Stop asking QUESTIONS! (also, why are you acting so weird right now?)

Chapters

01 - Through the Mirror
02 - Applejack's Dash
03 - Ice Cream
05 - Middlemist
06 - Face Concrete
07 - Reunion
08 - Noise Noise Noise
09 - Less Awesome But Still Cool
10 - General Relativity
11 - The Hall of Hell
12 - Through The Wardrobe
00 - Otherworldly Differences
04 - Late Last Night
13 - Misty's Beneficial Voyage into Equestria, and Sweets Shop a.k.a. Introduction to Sugarcube Corner (Featuring Twilight Sparkle and Spike Sparkle*) [from Friendship Is Magic & the opening cinematic to G5] Pt. II

01 - Through the Mirror

Above the Canadian city of Canterlot, the city lights were unnaturally still.

It was late at night, the full moon shining directly overhead and illuminating the landscape in a ghostly blue halo. The cool summer breeze drifted wistfully across the beautiful night sky, the only sources of illumination being billboards, the blinking red stoplights for nobody, and the harsh blue flickering streetlamps that sporadically dotted the streets.

Canterlot wasn’t exactly a big city. It was an average town with most modern necessities, if one was willing to look hard enough. There wasn’t a Walmart, nor any big box chain stores, besides a single McDonalds that nobody went to anyways. Instead, the factory produced slop was replaced by quaint shops and storefronts that lined most streets, ran by people who actually lived in town. The closest the place got to traditional capitalism had to be the Apple Family exporting apples via Filthy Rich. And that was only because Filthy Rich had been born and raised in the town as well.

Since the past year, the town had begun to gain a notoriety behind it. Tales of a demon take-over by the students of Canterlot High had spread far and wide, but due to the inaccessible and usually quiet inhabitants of the city, nobody on the outside could actually verify the ludicrous claims. Most people on the internet simply brushed off the videos as fancy video effects, or simply a filter.

However, if anybody happened to be walking by on a night like tonight, they might stop and stare at the immaculate building of Canterlot High. They would take in the classic red bricks that made up the school front, the statues on the tips of the roof, the huge glass dome, and the fancy glass doors at the front. They might even stop to look at the school’s mascot out front, a horse rearing up on it’s hind legs, swinging it’s hooves.

They might even notice the glossy base of the statue.

They might even notice it shimmering.

They might even notice it humming.

And for the hell of it, they might just notice the concrete turn to water as ripples stretched across It’s surface, an impossible veil of blue light shining out of the seemingly solid surface. A bubbling began pillowing out, and before one could blink, a figure was unceremoniously dumped from the inside.

“AAAH- Umph!” A young girl was thrown out, skidding on the ground a short distance, laying flat on her stomach. Her eyes were shut tight, arms splayed out to the side as she laid there for a moment, processing what had just happened.

Slowly, the girl opened her eyes, getting herself to her knees in a delicate and deliberate manner. She slowly extended out her arm, staring at the end and wiggling her fingers side to side, rotating and twisting her hand in an observing manner as if she had never seen something like it before.

She took her fingers and glided them through her pink, fluffy, and cotton candy-like hair, feeling the curly tendrils wrap around and break from her fingers. Then, she used both of her hands to grip her bangs, bouncing them up and down like she was playing with her own hair. She let her fingers dance across her face. She felt her eyes, lips, nose, and cheeks in delight. Then, finally, she reached down her hands and gripped the edge of her skirt, pulling it out and looking at it with a smile.

“Blanket to keep me warm?” She asked nobody in particular, as the empty streets didn’t seem too eager to respond. “This is going to be a piece of-”

Suddenly, the statue seemed to ignite with the same pulsating light as before. The pink girl barely had any time to react, turning around and raising her arms to protect her face as the statue spit out four more girls. The original one let out a tiny squeak as she became buried underneath the four others. Everything went still for a moment.

“Ugh- my head…” The girl on the very top of the pile moaned. She was the first one to roll away, stopping a good distance away and staring straight up and into the sky, full of blinking stars. She had an orange flannel on, sleeves rolled up to her shoulders and tucked into her blue jeans, which were held on with a belt. She had big brown boots on, and placed delicately on her head was a nice stetson. She, similarly to the pink haired one, felt her face.

She had the same freckles on her tanned skin, the same blonde hair tied into a ponytail that dangled over her shoulder. The same green eyes, even. She reached up, and tugged her stetson down onto a more comfortable wearing position. She took a deep breath in, feeling as her lungs didn’t seem to quite inflate the same way as they did before.

“Twi’ didn’t tell us this would be doozier than a pigeon peckin’ on a fig!” She exclaimed to the rest of the group, still groaning and rubbing her eyes.

“Oh- um- I hope the pigeon is alright…” A second voice said. It took her a moment, but eventually she dismounted from the pile, crawling away and collapsing a fair distance away. She pushed herself up, looking at her pale fingers spread across the ground. She let out a quiet eep! as she observed herself. She had pink hair, flowing around her head and creating a safe barricade. Strung over her shoulders and going down her entire body was a flowing green dress that made her look delicate, even if she felt anything but right now.

“It’s a saying, Flutters.” Applejack said, turning her head to the side and looking at the green-dressed girl. “Is that you, Fluttershy?” She asked. “Ya’ll look… pale and weird. Where the hay are we, anyhow?” Applejack attempted to push herself up, noting that the two flesh mounds seemed to inhibit her movement a little.

“Twi’ told us!” A raspy voice said, dismounting from the pile less elegantly than anybody before. She slipped, hitting the ground harshly in front of Applejack, and groaning as her head hit the concrete. “We’re in Canterlot, or whatever.” She grumbled, rubbing the back of her head. Her hair was cut shorter than the rest of the humans splayed on the ground, rainbow in color and spiky. Around her legs were tight black pants that ended at white sneakers on her feet. On her chest was a picture of her Cutiemark, patterned against her white t-shirt.

“It certainly doesn’t look like Canterlot…” There was a huff, and a girl with dazzling purple hair straightened her back out politely. Although her skin wasn’t nearly as pale as Fluttershy, she still wore a healthy dose of make-up, apparently somehow being applied on the journey over here through the portal. She wore a purple skirt, billowing out over her comfortable seat as her legs dangled off. “This place is positively dreadful.” She raised her hand up, only hesitating for a quick second as she stared at her fingers, before patting her hair politely.

“Aww, it’s not that bad, Rarity!” Rarity’s seat said. Rarity looked down quickly, realizing she wasn’t sitting on a chair, and instead sitting on the crook of Pinkie’s back. Rarity blushed in embarrassment, trying her hardest to slide away politely, but due to her unnatural proportions from her pony form, she only found herself falling painfully to her knees. Pinkie merely giggled, getting into her own comfortable position.

“Yeah…” Fluttershy whispered, still looking at her fingers in fascination. “I- um- I like the colors?”

“Of your fingers, darling, or the city?” Rarity inquired, adjusting from her knees to her bottom, trying to get more comfortable on the concrete ground.

“Yeah.” Fluttershy nodded. She put down her hand, finally, looking around the girls splayed across the entrance of the school. They all looked various shades of pale. Upon first look, Fluttershy thought Applejack was the darkest skinned due to her obviously tanned skin. But then she laid her eyes on Pinkie. “Speaking of colors… why is Pinkie’s skin dark?”

“Huh?” Pinkie pulled her hand back up, looking at her dark skin. “Is that weird?” She asked.

“Darling.” Rarity huffed, rolling her eyes. “We’re used to being every color but white and black. This isn’t anything.”

“Says the only white pony in our group.” Rainbow huffed.

“Hay, now.” Applejack had now fully sat up, patting a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. Pinkie simply shrugged.

“Er…” Rainbow looked up in confusion, staring directly at her childhood friend in Fluttershy. “Flutters, how are you standing?”

“Standing?” Fluttershy looked down, suddenly aware that the ground was now significantly further away than it was a few moments before. “Oh! Oh, dear!” She repeated, her knees buckling as she began wobbling side to side. It came to a climax as she fell over, catching herself on the ledge of the horse statue, pulling herself back up to standing. “I-I don’t know how I did it! I-I was busy looking at my fingers!”

“It must come naturally with these bodies.” Rarity observed from her spot on the ground. She adjusted on the ground uncomfortably. “These… bodies don’t sit on the floor very well. I can feel my bones pushing through my blank, and it hurts.” She sighed, pushing fallen hair out of her face. “I will wait for my moment to stand. A proper lady shouldn’t stumble like a foal! No offense, of course, dear Fluttershy.”

“It’s okay.” Fluttershy nodded, both of her arms clinging to her statue for her life as her feet were still crossed awkwardly. She watched as the dark skinned girl of Pinkie simply stood up. She blinked. “Um- Pinkie, how did you do that?”

“Super easy! Watch me!” She giggled, dropping down onto her bottom like Rarity. “First, you sit down on the ground like this…” Then, she rocketed back up with practiced ease in less time than it took for most people to blink once. “And you’re done!” Everybody looked around in confusion, but shrugged it off on the idea of Pinkie being Pinkie.

Rainbow looked to Applejack, attempting to change subject.

“Geez, is that you, Applejack?” Rainbow asked, leaning over and looking at the former Earth-pony up and down. “You look super weird!”

“Ya’ll lookin’ worse for wear, too.” Applejack drawled in sarcasm.

“No-no! I mean- you’re like buff!” Rainbow reached forwards, and against Applejack’s consent, grabbed her bicep. Applejack’s eyes went wide, quickly reaching over her other hand and batting away Rainbow’s intrusive hand.

“No touch!”

“I-I didn’t mean to say you didn’t look good before!” She paused. “Wait- no, that’s not- that’s not what-”

“Simmer there, Romeo.” Applejack rolled her eyes, pulling her stetson down with a grin. “You like muscles on your mare?” Rainbow blushed, tucking her face into her knees in embarrassment. Applejack smirked harder, barely suppressing a laugh at her own teasing.

Rainbow groaned, laying down on her back-

“My wings!” She suddenly shouted, shooting back up. Everypony else jumped at the loud volume, turning in concern. “Oh sweet Celestia, my wings!” She awkwardly reached her hands behind her back, reaching and feeling around her bare back in quick gropes. “Where are my wings?” Rainbow began pulling off her shirt in a vain attempt to find her wings.

“And my horn!” Rarity joined into the shouting, rubbing her forehead delicately enough to not disturb the portal-applied make up. Her hands fell into her lap in defeat. “I only got it sharpened last week…”

“Funny…” Applejack crossed her arms in a surprisingly natural gesture, glaring at the former Pegasus and Unicorn. Pinkie walked behind Applejack, copying the same motion in mock anger. “We ain’t missin’ nothin’,” She shook her head. “Welcome to the Earth-pony way, girls.”

“Earth-ponies rock!” Pinkie added, before bouncing away.

“I- um- don’t miss my wings that much, if that helps…” Fluttershy added meekly, now only having a single hand on the statue to support herself. “And- um- please stop shouting. Somepony is going to see us…” The gang of girls looked around for any wayward eyes. Luckily for them, due to how late it was, the place seemed deserted. Applejack shook her head once more, pulling her legs under her and standing up. Rainbow looked up in shock.

“H-How did you stand up?”

“Need help there, Dash?” Applejack asked cockily, tilting her head with a smile. “Seems like ya’ll havin’ a hard time. Need some of this farmer muscle?” She showed off her arm, flexing it slightly.

“S-Shut up.” Rainbow looked down with a blush at her crumpled shirt in her hand and at her own bare chest. “I thought I was coming with wings! That pesky bastard didn’t tell us I wasn’t going to have wings!”

“Ya mean yerself?”

“Whatever!” Rainbow sighed, pushing herself into a more comfortable sitting position again. “Just- help me up, okay? Please?”

“Alright, alright.” Applejack held out her hand. “Give me yer’ shirt first.” Rainbow nodded, handing her the crumbled white shirt. “Now give me yer’ hand.” She switched. Rainbow looked at her own hand for a second, figuring out the mechanics of gripping, having to squeeze all five fingers at once. She reached up, grabbing Applejack’s hand, and feeling herself being lifted off of the ground by a strong person.

She met Applejack’s eyes.

“Oh, fuck.”

“Ah’m taller than you!” Applejack shouted. “In yer face!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Rainbow shrugged. “Whatever. Only because you’re a human!”

“Those Pegasus genes ain’t helping you now, are they?” She laughed heartily. “How’s the weather down there? Ooh, ah’m gonna get you back so good! After all these years!”

The difference in height was barely two inches. Rainbow blushed again, looking down more. Applejack stopped her hyping, looking down at Rainbow curiously. “Ah’ ain’t makin’ you that flustered, am ah?”

“Dumb human brain…” Rainbow whispered to herself. Applejack smiled, grabbing Rainbow by the shoulder reassuringly.

“Now, let’s practice walkin’, but slow, kay?”

Over by the statue, Pinkie Pie seemed to be bouncing up and down like she had owned a pair of legs for her entire life. Fluttershy was still standing meekly, having progressed to only having a single hand for balance on the statue, and Rarity had given up completely on waiting for her ‘opportune moment,’ now forcing herself to stand up.

“These- brutish boots!” Rarity complained, falling back down to her bottom for the umpteenth time. She kicked her legs out, reaching around her skirt and aggressively pulling off her high-heels, leaving her purple socks the only thing covering her feet. “There. That’s more like it.” She pushed her hands into the ground once more, finally standing up. She tensed for a moment, then relaxing her shoulders with a dramatic sigh. “Feels better standing up.” She said to mostly herself. “So, darling.” She turned to Fluttershy. “I know you have a secret eye for fashion. What do you think?” Rarity struck a pose, putting one hand on her waist and another behind her head, letting the natural human tendency of showing off to take over.

“Oh- um- it’s very… pretty.” Fluttershy honestly complimented. Rarity beamed. “And the stitching looks… nice.”

“Thank you!” She smiled, relaxing her pose. “I must admit, Twilight telling us that the portal was giving us clothes gave me a moment of hesitance, but it appears my fears were unfounded.” She was wearing a purple skirt, separating her blue shirt with a black belt around her waist. She would’ve done a little twirl to watch how the skirt fell, but unfortunately, she didn’t feel like immediately collapsing. “I must take the time to thank whatever higher beings sown this for us. Whether it be Starswirl of Faust herself… I’m not big into praying, but…”

“Well, I like my outfit, too.” Fluttershy said, smoothing out her green dress that reached almost all the way to the ground, only leaving a sliver of her leather boots exposed. “You’re wearing a skirt, I’m wearing a dress, but um- what are they wearing?” Fluttershy pointed to Applejack and Rainbow, both of which were now taking small steps with their arms slung over each other's shoulders for support.

Rarity nearly barfed at Applejack’s plaid orange flannel. Just like Applejack’s fashion sense, it was an abomination to all of pony- or, humankind. She was also surprised at how buff Applejack was. Perhaps in Equestria, Earth-ponies gained most of their strength through magic. But here, in a world devoid of magic, it would make more sense ifthe lack of magic was made up for in pure muscle.

But both of them wore pants. Applejack’s pants were baggier and made of denim, while Rainbow’s black pants clung to her skin. Unfortunately for the two ponies-turned-human, they were quite confused. Not only that, but the black bra Rainbow was wearing only spiked their confusion even more.

“I-I do not know.” Rarity said. “It’s some sort of cloth covering their legs. It does look fashionable, though. Even if Rainbow took off her shirt.”

“Ooh!” Pinkie bounced over, Fluttershy and Rarity taking half a step back to allow room. “What do you think of my skirt?” She asked, holding her blue skirt out and showing them. Rarity looked down, raising her eyebrow.

“It’s quite lovely!” She complimented, wrangling her fingers around the hem of the skirt and feeling it with her thumb. “All of us are wearing high-quality material. Apparently, the ‘gods’ have quite an expensive taste.” She let Pinkie’s skirt drop as Pinkie beamed.

“Thanks!” She beamed. “I think I’m missing my magic, though. I can’t grab the lollipop I stored in my mane earlier. I don’t think it’s working!” She let her hand dissolve into her mane, rapidly swooshing it around. Uncharacteristically, nothing dropped out.

“I don’t think there is any magic in this world.” Fluttershy observed. “Rainbow is shorter, Applejack is stronger, and-” Fluttershy looked at Pinkie, biting her tongue. “Never mind.”

“What?” Pinkie asked, looking down at her skirt. “Is there something wrong with my dress?”

“N-No.” Fluttershy coughed. “I mean- you- never mind.”

“Tell me!” Pinkie bounced. “Tell me- tell me- tell me-”

“You’re… short?” Fluttershy whispered, looking away in embarrassment. Pinkie stopped her bouncing, but kept a smile on her face.

“Aw, that’s okay, Fluttershy!” She giggled. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

“And…” Fluttershy looked even further away. “Large.”

“L-Large?” Pinkie’s face momentarily fell. “But- you said I’m short!”

“What Fluttershy means to say-” Rarity redirected her attention away from the embarrassed former-Pegasus. “You liked eating cupcakes in Equestria, correct?”

“Uh-huh!” Pinkie nodded.

“Well- you know how you never gained weight?”

“Very rarely!”

“Well- what if some of that was your own inherit Earth-pony magic? How much of your… unnatural abilities come from Earth-pony magic, like your never-ending mane?”

“You sayin’ I’m fat?” Pinkie crossed her arms, leaning back, and leveling Rarity a stern expression.

“N-Not fat!” She waved her arms. “Just- plus sized!”

“Plus sized…” Pinkie blinked. “I’m plus sized and fun sized!” She brought back her exuberance, bouncing once more. “Being short is awesome! It’s not like I’m obese, or anything. Just a lil’ chubby!” She looked up at Fluttershy. “Plus, not everypony can be a skyscraper!”

“I-I’m sorry.” Fluttershy apologized.

“I think we cover the entire spectrum.” Rarity started. “Fluttershy is the tallest, followed by me, then Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie.” She pointed everybody out. “I do wonder if there are any other differences…”

“Like how Rainbow Dash doesn’t have a chest?” Fluttershy pointed out. Rarity followed her finger, looking at Rainbow and Applejack.

“Indeed.” She itched her chin. “Applejack’s chest is quite a bit larger than hers. What even are these… chest mounds?” She looked down at her own chest.

“They look a little bit like breasts.” Pinkie said, looking down at her own. “I beat you all in the size category!”

“It’s not a competition.” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“But- um- don’t breasts only enlarge when a mare is pregnant?” Fluttershy asked. Rarity raised her eyebrow.

“That is true…” She shrugged. “I’ll have to ask Twilight about that when we get back.”

“Agh- Dash!” Applejack dismounted her arm from Rainbow’s shoulder, letting her fall onto the ground. Applejack then tripped over the rolling blue form on the ground, waving her arms wildly as she attempted to right herself. She eventually did, thankfully not eating the ground in the process. “Like ah’ said, ya’ll need to take it slow!”

“I did!” Rainbow said, pushing herself up and back into a standing position. “It’s not my fault these stupid legs won’t cooperate!” She huffed, walking without Applejack. “Seriously, we’ve been here for over five minutes, and I can barely walk! Why can everypony else walk but me?” She tripped on her foot again, stumbling forwards and catching herself on the statue, much like Fluttershy had a few minutes prior.

“Speaking of which…” Applejack looked around. “We still need’a find a way home.” She tapped her chin, looking across the street. “There ought’a be somethin we can use-” She stopped, her jaw still working in position. “Well, dag nabbit…”

“What? What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked, warily stepping forwards. She accidentally bumped shoulders with Applejack, following her line of sight across the street. Then, she noticed the same problem. “Aw, shoot.”

“I’m just saying, mine are bigger than Fluttershy’s!” Rarity said loudly.

“I don’t believe it.” Pinkie crossed her arms. “Compare!”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Girls?” Rainbow’s voice cut them off. The three former ponies looked over at them, staring across the street. “I think we found a problem.” The two girls walked behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie walking in front due to her height.

“Oh, dear.” Rarity said. “It appears we cannot read the local locale.”

On top of a canopy across the street was a sign illuminated by pale blue light. It was a fluorescent sign, spitting out blue light, and if one were to stand very close, could hear it humming faintly. Big, huge letters took up the front of the office, even covering a few windows that happened to be in the wrong place. Pinkie squinted her eyes for a moment, trying her hardest to decipher the text.

“It’s a post office!” She eventually said, snapping her finger. Then, she looked at her hand in confusion, not entirely sure how she made that sound.

“Now, how did ya’ll figure that one out?” Applejack asked, looking down at Pinkie.

“Because, look! There’s a picture of a letter!”

“Oh.” Applejack rubbed her forehead, her stetson bouncing for a moment. “Ah’ thought that was a letter.”

“It is, silly!”

“No- Ah’ mean a character.”

“Who would make a letter into a character? A kids show?”

“No- ah, forget it.”

“Speaking of which…” Rarity let the group turn into a circle. “Where did our letters go?” She asked.

Suddenly, all five girls simultaneously put their hands on their thighs and hips, patting down the place where pockets should’ve been, trying to find the letters their doubles had written for them. Most of them didn’t have pockets, and fortunately, Rainbow Dash was the first one to provide an explanation.

“Oh, Celestia!” She shouted. “We ate them!”

“Oh?” Fluttershy asked, not even giving Rainbow the pleasure of mulling over her idea, still searching her dress folds.

“Where else did they go?” Rainbow shouted. “I-I put mine under my wings- and if I don’t have wings anymore- did the portal put it inside of us?” Rainbow looked down, putting both hands on her stomach. “Are we gonna die?”

“Found ‘em.” Applejack said, dramatically raising five notebook pages of varying sizes from her jeans pocket. “Pockets, ya’ll. Ah’ got pockets.” She pointed to everypony else. “Ya’ll don’t.” Rainbow let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her head.

“Uhm…” Fluttershy raised her hand politely. “If we can’t read the signs… can we..?”

“Oh, dear!” Rarity quickly rushed over, surprisingly nimble on her two legs. “She’s right!” Rarity took the letter that was obviously hers, being written with elegant calligraphy compared to the other ponies notebook pages, especially the one covered in stickers. Rarity unfolded hers, trying to read the squiggles. “How are we going to get to our double’s homes?” She fretted.

“Wait!” Applejack shouted, holding her letter out at arms-length. It was three notebook pages taped to each other, creating one large sheet. “Ah’ have a map!” She waved it around in victory, before returning it to her outstretched position. In the dark, soft blue glow of the streetlamps, there appeared to be a hastily drawn map of the immediate surroundings of the town. “Here’s the dang school!” She pointed to a three pointed building. “That means that- err- that street here… take a left by that building, and then another block until Dash’s house!” She pointed at a square with Rainbow Dash’s Cutiemark floating above.

“Aw, that’s easy!” Rainbow said. “Well- would’ve been easy. If I had my wings…” She added spitefully. She looked back at her bare back, devoid of any wings. “Stupid…”

“Well, looks like ya’ll gotta do it the old fashioned way.” Applejack said, slapping a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. She winced, nearly toppling over in the process. “We Earth-ponies ain’t ever uses wings nor magic.”

“Don’t um-” Fluttershy spoke up. “I thought the Apples had a few Pegasi?”

“Course we do.” Applejack chuckled. “Ah’ meant Earth-ponies in general, not just the Apples. We love em’, no matter which Tribe they are. Hay, we even got a few Trans-Tribes. We ain’t judgmental.” She rolled her eyes, looking down at the map again. “Aw, shucks. Sweet Apple Acres is a good hour or two out of town by walkin’. Could ah’ bunk with somepony tonight?”

“Sure.” Said four people at once. They all looked at each other with curious glances. Fluttershy put her hands up and immediately backed away from the confrontation, leaving three. “I’ll do it!” They all said again.

A few minutes later, and several staring-contests had passed, Rainbow was the victor, her eyes burning with tears as apparently humans sucked at staring contests.

“Victory!” Rainbow yelled through watering eyes. Fluttershy, and Rarity, both of which who were sitting on the ground, studying the map, jumped in surprise at the sudden raise in volume. “I get to take my trophy home!” Rainbow shouted, bending down and swiping away the map from the ground. Then, she grabbed Applejack by the arm. Despite Applejack being the stronger of the two humans, she still found herself being dragged away forcefully.

“Help!” Applejack shouted as she was dragged away by a topless Dash. Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged questioning glances. Applejack let the rest of the letters drift to the ground wistfully.

Pinkie Pie, who was observing the map, watched from her position, laying on the ground and kicking her legs.

“I ship it.” Pinkie said with a shrug.

02 - Applejack's Dash

It had taken thirty minutes of wandering before they realized a problem.

The sky was still beautiful, the small city not giving off enough light to cover the blinking bright stars that covered the night sky. The streetlamps had progressed from a tight up-kept and expensive blue to a warm, cheap, and aging orange glow. All was quiet on the winding boulevards that the two had found themselves on.

Rainbow Dash was still without a shirt on, however. She was marching up the front, the map held out at arms-length as every once in a while, a bright streetlamp would momentarily illuminate the notebook paper. She let out a grunt of frustration, finally stopping under a streetlamp and reading it over again.

“I don’t get it!” She grumbled loudly. Applejack was a mere few paces behind her, also stopping and resting her shoulder against the metal post. “I followed your stupid instructions, and we’re getting lost!”

“Ah told you a thousand times before, Dash.” Applejack said quietly, keeping in mind the neighborhood’s sleep schedule that people probably didn’t want interrupted. “Yer’ going the wrong way!”

“No!” Dash shouted, ignoring Applejack’s quite tone. “My house has to be… err- this one?” She turned around, pointing at a house. A house that was dark and faded, it’s lawn unkempt and overflowing, the windows boarded over with two by fours. “Err- wait. Third house down? From which way?” She scratched her hair in confusion, turning around once more.

“Ah wrote the dang map!” Applejack exclaimed, spreading her arms out wide in frustration. “If ya’lld just give it ta’ me, ah’ll figure it out!”

“You wrote it?” Rainbow turned to face Applejack. “You barely did! That’s like saying you fought in a war because you brother did, or something!” She turned away once again, spreading the map once more. “Man, why is everything so much bigger than Ponyville?”

“Because yer’ walkin’, not flyin’!” Applejack gripped her stetson, pushing herself off of the pole in anger and approaching Rainbow. She reached out her hand, grabbing the shorter girl on the shoulder, and spinning her around. “Give me the’ dang map, shorty!”

“Wh- Shorty?” Rainbow yelled, taking a step back from the aggravated Applejack. “I’m not short! I’m just-”

“Ya’ve been runnin’ round’ like a chicken without it’s head for half a dang hour! Now, give me the map!” Rainbow barely had time to react as Applejack lunged out for the map. She yanked the map back, clenching it to her chest as Applejack swiped at the now empty air. “Give me the dang-” Rainbow then rolled the map up into a cylinder, slapping Applejack humiliatingly with it.

Applejack felt the welt on her face, turning back to Rainbow with sharp eyes. Rainbow, for all of her bravidity, nervously swallowed the spit in her throat. Then, she turned around and began running at full tilt.

“Dash!” Applejack yelled, completely forgetting about the sleeping people in the houses either side of them. She touched the mark left on her face one last time, now turning slightly red, and began chasing after her.

They both had yet to run in their human bodies. Applejack felt her boots hitting the ground, and almost automatically, started swinging her arms. She noted, as the wind began picking up, how natural it felt to run like this. Like she had been missing it her entire life. She let a goofy smile spread across her face as she realized the stupidity of what was happening. Really, it was like they were back in Ponyville, Applejack chasing Rainbow out of one of her trees.

Rainbow, on the other hand, was scared of having her spine split in half by an angry Applejack.

Rainbow was the shorter girl, obviously. Not by much, but it was still a noticeable drop in height. When everybody but Fluttershy and Rarity is short, a difference in two inches can seem much more substantial. More than that, however, was the fact Applejack was ripped. Rainbow was not.Applejack somehow managed to carry over her Earth-pony traits into her human body, while Rainbow, being a Pegasus, could physically not.

Rainbow was smaller, weaker, and thinner.

Applejack was bigger, stronger, and… wider?

Then, an idea struck Rainbow. The road was ending into a culdesac, no doubt a place where she would be trapped. Even more so because she was in an unfamiliar body, and she didn’t feel like trying to climb a fence would be a very good idea.

Tactically, Rainbow began slowing down. Applejack, falling for the bait, began closing the distance quite quickly. With a huffed breath of hot air in preparation, Rainbow immediately stopped in her path, and side-stepped.

“What the-” Applejack noticed that not all of Rainbow’s body side-stepped. As a matter of fact, her leg was still sticking out. Where Applejack would trip. “Shit!”

Applejack tripped, pushing out both of her arms, and meeting concrete with a meaty thump!

