The other Ponyville (G3/G1 crossover)

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four

Chapter One

Wind Whistler took in the scenery as Minty led them through the town. Apparently it was also called “Ponyville,” and it certainly had similarities to the other Ponyville they had wandered through earlier. It was a peaceful, cheery town. It had similar architecture to the other Ponyville, with a prominent heart motif and a lot of pink. But Wind Whistler couldn’t correlate individual locations in the two towns. And while this Ponyville had a castle overlooking it, it was in a different location atop a hill and its architecture was more similar to Dream Castle in Ponyland rather than that weird crystal tree-looking thing in the other Ponyville. The most noticeable difference was the inhabitants; they were all earth ponies.

Minty seemed like the sort of pony who could keep talking all day. “And then there was the time when I broke the Here Comes Christmas Candy Cane…” She was giving anecdotal evidence for what a clever problem solver Pinkie Pie was. And while that was somewhat reassuring, Wind Whistler knew that what they really needed was magic. Magic strong enough to finally get them home. Wind Whistler, Fizzy, Gusty, and Shady had stepped through a portal that had transported them to an alternate world. The ponies there had helped them open up another portal, but it had taken them to yet another alternate world. Wind Whistler hadn’t seen any magic here yet. Hopefully someone here was up to the task or had a magical artifact that was.

Minty led them to a pink house with a large, three-story, balloon-shaped structure on one side. Minty knocked on the door. There was no answer, but Wind Whistler heard the pounding of a hammer coming from behind the house. Minty knocked again more loudly. “She may be mistaking your knocking for her hammering,” Wind Whistler said. She whistled loudly. The hammering stopped.

“Pinkie Pie!” Minty called.

“I’m in the back,” a voice responded. “Just come around the house.” They stepped off the cobblestone road on the green grass surrounding the house. Wind Whistler’s stomach rumbled. She had snacked a few times, but she hadn’t had a proper meal all day. Maybe Pinkie Pie would be willing to part with some grass? They came around the house and saw Pinkie working on… something. It was a large, wooden basket, maybe big enough for four ponies to stand in. Attached to it by ropes was a large, pink fabric strewn across the grass. The basket had a hole in one side which Pinkie appeared to be repairing. Pinkie Pie appeared similar to the Pinkie Pie they had met in the other Ponyville, although she had a straight mane rather than puffy curls. Her coat was also a little darker, and her mane a little lighter.

“Hey, Minty, what’s up?” Pinkie said, not looking up.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Fizzy said. “What are you working on there?”

Pinkie looked up and saw Fizzy and the others. She stood up and said, “Hello! Who are all of you?”

“I’m Fizzy!”

“Wind Whistler.”

“Gusty.”

“Shady.”

“I’ve never seen you in Ponyville before,” Pinkie said. “Where are you all from?”

“Have you ever heard of Dream Valley?” Gusty said. “In Ponyland?”

“No,” Pinkie said.

“To put it simply, a portal transported us from another world, similar yet distinct from your own,” Wind Whistler said.

Pinkie’s eyes went wide, but before she could say anything, Minty cut in. “You should have seen it! There was this big… thing in the air, woosh, and it was all rainbow-y, shing, and they were all whoa and they fell into the street!”

“Wow, really?” Pinkie said. “That’s incredible! What’s it like where you’re from?”

“We can talk about that later,” Wind Whistler said. “Minty says you’re clever, and we need your help. We need magic that can get us back to our world. Do you know someone who’s good with magic, or any magical artifacts, or even a library that might have useful information?” Wind Whistler wasn’t sure if these ponies even knew what magic was, since they were all earth ponies.

“Hmm, that’s a tough one,” Pinkie said, and she started pacing. “Magic is one thing, but rainbow-y portal, woosh-you-to-an-alternate-world magic is a whole different thing. I’m not sure who could help with something like that.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then gasped. “That’s it! I can’t help you, but I know someone who maybe can. He’s been around for thousands of years, and he knows locations I had never even heard of.”

“Wonderful!” Wind Whistler said. “Can you take us to him?”

“Of course,” Pinkie said. “But first, you must have had quite the day, what with magic rainbow portals and all. Do you need anything? A place to nap, some party punch, some leftover cake?”

“Party punch?” Fizzy said. “I’d love some!”

“Our bodies need proper nutrition,” Wind Whistler said. “Would you mind if I were to graze on some of the lovely Poa ponensis you have outside?”

“What do I have outside?” Pinkie said, sounding worried.

“Ponish bluegrass,” Wind Whistler said.

“Oh,” PInkie said, laughing. “Help yourself. There’s some alfalfa in the garden, too, if you want it.”

“Wow, thank you,” Fizzy said. “You’re as nice as the other PInkie Pie.”

“The other… Pinkie Pie?” Pinkie repeated.

“Similar yet distinct worlds,” Wind Whistler said. She could already tell this Pinkie was less hyper than the last one. And she was out repairing something, which didn’t really seem like something the other Pinkie would do. However, there were probably similarities even beyond the name and colors. They had similar flank symbols, and the fact that this Pinkie had party punch and leftover cake was likely no coincidence.

“I have so many questions,” Pinkie said. Wind Whistler excused herself to graze while Fizzy went straight for the punch and Gusty started explaining more about Ponyland. Wind Whistler lowered her head to the grass. It had a faintly sweet aroma and a flavor to match. Curious. Maybe this wasn’t Poa ponensis, but a different grass in the same genus? Whatever it was, it was fresh, tender, and delicious.

Wind Whistler heard hoofsteps behind her. She looked over to see Shady, who bent down to graze as well. Wind Whistler chewed and said, “I hope the others come out here. We won’t get far on nothing but sugary drinks and cake.”

“Well, you know Fizzy,” Shady said. “She likes to eat dessert first. Gusty’s telling stories, but she’ll probably eat when she’s done.”

Wind Whistler chewed through another mouthful and said, “How are you doing, Shady?”

“I’m a little disappointed. I thought we’d finally make it home. This place seems nice, but I miss our friends.”

“I feel the same,” Wind Whistler said. “If time has passed equally for them, they will have sent out search parties by now. And there’s not a trace to lead them, unless Galaxy can trace the magic of the portal.” How long had it been since they disappeared from Dream Valley? 36 hours or so. It felt like much longer.

“I hope they’re not panicking,” Shady said. “I know I would be.”

“At least we four are together, and we appear to be in no danger here,” Wind Whistler said, looking around. There were no fences to seal off properties, and she hadn’t seen Pinkie unlock the door to let them in. The castle was the only hint that there was any need for security in this peaceful town. “We’ll find our way back eventually.”

Wind Whistler moved on to the alfalfa, which was just as satisfying as the grass. She came inside just as Fizzy and Gusty were heading outside. “How was the grass?” Pinkie said.

“It was delectable,” Wind Whistler said.

“You have to try this punch!” Minty said. “Fizzy did something to it, and it’s amazing! She’s better than a soda machine. Which rhymes with green.”

Wind Whistler looked at Minty. “Yes?” she said, waiting for an explanation on how that was relevant. Minty just gave a goofy chuckle and poured Wind Whistler a glass of punch. Wind Whistler started licking it up. Fizzy had added a light, foamy fizz to the punch that perfectly complemented its flavor. The punch was a pink, fruity blend. It seemed that everything Pinkie owned was pink.

Soon they had finished eating, and they all felt refreshed. They thanked Pinkie Pie, and she and Minty led them to the castle, where someone who might be able to help them lived. Like everything else here, the castle was painted in bright colors. The drawbridge was down and the doors open. The interior was clean and well lit by windows.

