Watcher's attention was drawn back to their companions by the sensation of being splashed in the face. They had been aware of them bathing, but hadn't paid much attention. Lulu was standing in front of the tub in a towel, waving around, while Twibright tried to wipe off. That entire space was them, so water sent flying may as well have hit them in the face. "I think I have located another world in trouble. It is not the source, but it is closer."

Twilbright's ears perked up. "What's the problem with that world? Can we get to it?"

Watcher nodded. "We can indeed. It has no special protections. Not only animated, but with looser rules, much like your original, Twibright, but more so. Pain is a temporary inconvenience. Death is a punch line, to be recovered from just as quickly."

Lulu grinned. "That sounds like a place I would like to visit. We'll be safe there?"

Watcher gave Lulu a long look. "No, not quite, I think some harm will be done to you, but it will be a fleeting thing, and not serious. Not safe, but not in danger either. Pain is a loss, and not always one easily recovered from. If you two insist on following me, know that you will hurt, both giving and receiving. Are you ready?"

"Absolutely." Lulu twirled her tail with a smile. "Twi, are you ready?"

Twibright nodded firmly, though her ears betrayed some doubt. "I am ready." She glanced away. "I had hoped to browse your—"

Consent was given, and Watcher moved. They drew both through the infinite worlds until they landed on one so hard they left a crater with dust billowing out from the hole of their arrival.

Twibright poked her head free, wobbling with stars swirling around her head. "I'm quite glad I wasn't eating anything important." She pulled herself free of the crater and shook her head to clear it.

Lulu stumbled to the surface, tail trembling. "What is wrong with that thing?" She blinked, looking down at herself. "And what happened to me?"

She was still a skunk, the same one even, but her dull colors had become wildly vibrant. She was a cartoon skunk fit for display for comedic entertainment. "And why is literally everything turned up to eleven?" All her skinny parts were skinner, and the round parts rounder.

She turned one way and the other, inspecting herself. "And why is Twibright looking the same?"

Poking last out of the hole was a female rabbit, one of her ears draped over one of her eyes. "My assumption is that because she was already close." Watcher pulled herself free and dusted herself off. "She was already a brightly colored animated being with loose physics. There's less to correct."

She took a moment to examine herself. "I've seen worse forms. We are—" Watcher went quiet, remembering the world. "We are in a desert. The local fauna will engage you, but is mostly harmless if you don't challenge them."

A snake slithered up with amazing speed, leaving a trail of dust as it did so. "Hello there!" he said, voice giving away their gender. "What's a bunch of pretty ladies like you doing baking in the sun?" He was mostly purple with a yellow belly.

Watcher gave the snake a firm look, then pointed off to the distance. "We are not locals. We are just here to see if the world still makes sense."

The snake shook his head. "Mmm, nope! This world never made not one lick of sense. But if you want directions, there are plenty of folks in the city who could help you. Just be sure not to walk up on the coyote's house. He's a slippery one, that's for sure." The snake nodded at his own sage advice. "He'll get the clothes off your backs and get you to thank him for it."

Lulu folded her arms as she examined the curious snake. "I've heard of two legs." She stepped from one foot to the other. "And four legs." She waved at Twibright. "But no-legs? That's new."

The snake just gave them both a huge smile. "Nolegs, yes indeed. Now, you all run along." He turned and slid away.

Watcher watched the snake go, then looked back and forth between their companions. "This will be a challenge. With a world so loose in its rules, how do we find what doesn't belong?"

Lulu frowned. "You're asking us? I was a cook and sometimes adventurer, and this one." She patted Twi on the head. "She was a librarian and scholar. Neither of us know what to look for."

"Actually." Twibright raised a hoof to her chin with a thoughtful hum. "If this world is already so chaotic, I imagine the thing that looks boring is probably out of place." She swept a hoof to the side, towards the endless dunes. "It's all a little too much, but it has a consistent energy. Something will feel wrong, I suspect. Like the eye of the storm."

Watcher considered the desert dunes. "Too easy. Hey!" She waved at the dunes. "Are you watching us?"

"No." The dunes slid away, leaving things flatter. "Sorry."

Lulu stared. "Are you kidding me right now?" She looked down at herself, then back up. "This world is insane. Insane! I love it!"

Twibright giggled, then nudged Watcher. "The trick is going to be finding what doesn't belong. Something so simple, dull."

The city appeared before them. It had not been there moments before. Twibright stepped onto the street before her, not giving it much thought. "We should start—" A bus gave her just as little thought, squishing her flat as it rolled over her and stopped a few feet in front of her to let off a colorful cast of characters.

Watcher shook her head with a sigh. "That was a little too on the nose." She walked over to the squished flat Twibright. "Do you feel okay?"

Twibright spoke up from her paper thin position, "No." She sat up despite it, Watcher's hand stabilizing her. "That hurt! It didn't kill me, but that hurt!" She patted down her body and was surprised to find it intact, though she was having trouble breathing. "I can't inhale."