“Ha!” Rainbow whooped, laughing at the farmer on the ground. “In your face! Oh, how’s the weather down there?” Rainbow asked, letting a girlish giggle escape her. Applejack adjusted her stetson on her head, looking up in aggravation. Then, a wicked smile spread across her face.

Much like Rainbow tripped her, Applejack swung her leg wildly, catching the celebrating Rainbow Dash off guard as she also met the ground. Using the confusion to her advantage, Applejack crawled over to Rainbow, quite literally sitting on Rainbow’s pelvis and locking her into place.

“Give me the map!” Applejack shouted, a smile still on her face.

“Never!” Rainbow curled the map up tighter in her fist. Applejack began reaching, but Rainbow get moving her fist. Applejack then grabbed her arm.

And then Rainbow shoved it into her own mouth.

“Rainbow!” Applejack said, panicked. “S-Stop! Ya’ll ruin the map!”

Woo!

The noise was sharp and loud. Both Applejack and Rainbow stopped their arguing, becoming immovable statues as they stared in each other's eyes, shocked. Whilst they were fighting on the ground, they failed to notice a bright white light slowly approach them, getting brighter and brighter, until they were being practically bathed in the light.

On top of this… strange metal carriage, was a long light bar, shooting out red and blue lights, spinning in a circle, and lighting up houses in the culdesac. Rainbow stared in shock, opening her mouth and letting the map fall out, soaked in slobber.

“Aw, fuck.” Applejack said, letting go of Rainbow’s arm.

The door to the vehicle clicked open, the entire vehicle rocking back and forth as a figure emerged.

He was a huge, burly man that dwarfed the two girls. He wore blue pants, a blue shirt, and all around his waist were instruments and tools, including a gun, that were strapped to a belt. Ontop of his head was a hat with a golden badge on the top. He adjusted the hat, reaching into the vehicle, and dimming the headlights so they could see better.

“What in the hell?” He shouted.

Rainbow’s eyes went wider than saucers as she raised her head off of the ground. Her breath was caught, her mouth open wide, and her stomach dropped through the floor as she made a startling revelation.

This entire time, she was looking for a house that looked like her cloud mansion.

But these bodies were younger than their pony counter-parts. She shouldn’t have been looking for her cloud house.

“Dashie, is that you?” Bow Hothoof said, walking forwards and blocking the headlights of the car with his body.

She should’ve been looking for her parent’s house.

“Hey- get off of her!” Bow shouted, crossing the distance and pushing Applejack. Applejack took the nudge, quickly scampering off of his daughter and standing up, backing away quickly. “What do you think you’re doing with my daughter, huh?” He asked, pulling out his flashlight and shining it on Applejack. “What would your folks say, huh? What would Granny Smith say? Attacking an innocent girl like that!” Applejack squinted, raising her hand and blocking the light. “I’ve got half a mind to run you down to the police station-”

“No!” Rainbow shouted from the ground. “Y-You got it wrong! D-Dad!” She stuttered out. Bow looked down, shining the flashlight on his daughter.

“Got it wrong- Dash, where the hell is your shirt?” He shouted, suddenly noticing his almost topless daughter.

“Applejack had it last!” She also raised her hand, blocking out the bright flashlight. “Just- she didn’t attack me!”

“Is that right?” Bow asked, shining the light once again at Applejack. She sputtered, wilting under the bright light.

“Y-Yes sir!” Applejack responded. “Me n’ Dash here were just foolin’ around! Honest! We jus’ got a might lost, ah’ tell ya the honest truth!” She tugged at her stetson.

Bow went silent for a few moments, still shining the light on Applejack. Ponyville didn’t exactly have many authoritative figures. The biggest authoritative figure, before Twilight Sparkle’s ascension, was probably Mayor Mare. If somepony was acting up, the towns people would get involved to boot them out, as what happened with Trixie, or have a stern talking to. If somepony was really misbehaving, worst came to worst, Mayor Mare would summon the Royal Guard from the nearest Equestrian Military Outpost, which happened to be less than an hour and a half away from the edge of the Everfree.

All of this to say that Applejack was feeling very uncomfortable as this man with a deadly weapon strapped to his waist who was shining a light in her eyes.

Bow finally clicked off his flashlight, backing up and rubbing his chin in thought. Now, with the headlights dimmed, and the Celestia-forbidden flashlight turned off, Applejack could properly get a good look at him.

He didn’t look much like Rainbow, to be fair. He didn’t have the same face structure, nor eye color as his daughter. The only similar thing had to be his hair, which was exposed when he removed his hat and flattened his hair while thinking.

Rainbow, on the other hand, wasn’t paying attention to her dad as much as she was paying attention to one single feeling that was brewing in her chest:

Raw, unfiltered, embarrassment.

Finally, Bow turned around.

“You have… a girlfriend.” Bow said quietly. Rainbow, still laying on the ground, looked up in shock.

“W-Wait- she’s not my-” Rainbow began.

“You have. A girlfriend.” He said louder. Applejack took a preemptive step back.

“N-NO. She’s Applejack, and-”

“You have a girlfriend!” He shouted. Rainbow shrunk on the ground as Applejack changed her stance, readying to either defend herself and Rainbow, or grab Rainbow and run. Her breath deepened, her stomach dropped, as she watched Bow suddenly reach into his back pocket.

A million thoughts went through her head as she watched him pull out a black, rectangular object.

Snap.

“Best gay couple ever!”

That was… not expected.

Bow rotated the rectangular object in his hand, looking down at the lit up screen with a smile on his face. “Oh, I’m so sending that to Windy!” He laughed again. “Not gonna tell her for what, though. That comes later!” He laughed once more, reaching down with a hand. “C’mon, Dashie! You think this is a good place for ‘fooling around,’ as AJ put it?”

“What?” Rainbow asked, taking her sudo-father’s hand and letting him pull her up. Applejack was still in the attack position, staring blankly as she tried her hardest to digest what had just happened.

“What if someone from school sees you out here?” He asked, brushing off the pebbles from his daughter’s shoulder. “I know how much your reputation matters to you.” He laughed. Then, he turned his attention to Applejack, still in the defensive pose. “Nice to meet you, Applejack!” He extended his hand.

Applejack blinked, breaking out of the trance. She relaxed her pose, accepting the handshake.

“Err- nice ta’ meet you, too?” She guessed, vaguely understanding what was happening.

“Rainbow’s talked a lot about you.” He said, breaking the handshake. “You’re lucky we don’t live down in the states. If a US cop sees you going down on his daughter like that? He’d have half a mind to shoot you dead.”

“Going down-” Applejack gawked, shaking her head. “No-no-no! Nopony was going down on anyone’s daughter!” She spread her arms wildly.

“Yeah? Then why’s her shirt missing?” He asked, pointing at Rainbow Dash, who’s face was now brighter than a tomato. On her face, she wore an expression of nothing but shame, her mouth contorted into a frown as she tried her hardest to shrink into her neck.

Obviously, shirts worked differently in this world than Equestria. Something about having a shirt off was inherently sexual. And that meant that Bow, finding Applejack sitting on Rainbow, without her shirt on, just raised all of the red flags.

“I- I-”

“C’mon.” He looked at his phone. “You two’ve got school tomorrow, and it’s already one in the morning. Applejack, you might as well spend the night with us. It’s a good twenty minute drive to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Applejack bit her lip. That was her plan, after all, but now with this added layer of confusion? She was originally under the impression that she would be spending the night with Rainbow in her own home, not her parents.

“Ah- Ah don’t want to impede, that’s all.” She said.

“No, you’ll be fine.” He patted Applejack on the shoulder. “You’re just gonna sleep on the couch tonight, okay? Away from Dash.”

“Ah-” She turned to Rainbow, who’s face was bright red still. Then, she let a devilish smirk envelop her. “Ah’ think that’s a great idea!” She said. Rainbow’s mouth turned into even more of a frown than it was before. “Ah’d love to meet mah girlfriend’s parents!”

“Great!” He smiled, turning around. “Dash, you don’t mind if she rides in the front, do you?”

“Not. At. All.” Rainbow seethed, suddenly becoming angry. Bow smiled, walking back to the cruiser. “What’s the matter with you?” Rainbow whispered. “Girlfriend? Seriously?”

“Ah, c’mon, Dashie!” Applejack teased. “It’ll be fun! Plus, ah saw you lookin’ at me earlier. Ah’ know how much you like this body.” She reached down, grabbing the now dry of slobber map on the concrete. “What’s a little pretending?”

“Nice going, Element of Honesty.” Dash grumbled, turning around and following her dad into the carriage. Applejack smiled, shaking her head and following her.

03 - Ice Cream

Keys jingled in the lock of the quiet home. A few moments later, the latch on the door made a quiet click as it began swinging slowly open. Out from the darkness of the street came a girl wearing a tall green dress with pink hair, poking her head through the door. Her eyes darted around the quiet kitchen and living room, making sure the coast was clear. Then, even slower than when she opened the door, she slipped inside, letting the door quietly latch behind her.

She kept looking around the living room and kitchen combo. Fluttershy was immediately surprised by how similar this place was to her parent’s home back in Cloudsdale. She hadn’t really considered the fact that she was physically younger here than she was in Equestria, even if it was only a few years. She was still living with her parents here, and that didn’t really bother her. Living with her parents wasn’t the worst thing in the world, especially considering how she was only planning on spending a few days here at most.

It looked just like her old home. The exterior was less puffy and misshapen, instead being made of hard edges compared to it’s usual cloud-based materials. It didn’t exactly look like a Ponyvillian home. It was a suburban home. A strange suburban home by Fluttershy’s standards. But it was still her parent’s house at the base. It was so similar, in fact, that Fluttershy had even found the spare key hidden under the exact same stone as it was back in Equestria.

Fluttershy took a moment to slip off her boots, being careful to make as little noise as possible. When that was done, she turned to the kitchen half of the home, slowly striding deeper in. The counter tops were barely messy with a few loose pots and pans, some mail, and even a stapler.

Another thing about this body was the fact that she was tall. She wasn’t used to this vantage point, being so high up. Fluttershy was a tall Pegasus, having her shoulders meet the counter tops when most ponies only reach their neck. But now- she felt almost woozy as the middle of her stomach reached the counter tops. She could rest her hands on the counter without bending her elbows if she really wanted to.

She stopped a moment to look at a wall full of pictures. It took her less than half a second to point out her parents in the photographs. The ones on this particular wall were usually full of outdated photographs of years gone by, and judging by the differences in her own face, it was apparent. She could even see photos she recognized from her days as a school filly in Cloudsdale. The same thing here, only with a different face.

She moved her eyes over to the pictures of Zephyr. He was posing seductively with a rose held in his teeth, taken sometime during fifth grade, if Fluttershy had to guess. But that could also be wrong, as she realized she didn’t have a good idea on how humans aged. She also found even more photographs of herself that she didn’t remember being there before. In the foul and dark lighting, she could’ve sworn her hair looked purple. She shrugged it off, and kept walking around the kitchen island.

She ran her hands along the microwave, unfamiliar with it’s design. With her judgment, she decided to not push any of the appealing-looking buttons on it’s face that demanded the pressure of a finger. Instead, she kept walking, until she stopped in front of what she assumed was the ice-box.

It was bigger than an ice-box, though. Metal in construction, dangling off a hundred more pictures of her at various stages in life. Unusually, she didn’t feel exactly embarrassed. It was more like second hand embarrassment for somebody else, as the face smiling in many portraits were not her own, even if they were literally her.

With a soft smile, she gripped the elongated handle and pulled open the ice-box.

The entire kitchen was bathed in a ghostly blue halo as a wave of cold hit her face. Much more cold than she would’ve expected from an ice-box like this, especially at the ludicrous size it was. She looked around, also surprised at how stock full it was. Condiments, frozen foods, and cheese all were placed in the freezer.

If this is my house, too… surely nopony will mind, right? She asked herself. With all of the force of a hundred mice, she reached her now cold hand into the ice-box, grabbing an oval shaped container, and taking it out. She bounced it around in her fingers, rotating it until the unreadable label was facing her. A thin layer of frost rested on it’s surface, but Fluttershy could still see the picture behind the words.

Chocolate Ice-cream? She asked herself. She slipped a finger over the lip, popping it open. Another smile left her face. It’s almost empty, anyways. Surely nopony will mind…

Without another thought, Fluttershy closed the ice-box door, and by pure instinct, navigated herself to the silverware drawer, opening it up and choosing the most pristine spoon she could find on it’s surface. Her fingers wrapped around the spoon like she had been used to it all her life.

She turned to the other side of the room, where the living room was, and more importantly, the staircase leading upstairs to where the bedrooms were.

The house wasn’t a mansion or anything, but it wasn’t a small house either. Two stories, plus a basement barely big enough to house a pool table, if her memory served her correctly. Fluttershy did know where her room was, back in Equestria, so all logic pointed her feet in the direction of the staircase.

The house, despite being made out of wood, barely made a creek. She stopped at the base of the stairs, sending a cursory glance into the living room, where a huge black box was strapped to a wall opposite of the couch. She shrugged, continuing to walk upstairs, frigid ice-cream in hand. It was a little difficult to walk upstairs with a dress, but when she put the spoon onto the ice-cream container, she found herself lifting her dress like Cinderella to not trip.

She got to the first door on the left, letting her dress drop back down. Careful to avoid causing any disturbances to her parents two doors down, she gripped the doorknob and turned, pushing in the door and letting it glide harmlessly across the ground. Then, similarly to downstairs, she slipped inside.

The door closed, and she had made it. Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief.

She let her fingers grope the wall, looking for an oil lamp switch. But instead what she found wasn’t the usual valve and igniter. What she found was a simple switch for up and down. She made a face, not visible through the dark room, and simply flicked the switch up.

Fluttershy was surprised when the room lit up with only a switch. No turning valves, no igniting lanterns, just a simple switch.

…

This wasn’t her room.

Quick, panicked breathes raced through her as she looked around. The decorations were wrong. Her room used to be painted green. This room was dark blue. Her sewing desk wasn’t even in here, instead being replaced by a dresser full of what appeared to be fancy electronics that Fluttershy had only seen Dj-pon3 ever use. The floor was covered with pants, socks, shirts, and many CDs, none of which belonged to her.

Then, the person in the bed grunted.

Fluttershy let out a startled gasp, immediately flicking the switch back off and once again dousing the room in darkness. Her heart began thumping quicker as she backed away from the person on the bed, finding herself backed into a corner.

H-Had I entered the wrong house? She thought, a trembling hand biting her nails. N-No! I saw my photos!

“F-Fluttershy? Is that you?” The voice asked. It was a young girl’s voice full of confusion as Fluttershy heard the blankets ruffle. She sounded a little bit like Rainbow Dash, if a bit less raspy. “What time is it?” She asked tiredly. Fluttershy only stared into the darkness as yet more shuffling happened.

Then, the lamp on her bedside table ignited.

The person in bed was a young girl, perhaps around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders back in her world. She was laying down, her elbows pushing herself up as she stared back at Fluttershy across the room. What surprised Fluttershy the most, however, was her hair. It was frizzy and messed up from the bed, sticking out at odd angles, but it was shockingly close to Fluttershy’s own hair. Even the way it fell around her shoulders felt sickeningly familiar to her. The only real difference was the color, being a purple instead.

It then hit Fluttershy that the person she saw in the photographs with darker hair was not her.

The girl met Fluttershy’s own eyes. Although Fluttershy’s eyes were cyan, the girl’s yellow, there was still a strange sense of familiarity and commonness between them.

“Why are you dressed up?” The girl asked, sitting upright in her bed. She wore a loose fitting purple shirt, it dancing as she reached her arm up to rub her eyes. “Are you going somewhere? At two in the morning?”

Fluttershy stayed silent, still staring in shock at the new person in her own home. The girl let her arm fall back down flat, chewing nothing as she fought back a yawn.

“Are you… sleep walking?” She finally asked. Fluttershy blinked, adjusting the container of ice cream in her hands, her hands becoming damp from the freezing surface drying out.

“...no.” Fluttershy said quietly. The girl tilted her head in confusion, furrowing her brows.

“Then why are you up so late?” She asked. “And why are you in my room… with ice-cream?” She asked, her eyes suddenly depleting of all signs of sleepiness. “Ice-cream!” She said above a whisper. “Come, sit!” She waved, tucking her legs into a criss-cross and making room for Fluttershy on the bed.

Who was this girl? Why was she so familiar with Fluttershy? So… buddy-buddy?

Fluttershy bit her lip, and against her better intuition, slowly approached the bed. She sat down daintily, making sure the dress didn’t stretch uncomfortably, and set the ice-cream on her lap.

“Midnight ice-cream is like, the best thing to ever happen.” The girl said. “Do you have a spoon?” She asked, scootching closer.

“Y-Yes.” Fluttershy handed the younger girl the spoon, popping off the lid for her. In a more normal state of mind, Fluttershy would’ve absolutely been against giving a young kid ice-cream, especially at such a ridiculous time at night. But right now, Fluttershy felt frazzled. A strange girl was in her room, and she had no idea what to do. Nor did she know why she was consenting to letting the girl devour the ice cream that was originally going to be hers.

“So.” The girl said, scooping out a chunk of ice-cream from the bottom of the container. “What’cha doing up so late?” She asked for perhaps the third time, shoving the spoon into her mouth. Fluttershy stared at her once more, taking her in fully one more time.

“I- um-” Fluttershy adjusted on the bed, unsure of what to make of the situation. She looked around the girls room, a few posters being hung of what appeared to be grunge garage bands, upside-down stars with circles around them behind the heads of a particular few. It was definitely not a style that seemed to fit with the family she grew up with.

Then, she laid eyes on a family portrait on her nightstand.

There they all were. Her parents, standing proudly, as Fluttershy stood to the side. Her younger brother, Zephyr, also standing with a smile on his face.

And then, in front of them all, was her. The purple-haired girl. Her day outfit was vastly different from her night outfit, it appeared. She wore a black t-shirt with another strange logo on it, dark makeup around her eyes, and what appeared to be black stockings, complete with incredibly tall boots. She held up what appeared to be gang signs, showing off to the camera.

Who was she?

She didn’t really seem like family. Fluttershy didn’t have any family besides her parents. She didn’t even know who her grand-parents were. So who was this strange girl? She couldn’t really come out and ask her, as that would’ve been extremely weird.

She looked back at the expectant girl, who now bore an expression of concern. Fluttershy took another moment, remembering the question.

“I don’t know.” Fluttershy said after a moment of hesitation. The girl stopped eating her ice-cream, looking up at her with wide eyes.

“You don’t know?” She asked, swallowing her spoonful. “I mean- you got dressed in the middle of the night. Course you know.”

“I… don’t know.” Fluttershy said. The girl put the spoon back in the tub on ice-cream, leaning back with a worried look on her face.

“What are you hiding, Flutters?” She asked. “A boy? Are you hiding a boy?” She itched her chin, leaning back in. “Or a girl? Oh, please tell me it’s a girl! I wont tell Mom and Dad!”

“N-No! I’m not hiding anything.” She waved her hand. It seemed, however, that Fluttershy’s luck had run out. The girl adorned a slightly frustrated look, crossing her arms and staring at Fluttershy.

Oh.
Oh no.
Oh no oh no oh no oh no-

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, leveling a stare that could topple mountains. Fluttershy felt her soul leave her body as the girl began piercing through to the next level of her consciousness. A sudden cold, deadening, and draining sensation began at her spine as the girl stared into her eyes.

It was the stare.

And it was being used on Fluttershy. Which was a nice change of pace, all things considered.

How could she use the stare?

She hadn’t ever considered how effective the stare was when used on her.

It broke her almost immediately.

“I- uh- I’m a pony.”

…

“What?” The girl broke the stare, very confused. “B-But- I thought people can’t lie when I use the stare? Did you just lie?”

“No.” She said truthfully. The girl just blinked, immensely confused.

“I- okay.” She shook her head, sighing and leaning back. “I wanna get back so sleep, so…”

“Okay.” Fluttershy said absentmindedly, standing up. She felt violated. Was that how animals felt when she used the stare on them? Maybe she should stop doing it. Fluttershy opened the door, forgetting about the ice-cream left on her bed. The girl moved it to the nightstand, still watching Fluttershy.

“Hey- Flutters?” She asked. Fluttershy stopped in the middle of opening the door, looking back. “I’m- sorry for using the stare on you. But- if you like, ever need any sister-to-sister talk, just let me know, okay?”

Fluttershy titled her head in confusion.

“Okay.” She nodded, closing the door lightly.

Sister.

…

But how?

As far as she knew, she didn’t have a sister. That didn’t even make any sense.

Fluttershy cautiously began walking further down the hallway, to the place where the guest room would usually be. She cast one last glance down the hallway, to the room where the young girl that looked a little bit too much like her was, and opened her own bedroom door.

She hadn’t even gotten her name.

“And in Equestria, there’s these super powerful gems!” Pinkie exclaimed, laying on her bed, already dressed in her pajamas. “They’re called the Elements, and me n’ the girls are all super-powered up when we get really friendly with each other!”

Maud Pie, sitting on the floor, petting her pet rock, and staring up at Pinkie, who was laying on her stomach on the bed, merely nodded.

“Anyways- one time in Equestria, I licked this really tasty looking Rainbow! They make it in the factory, but it comes off super spicy when it isn’t diluted or anything! So, I got this mouth-full of this super spicy stuff, and it was so hot!”

“This is amusing.” Maud said simply, not smiling.

“I know, right?” Pinkie kicked her legs. “Can you believe you n’ me worked on a rock farm when we were younger? I mean- you still do, but I plan parties in Ponyville!”

“I believe it.” Maud said. “This isn’t the weirdest thing you’ve done.”

“Oh, not by a longshot!” Pinkie rolled over, now staring at her sister upside-down. “Did I tell you about the time I cloned myself like- a bajillion times over again?”

“No.”

“Okay- so I found this pool in the Everfree, okay?”

05 - Middlemist

As Fluttershy had come to find out with first-hand experience, humans were interesting creatures, to say the least.

In a world deprecated of any and all forms of magic, humans have found increasingly strange and interesting ways to deal with things that to most other forms of living beings, were trivial tasks. Not only had they managed to develop ways to do said tasks, they had somehow managed to find ways to do it simpler, and arguably, lazier. Sometimes, Fluttershy even found herself being jealous at humans for figuring things out before her species could.

She thought this as she was specifically watching her human mother click the ‘go’ button on a coffee machine. And it made coffee. Automatically.

Humans are weird, and electricity is even weirder.

It reminded her of the time the Flim and Flam brothers came into Ponyville, and used their strange machine to try and run the Apples out of business. It didn’t work, of course, but it felt like these machines had a lot of similarities between theirs. Fluttershy was even wondering whether Flim and Flam had actually made moves in this world. Perhaps electricity was another one of their business ventures.

Speaking of electricity being weird, take washing dishes for an example. To an Earth-pony, it was a pain in the flank. Nothing to hold onto but a smooth and slippery surface covered in soap. It took a long time for them, and it was almost never enjoyable. Unless said Earth-pony was Pinkie Pie. She managed to find everything to be enjoyable. But that was neither here nor there.

For a Pegasus like Fluttershy, it was a marginally improved experience. They had the ability to grab the dishes with the tips of their wings, a little bit like claws, and clean them quicker and more effectively than their wingless friends. Of course, that always left her with bits of uneaten food stuck in her feathers, but it was better than an Earth-pony who probably needed a shower afterwards.

If one was a Unicorn, and had the mental capacity and strength to levitate multiple object, it wasn’t even worth complaining about. Most Unicorns could only levitate one object, however, and wash with a sponge strapped to their hoof. In some ways similar to the way a Pegasus would do it. Unicorns almost always had it the easiest out of the three tribes. They made up for it by, on average, being weaker than the other two tribes. Even the Pegasus who quite literally had hollow bones.

So. How did the human race wash dishes? With their ten digits and opposable thumbs that had taken thousands of years to evolve?

Well. The way the humans did it was strange. First, they would remove the big chunks of food left on a plate, whether it be uneaten bits of pasta or peanut butter stuck to the white surface. Then, they would give it a quick rinse with water…

And then throw it in a machine for an hour to do the work for them.

And you know what? It works. Really well. After they were done drying, the humans would put them in their cabinets like a pony would, ready for use once more. As previously stated, humans had somehow figured out a way to do things lazier. So. What did humans do with all the extra time they had on their hands? All the extra time they saved by having a machine do it for them? Invest in the stock market? Leave the house quicker? Arrive to work or school sooner?

Watching Television, of course.

Turns out that the huge black frame on the wall Fluttershy had noticed last night wasn’t just a portrait, as Fluttershy had assumed from the darkened living room of late last night. Instead, it was one of those Televisions only really rich ponies could afford, only just ginormous, flat, black, thin, and hung on the wall. It was a little bit like watching a moving painting. Instead of being powered by crystals charged by professionally hired Unicorns every two months, it was plugged into the wall for electricity. A different type of fuel than she was used to. And apparently much, much cheaper than magic crystal Televisions.

Fluttershy had to figure out how to get dressed, how to take a shower, yadah yadah. Much like Rarity, she had managed to figure out that the magazines on her night stand were fashion magazines, and the people posing were models showing off clothes. Unlike Rarity, however, she couldn’t quite match cloth-for-cloth. Instead, she ignored the magazine, and walked downstairs wearing a yellow dress similar to her green dress last night.

In the living room was Fluttershy’s sister. She was sitting just in front of the sofa on the ground, a bowl of cereal with milk on the coffee table as she kept an eye on the Television, itself displaying some cartoon about a cat and a fish. Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure of what to make of her ‘sister.’

She knew a few things about life that she was confident about. One of those things were simple: She did not have a sister. She never did, and judging by how old her parents were getting, she never would. She had a younger brother, sure, but they were born barely a year apart from each other. This young girl was much younger than her, and for some reason, she had a hard time swallowing that information. Sure, there was bound to be a few differences across dimensions, but this was a whole new person.

Why. Why, why, why did Fluttershy not want to accept this fact? What was there, in her brain, telling her that no, there was no possible way this little girl was her sister? She didn’t have one in Equestria, so what was the difference between here and there? Perhaps she would’ve assumed this girl was adopted, or fostered, or something.

But they were blood related. They had to be. The girl could use the stare. That isn’t something anybody could just pick up, especially not somebody as young as her. She couldn’t deny the similarities forever. In this world, she had a sister.

The girl stopped eating, looking away from the Television and meeting Fluttershy’s eyes. Fluttershy jolted away from her daze, realizing that for the past minute or so, she had been staring at her ‘sister’ eating cereal and watching Television. Fluttershy lowered her head in shame, walking over and sitting down next to her sister. Her parents were in the kitchen using the coffee machine and getting ready for work.

She didn’t even know her sister’s name.

“Oh- honey!” Her mother called. Fluttershy looked and watched as her mother began pouring her a bowl of cereal, quickly setting it in front of her with a spoon hanging off the edge. “Don’t forget breakfast!” She said, quickly kissing her on the forehead. Fluttershy didn’t react, and it felt oddly right.

Fluttershy tapped her finger on the coffee table awkwardly, glancing at her sister, who had went back to watching the Television.

“What- um- are you watching?” Fluttershy asked, scooping up her cereal in an attempt to start talking with the mystery girl.

“Gumball.” The girl said, taking another mouthful of cereal. “It’s about this cat and fish. They’re brothers.” She said through the cereal.

“What’s happening?” Fluttershy asked, looking up at the Television herself.

“They broke their neighbors car.” She explained. “And now Gumball and Darwin have to fix it before they notice.”

“Huh.” Fluttershy said, eating her cereal. It was a strange cartoon, to say the least. There were no artifacts from hoof-animation. The lines adorning each character looked impossibly smooth and perfect, almost like they were generated by a computer.

Wait. They probably are.

“Did you- um- finish your homework?” Fluttershy asked, practically guessing whether or not she actually had homework.

“Uh-huh.” She nodded absentmindedly.

…

The silence panicked her.

Oh, dear! What is our dynamic? Fluttershy thought. Do we argue like the me and Zephyr? Or are we nice to each other like the Apples? Or… somewhere in between? Fluttershy let out a small and audible sigh. I don’t even know her name…

Unless… you usually sign your name at the top of homework paper, right?

“Um- Can I see your homework? Please?” Fluttershy asked. The girl gave her an odd look, but reached over to the backpack leaning against an arm-chair and began digging through her backpack. A second later she materialized a black binder. Through the first binder ring, she pulled out a thin piece of paper, handing it to Fluttershy.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy said, taking it and immediately reading the top. She had to physically force herself not to let out a grunt of frustration as she remembered the tiny detail that no, Fluttershy could not read the human language.

Wait a minute…

Fluttershy blinked. And then blinked again. She then began reading the top line.