As they went in, window light gave way to candlelight. Wind Whistler thought she heard something shuffle behind her, but when she looked she only saw an empty hallway. “Hello?” Pinkie Pie called. “Is anyone there?” They came into a library with skylights.

There was a loud snarl directly behind them. Wind Whistler spun around to see a fierce, purple beast with sharp claws and teeth. Ponies screamed, and suddenly the air was filled with bubbles. Wind Whistler shut her eyes a moment before they started popping all over her face. The creature facing them cried out in pain. “Ouch, my eyes!” it howled. “It burns!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Fizzy said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Wind Whistler opened her eyes. The bubbles had cleared. Before them was a dragon, a little shorter than them but bulky. He reminded Wind Whistler of Spike, although he was decidedly fiercer in appearance.

“It’s my own fault for startling you,” the dragon said, blinking. The whites of his eyes were currently red. “Never approach a horse from its blind spot, they say.”

“Who says that?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Oh my, do they not say that?” the dragon said. “Well they should. Excuse me, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Kenbroath Kilspotten Heathspike, but you may call me Spike.” Yet another Spike. How peculiar.

Wind Whistler and her friends gave their names. “I say, that’s some peculiar magic you used, Fizzy,” Spike said. “You four aren’t from around here, are you?”

“Indeed not,” Wind Whistler said. She gave a fairly detailed explanation of how they had gotten here.

“My, my, my,” Spike said. “In all my years I’ve never heard anything like it. And you’re looking to get back home, yes? Well, let’s see. I believe you need to click your heels three times and say “There’s no place like home” and you’ll be there! No wait, that’s the wrong one. Um, let’s see… You need magic that can teleport you across the barriers between realms. I can’t guarantee this will work, but it’s a start. In Unicornia they have a wand that can teleport its user. Maybe with the right tweaks it could be used to teleport to another realm. You’ll need to speak to Princess Rarity. Another possibility is Butterfly Island. The pegasi there have similar magic in their Rainbow Waterfall. I’d recommend speaking to their leader, Star Catcher.”

Spike pulled out a map. “Unicornia is marked by this rainbow castle here. It’s a long journey. Butterfly Island is even farther, but you can teleport there using the Rainbow Waterfall, which is just outside Ponyville.”

“We can get to Unicornia using my hot air balloon,” Pinkie Pie said. “It’s not too far if you fly.”

“I suggest we divide ourselves and visit both locales simultaneously to increase our probability of success,” Wind Whistler said. “We can rendezvous in Ponyville.”

“What’d she say?” Minty said.

“She means we should split up and visit both places, then meet up again in Ponyville,” Pinkie Pie said. “It sounds like a good idea to me.”

“Perhaps you two unicorns should go to Unicornia, since your magic will be more similar to theirs,” Wind Whistler said to Fizzy and Gusty. “Shady, you can come with me to Butterfly Island.”

“Okay,” Shady said.

“A pony named Rainbow Dash is most familiar with the route to Unicornia,” Pinkie said. Another familiar name. “I’ll find her and go to Unicornia with you as the balloon pilot. Minty, can you show them to the Rainbow Waterfalls?”

“No problem,” Minty said.

“Great!” Pinkie said. “I’m going to have to finish repairing the balloon, and it’s getting late, so we’ll head out tomorrow.” Oh, so that’s what she was repairing. “You can all stay at my house. I have plenty of room.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Wind Whistler said.

“Wait, I don’t want to miss out on all the fun!” Minty said. “My house is smaller, but I can fit at least one of you.”

“I’d love to stay with you tonight,” Fizzy said. “We’ll have fun!” From what Wind Whistler could gather of Minty’s personality, she worried that the two of them without supervision might cause some kind of chaos. But they were both adults—or at least Minty appeared to be an adult—so Wind Whistler held her tongue.

“Alright,” Gusty said. “We can meet up with you at Pinkie Pie’s house tomorrow morning.”

* * *

Wind Whistler lay down in the soft grass next to the quietly gurgling brook. It was a cool, picturesque day in Dream Valley. The sun shone, birds sang, and white cirrus clouds streaked across the sky like strokes of a paintbrush. Ribbon and Paradise laid across from her, with two books in the center: 20,000 Leagues Under the Mare and The Voyage of the Bridle. “I trust we all completely read both books?” Wind Whistler said.

“Of course,” Paradise said.

“Yes,” Ribbon said.

“Excellent,” Wind Whistler said. “Paradise, what is your evaluation of The Voyage of the Bridle?” Paradise and Wind Whistler were both avid readers, but Paradise loved fiction and Wind Whistler loved nonfiction. They had each challenged the other to read a book they thought the other would like. Ribbon had joined in, reading both books.

“Well, I hope you don’t take this personally, but I found it to be rather poorly written,” Paradise said.

“Poorly written?” Wind Whistler said. “Do you care to elaborate?”

“Well, the author doesn’t do much to develop the characters besides himself,” Paradise said.

“It’s the journal of a naturalist aboard the survey vessel the Bridle,” Wind Whistler said. “It’s about his discoveries, not his shipmates.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Paradise said. “It reads like a textbook, not a narrative.”

“I resent that,” Wind Whistler said. “It is no mere catalog of species. His discoveries are told in chronological order along with his own personal thoughts and feelings on them.”

“Yes, but there’s no overarching story,” Paradise said. “Things just happen. There’s no structure, no clear exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution.”

“What you’re asking for is illogical,” Wind Whistler said. “He cannot change the order of events or embellish things in order to fit into the ebb and flow of a particular formula. These are real events, you must realize. Besides, 20,000 Leagues Under the Mare is guilty of more egregious oversights.”

“Is that so?” Paradise said.

“Yes,” Wind Whistler said. “It is riddled with scientific inaccuracies. Many of the author’s descriptions and classifications of marine organisms are simply incorrect. For example, Carcharhinus melanopterus, the gigantic shark with which the crew does battle, is in reality a rather diminutive fish. It is lighter than a pony and certainly incapable of eating one.”

“Well, you have to forgive the scientific inaccuracies because it’s an old book,” Paradise said. “Maybe that species of shark was bigger back then, or it was simply misunderstood by the primitive science of the time.”

“As a matter of fact, several Carcharhinus melanopterus specimens had already been collected by that time, and they were similar in size to the ones seen today,” Wind Whistler said. “I imagine that the author based the creatures in the book off exaggerated hearsay from sailors, rather than doing proper scientific research.”

“I think you’re missing the point,” Paradise said. “The story is driven by the characters’ passion for discovery, not the technical details.”

“Well is there anything either of you liked about the books you read?” Ribbon said.

“Why, yes,” Paradise said. “Although the book is about science rather than the narrative, I appreciate the author’s passion for science. It’s rather infectious. I found myself looking up a lot of the scientific terms he used and even diving deeper into certain topics that interested me.” Wind Whistler was pleased to hear that. Getting a laypony to be interested in science was a victory, to be certain. Paradise was very smart; in fact, her knowledge of history and literature was deeper than Wind Whistler’s. But more than once she had mentioned that she found topics such as science and mathematics to be stuffy and boring.

“I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Captain,” Wind Whistler said. “With every new detail I learned about his remarkable life, I found myself increasingly captivated with his character.”

Paradise’s eyes were glowing. “Really? That’s wonderful!”

They spent the next couple of hours discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each book. They concluded that both books were good, even if their personal preferences differed. “Well, I suspect that we’ve both learned something,” Wind Whistler said. “I believe I understand your mentality and preferences better than before.”

“I feel the same way,” Paradise said. “I hope our friendship lasts forever.” They stood up.

