrow mornin’ waving stuff in the air.’

Settling into his desk, Applesauce grabs the quill in his mouth and introduces himself to the journal, detailing his family and personal history leading up to the present. By the time he finishes, Dad’s robe has shrunken to a more comfortable size.

Knock knock Shimmering dust peeks Applesauce’s door open and comes in. “Lights out, Kiddo. You got a big day tomorrow, my little magician.”

Applesauce takes off his robe and packs it in a saddlebag while getting ready for bed. His parents tuck him in and turn out the light. “I love ya, Mom and Dad.”

***

It’s a shining new day. Applesauce wakes up and finishes packing a number of objects into his saddlebags before his mother’s voice calls, "Applesauce, C'mon down for breakfast or ya gonna miss it!"

Applesauce throws on his CMC cape over top his bags and focuses at the door. ‘Door… Knob… TURN!’ He embraces the door knob in his magic. ‘Oh, no no no nonoNO!’ He winces as the knob slips through his magic field like a bottle from a baby's hooves. "Seriously?" he mumbles to the door. A second attempt grants a little more success, but that success is nullified when he releases it while forgetting to pull. He stomps a hoof down, "Aw, C'mon!"

The horn atop young Applesauce's head finds itself in the door knob, and cracking open the door the old fashion way. He tries one more time out of spite, ‘Door…MOVE’ The door flies open, smashing the knob into the wall and leaving a dent.

An irritated voice perculates up from downstairs. "Applesauce, what in Tarnation just went down up there?"

Applesauce bumbles his way downstairs. He straightens his tacky cape over his bag with magic and flashes his mother a cheesy grin. "Magic!"

Apple Turnover bites a chair at the dining table and pulls it out for her son. She ruffles his mane up as he sits. Shimmering Dust simultaneously flies three place settings to the table “Let’s see it.”

Applesauce lifts the end of a fork and dangles it over to his place setting and finishes sliding it into place with a hoof.

***

As soon as Applesauce and Apple Turnover set hoof out their front door, they immediately get swept into the final chorus of a morning song. Once the excitement dies down, the two continue on their way to the farm.

Pinkie Pie skydives in and lands in front of the Town Apples. “You!” She stretches out a hoof to block Applesauce at his chest. “My Pinkie Sense was going all over the place last night at Starlight’s Graduation, and I know exactly what you were doing... I’m going to borrow your mother for a bit.” She takes Apple Turnover by the ear and starts whispering stuff about “party plans” and “first magic use.”

Apple Turnover unglues herself from Pinkie long enough to blurt, “Applesauce, go; I'll catch up with you later. Be safe! And I love you!” before succumbing once again to Pinkie’s mercy.

***

The road to the farm takes the rhythmic abuse of an eight year old colt with a song stuck in his head. Applesauce hums the chorus a few times over as he greets a group of stranger ponies with a “Howdy.” A few unfinished sculpted clouds drift past. He bellows a greeting upward where he suspects Windy Light is working on them from the privacy of another cloud.

Arriving at the clubhouse, Applesauce climbs the ramp and starts setting up for the meeting. He uses his mouth, saving his magic trick as a bombshell for later. Pulling out an ink well and the club scrapbook, he writes up the attendance sheet.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle clamber up the ramp and freeze in their hoofsteps. Applesauce marks them as present. “Hey ya girls, where’re ya capes?”

Scootaloo marches up to Applesauce. She narrows her eyes and flares her wings. “And just who do you think you're supposed to be?” She jabs a hoof in his direction.

Applesauce doesn’t pick up on her annoyance. He drops the pen and puffs out his chest and holds his horn high, “I think I am the newest member of the magic club!”

Sweetie Belle steps around to Applesauce’s side. A look of confusion overcomes her as she grabs his cape, “This is CMC property. Where’d you get it?”

Applesauce looks over his shoulder to address her. “Ya made it for me, remember?”

Scootaloo bats her hoof against Applesauce’s horn, forcing his face forward again. “I don’t know about Sweetie Bell here, but I think a horn this big must be fake.”

Sweetie Belle backs her up, “It’s almost as big as Rarity’s!”

Applesauce snaps back, his pride a little wounded from his friends’ words, “It sure as apples ain’t fake!”

An evil little smile passes across Scootaloo’s face. “Prove it.”

The large, elongated horn sparks with activity. Applesauce levitates the pen back to his mouth. With as smug of an expression as a pony can manage with a quill in his mouth, he finishes the attendance sheet: Apple Bloom, Applesauce, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle. He marks off every name but Apple Bloom’s.

Sweetie Belle uses the time to sneak behind Applesauce and remove his cape for inspection. “Gold silk?”

Applesauce drops the pen and whips his attention back to Sweetie Bell, “Hey! Give that back!”

Another set of hoofsteps gallops up the ramp and into the treehouse. “Sorry I’m late, girls!” Apple Bloom huffs and puffs before lifting her eyes to the scene playing out in front of her.

Sweetie Belle has a first edition CMC cape floating high above the podium, one corner flickering between her mint green magic and an unfamiliar red-orange magic color. Scootaloo is staring at a large book with her wings back and mouth agape in confusion as she flips through it. The podium falls over, and a strange, Unicorn colt about their age struggles to reacquire the outfit.

Applebloom draws in a deep breath and shouts over the ruckus, “Would somepony like ta explain what in the barnyard is going on in here?!” Silence drops in the treehouse. She slowly approaches the open book on the floor. She flips to the latest entry, today’s smudged roll call sheet, and reads each member’s name but wrinkles her nose at the second signature, “Applesauce?”

The colt’s ears droop, “N-not you too!” The colt’s whole face sags. “Ya-ya can cut the prank now, it ain’t funny.”

Sweetie Belle indifferently wipes up the spilled ink. She cleans and caps the inkwell while sliding the pen back in its case. Then she shoves all Applesauce’s belongings back into his bags. “Don’t worry, Applebloom, he was just leaving.” Applesauce whimpers as his bags land firmly on his back. He slinks out of the clubhouse in shame. “And take this book with you!” Sweetie Bell jams the final item into his bags. As it slips in, the trio of girls catch the title, The Cutiemark Crusaders’ Chronicles. Each of their own signatures occupies its own spot on the front cover. The colt sulks his way down the ramp and away from the clubhouse without his CMC cape.

***

Applesauce kicks a pebble down the road for a while. BOOM! The clear sky produces a giant thunderbolt behind him. Applesauce panics and breaks into a dead gallop fueled by pure adrenaline. He sprints into the barnyard. “Auntie Applejaaaaahahaaaack!”

The panicked foal zips into the barn, bowling over Applejack. A bushel of apples and Applesauce’s saddlebags go flying. The basket flips through the air and lands on the small form. “Big Macintosh! What in the hay have you gotten yourself into?” Applejack mutters at her absent brother as she picks herself up and removes the basket from the stunned foal, “Startling little Apple... not Bloom?” The colt shakes his head to clear the stars. “I don’t reckon you’d like ta explain why them there apples are a rollin’ all over the floor.” Applejack points a hoof his mess.

The youngin’ tears up a bit as he explains, “Sorry, it’s just somethin’ terrible’s happened ta the other Crusaders! It’s like they’s cursed an’ all forgot who I is an’ all.” His eyes grow big as he makes his case. “Ya gotta help ‘em Auntie Applejack!”

Applejack finds the stranger a little off putting, but she tries to make the best of it. “Auntie?” she chuckles a moment, “Now there’s a first!” She recollects her hat. “Sorry, but I ain’t nopony’s auntie. Besides, last time I checked, there weren’t no unicorns in the Apple family. Now, unless you got some sort a proof otherwise, I’d be inclined to take your stories with a teaspoon or two a salt.” She starts picking up the apples, “Is there some other way I can help you, Sugarcube?”

A large scrapbook hits a pile of hay. The kid opens it straight to a page with three photos, each showing a CMC member with their respective family. Applejack reviews the photos. “What in the...” she pauses at the picture with her granny and siblings. An extra trio of faces stand ahead of the other Apple Siblings and Granny Smith. She plants a hoof firmly on the offending picture, “Would ya mind tellin’ me how ya got these?”

The colt rummages through his bag and pulls out a tripod. He places it on the ground and gives a hopeful smile.

Applejack yanks her head back in surprise. Her hat jumps. “Now wait a second… Are you sayin’ these here are your pictures?”

The tripod now has a Polaroid camera mounted atop it. “Ah sure did. Why, it was just last week I snapped these here photos.”

Applejack returns her focus to the pictures. “Well… I ain’t sure how you were able to take these.” She points her hoof to the Apple family portrait. “I don’t even remember doin’ one like that.”

“Well, that trick is easy.” The foal picks up the tripod in his hooves, camera and all, and points to one of the gauges on the side. “My’ camera has a delay timer right here.” He fetches his bag and starts repacking his stuff. “Ya don’t recon their forgettin’ me is ‘cause nothin’s wrong with my worn horn anymore?” He spits on the ground. “Could it be a side effect, Auntie?”

Applejack continues picking up her spilled apples, “Look… I don’t know who ya are, how or even if ya ever became a part of Apple Bloom’s club, or even why you insist on callin’ me, ‘Auntie.’ Now, why don’t you run along and skedaddle now.” She shakes a hoof at the barn door. “I got a brother ta find,” she almost growls as she places the last apple.

The foal perks up again, “I can help ya find Uncle Big Mac! Maybe he’ll remember me and straighten things out!”

Applejack loses patience with the persistent kid. “Would ya cut it with callin’ me an’ my brother, ‘Auntie’ and ‘Uncle!’ The only sibling we got is little Apple Bloom an’ she ain’t old enough ta be ya mama.”

“But,... my Mama’s your big sis, Apple Turnover.” He reopens his bags and pulls out a signed picture of her.

“Nope, never seen her ‘round these parts.” Applejack returns the photo and opens the barn door to leave. “Now shoo.”

***

Applesauce wanders off the farm. “But, she’s your sis!” he mumbles as he passes the gate out front, “I guess I’m just gonna head back home. Dad’ll cast a spell... an’ ‘ell make it all better.”

A Pegasus with enormous wings sets down in front of Applesauce. She shakes out her wings and folds them, then cocks her head at Applesauce. “What’s my name?”

“Windy Light,” Applesauce unenthusiastically half mutters. “I don’t suppose you remember me either.”

Windy smiles and shakes her head gently. “But that happens a lot. How well do you know me?”

The mess of a kid drones, “You an’ your lil’ bro with a lame wing, Dasher Swift, sometimes babysit me when Dad’s busy with his secret project an’ Mom’s helpin’ Granny.”

“Interesting...” Windy walks around him slowly, studying him. “Come with me.”

“Where we goin’?”

“We are going to see Princess Twilight. If anypony will know why no one knows you, or else can figure it out, I’m sure she can.”

Even though Windy doesn’t remember him, the boy cheers up at her kindness and willingness to help. "I like Twilight. She's always tellin' me how my magic is gonna come in someday. I sure hope she don’t not know me like my family. 'Cause if that's so, she won't be impressed ta know that someday was yesterday, last night in fact!. …" He babbles on and on to Windy about himself the rest of the way into town.

Author's Note

Applesauce was originally played by me, Shadow_8472.
Windy Light was originally played by my sister, Tzarina 8472, or Taz for short.

I honestly tried finding Applesauce a name that wasn't already taken, but by the time I remembered Old Auntie Applesauce, I just decided his parents named him after her.

Chapter 2

“...and that’s when they packed up an’ took their cider makin’ doohickey outa’ town.” Applesauce finishes his story as they cross the bridge into town.

“What about what happened this morning?”

Applesauce makes a face, “I don’ really wanna talk ‘bout that.”

“It’s okay. You’ll just have to tell the princess when she asks. I just thought you would want to practice.”

“Okaaay, fiiiine.” A cocktail of painful emotions crawls across Applesauce’s face, “It all started when my fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders took me for a complete an’ utter stranger when I tried ta show ‘em my magic this mornin’. They snatched my cape and gave me the boot. Auntie Applejack didn’ even think I is real, I ev’n shoved our family photo ‘er way.”

Pinkie pops out of hiding from behind a skinny lamp post. “Hey, guys!”

Windy flinches, but relaxes when Pinkie doesn’t pull her normal antics. “No party cannon?”

