Chapter 1

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So, why are we sneaking around if being in an anthro world isn’t such a bad thing for you? Sarab asks as I webline up onto the roof of a building and peak over the edge, trying to remain out of sight.

Thankfully, the rest of the ponies in town aren’t naked. Having written a fic back home where all of Equestria is anthro and nude and running into Zecora and Tree Hugger in the buff, I’d feared we were in a similar world.

Luckily, it seems more that was just part of the relaxation technique the hippy pony was showing the zebra. Everypony else we’ve seen while sneaking about have been near to fully clothed.

Only odd thing is, regardless of whether they’re a stallion or mare, colt or filly, shorts or long pants, everypony has a diamond shaped spot cut out around their thighs, revealing their Cutie Marks.

“Guess it’s the only way you can show off your mark in this world,” I murmur, before glancing to my eight-legged buddy. “And to answer your question, while the rest of the ponies in town aren’t an issue, there’s one pony who is human obsessed and I’d rather not just run into her right now.” I move, leaping down and landing on my feet, crouched down. “Better to remain hidden for now until we get to Twilight’s castle.”

It seems we’re at the very least in after season four as Twilight’s castle is indeed where it needs to be.

That eyesore is supposed to be a castle? Scarab asks, looking to the object in the distance. Looks more like a cash grab play set.

You have no idea.

I move to get up, before five familiar voices catch my attention and I hide behind the building’s wall… before my brain notices something odd.

They sound… friendly?

Glancing around the wall, I see five familiar, if not familiar because they’re anthro, fillies walking towards my direction, all about the same age as me.

They’re… all dressed like they’re Equestria Girls counterparts.

I deadpan. Well, that’s not very creative. You’d think there’d be a little bit of a dimensional difference in how they dress.

Shaking my head, I look to them again, wondering just why the heck the CMC and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seem friendly, before I notice the CMC’s Cutie Marks through the holes in their clothes.

“So, either after or towards the end of season five, then,” I murmur, pulling back as the five get near and continue, completely unaware of my presence.

Come again? Scarab asks, glancing from myself to the ponies moving farther and farther away. How can you tell when we are just by five ponies walking past?

I point to the Crusaders. “Those three are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The other two are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

Wait, the bullies? Scarab cocks and eyebrow, looking back at the fillies. But, my niece hates those two. Says they’re horrible and need to be taught a lesson for always bullying the CMC for not having their marks, even if I didn’t understand who the CMC were and what the marks meant. Why would they all be friends?

“Yeah,” I nod, moving a bit out from behind the building. “But towards the end of season five, the CMC help Diamond Tiara understand her true purpose and get their marks, becoming friends with the two. So, for them to all be friends, we must be after that point in the timeline.” I frown. “Well, depending on timing, I might be able to stop some horrible timelines from being created too.”

He looks to me, very confused. Come again?

I wave a hand. “I’ll explain later. For now, we need to find out exactly when we’re—”

“HUUUUUUUMAAAAAAAAAN!”

I feel like my body is jolted by a billion WATS of electricity, my hair standing on end, before I dart for a bush and crouch to the ground as low as I can, peaking out through a small hole in the leaves.

I see two pairs of feet stop a few metres away, one cream coloured, the other minty green. It seems shoes are not something most ponies wear in this world.

“Lyra,” an annoyed voice says. “You can’t have seen a human.”

“But, I did, Bon Bon! I know I did. You saw it too. It was on the roof of this building and it jumped down. I wish I could’ve teleported. We must’ve just missed it!” an overly excited voice says, the green feet bouncing up and down.

“That could’ve just been anypony,” Bon Bon says, sighing. “Some ponies have weird hobbies. It’s likely you just saw one of them jumping around the roofs for whatever reason.”

“Ponies don’t have flat faces, Bon Bon,” Lyra says matter-of-factly.

“Maybe it was a monkey,” Bon Bon sounds bored now.

“Come on! It can’t have gotten far!” Lyra’s feet run off out of sight, Bon Bon’s slowly following suit.

We remain still and silent for several moments, trying to make sure the coast is clear.

I’m… going to go out on a limb here, but I’m assuming that green pony is the one you were talking about? Scarab says as I stand up and move out from the bushes.

I nod. “Yeah. Lyra Heartstrings. From early on, the fandom made the headcanon that she’s obsessed with humans. Seems we weren’t wrong.”

So, what now? Scarab asks as I webline up onto another roof, being far more careful to keep myself hidden. If she’s as obsessed as you say, walking around town to get to that castle right now definitely isn’t the best idea.

