Chapter 37: Meetings and Portals

Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow sat at the end of a large rectangular table. On their left sat two humans, Leo's friends Sam and Josh. On the right sat three other humans, the humans that apparently perform perfect impersonations of them (Kathleen, Mark, and Sunni). In the corner of the room behind Cozy Glow lied a bed, an unconscious body resting under a blanket. His face was facing the wall, but every living being in the room knew who he was. In fact, Sam and Josh's reactions were the same... their friend was now a-

CREEEAAK

The door just opened and Princess Twilight walked in, silencing any conversation that was occurring. She had a satchel around her barrel. Following behind her was Discord, the Bewitching Bell around his neck.

"Sorry that took longer than expected," the Princess said. "I wanted to collect a few books to figure out this human situation. But we should all be glad that there were ten imprisoned guards in the garden. Otherwise, it would've taken us even longer to start this meeting. As of now, they are searching for the rest of the citizens and Grogar's allies, who have escaped before they could be caught."

"I have a question," Sam piped. "Why are we doing this meeting now instead of tommorow when it's day?"

"In order for me to answer that, I will need a specific answer from you," Princess Twilight explained. "Where are you humans from?"

All the humans answered with "Earth."

"Interesting..." Twilight muttered. "So to answer the question asked to me earlier, I assigned this meeting now because of one thing: the ties between this world and yours."

Twilight opened the satchel and ruffled through it, before pulling out a book.

"According to this book, Equestria's magic is known for many things," explained Twilight. "One major thing about it that ponies rarely discuss is it's magical link to other worlds. Every week, when the stars shift, so does the link to a galaxy it's linked to. It ends the link. Once the link to the galaxy ends, another link begins and lasts for another week. It took ponies in the olden days a very long time to understand this. I brought us all here with Discord so he could change your friend back and take you home. But I would first like to know what galaxy you humans are from."

"The Milky Way Galaxy," Josh replied.

"Interesting..." Princess Twilight. "What day of the week is it?"

"Saturday," Cozy replied.

"Saturday?" Princess Twilight turned to the clock on the wall. It read 11:52. "Well, we have about 10 minutes before the link to your galaxy closes. We should be lucky it hasn't closed already. But before we send you home, I would like to see your friend."

Twilight left her spot and began making her way to the corner, where Leo's body lied in a small bed.

Princess Twilight stopped in front of the bed and rolled over his body.

"Ok... so the powers of the bell transformed him into a unicorn, correct?" questioned the Princess.

"Lower the blankets," Cozy said.

Princess Twilight looked at Cozy with confusion, but then looked back at Leo. Lighting her horn, a large chunk of the blanket began to glow magenta. Slowly, Twilight pulled the blanket down. But when she pulled it down to Leo's flank. she gasped.

"See?" Tirek exclaimed.

"I mean, I guess it makes sense..." Twilight muttered. "The amount of magic Grogar planned to transfer to himself was probably large. Even if he didn't need it."

Princess Twilight turned to Discord. "Discord? You know what to do."

"Don't mind if I do," Discord chirped, lifting his talons and preparing to snap.

But then a brief coat of yellow covered his body.

And Discord was no longer moving, as stiff as a statue.

"Discord?" Twilight came closer to the draconequis. "D-Discord? Hello?"

Twilight lifted her hoof and waved it in front of Discord's face.

"Discord, this isn't funny," Twilight spoke with impatience. "We have only ten minutes, or else the link that will bring these humans home will close! And then they will be trapped here for who knows HOW long, before the link will finally reopen."

Discord didn't move.

"Uuummm... Princess?" Sunni piped. "I don't think he's moving. For real!"

"Is it just me," Cozy whispered to Tirek and Chrysalis. "Or did Discord briefly glow yellow before freezing?"

Princess Twilight lifted her hoof and poked Discord. But when she poked him, his body fell over sideways, landing on the ground with a hard impact.

"Ok then... new plan!" Twilight announced. "We use the Bewitching Bell to drain Leo's magic, and then I'll turn him back into a human. Since the portal spell is thankfully in this book, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy will work with me to open the portal. Easy as pie!"

"How will you know where to bring us back?" Josh asked.

"I'll need a mental image of where you were last," Twilight explained. "Perhaps a simple memory search. Any volunteers?"

"How about you search Leo?" Sam piped. Josh gave him a light elbow.