"Nah. Not this time. I'm saving that for later. Speaking of parties, I had a hunch, so I'm hosting a super-special one later this week! You’re both invited. Wanna come?" Pinkie’s million bit smile does most of the talking.

Applesauce half perks at Pinkie’s invitation. He clearly isn’t smiling yet, but his eye has a faint spark of hope that wasn’t there a moment ago. A few tears leftover from earlier finish streaming down his face.

“Uh...” Windy stammers to Pinkie, “Maybe I can make an appearance?”

“Great! See you there!” Pinkie bounces along to Sugarcube Corner.

Applesauce comes off his mild Pinkie high looking a bit more upbeat than before. They march on in silence until they arrive at the castle. Applesauce takes a hopeful breath and knocks.

Spike answers the door. “Oh, hey, Windy! What do you need?”

Windy takes a breath to answer, but Applesauce flash steps in front of her, "Spike, somethin' bad has 'appened on the Apple Farm! Everypony there is forgettin' stuff, like who I am an' Applejack don' remember ‘er big sis, my ma, an’ the other Crusaders don't think I am one of them. I'm migh’ee afraid it's gunna spread but Pinkie seems ‘a recognize me so it might not be too late!"

Spike’s spines spring back to their upright position while Applesauce recovers from his info dump. Windy shrugs. “What he said.”

“Whoa whoa whoa… Hang on a second! What do you mean Applejack doesn’t remember you?” Spike reaches up to scratch his forehead.

“I’m ‘er nephew,” Applesauce says with a smile. “I got pictures in case you forgot me and need proof...”

“Nephew, huh? I don’t remember Applejack having a nephew...” Spike takes a moment to think as the colt huffs in disappointment. “It’s probably better if you try explaining this to Twilight.” He waves Applesauce and Windy inside and closes the door. “You guys wait here. I’ll go and get her.” He runs down the hallway and around a corner, leaving the pair in the entryway.

The two guests make themselves comfortable. Windy finds a seat and Applesauce sheds his saddlebags before sitting against her. Soon enough, Spike returns with both Twilight and Starlight behind him. Windy stands to attention and respectfully nods, but Applesauce beams and bounds over to greet them on more friendly terms. He stops short as they recoil; their shocked faces tell him all he needs to know about what they don’t remember of him. He elects to bow respectfully instead.

“Just go ahead and tell the princess what you told me.” As Applesauce takes a deep breath to respond, Spike adds, “And slow it down this time, will you?” he cleans out an ear.

A mouthful of feathers cuts Applesauce off before he can get started. “I found this colt wondering towards Sweet Apple Acres. Everypony he meets does not remember him, but he somehow has pictures that prove they should.” Windy pulls the colt in question in closer, effectively immobilizing him.

Twilight raises an eyebrow. “Could I see these photos, please?”

Applesauce ducks out of Windy’s wing lock, “Of course!” He enthusiastically goes to fetch the CMC scrapbook from his bags. After magically fumbling with the saddlebag latch for a moment, he gives up and picks it with his teeth. He carries the book over to Twilight, who takes it and starts skimming. The occasional picture illustrates a journal entry documenting a Crusaders activity.

As Twilight analyzes the book, Starlight muzzles her way in, “Twilight, look! There’s one with you!”

Applesauce slips his way into Twilight’s other side to get a look at the picture Starlight noticed. “Oh, that’s the time ya helped the Crusaders throw a surprise party for Rarity.”

Twilight backs away from Applesauce’s overly familiar proximity and returns his book. “Stand back, I’m just going to try a quick memory spell,” her horn flashes, but her face perplexes afterward. “You’d better follow me to the library.”

Applesauce sticks his book back in his bags and puts them on, “For what it’s worth, I was able ta use my magic for the very first time yesterday!” He demonstrates by clumsily latching the buckle.

Twilight ignores him and turns tail for the library. Starlight takes notice of the young Unicorn’s demonstration, though. “Good for you, uh… What was your name again?”

“I’m Applesauce.” He puts up a weary smile, no doubt tired of reintroducing himself to every pony he talks to.

“Oh...right...Applesauce...Got it.” Everyone follows Twilight to the castle library where books are already flying about and in front of Twilight’s face pending review.

“I don’t recon ya know my ma, Apple Turnover, She’s Big Mac’s big sis.”

Starlight holds the library door open for Applesauce and Windy, “Apple Turnover? Nope! Never heard of her."

The colt’s ears lower to half mast, “Oh, then maybe ya’ll ‘as heard of my Dad, the wizard, Shimmerin’ Dust.”

“Hmm...” Starlight thinks for a moment, “There was a wizard who went missing shortly after I moved here... Not that I had anything to do with it or anything.”

Windy flies up to the upper shelves. “What kind of books are we looking for?” She starts browsing by title.

Twilight looks up at the Pegasus over a floating book, “Anything about time travel or other dimensions.”

“You thinking he's a product of your... uh, time travel incident? I thought you two didn't go back so far.”

“What?!” Twilight slams a book closed as she finishes scanning it. She chucks it over to a growing heap. "I hope not! As far as I know, everything was fixed when Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom wasn’t interrupted."

Windy pulls out a title that looks relevant. She tosses it to Twilight.

“Times and Tenses,” Twilight flips through the book, skimming it with a little less care. “I don’t know about this one.” The book goes flying, but Spike catches it.

Applesauce spots a book on interdimensional portals. He reaches out, envelops the cover in his grasp, and gently pulls it from the shelf.

Starlight gets Twilight’s attention. “How’s this one, Twilight?” She waves another book in the air.

Twilight looks up and stacks the fifty or so books floating about the room on her desk. A few slide off.

Applesauce dodges a book that wouldn’t have hit him anyway but loses focus on the one he barely has a grip on. His magic sputters and the book thunks on the ground, adding a new point of character to the cover.

Windy pulls out another book, C. S. Lee’s Guide to Interdimensional Relativity. She settles into a comfy chair and begins reading one author’s notes claiming that his story about a group of siblings who cross into another dimension, grow up in a new world, and return home as colts and fillies is really not that far of a stretch.

Twilight lands the last book on her desk. She takes a moment to look around and sighs, “I’m really going to need to reorganize my books again.” She runs a hoof through her frazzled mane and gets up to check on Applesauce’s find.

Starlight spots Windy cracking open a new book and teleports over to investigate. “Twilight! I think Windy found something.”

Spike hears a book tumble on the ground. “Hey, are you alright?” he frees up a hand to check on Applesauce, only for Twilight to fill it with his freshly dented book as she checks out Windy’s discovery.

Twilight takes the book nestled in Windy’s wing and brings it over to a handy table. Starlight pulls up a stool for Applesauce and everypony crowds around the table. After flipping through a few chapters, Twilight begins interviewing Applesauce, “Okay, the first time you noticed anything wrong was after you showed up at the Crusaders’ clubhouse. Tell me everything you know about what happened before then.”

Applesauce sits up on the stool. “Well, this mornin’, I woke up an’ had a special breakfast ta celebrate my first horn use last night. I packed my saddlebags with a load a’ show ‘n’ tell for today’s full dress Crusaders’ meetin’. Ma an’ I started off for the farm, but she had me skedaddle when she was gettin’ a talkin’ in with Pinkie as we was leavin’ town.”

Twilight scribbles Applesauce’s every word down on a notepad, correcting for grammar. “So far, so normal, right?”

Applesauce nods. “I guess. On the way ta the farm, I spotted a number a sculpted clouds. ‘Windy’s work,’ I thought ta myself, an’ I gave her a big ol’ greetin’. When I got ta the clubhouse, I ‘as the first one there,” his expression goes sour, “until Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went all meanie on me that is!” A young hoof slams into the table to emphasize his point.

Starlight holds a hoof to Applesauce’s foreleg. The colt cuts his tantrum short.

Twilight breaks her pencil and quickly replaces it. “Do you remember going through a portal? Seeing a flash of light? Anything?” Applesauce shakes his head. “Odd. The elements of your story, they just don’t make sense!”

“What about a noise?” Windy offers.

Applesauce squeaks as a nervous shiver rebounds along his backbone. “THAT NO-GOOD NOISE ‘AS WHAT SPOOKED ME STRAIGHT INTA’ AUNTIE APPLEJACK...” he catches his breath, “before she didn’ remember me neither. ‘Turns out it was just Uncle Big Mac bein’ loud with a project somewhere.”

Spike stashes his books on Twilight’s desk and pulls a chair up to the table. “I don’t know… I think I might have heard a little something with these dragon ears of mine.” He hops up into his seat. “The point is: I’ve never heard anything that loud from the direction of the farm before. It might have had something to do with things.”

“A noise?... I don’t think that could have been the cause,” Twilight continues looking through her book. “If only...” She flips to some diagrams of the interior topography of different types of portals. “If we could narrow down the possible timeframe somehow… Windy Light, did you see or hear Applesauce when he called to you?”

“Yes, but I was looking up at the sky.”

Applesauce starts absently kicking his hind hooves against the legs of his stool. “But what ‘bout Pinkie? She seemed ta know me after meetin’ up with Windy again. Honestly, ‘til Spike too didn’ know me, I was thinkin’ it was somethin’ up with the farm and everypony on it.”

“Pinkie is, well... Pinkie. She gets hunches from only Celestia knows where and acts on them for only Celestia knows why.” Twilight nervously grinds her hooves together. “I think it’s safe to say that was an abnormality. Anyway, can you think of anything else that happened this morning between when your mom sent you on ahead and you spotted Windy?”

Applesauce concentrates, “I tried pickin’ an apple on my way.” He sags his head so far his horn almost touches the table. “It didn’ even wanna budge for me.”

Twilight pulls out a chalkboard. Numerous pieces of chalk start collectively scratching out several diagrams, “Let’s see… Somewhere between town,” Twilight turns a page to some high-level math, “…and the Apples’ orchard…” she suddenly grins and presents a solution, “I suppose some Unicorn might have cast a spell on you, banishing you to this realm! … Oh, but if that were the case, you would have seen a glow encompassing your body.” She puts the chalk down and returns to the table. Her mane pops a few loose hairs as she flips around through a fairly large section of the book. “No.” “Not that.” “If only!” She slaps the book closed. “I think I may have something, but I need to be extra sure before sharing this possibility!” She gets up and starts teleporting around, grabbing some bags, and stuffing them with a few of her presorted books. “Spike, pack us some things. We’ll be spending the night in Canterlot!”

Spike gets up complaining, “Awww, okay. If you say so.” He trots off to go pack.

Applesauce slumps in his chair. Starlight moves her hoof to rub his back, cheering him up a little, “Hey, at least we don’t seem to be forgetting you as we speak… I’ll tell you what. I’ll contact you the moment Twilight and Spike get back from their little research trip.”

Windy gets up from the table and starts reshelving a few books, “While you wait, you can start by making new friends with your old friends. I can… uh… re-introduce you to my brother, would you like that?”

“I 'as 'opin' ta know for sure what is with all this. I guess I can start by tryin’ a get my ol’ cape back. In the meantime…” Applesauce digs through his bag again. A few seconds later, he pulls out a blue robe with stars on it. “In the meantime, I can wear this.” Starlight helps him with the sleeves. “Thankya.”

Starlight studies the designs now adorning Applesauce’s golden hide.

Windy spots another interesting title, “Here, this one might prove useful.” She pulls it from beside a rejected book she just reshelved. “It’s a Ponyville census form from…two years ago.”

Starlight takes the book, sets it at her own study desk, and follows Applesauce and Windy to the door, “I’ll see if I can find out more about the missing wizard. If he is your father, I think he’d be more likely than most to remember you. You said your father’s name was Shimmering Dust, right?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

Twilight flies overhead with Spike on her back. She pauses as she opens the door, “Hey, Windy, since you found our new friend here, would you be a nice, responsible pony and take care of him for the time being? Thanks!!” She bolts out the door with Spike holding on for dear life.

Starlight closes the door after her herself, Windy, and Applesauce. “If you need, I’m sure I could find somepony else to watch ‘our new friend here.’”

Applesauce gives Windy big eyes.

The eyes work their magic, "We shall ask my family if that would be alright, particularly my brother. We don't have a guest room, so I assume you'd be sleeping in his room."

Starlight trots alongside Windy and Applesauce, pumping the little one for any information she might find useful in her own research.

***

Applesauce breaks formation as they near Windy’s house.

“Going someplace special?” Windy asks as he trots up to a random porch.