“Um- if you don’t mind me asking, what homework is this?” Fluttershy asked.

“Stupid Latin homework.” She grumbled, sighing. “We have to take stupid language classes for credit. I thought Latin would be fun. Maybe I would accidentally summon a demon in my bedroom. But no, it’s just all boring words and sentences.”

“Bottle of water.” Fluttershy read. The girl stopped her spoon mid-scoop, pausing for a moment, before turning to look at Fluttershy in surprise. “Water and bread. I go to the store to buy bread.”

“Huh?” She asked, leaning close to Fluttershy and reading the words, dropping the spoon into the almost emptied bowl. “I didn’t know you could read Latin!”

“I didn’t know either…” Although, to Fluttershy, the words on the page were merely just New Ponish. “The boy and greal go to the store.” She read again, ignoring the incorrect spelling. Fluttershy then got an idea. “Did you write your name anywhere on here?” She asked innocently. The girl brightened up.

“Oh, uh- yeah! Right here.” She pointed a finger towards the bottom of the page. Fluttershy straightened it out, reading it.

“Midllel Mhis?” She read. “I- I don’t think that’s a name.”

“Uh… I meant to do that!” She shrugged, smiling awkwardly, and taking the paper from Fluttershy’s fingers. The flattened the paper on the front cover of the binder, finding a pencil from inside of her backpack, and began doing a few quick corrections. She smiled, handing it back to Fluttershy. “Here. How’s this?”

Fluttershy took the paper once again, and read it. She let out an audible sigh of relief as she read the name. Finally, something to call her sister, instead of just calling her ‘the girl’ mentally. Yet- as she read the name, she couldn’t help but feel the world slow down a little bit.

“Middlemist?”

Something stirred in the deepest parts of her brain. Like an old synapse began firing a tangent of familiarity that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Dusting off the figurative bookshelves from the recesses of her brain, she couldn’t help but recognize that name. The name that was… oddly beautiful. Light and delicate, like a flower. Flowers. Lots of flowers, and a… a boulder?

She’s seen it somewhere before. Where? Where, where, where? She didn’t have a clue.

“Middlemist…” She said it one more time. “Middlemist…”

“I wrote it right, right?” Misty asked, leaning over. “Does it say my name?”

“Y-Yeah.” Fluttershy looked at her. Looked deeper than she had ever looked. “Yeah. Your name is… Middlemist. Why does that sound familiar?”

“Because…we’re related?” She asked.

“No. No-no. I mean…” Fluttershy bit her lip, racking her brain. “Never mind… I can’t…” She rubbed her head. “Middlemist sounds so… real. I- I can’t figure it out.”

“What are you even talking about?” She asked, leaning away. “Did you see it recently? Did I get an award or something at school?”

“No…” Fluttershy set the homework down. “A… boulder. A stone. A stone?”

“A flower.” She corrected. “I’m named after a flower. Not a rock.”

“I…” Fluttershy sighed, pushing the homework across the table and back to Misty. “I don’t know.” Misty looked up in concern, letting her spoon drop into the bowl.

“You’re acting weird! Why are you acting so weird?” Misty observed simply.

Fluttershy stopped eating, letting her spoon float in her fingers. She looked over at the girl that was supposed to be her sister. Instead of getting an angry expression, it was one of a strange compassion. And it hurt her to see.

The girl sitting by her side shared nothing with her. She wasn’t like Sweetie Belle or Apple Bloom who was at least a manifestation of her sister, because Fluttershy had no sister. There was nothing there.

But her face…

Her face melted her insides into a goo.

Fluttershy made a soft humming sound, extending her arm out and grabbing her by the neck in an attempt at a hug. Misty made a quick hurk! sound as she found herself suddenly an entire person’s worth of space closer. She struggled for a moment, before also melting in Fluttershy’s grip.

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy said, using her other arm to wrap her in a complete hug.

“This would be nice if it was consensual.” Misty observed, frowning slightly. Despite her words, she snuggled her head a little bit closer to Fluttershy’s elbow. “I… I wish you were home more often.”

Fluttershy’s breath hitched, looking down at the purple mass.

“W-What?” Fluttershy asked. She stared ahead at the cartoon on the screen, watching as the mother cat clicked play on a cassette deck, listening to something that Fluttershy didn’t care enough to properly tune her ears to. “I’m sorry.” Fluttershy said once more, even though she wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for.

“Wait- I mean-!” Misty began struggling once again, trying to break from the grasp. “I didn’t mean it to be sappy! I mean- just an observation! You’re always volunteering for the animal shelter after school, and-”

“I promise you, we can do whatever you want this week.” She interrupted. Misty stopped struggling once more, her features relaxing.

“...really?” Misty asked.

“Really.” Fluttershy nodded. Misty let out a sigh again.

“Can you like- stop hugging me, though?” She said, slightly irritated. “I get all the close-sister-hugginess and crap, but- jeez, dude.”

“Sorry.” Fluttershy said, breaking from the hug.

“D’aww!” A new voice said. Fluttershy felt herself stiffen at the sound as the owner flopped unceremoniously onto the sofa directly behind her.

“Up so early?” Fluttershy said without looking behind her.

“I couldn’t help it!” He stretched. “You guys are never cutesy with each other like this! It’s rare!”

“Have you found a job, Zephyr?” Misty asked, also not looking behind her.

“Hey! I’m working on it. Just- it’s taking a little longer than I thought, kay?”

Fluttershy and Misty sighed in sync, both wishing that Zephyr could just… disappear for a while. Maybe a vacation. Or a long hike. As a matter of fact, Fluttershy vastly preferred her sister, even if they had, realistically, just met.

What would the day hold for them?

Sweetie Belle’s phone buzzed. Rarity was walking by the side of her, as for whatever reason, Rarity wasn’t too keen on driving her car to school. It’s not like Sweetie minded. Getting to spend more time with her sister was always a plus- and for whatever reason, she seemed mildly more affectionate today than she usually was.

Sweetie pulled the phone out of her pocket, reading the top text message. It was from her mom, of course.

(Mom: WHere is your sister) It read simply. Surprisingly non-verbose for her mother, and without proper capitals or any punctuation, it looked kind of rushed. Sweetie frowned, falling behind her sister a few steps and typing.

(we are walking to school) She responded, clicking send. She was about to put her phone away, when surprisingly, she was sent another text.

(Mom: I just talked to youre sister she isn’t with you)

(she is right here what do you mean)

(Mom: I faectimed her and se didn’t look right something is going on)

(what is going on?)

(Mom: stay away from rraity. I checke d her location on snapshot sh keeps appearing randomly aroudn the world she was in lake michigna.)

(what are you talking about?)

(Mom: me and your father are heading home right now . We should be home soon)

(aren’t yout wo in toronto? That’s like eight hours away?)

(Mom: stay awway from rarity)

“Sweetie?”

“Gah!” In surprise, Sweetie fumbled her phone in her hands. For a moment, she was scared the phone was going to hit the ground. Thankfully, she managed to bear-grab it, stopping the fumbling. They had stopped walking, and Sweetie slowly met Rarity’s eyes.

“Are you alright?” Rarity asked. Sweetie blinked, her mouth open. She looked back down at her phone.

(Mom: are you there?)

(Mom: hello? Sweetie?)

“Y-Yeah.” Sweetie said slowly, turning the mute switch on her phone to the on position. “I’m… fine.”

“Okay…” Rarity said. “You look a little pale.”

“I’m just…” Sweetie slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Did you get a call from mom?”

“Call?” She asked, both beginning to walk down the sidewalk once more. “What do you mean, darling?”

“Call.” Sweetie elaborated. “Like- on your phone?”

Rarity merely looked at Sweetie with a blank stare. A cold shivering sensation crawled it’s way up Sweetie’s spine as she quite quickly realized that something was wrong with her sister. But… nothing bad had happened yet. She was acting like this last night, and nothing bad had happened.

She felt her phone in her pocket with her hand.

No. She was just being paranoid. She pulled her phone back out, scrolling quickly though the messages she had received.

(im fine. Rarity seemed fine to me.)

(Mom: something is happening with that magic thing that happened at the school)

(you mean sunset?)

(Mom: she had a horn)

(sunset had wings not a horn)

(Mom: sta away.)

And that was that. Sweetie put her phone back in her pocket, yet continued to keep a trained eye on Rarity. Her parent’s would be back home soon. Then, they could… explain.

But she trusted her sister…

Right?

Author's Note

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06 - Face Concrete

Rainbow thought that riding her dad’s police cruiser to school would be pretty fun, especially when she got to ride in the front seat unlike last night. However, both passengers in the vehicle could silently agree that they could do without the words coming out of Rainbow’s father’s mouth.

“Look at this idiot!” Bow yelled, pointing over the steering wheel and at a vehicle stopped harshly on the ramp coming out of the coffee shop. He began laughing, turning to look at Rainbow. “He was gonna pull out, see? And then he saw me n’ the cop car, and he stopped on the ramp!” He laughed again, shaking his head. “You get pretty used to people pulling dumb shit all the time.”

Rainbow merely adjusted uncomfortably in her seat, impervious to the crass language her father was spilling. Although Rainbow wasn’t good at hiding her discomfort, Applejack seemed to be ten times worse, visibly wearing her discomfort on her face.

“And that’s… bad?” Applejack asked, leaning forwards and putting her elbows on her knees. It seemed that no matter which way she sat, the police cruiser just refused to become comfortable. Perhaps it was designed that way, by a sadistic engineer who wanted arrested people to feel like they were living in a rat’s cage. Which was exactly the way Applejack was feeling right about now.

“Well- no, not really.” He said from the front seat, barely glancing at her in the rear view mirror. “He’s just panicking like a dumbass.” Bow explained.

“...right.” Applejack adjusted in her seat once more. Neither of the former ponies saw the humor in almost crashing.

Rainbow’s uncomfortable face turned to look out the window, trees flowing, dancing and playing with the early morning sunbeams. Canterlot wasn’t a small town, but it wasn’t exactly a city. There were lines of picture-perfect suburbs that extended far down, wrapping and wiggling it’s way into confusing circles. Rainbow should know, as after all, she and Applejack were the ones who got lost in that suburban hellscape.

“Gah!” Rainbow jumped back. “Fuck!”

“What? What’s wrong with you?” Bow asked, barely flinching at her daughter’s outburst. Applejack leaned forwards in the seat, looking more concerned for her friend than she did before.

“I just-” Rainbow looked back at the window. “My reflection scared me…” She raised a hand to her cheek, pulling at her skin in unfamiliarity. Bow creased his eyebrows, looking at her in confusion, but didn’t say anything else. There was a silent slap in the backseat as Applejack facepalmed. It was a few more minutes of driving until he spoke again.

“Here we are, kids.” Bow announced, turning his wheel into the parking lot. Rainbow focused her eyes further away from her own reflection, staring at the dominating structure of the school. There were kids rushing into the school by the dozen at a time. It wasn’t crowded by any stretch, but there was more than a few students that made Rainbow begin sweating slightly. What would happen if she met somebody she didn’t know? How would they talk? What would be her cover story? That she lost her memories? Maybe that wasn’t very believable...

All of her worries washed away, however, when the vehicle shuttled around the corner of the high school and pulled into the parking lot. Rainbow felt a swelling sensation in her chest as she realized that almost everybody was staring at them.

The slick exterior of the black and white police car seemed to grip the attention of most students in the school, the vehicle being known for authority, demanding attention. Rainbow felt a smile spread across her face as the car pulled in front of the huge statue that had delivered them here no more than twelve hours ago. Rainbow turned around in her seat, staring at Applejack through the bars.

“It’s showtime!” She said. Applejack resisted the urge to facepalm again, watching as Rainbow began scrambling to get out of the vehicle.

The oo’s and aa’s were enough to keep Rainbow up high for at least a week. She extended her leg, putting her hands on her waist, and giving a walk, the car door slamming behind her with a flick of the wrist.She could hear their voices as they talked amongst themselves about her.

“...I didn’t know Rainbow’s dad…”

“...Is she in trouble? No- that’s her dad, right?”

“Did you know her dad’s a police officer?”

“...I honestly thought she was an orphan, like that one freshman. The one with the missing leg…”

Rainbow reveled in the gossip. With confidence, she took a few steps forwards, making sure to give her hips a sway. Applejack also got out of the vehicle, Rainbow’s left behind backpack in tow around her arm. Applejack gave a quick wave at Bow, closing the door a little more gracefully than Rainbow had.

“Good morning, Canterlot.” Rainbow whispered with a smile. She could hear them clapping. People lining the streets for the amazing Rainbow’s autograph. They were cheering for her, because even if this wasn’t her body, she still thought she looked gorgeous.

Clunk!

“Omphh!”

However, it seemed that Faust had decided today wasn’t Rainbow’s day, as the curb separating the sidewalk from the pavement had caught her foot off guard, leading to her slamming her face onto the ground. There was a collection of ‘Oooh’s’ as people cringed, all knowing too familiar the feeling of falling over. Her confident movements ended with her face on the floor. Unlike the other times she had fallen over in this body, she didn’t have enough time to extend her arms out in preparation. It was just concrete and her nose.

“Aw, shoot, Dash!” Applejack said, quickly rushing over. She let the bag fall off her arm as she wrapped her fingers around Rainbow’s shoulder, getting her into a sitting position. Rainbow was cringing, covering her nose with her hand. “Damn! You good?”

“I think so?” Rainbow said, removing her hand. “I-I meant to do that!”

“Sure ya-” Applejack looked at Rainbow in the face, her eyes widening as she realized her upper lip was smeared with blood. “Ah, dag-nabbit!”

“What?” Rainbow asked. “Is there something on my face?”

“Follow me, you lug.” Applejack helped Rainbow stand up, also grabbing her backpack and moving away from the curb and towards a nearby bush. Rainbow grabbed her nose again, scampering behind the farmer. “Here’s a nice spot. Away from the crowd.” She said, sitting down in the grass and reaching into the backpack. “Come. Siddown, would ya’?”

“Why?” Rainbow asked, but obliged anyways. The grass was slightly damp, but the rising sun was still shining bright over the hill, warming them up. It was a strange experience, one side of your body being warmed by the sun as the other side was blistering cold.

“Here.” Applejack pulled out a tissue- although it might’ve been an old rag in Rainbow’s backpack. “Clean ya’self.” She said. Rainbow hesitated for a moment, but took the rag and began wiping her forehead. “No- your nose!”

“What about my nose?”

“You’re bleedin’!”

“What?” She wiped her nose, looking down at the rag, now smeared with bright blood. “Oh, shit!” She pushed the rag into her nose harder. “Aw, dude! I didn’t know!”

“Ya’ smashed your face into the ground, and ya’ didn’t know?” Applejack asked, zipping back up Rainbow’s bag.

“Not my fault! These bodies are fragile!” She sniffed, rubbing her nose again.

“Tilt ya head back. It’ll help stop the bleeding.” Applejack reached forwards, pushing Rainbow’s head back until she was staring up at the sky.

“I could smash into a tree at Sonic-Rainboom speeds, and I’d be totally fine!” She complained. “Are you telling me that a little fall made me start bleeding? I’ve only broken my wing three times! Three times! And you were there for one of them!”

“Humans don’t got magic, ‘member?” Applejack said, watching Rainbow’s attempts to stop bleeding. Applejack crossed her legs, trying to get more comfortable. “Ponies are almost inherently magic creatures, Twi’ told us.”

“I don’t know what inherently means-”

“Ponies are magic creatures.” Applejack elaborated with an eye roll. “That’s why Tirek was so dang bad. We were useless without our magic. That also means us ponies are pretty dang durable. Humans had’a figure out a way to be more durable. Maybe that’s why they wear clothes everywhere.”

“In case they fall over?” Rainbow asked, counting the clouds above. “Didn’t work.”

“Maybe not, then.” She shrugged. “Ah’ dunno.” She let out a sigh, resting her chin on her hand.

The school was a big building. For Applejack, bigger than any school she had ever seen. She knew Twilight had come from a prestigious magic school- well, that was a lie. She more or less studied directly under Princess Celestia’s rule, as her personal protege. She knew that that school was large, even larger than this one, but they had a reason, right? That school needed a lot of room to breathe. Rooms for practicing spells in, entire halls dedicated just for the entrance exam. Why was this school so large?

Despite being a large, fancy, and beautiful building, Applejack still had a hard time finding a clock nearby. With a huff, she stood up.

“Where ya goin’?” Rainbow asked.

“Gonna find a clock. Ah’ don’t know when class starts, and ah’ don’t wanna be late.” Applejack said, walking towards a window. Rainbow shrugged, laying completely flat on her back. She approached the nearby window, and just like Rainbow before, was momentarily taken aback by her lanky reflection.

But she cupped her hands around her face, pushing closer to the window to minimize reflections. The classroom looked empty, and the clock above the blackboard told her almost nothing. The numbers were completely different than she knew, being just random lines and curves that made up something.

But there were twelve numbers. So Applejack could make a pretty good guess.

“We gotta’ bout thirty minutes ‘till class starts.” Applejack said, sitting back down next to Rainbow. She was still laying flat, blood stained rag discarded to the side, watching the clouds as they traveled to and fro.

“Nice.” Rainbow said. She took a deep breath. “Can you imagine this? No weather ponies? Just all wild clouds?”

“Sure can, Sugarcube.” Applejack said.

“What do they do when it gets too cold during a summer month? Do they just-” Rainbow made a strange motion with her arms in an attempt to explain her words.

“I reckon they bundle up.”

“But-” Rainbow sighed. “This place is weird.”

…

“Bit for thought?” Applejack asked. Rainbow glanced down momentarily at Applejack’s thinking face. She let out another dramatic sigh, even louder this time.

“I don’t know.” She said, pushing her arms behind her and forcing her torso into a sitting position, her legs still splayed out as if she was laying down. “Did my parents seem… different to you?”

“Hm.” Applejack tapped her knee with a finger. “Ah’ve never met your folks before. Ah’ might’ve met them at the wedding, but ah’ don’t remember.” Rainbow began observing her finger nails, picking at them idly. “Ah don’t got no reference. Can ya’ tell me ‘bout them?”

“They’re… too supportive.” She said slowly. “They give me trophies and act like everything I’ve done is the greatest ever.” Applejack snickered lightly.

“Guess ah’ know where ya’ get it from.”

“Shut up.” Rainbow said, reaching behind her and chucking a blood stained rag towards Applejack. She batted it away.

“Eew! Gross!” Applejack said, wiping her hand on her shirt. “That’s your blood and boogers, Dash!”

“Says the pony who has to deal with pig poop all day!” Rainbow raised her voice. She cleared her throat, settling down. “Anyways… no- my parent’s- my parent’s used to take photos of me doing anything, and them frame them like I was a superhero or something. I think they even have my first manecut on the wall.”

“Are ya’ gettin’ sentimental with me, Dash?” Applejack asked, a smile spreading across her face. “Ah ain’t never seen this side of you, before!”

“Shaddup.” Rainbow shook her head, chuckling lightly. “I don’t even know what sentimental means…”

“Did you ever go to school?”

“My parents… my parents over here are just… well, it’s hard to explain, but- when he pretended to get mad last night to screw with us? They’re like… meaner? Or- no, not meaner, but- aggh.”

“Shoot, he was just joking with us, ain’t he?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m not real good with this parent stuff. Ah’ mean, you’re lookin’ at a girl who lost her parents a decade ago.” Applejack found satisfaction as she watched Rainbow suck air between her teeth, cringing herself as she did so.

“No- you’re right.” She said, turning away from Applejack and awkwardly rubbing her head. “I guess I’m just narcissistic. Or- no, not that word. I’m being…”

“How do you know what narcissistic means but not sentimental?” Applejack shook her head. “Do ya’ mean ungrateful? Ah’m sure when ah’ was younger, ah’ had my fair share of quarrels with my folks, too. Ah lotta ponies say you only remember the bad when somepony’s gone, but… Ah’ only remember the good. Sittin’ on the front porch with mah’ Daddy. Runnin’ the stall with Mah. When they’re gone, you just can’t help but think how empty life is without them. No more runnin’ up to your Mah after school. Come back to a quiet house, the only sound bein’ Granny rockin’ in her chair, and sometimes Bloom crying in her crib. Ah’ve been mad at mah’ parents, sure, but once they’re gone… Ah’ mean, they’re gone. It’s empty. Ah’ feel empty.”

Applejack realized Dash was staring at her.

“Shoot- ah’ was ramblin’ weren’t I?” Applejack said. “Ah’m sorry. About being ungrateful- well-”

“I think that was the most you’ve ever opened up to me.” Rainbow interrupted. Applejack blinked.

“Was it?” She asked. “Sorry. Ah’ jus’ got caught up in my own dang world for a minute. Ah think it’s good ya’ haven’t gone through that yet.”

“You just…” Rainbow looked away again, picking at her fingernails once more. “You made me think… maybe I should visit my parents again. Say hi.” Rainbow flinched when Applejack laid a hand on her shoulder.

“You still got that privilege.” Applejack said. “You can say ‘hi’ still. What ah’ wouldn’t give up to say ‘hi’ to my folks one last dang time.”

She sighed.

“One last time.”

Author's Note

I split this chapter into two. Next chapter is a direct continuation of this one.

oh, and also:

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07 - Reunion

Applejack let her head fall into her hands, sighing out slowly. Rainbow wrapped her arms around her knees, tapping her feet onto the wet ground in anxiety, not exactly sure of what to say to the almost-orphan. Rainbow instead took respite as she turned to look at the surrounding area. Quaint little abodes lined the streets, each home being a cookie cutter of the last. Which was normal in big apartment complexes in Equestria, but not normal for each house to be a cookie cutter.

The morning had slowly become unnaturally still. The closer the clock ticked down to the beginning of the day, the less students poured into the school. The body had become a steady drip into the school instead of the flooding that was happening ten minutes ago. The bush was concealing them enough to where if somebody wasn’t looking, there was a very little chance that they would be spotted.

Rainbow caught a sly grin on her face, unbuckling her arms from her knees and crawling towards the end of the bush. Applejack watched in curiosity as Rainbow put an ear to the bush.

“...Where is Lyra?” She heard a student say. Rainbow’s own curiosity peaked as she heard that name, familiar with the turquoise Unicorn living in Ponyville. She turned to look, peeking her head around the edge of the bush.

“...That air-head should’ve been here by now!” Another voice said. Rainbow recognized the two humans from hair alone. One of them had orange hair while the other had both half pink and blue.

“...Air-head? That’s my friend you ass!” Bon-bon said, poking a finger at Carrot Top.

“Yeah? More than just your friend.” Carrot Top responded angrily.

“More than just-”

“You think I’m blind? I saw you two go to ‘Nourriture Trop Chere’ before! By yourselves!”

“So what if I like treating my bestie? It’s not like we’re dating, or-”

“And then I saw you two kiss!”

Rainbow cringed, peeling herself away from the edge of the bush. Applejack let out a sharp but quiet laugh as she plowed her face back into her hands in embarrassment. They sounded angry with each other, and honestly, Rainbow thought Carrot was acting a little bit out of pocket. Perhaps there was an underlying beef between them. Rainbow didn’t keep up with small town gossip nearly as much as Rarity or Fluttershy did.

She waited a few moments until the sounds of angry voices died away. She pushed her head back around the bush, and began people-watching once more.

Rainbow surprised herself with the sheer amount of people she recognized. It was all in the hair, because not only were the humans missing wings and horns, but also coat colors. All that the humans were left with was white and black. Or, rather, pale and brown. It seemed that in this school, the ratio of light skinned and dark skinned was significantly skewed in lighter’s favor. For every darker skinned, there seemed to be five light skinned. Which made sense on why Pinkie seemed to have dark skin. One out of six.

Then, Rainbow’s eye caught something. She raised her head quickly, her eyes flickering wildly between two humans.

“Applejack?” Rainbow asked over her shoulder. “You’re gonna want to see this.”

“What? What is it?” Applejack stood up, as did Rainbow. Together, they both peeked their heads over the top of the bush, Applejack’s stetson making stealth more of a suggestion than Rainbow’s rainbow hair. “Hey! Mah’ brother and mah’ sister!”

One was smaller and one was bigger. The smaller one was Apple Bloom, bouncing along with her backpack slung over her shoulder, a large pink bow in her fiery red hair. Applejack forced a smile away from her face as she watched her bouncing struggle under her unwieldy boots. They were large and didn’t seem to fit her in the slightest.

The bigger one was obviously Big Mac. He wore even bigger boots with his red plaid sweater, green eyes, and his dirty blonde hair.

“Wow.” Rainbow said. “Your brother is hot.”

“R-Rainbow!” Applejack exclaimed, punching Rainbow in the shoulder harshly.

“What?” She said in pain, clutching the spot where she had been punched. “I can’t help it!”

“Humans look like hairless apes, Dash!” Applejack exclaimed, profusely pulling down her stetson. “Why’re you so attracted to apes suddenly?”

“Ape brain!” Rainbow said, tapping her temple.

“Don’t tap like there’s somethin’ up there.” Applejack said, shaking her head. Rainbow made a stuttering sound as Applejack departed from the bush, passing behind Rainbow and making herself completely visible. “Big Mac!” She shouted. “Bloom!”

It took a second for them to stop on the steps to the school. They both looked around confusidly, until eventually, Apple Bloom locked eyes with her bigger sister who had her hands on her hips expectantly.

If Applejack was expecting a response, it probably wasn’t what Apple Bloom responded with.

“Applejack!” She shouted, letting her backpack strung across her shoulder fall to the ground in a heap. Over sized boots smashed across the ground quickly as she booked it from the concrete, to the grass, and eventually directly into Applejack’s stomach. She didn’t even have any time to react, put up her hands, nothing. Applejack instead just found a stomach full of Apple.

“Gah!” Her back hit the ground painfully, the air escaping her lungs as Apple Bloom hugged her hard, making air very difficult to enter her lungs.

“Ha!” Rainbow laughed, pointing at Applejack. “Karma!”

“Bloom’, you’re chokin’ the hell out of me!”

“Oh!” Apple Bloom released her stomach, falling back onto her bum on the grass, watching as her sister forced herself up into a sitting position, breathing painfully. “Sorry! It’s just- man, ah’ thought ya’ll went and got kidnapped!”

“Kidnapped?” Applejack laughed. “If ah’ were kidnapped, they’d be kicked halfway to tim-buck-two, now wouldn’t they?” She laughed, as did Apple Bloom. Big Mac lumbered over with both his and Apple Bloom’s discarded backpack. He chucked it so it landed far enough for the young girl to reach.

“Hey there, big guy.” Rainbow said, fluttering her eyes.

“No.” He responded flatly. Rainbow stuttered for a second, releasing a sigh and turning her attention back to Applejack.

“Ah’ thought ya’d show up before today!” Apple Bloom said, crossing her legs. Applejack figited uncomfortably. “Ya’ll don’t lie, so did somethin’ come up?”

“Mhm- yeah, technically?” Applejack figited with her fingers, turning her body towards Apple Bloom and crossing her legs similarly, so they both looked almost identical in everything but size. Big Mac crossed his arms, leaning back, and noticing something. His eyes flickered idly up to Applejack’s stetson.

“AJ?” He asked. “Somethin’ up with your hat?”

“Huh?” She asked, gripping it’s brim. “Ah’ don’t think so?”

“Why’s it look…” He dismounted one hand from his cross, holding it out. “Can I look?”

“Err-” Applejack carefully removed her hat, giving it to Big Mac. “Careful. It’s Pa’s.”

“Ah know.” He said simply, taking the hat and holding it in his fingers. “That’s why ah’m wondering…” Big Mac went silent, staring at it for a while. Applejack watched his green eyes, them flickering across the surface. His fingers felt the rough surface, feeling each sew line and divot in the unkempt surface.

To say the hat had been through… hell would be an understatement. It was in rough shape, that much was clear. The top of the hat had been sun bleached due to hours and hours of exposure, while some of the fabric had been stretched tight enough to bleed light through.

“It’s… worn.” He said after a moment. Applejack stared dumbfounded before letting out a curt laugh, rubbing her forehead. “This ain’t Pa’s hat… is it? No- it can’t be…”

“What’s wrong, Mac?” Apple Bloom asked. Even Rainbow was getting curious, tilting over his shoulder, even if Big Mac stood several feet taller than her.

“Ah’ recognize Pa’s hat. This is it, but it’s almost like it’s from the future… it’s worn down, old, dirty… patched up in a few places. This is Granny’s work, ain’t it?” He asked Applejack, who just nodded. “This don’t make no sense…” He flipped the hat on it’s head, looking inside.

“Huh.” He said. “This tag here…”

“Shit.” Applejack said quietly.

