Echoes of Equestria: Multiverse Shenanigans

“So, let me get this straight. You want me and Scoots, along with her friend Archer, to accompany you and Twilight to a different Equestria?”

I nodded. “Yup. That’s about the size of it. What do you say, Dashy? Care to step through the looking glass?”

“OK, one, would you please stop with the references I don’t know? And two—not a chance. Later.” Then, she zoomed off.

“Aww, but it’ll be fun!” I watched as she quickly moved out of sight. “Dang it.” I got a sly grin and casually called out, “Wow! Never pegged Rainbow Dash as a coward!”

A rush of air, and she was in my face, looking more than a little perturbed. “So… changed your mind?”

“So not cool.”

“I’m not hearing a no~o,” I singsonged.

She snorted. “Fine. I’ll go ask Scoots and Archer about it. We’ll meet ya at Twilight’s later.” With that, she was gone again.

I smiled smugly. “Works every time.”

***

“So, why was it so important for us to accompany you guys this time?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“Dash, if Simon wants you along, it’s no doubt because the three of you are the focal points of this world.”

“Shhh, no spoilers.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Technically, that wasn’t a spoiler, as I haven’t a clue what this world’s story is. It was more of an educated guess than anything…”

“Nerrrrrrd!”

“Oh, shush you.” She gave me a playful swat to my rear.

“Fresh.”

“Simon. Sometimes I don’t know why we put up with you.”

“Because you lo~ve me.”

Smiling, she shook her head. “Let’s just go, wise guy.”

The two fillies giggled as Dash said, “Yeah, I agreed to go with you, not watch the two of you flirting.

“Dash!” Twilight exclaimed, mortified.

“Aww, she’s just jealous,” I said.

The two fillies giggled again.

“OK I think we’ve given those two enough of a show.”

I could take a hint… sometimes. “OK, no more teasing… for now.”

“Let’s just do this already,” Dash said impatiently.

And with that, we all stepped through the portal.

***

As we arrived on the other side I noticed Twilight gazing at the Golden Oaks Library, though not with the same emotional weight as last time.

“It’s not fair. Was I the only Twilight to lose her home?”

“Bear in mind, these stories were written years before the events with Tirek.”

“So, wait. We’re not only crossing dimensions, but going back through time?” Dash inquired.

“Something like that. Basically, the portal opens up to a point in time at the end of the story. Not really sure what time though.”

At that moment, the door to the library opened, and a startled Twilight gawked at us. After a moment, she muttered, “Guess shopping can wait.” Then, in her normal voice, she added, “Well, don’t just stand there.” She disappeared back inside.

“Well, she’s certainly handling this a lot better than that other me,” Twilight noted as we walked inside.

“The other us, huh?” their Twilight said thoughtfully. “So, I’m not the first.”

“Wait, you know where we came from?” Dash asked incredulously.

“Not really hard to piece together, especially with that portal swirling around out there.”

Giggling, I said, “Yeah. She’s so much more like you than that other one all right.”

“Please, be seated. Spike should be here any…” Spike enters with a tray of tea and cakes and busied himself with serving us. “… moment now,” she finished, smiling.

Sipping her tea she went on to ask, “So, what brings you here? I can only assume, since you brought Dash and the two fillies, that you wanted them to meet. Yes?”

“Oh, she is so you,” I state. “Though given what she went through, I suppose it caused her to mature faster or something.”

“And how, exactly, do you know what I went through?”

“Aw… yes. Well, that’s gonna take some explaining, and I would like Dash and the fillies present for that.”

She smiled. “I thought you might.”

“OK Spike. Jeez. What’s so important that you had to drag us all the way to… to…” It’s at this point she spots us. “Uh Twilight. Explain. Please.”

“Relax, Dash. It’s not more fillysprite shenanigans. Our visitors are from a parallel Equestria,”

“Oh. Guess that explains that swirling portal outside.”

“Fillysprite shenanigans?” my Dash inquired.

“Long story,” Their Dash said.

“Maybe it would be easier if the fillies examined one another’s…” I cleared my throat. “… lower regions.”

“Huh?” My two fillies said as the others simply turned around and flagged their tails. The response from my group was varied.

Twilight glanced at this world’s Scootaloo and Archer, her eyes widening as she took in the unexpected details. Rainbow Dash leaned closer, her smirk turning into a curious grin. Scootaloo and Archer exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to react to the revelation. Their expressions ranged from shock to curiosity, processing the realization that their counterparts were so different.

Scootaloo blinked a few times before turning to her Rainbow Dash. “Uh, Rainbow Dash, are we seeing things, or are they missing… you know, their bits?”