Applesauce tries a door. Locked. “It’s my house.” He peeks in through the small basement window, but it’s too dark to see anything. He runs around to stick his face up to the kitchen window, but it’s boarded up from the inside. “It don’ look like nopony’s home for a while.”

“It looks perfectly fine from back here.” Starlight makes a note of the address.

“Come on, we need to get you home. Mom and Dad aren’t expecting an extra mouth for supper, and we rarely make leftovers.”

***

The front door opens and closes, “Dasher, I’m home!” Windy’s voice echoes through the house. “I have somepony for you to meet.”

Dasher’s wings rustle as he rolls off the couch and onto his hooves. Moments later, Windy’s newfound “friend” comes charging in for a bear-cub hug. A pair of cool blue wings snaps out as Dasher barely dodges the strange, gold and yellow Unicorn. Landing on his hooves again, he whispers to Windy, “Who’s the kid?”

“Dasher, this is Applesauce. I found him wandering out at Sweet Apple Acres. He thinks he lives here in Ponyville and that we all forgot him.” Windy lowers her voice to Dasher’s volume, “He thinks you are one of his best friends.”

Dasher folds his wings and sizes up the little colt who can’t even magic his bags off his back without fumbling the spell. “I don’t know... You know I don’t normally hang with foals.”

Windy backs up and stops whispering, “Humor him, at least for tonight. Our local princess went off to do some study on his case and she asked me to look after him until she gets back.”

Dasher stretches his bad wing and folds it again after shaking out a cramp. “If it’s okay with Mom and Dad, I’m cool with it.” He offers a wing to liberate the tangled foal, “Hey, Champ, what’s your name?”

“Applesauce,” a pair of green eyes looks up at Dasher from under a red-orange mane before the rest of the colt snuggles into the outstretched wing. “I’m Applesauce.”

***

The family of Pegasi studies their new charge at the dinner table as he struggles to accurately lift his food. A few times through the meal, Windy leans over and wipes mashed potatoes and gravy off his face with a napkin. He improves with practice, but is by no means a wizard.

Windy clears the table after dinner. “Dasher Swift!” She catches her brother as he tries sneaking out. “You need to get the inflatable mattress and set it up for Applesauce. He’s sleeping in your room.”

“Aww, come on! O&O night. The Cloudsdale guys are in town.” Dasher makes a show of dragging his primaries on the ground as he complies.

Windy checks the living room where Applesauce is studying a large spellbook from his bags. Judging by one of her father’s molted feathers stumbling around the room, Windy surmises the foal is improving on his levitation spell. “Throw that away when you’re done, OK?”

“Ya, I gotcha.” Applesauce sends the feather to the trash can, but loses containment most of the way there. It drifts down, balances on the edge, then falls outward, coming to rest on the floor beside the can.

“Applesauce!” Windy grouches at the mini magic worker and bends down to take care of the feather properly. Pages rustle as she drops the feather in the can. “You dropped...”

Windy turns to chastise Applesauce, but he already practicing another spell. A point of light at the tip of his adult-sized horn steadily glows brighter as he pours more energy into a light spell. The ball of light stabilizes, and Windy reiterates her request, “Applesauce!” Applesauce’s ball of light suddenly spikes as bright as the sun. Both ponies are instantly blinded by the flash, but most of the afterimages blink away momentarily.

“Applesauce, when you throw something away, try to put it inside the can next time.”

Applesauce finishes rubbing his eyes. “Dad never said anythin’ ‘bout a spell like that one!”

“Let’s not do that one again for a while, at least until you can control your horn better.” Windy scoops his spellbook in a wing and puts it away for now. “Now, go ahead and see Mom for your evening chores.”

“Awww,” Applesauce heads off for chore time.

Chapter 3

The next day starts unremarkably. Starlight comes over in the late morning to summon Windy and Applesauce back to the castle.

A slightly offbeat Twilight answers the door before anyone even knocks. “I think I have a theory on what happened.” A purple magic field teleports the group to their seats at the table in the castle library. “Applesauce, you said you don't remember seeing or hearing anything on your way to the clubhouse, right?”

Applesauce listens intently.

Twilight pulls out the chalkboard to illustrate as she talks, "The best fitting explanation I could find was in a book on old mares’ tales. According to one story, something like this happened long ago. One by one, ponies were disappearing without a trace; nopony knew what was going on until an interdimensional rift became visible. I believe you have traveled through such a rift without even realizing it."

"So, all I gotta do is go backwards along my path and I can go home?"

Spike yawns, "I’m not sure that's how it works. You see, the story continues with a few brave ponies trying to venture into the rift and come back right away,” he pauses for suspense, “…And they were never heard from again!"

"Spike's right.” Twilight puts the chalk down and shrugs off Spike’s dramatics. “You can't just go back to where you were before. Besides, it could've drifted somewhere else by now and we'll never know where until either somepony else disappears or somepony new shows up."

Applesauce visibly slumps, his forelegs stretched out on the table. “Can’t I at least try?”

Starlight comforts Applesauce by holding his hoof, "Hey, at least you’re in another version of Equestria and not some other place.” She pulls out a folder and picks up the old census Windy found yesterday. “I stopped by town hall last night and did a little research on our missing wizard. His name is in fact Shimmering Dust and his description matches your photos. Twilight, do you remember anything else about him?"

“...to Limb- Hmm? Who?” Twilight has already flipped the board over and filled it with more illustrations.

“The local wizard, Shimmering Dust.”

Twilight takes a moment to think. "He was always keeping to himself, so I never spent much time with him. Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing any family living with him."

Starlight passes the census to Twilight, “Here, take a look at this.”

Twilight grabs the census from Starlight and sets it next to another open book on the table. She runs a hoof down columns of names, “Shimmering Dust, Shimmering Dust, Shimmering Dust...”

Spike shoves a pile of books over and climbs them, "What are you looking for, Twilight?"

Twilight turns a page, "I'm trying to see if Applesauce shows up as part of Shimmering Dust’s family." She pages through the book and finds Applesauce's alleged father. "Hmm... Just as I thought. It says Shimmering Dust was neither married nor had any foals to speak of."

"Do Big Mac, Applejack, an’ Applebloom got a big sis? Maybe one who ran away or somethin’? Look for ‘Apple Turnover.’" Applesauce plays with one of the collars on his robe.

Windy pulls the book closer and flips back to the front of the book, much closer to “Apple.”

Twilight looks at Windy’s page under Bright Mac and Buttercup’s foals. "Hmm, Doesn't seem like it. I think Windy is the only pony you know from your Equestria with a counterpart here."

"He certainly seemed to know the Apples," Windy volunteers.

"And the other Crusaders,” Applesauce adds, “B‘sides, the whole lay of town looks the same. In fact I’ve yet to see anypony strange in town."

Twilight’s eyes fill with compassion, "That's the thing about alternate dimensions! There’s always going to be something different, no matter how big or small. In this case, it would seem like the only difference is your mother not existing and, by extension, you and anything your father would have done after he met her. For me, Spike, Starlight, and everypony else, everything seems normal. But, to you, certain things may seem different. I’m so sorry.

"I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia. She might know something about this rift that wasn’t in the royal library. In the meantime, we will take care of you until we get things sorted out."

***

Two days pass from the moment Applesauce arrives in this alternate reality. Some of the other townsponies wonder why Applesauce is wearing the robe of the missing wizard or how he came to Ponyville in the first place. A few even begin to gossip that Applesauce is somehow connected to Shimmering Dust's disappearance.

Back at Windy’s home, any conversations involving personal stories are alarmingly single-sided as Applesauce seems to already know everything there is to know about most of the family. Windy tries to make a game of it by offering him a treat when he can spot ten differences.

***

Dasher enters the bedroom he now has to share with an air mattress and a writing desk the rest of his family picked up from Mr. Davenport’s Quill and Sofa store. Of course they would have a special deal on “quill accessories” yesterday. He sulkily and ashamedly asks his roommate, “Hey Applesauce, want to go play something?”

Applesauce loses his concentration while trying to pick up a fourth bit. The coins fall harmlessly to the floor. “I reckon I could use a break. Wanna go see if we can start a game a water tag or somethin’?”

“Sounds as good as anything.” Applesauce and Dasher run outside to play. Spring Sparrow and Tender Taps join in for an hour or two before they wander off and join a growing crowd of ponies.

The colts gallop up to the wall of bodies. Windy spots them and opens one of her broad, purple wings to provide a small gap.

Royal guards shove the crowd back with their spears as more guards march through the square. Three strong guards come into view pulling a cart with a prisoner’s cage.

“Who is that?” Windy whispers to the closest guard.

One of the guards holding ponies back whispers back to Windy, “Some weird lookin’ creature we found unconscious in the Everfree Forest. We loaded it up and we’re sending it over to Canterlot.”

Windy, Applesauce, and Dasher get a glimpse of the creature as the cage passes. Inside, they see what looks like a huge, deformed Earth Pony laying on the floor, dressed in some odd clothes. The cage passes, and a covered wagon follows behind.

“Why not leave it in the forest? It don’ look as dangerous as one of ‘em timberwolves. ‘Sides, they usually leave us alone!”

The guard ignores the torrent of questions both Applesauce and the other ponies ask, leaving the crowd to speculate as they go their separate ways and the convoy makes its way to the train station.

“That creature spells the end of the world!”

“It was clearly attacked when it went where it didn’t belong.”

“I told you they’re real.”

“I’ll bet ya a thousand bits it’s connected to that one colt wandering town the last two days.”

Applesauce elbows Dasher, “Ya don’t suppose Zecora can get us an ID on that thing, now do ya?”

Dasher shrugs, “Kid, if they thought they could’a, I think they would’a.”

“Dasher,” Windy pulls her brother aside. “Go get Princess Twilight and tell her about all of this. If she hasn’t heard already, I think she’ll want to be there when this… this thing wakes up.”

Dasher fires back a needling look before hopping up above the remaining crowd and flying off.

With Dasher gone, Applesauce focuses his youthful energy on Windy. “I wanna go ask Zecora about this thing. Can ya take me? Please?”

“Not right now. I have an errand or two to run.” Windy spreads her wings high and wide. “Go to my family’s garden. I’ll meet you there.” She pushes a hoof in Applesauce’s direction. “Back up now.”

“Where ya’ goin?”

“To fetch a rain cloud.” Windy waits until she has enough clearance for take off before she thrusts her wings downward. A powerful gust of wind lifts her off the ground, sending a large ring of dust rising up around her.

Applesauce walks back to Windy’s house, practicing his triple levitation techniques along the way.

***

From aloft, the puddle at the bottom of the Ponyville water reservoir looks plenty small, but sufficient to water a garden. Windy angels her wings and dives into a spiral, pulling up just above the water. She gracefully banks, pulling herself into a tight circle. A miniature tornado forms, flinging drops of water into the air above. After about two minutes of precision flight, Windy lifts her nose and glides upwards, out of the reservoir. The dispersal of the tornado creates an updraft, and a newly formed rain cloud rises up along with it. Windy smiles and pushes it home.

As she arrives, Windy spies Applesauce with five pebbles gently circling his head. He puts them down one at a time.

“You’re getting better every day.” Windy positions the cloud over the vegetable garden. “Now we need to pull up all the weeds. Think you can do that with your horn?”

“Oh, sure. I can do that no sweat!” Applesauce wraps a weed tightly around his horn, plants his hooves on either side of the weed, and yanks. A few roots snap, but he gets a lot of the big ones.

“I meant with your magic, Silly.” Windy gently sets the cloud to the side and settles in to observe. “You should probably also take your robe off and leave it inside.”

Applesauce looks up at Windy, “I don' know… It’s kinda like a long hug from Dad until get back home an’ see ‘im again.”

“You wouldn’t want to get your precious heirloom dirty, now would you?”

Applesauce blushes and vanishes in a puff of dust. The sound of little hooves at maximum speed fills the house. The colt reappears sans robe. He tosses a notched bit in the air and stuffs it away.

Windy scans the garden, “I say you should start with… that one,” she points to a small, young weed with the shadow of her wingtip. “Remember, use your magic this time.”

Applesauce’s elongated horn sparks to life as he concentrates on the weed. It starts glowing, and the stem breaks. Applesauce loses control and launches the weed straight into the rain cloud. It falls down again without effect.

“Try again. Same weed; go for the roots this time.”