Wind Whistler suddenly had the feeling that they were forgetting something. She looked around. Oh, the books. She nestled a wing under them and used it to lift them onto her back. She and Paradise turned to walk back to Paradise Estates.

Wind Whistler woke up rather suddenly. Light was trickling through the pink curtains on the small third story of Pinkie Pie’s house. What a vivid dream, Wind Whistler thought. I must be getting homesick.

Author's Note

They said G3 was for fillies. But I didn't listen! You'd think I'd have to embellish and reinvent the characters of G3 to make it a more interesting fan fiction, but really, almost everything interesting in this chapter comes straight out of G3! It's a surprisingly creative and definitely underrated series.

Chapter Two

Wind Whistler, Gusty, Shady, and Pinkie Pie were waiting at Pinkie’s house until it was almost noon, and Fizzy and Minty still hadn’t shown up. The balloon was repaired, and they were otherwise ready to go. They finally decided to go to Minty’s house and look for those two. Pinkie was leading when they turned a corner and ran headlong into a sprinting Minty and Fizzy. Wind Whistler avoided a collision, but Pinkie and Minty knocked right into each other faces first and ended up on the ground, rubbing their heads. “Minty!” Pinkie said, sounding dazed. Shady helped her stand.

“I’m sorry!” Minty said. “I’m so sorry!”

“Yeah, both of us,” Fizzy said. “We didn’t mean to be so late, honest.”

“What happened?” Wind Whistler said as Fizzy helped Minty stand. She noticed that Fizzy had dark bags under her eyes.

“Oh, you know, first we were painting our hooves,” Minty said, “then we were making minty, fizzy drinks, then we were talking about cute mares, and then the sun was rising! And we tried to take a quick nap before heading to your place, only it didn’t end up being so quick…”

Wind Whistler noticed Fizzy’s shiny, pink hooves. Minty’s matched. They both had green coats—more teal for Fizzy—but they also had pink in their manes. The pink hooves worked well with both their color schemes. “Minty, Minty, Minty!” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “I understand that it’s fun to make new friends. Just try to keep track of time in the future, okay? Those ponies are counting on us.”

“Okay,” Minty said. They hugged.

Wind Whistler’s mind was still on something Minty had said. “‘Talked about cute mares?’” she mumbled as the others walked away. Belatedly she turned to follow them. She hadn’t even known that Fizzy was into mares. She suddenly wondered if she had been mentioned in last night’s discussion. It was always hard for Wind Whistler to read other’s emotions, even with an expressive pony like Fizzy. She knew that Fizzy liked her, but she didn’t know if it was a friendly fondness or a different kind of attraction. As for how Wind Whistler felt towards Fizzy… well, that was secondary to finding their way home.

“By the way, I love how you’ve painted your hooves,” Pinkie said to Minty.

Minty chuckled. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

“You three can head out for Butterfly Island right now,” Pinkie said. “We have to go get Rainbow Dash, then it’s off to Unicornia!”

* * *

Gusty was looking forward to meeting this Ponyville’s Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie seemed similar enough, and Rainbow Dash from the last Ponyville was Gusty’s favorite pony she had met there. Hopefully this Rainbow Dash was the same sort of bold, brave daredevil. “Here we are!” Pinkie said, stopping at a house. It had a massive rainbow arch over the door.

Right as Pinkie was about to knock on the door, it opened. The pony who was coming out nearly ran into Pinkie’s outstretched hoof, but she caught herself. “Hello, Pinkie Pie,” she said in a delicate, elegant voice. She was a sky-blue earth pony with pink, orange, yellow, and green in her mane. She wore a feminine sunhat, a yellow scarf, and dainty shoes. “What a pleasure it is to see you here,” the blue pony said. “Who are your friends?”

“This is Gusty and Fizzy,” Pinkie said. “They’re from a very distant land, and they got here by accident. We’re going to Unicornia to see if the unicorns have some magic that can help them get back home. We were wondering if you could guide us there.”

“That sounds marvelous!” the blue pony said. “I’d love an excuse to go to Unicornia! Let me just find something dashing to wear and do a bit of packing. Come in. I’ll just be in my room.” The blue pony let them in and strode off to her bedroom.

“We’ll have four ponies in the balloon, so remember to pack light,” Pinkie called after her.

Gusty stared after the blue pony. “What?” she said.

“What what?” PInkie replied.

“That’s Rainbow Dash?”

“The one and only! Why?”

“She’s very different from the other Rainbow Dash,” Gusty said.

“Right… the other Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “Did you meet every pony in Ponyville in that other world?”

“We didn’t see a Minty,” Gusty said.

“You mean there was a Pinkie Pie but no Minty? That’s a shame; we’re best friends in this world.”

Rainbow Dash was in her bedroom a long time before coming out. She had redone her mane in a tail. She had a long, flowing, rainbow scarf and shoes that appeared to be made of rose-tinted glass. She had a large, fully loaded saddlebag.

“What was wrong with your other outfit?” Gusty said.

“That was for Ponyville,” Rainbow Dash said. “But we’re going to Unicornia. Come on.” She walked towards the door. All of them followed, except Fizzy. Gusty turned to her and realized that she had dozed off standing up.

“Fizzy, come on,” Gusty said. She didn’t wake. Gusty rolled her eyes and used her horn to direct a gust of wind right in Fizzy’s ear. “I’m awake!” she said, jerking back.

“You are now,” Gusty said. “Let’s go.”

* * *

“Minty, we traveled this path,” Wind Whistler said. “It leads back to Ponyville.”

“Are you sure?” Minty said, looking around.

“Yes, I’m quite certain,” Wind Whistler said. She, Shady, and Minty were in a grove of odd, umbrella-shaped trees outside of Ponyville. Minty was supposed to be leading them to the Rainbow Waterfall, but she appeared to be lost. Wind Whistler knew where they were relative to Ponyville, but she didn’t know where the Rainbow Waterfall was supposed to be.

Shady’s head suddenly snapped to look behind them, ears perked up. A moment later Wind Whistler noticed the sound; something was coming towards them. It was currently obscured behind a series of shrubs with bright pink flowers. A purple earth pony came around the bushes. “Oh, it’s you, Sky Wishes,” Minty said, laughing.

“Hello, Minty,” Sky Wishes said. “Who are these two?”

“Wind Whistler.”

“Shady.”

“Can you help us find the Rainbow Waterfall?” Minty said.

“Don’t you know the way, Wind Whistler?” Sky Wishes said. “You’re a pegasus, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I’m not from Butterfly Island,” Wind Whistler said.

“Oh, well, finding the Rainbow Waterfall is easy,” Sky Wishes said. “You just keep going uphill. I’m going there too, so follow me.” They set off up a gentle incline, decidedly not in the direction Minty was leading them.

As they walked, Sky Wishes said, “I didn’t know there were any pegasi living outside Butterfly Island.”

“Shady and I are not from your world,” Wind Whistler said. “We were transported here by a magical portal. We’re going to Butterfly Island to see if they can help us return home.”

“That’s a strange story,” Sky Wishes said. “But I believe it. A few years ago no one would have believed that there were ponies who could fly, after all.”

“Really?” Wind Whistler said. “This has me curious. It seems the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns live separately here. That’s not the state of things in our land of origin. Has it always been that way?”

“There are stories of the pegasi and earth ponies interacting in the past,” Sky Wishes said. “Everyone thought they were just myths. But even in the stories, the pegasi come from another land. So I’d say it’s probably always been this way. But it sure is great to be interacting with the pegasi and unicorns again. It’s thrilling to have friends who can fly, make rainbows, grant wishes, and… Well, you know what I mean.”