Lulu gave Twibright a few solid thumps on the back until she gasped and started breathing. "This is like a fever dream. One I'm awake to see. Alright, let's stick together so we don't get into any serious trouble."

Watcher nodded firmly. "Oh yes, because the next bus will not be so forgiving. Stay close." They turned to the city to see a huge sign had popped into being. "Oh, come on." It warned to avoid jaywalking, with an arrow pointing down towards a crosswalk. "We'd better follow the rules of the road if we don't want to be flattened."

Twibright shivered. "I don't want to have that happen again."

As they crossed the street, Lulu looked around at the other critters in the area. "Hey, Twi." She pulled Twibright closer, pointing. "Another horse!"

There was a two-legged horseman hopping free of the bus with a shake of his tail. "What a nice day!" He adjusted the glasses perched on his nose, then noticed Twibright. "Hello, miss! A fine day indeed. What brings you into town?" He was well dressed, complete with suspenders. "You don't look like a local."

Twibright considered her undressed self. "I suppose not. Though it seems as many of you are dressed as have abstained. Is there a, hm, fashion behind that?" She tried to look professional and failed. "My name is Twibright, and I am a librarian and scholar from very far away. I've come here to learn."

"Twibright." The horse seemed to taste the word on his tongue. "A pretty name for a pretty gal. You three lost? Maybe I can lend a hand!" He offered a hoof.

Watcher raised an ear. "What's your name?"

The horse blinked, his eyes suddenly much larger and more comical. "Ooh." He laughed in a silly way. "Silly me. I'm Lucky. All my shoes are lucky." He showed off every hoof for demonstration. "I run the local casino, of course!"

Lulu's ears went back. "I know that word from home. That's a place to gamble, right?"

Lucky nodded several times, then reached a hand into the air and pulled a card from nowhere. "Here I am!" On the card was boldly displayed a hoof imprint, his name, number and address for her to enjoy. By the time she looked up from it, he was already gone.

Watcher looked around. "This world is so chaotic, even knowing where we need to look, I'm not sure we'll find it."

Twibright tapped a hoof together. "If I were a corruption, a rot, an imbalance, where would I be hiding? What place that has a city of chaos would hold onto what I wanted to add." She frowned a little. "Do they have governmental offices?"

Watcher nodded slowly, considering that. "That would be a good place to start. They probably keep records there."

Lulu folded her arms. "Records, sure, but how would we find out where they keep the really important stuff?" She spread her arms. "And why is it so warm? Not complaining, exactly, but it feels like the sun's beating—" She jumped back from a swing, narrowly avoiding the sun sinking to engage her in fisticuffs.

Twibright blinked several times. "Wow, this world is literal."

Watcher frowned as Lulu hopped away from the sun on the ground. "I think someone's being silly."

The sun stopped and looked around. "Someone's being silly? Where?!" It looked around as if horrified of even the idea. "Who dares be silly in front of me?!"

Twibright waved to it. "Hello, Mr. Sun. We have no trouble with you."

The sun turned to glare down at them. "Well, that's good! I heard someone wanted a good sun beating, and I'm feeling ready for a good beatdown today!" The sun rose back up into the sky, returning to his job with a satisfied grin.

Watcher frowned, shaking her head a few times. "This is all so ridiculous." She looked over at Twibright, who seemed to be doing fine despite the sun's best efforts. "How are you holding up?"

Twibright waved them along down the sidewalk. "As cooky as this place is, it's refreshingly safe, compared to the other world we've visited. It might sting, but we'll get better too." She thought back on something. "It would be nice if every world was this resilient."

Watcher sighed softly. "To each world, a song. If they all hummed the same melody, that would limit what could be told. We are, in a way, blessed to have all the options, not just a few we decide are better."

The skunk nodded and walked along beside them. "So where's this governmental building? Or are they? It? You said there was one, but I don't see any signs for—" Lulu walked right into a sign that had her staggering back. "Oh. City hall. That count?"

Twibright giggled, walking towards it. "It is a place that exists, which is more than I can say about most of what we've encountered here." She stepped inside and looked around with wide eyes. "If it's like the City Hall back home, there are ponies are the front desk eager to help us along."

Lulu grabbed Watcher before she could get far. "One thing." She pulled Watcher closer, glaring at them. "I still don't appreciate you tossed my world aside. You almost tossed me aside while you were at it. You need to learn to slow down a little."

Watcher stared at her, then nodded, pulling away slowly. "I am not used to having others with me." She gestured to herself. "As you might have figured out, this." She waved her hands around, gesturing at the entire world around them. "Is one world of so many others. I protect it so that others do not suffer for my failure. I protect the many, giving little time for specifics."

Lulu grumbled as she followed Watcher into the City Hall building. "I understand that, but we're your companions now, right?" She pointed at Twibright, who was already talking to someone at the front desk. "She looks up to you. You can at least pretend she means something in return."

Author's Note

Tiny, Tooney, and sometimes a little Looney.

A thank you to my Supporter Patrons: Zap Transfer and Dapple!👋🏽

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!