Applesauce squints as he looks back up at Windy. He holds a hoof up to protect his eyes from the sun. “But I can’t see the roots!”

“So?”

Figuring he might as well humor her, Applesauce tries again. He focuses on the weed, and imagines he’s back home at his basement home study room doing one of Dad’s magic drills. “Reach out… feel the coi-... weed… lift!” With a burst of energy, he launches the dirt from around the roots in all directions. Applesauce and Windy flinch. When they open their eyes, a clean root system is poking its side out of a hole in the ground, still mostly intertwined with other roots dodging in and out from the sides of the hole.

Windy dismounts the cloud and glides down to inspect the hole, weed still inside somehow. “Uh, I think you got the wrong weed.” She lifts the head of the targeted plant with her hoof. “I think this was going to be one of my mom’s flowers.”

Applesauce’s heart almost stops. “A- ah’m s-sorry! Real sorry! Here, I’ll fix it.” His hooves scramble as he starts trying to gather clumps of dirt. “I-I’ll fix it!”

“That’s it. Pack the dirt back in.” As Applesauce starts to backfill the poor, exposed plant, Windy grabs it, bites off the top half, and starts munching.

Applesauce’s jaw drops. “I thought ya said that flower ‘as for your Ma.”

Windy swallows and licks her lips. “Yeah? She always gets the best ones. Don’t worry. There are plenty more if you want one, thought I’d be choosy. This one isn’t quite ripe.”

Applesauce looks around and selects a flower. “Reach out… Feel the roots...” He gingerly untangles each of its roots from the ground as he extracts it.

Windy swallows and nods approvingly. “Much better.” She finishes her snack down to the roots and sets it on the bricks bordering the garden.

Applesauce turns the flower on its side and tries to nibble it, missing it on his first try, but shoving the whole thing in his mouth on his second. He almost chokes. “Chubby Bunny." He bites the roots off, chews, and swallows.

Windy giggles slightly. “OK now. Back to work. You can start with the one you tried before.” She stands up and begins pulling out real weeds with her teeth and setting them in a pile with the flower roots.

By the time the gardening is done, Applesauce has gotten the hang of magically uprooting one weed at a time as long as he’s careful. Eventually, he asks, “Hey, Windy, shouldn’t Dasher be long back from getting Twilight by now?”

Chapter 4

Professor Stone Wall Jay PHD clocks out of the Canterlot Archives for his lunch break. His shiny, gray-green coat always solicites a few looks from the youngsters, but somepony has to correct the gaps in the historical record after being gone for just over a thousand years, which was pretty much everything. As a pony with a magnifying glass Cutie Mark signifying research, he happened to be such a pony as was needed for the job.

Dr. Stone descends the eight steps of the library, and chucks a bit the way of a band of Pegasi playing mariachi.

The twelve o’clock train from Ponyville arrives in the station. He reaches a wrinkled hoof into his vest and pulls out a pocket watch. ‘Right on schedule,’ he thinks to himself. He’s about to turn away when he spots members of the royal guard stepping off the train and making way for a prison convoy. ‘This matter would appear to warrant some time dedicated to additional investigation.’ He meanders into the forming crowd of onlookers, trailing the convoy to the hospital, getting a few good looks along the way. He keeps his ears open for local gossip about this strange creature.

***

James slowly begins to regain consciousness. He tries to open his eyes. Everything is blurry at first, but after blinking a few times, he regains his focus. He leans up and looks at his surroundings. Uncomfortable bed, plain sheets, uninspired wallpaper, uninspired window curtains, sterile smell, heart monitor, IV’s, memory lapse: it’s a hospital room all right. He takes a moment to try to remember what happened before he ended up here.

“Doctor! The strange creature has awakened!” a female voice from behind the only door to the room yells.

James slides to the side of the bed. The door opens and in walks a pair of little horses wearing golden armor.

“What the...? What’s going on?” James yanks out the IV’s and heart monitor they had him hooked up to. He jumps from the bed, wondering what he just got himself into.

The armored steeds rush up to the bed, “Stop right there, Beast!” One of the figures pins James’ right arm with its front hooves.

The first voice calls after the clearly distorted figures, “Is all that really necessary?” A gray, spotted horse enters the room.

“You should probably stand back and let us handle this, nurse.” The other white figure starts pulling James’ legs back onto the bed from the other side.

A blue figure with a doctor’s lab coat and a Unicorn horn growing from its forehead walks in.

James wrestles free of the white figure in time to avoid a set of handcuffs from coming down on his left arm. “What are you trying to do to me? Am I all of a sudden a criminal?”

The Unicorn figure steps a little closer. “Non-sense, Creature. We simply do not know yet what kind of thing you are. I am here to examine you. Unfortunately, these gentlecolts won’t allow me any closer.” A mystic glow surrounds the doctor’s horn and a clipboard and pen shimmer with the same aura. The pen and clipboard begins taking notes and making simple sketches in mid-air.

“Wait… Magic? Sentient Ponies? What kind of crazy world am I in?” James looks back at the IV’s he pulled from his veins, “What kind of meds did you have me on?” He jumps off the bed and surveys his exits. A white object extends out from a guard as he tries to run past.

“STOP HARASSING THE PATIENT AT ONCE BEFORE YOU HURT THE POOR CREATURE!”

James ducks most of the way under the object. He deflects a feathered object from hitting his face.

“He is already restrained. No need to rough him up.” The doctor’s clipboard floats to a table.

“I gotta get out of here!” James makes a run for the empty doorway while the other guard lunges from behind and misses. James slams into a solid wall of air and hears the doctor scoff behind him and continue taking notes.

The gray spotted form stuffs its face in James’ face “Oh dear. That wasn’t supposed to hurt anypony. Quarantine rooms are supposed to be safe.”

James reassess the situation. The field of solid air is glowing with the same sort of mystic energy as the doctor’s unicorn horn and clipboard. “Let...” James does a backflip over one of the guards, “Me...” and gives the doctor a taste of US General Issue surplus boot heel (size 12), “GO!” He makes another break for the door, but slams into the force field again.

Another pony thing in the hall flinches and reaches for its glowing horn as James makes his impact.

“Are you serious?!” James jumps off the force field, onto the bed, and sends a boot the direction of exit plan B.

***

Dr. Stone gathers multiple, conflicting accounts about the creature during his lunch. On his way back to the library, he hears a commotion coming from one room of the first floor of the hospital.

“STOP HARASSING THE PATIENT AT ONCE BEFORE YOU HURT THE POOR CREATURE!”

Dr. Stone's curiosity leads him inside the hospital courtyard and to just outside a window, where he can eavesdrop a little better.

More tussling, then the sound of somepony planting their face into a barrier spell. “Let... Me... Go!” Another magical collision. “Are you serious?!” Whatever creature they are hosting against its will must lack a measure of common sense...

CRASH! A long boot belonging to the creature from earlier shoves its way through the window.

“Wait!” The nurse and everypony else inside rush to the window.

Dr. Stone tackles the upright creature. “Going somewhere?”

“Get off!” the creature chokes out, before punching his elderly assailant.

The punch hits a battle hardened nerve. Dr. Stone coolly ignores it. “My inquiry was not of an excessively difficult nature so as to decline providing a response.”

The concerned nurse inspects the shards of glass still clinging to the window frame, “Is he hurt?”

“Is it dead?” the doctor asks sarcastically, glaring at the tackle and nursing a nasty bruise on his lower cheek.

“All right then,” the creature chokes out, “If you won’t leave me alone...” it then takes another jab at Dr. Stone’s side.

Dr. Stone uses the creature’s inertia against it. He shifts all his weight to the opposing shoulder and dodges the attack, leaving the creature face down in the flower bed. He plants his hooves on the creature’s shoulders so it can’t throw any more punches. “Now listen here, whippersnapper, if we can terminate the pointless violence I believe the two of us can arrive at a mutual understanding. You seem like an intelligent creature. What’s your name?”

“I would love to stay and chat, but I’m not supposed to be here!” As Dr. Stone adjusts his hooves into a more secure pin, the creature takes advantage of the moment and rolls over, getting the elderly stallion onto his back. He punches the gentlecolt a solid one on the dead nerve again before making a break for the courtyard gate.

The two guards from the hospital room fly out the door, “Sound the alarm! The beast is Loose!” Additional guards join the chase from around the city. The one in charge at the hospital checks on Dr. Stone, “Everypony alright?”

“I doubt I would classify the oddity we’ve encountered as dumb beast.” Dr. Stone briefly nurses his side. “Rather it would be more scientifically accurate to categorize it as a frightened creature.”

***

Dasher was going to tell Twilight about the creature, but instead stowed away on the Canterlot train. He shadowed the creature’s parade to the hospital, after which he camped out near a track, checking out the competition for the next track and field day.

After stopping for a bite at a tasty restaurant, Dasher returned to the hospital, where he sees some old Crystal Pony pinning the funny looking creature in the courtyard. Dasher power jumps to the rooftop for a better view. He hears a guard yell, “Sound the alarm! The beast is Loose!”

When Dasher finishes climbing the building, he spots the beast sprinting out the gate and decides to track it. His bad wing starts pestering him for a short break, and he lands, making just enough noise for the creature to turn his head, ‘Oh crud! He knows I’m behind him!’ “Hey you! Whoa!” Dasher trips over a guitar case in the street.

The Pegasus band it belongs to is not amused. The leader points to Dasher’s hoof in going through the top of the empty case. He scowls and holds out an empty hat.

Dasher looks at the fleeing creature and back to the band. He gets a wicked grin, then tosses a twenty bit pouch their way. “There’s another one of those in it for you if you join in on the action.”

***

James makes his break for freedom. He bolts out the gate and sprints down the street. Just when he thought he’d lost them, he hears several sets of hooves approach from behind. A gruff voice calls out, “Hey you!” James keeps running.

Another few moments later, he hears someone play a few chords on a guitar. Maracas and a trumpet follow shortly. They start up a catchy mariachi song about his escape in progress. One with a violin offers James a singing part. James declines

A young voice calls out from behind, “I said, ‘Whoa! Who are you?!’” James sneaks a look, and it’s a little blue pony with wings making double time to catch up with him. “Oh, sweet Celestia, STOP!”

James looks forward again. Four white guard ponies are charging to intercept him.

“Oh great...” James ducks down a street to the left as he nears the guards. They and the annoying boy both make the turn, but the kid uses his wings to keep his balance. “I got to shake these guys...”

The next block is all downhill. A few ponies selling fresh produce line the sidewalks. James knocks a turnip cart over to slow down the pursuit. It cascades into the nest few carts as he runs past. A particularly angry merchant calls out, “My Cabbages!” as James struggles to keep ahead of the tidal wave of wood and produce behind him.

The kid just makes a jump and flies over the debris while a guard shoves a thin spot to the side and holds it as the others pass.

The little, blue Pegasus catches most of the way up, “Take a right unless you can fly!”

James spots another group of guards ahead but makes a left instead. “These guys don’t give up easily, do they?”

“No, sir, we don’t.” It’s the pony who tried holding him down, now keeping pace with him.

James gets distracted focusing on the grandpa pony running by his left when one of the band members hits a sour note.

“Watch your step!” the old pony warns him as he runs off the edge of a very tall cliff. The little, blue pony jumps off the cliff, swoops under James, and spreads his wings as one of the band members grabs James’ arms.

“Halt! In the name of Celestia!” The Pegasus guards fly out to James’ rescuers.

James kicks between the Pegasi holding him up. The younger one below grabs his flailing legs, “No fuss, guys. Look, we caught it for you.”

James gives up struggling when he sees just how far up he is. “I would seriously hurt you guys right now, if you weren’t holding me up,” he mumbles.

The undersized steed below James retorts, “Dude, you were about to die.”

James’ captors turn him over to the guards as the band finishes their song. They cuff him and fly along the cliff toward a building with a series of tall spires.

***

Luna is tending the throne room, her wings on display as her sister finishes up a letter in the study when the herald announces their human guest. They escort him inside, but he’s wearing a set of cuffs and a gag.

“Princess Luna, this… thing… was causing trouble in Canterlot. However, we were able to stop it before it caused any more damage.”

The human gets angry and starts ranting into his gag when called a ‘thing.’

Luna waits out the human’s outburst and tells the guards, “When he is capable of speaking intelligently, you may remove his gag.”

“As you wish, Princess.”