“Indeed,” Wind Whistler said. “I can’t imagine how things would be different if all my friends were exclusively pegasi. Some of my earth pony and unicorn friends have skills that have won the day in a pinch.”

“More the unicorns,” Shady said, walking with her head down.

“That is unequivocally false,” Wind Whistler said. “Do you know what I consider to be my closest brush with death? It’s the time I was transformed to glass by Porcina. And who saved me from that situation?”

“Well, it was Porcina, technically,” Shady said.

“It was you, Shady,” Wind Whistler said clearly. “Gusty told me the story. All of Dream Valley would still be a silicate wasteland, ponies and all, if not for your clever plan to make the counterfeit magic cloak.”

“It sounds like you ponies have been through some scary stuff,” Sky Wishes said. “Are you some kind of heroes?”

“Not exactly,” Wind Whistler said. “We’re just trying to make a living in Dream Valley, but unfortunately several powerful forces have attacked us to take our land, to enslave us, or just out of malice.”

“And you want to go back there?” Sky Wishes said.

“We have friends there,” Wind Whistler said. “And not just the other ponies. There’s the bushwoolies, the furbobs, the stonebacks, the grundles, Porcina, Scorpan, Spike.”

“Spike?” Sky Wishes said, surprised. “You don’t mean Master Kenbroath Kilspotten Heathspike, do you?”

“No, he’s simply known as Spike,” Wind Whistler said. “The Spike we know is also a purple dragon of a similar size, but he doesn’t seem to have much else in common with the Spike you know.”

“That’s a weird coincidence,” Sky Wishes said.

“I don’t believe it’s a coincidence at all,” Wind Whistler said. “We’ve been to three separate worlds now, thanks to the fickle nature of those portals. And we’ve seen odd parallels between the three worlds, including similar locations and individuals with shared names and traits. Before you ask, we didn’t meet a Sky Wishes in the other two worlds.”

“It’s all so hard to believe,” Sky Wishes said. “Well, I wish you luck in finding your way back.”

Ahead of them, the ground dropped away sharply in a sudden cliff. There was a gap, then another stone cliff ahead, rising far above their heads. A brilliant rainbow waterfall tumbled off the far side into a pool at the bottom between the two cliffs. Colors swirled in the pool. “It’s beautiful,” Shady said. They stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the pool.

“Isn’t it?” Sky Wishes said.

“How does it transport us to Butterfly Island?” Wind Whistler said.

“You have to fly through the waterfall,” Sky Wishes said. “Instead of hitting the stone behind the water, you’ll come out of a similar waterfall at Butterfly Island.”

“How will you, Minty, and Shady get across?” Wind Whistler said. “I’m not strong enough to carry a pony.”

“I can make the jump,” Shady said.

“Only if there’s a safe landing on the other side,” Wind Whistler said.

“I don’t think I can make that jump,” Minty said.

“You won’t need to,” Sky Wishes said. “The pegasi and I have a magical connection. Star Catcher can sense when I’m near the falls. They’ll be along to pick us up soon.”

“Very well,” Wind Whistler said, locking up the stay apparatus in her legs. “We’ll wait for them and go together.”

Minty lowered her head and appeared to fall asleep immediately, still standing. Wind Whistler and Shady chatted with Sky Wishes about the differences between their worlds. It was clear that the ponies here were more numerous and had fewer enemies. Compared with here and the prosperous nation of Equestria, it seemed the ponies of Dream Valley were a small group scraping together a living in a hostile world.

The three of them were talking for perhaps half an hour, and Sky Wishes was starting to get antsy. “It doesn’t usually take so long for the pegasi to show up,” she said. “I wonder what’s happening.”

“I can find out,” Wind Whistler said, flaring her wings. She flew up to the Rainbow Waterfall and proceeded slowly, worried that she would just hit the stone behind the waterfall. Her muzzle touched the rainbow and didn’t even get wet. Soon her face was through, meeting warm, humid air. She opened her eyes and saw an island with palm trees, colorful flowers, and white beaches surrounded in blue water. Right below her the waterfall spilled into a pool. She didn’t see any ponies around.

“Hello?” she called out. There was no response. She pulled back through the waterfall. “There’s an island on the other side, but it appears to be uninhabited.”

“What?” Sky Wishes said. “It shouldn’t be. Maybe something bad happened!”

“I can go through and investigate more closely,” Wind Whistler said.

“Is there somewhere safe to land if I jump?” Shady said.

“Yes, the waterfall terminates in a pool,” Wind Whistler said.

“Then I’ll come with you,” Shady said.

“I guess I’ll stay with Minty,” Sky Wishes said, sounding worried. Minty was still dozing off.

Wind Whistler flew through the waterfall. Several seconds later, Shady bounded through the waterfall, falling into the pool below with a colorful splash. She swam to the bank and shook herself off. Wind Whistler landed next to her and said, “We should stick together, in case there is some sort of danger here.”

They started walking, swiveling their heads and listening carefully. Wind Whistler saw at least one piece of evidence that this island had been inhabited. At the top of the waterfall was a large statue in the shape of a butterfly. Shady stopped, looking at it. “What do you think happened here?” she said.

“It’s too early to guess,” Wind Whistler said. “There should be a town on the island somewhere, if pegasi used to live here. If we find it, that might give us a clue.”

They were walking through a forest of palm trees, pushing through underbrush adorned with bright flowers. Suddenly Wind Whistler was lifted into the air by some force. She tried to flap her wings to take control of her movement, but they tangled in something. She and Shady had been caught in a trap, a net that was lifted up by a boulder tied to a tree.

A whistle pierced the air, so loud and clear that maybe it rivaled Wind Whistler’s whistling ability. Into view came a blue pegasus with a pink and yellow mane. Wind Whistler wondered if this pony was this world’s equivalent to herself. The other blue pegasus had covered herself in pond fronds, but now she shook them off. “Who are you two?” she said in a quick, high-pitched voice. “What are you doing here?”

“My name is Wind Whistler, and this is Shady. We mean you no harm. We were just trying to find the pegasi of Butterfly Island. We came to the Rainbow Waterfall with Sky Wishes and Minty.”

“Sky Wishes?” the other pegasus said, cocking her head. She walked in place for a moment, unsure. “Don’t go anywhere.” She flew off. Fizzy might have said something silly in response to that, but Wind Whistler and Shady were left in silence. Hoping on the possibility that the other pegasus would release them, Wind Whistler didn’t try to escape just yet. She did start looking around for options, however. The best she had was attempting to chew through the ropes. It wasn’t too long a fall if they succeeded.

Soon the blue pegasus returned with another pegasus. This one was white, with a mane of blue, white, and pink stripes. She had magnificent wings with long feathers that shifted from white at the base to blue at the tip. Most notably, she had swirling marks all over her body in addition to her heart-shaped flank symbol. “You’re friends of Sky Wishes?” the white pegasus said in a smooth voice.

“Not friends exactly,” Wind Whistler admitted. “We met her, and she led us to the Rainbow Waterfall. We need magic to help us get back to our homeland, and Spike the dragon told us that the pegasi of Butterfly Island might be able to help.”

“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” the white pegasus said. “Let’s release them,” she added, turning to the blue pegasus.

The blue pegasus whistled nervously and said, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“They said they mean us no harm, and I believe them,” the white pegasus said. They flew up, untied the rope that suspended the net, and gently lowered Wind Whistler and Shady. “I’m sorry for all this,” the white pegasus said. “My name is Star Catcher.”

“I am Wind Whistler.”