Rainbow Dash chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, that’s definitely a surprise. Guess we learn something new every day!”

Twilight, intrigued, leaned forward. “This is fascinating. I didn’t know other Equestrias had such unique differences.”

Archer looked at Scootaloo, her brow furrowed. “So, does that mean they’re more aerodynamic or something?”

Everyone burst into laughter, breaking the tension and bringing a sense of camaraderie to the unusual situation.

Archer, catching her breath from laughing, looked over at Scootaloo and asked, “And speaking of that, how come my counterpart has wings like yours?”

Scootaloo nodded thoughtfully. “It’s kind of a long story and pretty difficult to explain.”

Twilight explained, “It’s an evolutionary path that makes them more like parasprites. Scootaloo and Archer have insect-like wings and lack the reproductive organs that other ponies have. This is because, similar to parasprites, they reproduce—and de-produce—by mouth.”

Twilight’s curiosity sparked, her eyes widening as she asked, ‘De-produce? What do you mean by that?’ Her tone and the glint in her eyes conveyed a mix of intrigue and eagerness to explore this peculiar aspect of their world.

They can reabsorb others they produce after they’ve digested enough to make room.

“They can reincorporate? Fascinating!” Her eyes sparkled with intrigue as she processed this unusual ability.

And it turns out, this actually serves a practical purpose. During a time of severe food shortage in a town called Nickelright, the Fillysprite—who we later learned were actually called Oracles—decided to help in the only way she could. She began to de-produce the foals of that town to transform them into beings like herself, with small wings, lacking reproductive organs, and capable of reproducing by mouth. This served a twofold purpose: they needed less to sustain themselves, and during times where the food shortage was very severe, they could de-produce half the population—this way they would fill themselves up, while decreasing the mouths to feed. One half taking in the other half until food became plentiful again, wherein they could then eat enough to reproduce them.

Twilight nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. “That’s quite an ingenious adaptation,” she remarked, glancing at Scootaloo and Archer with newfound respect. “It’s amazing how they’ve evolved to handle such challenging conditions.”

I spoke up adding, “Yeah, but you have to remember, that this only works on ponies that have been out long enough to become ‘real,’ as Scootaloo put it. If they reabsorb a pony that’s only been out for a short time, they disappear forever and can’t be reproduced again.”

All of their eyes widened in shock, horrified by the implications.

Their Twilight, noticing my group’s reaction, stepped forward to share her perspective. “I know it sounds alarming, but it’s just a fact of their biology. I have confirmed this. While the ones who aren’t out long enough to become real do disappear forever, everything they are, everything they were, becomes a part of them. Their memories and experiences live through them. So in a way they aren’t really gone.

“What are we but the sum of our memories?” I quoted.

“Very apt. Where’s that from? My Twilight asked.

“Assassin’s Creed Revelations. A video game from my world.”

Their Twilight then inquired, “Your world?”

My group then expounded on my origins, and while we were at it, I worked in how I knew of them.

“Definitely one of my top five fanfics.”

“Well, that is… well, to say it’s a lot to take in, feels like a gross understatement.”

Smiling, my Twilight responded, “Yes, it does take time to come to terms with such a metaphysical concept.”

“Meh, what’s reality anyway?” their Dash asked.

“Woah, I think their me is more fill-a-what-ya-call-it than I am.”

“Philosophical,” the Twilight’s and I said in unison.

“Yeah. That.”

“Well, we know which of us got the brains, considering you couldn’t articulate your thoughts in a concise manner by not knowing words such as ‘philosophical’. Really. Would it kill ya to pick up a book that doesn’t begin with ‘Daring Do’? You really need to feed that brain.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Oh no. That me is an EGGHEAD!”

Everypony, sans our Dash, broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Well, this has been fun and all, but I think it’s time you all headed home,” their Twilight said.

Nodding, our Twilight agreed. “Yes. The hour has drawn late.” We all stood and bade each other farewell.

“See ya me. It was really… interesting to meet ya, “my Scootaloo said.

“I think their word you’re looking for is weird.”

“Ha, ha. Yeah.”

“I still don’t get how we can be the same, but I was born to actual parents,” my Archer said.

“I agree. That’s the most weird part of this whole thing if you ask me.”

“I think it’s safe to say that everyone can agree to that conclusion.” A round of nodding heads confirmed this sentiment.

Our good-byes said we headed outside and approached the portal.

“Well, got to admit, this was fun,” my Dash said as the fillies nodded their agreement.

Smiling, I replied, “Seeing a similar world from a new perspective always is. I think so anyway.”

“That sounds about right,” Twilight added. “Well, let’s go home, everypony.”

And so, our journey here came to an end, but many more awaited.