Celestia finishes her letter and joins her sister on the dais. She whispers to Luna, “She’s on her way.”

After another minute of ranting from the human, the guards remove his gag. He takes a pent up breath and starts over, “First of all, I don’t even know how I got here. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Watch your tone in front of the Princesses!” a guard snaps.

“Peace. Let this creature speak.” Celestia returns her gaze to the human, “I promise we will do everything we reasonably can to help you. All we ask is for a little cooperation. What do you call yourself?”

The human draws a deep breath before speaking, “My name is James… James Thatcher… and I’m not from… whatever this place is called.”

Luna smiles at him, “You have arrived in the land of Equestria.”

“Equestria…? Never heard of a place with a name like that. At least where I’m from. And who are you supposed to be?”

“I am Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna,” Celestia motions with her wing. “We are the rulers of Equestria, but I have summoned one who may be able to help you better than us.”

“And who might that be?”

“Her name is Twilight Sparkle. She will be further assisting you in learning how you came here. In the meantime, would you care for a proper tour of Canterlot?” Celestia smiles playfully, “So long as you promise not to cause any more disturbances.”

“Sure, why not? I’m usually not as violent as I was before, but I was only acting out of self-defense. By the way, where did you take my stuff?”

Celestia looks to the guards.

“The creatu-er-James Thatcher’s belongings are in the city.”

“Well… at least you put them somewhere.” James motions to one of his guards and holds up his cuffed hands. “Hey, would you mind?”

Luna looks calls one of the gray Unicorn guards on her left. “Pointy End, release our guest, if you will.” Pointy End releases the binding spell on James’ cuffs.

James shakes the feeling off his wrists. “Now what?”

Celestia picks another guard, seemingly at random. “Hoofbeat, would you mind finding a local to show our guest around town?”

Hoofbeat salutes, “Right away, Princess!” He departs with grace to locate a suitable tour guide.

“One more thing before I leave. Would you mind telling the ‘Goon Squad’ to calm down? They seemed to get a little jumpy when I’m around.”

“Most of them have only heard tales of your kind in myths, legends, and rumors.” Celestia closes her eyes and bows her head, “Sadly, not all of them are pleasant ones.”

“Well… whatever you heard, I’m not like that. I just don’t want like 50 guards tackling me at once just because I said, ‘Hi,’ to someone.”

Hoofbeat returns, “Your Highnesses, I found a pony knowledgeable in the local history on a block by block basis.”

Professor Stone reports to the throne room after Hoofbeat finishes announcing him, “Your Highnesses, I am much obliged to answer thy summons as a knowledgeable tour guide for the man-creature, James Thatcher.”

“Thank you, Professor Stone. Twilight should be here soon, and I wish to brief her on everything we know so far. It shouldn’t take long,” Celestia dismisses the guests to their tour.

James spins around to see Doctor Stone. “Oh no… Not you again,” he mumbles to himself.

***

Dr. Stone returns to the archives when his lunch break is concluded. After clocking in at one o’clock in the afternoon, he gets straight to work on the writing one last article for his next subject encyclopedia on the Crystal Empire.

Flag of the Crystal Empire

The flag of the Crystal Empire is the official flag of the Crystal Empire. It consists of a purple background with a white foreground. A six-pointed snowflake circumscribed by a circle occupy the middle with three wisps of wind reflected to either side. The largest wisps branch into three outward facing spirals, and the very bottom branches into a small pair of spirals facing away from each other. The small wisps up top resembles a flower budding with another spiral. The wisps at the bott-

Dr. Stone’s last quill snaps. He checks the clock on the wall. Out comes a pocket knife and some tape from the vest. Two broken quills and a chopstick spring from the trash. Dr. Stone takes a moment to think. One broken quill is snapped at the tip, but the other is partially bitten through. Knife slices along rachis on bitten quill. Feather wraps along chopstick. Knife trims barbs in a couple places. Tape holds everything in place.

Dr. Stone puts his tools away and sweeps the waste back into the trash bin. He quickly finishes his article and files it with the others.

“Heading home early, Professor?” Dr. Stone’s aid, Valley Stardrop, asks as he stuffs his manuscript away.

“Fear not, Miss Stardrop, I solely intend to submit a draft for Reference Section Office at the castle and return for evaluating my pupils’ latest test scores when I return. See to it that we acquire a resupply of quills, if you will.” Dr. Stone bids the Unicorn adeu and leaves.

The castle isn’t far, and the old mare at the Reference Office is cheerful as always.

Hoofbeat, one of the guards and a fun Backgammon opponent, gallops up. “Dr. Stone! Just the pony we need. Celestia wants somepony with your talents in the throne room at once.” On the way, he briefs Dr. Stone about James Thatcher, the man-creature from the hospital and street chase, and how he needs a proper city tour.

They arrive and Hoofbeat announces Dr. Stone to the princesses.

Dr. Stone enters the throne room and bows his head, “Your Highnesses, I am much obliged to answer thy summons as a knowledgeable tour guide for the man-creature, James Thatcher.”

“Thank you, Professor Stone. Twilight should be here soon, and I wish to brief her on everything we know so far. It shouldn’t take long,” the Sun Princess dismisses Dr. Stone and the man-creature.

James Thatcher spins around to see the main antagonist of his escape attempt from earlier. “Oh no… Not you again,” he mumbles to himself.

“Pardon me for attempting to prevent you from further injuring yourself, but in the event you are that desperate for an alternate tour guide, I am certain one can be procured.”

“Injuring myself?! You’re the one that pinned me to the ground when I was trying to get away from the hospital!”

“...and I did it with the utmost of care. If I had not prioritized your safety above restraining you, I can assure you I would have deduced a method to immobilize you on the hospital lawn.” Dr. Stone almost laughs at the thought.

James Thatcher crosses his arms, “I wasn’t planning on staying as that doctor’s science project.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. Professor Stone W. Jay PHD of the Crystal Archives, currently on loan to the Royal Canterlot Archives and part time professor at Canterlot University, at your service.”

James takes a deep, self-soothing breath, “You can just call me James.”

“Well then, James, shall we be off?”

“After you.”

James and Dr. Stone leave the palace and head back into town. After a quick trip to the archives to clear the professor’s afternoon, they visit several historical sites, including one still under repair from the Changeling attack taking place just before the Crystal Empire’s return.

“Now, being a stallion of the scholarly persuasion, I would be interested in hearing about what the world you come from is like.”

“My head’s still a little wishy washy from whatever pony medicine your doctors used on me,” James rubs an eyebrow. “At first I thought I was hallucinating everything. Maybe I still am. But it’s looking less likely with every historic statue and animal shelter you point out, each with its own history. Anyway, here goes. First off, I can tell you that there are some things here that are pretty much the same back home.” He stares up at a few Pegasi taking flight from a cloud, “On second thought, I’m an open book. Ask me whatever you want!”

Dr. Stone interviews James on everything between the humans’ singular race and their reduced assortment of coat colors. They’re starting their second lap through the city when Twilight lands beside Dr. Stone. “Good afternoon, Professor! Have you been taking care of our friend here?”

Dr. Stone nods in respect of royalty. “Of course. The two of us are presently on an expedition of the urban wilderness of Canterlot while comparing and contrasting our respective lands and customs.”

A little Unicorn filly gallops past with her puppy. James stares for a moment, “You’d be surprised that there are a few things in common between such different places.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like the both of you to accompany me on the train back to Ponyville.” Twilight walks around to address James specifically, “I think I have an idea of how you got here. I’ve already arranged for your stuff to be returned once we’re underway.” She smiles, “Now let’s get out of here.”

As make their way to the train station, the young Pegasus colt from the street chase trots up and bows before Twilight. “Dasher? What are you doing in Canterlot?”

“Princess, my sister sends you a message from Ponyville.” He stands up smugly, with an impish grin on his face, “There was a convoy from the Everfree Forest this morning bearing some sort of beast to be taken to Princess Celestia here in Canterlot. You will likely be needed there post-haste.” He snickers a little. “I’d best be returning myself.”

Dasher turns tail. Twilight, Dr. Stone, and James stare at him as if he’s missed something. “I believe, my boy, that your message is out of date. Perhaps you could be a bit more punctual than the postal service in the future?”

Twilight buys tickets for three adults and one foal for the train leaving in half an hour. A guard returns James’ possessions. James digs through his saddlebag and dons a cap.

Dr. Stone recognizes a couple of James’ fancy sticks as miniaturized cannons: a short, hoof sized one he tucks into a pouch on his belt, and a longer one slung across his back. Dr. Stone doesn’t say anything, but he does keep an eye open in case James decides to try anything funny.

The group boards the train. Dr. Stone finds a couch next to James. “I do believe we have so far failed to cover the mechanics of magic in your world.”

James chuckles, “Magic? In my world? There is no such thing where I come from. That kind of stuff is usually only known in old fairy tales and stories.”

Doctor Stone sputters in disbelief, “B-but without magic, how does one expect to work the fields or change the seasons?”

“Humans don’t have the ability to control the weather. Instead, we’ve created all kinds of tools, chemicals, and machines to help us do things that seem almost impossible. And it’s not like there aren’t some people trying to control the weather, but they intend to use it as a weapon more than anything else.”

“Does your world possess a cycle of day and night?”

“Yeah. 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Dr. Stone settles into his seat. “Case and point!”

James shifts the topic of conversation, “Speaking of technology, I find it kind of weird how you guys have steam-powered trains, yet the Royal Guard still wears plate armor.”

“It’s quite simple, really. While the overall shape and composition of armor has had minor improvements over the centuries depending on time, place, and race; the real progress has been in the underlying magic.”

“In other words, it all comes back to magic. Let’s say someone comes out with a new sword to cut through your armor like butter. You just put an enchantment to counter that? That almost sounds too easy!”

Dr. Stone continues into a huge explanation how there’s a huge web of possible military enchantments and counter-enchantments for weapons, armor, and other artifacts, but the fancy stuff is mostly reserved for specialized units.

James tries his best to make sense of the whole lecture. “I guess I can see where you’re coming from. I should know, because I write stories for a living.”

Twilight perks up. She turns around and peeks over the divider from her alcove with Dasher, “You do?”

“Yes, I do. I even published a couple of my stories back home. Some of the time I spend writing a story involves researching other stories people have written, or I try to research other topics that I may not be familiar with at first. There are even times where I actually go do something just to get an idea of how I want to write it.”

Dr. Stone remarks, “I would hope that you are cultivating an ample repertoire of experiences to draw upon for penning your next story upon your return home.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think anyone is going to believe me if I write about everything that’s happened so far and publish it as ‘non-fiction.’”

“You don’t always have to write everything down as non-fiction.” Twilight puts her front hooves on the divider, “I happen to know an author who publishes her real-life adventures as works of fiction after she changes a few details here and there. I’d be happy to share my collection of her stories with you when we get back to Ponyville!” She grins awkwardly and adds, “As well as the rest of my library, of course. I have books on pretty much anything.” She looks down and sighs, “You do have a point though: if your world is as different as you say it is, I doubt I could publish my travels as non-fiction if it were me visiting your world.”

Dasher squirms in his bench. “Are we therrrre yet? I. Don’t. Think. I. Can. Take. Another. Storrrry!” he kicks the bench with every word and beats his wings uselessly afterward.

Twilight turns back to Dasher, “Sorry, bud, but I think we’re only about halfway back.”

James and Dr. Stone resume their conversation, “My present work in the Canterlot Archives consists of refreshing the stale information from the earliest century of our nation. You would not believe the historical value one acquires when your city-State takes a millennium long nap.”

James opens his eyes a little wider, “A whole millennium?! Wow! You’ll have to tell me more about that sometime.”

Dr. Stone stoically looks out the window, “We possess a sufficient measure of time to review the material at this present moment.” He proceeds, despite Dasher’s protests.

“The political history of the Crystal Empire is sufficiently dense as to occupy multiple encyclopedias. The figure of importance today is the evil tyrant, King Sombra. Under his rule, each pony in the Crystal Empire was forced to behold his or her greatest fear as Sombra enslaved their bodies. I detected the political climate souring prior to his coup, and as such, I assembled a resistance cell. Upon his defeat at the hooves of the Royal Sisters, Sombra released a curse on the land as he was sealed away. My vanishingly small resistance cell only ever tampered with his plans of intrusion into the surrounding lands. We were pulled forward in time along with the curse.