“Hand-crafted in Appleloosa by Grinder Star… thirteen seventy one?”

“Thirteen seventy one?” Apple Bloom asked. “Weren’t that the black death?” Applejack darted her eyes between the two. Rainbow Dash was backing away from Big Mac, a thin layer of sweat forming on her head. She waved a hand around her neck, staring back at Applejack. Instead, the message went straight over Applejack’s head.

“What year is it?”

Big Mac blinked hard. He stared at Applejack, his eyebrows going high. Apple Bloom leaned forwards, her mouth opening.

“What… year do you think it is?” Apple Bloom asked. Applejack swallowed.

“Fourteen thirteen?” She asked quietly.

“Yer’ pullin’ our legs here.” Big Mac said. “Yer’ off by six centuries, there.”

“So… two-thousand and thirteen?” She asked even quieter. Big Mac buried his head in one hand, extending out the hat with his other. Applejack took it, standing up and fastening it to her head securely.

Big Mac then jumped enough to scare everybody present.

“Applejack?” He asked, looking down at her shoes. “Are you… short?”

Rainbow let out a snort.

“Excuse me?”

“Ah’ mean-” Big Mac approached her, looking down. “Are ya’ physically shorter?”

“D’ya think ah’ inherited some kind of dwarfism-”

“Ah’m being serious.” He planted a hand on her shoulder. “What happened last night? Is this some kind of magic thing?”

“Magic?” Applejack asked, surprised.

“I didn’t think you guys knew anything about magic!” Rainbow shouted, approaching Applejack in a reassuring matter. Big Mac also sized up Rainbow Dash.

“Ah didn’t notice it before, but… are ya’ll shorter, too?” Big Mac reached out, plucking Rainbow’s sleeve from her arm. “Is that why your clothes are baggier?” He asked. Rainbow walked back, flattening the bit that he plucked.

“No. It’s a style.” She snapped back. Applejack bit her tongue, looking down at the ground in thought. She snapped her fingers.

“That… would make sense.” She said to mostly herself. “Ah’m wearing the same clothes that ah’ came out’a the portal with…” She snapped again. “Dash, you changed clothes at yer’ home. Into your double’s clothes…”

“Double… Portal…” Apple Bloom said. “What?”

“There has’ta be a size difference…” Applejack concluded. She looked up, realizing that Dash was staring at her with wide eyes that said ‘i’m going to kill you if you don’t shut up.’ “Uh- oops?” Applejack said with a shrug. Big Mac blinked.

“What?”

“See ya later?” Applejack said, sidestepping them both and grabbing Rainbow’s arm. “Time for school, ain’t that right?”

“There’s six minutes left-” Rainbow tried arguing. Before she could get another word out, she found not only her arm being pulled, but also her ear. They disappeared from the security of the bush, entering the domicile of concrete and brick walls of the school. Big Mac and Apple Bloom stood there for a few moments longer.

“Bloom’?” He asked. “Do ya’ remember when the fall formal happened? Big scary Sunset?”

“Yeah?”

“Ya’ know how AJ came back that night, ranting about a world full of us, but ponies?”

“Kind of? Ah’ was tired then.”

“Huh.” He bit his tongue. “Just’ a thought. Ah’ needa talk to her, though. Alone. Maybe after supper.”

“Dammit, Applejack!” Rainbow seared herself away from the girl. They had found themselves a few halls down. Despite being so close to class, there was almost no students around. Only a few going to-and-fro every couple of seconds, but for the majority of the time, they had the whole hall to themselves. To which Rainbow planned on using. “Could’ve just told me to- I don’t know- follow you?”

“Sorry, ah’ panicked!” She said truthfully, resting her head against a locker. “This is dumb! Some kind’a vacation, am ah’ right?”

“It’s just-” Rainbow put her hands on her hips, resting her hips on the locker behind her. “Just culture shock. That’s all. It’ll take us a while to adjust, but-”

“We’re short!” Applejack said loudly, pulling her head away from the locker. Rainbow cringed, looking down both ways of the hall for any potential listeners. “Somepony’s gotta notice we’re short!”

“I mean- you were always the shorter one in Equestria-”

“Not the time, Dash!” She hissed, hitting the locker with her head again. “Maybe it’ll get better, maybe not. Do we really want’a spend the extra time here? We came here to relax, not get even more stressed out.”

“I’m having a good time!” Rainbow argued.

“Gettin’ lost?” Applejack asked, meeting Rainbow’s eyes. “Tripping? Bashin’ your nose in? Gettin’ outed as bein’ short?” She laughed. “Ah’ hope we get ta’ meet our friends again. Ah’ might just bee-line it back for the portal.”

“Twilight isn’t going to reopen the portal until Sunday.”

“Ah-” Applejack sighed. “Ah’ dunno, Dash. This was a dumb idea.”

Rainbow crossed her arms, leaning into the locker deeper. She let out a harsh sigh, closing her eyes and listening to the idle chit-chat of early morning school. Footsteps echoing down the hall.

She tried to train her ears to a certain sound. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done, because her ears refused to swivel like her pony body would. Down the hall was two footsteps approaching. One foot sounded like one would expect a foot to sound, while the other foot sounded a little more… echoey?

“Oh, hey, Rainbow.”

Rainbow opened her eyes and looked down at the smaller human.

“Scootaloo?” She asked. Applejack stopped resting her head on the locker, looking over in surprise. It was obviously Scootaloo, just… “Scootaloo, where is your leg?” She asked.

“Huh?” She looked down at her plastic appendage. “I told you? Remember? I hid it, you thought it was funny…”

“Funny?” Rainbow leaned down to her level. “Dude, that’s sweet!” Scootaloo’s eyes flickered up, a smile spreading across her face.

“Really?”

“Really cool!” Rainbow said. Scootaloo beamed, looking back down at her plastic leg.

“Thanks!” She rotated it around. “Ever since I started showing it off, people have been asking me about it. I think I’m going to get a laser attachment!”

“That sounds awesome, squirt!” Rainbow patted her on her shoulder. “But you gotta get to class, though. Don’t want to ruin your grades, right?”

“Right! Thanks, Dash!” She began running away, surprisingly elegnatly for a kid missing her leg.

“That was Scootaloo?” Applejack asked, watching as the kid turned the corner. “Why was she missing her leg?”

“That’s not what I’m worried about…” Rainbow bit her nail. “She’s missing a leg, so… what is my Scootaloo missing?” Applejack donned a look of confusion.

“Ya’ can’t go basin’ your Scootaloo off of this one.”

“Yeah, but…” Rainbow bit her nail harder. “Ever wonder why my Scootaloo can’t fly?”

Author's Note

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08 - Noise Noise Noise

Are my shoes too tight?

Bolivia isn’t a country. No way.

Do you remember? The very first night of september?

God, what’s the equation again?

Inertia is a property of matter.

President Brack-a-flacka-obama.

I can’t remember this dumb, stupid equation! It’s like, the easiest part of algebra!

Oranges named orange, why not apple named red?

Y equals… Y equals M X plus… what? What was the last letter?

I’ll have to ask Apple Bloom.

Hold on- the desks aren’t straight.

Misty let out a grunt of frustration as she let the pencil in between her fingers slip out, dropping to the desk below. She clutched her hands deliriously to the surface of said desk, pulling it left and right until it lined up with the rest of the row. Which wasn’t very lined up, to be fair, as every other student had moved their desk to their best bud to collaborate on the problem.

Misty let her head rest onto her hand as she furiously reread the equation for perhaps the tenth time.

The Last of Us is coming out soon.

This is the easiest part of algebra!

I brushed my teeth, but not my… hair?

Yes, my shoes are definitely too tight.

This is the first thing we learned!

This classroom is loud. These kids are loud. They are the problem.

Misty shot a glare around the full room. The teacher was idly tapping away at his laptop at his desk as the teens chatted back and forth. They were supposed to be working on the list of problems, but judging by the way that the conversation almost directly to her right was going, the students were doing anything but the problems.

“And then Bon-bon kissed that air-head! Can you believe it?”

Misty had half a mind to turn and shout to the group of girls talking among themselves. But, in the end, she was a freshman and they were juniors. They probably had a small country’s worth of white-girl ammunition at their disposal, built up over years and years of school. Misty hadn’t taken the time to develop insults like they had.

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Not that she didn’t have insults, no. She was a freshman in a class full of juniors and seniors. Once upon a time, Misty was exceedingly great at math. Excelling in Elementary School, and even wiping the floor all through Middle School. Finally, this year, they decided to punch her up a few years into the Algebra class.

Now, though, she hit a brick wall. It seemed that focusing had become harder and harder for her to do, and she didn’t have a clue why. Useless thoughts drifted in between her head whenever she tried to do anything. ‘Just focus harder!’ They would say. ‘Just pay attention in class!’ Even Fluttershy had told her that. Her own sister. And, of course, it never worked.

And trust her own judgment, she had tried everything.

Planners don’t work, because she would forget to write in them, or even worse, leave themes behind.Rhyming subjects don’t work, because she would forget the rhymes.Listening to music while learning didn’t work, because instead of remembering the material, she would create a music video in her head. Someone even suggested writing on her own skin with a sharpie to focus. After getting accused of getting a tattoo, she decided against it.

Does the shelf in my room bow a little bit? Maybe I should pick up a nail and hammer, or something.

Y equals M X plus…

Do you round Pi to three or four? ...is it a crime to round it to four?

M X plus…

Playstation is always looking more appealing… maybe I should pick up a PS3.

Plus…

Why is the Japanese Yen so inflated? It costs like, three hundred bucks for a coke.

Misty let out a grunt worthy of an Oscar as she deflated into her desk like a balloon. Her face slipped from resting onto her hand, slamming into the desk. She resorted to keeping her head there, slowly covering herself with her arms in an attempt to block herself from the real world.

Bad to the bone. Bew-dew-dew-dewww.

This was pitiful.

She used to be the top of her class. She used to run circles around the other students, writing punnet squares and remembering multiplication tables up to what felt like infinity. Now, she couldn’t even remember a series of letters.

Hey. Hey, me. Look to your left.

She moved her eye up and above her arm, looking through her purple hair and at the girl who happened to be staring back at her.

“Well. That was dramatic.”

“Hi, Pinkie.” Misty said, letting her eye fall back into her arm. Pinkie made a humming sound, tapping her fingers onto the desk.

“Why the long face?” Pinkie asked. Misty let out another grumble. Slowly and lethargically, like it was going to burn her if she moved too fast, she slid out the piece of paper from underneath her arms, half of it dangling off of her desk. “The worksheet?”

“Mhm.” She agreed.

“Well, whats wrong with it?” She asked. Misty let out another grumble, forcing her head up and back, leaning into her seat dramatically and crossing her arms.

“It’s…” She tapped the paper. “It’s… dumb.”

“Hey!” Pinkie said, picking the paper away from Misty and holding it close to her own chest. “Don’t say that about Mr. Worksheet! He’s trying his best, okay?”

Misty met Pinkie’s eyes with a half-lidded stare. Pinkie laughed awkwardly, slowly letting the paper fall back to Misty’s desk as she returned to her chair. Pinkie drummed her fingers, looking around the classroom.

“Well…” Pinkie said. “Could you maybe try reading it out?” She asked. Misty let out a grumble, taking her paper and flattening it out on her desk.

“Do I have to?” Pinkie simply rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She cleared her throat with a sigh. “Opal’s father is thinking of buying his daughter a six-month movie pass for forty bucks. With the pass, showings cost one dollar. If showings are normally three dollars and fifty cents each, how much must Opal attend in order to benefit her father to buy the pass?”

“Hmmm.” Pinkie tapped her chin, looking up at the tiled ceilings. “Well, let’s put it this way.” Suddenly, Pinkie’s entire desk rocketed to the side as she scooted over until both of theirs were connecting side-by-side.

“Uh-”

“X.” She said, writing on her paper. Misty’s eyes traced downwards. Now that both of their desks were connected, she realized Pinkie’s paper was completely blank, except for the bit she was writing on. “X would be the amount of shows, and M would be-”

Did I record the new episode of Gumball yet?

I think I liked that new flavor of pop.

No, focus on Pinkie! I need to hear her!

“So, if we subtract X from both sides, then we will get forty equals…”

That math poster looks like it’s from the mid nineties. Is there a date on it anywhere?

I can’t wait for that new pixar movie! Hopefully it’s not totally different like Cars 2 was.

Middlemist Gerard Shy! Focus!

“Opal needs to attend sixteen shows!” Pinkie placed down her fuzzy pink pencil, turning around the paper and showing Misty. Misty’s eyes went misty as she failed to read anything on the paper, instead insisting on looking up at Pinkie.

“...what?” She asked. Pinkie let the paper fall back to the desk as she adorned a confused face. “I’m- I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” She admitted. Pinkie’s smiled faded slightly, now turning her face slightly into a hurt expression. Misty bit her lip, looking down at her own paper. “So- um- X equals…” She let out an exasperated squeak.

I’m hungry.

God, I hope they have tacos today.

“Are you… okay?” Pinkie asked, suddenly breaking Misty from her thoughts. Misty looked up to her darker face full of concern. “You seem kind of… out of it?”

“Yeah, um… Sorry. I’m just-” Misty waved her hand. “I got carried away in my thoughts. What were we talking about?”

“Math?” Pinkie paused, looking the young girl up and down. “Tell Aunt Pinkie what’s going on. I’m here to help!” She beamed. Misty let out an awkward laugh, looking down at her pencil.

“Promise you won’t make Fluttershy like, concerned or anything?” She said. Pinkie leaned back, raising an eyebrow as she did so. But, no matter the expression on her face, she still made a strange movement with her hand, ending in the poking of her eye.

“I pinkie promise I won’t tell Flutters!” She swore.

“Okay. Um.” Misty looked around. “I kind of have a… um… hard time focusing?”

Wait, no. Tacos are only on Tuesdays. That’s why it’s called a Taco Tuesday.

Did I tie up the bread after making a sandwich yesterday?

“Like- when I’m on my own time, it’s fine, right? Because I can just do my own thing and not worry, right? But when I’m sitting down and trying to do a task, I start really into it, but then- loose all steam, right? It’s a little bit like…” Misty felt her shoulders fall.

Are my hands dirty? Maybe I should ask to go to the bathroom just to wash my hands.

“Oh, that’s no fun!” Pinkie said sympathetically. “What about homework? Can you do homework?”

Wait- I could just use hand sanitizer. Right?

“No.” Misty shook her head. “Like I said. If it’s some super specific thing, like filling out a worksheet, I just- I just can’t do it. I usually get Fluttershy to help me with my homework.”

“Fluttershy, huh?” Pinkie asked, raising her eyebrow. “Well- Fluttershy is pretty smart. I could see it.”

“You could see it? Who else am I supposed to ask, Zephyr?” She snapped. Pinkie raised her eyebrow further, but restrained from saying anything else. “It’s just… kind of frustrating. I don’t think I was always like this, but…”

“What if we try a song?” Pinkie suggested. Misty sighed angrily. “Try following along! Y is connected to the-”

I used to carry around hand sanitizer a while ago. Where did that go?

How many slices of pizza have I ate through my entire life?

One day, were all going to die.

When I was, a young boy, my father, took me into the city, to see a marching band…

“Your not paying attention, are you?”

“Huh?” Misty shook her head, snapping out of her stupor. “Err- Y is connected to the… bone?” She attempted. Pinkie sighed, shaking her head.

“Hm. This is serious.” Pinkie cracked her knuckles. “We’re gonna have to get into dangerous territory! We don’t have to do school work. Let’s talk about… Home life!”

“Home life?”

“Home life!” Pinkie picked up her pencil. “We talk about home life as we do the problems! Then maybe you’ll have a better time focusing if you’re thinking about something else!”

“Um… okay.” Misty warily grabbed her own pencil.

Flowers. Flowers. Flowers. Flowers.

“So. What do you like to do after school?” Pinkie asked.

“I like to play Minecraft.” Misty responded. “It’s really fun. The Xbox version is always a little behind the pc version’s updates, but my family only has a windows xp computer that can’t run it.”

“Huh.” Pinkie said, looking confused. “Minecraft. Is that like… a board game?”

“Board game?” Misty asked. Now, it was her turn to look confused. “I thought you knew how to play Minecraft? You, me, and Fluttershy play all the time.”

“Oh.” Pinkie swallowed nervously. “I… I don’t.” She shuffled her paper. “How about question six?”

“Question-” She looked down at her paper. “Okay. A plumber charges twenty five bucks for a service call plus fifty dollars per hour of service. Write an equation in slope-intercept form for the cost, C, after H hours of service. What will be the total cost for eight hours of work? What about ten hours?” She looked back at Pinkie expectantly.

“Let’s think this through, okay? Twenty five dollars would be the Y-intercept, right? Because-”

That’s not right.

“Wait, no.” Misty shook her head. “It’s it fifty bucks plus twenty five?”

“It says fifty dollars per hour of service, right?”

“Yeah, but-” Misty’s eyes widened. “Oh. Per hour. Okay, yeah.” They both began scribbling down their answers.

“Okay. Home time.” Pinkie said, cracking her knuckles again. Misty cringed, watching as she did so, knowing that she had cracked her knuckles so soon after the first time. “What is your relationship with Fluttershy?”

“Huh?”

“You keep talking about her!” Pinkie said. “Obviously, you two know each other!”

“Pinkie, what are you talking about?”

“Are you hiding something?” Pinkie asked, leaning forwards.

“Fluttershy’s my sister.”

…

“What?” Pinkie shrieked. “B-But- I-I know everypony in Ponyville! A-And all of my friend’s family!”

“Ponyville?”

“How did I miss you?” Pinkie leaned forwards, touching Misty’s hair. Misty flinched, swatting away Pinkie’s hand. “Your hair is almost identical!”

“I know!”

“And those eyes! They have the stare-master behind them!”

“The-”

“Are you really related to-”

And then the bell rang.

Flowers. Flowers. Flowers. Flowers.

Pinkie was halfway between their desks, hand extended outwards in a second attempt to grab Misty’s hair. Everybody began getting up, grabbing their bags, and filing out the door in single-file. Pinkie let out a nervous laugh, letting herself fall back to her seat.

“Great.” Misty said, chucking her paper into her binder. “Another incomplete paper. Nice.”

“...sorry.” Pinkie apologized, getting up from her own seat. She threw her backpack around her shoulder, watching as Misty stood up, too.

“No need to apologize.” Misty waved. “I’m obviously not important enough to even notice. Not even by my sister’s own friends.” She sighed. “See ya, Pinkie.” She stood up from her chair, briskly walking past the utterly deflated Pinkie. She stuttered slightly, looking between the empty chair and the rapidly departing Misty.

“Aw, poop!” Pinkie stomped. “I know Twi’ told us not to tell humans about us, but…” She bit her lip. “That look on her poor face!” She sighed, starting her walk out the door, following the rest of the students. “I have to talk with the other girls.”

“Who are you talking to?” An orange-haired girl asked.

“Gah!” Pinkie shouted, almost dropping her backpack. “N-Nopony! Sorry!” She ducked around the person, quickly walking down the hallway.

Author's Note

Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit rushed. It's my last week of high school, and I'm struggling. It's like I never get a moment to rest anymore. It's wake up, school, work, shower, bed. Repeat. The next chapter might take a whole week. I will not, I repeat, I will not abandoned this story. You have my promise.

Also, no cryptic message. Sorry. I want to do something higher scale with the next cryptic message.

Duces.

09 - Less Awesome But Still Cool

Today had turned out to be a beautiful day in Canterlot High. Compared to the blistering cold of the summer sun a little over an hour ago, the ball of plasma had risen above the landscape and warmed the school considerably. The teachers had long ago started opening up their windows, posters in the hallways dancing and fluttering in the wind as the warm sun demanded to be let in.

And let in it had been. The school seemed to radiate that specific pale blue color that peaceful summer days seemed to do sometimes. To a certain orange-haired girl at her locker, it simply reminded her of home. A place far, far away that had the luxury of weather being absolutely perfect. Humans hadn’t quite figured out how to make weather perfect yet, however, so these days were far and few between. The humans had quite simply learned to pray to whatever higher being they believed in for a day like today.

Said girl drummed her fingers through her locker, plucking across her multiple binders until her hands paused at the correct blue binder. She gripped the top with two loose fingers, pulling it out like a library book, and tucking it into the crook of her elbow. She paused her gathering to take a quick look at herself in the mirror of the locker, taking a moment to push a lock of fire red hair out of her eyes. She had forgone her usual leather jacket for a simple orange shirt with her former Cutiemark printed on the front.With a smile she flicked the locker closed, turning to look at the bustling students in the hallways of Canterlot High.

Her name was Sunset Shimmer. Former Unicorn of Equestria, former protege of Princess Celestia, and current holder of several committed war crimes upon said Equestria.

Okay… maybe war crimes is a little too far. But she was definitely a felon who somewhat fled and was somewhat banished. The details didn’t matter to her, though.

Actually, most of her earlier years didn’t matter to her anymore. That was her old life, and it had been a number of years since. This was her new life. Full of energy, friends, hope, and aspirations. Even the collective student body had, for the most part, forgiven her for her, let’s call it, personality during her earlier years.

The bell had five minutes on the clock, which was more than enough time to get to her classes. She watched as students filed by her, most of them in their own worlds, a few of them with earbuds in and an iPod hidden away in one of their jean pockets. Sunset tapped her binder idly, turning, and began walking down towards her class, flowing with the student body and blending in.

There, coming down the crowded hall in the opposite direction, was a familiar girl. A young, short, and purple-haired girl she knew well as Fluttershy’s sister, Middlemist. Except she looked crestfallen, her eyes diverted to the floor and binder wrapped tightly to her chest, held by her crossed arms. Although Sunset and Misty weren’t exactly ‘friends,’Misty was still fun to play against whenever she and her friends went over to Fluttershy’s house for a sleepover. She felt a strange pang of pain for the younger girl, knowing the feeling of being sad all too well, especially in her formative years. Human or pony, sad was still sad.

Sunset quickly looked around for any passerbyers that she might bump into by accident as she switched directions, now paralleling Misty in footsteps. Misty still held her gaze fixed directly down, not even noticing Sunset joining by walking next to her. Sunset’s features diverted down into a frown out of concern.

“Hey, Misty?” Sunset asked. Misty let out a little startled jump, looking up to the senior, her eyes going wide with faint recognition. “What’s wrong?” Misty let out a faint grumble, looking back down at her feet and adjusting the binder in her grip. “Did you finish your homework?”

“I’m fine, Sunset.” Misty responded below a whisper.

“Are you sure?” Sunset asked, dodging a non-movable group of gossiping girls who apparently had the need to take up half of the hall. “Fluttershy wouldn’t want you to be sad. Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She asked again, her voice oozing with genuine sympathy.

“I’m fine!” She said angrily, shoving past a boy twice her height in rage. Sunset felt her blood run cold as the muscular boy looked back. Thankfully, only shooting them an angry expression as he continued walking in the opposite direction.

“You’re obviously not fine.” Sunset said, her voice edging dangerously. Misty’s frown deepened. “That guy could beat both of us into a pulp, and you shoved him out of the way? C’mon.”

“I’m-” Misty puffed her cheeks, clenching her fist on her binder. She looked around the hall.

“Do you want to talk privately?”

“Fine. Follow me.” She said, rolling her eyes and slipping into the girl’s bathroom. Sunset followed into the tiled room, thankfully finding the rows of stalls completely empty, and even more thankfully, non present of any foul smells.

“Is this enough privacy for you?” Sunset asked, eyeing the entrance for any intruders. “Spill it.”

“Have you ever felt ignored?” Misty asked, leaning against the wall of one of the many black stalls.Sunset looked surprised, letting her binder fall limp to her side as she racked her memory.

“There have been… times.” She answered slowly. “I used to have a teacher. Really great teacher, but… no matter how well I performed, she never really noticed me. I guess I’ve felt ignored before.” Sunset leaned back onto the counter of sinks, resting her binder and crossing her arms. “Why do you feel ignored?”

“Pinkie.” She said. Sunset, once again, was taken by surprise.

“Pinkie?” Sunset asked. “What did Pinkie do to you?” Misty looked to the ground, kicking her shoe against the tile.

“Pinkie didn’t know who I was.” She said quietly. Sunset felt confusion build in her head as she mulled it over.

“...Pinkie didn’t know who you were?” Sunset asked. “Are we talking about the same Pinkie that knows everybody’s birthdays like the back of her hand?”

“Yes!” Misty shouted. “The same! She didn’t understand why I knew Fluttershy, so I told her I was her sister! She acted like she’d never seen me before in her life!” Sunset furrowed her brows, tapping her chin.

“Are you sure she wasn’t joking?” She said. “Maybe her and Rainbow are pulling pranks again?”

“Then why didn’t she tell me after I got upset?” Misty countered. “Why didn’t she tell me it was a prank when the bell rang? Why didn’t she-” Misty burrowed her face into her hands, still holding her binder in one of them, only if just. “I don’t know, man.” She looked through her fingers. “Do you know me?”

“Know you?” Sunset asked. “Of course I do. Misty. Fluttershy’s little sister.”

“Mhm-kay.” She removed her hands from her face, pulling her shirt down slightly and readjusting the binder into the crook of her arm, much like Sunset had been doing earlier. “I guess Pinkie just… really rubbed me the wrong way, I guess.”

“Huh. That’s not like her. I wouldn’t think she would go for sore spots like that.” Sunset hummed. “Do you want me to talk to her?”

“Maybe?” Misty shrugged. “Maybe I should just talk to her myself…”

“Are you up for that?”

“I guess…” She sighed. “I’m scared I might yell at her, or something. Maybe she thought I was somebody else…”

“I’m sure Pinkie didn’t mean it.” Sunset pushed herself off of the counter, grabbing her binder from the counter. “And I don’t think she forgot who you are. We have to get to class, so…”

“Right.” Misty similarly pushed herself off of the stall wall, walking in parallel with Sunset. “So- who’s talking with who?”

“I’ll talk with Pinkie. If it was a prank, I’ll get her to apologize.” Sunset reassured, stopping in the door frame to the bathroom and looking both ways down the hall. “See you around?” She asked.

“Yeah. See you.” Misty nodded. Sunset held up a fist, and with a little bump from Misty, she departed, entering the endless stream of students.

Sunset felt her shoulders droop as she watched Misty disappear. Pinkie taking a joke too far? That’s not like her at all. Usually, it would be Rainbow taking a joke too far. Misty and Sunset didn’t know each other very well, but Sunset still didn’t like seeing her down like that. It reminded her too much of Scootaloo, Sweetie-Belle or Apple Bloom being sad.

To be fair, she didn’t know them very well, either. All things considered, she might actually know Misty the best out of the four of them. Especially after the Fall Formal disaster that ended in the front of the school being nothing more than a smoking hole full of rubble? Maybe it was just in the Shy family’s genes for forgiveness and second chances.

Sunset turned, and began rejoining the crowd.

“Oomph!”
“Gah!”

Suddenly, it seemed like the world had flipped upside-down. Sunset found herself landing painfully on her bottom as a welt began swelling on her head. Her binder unceremoniously flipped through the air, landing and spilling papers across the floor. She closed her eyes tight, wincing as she applied pressure to her forehead.

“Aw, shoot, dude, I’m sorry!” She heard a distinct and familiar voice say through the pain. “I didn’t mean to- aw, I’m so sorry! Here, let me help!”

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, blinking the blurry back into focus. On her hands and knees in front of her, the crowd going around the duo, was Rainbow Dash. Her clothes looked a tad bit too baggy for her style, and her nose looked a painful red, like it had been recently hurt. Sunset blinked again, putting both her hands on the ground and began also gathering the papers.

“Hi, Dash.” Sunset said, picking up her geometry notes. “What are you doing way over here?”

“Huh?” She asked, a paper failing to be picked up by her fingers. “What’cha mean?”

“Isn’t Mr. Doodle’s class on the other side of the school?” She asked, looking up at the clock hung on the pale walls. “You have two minutes. You gotta go.”

“Mr. Doodle?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side as she gathered the last of the papers. “Like- the donkey?”

“The donkey?”

“The donkey.” Dash held out the papers, and Sunset took them, filing them away in her blue binder. When Sunset looked back up, however, she noticed something… unnerving.

Dash’s eyes had gone foggy as she stared directly into Sunset’s. Her usually violet eyes gave way for something almost sinister. Sunset almost wanted to get back onto her feet right there and then as Dash’s face went emotionless.

Then, finally…

“You’re Sunset Shimmer!” Dash exclaimed. Sunset watched as she quickly got back to her feet, wiping away the floor dust from her baggy pants.

“...What?”

