Displacement Shock

Later in the morning when I wake up, I look around, not remembering a single thing that happened after Areola went to put Aita to bed. When I see her sleeping on some towels, it all comes back to me:

When Areola returned, the meeting broke and we all went to bed. She asked that I make a nest for her, so I made it out of several towels.

I let out a small yawn before I hear tossing and turning. I look at the analog clock on my side-table: 7:16 in the morning. That is way too early to have the proper rest I need after what happened to Aita… Hm… I didn’t dream at all, so maybe I slept more well than I thought.

I just hope Aita’s okay after all that. He’ll just have to be careful where he lays his DS from now on.

Eventually, Areola perks up and looks at me. “Drifted back to conscience too?”

“Yeah. I guess that kerfuffle earlier left everyone drained. But hey, we’re awake now. Would you like to help us out or just keep Aita company?”

Areola hangs her head and holds it down with her left forehoof. “Sorry, but I’ve been ejected out of the dream realm. I’ll need some time alone to take in my surroundings.”

“Understood. I’ll go see if Starlight and Spike are awake. We’ll be on our way soon enough.”

While walking down the hall to Spike’s room, several cutie marks seem to race by, followed closely by their bearers: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.

“What’s the rush girls?!?”

Suddenly, looking back to the girls, I see my cutie mark glowing. The map is calling, but why during Aita’s birthday? Aren’t we supposed to have the whole day planned out already? When Spike comes past me, his spikes are glowing, with a head of him whizzing ahead of him.

At the throne room, not only is Spike and my friends here, but also Starlight and-

“Moondancer?!? Queen Chrysalis?!? How can the map call so many ponies at once?!? Where are we headed?!?”

Queen Chrysalis moves out of the way to reveal that eight cutie marks plus Spike’s head and Chrysalis’ crown are all floating around Ponyville, specifically Sugar Cube Corner.

“Isn’t that where we’re supposed to have the party?” Fluttershy asks.

Rarity sticks her nose up with her hoof on her forehead. “Of course darling, but who could possibly be having a friendship problem in Sugar Cube Corner?”

Chrysalis starts to think out loud. “Hm… there might be one who will. I briefly visited Aita last night, and him being his bright self, he figured everything out that we planned. Collaborating with Moondancer, the new game, the party…”

“Seriously Twilight,” Moondancer says. “what the hell? You were supposed to keep this all a surpr-.”

“Moondancer- shhh,” Chrysalis replies. “There’s no keeping a secret with Aita. He’ll find out what’s going on with even only one clue. I think it stems from losing his old family.”

“Aw man,” Rainbow Dash complains in the air. “I wish we never pushed the birthday topic away from Aita. Now he’s figured it all out.”

Applejack approaches Rainbow Dash. “Oh buck up, Rainbow Dash. The party should be swell anyway. Ah reckon Aita can still talk with us if it means so much to him.”

“Yeah, but we can’t throw a surprise party without him knowing so easily… or can we?” Pinkie Pie’s deliberate expression gives me a little hope for some secrecy.

After what feels like a week, I’m finally conscious. I spring up, gasping for breath. When I subsequently calm down, I see Twilight.

“Twilight! Oh thank goodness! I had a terrible dream about Areola and I getting dragged out into my room, then it suddenly ended and everything went black! It felt so real!”

“That’s not important right now. You were out for a REALLY long time. So long in fact, lunch time’s almost over.”

“WHAT?!? Then hug me! Make it quick!” Twilight gives me a quick hug so that I can get fueled for the afternoon. With this newfound energy, I look around for anyone in the castle, but the quick skim leaves me emptyhooved. “Where is everyone?”

“Oh, everyone is out and about… I’m so sorry about your birthday being offset for sleeping so long. This never usually happens to you.”

“Twilight… this is my first birthday in Equestria! It’s not supposed to be a plain ol’ normal day. So what if I sleep in? I can handle it. So, where do we go first?”

“First, the throne room. I wanted to show you something personally. Lucky for you, you get to play it.” Twilight teleports out and then back in with my DS floating with her when she comes back.

“You said it’s been sad not being able to play with anyone else on this, right?” Twilight asks as we walk down the hall to the throne room, to which I nod. “Well, Starlight and I were originally gonna do this with the old friendship journal, if you even remember seeing that when you were watching us, but I made a branch of the spell that makes perfect copies for anything.”

I gasp in excitement. “No way! You’re gonna copy my DS?!?”

“Not just the DS, but also the games you brought with you when you first moved in.”

I jump for joy, knowing I’m gonna be able to play with Spike, Twilight and Starlight on the games I brought with me. “Oh my gosh! This means a lot! Thank you so much, Twilight!”

So, when Twilight and I arrive at the throne room, Twilight signals me to come to her. “How’s your horn doing?”

I light my horn, which takes a little bit of time, but it does activate. “Alright, it seems like.”

“Alright, I’m gonna put the DS on the map, and we will join horns.”

With my horn still lit, Twilight sets down the DS, then lowers her head for our horns to touch. What follows is a bright flash of light, then my DS beginning to float on its own, as well as three beams radiating out of the DS like one of those toys I saw shortly before leaving my homeworld.

As soon as the light dims, three more DS’s smoothly land on the map with my own landing soon after. I’m in shock of how Twilight managed to get this down pat. It’s left my mouth agape. I lift each of the DS’s, and each one has a copy of Planet Puzzle League and Pokemon Soul Silver underneath.