“When we woke up, King Sombra was gone, and a weakened Alicorn by the name of Princess Cadence was arresting his fast return. I personally was not present, but according to multiple first-hoof accounts, were it not for Spike the Brave and Glorious and his friends, including Princess Twilight here,” Dr. Stone gets an eye roll out of Twilight, “the good magic from the Crystal Heart would surely have faded in influence, and King Sombra would likely begin systematically enslaving the remainder of Equestria.”

James pulls out a rigid, cylindrical quill and scratches a few things down on a notepad without first dipping it in an accompanying ink well. Dr. Stone makes a mental note.

Dasher un-zombifies himself as the train rounds the last bend before the Ponyville station. The train slows to a full stop and he is one of the first ponies off.

On the platform, Twilight turns back to James and Dr. Stone. “Whenever you get the chance, I’d like you to come visit me in my castle. Does 5:00 work for you?”

“It’s not like I have any other plans,” James shrugs.

Twilight takes flight and hovers, “In the meantime, do whatever you want, as long as you don’t cause any trouble.”

“Noted.”

Dr. Stone follows James off the train platform. “Of course. I will ensure our new friend is not an instrument of your adoptive hometown’s destruction.”

Twilight flies off in the direction of her castle.

Author's Note

Doctor Stone was originally played my me.

James Thatcher was originally played by the GM, Commander Stryker.

Chapter 6

Applesauce and James exit the cafe. The streets are teeming with ponies wandering toward the town square.

Windy’s hoof reaches out and blocks Applesauce before he wanders into the street. “And just where do you think you’re heading off to?”

“I wanna see what’s goin’ on.”

“You may stay with me.”

The old pony gets up from the table. “It is my belief there will be significant culture to be had at the town square momentarily.” He and James bid goodbye and merge into onto the street.

Applesauce paces. As Windy savors the last of her shake; his tail starts twitching sporadically. Anticipation doubles with each coin Windy counts. Twenty bits leave him dancing on hooftips.

Windy gets up to a foal-shaped dust cloud. "Applesauce!" she summons her charge back from the crowded street. “We’re only going as fast as our slowest member.” She nods for Dasher to get a move on.

The sky grows darker the closer they get to the town square. Ponies crowd in tightly making movement difficult. Dasher flutters above the crowd to get a better view while Applesauce ducks his head to see between the legs. Both colts spot some sort of wibbly wobbly glowy stuff everypony is gathering around.

Applesauce stands back up. “Ya don’t recon’ it’s my rift back home, do ya, Windy?”

Windy’s large, purple wing wraps around Applesauce’s body and scoops him up. “I don’t know what it is,” She whispers, “I think: if it was your portal, you would have noticed it the first time.”

“Sweet Celestia! What is that thing?” Dasher retches shoves both hooves to his mouth.

Applesauce struggles in Windy’s iron grip. “C’mon, lemme see! Lemme see!”

A scream rolls out across the crowd and Ponies start running away frantically. Applesauce squirms some more, poking his head free.

Somepony starts setting off firecrackers or something. Pow! Pow, pow, pow! Weeks of drills with Dad flash into instant recall: a redish-orange haze obscures the outside world. THUD! A dark outline slides to the ground.

Applesauce loses his concentration as Windy jumps up. He lands on her back and holds on for dear life. “My shield!” he moans.

“Shields and flight don’t mix anyway.” Windy banks to avoid a building at high speed.

Applesauce tries his luck anyway. No use. “We gotta warn my family! Fly ta the Apple Farm!”

Windy tenses with each explosion. “No. You are getting on the next train no matter where it’s going. I’ll catch up with you later once our families are safe.” She lands at the station and sits down, unloading Applesauce before getting up and flying back toward town.

***

James and Dr. Stone push their way through the crowd for a closer look. They reach the front, where a patrol of Royal guards holds everyone back with their spears. Two guards are setting up a line of yellow tape, marking off the area. A large sphere four feet across baths the onlookers in a calming, white light. The surface shimmers like water in a fountain.

One guard salutes his commanding sergeant and marches over to the sphere. He reaches a spear out as far as he can and barely pokes the tip in an inch. Nodding back to his sergeant, he probes deeper.

The guards finish setting up the yellow tape, dismissing the last Pegasus holding back the crowd. He falls out and marches to the makeshift outpost.

The first guard tenses, bracing his legs and bearing down on the butt of his spear. A sudden jerk pulls him off balance. The other privates come running. Hooves flail and armor scrapes as the spear tugs its prize along the uneven ground.

The guards reach their friend in time to grab at a vanishing tail. It slips through their hooves and disappears with a ripple. The sergeant drops his clipboard, “Would somepony care to brief me on—”

The crowd lets out a collective gasp when something pops back out. It looks like the guard from before, but his coat and armor are now gray and hopeless.

The sergeant orders his units to back off. He approaches his monochrome comrade. “Are you okay, Private Rice Ball?”

Rice Ball responds by silently probing his sergeant’s soul in with a hollow pair of eyes as more dark, discolored ponies emerge from the portal and fall in behind him. He drops his spear and backs into the amassing horde. They charge.

The air alights with stomping hooves and ponies’ screams as they flee. More dark ponies jump from the portal and join the sloppy formation, trampling anything else in sight.

James throws a lever on his portable cannon. Click-click. “Everyone! RUN!” Bracing it against his shoulder, James levels it at the dark ponies. Bang!

A line of enemy soldiers topples, tripping a few other dark ponies as the bodies disappear into a smoky mist. Their number is replenished by more dark ponies from the portal.

James aims his cannon again without reloading. Bang! Bang! Bang! Each shot is as deadly as the first.

The dark invasion clashes with the royal guards, losing inches of ground to them despite the constant reinforcements billowing from the rift. The area around the front line grows dark and hazy as clouds above thicken and invaders below fall. Guards start coughing, and a new wave of specters shoves its way through the portal.

Bang! Bang! Click. James pulls a box from the bottom of his cannon and drops it. Grabbing another one from his backpack, he notices a tidy pile of tiny, metal tubes on the ground. One eyebrow raises as he aligns the replacement and taps it firmly with the frog of his hand. Click! Click-click. Bang! Bang!

Dr. Stone takes a moment to think. A seemingly infinite army is invading from a choke point. The thickening cloud polluting the battlefield is choking the defenders. An expanding front line is projected to overtake the town in the coming minutes: safe evacuation is impossible.

General Stone singles out the most level-headed civilians and starts issuing orders. “You there, get your hooves on anything you can use as shields and hold a front line. You Pegasi over there, locate the injured and extract them to a safe location, then return.”

As if on cue, a large blast of magic explodes near the portal, vaporizing the dark ponies in the immediate vicinity. Princess Twilight and her Wonderbolt friend fly through the cloud of debris.

Windy Light, the Pegasus mare from the cafe, joins their formation. She shouts, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Get all the foals out of here while you still can!” The princess yells back.

***

Applesauce locates a pitchfork and starts drilling while waiting for the next train. After a minute, he tries a shield spell. Unreliable. He scavenges around a little and settles for a good, solid shovel to keep ready for a broadside attack.

Several Pegasi fly in, delivering the town’s colts and fillies. Fluttershy arrives with her animal friends; all have similar instructions to board the next available train no matter where it goes.

Windy and Dasher return carrying the other Crusaders. As soon as Dasher deposits Sweetie Belle on the train platform, Applesauce grabs his bad wing.

“Hey! Not now, kid. Windy’s making me help with the evacuation.”

“But ya gotta get my saddlebags. They’s in our room.”

“Just replace your stuff later.” Dasher frees his wing and crouches for take off.

“NO!” Applesauce blinks in front of Dasher and contains him with a shield. “These things came from home, an’ I won’ go withou’ ‘em!”

“Let me go. Please! They’ll probably just make you throw it off anyway wherever you’re going.”

“I need my special spellbook an’ my journal! They’s real special gifts from my folks, an’ I don’ know when I’ll see ‘em again!”

Dasher cringes as the shield trapping him twists and warps. “OK, fine! I’ll get your stupid bags.” The shield collapses and Dasher speeds off.

Applesauce returns to his shield skills as more terrified foals arrive. An uneven magic field forms. More of Dad’s odd lessons come to mind. The field bends, wobbles, flattens, and finally hardens into a small, maneuverable shield. It’s a bit small, but the book is on the way.

Another round of foals crowds the train platform. Personal space is limited. Groups of friends huddle with each other for comfort.

Applesauce dismisses his shield and saunters over to the other Crusaders’ huddle. “Look, I know we ain't gettin' off on the right hoof. But I promise” —he slashes a hoof across his chest and cups an eye— “ta do everythin’ in my growin’ power ta keep us all safe.” He tries his best at a reassuring smile.

Scootaloo is a trembling mess like the others, but she musters an answer. “Yeah, well, um… How about we talk about that later?”

“Ya think I ain’t scared too?” Applesauce snaps back, “My one shot at gettin’ home opens, an’ now Ah’m bein’ carted off like a bushel a’ last week’s rottin’ apple cores!” He stomps hard, smashing a hoof elbow deep in the train platform.

Applesauce struggles with the stuck limb until he notices the other foals shrinking back. His eyes grow wide, and he collapses on the platform. Tears burn down the sides of his muzzle. “I’m sorry for yellin’. I didn' mean it, honest! Y’all ain’t still mad at me are ya?”

The girls look at one another. Apple Bloom swallows hard. “How ‘bout we sit together on the train an’ talk about it there?”

Dasher lands with Applesauce’s saddlebags as the train pulls in. “Seriously?” A well placed buck busts Applesauce’s leg free.

Windy deposits another pair of foals. “Everyone here, get on the train; rides are free by order of Princess Twilight!” She helps the conductor cram everypony and every creature on board. “That includes you, Dasher Swift!” She’s already speeding back to town as the doors close.

The train lurches, and the platform starts sliding right.

The cabin is packed. Foals are crammed four to six in a seat. Free space is just as scarce on the floors. The other Crusaders have a bench claimed for themselves. Apple Bloom leans past Scootaloo. "Hey Applesauce, ya mind fillin' in our bench so nopony else tries squeezin’ up here with us?"

Scootaloo grumbles, climbing over the other girls as they help Applesauce with his bags. She opens the window for some air. “Hey, what’s going on out there?”

“How’d I know?” Apple Bloom shrugs.

The four faces don’t get a good look as Ponyville rolls out of sight. Applesauce holds up his spellbook and tries a smile. “Hey, Sweetie Belle, ya wanna study somethin’ with me? Learnin’s always easier when ya got a friend.”

“Su—” Sweetie Belle starts to say before a cough from behind undercuts the spark in her eyes. “Err—” She looks between Scootaloo and the Apple foals and eventually lays down. “Maybe later.”

Applesauce drops his ears again and opens his spellbook to shields.

Thunder rolls across the valley. Foals all around the cabin huddle each other and the bear for comfort. One familiar set of hooves presses through Applesauce's robe. He pulls out his notched bit from his last levitation lesson with Dad and holds it close. Study time can wait. Family’s more important.

***

A dark haze veils the battered town square. Any remaining able-bodied adults grab an array of kitchen knives, garden tools, and assorted sports gear and fight alongside the guards commanded by General Stone. Despite their combined effort, constant enemy reinforcements keep driving the front line away from the portal.

James ducks into General Stone’s cover to reload, “We need to figure out how we’re gonna close that thing! Otherwise, we’ll lose the town!”

“I’m already working on it,” Dr. Stone fires back, “but I seem to be at a loss for materials to work with at the moment… There!” He points skyward.

High above the battle, Windy is flying in a large circle. Her behavior attracts the attention of the local Wonderbolt. "Whirlpool!" —Windy strains herself to cry out over the battle noise— "We can suck them back into the portal!" Both figures work together to form a vortex.

Dr. Stone pulls out a notepad and records some observations. Pen scribbles down some quick maths before he shouts his conclusion to James over his cannon fire. “If we get all the Pegasi enhancing the tornado, it should be possible to contain the mutants within the rift and seal it.”

James shoots a stray figure as it pounces at a local militia member, “That’s great, Doc, but what do I do? I can’t fly!”

“Spread the word! But remember: focus the vortex INTO the portal, not up into the sky!”

“Sure thing, Doc.” James darts out from the cover.