“Nice to meet- or- see you! Again!” Dash extended her hand forcefully. Sunset stared idly for a moment before agreeing to be picked up with a forceful yank. Her arm nearly disconnected from her socket as she found a new and unfamiliar sight…

“Am I… taller than you?”

“Listen… friend.” She said with a forced smile, ignoring her comment. “I need help. I have no idea what I’m doing.” She pulled out of her jeans pocket a folded up note, thrusting it towards Sunset. She stared for a moment longer, before unfolding it and staring down.

“’Schedule by the Awesome Rainbow Dash for the…’” Sunset squinted her eyes. “’Less Awesome But Still Pretty Cool Rainbow Dash Two?’” Sunset looked up, her jaw working for an explanation. “W-What?”

“That… bastard.” Rainbow cussed under her breath. “Can you tell me where my third hour is?”

“Third…” She looked back down. “Like I said. Mr. Doodle’s room, four-eleven.”

“Got it, thanks!” She beamed, taking the note back from Sunset’s hands. She turned away and began practically skipping down the hall towards an unknown direction. “Thanks, Sunny! I’ll see ya’ at lunch!” She shouted down the hall.

Sunset stared slack-jawed, her fingers still extended to where the note would’ve once been.

“...What?”

Then, the bell rang.

“Shit!” She cussed, quickly taking off towards her classroom. She had questions, that much was for sure.

Author's Note

R.I.P Mandy
2010-2023

She died in the middle of writing this chapter. She wasn’t just a good girl. She was the best girl.

10 - General Relativity

“I’m telling you, sweetheart!” Hondo exclaimed, following his wife at what any bystander would call a ‘safe’ distance. “You’re overreacting! I’m sure Sweetie and Rarity are just fine-”

“I’m not overreacting!” Cookie shouted, pushing open the door to the gas station violently. It swung all the way forwards, smacking against a display shelf and shaking a few Slim Jims loose to the floor below. The cashier clerk behind the counter gave a start, dropping his magazine in shock. “I saw her on face-time! If that- something even lays a finger- or hoof, or horn on Sweetie Belle… ooh, there will be hell to pay!” She found a bag of chips sitting idle on a shelf. It seemed like the bag of chips days were over as Cookie gripped the bag with enough force to explode it, stomping towards the counter where the very concerned cashier sat, phone against ear.

“I don’t know, should I call the police?” The clerk whispered into the phone. Cookie chucked the bag of chips onto the counter, putting her hands on her hips and glaring. He nervously smiled back, putting the phone down lightly and making slow movements as he began scanning the bag.

“L-Let’s calm down, honey!” Hondo looked over his shoulder, awaiting the sound of distant approaching sirens. He nervously adjusted the brim of his vacation hat. “You said so yourself! Rarity probably just forgot one of her filters were on, and-”

“No! She owns an iPhone! You can’t do that on an iPhone!” Cookie exclaimed like it was obvious, looking over her shoulder and at her husband.

“Well... why not?” He asked in confusion.

“I-” Cookie exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Apple doesn’t let you do things like that. If she owned a Samsung, okay. Fine. I could accept that. Android has ways around it. But she doesn’t. She has an iPhone. You can’t get filters on Face-time.”

“But Instagram allows filters-”

“Instagram isn’t Face-time!” She stomped like a child. “I may not be the most tech-literate person on the planet, but I know when something’s off when I see it!”

“M-Ma’am?” The cashier asked weakly. Cookie turned around with fire in her eyes, the cashier shrinking further behind the counter. “T-Tha’d be- um- four sixty six?”

“For a bag of chips?” She asked loudly, leaning into the counter.

“U-Um…” He clicked a button on the register. “T-Two sixty six?”

“Fine.” She drummed through her purse, pulling out a five and slapping it down onto the counter. “Keep the change.” She said, taking the bag of chips and walking away.

“Then why did you…” He looked at the five dollar bill in confusion. “I’m not paid enough for this…”

“H-Honey!” Hondo quickly jogged to keep up, one hand holding his hat firmly on his head, walking out the door and quickly crossing the parking lot to the wife getting into the driver’s seat of the dad-van pulled up to a pump. He leaned into the window of the van, huffing from exhaustion. “This is ridiculous! There are a thousand-and-one explanations for why you saw what you saw!” He rubbed his forehead. “Tell me exactly what you think happened!”

“Rarity has been replaced with this-” She shoved the keys into the ignition, roaring the van to life. “-this horse thing! Unicorn!”

“Unicorn? Seriously?” He asked, leaning further into the car. “I know that Canterlot doesn’t have the best history with magic, but… Unicorn?”

“Here.” Cookie leaned up in her seat, reaching deep into her pants pocket and pulling out her phone. She began tapping away on the screen, Hondo only watching in desperation for his wife to see reason. He was also watching both ways up and down the street for the arrival of a police car for his wife’s erratic driving earlier. “Look. I took a screenshot when it happened.” She said, turning around her phone and showing him the screen.

Lit up on her screen was a screenshot from her gallery app. It showed the Face-time interface complete with the mute, hang up, and preview window sprawled across. In said preview window was Cookie’s frozen face, halfway between shock and surprise.

In the main window, however, was a strange sight. Just like Cookie had said, it was a Unicorn with a striking resemblance to his own daughter. White coat, purple curly hair, and bright blue eyes. The Unicorn was also, similarly to Cookie, halfway in between emotions. Shock and fear, it looked like, followed by what seemed like a desperate attempt to use her hoof to hang up the call.

“That could totally be a filter!”

“No it can’t be!”

“Yes- how could it not be a filter?!”

“Because it’s not-” She turned the phone back to herself, using her fingers to make a grabbing motion, like she was physically grabbing the words out of the air. “It’s not glitchy! It’s too perfect!”

“Seriously? A filter is too perfect?” He laughed harshly. “Do you think the earth’s flat, too?”

“No!”

“Unicorns, flat earth, and the moon is a hologram?” He piled his face into his hands. “Ohmygod, Cookie! This is ridiculous!”

“Get in the god damn car, Hondo.” She said angrily. “We’re going to check on our daughters.”

“And abandoned our vacation?” He uncovered his face.

“What if I’m right? What if this… thing replaced Rarity? What if it’s going to replace Sweetie?”

“It’s not going to! There is no thing! Occam’s razor! It’s not a- Unicorn from another world! It’s fucking Rarity!” He shouted.

“Our lives are messed up, okay?” Cookie shouted. Hondo went silent, closing his mouth and staring at his wife. “Our daughter-” She sighed. “Rarity is part of a group of teens that can willingly summon magic. How far away is something like this? Really?” Hondo simply sighed.

“How far away? From being replaced with Unicorns?” He rubbed a hand over his hair. “I- I-” Finally, he just sighed, leaning his head far enough down until his hat almost fell off. “Whatever makes you happy, dear.” He said, defeatedlyclicking open the car door and getting into the passenger seat. Cookie stared for a moment before shifting the car into drive and pulling out of the pump.

“I just… hope Rarity is okay.” Cookie said. Hondo grumbled something unintelligible, staring out the open passenger window. “I hope our daughters are okay.”

“Who is Einstein?” Rarity asked in a hushed whisper, leaning closer to her table partner, which happened to be Pinkie. Uncharacteristically of the pink party pony, she merely shrugged while twirling a pencil in between her fingers, paying rapt attention to the speaker at the front of the room.

In the quite spacious and large room with bland white walls and black marble desks with sinks installed in the center of them, two people stood at the front of the room. One of them, the one closer to the blackboard, was easily recognizable by her gray skirt, bright blonde hair, and crooked eyes.

The other person at the front of the room, standing up yet hunched over what appeared to be lesson plans at his desk, was wearing a brown coat. His hair was spiked and wild, a tie connecting his suit together. No matter how hard Rarity stared, she couldn’t quite figure out where she knew him from in the pony world.

“Einstein believed using this equation…” He began, looking up from his lesson plans. Ditzy picked up the white chalk and began scribbling, albeit with obviously bad handwriting, an equation on the board. “...to be blunt, he believed this equation would unlock the secrets of the universe. Not really, of course. But let dreamers be dreamers.” He turned to look at Ditzy, who tapped the board. Although unintelligible to Rarity, the equation did look familiar. “E equals M C squared.” He proudly said.

“Where do I know you from…?” Rarity whispered to herself. Yet again, surprisingly, Pinkie only shrugged, still twirling a pencil nervously in her fingers.

“In the seventies, a group of scientists decided to put a test to the equation, now famously dubbed the Hafele Keating experiment.” Ditzy began scribbling on the board once more. She started with a circle and began filling in the circle with continents. Rarity cocked her head to the side as she watched her fill in the land masses. She gave a hollow chuckle, mostly to herself.

“Darling, none of those continents are right.” She whispered. “Central Griffonia should be to the right, not to the left.”

“Rarity, hush up!” A voice said behind her. She turned around in her seat, looking at the girl who was whispering. She was unidentifiable by face, but the bright pink bow in her cyan mane gave Rarity the distinct impression she was talking to Cloud Flitter, a member of Ponyville’s Weather Team. “I’m trying to listen!”

“Sorry, dear!” She whispered back, looking towards the front of the room once more.

“The scientists had three clocks. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just say they had two clocks. They put one right here-” The brown-coated teacher pointed at a place on the right side of the left continent. Ditzy put a small X where his finger was. “-in Washington D.C. Then, they took another on an airplane, and zoom!” Ditzy followed his finger with the chalk, creating a dashed line as he traced another circle around the planet. “They were in complete synchronization when they left. Can anybody tell me what happened after the plane landed?”

There was a moment of silence as the class awkwardly stared at each other. Turner nodded his head as the silence reigned on longer than what he deemed necessary.

“Miss Rarity.” He eventually said. Rarity straightened up, a prick of fear going through her heart as she was called on. “You were whispering during my class. Perhaps you’d want to answer this question?” Rarity gulped, her eyes flickering from him, to Ditzy, to the blackboard.

“W-Well…” She said, a small droplet of sweat sliding down her forehead. “Erm- if you’d must know…” He wouldn’t be telling us this experiment if it wasn’t important! “Err- I do believe the clocks went… out of sync?” She guessed. The teacher nodded his head in satisfaction.

“Very good, Miss Rarity.” He said. “No talking- even whispering- during my teaching.” He turned back to the board. “Yes, the clocks went out of sync by about ten nanoseconds.” Ditzy scratched something into the board again, once again, unelligable to Rarity. “Ten nanoseconds. Now- what does that mean? Does that mean somebody jiggled the clock while loading it onto the airplane? No. Of course not.”

“Time travel!” Ditzy said from the blackboard, accidentally letting the chalk from her fingers drop to the floor below.

“Wh- Ditzy!” He let his shoulders fall. “The students were supposed to answer that question!”

“Nobody ever raises their hand.” Ditzy said. “Ever.”

“I mean-” He sputtered, eventually giving up with a sigh. “I guess. Anyways.” He cleared his throat. “Yes, that means that time on the plane moved slower! Physically slower! The scientists onboard would’ve experienced time slower than those on earth!”

“The second plane.” Ditzy said while picking up the chalk.

“Yes! I know my own lesson plans!” He said. “Fine! There was a second plane flying in the opposite direction. This plane experienced the exact opposite effect-”

*Crunch!*

Rarity visibly flinched at the terrible sound. She turned to shoot her desk partner a glare that could level entire skyscrapers. Pinkie had somehow found herself a large bag of what appeared to be button sized candies, varying in colors. Rarity began to open her mouth to start scolding the pink haired human, but remembered that the teacher apparently had super-sonic hearing.

Fortunately enough for her, however, it was barely two minutes later when Ditzy began coming around the classroom, handing out worksheets. Of course, Rarity and Pinkie had no idea what the worksheets had written on them.

“Alright. You may begin!” The teacher said. Finally, Rarity and Pinkie could talk. And first things first…

“Darling, where did you find that?” She asked as the class erupted into voices, talking at their table groups.

“The teacher’s desk.” She said through a mouthful of candy. “They’re chocolate. Want some?”

“Want some-” She guffawed. “Are you serious? You stole from the teacher? And your offering me-”

“Here.” Pinkie held out a single blue candy. Rarity’s eyes squinted in suspicion as she begrudgingly took the candy, popping in into her mouth and chewing as she leaned back into her chair, observing the rest of the class as she ate.

A few faces in the human world were definitely… familiar. Some ponies you couldn’t change the essence of, no matter how many dimensions hopped. Ditzy happened to be one example of that. No matter how much pony you took out of Ditzy, it would always still obviously be her.

Humans were mostly pale, lanky, fully clothed, and… hairless, mostly. These humans had… well, let’s call it their own ‘charm,’ shall we? Yet, in the end of the day, no matter how much Rarity stared, the humans were not appealing in any way. They were just much too alien for her.

She finally swallowed the candy.

“Right.” She leaned forwards again. “Why did you steal candy, dear? It hardly seems like the Pinkie I know-”

“Candy?” Pinkie asked, holding up a red candy.

“No, darling.” She lightly pushed Pinkie’s hand away. “Why did you-”

“The red ones taste different.” Pinkie interrupted, holding up the red candy again. Rarity made a grumbling sound, pushing her hand away harder.

“Pinkie, listen to me.” Rarity demanded. “I ask you once again. Why did you take the candy?”

Pinkie went silent for a moment, shifting the bag of candy in her lap awkwardly.

“...did you know Fluttershy has a sister?” She whispered. Rarity paused her breathing for a moment, creasing her brows and staring intently at Pinkie.

“Fluttershy has a sister?”

“I-I didn’t think so!” Pinkie said dejectedly. “How many birthday parties have I missed? How many, Rarity?” Pinkie rubbed her forehead. “Am I even a good party pony if I don’t know my best-friend’s-sister’s birthday?”

“Pinkie…” Rarity tapped her fingers. “I’m… actually fairly certain Fluttershy doesn’t have a sister.” She paused her tapping momentarily as she began thinking. “Tell me- how old is she?”

“Like… sixteen?” She guessed. “Younger than us. Which is even more of a shame, because that means I’ve missed her most influential birthday parties! The blunder years!”

“I’ve met her parents before.” Rarity rubbed her chin, looking up at the drop tile ceiling above. “At the wedding. We talked for a while. Her mother used to be a gardener, and sewing has a lot more in common than one might think.” Rarity tapped her chin in finality with her index finger. “They both loved their kids. The two almost always talked about them.”

“What are you saying?” Pinkie asked, leaning forwards intently.

“Why didn’t they ever mention her-” She stopped. “Sorry- what’s the dear’s name?”

Pinkie merely let her head collapse onto the table below as Rarity felt a jolt, momentarily in panic that the pink human suffered a heart attack.

“I don’t even know her name!” She sobbed.

“T-That’s okay!” Rarity soothed, reaching over and rubbing a hand against Pinkie’s back. “I-It wasn’t your fault!”

“Yes it is!” Pinkie responded through hair. “It’s my responsibility as Ponyville’s Premiere Party Pony to know everypony’s and everypony’s relative’s birthday! And I failed on my responsibility!”

“It’s not your fault, because I don’t think she exists.”

…

“What?” Pinkie asked, raising her head.

“Are you confident that this was Fluttershy’s sister? Not some freshman pulling a prank?” Pinkie nodded through wet eyes. “Think about it, dear.” Rarity said. “I don’t think she’s been born yet in Equestria. There are plenty of differences over here. Ages of people are all over the place. We’re both physically younger. Dearie me, I don’t think I remember the last time I could read something close up without my reading glasses.”

“Aren’t you only thirty?”

“What of it, dear?” Rarity asked, squinting her eyes dangerously. Pinkie nervously laughed, rolling her wrist as a way to ask to continue. “If we are the ages I think we are, which would be about eighteen… What are the chances that she just simply hasn’t been born yet?” Pinkie was silent for a moment, her thoughts churning.

“Are you saying I can do negative birthday parties? Birthday parties before they’re born?”

“That’s not… exactly what I was getting at…” She shrugged. “But yes, dear. You haven’t missed a single birthday party. Especially not in Equestria.”

“But… what about the Crusaders?” Pinkie asked. “They’re born back home. Wouldn’t she also be born? If they’re similar ages?”

“Hm.” Rarity hummed. “Well- what’s the alternative? Either she hasn’t been born yet, or she will simply never exist.”

“So… It’s not my fault I didn’t know who she was?”

“I guess not, darling.” She smiled. “You simply can’t do negative birthday parties.”

“Oh.” Pinkie shrugged. “I… guess that makes sense.”

The bell interrupted them from their thoughts. There was a cacophony of screeching chairs as everybody fought to stand up and fought to be the first ones out the door. Rarity and Pinkie simply stayed seated, watching as everybody filed out from around them.

“I… I think I should tell her.” Pinkie said.

“Tell her what?” Rarity asked slowly, already knowing the answer.

“About us. About ponies.” Pinkie said. “She’s Fluttershy’s sister. She deserves to know.” She gave a half chuckle. “And I did… kind of make her upset. I need to go apologize to her.”

Rarity slowly gathered her school binder, standing up from her chair. Pinkie copied her, also picking up her own stuff, including the bag of candies that had been mostly forgotten about.

“Well… Twilight warned us not to tell anypony about us unless absolutely necessary.” Rarity said. “Is this… necessary?”

“Yes.” Pinkie said on the verge of exasperation. “I hurt somepony’s feelings, and that’s never okay.” Pinkie adjusted her binder. “At lunch. I’ll tell her at lunch. With a cupcake as an I’m sorry.”

“Do you mean right now?” Rarity asked, looking over her shoulder and at the flowing hall full of students through the door. “Lunch is starting right now. I’m feeling slightly peckish, and judging by the half-empty bag of candy you have with you, you aren’t feeling particularly hungry.”

“The bag was already half empty!” Pinkie held out the bag, showing it to Rarity. “Whoever filled this didn’t fill it all the way! I didn’t-”

“Is that my M and M’s?” The teacher at the front of the room suddenly exclaimed. “Great-wickering-stallions, my M and M’s!”

“Oh.” Rarity said, blinking as she backed up towards the door. “Time Turner. I remember who he is now. Ta-ta, Pinkie.” Rarity said before booking it out. The last thing she saw was an angry teacher, a frozen on the spot Pinkie, and for some reason, an even angrier Ditzy Doo.

Author's Note

A few chapters ago, I did little binary codes for people to solve.

This chapter, I'm doing something a little different. Honestly, I don't expect anybody to solve it. It's not necessarily difficult, nor is it very time consuming at all, but if anybody does solve it, I wouldn't be against posting the link in the comments.

Anyways- here is your clue.

watch?v=n2TpzO5xAG0

Have fun!

11 - The Hall of Hell

The cafeteria was bustling with activity- as it should have been. People had chosen their own tables, sitting down with their best friends and trays full of today’s lunch. Today was a hamburger with a side of what the menu insisted was baked beans, but looked more like featureless brown slop. Sunset herself, as a former pony, had snagged the vegan option. Of course, the school’s cafeteria was rarely accommodating towards vegans, so Sunset’s meal was closer to that of two sides meant to go with the main meal, instead of their own separate thing. A small salad and a few suspiciously wet celery stick. But it was good enough for her. Free food was, after all, free food, and beggars couldn’t be choosers. Or so she rationalized.

Today had been… unusual, to say the least. Earlier today, she had encountered Rainbow, who had acted particularly strange, stumbling around like a newborn deer and asking for her class’s schedule to be read out loud to her. Even earlier than that, Misty, Fluttershy’s sister, had confided in Sunset that Pinkie had apparently forgotten Misty had even existed, damaging her feelings. Now, as Sunset looked around the cafeteria, every single one of her friends were missing. Not one had come through yet, and they were usually the first ones to sit down in the cafeteria.

Today had been so strange, in fact, that Sunset made a quick pit stop to her locker to pick up a particular book. Well- it wasn’t a book, rather, more of a journal. Well… Less of a journal and more of an inter-dimensional cell phone that had an exact copy on the other side of a mystical portal with a world full of ponies, dragons, griffons, and… You know what? It was a book.

Sunset tapped her finger diligently and nervously on the blank page. Her pen-pal was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself, and although Twilight was a nice girl, and one of her best friends, that didn’t mean that initiating a conversation wasn’t scary. She was a princess. There wasn’t many of those, especially not in Equestria.More than likely, she didn’t have any time to deal with Sunset, the former pony turned smelly human. The exiled. But… Twilight was her friend, right? She was the princess of friendship, and she was her friend.

Sunset tore her eyes away from the blank paper and longingly towards her uneaten salad. It was far from the freshest thing on the menu, but it was still food, and it was longingly calling towards her. She bit her cheek and put the pen held in between her index and middle into the journal, closing the cover and pushing it to the side. She began poking the salad with her fork, and by the time she got the first leaf to her mouth, Sweetie Belle sat down at the table. The CMC, or the Canterlot Movie Club, sat at the end of the Rainboom’s table, and were usually the last to arrive, all three of them prioritizing standing in line next to one another instead of getting through the line as quickly as possible.

Sweetie looked around confusedly. “Where’s the other girls?” She asked. “They should be here by now.”

“I’unno.” Sunset said with a mouthful of salad. “I’ve barely seen them all day.”

“Huh.” Sweetie picked up her burger with her hands, the dry and honestly quite vile thing looking strangely appealing to the hungry girl. “Weird.”

Sunset barely knew the CMC. At most, they were acquaintances, introduced to one another via their sisters. At worst, Sunset was a former bully. The conversations they rarely had were stiff and awkward. Thankfully, Sunset had a guardian angel in the form of Apple Bloom, who was next in line, and next to sit down.

“Boy, let me tell you ‘what.” Apple Bloom said, sitting down and swinging her legs over the bench and into the table. “Sittin’ in math for an hour straight is no fun! Ah’ had to listen to that dang teacher for an entire hour, and ah’ still dunno what a ‘slope’ is- Hayy, where’s the other girls?”

“It’s a mystery.” Sunset did jazz hands. The last to join of the CMC was Scootaloo, sitting on the opposite side of the two so she could see and talk to both of them. Due to Scootaloo’s prosthetic, it took her a good two or three seconds longer to sit down, having to take the moment or two to lift her fake leg up and over the bench.

“Need help, Cyborg?” Apple Bloom asked, suppressing a laugh.

“AB!” Sweetie let go of her half-eaten hamburger, punching Apple Bloom in the shoulder. Scootaloo’s expression barely changed, but she did reach down and disconnect her fake leg, raising it above her haed in a semi-jokingly and semi-threatening manner.

“Make fun of my leg again, and I’ll knock your lights out!” She threatened. Apple Bloom failed to suppress the following laugh.

“All Ah’ have to do is run in a straight line- omph!” Apple Bloom was silenced as Scootaloo followed through on her promise, bringing the foot literally down on Apple Bloom’s head.

Sunset looked back at her salad, ignoring the two girls beginning to brawl it out as Sweetie tried her absolute hardest to act as the intermediary. The food line was now completely empty, so the chances of the other five girls being stuck in line was now zero. They simply absent. Which made Sunset feel… uneasy. They were her friends, of course, through and through. They pulled her from the crater she had made after the fall formal, and had come together to beat back the sirens with the magic of their music. If anything, she should’ve been expecting them to make some kind of surprise for her.

But she still felt that little bit anxious. Just that teeny-tiny bit of anxiety that she had potentially done something to offend them, and everyone had abandoned her quicker than the drop of a hat. She couldn’t remember doing anything wrong, of course, but that didn’t ease her mind anymore.

She set her fork down.

“Girls, stop fighting.” She commanded. The three girls froze, Apple Bloom holding Scootaloo’s prosthetic above her head as Scootaloo held Apple Bloom’s wrist. “Were any of your sisters acting… I dunno, weird today?” Apple Bloom made a puzzled face, and Scootaloo took it as an opportunity to wrench her leg out of Apple Bloom’s hand, plopping back onto her bench and reassembling herself.

“Aj…was actin’ a mite strange.” Apple Bloom sat back down, brushing the shoe mark from her face. “Yeah… yeah, funny you mention that. She ain’t shown up last night, got us all worried sick. We found her in front of the school, and yup, she’s weird, all right.”

“Weird, how?” Sunset asked.

“Yup- bruised up hat, all good. It looked like she rolled pa’s hat around in a pig’s pen and back. Rainbow was there, too. She was weird, wearin’ all baggy clothes like a hipster or summit.” Scootaloo raised her eyebrows.

“I didn’t think Rainbow was weird.” Scootaloo said.

“Scootaloo, you never think Rainbow is weird.” Sweetie said with a giggle. “I don’t think you’ve eversaid anything negative about Rainbow ever.” Scootaloo exhaled quickly, leaning back and crossing her arms, blowing a piece of hair out of her face. “But… now that you mention it, Sunset, Rarity was also acting really weird last night.” She tapped her chin, Sunset taking interest and leaning forwards. “She was drunk.”

“No way!” Apple Bloom laughed. “No chance in hay!”

“And she also forgot what the internet was.”

“Now this I gotta see!” Scootaloo also began laughing. “Rarity? The Instagram model? The makeup enthusiast? What would she be like without her filters? Fuck, what would she be like without Instagram?”

“I had to help her… google. Things.”

“Things?” Sunset asked.

“Things.” Sweetie shivered, holding both her shoulders and looking far away from the group. “I… really don’t want to talk about it.”

“So is everyone acting weird, or what?” Scootaloo asked. “What’s wrong, then? Are they sick? What now?”

“I don’t know.” Sunset sighed. “That’s Rarity, Rainbow, AJ, and Pinkie.”

“Pinkie?” Apple Bloom asked. “What’s the matter with ‘er?”

“She forgot who Misty is.” Sunset said. At the blank looks of the other three girls, she continued. “You know, Middlemist? Fluttershy’s sister?” More blank looks. “The purple-hair smaller-Fluttershy who wears leather?”

“Oh, Misty!” Sweetie said, slapping her forehead. “Yeah! No- I can’t blame Pinkie. We don’t talk much, and she’s a little too…” Sweetie rolled the words around in her head for a moment. “Ah- what’s the word?”

“It’s like she has an’ extreme ADHD.” Apple Bloom finished. “Ah’ can’t hold no conversation with her for more’n’ five seconds before she’s already onto the next thang.”

“She has great music taste, though!” Scootaloo said. “MCR, Scrillex, Twisted Sister…”

“I didn’t know you were into metal, Scootaloo.” Sweetie said.

“I’m not.” She shrugged. “I can appreciate from a distance, Sweetie.”

“Back on track, girls!” Sunset quickly said before the conversation could degrade anymore. “So…Four out of the Six girls are acting weird, including me. I’m fine, so it’s four out of five, really, because I don’t know how Fluttershy’s doing.”

“Does this involve magic?” Apple Bloom asked, giving Sunset a side-eye to the former pony demon. “Cause’ if so, ah’ want nothin’ to do with this.”

“Whaaat? Magic’s awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “It gave Dash wings that one time! D’ya remember, Sunset? Sunset?”

“It gave me wings, too.”

“Yeah, but those were like, weird demon wings. Those don’t count.”

“Excuse me? Those totally count! I had wings, and I could fly! I even had horns.”

“Horns?” Sweetie asked. “…I don’t remember horns.”

“I totally had horns!”

“Now, ya’ see girls, this is what magic does to a person.” Apple Bloom shook her head disappointingly. “Screw’s with ya’ head. I’d rather ah’ just stay away. No ma’am, my head is going to stay in one piece, ya’ hear?”

“We’re getting off track here.” Scootaloo stood up, although from the way the benches were connected to the tables, it was more of a lean-backwards kind of standing up. “If everyone’s acting weird, then something’s going on, with magic or without. And we really should get to the bottom of it! Sweetie, do you still have the camera from video production class?” She pointed down at the purple-haired girl. Sweetie leaned down and to the side, reaching her hand into her backpack, and pulling out a blue camcorder. If plastic could rust, somehow, the camera did it, as the finish looked as if it went through a carwash made of steel wool and gasoline. Sweetie flipped open the view finder, and miraculously, the thing powered on. “Great! We can make Youtube content off of this!”

“What?! No!” Sunset shouted. “No-no-no! We really shouldn’t!”

“Why not?” Scootaloo asked, genuinely confused at Sunset’s reaction. “Sweetie, start recording this!”

“I dunno…” Sweetie hummed, the camera falling down a few inches from her grip. “I dunno if this is Youtube content… I mean, what if something serious is going on? Plus, we only have twenty minutes left of space. I don’t want to fill it up on… whatever this is.”

“Dang it, Sweetie!” Scootaloo sighed out. “I don’t care how serious it is, if there’s a dead body, I’m going to film it!”

“The hay you ain’t!” Apple Bloom piped up. She snatched the camera out of Sweetie’s hands and closed the viewfinder, dropping it back into Sweetie’s bag, where it joined the rest of the junk. Scootaloo huffed hot air, and in response, whipped her blackberry out of her pocket.