“We’ll keep to the roofs and I’ll do my best to web swing to the castle from as close as possible,” I jump, quickly running and leaping to the next roof before ducking. “Worse comes to worse, if I can’t shoot far enough, you’ll have to bite me to increase my power.”

Will that even affect the webs? Scarab asks, an eyebrow raised. They’re not exactly your powers, ya now? Well, normally, anyway.

“Well, then the bite will increase how far I can jump, followed by my shooting a web,” I say. “Look, I’m kinda playing this by ear. It’s not like we’ve had a lot of practice with this.”

It takes us a few minutes, several times being close calls where Lyra almost spots us (damn, for a unicorn not teleporting, she sure can move fast when it comes to looking for a human), we get to the building closest to Twilight’s castle.

I fire a test web and it stops about three quarters of the way to the nearest spire on the crystal structure.

“Okay. Looks like we’ve no choice,” I look to Scarab on my right shoulder. “Ready?”

I’m still not sure about this, but... he says uncertainly, but sighs, crawling over to my neck. Okay. Let me know when.

I stand, moving as far back on the roof as possible. “On the count of three. One, two, THREE!”

I shoot off, sprinting for the other side. I feel a painful pinch on my neck, followed by a hot feeling, a beeping sound coming from my web shooters, but I try to ignore it all, focusing only on running.

I reach the edge of the roof and jump, flying through the air. The moment I feel gravity starting to reassert its dominance on me, I thrust an arm forward, firing a web.

It soars through the air, just catching on the top of one of the lower spires.

The thread goes taught and I swing with the momentum, rocketing towards the castle.

Spotting a balcony, I use my hips to aim the swing’s arch towards it, letting go, falling through the air and landing with a cartwheel on the balcony, just inches before hitting the guard rail.

I breathe a heavily sigh of relief, flopping back and landing on my ass, my heart pounding.

Please… never… let us… have to do that… again… Scarab pants as he slides down my front and flops on the crystal floor beneath us.

“Since we’re Peni and her spider,” I say, still trying to catch my own breath as my heart pounds from the rush of all that. “I can’t promise anything, buddy.”

Once we’ve finally composed ourselves, we get up, Scarab climbing up my arm and back onto my shoulder.

Hearing a beeping noise, I lift my left wrist and look at the web shooter there. A small, holographic screen display has lit up on it, the words “VENOM LEVELS: 0.1% Estimated Recovery Time: 2 Minutes” visible.

So that’s how that’ll work for us, Scarab says, looking to me. Two minutes for only 0.1% though? Isn’t that a bit much?

I shrug, tapping the screen and it vanishes. “Eh. We just have to be careful not to let it get too high.”

I turn my attention to the door to the balcony.

So… how’re we gonna get in? Scarab asks, looking from the door to me. Doubt we can just knock. And I’m pretty sure breaking the door to a member of Royalty’s home won’t exactly do us any favours.

I giggle, shaking my head and just push the door, it opening easily, causing his mouth to just hang open. “Ponyville residents rarely lock their doors, dude.”

He deadpans. Well, that’s just begging for someone to break in and do something horrible to the princess.

Nailed it again, dude.

Stepping in, I web up to the ceiling and crawl along it. Depending on whether this is towards the end of season five or after, chances are at least somepony will be in here, be it Twilight, Spike, Starlight or even Trixie.

As I pass the library, I notice the sound of Spike and Big Mac’s voices.

“Told you it I’d get this Hock Fetlock rookie card,” the drake’s voice says, sounding smug.

A grumble comes in answer. “Nope.”

It takes a second, before my brain catches up to Spike’s exact words and their possible implications.

I gulp.

What’s wrong? Scarab asks, likely having felt my pulse increase due to where he is.

“Spike doesn’t mention that Hock Fetlock rookie card except at the beginning of season five and we just saw the CMC with their marks, which isn’t meant to happen til after the beginning of the season,” I take a few deep breaths. “But, that’s okay. Maybe it just took Spike that long to get Big Mac to give it to him.”

“Wonder where the map sent them all,” Spike says, drawing our attention. “Any idea why that map even appeared, Big Mac?”

“Nope,” is the simple, casual reply.

“Okay, starting to panic now,” I whisper, moving back and holding onto the wall with my back turned to it.

Why? What’s wrong? Scarab is really worried now.

“Spike’s words suggest Twilight and the others are currently off stopping the pony originally referred to as Pony Hitler, but that’s happening after the CMC have their marks,” I say, my breathing becoming more and more frantic. “They’re not supposed to get them til after that, but they already have them. That’s not how it’s supposed to work. This doesn’t make any sense!”