Dr. Stone checks his work. “By my estimation, we ought to produce no less than 1500 wing power before we can effectively repel and contain the invaders.”

“Are you nuts!?” A pink mare pokes her head out from a nearby tussle. “We tried to break the wing power record like, a couple years ago and we hardly had enough Pegasi for a thousand” —she ducks back in and jumps out from behind a hedge— “and that was before we had some of them bug out on sick leave. THE PAPER DOESN’T LIE! Except when it does.” Private Balloons smiles and shoves herself into a blue and pink cannon. She salutes, then fires herself back into the fray.

“But,” Dr. Stone mutters to himself, “the average town this size should have…” He counts off the Pegasi from a random group of about twenty five. Five sets of wings turn up out of an expected eight. Notepad whips back out and axioms adjust. A cascade of revised extrapolations reduce to a trickle. Dr. Stone pails at the result. “No way will we have enough!” he whispers. “Checkmate in seven.”

“Pardon us, Man—” another Earth Pony vies for Dr. Stone’s attention “—but me ‘n’ Walter here were wondering if we could help out in some way without getting in none too close.”

“It cannot be done!” Dr. Stone flips a new page and profiles another fifteen ponies, eyes darting to each one’s head or shoulders and pen scribbling down race. Data crunches into hastily graphed charts. Dr. Stone starts at the same, unfavorable ratio cursing his pad. “There truly are insufficient fliers to generate the required wind strength!”

The civilian and his friend casually slide their bags to the ground. “I don’t know, Man, but here in Ponyville, we have a little tradition called the Running of the Leaves. With so many Earth Ponies in our small town, it’s the only way to make a strong enough breeze to clear the stubborn leaves from some local wood I forget the name of come the end of autumn.” He pulls out a brown paper sack and holds it out. “We’ve never taken part ourselves, but there’s always a first time for everything.”

Dr. Stone grabs the civilian by his shoulders and shakes him back and forth a few times. “Checkmate in six! If left unattended, Equestria will be overrun by these mindless monsters in a matter of days! And only Celestia knows what their intenti—” Dr. Stone goes hoarse and a series of violent coughs seize Dr. Stone’s frame. He hacks up some mucus and blows his nose. When he finally regains his composure, he notices the civilian’s paper bag on the ground. “That won’t be necessary, but the gesture is appreciated.” He coughs one last time.

“Your concept is fundamentally flawed, but the action…” General Stone scans the combat zone again. “Ground-level ventilation. Yes, I suppose that could work, if only—” Dr. Stone grabs his notes on the battle and yanks them out as confetti. Fresh calculations roll across the new page, this time accounting for the curved space-time geometries surrounding the portal. The pen and notebook get stuffed away. “It may be a long shot, but I suppose it might work.”

“We’re all ears here, Man. Just tell us what you need and we’ll do it.”

General Stone clears his voice, “Gentlecolts, I hereby conscript you two as acting Lieutenants in the royal army of the Crystal Empire. Effective from now until the situation is resolved. All combat trained units are to gallop around the perimeter of the front line. Civilian Earth Ponies are to encircle their formation. Pegasi are to take part in focusing the vortex into the rift. Finally, instruct all Unicorns to gather at this position. One more thing: avoid afflicting additional enemy casualties if possible.”

Lightning streaks across the sky as the Lieutenants vanish into the crowd. One by one, Pegasi organize around the funnel above the rift. The advancing army’s progress grinds to a halt against the wall stampeding guards and trained militia backed by everyday townsfolk.

The Pegasus vortex penetrates the clouds and carries a fresh breeze to ground level, dispersing the smoky mist and letting the galloping masses breath easily again. The wind tosses aside most incoming reinforcements, but the stronger, more hulky units still muscle their way out.

General Stone whistles a sharp note to a Pegasus about to take off. “It is imperative I acquire the magical services of Princess Twilight. See to it she reports to me at once!”

The mare salutes with the wrong hoof. “Yes, sir!”

Dr. Stone spits on his hoof and holds it up. Air blows past, cooling the moist spots.

A couple hundred Unicorns filter out from the crowd. General Stone has one enhance his voice. “The Pegasi are doing what they can, but by my estimation, their efforts are only producing half the wing power required before we can stop this invasion.” He lets the Unicorns process the information as the last few arrive. “Who here possesses the greatest magical potential?”

A moment of disorientation, then hooves point inward, singling out a purple mare trying to back away from the attention. It takes some prodding, but she eventually comes forward.

“Who can cast a shield at a distance?” Only about ten ponies raise their hooves. Pen scratches in some more equations. “That should be sufficient. I need you ten cast a linked shield spell as close to the event horizon as possible.”

“Can you honestly be serious?” Private Diamonds objects. “I may not know much about magic, but I’ve certainly got a keen sense for when there won’t be enough power to hold back something like — like these hideous abominations.”

“It’s the same reason the Pegasi are as effective despite only generating 700 wing power on their own. See, the rift is inducing a time dilation field. By taking advantage of the temporal gradient, you can double or even triple your effect—”

“You know what? Save it for later! I’ll explain it to her.” Private Glimmer interjects before Dr. Stone gets to any actual math. “Let’s just say I’m familiar with the subject and leave it at that.” She pushes free of the crowd. “Save Ponyville, then we can talk postgraduate physics when it’s safe.”

General Stone booms out his next order, “I need all remaining Unicorns to lend their magic to this mare on the signal.”

“Wait, What?” Private Glimmer shuffles back, glancing between the general and the tornado. “What is it you need me to do involving that much magic?”

“The plan is to weaponize the Pegasus vortex further.” Dr. Stone flips back a few pages and shows her a diagram.

Private Glimmer takes the notebook and looks over the other notes. “I see.” She gulps. “OK, everypony,” —she faces the vortex and projects her voice— “here’s how it’s going to work:...”

The Ponyville Unicorns form a semicircle under Private Glimmer’s directions. Dr. Stone pulls out his pocket watch, waiting as the second hand ticks toward the top, “Once the shields go up we will have five minutes of safe air to clear the area. Ready, NOW!”

A wall of solid magic severs enemy supply lines. Private Glimmer reviews the notes one last time and shapes her magic into a thin spiral above the vortex. It twists and turns before the free end swings around close. One by one, each Unicorn offers Private Glimmer a colored beam of magic; each beam is channeled along her body, through her horn, and woven around the spiral.

“A little higher,” General Stone warns. “As the spell completes, the diverted suction strength will only grow.”

The last thread glides into place. Dr. Stone spits on his hoof again. “The focus wing power is a minutia low. Constrict the radius by a factor of one sixth.” He looks at his pocket watch again and booms, “Four minutes!”

A purple figure lands in General Stone's peripheral vision. “Okay, I’m here whenever you need me, Doctor!”

“Stand by, Princess.” General Stone tests the wind speed again. “Full wing power achieved. Vacuum at will!”

The ethereal snake retracts past the charging civilians and hovers over a cluster of dark ponies. The first one loses its grip and flies up, around the tunnel, down the vortex and off into the rift.

Several Pegasi scream and break formation. “Remain at your posts!” General Stone thunders, “The future of Equestria may hang on this very hour!” Most of them return.

Private Glimmer sucks up more dark ponies, sending them tumbling along their way.

“James,” General Stone calls, “focus your cannon on the dark ponies outside the front line.”

“Does this thing look like a cannon to you?” James loads another multi-shot package into the bottom.

“Yes.”

“Whatever, Doc.”

Dark ponies are removed from the battle by the dozen, but the remaining enemies eventually catch on. They begin focusing their efforts on a single point on the battle perimeter.

General Stone has the containment rings contract, herding the dark ponies like sheep. “One Minute. We can do it— Quickly, Private! Break the flow!” His eyes helplessly watch as a guard disappears alongside countless legitimate targets.

“Keep it going, Starlight; I’m on it!” The princess leaps into the air. She strains against turbulent winds before charging through the tornado, snagging the single white spot in her magic as it’s about to be blown into the clutches of the rift.

General Stone scowls at Twilight as she returns with the startled guard. “Princess, your reckless rescue attempt, had it failed, would have doomed your home. — Guards! Wing power has dropped by three percent. All fliers must report to the primary twister. Get that strength back up!”

“It’s not like I have anything else to do right now.” Twilight gets ready to take off again.

“We require your fully focused magical abilities to seal the rift.”

“I think I know just the spell!” Twilight starts charging her horn and stands at the ready, “Ready when you are, Sir.”

“What? Oh, the right one is in my notebook— Private?”

“How much longer?” Private Glimmer’s horn sparks as she tries to pass the notebook. The outer pages catch fire.

Twilight takes the notes and stamps them out. “They’re unreadable! I’m just going to have to use mine.”

General Stone grimaces. “Just seal it as best you can and we’ll fix it later.”

The last groups of the dark ponies are swept away as the pocket watch advances past the five minute mark. “NOW, Princess!” General Stone barks.

Twilight looses all she has into a powerful beam of magic. The spell hits the shield wall, energizing it before covering it in a solid, lavender crystal. The rift twists and shrivels within its prison, slowly fading to a thread of light.

Private Glimmer dismantles the magic battle hose, letting the Pegasi know it’s safe to exit their vortex. A new fresh wind pushes back the thick, smoky mist as Guards clean up any straggling enemies rummaging about among the Earth Ponies breaking off from the confinement rings.

General Stone tends to his miracle workers, “Good work, everypony, Princess, Private Glimmer.” Dr. Stone helps them to what’s left of a small lawn. “Might I inquire your actual name?”

“Starlight,” she says between pants. “Just call me Starlight. And don’t you ever think about asking me to do anything like that ever again!” Starlight lays down and closes her eyes.

Twilight finds her own patch of grass. “Why, exactly did that work again?” The sky clears, blasting her with a sunbeam. “On second thought, maybe we can save anything mind-bending for when my brain is a bit more flexible.” She shields her eyes and settles in for a breather.

“You there!” Dr. Stone calls over to a somepony who doesn’t look overly winded, “Trot over to the hospital. Inform them of a miniature epidemic of acute physical and magical exhaustion.”

Chapter 5

“Where is that half-bit Pegasus? Gave us the slip like a fish in a stream!” Applesauce finishes his third lap pacing across downtown Ponyville. “Givin’ us the shivers he is. Oh, my hooves ain’t real happy with me ‘bout now.” He lifts a hoof to inspect it. It’s worn down to a nubbin.

A train pulls into the station and Applesauce sees none other than Dasher Swift strutting his way into town.

Applesauce moves to intercept him, “Dasher, where were ya? Windy an’ I started gettin’ worried you ‘as lost, so we ‘as after ya like a needle in a ‘aystack an’,” he looks up at his friend, “Why were ya evin’ on the train?”

"I had a hankering for some Canterlot style Sweet Pops. Want one?" Dasher produces a Sweet Pop in the shape of Celestia’s royal Cutie Mark.

Applesauce’s eyes go big, “Sure!” He holds out his hooves in excitement.

Dasher extends a wing to the foal with a silly grin.

Applesauce fumbles the wrapper off and pops it in his mouth. “Orange?”

“I thought you’d like a change from apple.” Dasher swaggers off on his merry way.

Applesauce sucks on his Sweet Pop and finds a fountain to hang out by until Windy returns from her aerial search. With nopony to talk to, he decides to challenge himself. One by one, he pulls half a dozen random pebbles from the road and stacks them between his hooves. Taking a seat, he focuses on his pile and closes his eyes, filtering out the background noise. One of Dad’s more annoying attention-splitting drills comes to mind, something involving two different sliding puzzles at once.

The train blows its whistle in the background as it leaves the station. Applesauce gently lifts the first stone. He takes just as much care lifting each of the others. He opens his eyes to the bobbing pebbles and separates one from the others. Somepony pops her bubble gum nearby. The other rocks take a dive, but the colt regains control before they hit the ground.

A couple cute, little fillies come over to watch Applesauce practice. He closes his eyes again and begins rotating the pebbles around his head, feeling each one as he rolls them around in his magic. He separates them three and three and guides each through a juggling pattern. When he’s confident enough he’s mastered the motion, he opens his eyes.

A tall Centaur has joined the tiny audience. Memories from around a year ago blitz across his imagination. The heavy hoofsteps outside. That deep voice chuckling. The yellow glow of Dad’s magic as it was sucked out of his body. Everything is permanently seared into his mind. Applesauce shrieks and drops the pebbles, scampering off to find Windy.