“Jokes on you!” She said, flipping down the keyboard. “I still have my phone! So what if it looks like a potato, at least- aw, it’s out of storage.” She let her phone drop to her side in defeat. “Hey, Apple Bloom, can I use your phone?”

“What? No! My phone don’t even got no camera!”

“Really? Is your phone from the stone age, or something?”

“It’s a flip phone. Ask Sweetie!”

“No way! My phone’s too precious!”

“C’mon, Sweetie. I’m sure your precious iPhone 5 can endure ten minutes of-”

A shrill scream cut them all off. It echoed through the cafeteria, silencing the masses. Everybody was silent for a moment or two as eyes looked at one another, unsure of what to do. Then, like a switch flipped, everybody stood up all at once to go find the source of the noise.

“That sounded like…” Sweetie said quietly. “...Rarity.”

All four of them abandoned their table, scampering towards the crowd and where the source of the noise came from. Sweetie lingered a moment or two longer to quickly help Scootaloo stand up easier, but after that, they ran, being one of the first one’s at the crime scene.

“It jus’ ain’t right!” Apple Bloom immediately recognized the voice of her older sister, Applejack. Through the crowd, she could faintly see her sliding a tray full of food to the ground and off of the table. It splattered onto the ground, burger and beans going to waste.

“Look out! Crippled coming through!” Scootaloo yelled, sliding in between the crowd. Sweetie wasn’t far behind, following the path that Scootaloo had left behind. Sunset, being older and therefore larger than the freshman, was having a hard time breaking through the wall of people, instead being left behind as the CMC found their way to the center of attention.

Sunset audibly gulped as she watched Apple Bloom climb on top of the table, standing as tall as she could reach.

“Attention, everyone!” She yelled. “Nothin’ to see here! Jus’ the ol’ Rainbooms messin’ with magic again! Please, nothin’s wrong, and please return to your seats!”

There was a general murmur of discontent between the walls of students, but one by one, they thankfully walked away. ‘Just don’t blow up the front of the school this time, okay?’ Sunset heard one girl say as she walked away. Finally, Sunset was able to get to the table, and boy did she see.

Fluttershy had passed out, laying on the floor with one of her legs still caught in the table’s benches. Rarity was basically unresponsive, sitting down on the floor a little ways away from Fluttershy and rocking back and forth, clutching her hair like it would bring comfort. Pinkie was nowhere to be seen, and Rainbow was sitting at the table, eating her burger like nothing had happened.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh-” Rarity was repeating to herself. Sweetie quickly slid next to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling it away from her hair.

“Rarity, what’s wrong?” Sweetie asked. Instead of responding, Rarity quickly clutched her in a hug, pulling her tight, and continuing with her repeating ‘oh dear’s’

Sunset grabbed her own hair.

“Rainbow, what the fuck is happening?” She shouted. Scootaloo, for once, didn’t run to her idol. She seemed to take a step back, looking at Rainbow with a strange distain unseen from her before.

“It’s meat.” Rainbow said, like it solved everything. “Taste’s pretty good, though.”

“It ain’t right!” Applejack shouted again, wiping her face with a sleeve. “W-Who did ah’ eat? Did they have a family?”

“Who?” Apple Bloom asked. “What’d’ya mean who? Like- the cow’s name?” Applejack reached up, grabbing her stetson and squeezing it in an apparent nervous breakdown. Sunset took the time to observe the hat, realizing that Apple Bloom was right. The hat looked about a hundred years older than she remembered it, a sort of grime that was earned covering it’s surface.

“Ah’m sorry ‘bout this…” Applejack said, plopping her stetson back onto her head. “Ah’ jus’… gotta go, ah’ think.” Applejack began walking away, pausing only for a moment to look at Sunset. It took a moment, maybe longer than a second or two, but her eyes danced with recognition upon seeing Sunset. “H-Howdy, Sunset. Ah’m real sorry about first introductions, but… ah’ just…. Ah’ gotta go, that’s all.”

Sunset watched her walk away. Apple Bloom made a clicking sound with her tongue, looking back at Sweetie, and then to Scootaloo. “Ah, darn it. Someone’s gotta look after her!” Apple Bloom took off, following wherever Applejack went off to.

“It’s kinda like…” Rainbow smacked her lips. “Like burnt fries. But in a good way, you know? Kinda?” Rainbow took another bite of her burger. “Mm- yeagh, definitely a ghood way!”

“Are you okay, Dash?” Scootaloo asked, warily approaching her.

“Oh, definitely!” She said with her mouth full. “This stuff tastes great!”

“It… does?” Scootaloo asked. “It’s just school slop. It never tastes good.”

“If this doesn’t taste good, then I’ll eat Applejack’s hat!” Rainbow laughed. Sunset continued staring with an absolute lack of words.

“Why’re you wearing those clothes?” Scootaloo asked, getting close enough to the strange girl to pluck her shirt like it was dangerous. Sunset watched with interest and surprise as, yet again, Apple Bloom was right. Rainbow’s clothes were a few sizes too big. It looked more like she had shown up to school wearing her pajamas instead of her actual clothes, and it showed. “Are you wearing… clown shoes?”

“Clown shoes-” Rainbow tittered, looking under the table. “These are not clown shoes! They’re awesome!”

“They look two sizes too big, Dash…” Scootaloo leaned back. “Is this some kinda magic thing? Like, a shrinking spell?”

“Oh, come on.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I know a bookworm who tells me that shrinking spells are really, really hard. I have no intention of getting any shorter, okay?”

Then, like an angel from above, the school bell rang. Finally, it rang. The hellish and borderline insane lunch period would come to an end, and Sunset could just focus on her next class. Now, this… situation became a secondary thing, next to her school work.

“I think we’re gonna go home.” Sweetie told Sunset and Scootaloo, Rarity still clinging onto Sweetie like a life preserver. “I don’t know if Opal died, or if she applied the wrong shade of makeup today and only now realized it, but…” She shrugged, standing the hollow husk and tearful form of Rarity to her feet.

“Well… see ya’ later.” Rainbow said. “I might as well get, too. I gotta figure out where my next class is.”

“Rainbow… it’s with me.” Scootaloo said. “Remember? Gym?”

“Oh, right.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, slapping her forehead. “Duh. Silly me.” She stood up, grabbing her plate to dispose of later. “Lead the way, Scoots!”

Sunset shot Scootaloo one last look, and Scootaloo returned the look. It was one of utter and complete confusion, a rare moment where both parties were just completely lost in the situation.

And then there were two.

Sunset stood over Fluttershy. She was still passed out on the ground, a thin stream of drool gargling out of her mouth and pooling on the dirty floor next to Fluttershy’s head. “Fluttershy.” Sunset said, shaking her lightly. She didn’t even react. “Flutters- hey, Flutters!” She shook her harder. “You’re gonna be late! Wake up!”

Fluttershy simply breathed.

“Okay, Flutters- err, I’ll be right back! Stay there.” She said, standing up and walking away. Of course, if Fluttershy heard, she made exactly zero indication. A good half a minute later, and Sunset came back, a particular journal in hand. “This is a problem worthy of Princess Twilight…” Sunset said, opening to the first blank page she could find, putting her pen in hand. “Sorry, Flutters, but I am just… totally lost how to help you guys.”

And then she started writing.

Author's Note

I dropped a spoon full of ice cream onto my freshly washed pajama pants while uploading this. I am unironically mad. The pants were still warm from the washer, and they smelled like flowers. Now there's a strawberry streak going down my left thigh. Grr.

12 - Through The Wardrobe

Sunset sat uncomfortably in one of the many chairs in the nurses office. Usually, these rooms would only be used for sports-related injuries, as the gym was less than a stone’s toss away from this room. Fortunately, the nurses were more than accommodating for anybody else who needed help. As it turned out, Fluttershy was wheeled in on what Sunset could only describe as a low-budget gurney, and ever since the nurse closed the door, she had been waiting nervously for her.

Sunset wasn’t nervous for Fluttershy, however. Oh, no. She was nervous for what she was about do to. On her lap, with the pages spread wide open, was the journal. The one that connected directly to Twilight Sparkle, and the one she was scared to write in. Of course, Twilight and Sunset had communicated in the past, sometimes even using the journal as an ancient form of text messenger with the speed and untidiness that they wrote back and forth with. But this time it wasn’t just friendly banter back and forth, this time, it was an issue.

Sunset tapped the page with her pen. Yes, she had decided. This- whatever this was, was a problem worth the Princess’s time. She looked around the warm waiting room, and saw it completely empty. So, she flipped the pen in her hand, and trying to clear her head, she began writing.

Dear Twilight Sparkle.
I hope you are doing well. I wish this matter was less urgent, as I do not wish to cut into your princess duties. I’m sure you are a very busy mare, but something has come up in the human world that I feel constitutes your attention. You see, earlier this mor

Sunset! I haven’t heard this book vibrate in such a long time! How have you been?

Sunset blinked, her eyebrows shooting up at the sudden response time. Twilight must’ve had the book nearby, or at the very least, not tucked away in a bookshelf somewhere. Not only that, but Twilight was an extremely fast writer, jotting down the entire sentence in a matter of seconds.

I apologize for the delay, as your Princess duties must be

Princess Duties? Trust me, being a Princess is mostly just smiling and waving. Nothing has really changed since I got my wings. Ponyville is the same, my friends, and the hayburgers are the same! I don’t want you to ever feel scared to approach me! And please, I know you didn’t, but never call me Princess directly. I hate all the drooling. “Oh, Princess Sparkle! Howdy, Princess Twilight!” It really gets on my nerves.

Sunset had the distinct impression that Twilight hadn’t had anypony to talk to in a long time about these things. And, once again, the entire paragraph was dictated in mere seconds, compared to how long it took Sunset to write a simple sentence. Sunset knew magic was faster than handwriting, but… she never got proficient enough at magic to have that kind of speed.

Twilight, the girls are acting weird. Really, really weird.

Oh, I hope they aren’t causing any trouble? I tried to tell them to be careful. I’ve smuggled some history books out of your world, I know how judgy humans can be to people not like them. I mean, the Rainbooms are doing fantastic, of course! Not at all judgy. I mean- I’m sorry, that came out badly. I mean, I was scared about how the other humans would react to them being ponies.

Sunset stared blankly at her journal, trying to decipher the near ineligible words appearing at break neck speeds on her journal. She blinked, looking up from the journal, and leaning forwards. She still couldn’t see Fluttershy, but knowing she was on the other side of the closed door was at least comforting, to a certain degree. Sunset nervously clicked her pen twice, and began writing again.

What do you mean them being ponies? The elements?

We aren’t elements anymore. We had to give them up to the tree! No, I mean my friends. Because they were ponies before coming through the portal.

Sunset took a moment to rub her eyes, pinching them aggressively. She took a deep breath, and started again.

Twilight, what are you talking about? The girls are acting weird, they are stumbling around, and I think Rainbow is like a good few inches shorter.

There was about a good thirty or so seconds of silence, where nothing was written. For Twilight to not immediately respond was slightly… off putting, to say the least. It was such a long period of time that Sunset looked up from her journal, looking around the nurses room for anything to do. Unfortunately, the only thing in the room worth nothing was the clock, ticking away. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the page began to write by itself once more.

Sunset, please tell me somebody told you.

Tell me what.

Yet more time passed. At this point, it had begun to get incredibly concerning., the gaps between each message getting longer and longer. She uncomfortably cleared her throat, just to create some kind of noise in the tense atmosphere.

Oh my Faust, nobody told you.

Sunset almost snapped her pen in half as she began writing once more, this time almost making the pen bleed ink into the page.

Twilight, my friend, amigo, pal, buddy, can you please for the love of all things good tell me what is going on. I’m sick of playing these games.

My friends and your friends swapped places.

And there it was. The boot dropped, as did Sunset’s pen onto the page, as she sighed exasperatedly, leaning back into her chair and pinching her temple. If she wasn’t in the middle of a nurses room, and maybe if she was at home, she would’ve let out an angry, earth shattering roar of rage. Unfortunately, the most she could muster was a muted ‘Eeerugh!’from the back of her throat.

I’m so, so sorry! I thought the Rainbooms would tell you what was happening, so I didn’t ask my friends to tell you! They probably thought you already knew! I didn’t know the Rainbooms would hide it from you! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to leave you in the dark like that, I promise! I’m sorry!

Sunset let out another sigh, angrily picking up the pen, and beginning to scrawl.

IIshcaoun'tld've asked for your

Sunset picked her pen up, making a disgruntled face as the two colors mixed and melded together. For the first time in owning the journal, they had both accidentally begun writing in the same spot.

Sorry, you go first.

The girls that I’ve been communicating with for the past day weren’t my friends… but they were your friends? They swapped places? For what reason? What possible reason could there be? Is there a new monster to beat back?

No. We did it for fun, really. I know how ponies react to becoming humans, but I was curious about the other way around. So far, they’ve been adapting really good! It only took them about fifteen or so minutes to start walking on all fours.

Twilight, this is bad. Really, really bad. The human world isn’t like the Equestrian world. It’s different in a lot, lot, lot of ways. When I had to adapt to the human world by myself, I can’t tell you how many times I messed up. It’s not like Equestria where everybody is welcoming to everybody, because

oh my god they ate meat.

They did WHAT.

Twilight, they all ate meat. I’m in the nurses office with Fluttershy because she passed out. Rainbow seemed pretty okay with it. Sweetie is taking Rarity home, and Applejack is somewhere fuming because of it. Oh my god they don’t know cows aren’t sentient. They think they just ate somebody.

Okay. So this has been a disaster. Maybe I should’ve just kept everypony in Equestria! I though it would be easier, because doubles are hard to

Then, the pen strokes stopped.

Twilight, are you there?

Hold on, somepony’s screaming.

That was, potentially, the most threatening and ominous message Sunset had ever been sent in her life. Well, it was the most threatening and ominous message, if it wasn’t immediately overshadowed by what came next.

Its coming from the portal room sun ill get back to you

Misty placed her palm on the statue. She wasn’t expecting anything, of course, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed as the concrete surface did, quite literally, nothing. The surface was rough, bumpy, and old. Misty sighed, taking her hand off of the statue, and turning to look back at Pinkie.

“See? Maybe you’re just crazy.” Misty readjusted the backpack on her back to a more comfortable sitting position. “And now I’m late to my next class. Thanks, Pinkie, and never talk to me again.” Misty quickly walked past Pinkie, being sure to ‘accidentally’ brush past her. Pinkie, for the past ten or so minutes, had been desperately attempting to convince Misty that she actually was from another world, and this was her last desperate attempt at doing so.

“W-What?” Pinkie asked, quickly approaching the statue. “No! No, no! It was working last night, it has to-” She touched the statue. “Ah. There we go. Hey, Misty? Do you think ol’ Pinkie would lie to you?”

“What do you-” Misty turned around, and her jaw almost hit the floor. Misty watched in awe as the Statue’s surface rippled like a pond turned onto it’s side. “W-What? H-How-” Pinkie removed her hand from the statue, and it turned back to boring old concrete, loosing all of it’s properties almost immediately. Misty jumped back to the statue, rubbing her hand all along the surface. Once more, it was nothing more than a hunk of concrete. “D-Do it again!”

“I don’t know…” Pinkie rubbed her fuzzy pink hair. “I did it once… Do you believe me now? I’m not lying, I promise!”

“Yeah, yeah, do it again!” Misty asked. Pinkie made a concerned expression, and begrudgingly, she brushed the surface with her hand. In that small amount of time she made contact with it, the shimmering surface once again returned. And with it, Misty dove her entire hand inside.

It was just as she had expected, somehow. The concrete was still cool, and acted exactly like how someone would expect a pond to react, only stuck to the wall instead of being affected by gravity like a normal fluid. The stone rippled and splashed, completely identical to how water would. Then, Pinkie removed her hand, and it solidified once more.

“Alright, that’s enough. Twilight didn’t want me showing any humans-”

“Pinkie! Pinkie, my hand!” Misty shouted. The concrete had solidified around her hand, locking it in place. Misty tugged and pulled, but without a shadow of a doubt, the statue was indeed a statue.

“Oh, shoot! I’m sorry!” Pinkie plunged her hand in. The statue gave way for her, and once more, the sparkly surface returned.

But Misty didn’t pull her hand out.

She stared at it. Stared at the shimmering surface with, what looked like to Pinkie, morbid curiosity.

“Misty, get your hand out! Please!”

Misty put her other hand in.

“Misty, please, don’t do what I think you’re about to do!”

“Oh, come off it!” Misty rolled her eyes, looking up at Pinkie. “You seriously didn’t see this coming? You give a teenage girl with a problem making friends the chance to travel to a different world, and you think she’s not going to take it?” She looked at her own reflection in the statue’s portal. “This might be my only chance…”

Then, Misty dove in.

It was violent, all at once. Colors, wind, and inter dimensional light pushed against her body. Almost immediately, she regretted jumping in, as she felt the portal twist her around in a circle, herself getting immensely disorientated as she fought the urge to stay upright. It felt as if her ligaments were getting stretched the wrong way, the backpack she wore suddenly not fitting the same way. Oh, by the way, where did her pants go?

As quickly as it had started, Misty suddenly found herself on the ground once more.

“Omph!” She said as she ungracefully pancaked onto the floor. Her backpack slid next to her, getting propelled out of the portal with as much force as she had come out of it with. “Oww…”She grumbled, pushing herself up.

The floor was cold. Not just concrete-cold, but rather cold.And glassy. There was no longer the noise of cars passing by, birds in trees, and the sounds of students in the halls, but rather the sounds of mechanical machinery clicking together. Misty blearily blinked as the room came into focus.

All in all, the room she found herself in wasn’t very big floor-space wide, only being about the size of a classroom, but the ceiling went up for an eternity and a half. She was in some kind of… library, maybe? Books lined every inch of the walls around her, no windows at all, and only breaking for a double set of incredibly fancy blue doors.

Misty grunted again, looking at her backpack. Actually… that wasn’t her backpack, right? No longer was it a featureless black bundle of cloth, but rather, it had completely transformed into two separate bags, bound together by a piece of cloth. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought they looked like saddlebags, for horses.

She had to figure out where she was. If this was truly another world like Pinkie had said, then she sure as hay wanted to see the outside world. Maybe the sky was pink? The ground made of cotton candy? Anything was possible, and just the thought excited Misty to the point of standing up, ready to explore this strange new world.

And then she fell over.

She grunted, trying again. Once more, she stood on her two legs-

And then fell over again.

“God, what the hell is wrong-” She gasped, grabbing at her throat. “Agh- my voice! I sound so squeaky!” She coughed, rubbing where her Adam's apple should be, generally. But… wait. That wasn’t the palm of her hand. It felt more like a large nail.

She looked down at her hand.

Only to find a butter yellow hoof.

Her eyes went wide, her breathing picking up the pace as she turned her hoof around, looking at it at all angles.

“W-What… What the…” She put her hoof back onto the ground, clopping loudly as she did so.

The floor was polished. Very polished. So polished, in fact, that she could see her own reflection. That of a little yellow horse staring right back at her.

“Woah- woah- Okay. That’s not… woah, that’s really-”

And then the doors opened. And in walked a creature straight out of a fantasy book. It was short and stout, but had sharp dagger-like teeth, eyeballs that took up half of it’s head, and purple scales that looked like they could cut. The creature stopped in the doorway, it’s mouth opening nastily. Then, it shouted.

“Uhh… Twilight?” It yelled. “Somepony is in the portal room!”

Then, Misty began screaming out of fear.

00 - Otherworldly Differences

It was a beautiful summer day in Canterlot High. All of the classrooms had a specific blissful aura as warm wind blew in from the open windows, ventilating out the doors and through the halls. The entire school seemed to radiate that specific blue color that made the world that little bit extra special. It was rare to have one of these days on Earth. To Sunset Shimmer, it reminded her of Equestria. The weather during the summer months was always like this, thanks to the Pegasus who controlled the weather. Unfortunately, humans hadn’t quite figured that out yet. They didn’t have the luxury of controlling the weather.

But, whenever the stars aligned, even if it was once or twice a year, Sunset enjoyed it thoroughly. Everybody enjoyed it thoroughly. Today, Sunset dropped her usual leather jacket, instead wearing a simple gray shirt with a specific sun graphic design on the front. It was funny how in a world full of humans, they still managed to find their Cutiemarks with fancy designs on clothing.

Sunset grabbed her binder out of her locker for third hour. With a flick of the hand, she closed the door and turned to walk away.

Instead, she came nose-to-nose with a prismatic human.

“Gah!” She yelled taking a few steps back. She wasn’t used to seeing Rainbow this tall. She always wore big boots. Today, she wore simple white sneakers, bringing her a good few inches closer to the floor. Sunset hadn’t realized how much difference a few inches can make to the world around her, for everybody seemed to tower over her.

Sunset stared at the blue-skinned girl as she stared back, an unreadable expression on her face. Sunset raised an eyebrow. It kind of looked like Rainbow had a frog in her mouth with the way she was making her face.

“Can I- help you?” Sunset asked.

“Hey, Sunset.” Rainbow finally said. Sunset felt unusually creeped out by her presence. She loved being in the company of her friends… usually. But something felt off about the way Rainbow pierced into her with her eyes. “Are you good to talk?”

Sunset looked over Rainbow’s shoulder and towards the clock in the hallway. It was slightly hard to see due to the swarming of the students, but class didn’t start for another five minutes. It took her less than one to get to class from their current position. Sunset looked around, then shrugged.

“Alright.” She said. “Shoot.”

“Okay, cool.” Rainbow leaned against the locker, flicking her hair. “You know- just had a few questions for you. Just wondering.”

“Wondering… what?” Sunset asked. “Because if you want me to do your homework, I won’t. I’ll help, but I won’t do it for you.”

“No-no.” Rainbow shook her head, though she did look a little dissapointed. “I mean- it’s personal. About Equestria.” Of course. Her old home. To be fair, humans like Rainbow probably would be interested in an entire alternate dimension with doubles of everybody they had ever known, including themselves.

“Oh, of course.” Sunset nodded. “I’m happy to talk about it!”

“Really?”

“Really! It’s like we’re comparing notes, or something. This world is so different from mine that- well, it’s really interesting to see the differences! So- shoot. What do you want to know?”

Rainbow cleared her throat.

“On a scale of one-to-ten, how much did you enjoy getting boned by a stallion?”

…

It seemed the world went quiet. Of course, the school students were still buzzing busily in the halls without a care in the world, but to Sunset, the entire world focused on the Rainbow standing in front of her.

She wasn’t being serious. She was joking with her. Right? Rainbow loved to prank people! But- Sunset knew Rainbow’s pranking face well. It was a biting of the lip, a twinge of the eye, and an expectation for a reaction. It was Rainbow’s way of trying to look normal while screwing with someone. Unfortunately, none of the usual tell tale signs were showing. This wasn’t Rainbow trying to act normal… this was Rainbow acting normal.

Sunset said the only thing she could say.

“What?”

“I said-”

“No-” Sunset raised a hand. “I- I don’t think I understand… What?”

“Did you ever get boned by a Stallion?”

“No!” Sunset yelled, perhaps a bit too loud. One student walking the hall gave her a weird look. She lowered her voice. “I had never once had… sex. Not in Equestria, and not on Earth!” Rainbow looked slightly dissapointed.

“So- have you ever noticed a stallion?” Rainbow asked. Sunset wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground- or melt into the locker. This was- quite possibly- one of the weirdest conversations she had ever had. Even weirder than when she had to learn to fit in with humans when she first got banished here.

“Y-Yes.” Sunset said quietly. “But it wasn’t weird, or anything! Just- back then, ponies were the only species I knew! It’s not like as a human I still notice them!”

“You don’t?” Rainbow asked. “Wait- are you telling me you’re not attracted to ponies here?”

“No!”

“Not even the horses?”

“Rainbow!” Sunset felt heat rising to her cheeks. “As a human, I like humans! As a pony, I like ponies. It’s not that hard to understand!”

“Huh.” Rainbow scratched her head. Sunset glanced to the clock. Only two minutes had passed. She felt a shiver run up her spine for anything Rainbow had left to say. And boy, did she have something to say, judging by the intense thinking look she currently adorned. “Are the stallion’s packing?”

“Ugh.” Sunset put her face firmly into her hands. She could practically feel the heat radiating off of her. “No. Stallions on Equestria are more comparable to humans than stallions here.” She muffled through her hands. “Stallions on Earth are absolute monsters compared to ponies on Equestria.”

“So you’ve looked.”

“And- ending conversation there.” Sunset turned briskly around. “Goodbye, Rainbow, and let’s pretend this conversation never took place!”

“But- wait! I have so many more questions!” Unfortunately for her, Rainbow started following her. “Do ponies go into heat?”

“Yes.”

“Without wearing clothes, how do you hide your assets?”

“Tail.”

“Did you have periods?”

“No.”

“What was puberty like?”

“Fast. Please- I’m done.” Sunset opened and closed the door to her classroom, leaving an unsatisfied Rainbow in the hallway. Suddenly, the bell rang. She cursed herself for taking so long, and ran off to her classroom, now tardy.

Sunset was still recovering from the onslaught of questions she had just received. She sat down at her desk, listening to the wood shop teacher talk about the project as she felt the blood in her cheeks slowly evaporate. A few deep breaths later, and she felt a little more closer to normal than usual.

With a wave of the hand, the wood shop teacher dismissed the class. She got up, grabbed her project, grabbed a piece of wood, and began sanding at a nearby table. The wood shop itself was large, with student sprawled across the plant, working hard at each station. She took a breath as the smell of pine resonated. Once again, a powerful gust of wind from outside blew that all-too-familiar scent of perfect summer air into the shop.

Then, she felt her face, realizing she had forgotten safety glasses. Her eyes went big as she began standing up.

“Lookin’ for these?” A familiar southern drawl asked her. A pair of safety glasses entered her vision. Sunset looked up, meeting the gaze of her friend, Applejack. She smiled, taking them with a silent ‘thank you.’

“So, partner.” Applejack sat across from her. “What did you choose fer’ your project?”

“A simple box.” Sunset replied, still sanding, now with glasses on. “I’m working on the lid right now. I already bought the hinges. Hopefully Mr. Pine won’t mind me using metal hinges.”

“Aw, I’m sure he won’t mind.” Applejack waved. “Does he expect you to use wood hinges, or summit?”

“I kinda thought so, yeah.” She nodded. “But- I dunno. It seems easier to just do this.”

“I agree.” Applejack fell into silence, the two working on their respective processes. It seemed Applejack was working on something similar, but more along the lines of a barrel rather than a box. She was currently working on carving a logo onto the side. A logo of three apples. Like her pony world’s Cutiemark. Once again, it was weird how humans had a tendency to do that.

“Hey, Sunset?” Applejack finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Yeah?”

“I jus’ had a few questions.” She said, looking up from her barrel. “About Equestria, if that’s alright with you.”

Sunset had heard of coincidences before. It was honestly something native to the human world. In Equestria, the world worked on a system of fate. Humans believed Fate to be (mostly) a feature of storytelling. Something an old wizard would tell to a young adventurer. In Equestria, fate was a scientifically proven force. Similar to something like- kinetic energy.

Perhaps a little had slipped through the portal, because this being the second person to ask about Equestria today, when nobody had asked practically ever before was a little too close to home. Sunset only eyed Applejack for a second.

Despite being… strange, Sunset still liked talking about her world. Preferably not about sex.

“Sure, that’s alright.” Sunset said, returning to her sanding. “What do you want to know?” She asked, holding her breath.

“I was jus’ wonderin’ if the- you know- Apple family were doin’ well in Equestria.”

Sunset could feel her fears melt away. Of course. The family girl was wondering about the family mare.

“They’re doing fine, last I checked.” Sunset started. “I think they were the number one producer in Equestria!”

“Really now?” She asked.

“Really.” Sunset said with a smile. “Imagine meeting the president. On his desk was an apple. An apple made by the Apples. That’s how wide-spread they are, in Equestria. You know about Cutiemarks, right?”

“Kinda.” Applejack admitted. “It’s like the special talent a pony finds, right?”

“Pretty much. Everypony has a Cutiemark. Like an image, or a logo. Like a fingerprint to that pony. The Apple’s Cutiemarks are usually, well- apples!” She said with a shrug. “You know- it’s funny. Your pony counterpart has a Cutiemark of apples. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, Twi’ told me.” Applejack agreed, still carving with a knife.

“You do realize that her Cutiemark was of three apples, right?”

“Right.”

“Applejack, what are you carving right now?”

“Three apples. Why-? Oh.” Applejack took away her knife, leaning back in her chair and getting a full image of what she was currently carving. “Uhh- how similar?”