“Shady.”

Star Catcher nudged the blue pegasus. “Thistle Whistle,” she said hesitantly.

“We aren’t normally so suspicious, but a creature flew through the Rainbow Waterfall this morning and attacked us,” Star Catcher said. “We drove it off, but we were worried that something else might come. And I’m very worried about Ponyville, since it’s near the other side of the waterfall. Tell me, do you have any news from there?”

“Everything was fine when we left this morning,” Wind Whistler said. “We haven’t seen any strange creatures.”

“Curious,” Star Catcher said. “I’m going to the Rainbow Waterfall to get Sky Wishes. Then we’ll talk more.” She flew off.

Author's Note

I’m sorry about the long delay between chapters. I got all the way into Chapter Three before deciding that the story was going in completely the wrong direction. So I was stuck for a while and I finally rewrote most of Chapter Two.

Chapter Three

Gusty, Fizzy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were traveling by balloon for about half a day. Fizzy was sleeping for most of the trip. Gusty made conversation with Pinkie and Rainbow. She noticed that they had a rather particular way of speaking. She was certain Pinkie had said the phrase “absolutely, definitely, positively” at least three times, and Rainbow Dash kept using the word “dashing.” They both enjoyed listening to Gusty’s stories of all the adventures she had lived through.

Their conversation halted when the wind shifted. “Oh, this won’t do,” Rainbow said. “We’ll pass right by Unicornia if this wind keeps up. We’ll have to land and wait for it to change.”

“Maybe not,” Gusty said. “Which way are we going?” Rainbow pointed. Gusty activated her horn, straining. It was much easier for her to make a gust straight out of her horn. To control the air around her and influence the wind on a larger scale was a tall order.

Her horn wavered for a moment, and it seemed she might be unable to manage it. But reluctantly the wind shifted directions. “Wow, that’s amazing!” Pinkie said. “You just changed the wind?”

“Only around the balloon, but yep,” Gusty said, her horn still whirring. “How far is it to Unicornia?”

“Oh, not far now,” Rainbow said. “At this pace we’ll be there in an hour.”

“Oh, great,” Gusty said, straining from using her horn so hard. “We might have to land after all. I don’t know if I can keep this up.”

“You’re doing marvelously,” Rainbow said. “Don’t feel the need to push yourself too hard.” Gusty’s horn was sore after several minutes. Just when she was about to tell the others that she needed to rest, however, the resistance she felt in the air lessened drastically. She let go of the spell and realized that the wind had shifted back in the way they wanted to go.

“You got us to a new airstream,” Pinkie said. “Your magic is absolutely, definitely, positively great!”

Soon a castle was in view ahead, nestled atop a mountain. It was painted with a rainbow motif, and the roofs seemed to glitter and sparkle in the sun. Most impressive was the dome at the top, made entirely of crystal that refracted the light in rainbow patterns. A town was built on the lower slopes of the mountain. “Welcome to Unicornia!” Rainbow Dash said happily. “Isn’t it dashing?”

Gusty used her magic to help guide the balloon to a field near the castle. As they landed, a unicorn filly, pink with rainbow colors in her mane and tail, was first to greet them. “Hi, Rainbow Dash!” she said excitedly. “Hi, Pinkie Pie! Who are your friends? I’ve never seen them around Unicornia before. But they’re unicorns, aren’t they?”

“My name is Gusty,” she said. She waited for Fizzy to introduce herself, but nothing happened. She turned and saw that Fizzy was still standing in the basket, dozing. “Fizzy, we’re here!” Gusty barked.

There was a burst of bubbles and a yelp. “I’m awake!” she said.

“Did you sleep well?” Gusty said sarcastically.

“Yeah, I feel great!” Fizzy said, missing the sarcasm completely. “Whoa, look at that castle!”

“Hi, I’m Rarity,” the unicorn filly said. “What’s your name?”

“Fizzy,” she said.

“Have you two ever been to Unicornia before?” Rarity said.

“Nope,” Gusty said.

“This is great!” Rarity said, eyes glowing. “You’ve arrived just in time. We’re having the Rainbow Lights Party tonight.”

“Oh, really?” Rainbow Dash said ecstatically. “I had forgotten that was today!”

“Please, let me show you around!” Rarity said. Before Gusty could respond, Rarity took off singing.

“Welcome, Fizzy; welcome, Gusty
How I hope you’ll stay a while
Our Crystal Castle is so shiny
I’m sure it will make you smile!”

She was running off towards the castle, so Gusty ran to follow her. She tried to interrupt. “Wait, we need—”

“The Dome is where we make our rainbows
Then we send them everywhere
Pink and purple, blue and yellow
It’s a duty we must share!”

Gusty noticed that many of the buildings and trees had strings of lights draped on them. They had gotten all the way to the Crystal Castle now, and Rarity rushed inside. Gusty followed, entering a large, open chamber with the sparkly, almost iridescent crystal dome as the roof. Gusty said, “Do you know—”

“They chose me as the Rainbow Princess.
This wand, it is—”

“WE NEED THAT!” Gusty shouted, her voice echoing in the open chambers of the castle. She wasn’t really in the mood for a song. Rarity paused in the middle of twirling a wand with a star shape at the end, which glowed a soft pink. “We need magic that can help us get home, and we think the wand may help.”

“Rarity, what is going on in there?” a voice called from a chamber to the side. Into view came a purple unicorn mare with a pink mane.

“Hey, Cheerilee,” Rarity said. “I was just showing some newcomers around.”

“Well it sounds like they’re trying to talk to you,” Cheerilee said. “Maybe wait until the conversation is over before breaking out into song?”

“Sorry I interrupted you,” Gusty said. She felt the pressure of time considering none of their friends knew they were, and they may be in a panic. Plus, Wind Whistler and Shady got a head start towards Butterfly Island since Gusty’s group had needed to pick up Rainbow Dash first. “But we heard that Princess Rarity has a wand that can teleport ponies. We’re not from around here; in fact, we’re pretty sure we’re not even from this world at all. So we definitely can’t walk home.”

“Well… I don’t know a lot about the wand, really,” Rarity said. “My position as the Rainbow Princess is ceremonial, mostly. Every year they choose a new young unicorn to be the one who helps make the first rainbow of the season and who uses the magic wand to make more rainbows after the first. So I make the rainbows, but I’m really no expert.”

“I know something about the wand,” Cheerilee said. “But this bit about another world seems beyond me. We might have to look through the library to see what kind of magic would be relevant.”

“Oh, great,” Gusty said. “More books.”

“I don’t know a lot about magic, but I’d be glad to help you look,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Would someone like to keep Rarity… entertained while we look through the library?” Cheerilee said.

“I’d love to!” Fizzy said. “I want to hear the rest of that song.”

“If the Rainbow Lights Party is tonight, you three are going to need gowns,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’ll find something that suits your colors and sizes.”

Gusty sighed and said, “I’ll help look through the library.” After their crash study session in Equestria, she knew more about interdimensional teleportation magic than she had ever hoped to know.

“This dome is so pretty!” Fizzy said behind her. “It’s like a giant bubble!”

“Technically it’s called the Crystal Dome,” Rarity said. “I ran out of syllables in the song. And the castle is called the Crystal Rainbow Castle…”

Gusty followed Cheerilee into the library and shut the door to keep out the noise. That was one energetic filly. And they had made her a princess? This place was weird.