***

James slings his rifle over his shoulder as he and Dr. Stone depart the train station and head into town. “Well, Doc, what do you want to do?”

“I have previously visited Ponyville once before. And at that, it was brief. As a result, my knowledge is limited to the fascinating events surrounding the area, but the mundane, and often more interesting events leave me at a lack of understanding of the local subculture. Usually the best place to start at this time of day is a local diner. I don't suppose you could do for a late lunch?”

James looks around, “Nah, I'm not hungry right now. I think I'm gonna go take a walk around town to get an idea of where everything is.”

Dr. Stone casually leads James to an open air cafe and takes a seat, “Tut, tut, it's not always about the cuisine. I, myself had a proper lunch after our mid-day jaunt through the city. The culture, ponies’ stories, is what holds the most importance.”

“I actually want to explore on my own a little bit, if you don't mind." James walks off. "Hopefully, I won't freak anyone out…”, he says to himself as he stops to watch an orange and yellow foal in a blue, stared magician’s robe as it entertains a couple even smaller Earth Ponies as they clap their hooves for him. The little magician opens his eyes. They freeze on James and go so narrow, even the irises shrink. He lets out a shriek and backs off, scampering away before zooming off so fast he leaves a colored contrail. “Too late...”

***

Windy’s scans for her absentee brother turn up nothing. After spending the better part of a few hours searching the ground, she finds a lone cloud where she can take a break.

“WHAAAAAAAH!”

It’s that colt staying with her family. Windy rolls over and sticks her head off the side of the cloud. She tracks the panicked foal galloping past town hall. With a mighty flap of her wings, Windy busts her cloud and glides to the surface.

The colt quickly spots her and buries himself under her wing as she folds it, leaving just his tail poking out. “Ti-T-Tir-Tierik creature i-inn- town!”

Windy tightens her grip on the youngster and lugs him to a bench for a little more privacy. She lets his panic attack ride its course. “What about Tierik? He’s locked safely away in Tartarus.” She spins him around to face forward.

“N-n-no-Not him?” Applesauce hooks a hoof around her front leg.

“I’ve got you,” Windy holds him tight while he finishes hyperventilating. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you saw?”

“I ‘as waitin’ for ya an’ practicin’ my magic when I looked up an’ this Centaur thin’ was starin’ back at me. It was just like that afternoon T-Tierik busted inta’ my house an’ stole Dad’s magic from ‘is horn like a candy from a baby.” The tears start up again, “He told me not ta peek from my hidin’ spot under the kitchen sink, an’ I wish I ‘adn’t!”

The Pegasus does her best to comfort her mentally scarred charge. “There, there. I'm sure it wasn't what you thought it was. We can go back and look together if you want.”

Applesauce tenses under Windy’s wing.

“I’ll tell you what. How about we just go for a walk?” Windy strokes along the black streak running through the colt’s mane, “I’m sure Dasher can take care of himself for a while longer.”

“Someone call?” The older colt squeezes a pink butterfly-shaped candy straight into his mouth and tucks the wrapper away.

Windy glares at her brother, “Dasher Dancer Swift, where have you been?”

Dasher tries to play it off cool, “You told me to tell Princess Twilight about the convoy this morning, and I did. It’s not my fault she was already in Canterlot when I caught up with her.”

***

Ponyville is awfully quiet as Applesauce goes out with Windy and Dasher for a mid-afternoon snack. Ponies talk in whispered conversations. Applesauce hears bits and pieces, but he can't tell if they're gossiping about him or the ominous Centaur without hind legs or horns. One eccentric Unicorn even tosses around the word "human."

The trio finds an empty table. Besides an elderly Crystal Pony slowly patronizing the establishment, the place is mostly empty. Dasher snags the only menu on the table. Applesauce spots another one inside. He stretches out a hoof, levitates the menu, and pulls it over.

Windy grabs the menu and opens it. “Nicely done.” The little wizard sitting across from her grins sheepishly. “OK. Any one thing you want, as long as it’s ten bits or less.”

Applesauce takes a hold of the menu again. A double chocolate dipped daisy calls his name, and he points with his horn, “That one!” Paper gives way to bone as the clumsy colt impales the menu on his horn.

“Ah... Here, let me see,” Windy retrieves the menu and flattens it out. “Afraid not, Kiddo. Eleven bits is a little overpriced for a cupcake and a daisy. I could probably make you a dozen for less if I wanted to.” She points to her usual, a nine bit strawberry shake, “This is what I’m having, and this...” she moves her hooftip to a small ice cream Sundae for six bits, is what Dasher usually has, but somepony," she tries making eye contact with Dasher from behind his menu, "has already had his dessert."

Applesauce scans what remains of his menu and picks out a ten bit chocolate smoothie. “Have ya ever been ta the Crystal Empire, Windy?”

Windy follows his gaze and looks over her shoulder at the grandfatherly Crystal Pony behind her, “Yes, actually. Just once.” She signals the waiter.

"Is this spot taken?" The Crystal Pony from the other table is standing by the empty spot between Windy and Applesauce.

Windy looks up at him, surprised. "Um, no?"

The elderly stallion takes a seat. "I couldn't help but notice, but your charge expressed an interest in my homeland."

"It's been somethin' I ‘as meanin' ta ask my dad more ‘bout since we went ta support my friends carryin' the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games a couple years ago, but ..." Applesauce pauses and his sentence isn't completed.

Windy continues working on making the menu a little more presentable for the next customer. Judging by Applesauce's inflection, she did not expect to see him wide eyed, staring over the cafe hedge and into the murmuring crowd. She traces everypony’s glances to find that Centaur/human thing snacking on a bag of trail mix.

"Ah, yes, that would be my recently acquired traveling companion, a certain Mr. James Thatcher. He hails from a land possessing a greater quantity of dissimilarities to Ponyville than does the Crystal Empire. The civilization of 'humans' of which James is a member of has yet to learn the fundamentals of even the most elementary of magic, though I surmise there must necessarily exist some form of cult to manipulate their sun and moon."

Dasher slowly traces his hoof around the chocolate Sunday picture on his menu. “I thought Celestia raises the sun for the whole world, not just Equestria.”

“You Ponies wouldn’t happen to be versed in applied thaumatology fantasy writer C. S. Lee and how he draws upon theorized parallel dimensions to justify his plots?”

Three faces give the stranger blank stares. Windy breaks the silence, “I’ve had a look through one of his books within the past few days...”

“I believe James is the primordial example of an arriving interdimensional traveler since the likes of Clover the Clever or earlier.”

The waiter arrives with a notepad in hoof. Windy places their orders, “One glass of ice water, one strawberry shake, one chocolate shake… Would you care to make an order, sir?" she asks the Crystal Pony.

"The consumption of local food items is only a secondary objective, of which I have already accomplished quite adequately."

The waiter writes down the order, and collects the menus. “As you wish.” He smiles to himself as he goes inside.

Applesauce raises his hoof. “Pre more de-ill?”

Dasher chuckles at the irony, “That just means the first.”

“So ya friend is kinda’ like me then?”

The Crystal Pony takes a pause.

Windy explains, “I found him wandering down by the local apple farm a few days ago, seemingly shortly after he arrived. I wouldn’t hold your breath. His Equestria is basically the same as ours, only with a couple extra ponies.”

“My ma’ an’ me,” Applesauce interjects with a pout.

“It would be a topic of interest worthy of further study if you and Mr. Thatcher could compare notes on the manner in which you traveled to this reality. I hypothesize your transit methods are connected somehow.”

The waiter returns and passes out the cups. Applesauce takes his with a hoof, “Ah don’ know. I reckon I could give ‘im another go around.”

“Ponder that as you may. As of the present moment, we do not possess any plans inclusive of departure.”

“What all was the Crystal Empire like when you were little?” Applesauce does not notice Dasher trying to signal for an emergency change in topic.

“Ah, the joys of youth… Equestria was a much younger nation back then, still aspiring to figure out what it intended to be. This Chancellor Puddinghead character once decreed carrot juice be consumed alongside each and every time Earth Ponies dined. Personally, I developed a strong distaste for the stuff when my grandmare required us to ingest a cup while celebrating Hearthswarming with her. My mother engaged in an act of mercy and spirited half my glass into her own and provided me with a straw with which to guzzle the remainder without soiling my tongue with the flavor.” The stranger looks over at Dasher then back to Applesauce, “Now that I think about it, I believe I was not much older than your friend Dasher here when I embarked on my first archeology expedition.”

Dasher finishes his water, “I’m outta here.” Dasher gets up to leave, but Windy puts a hoof on his shoulder and forces him back down.

“It was to be a trip into the Northern Wastelands, past present-day Yakyakistan. A young Unicorn mare with a robe resembling your own was sponsoring the trip.”

“Sounds an awful lot like she mighta been like an ancestor a mine,” Applesauce interrupts, “This here robe’s been in ma family that long. It’s a family treasure. Dad said he got it a few moons after gettin’ his Cutie Mark in magic, but he passed it on ta me an I don’t got mine yet. What was she like?”

“Her name was Zenith. You recall the stories of Windigos we retell at Hearthswarming? Such legends are founded within the realm of reality. Our target dig site was an ancestral home belonging to members of the ancient Unicorn Tribe. I navigated us to a total of five candidate sites before we arrived at a village encased in a solid block of ice. Are you aware the molecular structure of ice changes under sufficiently great pressure? Unfortunately, by the time we initiated our excavation, Zenith’s dwindling internal magic reserves ensured each time she fended off a nearby Windigo it was more troublesome than the last.

“After months of straining against them, she fell into a light coma from magical exhaustion. Were it not for my decision to withdraw emptyhooved, even though we were inches from the first artifact, Zenith surely wouldn’t have survived. I have always desired to return, but a combination of other digs, military service, and important life events have served to hobble my intentions. I anticipate geriatrics shall consume my body beyond useability prior to my subsequent chance to venture back to what you now call the Frozen North.

The buzz around town goes quiet again. Applesauce watches James with a little less concern than before as he strides past the outdoor tables and walks inside.

Applesauce finishes his shake. He gets up and walks around to Windy, “Mind if I dart inside for the colts’ room for a shake?”

***

After exploring a few of the sites Ponyville has to offer, James heads back to the cafe he passed earlier. Dr. Stone is talking with a few of the locals, so he walks inside and grabs an empty booth. He leans his rifle up against the table, takes his hat off, and sets his backpack in the seat next to him.

A Unicorn in some sort of uniform collar arrives at James’ booth and levitates a menu in front of him. The waiter hesitates. “Today’s special is the… the Apple-Oat Souffle.”

“I don’t want anything. I’m just resting my legs for a bit.”

“Complementary ice water?” The waiter retracts the menu.

“Sure.”

The waiter leaves, and quickly returns with a platter bearing a pitcher and a glass cup with an unusually large ‘handle.’ He uses magic to pour some water, making sure there are exactly 4 ice cubes.

“Thanks.”

James sips his water and closes his eyes as the waiter moves on to the other filled table. He pretends he’s in some diner back home in Freedom Point. A fresh pot of coffee is on the brew behind the counter. The warmth from the sun is streaming in the window at just the right angle for a lazy afternoon. The bathroom door even has a little squeak as it opens. Apart from the clopping of hooves and the slightly awkward shape of the booth, everything is just about normal.

A little boy’s voice interrupts his thoughts, “I hear ya’ll only use magic for raisin’ the sun ‘n’ moon where you’re from. Can that be right?”

James takes another sip of his water, “Actually, we don’t use magic at all. Not even for the day and night cycle. It usually just goes on its own.”

The boy chuckles, “Everypony knows the Sun and Moon are controlled by Princess Celestia. Oh, and Princess Luna gets the moon since she came back. Don’t your land at least got somepony like that?”

The jargon proves too much for James’ fantasy of home. He opens his eyes and blinks a couple times. “Nope. Not in the slightest.” He looks down to see the colt in he spooked earlier. “I could try to explain how all the planets move back in my world, but I don’t think you want me to give you a science lesson right now.”

“My name’s Applesauce, by the way.”

James reaches out his hand, “James… Call me James.” The colt rears up, putting a hoof on the table and offering his other for a handshake. “Hey, what’s that sound?”

Applesauce twists an ear. “Sounds like a li’le stampede outside.”

“I wonder what that’s all about...” James puts his hat and backpack back on, then grabs his rifle.