A Witch in Equestria

Willow finished explaining the events leading her to Twilight’s library by canceling her pony disguise.

“Fascinating..” Twilight Sparkle was inspecting Willow in her natural form, briefly forgetting the concept of personal space at the prospect of knowledge.

“Yeah, I can tell you all about us, but can I have a little room here?”

Twilight backed up and looked sheepish. “Sorry, it’s just- I’ve never heard of humans before; this could be a great opportunity!”

Willow smiled back at her. “I’d like to learn more about ponies as well, while I’m here. I always like to learn new ways of doing magic. We could trade information, if you want.”

Twilight looked gleeful at Willow’s proposition. “Yes, that would be wonderful! Oh, I need to think of all the questions I want to ask.. where’s a good place to start? Should I start with her culture? Her magic? Maybe her technology..?”

A polite cough interrupted her voiced thoughts. “It’s great that you’re enthusiastic, but I mostly just want to get back to my own dimension.”

Twilight scratched the back of her head with her hoof in an embarrassed gesture. “My friends tell me I go a little overboard with my studies sometimes. But don’t worry! I’ll definitely help you find your way home. Maybe the Princess will have more information? I need to write a letter later..” She trailed off at the end, mumbling to herself.

Willow asked a question she had been pondering. “Should I bother with the transfiguration I did earlier? I originally was just going to blend in, but I can’t get my pony form to look like anything other than what you saw. If the reactions I got earlier are going to be common, maybe I should just go like this?” She did a small pirouette.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Mmm.. I think you would be better off as a pony. Your human form is.. well.. it’s very strange. Your pony form is also odd, but it’s a familiar kind of odd. I’ll make sure there are no misunderstandings and you can stay here in peace.”

Willow looked surprised. “You’d open your house for me, when you just met me tonight? That’s awfully nice of you.”

Twilight smiled. “You seem like a good pony, and it’s not like I don’t have room. It’s a big place, and it’s only me and Spike here.”

Willow nodded. “So, who is this pony I keep hearing about called Nightmare Moon that I look like?”

Twilight’s expression darkened. “She wanted to overthrow the Princess and create eternal night. My friends and I stopped her with the Elements of Harmony, but it was close.”

I guess it doesn’t matter which dimension you’re in, some crazy people will always try to start an apocalypse. Something caught her eye behind Twilight. It was a beautiful tiara adorned with a large purple gem. She got up and moved over to it. “What’s this..?”

Twilight followed Willow’s gaze. “Ah! That’s the Element of Magic. One of the Elements of Harmony that we used to defeat Nightmare Moon. I was running some experiments with it.”

Willow slowly moved toward it in a trance-like state. She picked it up gingerly, looking at it with reverence, turning it over in her hands.

“Um, Willow..? What are you doing?” Twilight asked nervously.

She snapped out of her trance and hastily set the tiara back down. “Ahh! N-nothing! It’s just.. it’s so pretty. I can sense magic and that thing is like.. super magical. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” She laughed with a hitch in her voice.

Twilight decided to gloss over it, but privately resolved to keep it out of her sight. “Well! I’m sure you’re tired, while you redo your transfiguration spell, I’ll go set up a place to sleep for you.”

Willow let out a yawn at the mention of sleep. “I am pretty sleepy..” She smiled gratefully at Twilight. “Thanks for everything.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s no problem.” She turned and left the room, her tail swishing behind her.

Willow’s gaze lingered on the tiara for a moment before she shook herself and began casting her spell. It was easier this time around, as being around so many ponies she was getting pretty familiar with the feel of their lifeforce. She looked at her reflection in a window. “I do look good..” I’m glad I found a native who’s friendly. This could’ve gone so much worse..

She laid in the bed Twilight had prepared for her and closed her eyes. She fell asleep thinking of the pony whose reflection she bore..

--

Luna looked up at her moon solemnly. She’d been having trouble adjusting to modern life in Equestria. Everything was so alien, it’s like it wasn’t her home at all. Celestia was remarkably mostly unchanged, but their relationship was no longer the sisterly playfulness it once was. She couldn’t look her sister in the eye without remembering how she had tried to kill her, and Celestia was more reserved in her interactions.

She sighed. What was she doing, moping here? She just needed to be a bit more active in reconnecting with the modern world.. but it seemed like every time she tried, she just made a foal of herself or a mess of things. Or both. Her thoughts were spiraling downward again. She was unusually depressed tonight.

“Lulu? Are you there?” Celestia’s voice rang through the moonlit night.

“I am here, ‘Tia.” Her gaze didn’t stray from the moon.

Celestia walked up next to her sister, reading the melancholy mood and nuzzling her affectionately. “I got an interesting letter from my faithful student tonight.”

Luna’s interest was piqued. She hadn’t seen much of the Element Bearers since they had purified her of Nightmare Moon’s taint. For her to send a letter so late.. it must be something urgent.

“A creature who claims to be from an alternate universe was somehow transported here and is staying at my student’s residence. She promised to try and send it home. I was thinking of asking you to travel to Ponyville to look into it.”

Luna glanced at her sister strangely. “Your student gets into the oddest situations, doesn’t she?”

Celestia gave a soft musical laugh. “She does, doesn’t she?” She looked at her sister. “What do you say, Lulu? You’re the one who’s better learned in obscure magics. You could help her better than I.”

“W-well.. I suppose.. I could..” Luna wanted to say no, but her sister’s pleading gaze convinced her not to.

“Wonderful!” Celestia smiled beatifically. Luna wondered if she’d just been had. She wouldn’t put it past her sister. She caught her lips twitching slightly. It seemed her chat with her sister had at least dispelled her glum mood from earlier.

“I’ll have to check on a few books before I leave tomorrow.. I’ll be in the library. Good night, ‘Tia.” She nuzzled her sister and left the balcony.

Celestia looked up at the moon. “I wonder if I should’ve told her about the creature’s appearance..?”

-

Near a rural town, a hoof erupted from the ground violently. A creature lifted itself out from the dirt, clambering upwards with jerky unnatural movements. It looked at its hoof quizzically, until a smile broke out on its deformed face, and it lumbered off toward the settlement.