Graff's Inter-Dimensional Adventures

The Castle of Friendship was even prettier on the inside than the outside. I didn't think that was possible, and yet, here we were.

Fluttershy navigated the corridors as if she knew them by heart, eventually leading us into a small bedroom. There were kites by a nightstand, a desk in the corner, framed pictures of crossed-out equal signs (I didn't think to ask), and a bookshelf stood tall next to a coat rack.

Oh, and there was a pinkish-purple pony sitting atop the bed, looking through some papers.

She looked up at us and smiled. "Hey, Fluttershy. Who's your friend?"

Fluttershy immediately cut to the chase: "Hi, Starlight. This is Graff, and he's a human who found a natural portal here."

Her smile disappeared. "I see," she stated simply, getting off of the bed. "Alright, let me contact Sunset Shimmer really quickly."

I looked up at the mention of the name. "Sunset Shimmer? I recognize that name..." She was, after all, one of the most talked-about CHS students amongst the Crystal Prep students while I was there.

Starlight smiled. "Well, then we shouldn't have any trouble getting her to help you get home."

I nodded, feeling oddly optimistic. What could possibly–

"Something's gonna go terribly wrong, isn't it?" Starlight asked in a deadpan.

Fluttershy and I nodded. "Probably."

And go wrong it did.

Turns out that Equestria and Earth don't share a time zone (that explained why it was day here when it was night there), which meant that A) Sunset Shimmer was asleep, and B) the busses wouldn't be running until morning (not that it mattered, considering the fact that I didn't have my bus pass or money with me while I was jogging). Add that to the fact that Starlight's portal led to Canterlot High, over a mile away from my house, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

"Now what'll we do?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

Starlight thought for a minute before having an idea. "Well, we'll want to see the portal you came through at some point anyways. Why not head back through there?"

"I would if I could," I explained, "but when I came through, I immediately tumbled down a hill and into a river, and I lost track of where it was."

Fluttershy blinked. "Oh, is THAT all? I can just ask the nearby animals if they saw anything!"

I stared at her. So, not only was she a flying and talking horse, but she could also talk to animals? What's next, is she also friends with the ruler of this world?

She's also friends with the ruler of this world, isn't she?

"So it's settled, then," Starlight determined. "We'll find the portal you came through, and get you back through it before it closes again."

Suddenly, Fluttershy blurted out, "Wait! I mean, we still have some time left before that happens... I thought maybe I could show Graff around town?"

Starlight blinked. "Well, I suppose we'll need some time to locate the river in the first place... If he's up for it, then sure."

The yellow mare nearly leapt with joy. "Whaddya say, Graff?"

I shrugged, playing it cool. "Sure, why not?"

Honestly, I didn't mind it all too much. This place may have been strange to me, but it was also just so warm and inviting! I figured a couple more hours here wouldn't be so bad.

Fluttershy squealed with delight, "Great! Then follow me; I know exactly where to go!" With that, she began to lead me somewhere fun.

Who knew that Fluttershy liked trivia? I never would've guessed it, yet there we were, at an event called "Trivia Trot". Fluttershy and her teammate, a brown pony with an hourglass symbol on his flank (I'd learned they were called "Cutie Marks"), were leading the pack throughout most of the game. I cheered from the sideline as they continued to answer questions, inadvertently giving me more information about this world.

How many types of ponies are there? Four: Earth Pony, Pegasus, Unicorn, and Alicorn.

Who is depicted as a statue in the Crystal Empire? Spike the Brave and Glorious.

What is the name of the holiday Changelings celebrate during Spring? Gourd-Fest.

Did I know what half of these things were? Nope!

But regardless, I devoured these tidbits of information as if they were cupcakes.

I devoured the cupcakes as though they were tidbits of information. My taste buds danced under the explosion of flavors like cinnamon, strawberry, and vanilla. "Mmm," I moaned pleasurably, "These are some of the best cupcakes I've ever had!"

Pinkie was grinning ear-to-ear. "I'm glad you like 'em!"

Fluttershy, who was also having a cupcake, smiled. "These are extra good today, Pinkie!"

Pinkie blushed. "Aw, you're too kind; I was just trying out one of my pie recipes in cupcake form, that's all..."

Fluttershy nodded, "Because of Dashie, right?"

Pinkie nodded, perhaps a bit TOO proudly. "Yep!"

Fluttershy must've noticed my confused look, because she quickly explained, "Our friend Rainbow Dash doesn't like pies, so Pinkie's trying to work around that."

I looked at her for a moment, but could find no hint of deception, so I opted to just drop it.

"So," I asked in-between activities, "you said something earlier about a 'This world's me'?"

"Oh, that. Well, how do I explain this...?" She twiddled her hooves in a manner analogous to how a human might nervously twirl their hands, then she explained, "So, the way Twilight and Starlight make it sound, the two dimensions are counterparts. This means that, for every pony here, there's a human variant of us over in your world."

I blinked at the first name. "Wait, 'Twilight' says it? As in, Twilight Sparkle? As in, the honors student that transferred to Canterlot High a while ago?"

Fluttershy bobbed her head side-to-side. "That's what I mean. Your world has a Twilight Sparkle, and so does ours. Likewise, your world has you, and our world has its own Graff."

I nodded, mind racing at the thought of there being another version of myself.

But I pushed that aside for the moment. "What's this world's Twilight like?"

"She's essentially the same," she waved a hoof dismissively, "even if the events in her life are different. Oh, except for the fact that our Twilight is the Princess of Equestria."

My jaw, for the third time that day, fell agape. "Holy crap, you're really friends with the ruler of Equestria?"

She nodded. "We knew her before she became a Princess, back when she moved here to Ponyville."

"Why am I surprised?" I mumbled to myself, unsure of how to feel that my off-handed prediction had actually been correct.

Then I blinked. "Wait, 'became a Princess'?"

"Long story..."

"Alright," Gallus repeated, "Let's try this one more time."

I nodded, then began to focus. My wings flared out, and I began to flap them up and down. I could feel the growing breeze they stirred up as I slowly gained lift.

Eventually, that lift overcame gravity, and I actually rose about six inches! I stayed airborne for about 5 seconds before I slowed back down, gently landing on the ground once more.

Gallus patted my back. "Great work, man! At this rate, you might actually be able to fly a few feet before the end of the day!"

Fluttershy concurred, "I've never seen anyone learn so quickly!"

I beamed. "Well, I've got some of the best teachers I could ask for."

Fluttershy's face reddened. "Oh, th-thank you, but I'm really not a great flyer; my friend Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof..."

Gallus pshawed. "Don't sell yourself short, Professor. You may not be a fast flyer, but you're certainly graceful about it, and you're more energy-efficient than anypony I've met!"

Fluttershy and I gawked at Gallus's unfettered compliment.

He raised an eyebrow. "What? I just call it like it is."

Eventually, Starlight tracked us down. "Alright," she began, "I got some pegasi to scan the forest near Fluttershy's Cottage, and we found two different rivers. If you would, could you please come with and identify the one you fell into?"

I nodded solemnly. "I suppose it's time, then."

Fluttershy looked forlorn, but she made no attempt to argue. With that, we began to head back towards the forest.