"I... guess we could do that," Princess Twilight shrugged.

With everybody ignoring the chance to volunteer, Twilight returned to Leo and lit her horn. She closed her eyes. When she reopened them, they were glowing bright white, and Leo's head was glowing magenta.

Thirty seconds later, everything calmed down.

"Alright," Princess Twilight said, not turning around. "Here goes."

Twilight lit her horn and sent five magenta beams to the five humans. All five of them became encased in magenta balls of magic, symbols swirling around them.

Twilight faced Leo and took a deep breath.

She blasted him. The room went white.

When the light faded and all eyes returned to Leo, at least half of the room gasped, their eyes going wie.

Leo remained unchanged.

Princess Twilight, shocked at how the spell didn't work, tried again, repeating the process.

When the light cleared, Leo was still the same.

Twilight tried again. And again.

"Uumm, Twilight?" Cozy said after the fourth attempt. "I don't think it will work... not after four times."

"The spell's not working?" Twilight muttered. "I don't understand. That was one of the spells I taught at magic school."

"You taught kids how to transform living things?" Tirek lifted a brow.

"Don't worry, the changed organisms were changed back," Twilight replied. "Point aside, we'd search the library, but I did the spell the way I always did! Something is wrong."

Twilight took a deep breath, before completely turning around. She checked the clock.

The time was 11:56.

"I'm sorry..." Princess Twilight apologized. "But your friend can't go home. Even if we drained his magic, he's stuck like this. Either all of you stay here until the link reopens, or only he stays."

"But how will we explain this to his parents?" Josh queried.

"Hmmm..." Twilight pondered. She looked to her mane and lit her horn. The end quarter of the large, sparkly waving hair suddenly glowed magenta. A glowing line struck through the mane, cutting off a quarter of the hair.

Twilight brought her mane over to Sam and Josh, no longer waving, but still sparkling.

"As long as you have proof of what came from our world, the chances of others believing you is likely," Twilight explained. "You may also take this."

Twilight grabbed a nearby small potted plant and gave it to Sunni.

"I guess it means I can record us going through the portal?" Sam shrugged.

"You do you," Josh patted Sam's shoulder.

"Come on," Twilight walked to the door. "Let's get you home."

Quickly everyone got up and left the room. Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy, and Twilight quickly grouped together in a line. Each of them took a quick read through the spell before Twilight set the book aside.

Princess Twilight, Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis all lit their horns.

They released a blast.

And a portal opened.

Sam, who took his phone out while leaving the room, pressed the record button on his phone.

Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy, and Princess Twilight all turned around.

"Sam... Josh... it's been fun," Chrysalis said. "And Kathleen... Sunni... Mark... thank you for agreeing to help us."

"I may not resort to watching Leo's pony show," Sam admitted. "But I guess I have a little more respect."

"I'm not even gonna ask," Twilight quietly said to herself.

"Will Leo return home?" asked Josh, holding Twilight's hair.

"Don't worry," Twilight promised. "As soon as the link reopens and we are able to turn him back, he will return home. We better hurry. Time is runnning out."

Chrysalis, Cozy, Twilight, and Tirek parted.

"Farewell, my friends," Cozy waved.

The five humans went forward to the portal, all saying goodbyes as they passed by.

Sam still held his phone as he exited the portal.

When the five humans left the portal, they were back to the last spot they were at on Earth. A large grass field, with a large ring of grass singed from the fire from earlier. And Mark's car sat there, still where it was.

Sam turned off the recording.

"Now what?" Josh questioned.

"We'll figure it out," Mark promised. "But first, we need to get you kids home."

"It's just sad that Leo can't go home for a long time," Josh said. "All we can do is hope."

And the clock struck midnight.

Author's Note

Next chapter is the final chapter. It will showcase what happened to King Sombra and the Storm King, what happened to Discord, Chrysalis and Tirek making amends to Thorax and Scorpan, and of course, the end.

This story will end sometime by the end of the week in:

Chapter 38: Endings and Beginnings

Poll: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/896884/what-to-do-after-the-dusk-of-troubled-views

Link to other stories (if you want to read them. You don't have to): https://www.fimfiction.net/user/345991/CartoonopolisAdventures/stories

Feel free to make theroies on what will happen. and always let the Brony or Pegasister within conquer your creativity.