“Exactly.”

“Wow.” Applejack breathed. “That’s creepy.”

“Humans do that a lot.” Sunset shrugged. “It’s like they choose an image to represent themselves, and just roll with it. Like how Rarity likes gems. She always has that logo of three gems on her skirt. Or how Pinkie has that one skirt with the three balloons.”

“That’s creepy, dude.” Applejack said. “Man, I don’t rightly know if I want to continue.”

“What? Why not!” Sunset said, looking up from her sanding. “But yours is coming out so good!”

“Is it?” Applejack asked. Sunset nodded. She continued. “I would say that just about everypony in Equestria has tried at least one apple.”

“Everypony?” Applejack asked. “How much is ‘Everypony?’”

“Well- less than humans, that’s for damn sure.” Sunset laughed. It seemed the wood shop teacher, who was halfway across the class, shot a warning glare at Sunset. She decided that swearing in proximity was not a good idea.

“Humans are at seven billion. How are the ponies doing?”

“You have to understand how insane seven billion is.” Sunset said. “That's a thousand million per billion. A metric shi-” She looked at the wood shop teacher. “A metric crap-ton.”

Sunset leaned back in her chair, forgetting about the sanding for a moment.

“If you count every sentient creature in Equestria.” She started counting on her fingers. “Ponies, Changelings, Griffons, Diamond Dogs, Dragons, Hippogriffs, Kirin… probably more that I’m forgetting… well- the population count was still under a million, last census.”

“Under a million?” Applejack exclaimed. “That’s weird. Does everybody-pony know everypony?”

“Kinda.” Sunset leaned forwards, starting her sanding again. “You know the phrase ‘it’s a small world?’ Well- Equestria is physically smaller than Earth. Like- less gravity smaller. There’s less room to live, and that means everything is closer together geographically. It’s not uncommon to travel the entirety of Equestria and meet a pony you knew from collage, you know?”

“So- can the Apples feed everypony?”

“Yup.” Sunset smiled. “That’s one big advantage. Less population, less world hunger. Humans struggle with that. Even now, in the twenty-first century. In Equestria, besides times during wars and things, Everypony gets food. We probably have a surplus. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Apples actually are the ones providing the entire world’s worth of apples.”

“That’s- actually really cool.” Applejack said. “So- if the population’s so small… what about jobs? Are there more dream jobs in the world?”

“Yeah!” Sunset laughed. “If you don’t want to do a job, then who’s making you, right? If some pony wants to become famous, why not?”

“Well- then everypony wants to become famous. How do you stop that.”

“And- gotcha!” Sunset exclaimed. “You walked right into another difference between ponies and humans!” She now had both her hands on the table, standing up.

“What?”

“Ponies were evolved as prey. Like- actually prey. Ponies evolved running away from predators. That’s why we’re so fast! That’s why our eyes are so large, and why we have such a large field of view, and swiveling ears! On the other hand, humans were evolved as predators. Two small eyes facing forwards. Teeth for biting into meat.”

“What does that have to do with becoming famous?”

“Because ponies are naturally more cautious!” She said with a huge, ear-splitting smile. “We, compared to humans, are more careful around other ponies! We’re big apologizers, you’ve probably noticed that. We were evolved to make sure our herd was safe, while humans were evolved to care for themselves! No offense.” Applejack just looked more confused than hurt. “Ponies are significantly less okay with going in front of big audiences and things. Ponies hate going on stage. Humans, on the other hand, love being the center of attention. Humans are all things ‘hey, look at what I can do!’”

“Oh. Ah’m kinda getting it now.”

“Right?” Sunset said, practically vibrating. “Isn’t it so interesting?”

“Actually- yeah. That is pretty cool.” Applejack nodded. “So- ponies more commonly are satisfied living normal, quiet lives while humans are more satisfied being rock stars, or youtubers, or whatever.”

“Yeah!” Sunset nodded again. “The pop stars and singers we have as ponies are the exception, not the rule.”

Then, the bell rang. Both of them jumped a bit, looking at the time. Unannounced to them, they had been sanding and carving the entire hour. How time flies. With a quick scurry of throwing their projects into their respective lockers, they departed with a little wave.

The way today was going, it was unusual that there were no questions during fourth hour. Well- maybe it wasn’t that weird, due to fourth being math, and having exactly zero of her friends present in that class. She still had people she talked to, but they were closer to associates, or people she could talk to, rather than actual friends.

By the time she sat down at the lunch table, she had almost completely forgotten about the fiasco with Rainbow until she saw her again. Sunset gave Rainbow a quick, sharp glance in order to say ‘forget it.’ Rainbow seemed to take the message as, strangely enough, a little red came into her cheeks as she pretended she was deeply interested in the salad she was eating.

It was a little halfway into lunch when Sunset realized she was being watched.

By the girl directly across the table from her.

Fluttershy hadn’t even touched her food. She hadn’t added to the group conversation, and she hadn’t taken her eyes off of Sunset’s food yet. She watched as Sunset raised a hot dog, bit into it, and placed it back down. It was actually… unusually forward for Fluttershy. Sunset would’ve expected her to be sneaking a peek while she pretended to do something else, but… Fluttershy stared. Hard.

It started to get creepy. It started to remind Sunset of a horror movie, with the quiet girl staring through the TV or something. Especially when Fluttershy’s hair descended in front of her face like that. Sunset cleared her throat.

“Can I- help you?” She asked. Although Sunset was getting creeped out, it seemed Sunset wasn’t the one getting actually scared.

With a yelp, Fluttershy jumped so hard her knees hit the bottom of the table. The other group members barely stopped their conversation, used to the antics of their shy friend. Fluttershy rapidly adjusted her hair, shrinking back, and with a barely audible tone of voice…

“Um. Hi.” She said, perhaps one of the first things she had said today.

“Hi…” Sunset took another bite of her hot dog… and noticed Fluttershy was- yet again- staring directly at the food. “Is there something wrong with my hot dog?”

“Oh!” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. “No, of course not. It’s just-” She looked over to her group mates, then the Crusaders who sat on the other side of the table, lowering her voice. “It’s just that it’s meat.”

…

“Are you vegan?” Sunset asked, looking at Fluttershy’s plate. “’Cause if it disturbs you-”

“No-no.” Fluttershy said. “I’m not. It’s just that- um- you used to be a pony.”

“Yes. I did.”

“And- Um- Isn’t this not… right? Don’t you feel bad?”

“No, not at all.” Sunset took another bite. “Meat tastes good. At first, I thought it kind of tasted like burnt hayfries, but it grows on you after a while. Might be my taste buds being different.”

“Does- um- flowers and things taste different as a pony?” Fluttershy asked. “Because they don’t taste very good over here…” She looked down.

“Yeah, they do.” Sunset nodded. “Flowers taste like garbage over here. Back in Equestria, flowers and hayfries were practically the meat equivalent. We used it on everything. Daffodil soup, mushroom sandwich… I do miss the flavor. It tastes nothing like- salad does over here.”

“It could be because- um- we put chemicals on our flowers, right?”

“Naw, I don’t think so.”

Suddenly, it hit Sunset. Like a bag of flowers. Made of concrete.

This was her third friend to ask her about Equestria today.

But- but it came up so naturally, she hadn’t even noticed it! For Rainbow, it was blunter than a baseball bat to the teeth. With Applejack, at least they were already talking about things before Equestria came up. But it still came up!

In all the time she spent existing as a human, never once in her human life had she been asked so many questions about Equestria! And in the same day!

“Um- are you okay?” Fluttershy asked. It occurred to Sunset that she was staring with such a jaw-dropping expression, she had actually dropped her hot dog onto her plate. She snapped out of it, looking towards the rest of her friend group. She suspiciously eyed both Pinkie and Rarity. Perhaps they were next. She had to be diligent!

“Fine.” Sunset growled, leaning forwards and covering her face from the rest of her friends, specially Pinkie and Rarity. “Listen- I don’t know what you guys are planning, but I don’t like it.” She seethed between teeth. It seemed Fluttershy had almost evaporated into her seat at this point, leaning so far back. “Whatever happens, I’m getting to the bottom of this, and you can’t stop me!”

The bell rang, and Sunset violently stood up, throwing her tray away in the garbage and marching towards her locker. She had to be careful around Pinkie. Pinkie was tricky, and could very easily sway Sunset into a conversation without her realizing it, the sly fox.

Now- just to figure out how she was going to do it.

“How do ponies stay healthy?”

All the subtlety of a baseball bat to the teeth.

Although, to be fair, it had quite literally taken Pinkie the entire school day to ask a question. It was now after-school hours, and Sunset was sitting in a booth of Sugarcube Corner, tasting an experimental cupcake made from- she didn’t know. It could honestly be made from the dust off the shelves, and she wouldn’t mind. As long as it tasted good.

Unfortunately, the dusty cupcakes found themselves spewed across the table as Sunset gagged as Pinkie asked the question. Now, free from the administrators, teachers, and principals of the school, Sunset could properly display her dismay and confusion.

“What the fuck?” She shouted. “You’re the fourth person to ask me about fucking ponies!What do you want to know? What is so important that I have to be bugged every fucking- fucking time?” Pinkie, for her, had shrunk back a few steps, a slightly perturbed expression on her features. It seemed she had not expected that outcome.

“Oh.” Pinkie said. “Well- I- guess I’ll go make some more cupcakes…”

Immediately, Sunset felt like an asshole. Watching Pinkie slink away with straightened hair… making the party human feel like that never felt good. Sunset sighed, realizing her mistake.

“Pinkie, wait.” She said. Pinkie stopped by the door leading to the kitchen. “I-I’m sorry. I really am.” Sunset sighed. “It’s just- I’m going crazy over here, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Sunset.” Pinkie giggled lightly. “You are ridiculous, you know that?”

“Yeah- I think it’s just one great big coincidence. You see- in Equestria, we don’t have coincidences really. In Equestria, everything happens for a reason. It’s scientific Fate.”

“So you think this is all part of a bigger scheme?” Pinkie asked.

“Something like that, yeah.” Sunset said sheepishly, drumming the table with her fingers.

“Hey, Sunset.” Pinkie said. Sunset looked up. “I’m not mad at you for yelling like that, okay?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I just feel like a bit of a prick.”

“Tell you what, you can apologize by eating some more cupcakes. Does that sound fair?”

“Sure.”

“Darling, if you don’t hold still, I’ll never finish this ensemble in time for prom!”

“Rarity!” Sunset groaned, currently feeling as the air in her lungs was forcibly expelled. “I- really don’t think- you measured me right!” She was standing in the studio on a raised platform, her arms out to either side in a t-pose.

“Puh-lease!” Rarity said, rolling her eyes as she pulled a piece of fabric tight around her midsection. “I wouldn’t make a simple mistake like that. Really, I wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, whatever you- say-” Sunset squeaked out as the last bit of air left. Rarity took a look at the fabric in her hands, then at a paper full of measurements, then at the ruler she was using. Finally, she took one glance at Sunset, watching as her usually orange face went a dark shade of blue.

“Oh, I think I’m using Imperial measurements…” Rarity said. She let go of Sunset, letting the fabric fall to the ground. Sunset also fell to the ground, gasping for air as she fully melted down. Sunset let the warm carpet seep into her face as she felt the oxygenated blood returning to her brain, what felt like old blood running away.

“Dammit.” Sunset breathed out after a moment. Her left leg was still raised onto the platform, the rest of her body splayed on the floor.

“Oh, come off it.” Rarity said as she dug through a drawer. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Eahshy…” Sunset tried to counter, but could only get the first few syllables out before sounding like she was dying. Sunset slowly sat up, leaning against the raised platform. Rarity seemed to be doing some converting on a separate piece of paper, using her phone as a calculator to find the right metric numbers. Sunset sat breathing, watching as she typed away.

“Hm?” Rarity made a noise, redoing a measurement. “Sunset, by chance, how tall are you without the boots?”

“Uh- I haven’t checked.” Sunset shrugged. “It’s been a while, honestly. I might’ve been told during gym class, but- eh?”

“Interesting.” Rarity said, re-re-redoing her measurements. “Honestly, I thought you were taller. I got so used to you with those boots on that- well?”

“How tall am I?”

“One-hundred and sixty centimeters.” Rarity said, scratching her head. “For one who used to rule the school, I’m surprised you got past the height jokes.”

“Height jokes? Sunset asked. “How tall is that in imperial? Because, outside of measuring in Equestrian, that’s all I’m used to.”

“Err- five foot three.” Rarity said.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The two fell back into silence as Rarity kept tapping away at the calculator. Finally, she spoke up again.

“How tall did you think I was?” Sunset asked.

“Well, I’m five foot eight. I thought you were at least five foot eleven.”

“Three inches taller than you?” Sunset asked. “That’s eight inches taller than what I actually am. I don’t think they make high heels eight inches tall. That’s closer to stilts than fashion.”

“It’s just a funny misunderstanding, I guess. I wonder if ponies through the portal are any shorter than humans.”

“Well- maybe?” Sunset shrugged. “I’ve never met my double on this side. Neither has Twilight. And we’re both pretty short. But- I don’t know, that’s a pretty small sample size to make such conclusions.”

“If you think about it, ponies are smaller and have less mass, although I’ve never seen one in person. Could the portal just- create new mass to tack on? That’s not quite what we learned about thermodynamics. Maybe it can’t and so pony-humans are more… party-sized.”

“Sheesh. Don’t let Pinkie hear that.” Sunset laughed. “She might try and- I don’t know what she’d try and do, but it wouldn’t be good.”

“You know, I do wonder whether it work the other way, too.”

“Humans to ponies? Of course it does.”

“No, darling. I mean- whether human-ponies would come out taller.”

“I- actually don’t know.” Sunset laughed again. “If so, let’s hope Principal Celestia never goes through. Princess Celestia is the tallest pony I’ve ever met. If Principal Celestia goes through…”

“Oh dear.” Rarity laughed. “She might accidentally stomp on some poor pony.”

“Call that party-sized.”

Rarity wrote down one last measurement, then stood up again.

“Alright, darling, I think it’s time for round two.”

“Is this really it? Ooh, I’m so excited!”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Did we all gather enough information from Sunset to- you know- fit in? I think I got enough information.”

“What would that be, Dash?”

“I asked about- actually, you know what, it’s not important.”

“I feel bad for tricking Sunset like this. I mean- she exploded on me, and then she felt guilty about it.”

“She exploded on you? Why?”

“I guess on Equestria, they believe in a system of fate or something.”

“Oh yeah, she told me ‘bout that, too.”

“Oh, dear. Did we just fundamentally insult someone’s religion by accident?”

“Ah’ think so…”

“Oof, that sucks.”

…

“So, who’s going in first?”

“Me!”

“Not before me, Pinks!”

“Hey, move out of the way!”

Today was a normal summer day. That blissful summer air that swam through the school yesterday was all replaced by closed windows, shut blinds, and the sound of the air conditioning ringing through the school. It was no longer an Equestrian day, but rather a normal boring summer day.

Sunset pulled a binder out of her locker, closing it… and then finding a quite peculiar sight.

It was Rainbow Dash. And she was doing something most peculiar. Reading a sheet of paper. Or, at least gripping it like a banshee until her knuckles turned white, and comparing it with a nearby clock. Sunset raised an eyebrow, and remembered the embarrassing conversation they had yesterday. She pushed those thoughts aside, and approached Rainbow.

“Hey, uhh- you okay?” Sunset asked. Rainbow, somewhat clumsily, turned around.

“Huh? Never been better!” She said with a wide smile. Sunset noticed Rainbow’s posture was slightly leaning forwards, her feet pointing in two separate directions. Rainbow slowly moved her eyes to Sunset’s hair, then back down to her eyes. “Oh, hey, you’re Sunset Shimmer!”

“What?”

“Listen… friend. I need help.” She held up the schedule to Sunset. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“What?” She repeated, taking a look at the schedule. It was Rainbow’s hand writing all right. Big words at the top said so. ‘Schedule by Rainbow Dash, for Rainbow Dash.’ Sunset raised her eyebrow, reading the first few lines. “You- don’t know where Mr. Doodle’s classroom is?”

“Nope.” Rainbow responded bluntly. Sunset shook her head.

“It’s down the hall, first left, and Classroom 411.” She pointed. “Are you feeling alright, Dash?”

“Never better.” She responded with a huge grin. “I can’t wait to see that stupid donkey!” She said, walking away in less than a straight line. Sunset was suddenly concerned that her best friend had just come to school absolutely hammered… but she hadn’t smelled any alcohol on her breath. Maybe just way too stoned.

Sunset tried her best to ignore the feeling that something was terribly wrong with her friends… also, had Rainbow seemed a little shorter than usual?

Applejack looked like a lost dog. She kept fumbling with her fingers while she looked idly around the shop. Sunset meagerly sat at their usual wood shop table, looking suspiciously across from the room. Finally, Sunset sighed, standing up and walking towards her.

Applejack seemed to notice her almost immediately. It was like she was acting like a toddler who was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Her face lit up with what appeared to be relief.

“You're Sunset Shimmer! Boy howdy, am ah’ glad to see you!” Applejack said. A nearby student almost ran into her with his project, turning around and shooting her a questioning gaze.

“AJ, where’s your project?” Sunset asked.

“Huh? Project?” Applejack asked, looking around, suddenly noticing how almost every student had something they were working with. “Oh- uhh- it’s- err- getting… stained?”

“Stained.” Sunset said. Applejack put on an ear-splitting smile that seemed almost too wide to be possible. Sunset nearly groaned. “Just- come sit with me.”

“Hey, actually-” Applejack started. “Ah’ wus’ wonderin’ if ya’ll could help me with something.” She started. Sunset noticed that, much like Rainbow, Sunset was standing quite weirdly. Her legs, like Rainbow, weren’t pointing straight. Her spine seemed weirdly hunched, and she didn’t quite know what to do with her hands.

Neither her pockets, apparently, as she began digging through them. Literally, digging through them. For a moment, it looked like she was about to pull her pants down, but eventually, she pulled out what appeared to be a piece of notebook paper.

“Here, can you read this to me? Ah’ need to know what’s happening next hour.” Sunset took the note. Indeed, it was titled ‘Class Schedule, Applejack.’ in Applejack’s writing. Sunset suddenly felt a huge wave of deja vu.

“Err- You gotta go to Ms. Zecora’s Biology class. Did you- not remember that?”

“Thanks, Sunset Shimmer!” She said. Sunset felt weirdly put off when Applejack uses her full name.

“Uhh- you’re welcome?”

This day was getting weird. Also- was Applejack shorter?

“Meat!”

“Oh my gosh, you’re eating meat!”

“Wha- urhg!” Rarity made an unladylike gagging sound. It looked like Fluttershy had fainted no less than a minute ago, and Rainbow was still eating like nothing was wrong.

“How can you eat that, Dash?” Applejack demanded, slapping her hand onto the table. “That jus’ ain’t right!”

“What?” Rainbow said through a mouthful of hamburger. “It’s good!”

“Jus- eat some salad, or something!” Applejack exclaimed, standing up from the table and marching away. Rarity was still busy trying not to gag, and Fluttershy was still passed out. Sunset stared, a hamburger halfway into her mouth, at her friend’s sudden shift in demeanor.

Sunset turned to look at the Crusaders.

“Don’t look at us, we didn’t do nothin’!” Applebloom exclaimed, putting her hands up.

“Rarity was like this yesterday night. I thought she was drunk.” Sweetie shrugged.

“I’ve never watched somebody face-plant so majestically…” Scootaloo sighed, head on her hand. Sunset looked back at her remaining friends.

“These are- quite possibly- the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.” Sunset said, melting into her chair. “These- These things are other-worldly!” It felt like a million calories had evaporated down her tongue in one foul sweep. No way in hell were these things healthy, but she just couldn’t get enough of them.

“Yup!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I’m sorry they’re so cold. I had to bring them from… home.” She, compared to the rest of her friends, seemed to be a little less than tipsy. Probably the most normal one so far.

“Naw- it’s alright.” Sunset leaned forwards, wiping away the excess frosting on a nearby napkin. “Look- Pinkie, I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday.” She said. “I was just- I dunno- tired, or frusterated. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I can’t be mad at you if I hadn’t ever realized it had happened!”

“What?” Sunset asked. “But- I thought it was pretty bad.”

“Meh.” Pinkie shrugged. “I forgive you.”

“Well- thanks, Pinkie.” Sunset laughed, then slowly leaned forwards again. “By the way- did you notice Rainbow Dash today?” Pinkie seemed to lean right back in.

“...No, why?”

“Dude, I think she wears like- raisers or something usually.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because today, I swear, she was a good few inches shorter than she usually is.”

…

“Oh.” Pinkie said, suddenly sweating. “Haha? Yeah, those darn foa-kids with their raisers!” She put on a huge, wide grin that seemed to bend physics. “I- can’t imagine Dash wearing heels! M-Maybe you saw wrong?”

“Saw wrong?” Sunset sighed. “Yeah, maybe. Hey, I gotta get out of here. I gotta meet with Rarity still today, so…”

“Oh, of course.” Pinkie said, standing up. “Come, give Pinkie a hug!” She said with her arms extended.

“A hug? I mean- alright!” Sunset stood up, too. Unfortunately for Pinkie, Sunset stopped before initiating said hug. “Pinkie…” She said, looking her up and down. “Are you shorter?”

“NO.”

“Pinkie, what the fuck is going on today?” She said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to swear, but it seems like everybody around me is loosing their minds today!”

“I-If I tell you, promise you won’t be mad?”

“Of course not. Why would I be mad?”

“Pinkie promise?”

“Ugh. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Now, spill it!”

Pinkie walked close, leaning over Sunset’s shoulders, and whispered an entire novel in the time span of about five seconds. Then, she retreated, with a soft sorry smile on her face. Sunset stood for a few seconds longer, before…

“Pinkie, what the fuck did you guys do?”

It was a simple test… a test worth testing because no way in Tartarus would her friends be that stupid.

Sunset opened the door to the Carousel Botique. Without waiting for an invitation, she walked to the back room, past the front desk and displays of dresses and suits on plastic people. She idly grabbed a plush pillow from a chair, and found Rarity using a needle (quite shakily) to sow on a piece of frill onto a dress.

“Hey, Rares, catch.” Sunset said simply. Rarity turned around, leaning too far to one side for a moment. Sunset threw the pillow, and then…

It bounced off Rarity. Rarity didn’t even try to catch it as the pillow flopped to the floor. Rarity looked down at the pillow, then back up at Sunset.

“Oh, dearie me.” She said with a forced smile. Her legs were crossed quite awkwardly as she stood. “I hadn’t realized you were-”

“Didn’t catch the pillow, huh?” Sunset interrupted. It was like Rarity shrunk back a little bit. “What, you feel like you’re missing something?”As if to confirm her fears, Rarity rubbed the top of her forehead.

“N-No, not at all!” Rarity said quickly. “Why, I just feel a little tired after school, that’s all!”

“You feel like you’re missing a horn?” Sunset said bluntly. “Feel like you miss walking on all fours?”

“How did you-”

“Pinkie already told me.” Sunset said with a sigh. “I don’t know what you guys were thinking, trading places like that but- this is stupid. Real stupid.” Sunset approached Rarity, putting her hands on her shoulders. “Really stupid.”

“But I- Err-” Rarity sputtered. “It’s just meant to be a little vacation, that’s all!”

“A vacation.” Sunset sighed, letting go of Rarity and backing up until she sat down on a nearby love sofa. “Well- I guess as long as you guys aren’t- I dunno- forcibly doing this, I guess it’s fine? I just don’t like hopping between dimensions willy-nilly. Especially five from each side- ten at a time.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Rarity said. “But being practically superheroes in Equestria is so bothersome! I just-”

“Just want some alone time?” Sunset finished. Rarity nodded. “I can relate. Humans love being in the spotlight. I’m sure my friends are enjoying themselves in Equestria.”

“I- I hope so, too.” Rarity said awkwardly.

Sunset stared in a brief moment of awkward silence. She was staring at Rarity, but it wasn’t her Rarity. She knew about doubles, and she knew that one day she would probably meet her own double, but staring at somebody who had exactly zero past experiences with her despite Sunset knowing her was a very, very strange feeling.

“So.” Sunset said, breaking the short silence. “You just came over from the pony world. You’re fresh onto the pan. What are some things that you find strange?”

“Err-” Rarity turned around, looking around the shop. “The fact that nothing this world’s Rarity owns fits me.”

“Heh.” Sunset laughed. “Human-ponies are smaller due to- I dunno, thermodynamics or something. Good thing we’re in a clothing store, right?”

“Indeed.” Rarity looked down. “And I can’t quite figure out what these- flesh mounds are.”

“Woah.” Sunset’s cheeks suddenly turned a bright shade of red as Rarity did something that- well, Sunset could’ve only dreamed of. “R-Rarity, stop it!”

“What? What’s the matter?”

“Put that back on!”

“Alright!” Rarity re-clothed herself. “I don’t see the problem.”

“Rarity- ugh- you know humans wear clothes, right? They wear clothes because being nude is very, very inappropriate. Like, imagine having sex in public. That kind of inappropriate.”

“Oh… Oh dear.” If Rarity were any other color than white, she would’ve become said white.

“Rarity…” Sunset asked cautiously. “What have you done?”

“I- I may have to apologize to some colts at the school… No wonder they reacted like that…”

“Oh my fucking god.” Sunset face-palmed. “Wait- don’t Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack live with their parents? They are so going to notice their daughters aren’t quite human!”

“Well- let’s hope they are- wait.” Rarity turned around suddenly. “I’m sorry, dear, did you happen to mention… Applejack’s parents?”

“Yeah!” Sunset said. “Oh, especially Applejack’s parent’s. Those Apples are such a tight-knit family…”

“Sunset, Applejack’s parents are dead in my world.”

…

“Oh, fuck.”

Author's Note

I added all the height stuff because, in real life, I'm unfortunately short. This chapter was the original one-shot. After chapter 00 is all newly written stuff.

04 - Late Last Night

It was the next morning. There was a thin layer of dew on all of the grass around the vibrant and bustling city of Canterlot, a stark contrast to the cold and melancholy of late last night when not a soul was up and about. Out of the pony-turned-humans of the group that had found themselves on the receiving end of a concrete walkway to the face, Rarity was the first to wake up.

She woke up in a bed that wasn’t quite her own. To be fair, of course, it wasn’t her own. And to be doubly-fair to her human counterpart, the bed was passable enough to get her a good night’s worth of beauty sleep, even if she hadn’t managed to sleep for her full nine hours due to the ludicrous time she went to bed.

It was a fair walk to her parent’s house that had left her tired. Although she didn’t feel any younger, not feeling like she had the same amount of energy she would’ve perhaps five years ago in her pony body, it was obvious in the way she blearily blinked back sleep that yes, this body was that of a teenager’s, and yes, she was waking up the same way she would’ve as a teenager back when.

Rarity threw her legs off the side of her bed, sitting straight up. Her parents were gone, off to vacation. Which was better for her current situation, as the less hard questions she had to answer, the better. Which she had her fair trade of hard questions last night.

Rarity is not going to discuss last night. She thought, rubbing a hand through her hair. Rarity will not discuss last night.

School was due to start in an hour and a half, which she deemed more than an acceptable amount of time to get ready. First things first, however, a shower was in order. New body meant new rules, and Rarity wanted to err on the side of caution with things involving cleanliness. Ponies were known through Equestria as very sanitary creatures. When one-third of all pony population could only grab things using their mouth, that species tended to adapt to most obstacles. Thankfully Rarity wasn’t an Earth-pony. And thankfully, she had a full set of ten fingers to use to her advantage.

The shower started off hot. Which was strange, as Rarity could definitely not remember a time when water came out the faucet as hot as it did here. Whenever she took showers at the boutique, it would take at least five minutes to warm up the water, if not longer. But here, in this world full of flickering electric lights and computers with light-up screens? Perhaps Equestria had a thing or two to learn from Earth. Or the United States. Or Canada. Or- actually, Rarity wasn’t exactly sure where she was right now.

Using soap on bare skin was a strange experience to the former pony. Being coated in a layer of fur for her entire life, suddenly switching to a bare, fleshy, and kind of baggy surface to rub soap into was weird. Admittedly, it was much easier to scrub herself clean than if she were taking a shower with a coat. Which also meant that her original estimate of waking up an hour and thirty minutes early was way too long. She had more than enough free time to herself before school started, and that was entirely by accident.

Rarity had to maneuver herself around her…

Well.

Big- err- sandbags?

Honestly, size was more of a hindrance than a positive in her eyes. It made maneuverability just that little bit more difficult, to say the least. It wasn’t like they were constantly in the way, more like they were always kind of there, and Rarity hated having to look at them.