PENI! I jump, almost losing my grip on the wall, before glancing down to see Scarab giving me a firm look. Keep your cool. So events haven’t happened exactly as you expected. Well, we’re not exactly in the same world as the show, are we? The ponies aren’t anthro in the show, so it’s possible a few smaller details are different from the show is all.

“The CMC having their marks before the events of the season five premiere is not a small difference, Scarab.” I hiss. “It’s big! Like, really big!”

Either way, panicking isn’t going to help the situation, he says, shaking his head. We’re in the castle. We’ll just wait until they get back and then figure out where to go from there, okay?

“Man, I’m thirsty. Let’s go get a drink,” Spike says, snapping us out of it. “I hear Milky Ways’ having a sale.”

“Eeyup,” Mac replies, the two walking out of the library a few moments later.

Spike looks kinda like Smoulder in body shape, about the same size two, but smaller than myself by maybe a foot. Other than that, he doesn’t look all that different from the show. And he’s naked. Guess dragons aren’t much for clothing.

Big Mac, on the other hand? Wow. He’s huge. If I had to give a brief description, I’d say his body makes me think of Arnold Schwarzenegger from back when he was first seen as The Terminator, only red and wearing brown shorts and a yellow shirt under a red vest.

The two walk down the hall until they turn a corner and out of sight.

Okay, they’re gone, Scarab nods, looking to me, before cocking an eyebrow. Uh, Peni? he asks, noticing the bewildered expression and heavy blush on my face. What’s up?

“Milky Way?” I slowly shake my head. “She exists in this anthro world? From what fan art of her I’ve seen and her unique look…”

My nose spurts blood, knocking my head back, causing me to bang it on the wall. The impact and pain cause me to lose my concentration and my grip falters, the two of us dropping down and slamming to the hard crystal floor.

Ow, Scarab grumbles from several feet away from me, rubbing his head. Well, I’m guessing there’s a reason you had that reaction.

I’m holding my nose, trying to stop the flow of blood. “Yeb,” I say through the blood. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.”

He rolls his eyes and scuttles into the library.

Walking in after him, I notice a box of tissues on a shelf and pull some down, wiping my nose and cleaning my face off as best I can.

Um, I know I don’t know much about the show this world is based on, but do books normally glow?

I look to where Scarab is looking a notice a book on Twilight’s shelf is indeed glowing.

“Huh,” I say, moving over and pulling the book down from the shelf, opening it. “Guess Sunset wants to talk with Twilight. Though, I’m surprised the journal isn’t in the portal.”

Scanning the page… my eyes widen and my breathing quickens again.

What? What now? Scarab asks, sounding both annoyed and worried.

“Sunset’s requesting Twilight’s help with the Sirens,” I murmur, struggling to keep my breathing under control. “Season five’s started, the CMC already have their Cutie Marks and Rainbow Rocks is only now happening?! This isn’t right at all! What the fuck is going on around here?!”

“Hey!”

We both turn to see Spike and Big Mac standing in the doorway, their eyes narrowed.

“What’re you doing in Twilight’s castle?” the drake demands, pointing at me, before he falters, blinking in confusion. “Wait a minute. A human? Here? How’d you get through the portal? How come you’re not a pony?”

“Who cares?” Mac snorts, charging forward. “They’re trespassing!”

Without even thinking, I aim my wrists at him and start firing webs.

It catches Mac off guard and he slows.

I leap up, sticking to the ceiling and keep firing webs at him.

Within seconds, the red stallion is tied up in a ball of webs and unable to get out.

“Mac!” Spike runs over, breathing fire on the webs. They burn away, but he stops the big guy from doing anything, turning to look at me as I stay in place on the ceiling, Scarab just now having gotten to me and scuttles onto my shoulder. “I… don’t think she means any harm. She’s just scared.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” I say, the stress of everything just too much already. “I’m in another world, my whole being is changed, I’m talking to a spider, the CMC already have their marks despite Twilight and the others only now going to Starlight Glimmer’s village and now I find out Sunset’s still dealing the Sirens, while Twilight’s still days from getting back, by which time it’ll be too late!”

I finish, my breathing incredibly heavy. I’m surprised I haven’t passed out already.

There’s a long pause, before Spike shakes his head. “Okay. I think if we all calm down, we can sort this out. Okay, miss…?”

“Peni,” I say curtly, still breathing heavily. “Peni Parker. And this little guy is Scarab,” I indicate to the arachnid.