* * *

Wind Whistler trotted down the street, her hooves clacking on the cobblestone. It was a warm, sunny day with a breeze that carried a pleasant, salty scent that she vaguely seemed to recognize. Birds called overheard in clear voices, and there was a rushing sound in the distance. Wind Whistler followed the sound down a narrow road wedged between three-story buildings. The view opened up as she got to the next block, revealing a flat, blue expanse beyond the next street. The water glittered in the sunlight, and waves rushed up to the base of the cliff beyond the street, crashing against the rock in splashes of white foam. It was the sea. Wind Whistler had only seen it on one other occasion, at Butterfly Island.

This street was busier than the last. Earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi walked by, many of them looking at these… things as they walked. Small boxes with a glowing face. Some kind of magic device, perhaps? Wind Whistler could only guess their purpose. She noticed a small crowd forming ahead. She drew closer and tried to get a spot where he could see. “You say your name is Posey?” a voice said incredulously. Wind Whistler’s ears perked up. “This is unbelievable.”

“I’m sorry, but that really is my name,” a gentle voice said. That was an unmistakably familiar voice.

“Posey!” Wind Whistler called. She tried to shove her way to the front of the crowd. To her surprise, she just… slipped through. Now she could see what was going on. A yellow earth mare with a pink mane stood with a dissatisfied expression, and facing her was Posey. She also had a yellow coat and pink mane. The two were mainly distinguishable by their manestyles and the other pony’s necklace. They even had similar flowered flank symbols, as well as green tail bows. Next to Posey were Galaxy, Ribbon, and Whizzer. “What seems to be the problem?” an earth pony stallion with a badge and a light amber coat said.

“Galaxy, Ribbon, Whizzer, Posey!” Wind Whistler called. Nopony seemed to hear her.

“This pony is trying to steal my identity!” the other yellow pony said, pointing a hoof at Posey.

Wind Whistler pursed her lips and let out a piercing whistle that echoed off the nearby buildings. No one even looked at her. This is a dream, she suddenly realized. And apparently she could not influence events.

“How do you know that?” Whizzer said. She was a pink pegasus with piercing aquamarine gem eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Posey Bloom,” the yellow pony said.

“Well how old are you?” Whizzer said.

“What?” Posey Bloom said. “You can’t just ask a mare her age!”

“Well if we can’t figure out who was born first we can’t prove one is copying the other,” Whizzer said, speaking so quickly that the words and sentences rolled together. “If we can’t prove one is copying the other it’s probably just a coincidence, in any case I’ve known Posey for a long time and I can vouch for her, she’s not trying to copy you, she’s gone by this name all her life, maybe this just means you two are destined to become friends, in any case it’s something you should find interesting or at least it shouldn’t be upsetting I think you’re just being touchy and I—”

“Get out of my face,” Posey Bloom said, for Whizzer had advanced quite close.

“Posey, I don’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t sound like she’s breaking any laws,” the pony with the badge said. “Are you four coming here to stay?”

“No, we won’t be here for long,” Galaxy, a dark pink, twinkle-eyed unicorn said.

“Well then there shouldn’t be a problem,” the badge pony said. “Just stay out of each other’s way, stay calm, don’t cause any trouble.” Posey Bloom scowled but walked off. “Alright, everypony!” the badge pony called. “Get about your day. There’s nothing to see here.” The crowd started to disperse.

“Thank you, sir,” Wind Whistler said.

As she was speaking, Posey said, “Thank you, Sheriff Hitch.” Right, no one could hear her.

“No problem,” Hitch said. “What are you four in town for? Can I help you with anything? I know my way around Maretime Bay pretty well.”

“Well, maybe I better show you,” Ribbon said. She was a unicorn with a blue coat and a sandy mane with a red streak. Her horn glowed blue, and Hitch jerked back.

“You’re from outside Equestria?” he said in disbelief. Ribbon had sent him a telepathic message. “What was that rainbow-looking… thing?”

“We don’t know, but it took us here,” Ribbon said.

“And we’re not just from another land,” Galaxy said. Her horn lit up, and she closed her eyes. “Something about this place feels very different. I think we’ve been transported to an entirely different planet or maybe even universe.”

“And you’re looking for your friends, the four you showed me?” Hitch said.

“Yes,” Ribbon said.

“I haven’t seen them,” Hitch said. “But I can ask around and put up a notice. But you know who could be more helpful? Pipp Petals. She has—”

“Here!” a voice called from above. “I’m here.” A pegasus landed next to them. She was short, chunky, and pink, with a tiara in her violet mane. “I saw ponies posting about the newcomers, and I had to come meet them.”

Whizzer, Galaxy, Posey, and Ribbon introduced themselves. Pipp squealed excitedly. “Oh. My. Glitter! I adore your tail bows.” All four of them had tail bows, white for Whizzer and Ribbon, blue for Galaxy, and green for Posey. “And your eyes!” She focused on Whizzer and Galaxy, the twinkle-eyed ponies. “They’re stunning!”

“Thanks but we need help,” Whizzer said rapidly. “We came here looking for friends of ours.”

“If they’re anywhere in Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, or Bridlewood Forest, the Pippsqueaks will find them,” Pipp said. She raised her… glowing box device and pointed it at Whizzer. “Say hello to my new friend, Whizzer, Pippsqueaks!” she said.

“Hello,” Whizzer said.

“She’s looking for some friends that have gone missing,” Pipp said. “Can you describe them?”

“Let’s see, there’s Gusty, a white unicorn mare…” Whizzer started chattering.

Ribbon turned to Hitch and quietly said, “Do you have a map?”

“I can get one,” Hitch said. “Let me run over to the station.” He took off at a gallop.

“Wait, all four of them have tail bows like yours?” Pipp said.

“Yep Ribbon made them for all of us,” Whizzer said. “Gusty’s and Shady’s are pink…”

Wind Whistler noticed Hitch already galloping back towards them. That was fast. He looked up at one of the birds and called out, “Thanks, Kenneth!” He had a rolled up piece of paper, which he now unrolled to show to Ribbon.

Then the dream took a turn for the surreal. After Wind Whistler had gone ignored through the whole dream, suddenly Ribbon looked right at her, teal eyes making contact. She tilted her head towards the map. Hitch looked off towards Wind Whistler, confused, clearly unable to see her. She stepped forward and looked at the map. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any of the locations. Maritime Bay, Bridlewood Forest, Zephyr Heights, a few smaller towns. Wind Whistler looked up at Ribbon. She began to say, “I don’t recognize any—”

The dream suddenly ended. The pegasi of Butterfly Island customarily slept in trees, and Wind Whistler nearly found herself falling out of the tree she had perched in. What a strangely detailed dream. Those weird little boxes, the Posey doppelganger, a whole map of unfamiliar locations. How had her mind dreamed up all those odd little details? And the way Ribbon had… Ribbon! “Of course!” Wind Whistler said aloud, springing out of the palm tree and landing on the ground.

“Huh?” Shady, who had slept under the tree, stirred.

“Ribbon was trying to reach me telepathically,” Wind Whistler said, excited by what felt like a eureka moment. “I should have realized it the first time. That dream seemed unusually vivid, but what really should have tipped me off was Ribbon. In the dream I relived a conversation that I had in real life with Paradise, but in the dream Ribbon was there too.”

“What are you talking about?” Shady said, bleared-eyed.

“Ribbon sent me a telepathic message,” Wind Whistler said. “This one had a much clearer purpose. Perhaps the first one barely got through. Ribbon, Galaxy, Whizzer, and Posey were looking for us in a place called ‘Equestria,’ but it didn’t look like the first Equestria we visited. It sounds like they came through a portal as well. Ribbon shoved me a map of the area they were in, but nothing was familiar to me.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just a dream?” Shady said.