It made no sense why the opposite sex thought they were attractive. What were they besides big flesh mounds? Of course, the conversation she had last night proved more insightful than she had initially wanted. Breasts for breastfeeding. Of course.

But why did every woman have to develop them, no matter if she were to have a child or not?

And then, to bleed out every month as your body’s way of holding you hostage until you procreated? Rarity vastly preferred the way ponies did it. Once a year, go into heat for a week, and then be done and over with it. By the way the internet was describing it, periods were an absolutely awful and painful experience for, in Rarity’s eyes, absolutely no positives. So what if she had to lock herself in her boutique once a year for a week? At least she wasn’t in withering pain every damned month.

It didn’t make Rarity feel good that her body was, quite literally, a ticking time bomb. A ticking time bomb that would go off if she stayed here for too long. There wasn’t even a guarantee that it wouldn’t go off in the week she was here.

What also put a sour taste in Rarity’s mouth was the fact men didn’t have to go through any of that.

At least, not in this world, and not in these bodies.

By the time she was done with her… thought experiment, Rarity had already wrapped her hair in one huge towel. At least she could still do that in this world. She used three towels, two for her hair, and one for her body. To which she fastened above her previously mentioned chest.

Rarity will not even think about last night. She thought harder. Rarity is a sophisticated lady, even if her current body is holding her hostage.

One huge positive about this world, however, was the fact that every single person, no matter of culture, race, or religion, had to dress up in the latest fashion trends. People lining the street wearing shirts, pants, coats, and dresses. It was a wish come true, really. Unfortunately, Rarity had apparently cast her wish on the monkey’s paw, leading to the unfortunate reality of sexual appeal.

Breasts are such a pain in the flank. Rarity thought, sighing out as she held a t-shirt close to her body in the mirror. On the front page of one of her many fashion magazines sprawled across the room, it showed a woman on her knees with a hand over her chest, fluttering her eyes at the camera. Rarity was all for showing off, but so far her experience in this world told her that every aspect of her body had been sexualized to the point of ridiculousness.

She eventually chose an outfit composed of white pants and a purple shirt based off of one of the less saucy photos of the model on the front cover of the magazine laying on her dresser. She gave herself a twirl in the mirror, looking at herself and making sure that the colors she wore didn’t clash horribly with herself. Of course, she looked fine.

She took a deep breath and exited her room and into her parent’s home.

It was nothing like her parent’s home back in Equestria. It was essentially a completely different home. Not only that, but apparently her own business didn’t even really exist over here. Sure, there was a clothes shop named the Carousel Boutique, but that’s a far cry from the actual Carousel Boutique where she sewn her own ensembles together and actually owned the building instead of operating over a boss who couldn’t care less about the place.

It was strange, knowing that everything she had worked towards in her universe was essentially wiped from this one. This universe’s Rarity was younger, which could explain why she didn’t have her own home like the Equestrian Rarity does.

The kitchen was still the kitchen in the home, however. Although the counter tops were completely different from her parent’s Equestrian home, it still shared her father’s absolutely horrid choice of fashion, being two completely incompatible colors on the counter top and cabinets.

And sitting at the kitchen island with her ‘phone’ held out in front of her, watching a video, was Rarity’s sister, Sweetie Belle.

She paused with the spoon half way in her mouth, flashing her eyes up to her sister. Sweetie slowly set the spoon back in the bowl with practiced movements.

“So…” Sweetie said, pausing her video. “Are we going to talk about last night?”

“Rarity is-” She paused, shaking her head. “I’m not talking about what happened last night.”

“But… were you drunk?” She asked. Rarity sighed, walking towards a cupboard and swinging it open, luckily finding the cabinet full of bowls first try. She took one out, closing the cabinet behind her. “You seemed drunk. Like- blackout drunk. It looked like you could barely walk.”

“I wasn’t-” Rarity turned around, clenching her fist and taking another deep breath. “Fine. I was… inebriated. Happy?” She huffed, picking a spoon from the silverware drawer.

“Sure.” Sweetie said, although the look in her eyes told Rarity she wasn’t totally convinced. She watched with hawkish eyes as Rarity sat down on a stool on the other side of the kitchen island, pouring herself cereal from the nearby cereal box on standby. Sweetie shook her hand for a moment in contemplation, but eventually decided to keep eating, clicking play on the video on her phone.

Rarity tried to stop herself. Really, she did. But in the moment, in the kitchen, eating cereal an hour before school, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about last night.

“This, Rarity, is called the internet.” Sweetie explained, standing up from the office chair and taking another step back, jazz-hands out as she put the piece of technology on full display.

Rarity hadn’t quite seen anything like it before. Sure, there was electricity back in Equestria, if a bit basic and limited in scope. Why develop an electric television when a magic television works just fine?But, compared to the luxury of crystal power, this was something else. A computer that would usually take up the size of Applejack’s barn was sitting in front of her, with a proper screen like a television and a keyboard like a typewriter. It’s construction was plastic in design, a clam shell design that hinted towards portability. A sticker in the bottom left that read ‘Windows Vista.’

“You have a phone, Rarity. How do you not know what the internet is?” Sweetie asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

“I just- don’t, okay?” Rarity said, approaching the desk. She pulled out the plush green chair that looked dated in design, perhaps a retired chair from some poor office worker decades ago. She sat down, and pulled herself towards it. The screen was bright white, almost hard to look at, as her eyes had a hard time adjusting.

Actually- that was a lie. Compared to her pony body, Rarity hadn’t even felt the need to put on glasses for work. Which was honestly a luxurious improvement she could get behind, if a bit telling of her pony body’s age. She was only a few years older, promise!

She let her fingers rest on the type-writer like keyboard. Although she was familiar with it’s design, the letters and symbols printed onto the key caps were completely unrecognizable. She reached her fingers out, and by pure memory alone, began typing her question into the search bar on the web page.

“Uh…” Sweetie cocked her head. “Err-V- TBS, colon, YAB?” Sweetie repeated, turning to look at her sister in the chair. “What?”

“Oh, dear me.” Rarity sighed. “It appears I cannot type, either.”

“Cannot type?” Sweetie rubbed a hand over her face. “Ohmygosh, Rarity, just use the microphone!”

“The- microphone?”

“Yes!” Sweetie pointed at the screen. There, to the right of the search bar, was a small symbol of a microphone. “Click the microphone next to the search bar using the mouse.” She pointed at a beige oval to the right of the computer. “Then, you can talk to the computer like a person. Ask it your question.”

“Really?” Rarity asked, leaning closer to the screen. “Like a person?”

“Well- it’s not a person.” She corrected. “It’s not alive, or anything. It’s a robot that will try and answer your question.”

“This is quite sophisticated.” Rarity nodded, a smile on her face. “Where was this technology ten years ago?”

“Still… here?” Sweetie said. “Ten years ago was two-thousand and three. Rarity, you use talk-to-text all the time on your phone. Should I be concerned? Have you been replaced by an evil clone, or something?”

“No, I’m not a changeling.” Rarity said by instinct. She let out a small gasp, looking to her sister, Sweetie, in accidental tongue-slippage related shock.

“Changeling?” She asked, looking back at Rarity. “Is that some kind of movie character?”

“Never mind.” Rarity looked back at the computer, letting out a sigh in relief. She grabbed the beige oval, and dragged it across the mouse pad. Onscreen, the mouse followed her hand movement, finding it’s cursor on the screen, and hovering over the microphone button. Rarity looked down in confusion for a moment, finding two buttons where her fingers were. She pressed the left one, and the screen suddenly lit up with a red circle. A little bit like how a recording booth would have a red circle. Rarity assumed it was listening, and politely cleared her throat.

“Show me pictures of chest mounds, please.”

“Rarity, what the fuck-”

To be fair, searching up ‘chest mounds’ didn’t get her anything too sexual. Just a few articles about what to look out for diseases. But Sweetie still got the idea behind Rarity’s search, and as unfortunate as it was, Rarity had to sit through as Sweetie had ‘the talk’ with her.

Never, in a million years, did Rarity expect Sweetie Belle to be giving her the talk. Apparently, the Sweetie in this world was much closer in age to herself than the Sweetie in her world. But the point still stood that Rarity had a lot to learn from her sister. Namely, about chest mounds.

“I’m sixteen, and I know this stuff!” Sweetie exclaimed as Rarity slunk back in her chair, both adorning a healthy reddening around the cheeks in embarrassment. “Do I need to explain how the egg gets fermented, too?” She asked mockingly.

Rarity shrunk deeper into her chair.

“...Seriously?”

Even if this Sweetie didn’t technically share an ounce of DNA with her sister, they were close enough that Rarity could say with complete confidence that she absolutely hated what she had learned about the ethics of this world. If it wasn’t for her friends already being here and ready for vacation, she would’ve absolutely booked it back through the portal and back to Equestria, where mares weren’t being held hostage by their reproductive parts.

“I- I wish to apologize, Sweetie.” Rarity said, letting her spoon clink into her bowl. Sweetie paused her video again, looking up. “It was quite crass of me to ask those questions. Especially to somepony as young as yourself.” Sweetie furrowed her brows, mouthing the word ‘somepony’ in confusion. She took a moment, swallowing her cereal.

“It’s fine, Rarity.” Sweetie shrugged. “I didn’t know you skipped health class, or anything. It’s not really your fault you don’t know about that. I guess.” Rarity smiled, and went back to eating her cereal, as did Sweetie.

*Rrring! Rring!*

Rarity was currently an infinite amount of distance away from her life. Her family. Her home, her school, and her planet. But no matter how far she ran, no matter how far she flew, no matter how far she jumped realities,

*Rrring! Rring!*

Her mother always called her at six in the morning.

Rarity lethargically extended her new hoof across the bed, patting the area where the phone should’ve been. It took a few moments, but she eventually found her phone underneath a pillow. She lit up her new horn, extending out her reach, and feeling the wispy tendrils wrap around the black brick, pulling it up and over her face, to which her eyes were barely open.

She leaned up on her pillow, using her nose to slide the green call button to the left, and pressing speaker.

“How’s my baby girl doing?” The voice said on the other end, coming through tinny and even slightly staticy. “I hope you’re up and ready for school today.”

“Of course, mom.” Rarity said, her eyes feeling like a bag of weights. She barely could focus on the screen, the profile picture of her mom barely visible through the blinding light.

“Dear, turn on face time! I can’t see my baby girl!”

“Fine.” She said. She once again reached up, using her muzzle to click the face time button.

The screen flashed for a moment, and through the static, her mother’s expecting face came through the phone screen. She was a pudgy older woman, her hair slicked back into a bun, wearing a bathrobe for wherever she was.

“There’s my baby girl!” She said with a huge smile. “Now- I want you to get Sweetie Belle to turn in her… homework…” Rarity’s mom’s smile slowly faded as she stared at the phone screen, her face slowly turning to confusion. “D-Dear, do you look a little bit pale?” She asked. “And… hairy?”

“Wh-huh?” Rarity blinked harder, looking down at her icon in the bottom left.

She was a Unicorn. Talking to her human mom.

“Uhh-” Rarity swallowed. “I can explain!”

Author's Note

01001101 00101010 00101010 00101010 01001100 00101010 00101010 00101010 00101010 01010100

13 - Misty's Beneficial Voyage into Equestria, and Sweets Shop a.k.a. Introduction to Sugarcube Corner (Featuring Twilight Sparkle and Spike Sparkle*) [from Friendship Is Magic & the opening cinematic to G5] Pt. II

The creature, standing in the doorway, the only doorway in the room, was ugly. It had terribly sharp teeth that glint ominously in the crystal light. Misty could practically see her own, pony reflection in it’s great big, wide emerald green eyes that stared directly into her soul. It’s scales, although not nearly as shiny as the rest of him, were still glinting terribly. The creature, all in all, stood about eye-level with her. Misty, in the moment upon seeing the lizard-like creature, only had a single thought running through her head.

Survive.

“Gaa-aaah!” She screamed, scrambling backwards. Her legs- or, rather, her former legs now hooves, clapped and clopped against the tile (Marble? Crystal?) floor. Her body wasn’t moving in the way she had expected it to, causing her to careen backwards and into the same machine that had just brought her here. Instead of going through the mirror, however, she smashed into it, sending a thousand glass shards raining down on her as the portal fizzled out and exploded. She looked up, breathing heavily as fear struck through her brain, staring at the terrible monster. It waved it’s sharp claws around frantically, brandishing it’s finger weapons.

“Woah! Calm down! I’m not going to hurt you!” The creature responded in perfect english, no doubt some way to lure her into a false sense of security. So, as a response, Misty let out yet another blood-curtling scream, once again trying to get back up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to get any grip on the slippery ground. And even if she could, something told her that her brain wasn’t exactly wired up for a four-legged pony.

“Spike! Spike, I’m here!” A new, feminine voice shouted from the hall behind the ugly lizard. Misty watched in initial horror as another, taller, and even more purple creature slid around the corner. Her fears, however, were suddenly replaced by absolute confusion as she watched the horned creature spread out her wings to stabilize her sudden appearance. “Oh my gosh- Fluttershy?” The creature sputtered wildly. Misty’s mouth opened as she observed the creature and it’s strangely human face. It looked… almost cute. “Are you- what happened to- did the portal…” It paused, it’s human/cat-like face contorting into one that Misty could easily identify as exaggerated confusion. “Wait… you’re not Fluttershy, are you?” Misty swallowed the spit in her mouth.

“Are you… a pony?” Misty asked in awe, slowly inching her way towards the creature. “A pony with a horn? And wings?” The creature scrunched it’s muzzle up as fear graced her features, an emotion that Misty thought that only she should be experiencing.

“Oh, no-no-no-no! Are you a human?” It asked.

“I don’t know. Are you a pony?” Misty responded snappily, looking down at the lizard creature. “And is that- like, does it bite?”

“Hey! I don’t bite!” The smaller creature yelled. Now that Misty took the time to listen, she could definitely hear the undertones of a masculine voice. And, now that she thought about it, they both sounded… familiar.

“Okay. This is fine. This is fine!” The feminine pony laughed, scratching her mane with her hoof. “This is fine. Okay. I just have to get you home before-” Her eyes looked up and locked with the portal, a million glass shard laying all around on the ground. “Oh. Shoot.” Misty followed her eyes to the portal.

“Ah. Did I do that?”

“Yes! Yes, you did do that!” A strand of hair popped out from her straight mane as she gave another frantic laugh. “This is still fine! There’s just a human in my lab who broke her only way home! Haha!”

“Sorry.” Misty’s breath slowly fell under control as she closed her eyes, taking one big breath. It was now more than apparent that she was in no danger of these strange creatures, and as a matter of fact, they seemed scared, if a little less scared than her, of her. “Alright. I just- I was with Pinkie Pie, and she let me through the portal-”

“That’s scientifically impossible!” The purple mare yelled. “Pinkie would never break a pinkie-promise!”

“Okay, fine!” Misty yelled, throwing both of her hooves up in defense. “I… tricked her into opening the portal, okay? Happy?!”

The mare let out a snort.

“Happy.” She grumbled. “But still… that portal was your only way back, and this is gonna take hours to fix.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the distinct sound of a cellphone vibrating. Misty blinked, looking down at her former backpack now saddlebags. They weren’t vibrating, and the sound was further away. Misty watched in complete shock as the purple mare ignited the horn on top of her head with a strange pink glow, and a moment later, a book exploded into existence.

“W-What the-?!” Misty gasped as she watched it float towards the mare, the pages flicking open to a page. The mare’s face scrunched up as her eyes danced from left to right. Eventually, she gave a sigh, writing down a note of some sort with a literal quill.

“Pinkie wanted to make sure you got here okay. She couldn’t follow you because, you know...” She said, gesturing to the portal and closing the book shut with a snap. “Dear Celestia,” Misty cocked her head in curiosity as she heard her principal’s name. “I hope you’re happy. Running away like that? Seriously? I would never do something like that!”

“Twilight, calm down!” The small lizard creature said, laying his claw onto her shoulder. “She’s just a filly. She probably just saw a cool shiny thing and went for it, alright?”

“Hm.” Twilight let out a huff. “Fine. But you’re staying right here until this thing is fixed, you got that?” Twilight pointed a hoof accusatory.Misty gulped, nodding her head vigorously. “Heavens, I hope your parents won’t be worried sick. What if I can’t get you home tonight? What would they think?”

“You are… Twilight?” Misty asked, completely ignoring her question. Twilight’s face went blank for a moment as she paused mentally.

“Uh… yes, I am.” Twilight continued, being completely put off by Misty’s question.

“Like, that Twilight?” She asked, a smile slowly peeking out from behind her lips. “The Twilight that showed up for like, a week, won the crown, and then disappeared? The Twilight that took down Sunset Shimmer? The Twilight who grew wings with magic? That Twilight?” Misty squeed. “And you’re a pony?!”

“You’re a pony, too.” Spike pointed out.

“And you’re a dog!” Misty’s jaw went slack as she let out a gasp. “You’re Spike the dog!”

“I’m a dragon, thank you!” Spike crossed his arms angrily.

“I…” Misty’s face scrunched. “I am a pony!” She yelled in jubilation. Twilight and Spike watched with curiosity, and more importantly awe, as the first-time pony perfectly galloped over to a crystal wall, bare from any books, and stared at her own reflection. “Ohmygosh, I’m a pony!” She looked at her pale yellow fur, and tugged on her light purple mane. “I have wings?!” She turned around, looking at the two protruding appendages. She flexed her back, watching as the two limbs twitched with unfamiliarity. “I have wings!”

Twilight simply rolled her eyes as she approached the shattered mirror. Once again, her horn lit up in a pink aura as the glass shards were collected and formed into a pile, unceremoniously dumped onto the table. She frowned, her eyes glazing over it.

“Great. This is going to take me forever.”

“Why’re you so tall?” Twilight yelped, turning to her side and seeing the filly no less than four inches away from the table she had dumped the glass shards at. Her eyes were somehow larger than normal, looking at Twilight with a foal-like curiosity.

“I don’t-” Twilight cleared her throat. “No more questions, missy. You caused a mess-”

“Or am I just short?” Misty asked, looking around the room. “Maybe I am just short!” She frowned, approaching a chair. “This chair is so tall! Unless it’s a very tall chair made for a very tall pony.” She let out a gasp of realization. “Like you, Twilight!”

“Nope. You’re just short.” Spike elaborated, leaning against the frame of the door leading out. “You’re a filly.”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“It means your young.” Twilight sighed, giving into the filly’s questions. She idly poked and prodded at the pile of glass with her magic, moving the shards around to get a better look at them.

“How young?” Misty asked, pulling up next to Twilight again and planting both of her hooves onto the table. “Because I don’t remember my voice being this high pitched. Do you hear my voice? It’s like aaaa~!” She squealed, making Twilight clamp her hooves to her ears as Misty tried her best to hit the highest note she could. And boy could she.

“I don’t know!” Twilight shouted. “You’re like eight!” She whipped to face the filly. “Now, could you please leave me alone!”

“Eight?! I am not eight!” Misty pouted, looking around the crystal room. “Do you really want me to leave you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Like, really leave you alone?”

“YES!”

“If I leave, are you gonna be mad at me?”

“YES- I mean, no, I won’t!” She groaned loudly, verbally displaying her disatisfaction. “I take it back, I don’t care if you stay here or not! Just go!”

“Okay.” Misty gave a small shrug, and without another word, trotted right out the two crystal doors, only pausing for a moment to give Spike a grateful nod. Spike nodded back, mostly out of instinct, as he watched her dissapear down the hallway.

“You know she’s leaving, right? Like, the castle?” Spike asked.

“Sure.” Twilight sighed out. “It’s Ponyville. The worst thing she can do is meet the Crusaders.”

There was a moment of pause as Twilight let out another sigh, thankful of the sudden absence of an annoying little filly. She looked back down at the pile of glass, her mind finally beginning to come up with a plan to piece the portal back together. Sure, the filly had done a number on it, but with a little magic, nothing is irreparable.

She used her magic to spread the glass shards across the entirety of the table, sorting them from smallest to largest. Then, taking the largest shard of glass, she placed it on the now empty canvas of a mirror’s frame, affixing it with a spell.

This… was going to take a long time.

Misty let out a shocked gasp as she gazed out upon the painting-perfect landscape of Ponyville. The sky was just so… blue! And the grass was almost impossibly green. The clouds looked like perfect cotton candy swirls that looked like she could just go right up to one and eat it. She slowly inched her way out of the castle, looking around as she was immediately bombarded from all angles with every type of stimulation.

This place smelled like Disney World. It looked like a cartoon. It tasted…

Well, now she just had to try it, right? Surely there was some kind of sweets shop down there. And she wasn’t feeling like bending down and taking a chomp of grass, so instead, she happily paraded down the single trotted dirt path and towards the quaint village below her. She turned her head to the side, gaping at the giant crystal labyrinth she had escaped. It was massive, somehow defying all laws of physics as it towered above the landscape. It was also very far away from the main village, taking her more than a few healthy minutes to enter the place fully.

She couldn’t get over just how colorful the place was. The city blocks and parking lots of Canterlot were simply varying colors of gray. This place, however, was crazy. Stalls were made from bright, bright blonde wood of unidentified type, with the brightest dyes imaginable used for their banners, flags, and canopies. Homes were humble abodes with thatch roofs that looked as if they came straight from 16th century Great Britain.

Misty watched a Pegasus fly directly overhead. She was a very light grayish light blue with an eccentric light blue mane. An Earth-pony trotted right by her, and his coat was a bright, bright red with a dusty blonde mane. Everypony looked as if they were pulled right out of a crayola’s box, and the energy she felt in the air was simply electrifying.

And then she stopped.

And took a looong, deeep breath in.

Something smelt gooood.

Somehow, it felt as if Misty could pin-point exactly where the smell was coming much, much easier than her human body ever could. It took her less than two seconds to turn and face a small cafe in the distance. The smell was so strong and vivid that she could practically see the trail leading to the place. With a jolly step, she began marching forwards.

Ponyville didn’t seem to be organized much like a normal town or city. Perhaps this was simply the way all medieval villages were organized. Ponyville was placed in the center of a very large valley- or, at least, that’s what it looked like, as two cardinal directions were taken up by ridiculously high mountains. Ponyville itself was on relatively flat ground, and instead of having streets with homes on each side, Ponyville seemed to take up the philosophy of simply sprinkling homes wherever they needed to go, each home being faintly connected by a trotted path.

Misty used her hoof to push open the door and enter the small cafe. It was empty inside, but the smell still managed to punch her muzzle like a sandbag, forcing her over to the counter. She pushed her muzzle up, smelling the aroma. Then, when she was absolutely sure that this was exactly what she wanted, she banged her hoof against the small bell.

“Coming!” A voice yelled out from the back. Misty sat down with anticipation, feeling her legs pitter patter excitedly on the ground, and strangely enough, also her wings, which were acting on their own accord and twitching. She gave them an angry stare, but no matter how hard she tried to relax, her wings kept vibrating. She stood up, trying to reach a hoof around to grab a wing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite get the right angle. So instead, she resorted to trying to bite her wing, but even this proved fruitless as she simply rotated on the spot. She tried to bite them again, and rotated once more. And again. And again. And-

“Are you… okay?” Misty jumped as she heard a familiar voice remark. Misty gave up trying to catch her wing as she whipped her head up towards the counter, an embarrassed blush meeting her muzzle. “You looked like a dog trying to catch it’s own tail. What can I get for you?”

Misty observed the Earth-pony in shock. It was obvious that she was Bon-bon, one of the juniors from her high school back on Earth. Although her coat was a warm yellow, her mane was a complete dead-match to the high-schooler she’s seen before.

“Oh, uh… Hi, Bon-bon.” Misty greeted, making the Bon-bon behind the counter raise her eyebrow suspiciously. “You… are from Canterlot, right?” She asked warily.

“Nope. I was born and raised right here in Ponyville.” She gave a sharp side-eye. “And how do you know my name?”

“I, um…” She shrugged helplessly. “Lucky guess?” Just in their limited interaction, not only here but also on Earth, Misty could already get a sense of how similarily the two Bon-bons talked, and even in this pony form, the way their body language was.

“My name is Bon-bon, though you knew that already, somehow. This is my sweets shop, and I live here-”

“Sweets shop?” Misty blanched, looking around her and at the building they currently resided in. “Are you an adult?” Bon-bon cocked her head to the side, and gave a small, if cautious, nod. “Like, a real adult? Not a junior year teenager, or anything, but like, old?”

“For your information, I’m only twenty-six.” She grumbled, looking around shamefully. “Where are you from, kid? And do you want something to eat, or not?”

“Oh, uh.” Misty suddenly realized that she left her backpack- or, rather now saddlebags, back in the crystal castle. “I don’t have any money. And I’m from Canterlot.”

“Then… why are you even here?” She asked. “Are you lost?”

“Nope! My only way home broke for a little bit, so I’m stuck here, kinda just wandering around.” She clicked her tongue. “Alright. See ya!” She turned around to leave, letting Bon-bon sputter in confusion for a moment.

“W-Wait, hold on!” She shouted out. Misty came to a stop, turning her head back around. “I can give you a free sample. But only one, though!” She quickly darted behind a doorway leading away from the cafe counter and into, presumably, the kitchen. Misty frowned at the sudden silence, simply tapping her hooves in anticipation.

The deadness of silence was too much for her to handle.

“So, where did you go to school?” Misty shouted behind the counter, not caring at her raised voice. There was a murmur and a shuffle from somewhere behind the door, as a muffled voice rang out.

“Ponyville Elementary!” She shouted back.

“So…not Canterlot High?” She asked. There was a sound from somewhere behind the door that sounded like a ‘nah-ah.’ “Huh. Because I met somebody there who looked a lot like you.” She yelled. “Yeah- except she’s taller. And her… fur is like, a pale fleshy color, I guess. And she walks on two legs. And she’s not really a pony. Did I tell you that I’m not a pony? At least, not usually, I guess. I don’t really know if I’m dreaming or not right now. I mean, I don’t think I’m dreaming. But you don’t usually know if you’re dreaming when you are dreaming, right? So I’m kinda hoping this isn’t-”

“You and Pinkie Pie would get along together just fine.” Bon-bon sighed out as she got back, placing a small brownie wrapped in a napkin on the counter. Misty’s eyes flickered to the brownie for a half second before a realization came crashing down onto her.

“You know who Pinkie is?!” She shouted. Bon-bon’s muzzle scrunched up as she took a step away in an attempt to save her ears from the volume.

“Well, yeah? Have you been welcomed by her yet?” Bon-bon asked, to which Misty gave a shake of her head as she tried to balance the brownie on the frog of her hoof. “I’m surprised. You must be really new here. If you want to get it out of the way, then Pinkie is usually around Sugarcube Corner. It’s just to the right, by the townhall-”

“Don’t you mean Sugarcube Cafe?”

A beat.

“No. I definitely mean Sugarcube Corner.”

“Okay… I have to meet Pinkie.” Misty looked down at the brownie in her hoof, and without a second thought, took a large bite out of it. “I’ll see you around, Bon-boooooonnnnnnn~”

Suddenly, it was like every single synapse in her head fired all at once. The flavor of this brownie was out of this world. It was like every nostaligia-ridden memory of her childhood combined into one absolutely fantastic package. In a matter of moments, Misty had tears streaming down either side of her face as she let the brownie dissolve into her tongue, not wanting to swallow it in fear of ruining the flavor explosion she was feeling.

“Are you okay?”

Misty wanted to go limp. Fortunately, some of her brain was still working, keeping her body upright. Unfortunately, her brain wasn’t exactly wired for her wings, causing them to droop all the way to the floor.

“This is the best brownie I’ve ever had.” She said with a sniffle.

“Are they? Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re good, too, but… not that good.”

“I’m gonna cry.” She wiped away her tears, unaware that she was already crying. “Have a good day, Miss Bon-bon! May the heavens- nay, may super heaven bless your soul!”

“I don’t-”

“I’m no christian, but I hope god blesses you. God bless you.”

“Who is god?”

“God bless you.” Misty sniffled one more time, piling the rest of the brownie into her face, and trotting out of the cafe, leaving a thoroughly confused Bon-bon in her wake.

In her limited exposure to Equestria, Misty had already made up her mind: Equestria was the greatest place in the entire universe. The sights, the smells, and even the taste of Equestria blew her mind. Although she still wasn’t entirely fond of being a pony, the fact that this was even happening to her at all made her incredibly excited and happy. Unusually happy.

When was the last time she was happy on Earth?

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she turned towards the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

“Huh. That’s weird.” She said to nopony in particular. “Is that a scooter?”

“Watch out!”

The last thing she saw before blacking out was a scooter and a Red-Ryder wagon.