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“Okay. I’ve heard and been through some crazy things, but that takes the cake,” Spike says, shaking his head.

We’re sitting at the table in the library, myself and Scarab on one side, himself and Mac on the other.

We’ve explained what we can as best we could, though, with things being so different and things having happened out of events, we keep the TV show thing to ourselves for now.

I nod, looking down at Scarab. “We’re still stunned by it ourselves.”

“No offence, Miss Peni,” Big Mac says apologetically, glancing to the mirror Spike brought in a minute ago, “but, frankly, right now I’m more concerned about that Sunset mare and this whole Dazzlings/Sirens thing. If Twilight ain’t here t’ help stop ’em and make the portal work full time, what’re we gonna do? We can’ just leave them to the mercy o’ those monsters, not when they’re fr’m our own world. Tain’t right, leaving them t’ deal with our problems.”

Oh, trust me; I’ll be giving Star Swirl an earful about that when he gets here, Big Mac. Believe you me.

“But, if Twilight’s the only one who could build the thing that opens the portal, how’re we gonna do it before she gets back?” Spike asks, looking between the three of us.

I frown, scratching my chin. “Scarab?”

He turns to me. Yeah.

“Do you think, since I am Peni and have her powers, I might almost have her smarts?” I indicate to my head.

He frowns, rubbing a leg on his chin. It’s… possible. Spike, ask a question like the kind your Twilight would know the answer to.

There’s silence.

He facepalms. Right. Forgot. Peni’s the only one who understands me.

I translate for him and Spike thinks for a few moments. “What’s the square root of two hundred and twenty-five?”

“Fifteen,” I say, almost at once. I blink. “The heck? I never knew the square root of anything.”

That seals it then, Scarab nods. You have Peni’s smarts as well as her powers. Question is, can you apply those to inter dimensional travel?

I frown, trying to remember everything I saw Twilight levitating towards mirror, before listing them off to Spike.

He and Big Mac hurry off, gathering everything and returning, where I set about putting it all together, the methods and ideas of how this all should work somehow just being there. Man, being smart is cool.

“… the sum of the square root of the squares of the separation between the points along three special dimensions,” I finish half an hour later, having completed the device and done my best to quickly explain what I’d done to the other three. I blink, a confused expression coming over my face. “Okay, even I didn’t understand what I just said, but also did. This is very confusing.”

“So, let’s test this out,” Spike says, nodding to Scarab, who’s hanging over the portal, the book held in his legs.

He nods back, lowering the book into place and jumping over to me.

We watch the magic moving from the book through the machine, before the portal opens.

“So, we all goin’?” Mac asks, looking uncertain.

I smile, shaking my head. “Don’t worry, Big Mac. I realize traveling to another world is a daunting idea. You don’t have to go with us.”

Spike gives me a surprised look. “How’d you know I intended to come too?”

Scarab and I look to each other, before I scratch behind my neck. “Well, I was technically referring to Scarab and myself, since we kinda need to be together for my full powers to be utilized… though I did have a feeling you’d wanna come with and I don’t see why you couldn’t.”

“Sweet!” Spike pulls both arms down, fists clench.

“It’ll either take us to or three days, Mac,” I say, looking to the stallion. “If we’re not back by then, wait for Twilight and tell her what’s going on and send her in after us. Either way, thing’s should work out. Ready, guys?”

Spike bends down, doing a few leg warm ups, before straightening and nods.

Scarab nods too.

“Alright then,” I say, looking to the portal. “Sirens, get ready to meet Peni Parker!”

We take off, running to the portal and pass through.

Author's Note

Sorry it's a bit short just as Peni and Spike are heading into Rainbow Rocks, but I'm a bit pressed for time as my time to use the computer today is running out.

Next chapter, Peni and Scarab have explained what they can to Spike and Big Mac.

So, yeah, this version of Equestria isn't quite as easy to figure out as Peni first thought. She'd assumed just an anthro version of the Equestria, but things are not as she expected even with that in mind. how much will her foreknowlddge up to season 9 episodes 15, 17, 18, 19 and 20 really help her now? What else is different from the show? What other events from later seasons could have already happened within the season 5 timeline?

Will they be able to stop The Dazzlings? How will they do it without Twilight there? Will Peni find a reason to stay a little longer than just the ending of the movie's events? Will Twilight get back before they're done?

You'll have to wait and see til next week, since i'll be going to Alicon this weekend, so won't have time for writing.

Honestly looking forward to getting further in this story. i've lots of idea and i hope you'll all love them.

Hope your enjoyed this chapter and, til next time, later everybody