“I’m certain,” Wind Whistler said. “They mentioned a…” She tried to recall the exact wording. “‘Rainbow-looking thing’ that took them to where they were. This seems significant. We still don’t know how that first portal formed. And consider this: The pegasi here said they were attacked by a strange, flying creature that came through the Rainbow Waterfall. Could it be that they had never seen anything like it because it didn’t originate from this world? What if it came through a similar portal? This is just a hypothesis, but the portals have rainbow colors, and likewise the Rainbow Waterfall. We already know the Rainbow Waterfall is a portal. What if it temporarily acted as a link to another world and let that flying creature in?”

“It’s an interesting possibility,” Star Catcher said, landing beside them.

“How much did you hear?” Wind Whistler said.

“Just the hypothesis,” Star Catcher said.

“Have you heard of locations called Maretime Bay, Bridlewood Forest, or Zephyr Heights?” Wind Whistler said.

“I’m afraid not,” Star Catcher said.

“I received a telepathic message from one of our unicorn friends,” Wind Whistler said. She started filling Star Catcher on what she had learned from the dream. They had spent much of yesterday afternoon discussing the mechanics of the Rainbow Waterfall and how they might be used to achieve interdimensional transportation, but they reached no conclusions.

“This new information gives me an idea,” Wind Whistler said. She had learned much of interdimensional theory during their scouring of the Canterlot Library in Equestria. “Could we use the falls’ magic to trace where the flying creature came from?”

“If it isn’t the same place you’re from, I don’t see how that helps,” Star Catcher said.

“It’s a start towards achieving interdimensional travel,” Wind Whistler said. “And there is the possibility that the flying creature came from the same world as us. I can think of several types of aggressive flying creatures in Ponyland.”

“Well, it’s worth a try,” Star Catcher said.

Chapter Four

Fizzy liked the Rainbow Lights Party, or the Night of a Thousand Lights, as some ponies called it. The unicorns decorated the whole town with lights, then they gathered in the castle ballroom—the chamber beneath the Crystal Dome—for a dance and party. Rainbow Dash had given Fizzy a rented gown in nearly Neapolitan colors, with forest green replacing the brown. It had a saddle-shaped back and a lacy hem. Rainbow Dash gave her a heart-shaped, rose quartz necklace and black shoes to go with it, and she helped put Fizzy’s fluffy mane up in a beehive hairdo. Fizzy gave Rainbow Dash as many thanks as she could until her tongue felt like rubber, then she rushed off to join the party.

All the unicorns at the party wrapped a string of lights around their horn, except the party organizer, Lily Lightly, whose horn glowed naturally. Fizzy was happy to do the same with a string of green lights around her horn. There were refreshments, lights, and music. Fizzy had a brilliant idea. She shot bubbles high into the air, near the dome roof. The bubbles fell gradually, catching the many little lights and making a dazzling display. The unicorns all cheered.

After maybe half an hour, Fizzy noticed Gusty standing at the edge of the room. She was wearing a dress, and she didn’t look too happy about it. It was pink, with vines, leaves, and flowers embroidered in red. She had combed her unruly mane straight but hadn’t styled it beyond that. Fizzy trotted over to her. “Hey, Gusty!” Fizzy said. “What’s up?”

Gusty sighed. “Just waiting, I guess. We couldn’t find anything about alternate universes or anything. We can wave that wand around all we want, but we don’t know how to make it do what we need.”

“That’s too bad,” Fizzy said.

“The unicorns have a Crystal Carriage that can travel really fast,” Gusty said. “Tomorrow we’ll take it to Butterfly Island to see if the others made any progress.”

“Wind Whistler will think of something,” Fizzy said. “She always does. Hey, you look tired.”

“I’ve been awake for a long time,” Gusty said. “We crossed a few time zones getting here.”

“I know what will get your blood moving,” Fizzy said. “Do you want to dance?”

“No thanks, Fizzy,” Gusty said. “I think I’ll just sit this party out.”

“I think the homesickness is getting to you, Gusty,” Fizzy said. “You’ve been almost as stiff as Wind Whistler.”

“It’s not that,” Gusty said. “This just isn’t my type of fun. I’d rather play volleyball or polo.”

“Come on, Gusty,” Fizzy said. “If you’re coordinated enough to play polo, dancing will be easy for you! Just follow my lead.”

Fizzy faced Gusty and started doing a simple dance step. Gusty rolled her eyes but followed her. Pony dances usually involved two dancers mirroring each other’s movements, but there wasn’t much contact. Humans may have been able to dance with each other, but ponies mostly danced at each other. Gusty picked up the pattern of the dance quickly, as Fizzy had predicted. “Rainbow Dash sure is generous, isn’t she?” Fizzy said as they danced. “She said I could keep this necklace.”

“I didn’t really want to come to the ball, but she pressured me,” Gusty said. She looked around; no ponies were standing too close to them. The music would drown out their conversation. “Is it just me, or are the ponies of this world kind of strange? I mean, is it really just a coincidence that we arrived at the night of a party? Did you see the leftover party stuff at Pinkie Pie’s house? It seems like they’re always throwing parties.”

“Maybe we just got lucky,” Fizzy said.

“And the way the Rarity burst into song when we arrived…” Gusty continued.

“We do that too,” Fizzy said.

“Yeah, but it was different,” Gusty said. “And ponies here seem to have… catchphrases. How many times has Rainbow Dash said the word ‘dashing?’”

“I like it here,” Fizzy said. “Everypony’s so cheerful all the time, and we haven’t met any scary monsters. And this party is so much fun! I know we throw parties too sometimes, but this one is way prettier!”

“Well you may like it, Fizzy, but I can’t wait to get out of here and go home,” Gusty said.

* * *

Shady and Wind Whistler were walking along the beach. Star Catcher was using her magic to fiddle with the Rainbow Waterfall, trying to get it to track where the flying creature had come from. It was taking a while, and Shady and Wind Whistler didn’t have the magic to help. Apparently the pegasi here had some kind of magic beyond just flying, although Shady wasn’t sure what abilities it granted them. Since they could do nothing to help, Shady and Wind Whistler had gone to the beach. Their arrival at this island was the first time either of them had seen the sea.

The sand was white and fine. Waves crashed rhythmically, and gulls called. The air was warm and humid, although right now there was cloud cover. A salty breeze blew in from the sea. They slowly walked along the beach. “It’s a lovely day,” Wind Whistler said.

“That’s true,” Shady said. “But I wish I could do something to help.”

“You’ve helped plenty,” Wind Whistler said. “But neither of us has the magic that Star Catcher does.”

“Have I helped?” Shady said. “You figured out Ribbon’s message. Gusty and Fizzy are getting help from the unicorns. But what did I do? I lead us into a net.”

“We walked into the net together,” Wind Whistler said.

“Don’t you remember?” Shady said. “I was walking in front. I should have seen it.”

Wind Whistler hadn’t considered that detail. “In any case, nothing bad came of it,” she said.

“It seems like nothing good has come of me, though,” Shady said.

Wind Whistler stopped in her tracks, aghast. “Nothing good? Gusty told me you saved her life in the Everfree Forest.”

“Oh, well… kind of,” Shady said. “But that was Equestria. I haven’t done anything here.”

Wind Whistler shook her head. “Shady, it seems to me that you are your own worst enemy. You’re being illogical. If you could look at your actions from an unbiased viewpoint, you would see your own merit. You are a considerate friend and a courageous hero.”

Shady frowned, thinking. Somehow, Wind Whistler’s weirdly analytical way of thinking made sense. Shady was biased against herself. “Thanks, Wind Whistler,” she said. They continued walking along the beach. Shady turned and trotted into an oncoming wave, getting her feet wet. The water was warm. She kicked a splash towards Wind Whistler with a laugh. Stern as ever, Wind Whistler just took cover behind her wing and kept walking. But Shady was almost certain she caught a faint smile on Wind Whistler’s face.

A bright, clear sound pierced the air, kind of like a bird call. “What was that?” Shady said, looking around.

“It sounded like a whistle,” Wind Whistler said. “Maybe Thistle Whistle.” She pursed her lips and mimicked the earlier sound, at the same pitch and inflection.

A second whistle came back, a different set of three notes, this time. Wind Whistler responded in kind. No response came back, but a few seconds later a blue pegasus came into view overhead. Thistle Whistle hovered over them and said, “There you are! Star Catcher wants to talk with you two. Follow me.” She flew off, most likely forgetting that Shady did not have wings.

“Wait up!” Shady called after her, but Thistle kept flying.

“It’s no complication,” Wind Whistler said. “We are already familiar with the route.” They trotted off and returned to the bottom of the Rainbow Waterfall. Star Catcher and Thistle Whistle were waiting there.

“I’m afraid I can’t make the Rainbow Waterfalls do quite what we need,” Star Catcher said. “I believe it potentially could work, but the pegasi built this magical connection to Ponyville over time. My magic just doesn’t have the power to manipulate it so quickly.”

“Explain to me exactly what problem you’re running into,” Wind Whistler said. “Maybe some of the magical theory I learned in Equestria could be of service.”

While Star Catcher and Wind Whistler were discussing, Shady thought she saw something glimmer in the corner of her eye. She turned her head. Yes, she hadn’t imagined it! A rainbow was streaking across the sky right towards them. Shady pointed and said, “Look!”

At the front of the rainbow was an open carriage, pulled by two yellow birds. The carriage came to a stop in the sand next to them. Gusty, Fizzy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and two other unicorns were in the carriage. One of the new unicorns was a pink filly who held a wand. The other was a purple adult. “Gusty, Fizzy!” Shady said. “Who are your friends?”

“I’m Rarity,” the filly said.

“And I’m Cheerilee,” the adult said.

“Have you discovered any magic that could help us?” Wind Whistler said, apparently forgetting or skipping introductions.

“We have this wand,” Gusty said, pointing her horn at Rarity’s wand. “It can do some teleportation magic, which is how we got here so fast. But we couldn’t find anything about interdimensional travel.”

“I see,” Wind Whistler said. “We’ve run into obstacles, as well.”

Before Wind Whistler could explain further, Star Catcher cut in. “I sense that the magic of the wand is strong. It might be just what we need, actually, to control the Rainbow Waterfall.”

“You mean if we combine our magic, we might be able to do something that neither could do alone?” Cheerilee said.

“Star Catcher, that’s potentially a genius idea,” Wind Whistler said. She looked at the unicorns. “Tell us everything you know about the magical properties of the wand.”

* * *

It took several hours to get it right, but Wind Whistler was quite certain that they had nailed down the magical theory of using the princess’s wand to manipulate the Rainbow Waterfalls. They should now be able to make the falls trace wherever the flying creature had come from. They had even figured out how to keep the portal open both ways in case the flying creature had originated from somewhere besides their own Ponyland.

Minty, Sky Wishes, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Star Catcher, Thistle Whistle, Rarity, Cheerilee, Gusty, Fizzy, Shady, and Wind Whistler had all gathered. They were going to test their theories. Rarity would use her magic on the Rainbow Waterfall, then the four Ponyland ponies would step through together. They would look around and try to confirm if they were in the right place, while Rarity would keep the portal open. After they found out where they were, the four Ponyland ponies would return to the Rainbow Waterfall to either let Rarity know that she could close the portal or return to Butterfly Island and keep trying if they were in the wrong place.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, unless it takes us to the wrong place,” Fizzy said, looking fondly at the other ponies, especially Minty.

“Aww, I wish I had brought some socks to give you all,” Minty said.

“You’ve done a great service for us,” Wind Whistler said to them all. She looked at Thistle Whistle in particular and said, “Additionally, your whistling tone is impeccable.”

“Th-thank you,” Thistle said, seeming flustered. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

“This place is sure… different from Ponyland,” Gusty said. “But you ponies are cool. You went out of your way not just to help us get home, but to make us feel comfortable and welcome. Thank you.”

“Say thank you to Spike for us as well,” Shady added for the Ponyville ponies.

Tender hugs were exchanged all around. Rarity stood at the bank near the Rainbow Waterfall. “Here we go!” she said. She twirled her wand and sparkles came off it.

Star Catcher hovered near the fall. “It feels right,” she said. “Remember, whether it returns you to Ponyland or not, come back here to let us know.”

“Yes, of course,” Wind Whistler said. “Are we ready?” Gusty, Shady, and Fizzy nodded.

“Together,” Gusty said, stepping into the shimmering, rainbowy water. They waded into the water, but they had to swim the last stretch to the falls. Wind Whistler watched the others carefully to make sure they stayed as a group. They swam into the falls. Unlike last time, water did pour over Wind Whistler’s head, getting her mane wet. Why didn’t it have the same effect as before?

The air and water became colder. They found themselves in a different pool at the bottom of a different waterfall, made of regular, clear water with no rainbow sheen. Several fillies were playing in the water, and they jumped back in surprise. Wind Whistler noticed that they were all earth ponies. “We’re sorry to interrupt,” Wind Whistler said, swimming to where she could stand. “Could you tell us where we are?”

There were seven fillies, four in the water and three lounging on the bank. They all stared at Wind Whistler and the others in amazement. “Where did you come from?” said one of the ponies on the bank, with a pink coat and blue hair. “And what are you?”

“She’s a pegasus!” a cyan pony with blue hair said. “And those two are unicorns!”

“But that one’s just a regular pony,” a lavender filly with a pink mane said, pointing at Shady. It was impossible to tell if Shady had blushed due to her pink coat, but she certainly looked uncomfortable and singled out.

“Pegasi and unicorns aren’t real!” a chubby yellow pony with purple hair protested. “They’re just a myth!”

“Are you really, truly sure about that?” a white pony with pink hair said.

“We’re in the Old Forest, outside of Ponyland,” a filly with a pink coat and blonde hair said. She looked to be the oldest of them. All but one of the seven ponies had spoken, a peach-colored filly with pink hair. She just stared at Wind Whistler and the others, wide-eyed.

“Outside of Ponyland?” Gusty repeated, confused.

To Wind Whistler and her friends, there was no “outside” of Ponyland, excluding other worlds. Ponyland was the whole world, not a particular place. “In Ponyland, do you fillies know of a place called Dream Valley?” Wind Whistler said.

“I’ve never heard of it,” the cyan pony said.

“And Bright Eyes really knows geography,” the lavender pony said. “She aced our last test.”

“Then it appears we’ve come here by mistake,” Wind Whistler said. “Pardon the interruption.”

“Thank you,” Fizzy said. “Have a nice day!”

Wind Whistler turned to the waterfall and tried to walk through. But she found stone behind it. “What…” she mumbled. She felt around with her forehooves, the cool water beating against her legs and splashing in her face. It was stone all around. She couldn’t walk through. “Rarity, Star Catcher?” she called. “Are you keeping the portal open?” No response. Just the crashing of the waterfall and seven confused fillies staring at her.

“Oh, no…” Shady moaned. “We’re stuck again!”

Author's Note

The saga will be concluded with the third part, “Tales of home.” I promise I’ll be prompt with releasing it.