One Month Later

“Celestia,” Pete called to the alabaster alicorn a few feet away from him on the throne, “Side bar?”

Eyebrow raised, Celestia indulged her sister's student and followed him to the edge of the dais.

“What is it?”

“Well... shouldn't something else have happened here? Like maybe Twilight should have some wings or something?”

Celestia looked almost horrified, “Why would she? ...is this another inaccuracy from the show?”

“I guess. When she fixed Star Swirl's spell you appeared and turned her into an alicorn. But that didn't happen, obviously.”

Celestia sighed, “One can not BECOME an alicorn, any more than you could permanently become a pegasus. There are things about the soul that are intrinsic to it, unalterable things. You might be able to temporarily give yourself wings, but the change would not be permanent. Were you to do so it would have unknowable consequences, both spiritually and mentally. I'm proud of what my student has accomplished, but that is purely a ridiculous concept for this particular world. Perhaps in another reality it would be possible, but not here.”

Pete gave a sigh of relief, “Oh, thank Luna.”

The Princess shook her head, “Luna had nothing to do with it.”

The two went back to their seats, Celestia on the throne, Pete next to Luna, who was next to the throne. Assured there would be no further interruptions, Twilight continued to explain everything that had happened. The account was as meticulous as you would expect from a scientific being, and took nearly an hour to finish. Celestia seemed genuinely interested, all the way up to the end, the same could not be said for the others. Pete, having knowledge of the event in full already, was bored almost instantaneously. Luna had been woken up for this audience, and was half asleep on her hooves, occasionally jerking back into consciousness now and again. Though whether her nodding off had to do with the story or her lack of sleep could not be determined. The others of the mane six dropped off at different points. It wasn't until the double doors on the far side of the room exploded inward that everypony was fully alert.

“A week,” a disturbingly familiar voice cried out from the doors, “A full fucking week, and I'm STILL NOT HOME?! Argh!”

The pair of guards that were ever present in the throne room took up defensive positions behind, or from the human's perspective in front, of the Elements of Harmony, who were struck with awe at the new comer's appearance.

“A- a human?” one of them said, looking back at Celestia, the Sun Princess just as shocked as the rest.

“You two better get the hell out of my way,” the human Pete Powell said, unsheathing a blade with his right hand and striking a combat position, “I'm NOT having a good week, and would love nothing more than to express my aggression in a VERY violent manner.”

“Who are you?” Luna called.

The human looked up, “The name's Pete Powell. Long story short, I'm from an alternate Equestria. We, that is me and the Elements of Harmony from my world, were fighting Chrysalis in an old mine somewhere in the Everfree. An accident happened and I fell into some kind of portal that flung me into a different Equestria. I'm just trying to get home, but every time I show up somewhere SOMETHING goes screwy as hell. Either I'm attacked by guards, or there's diamond dogs in the mine, or... Well, something goes wrong, most notably that I'm NEVER IN THE RIGHT REALITY.”

The guards looked at each other, then to the blue unicorn on the dais.

“You may leave,” Celestia said to them, quickly realizing the situation.

They were reluctant at first, but a stern look from both princesses got them to move right along. Once they had left the room, closing the doors human Pete had emerged from, the black clothed man relaxed and let out a long sigh. He stepped forward slowly, his pace deliberate as he felt out the mood of the room. He found the gathering strange, and most strange of all was the blue unicorn next to Luna. In his entire week stay at Canterlot he hadn't seen that stallion once, and his position next to Luna identified him as someone of importance.

“What happened to your hand?!” Rainbow Dash suddenly asked, horror and surprise on her, and soon the other's, face.

The human laughed and raised his left hand to face level, “This? Well, in the extended version of my story you all, that is you six and the princesses, wound up in my dimension and at some point I got... infected, I guess, with some of Luna's magic. The same spell that made Nightmare Moon. Except it did something different to me, and wound up turning into some kind of weird … I have no idea how to describe it.”

“Like a mirror of all your soul's darkness made real?”

Human Pete shot the unicorn a look, “Yeah, I guess that kinda works. Anyway, I've been figuring out how this whole 'claw' thing works as I go. It's a little disturbing, but it's not so bad.”

“So what is it you need, Pete Powell?” Celestia asked, her eyes fixed on what should only be a memory.

“Right,” he said, lowering his hand, “basically, I just need let out of town without being beaten to death by the guards. I've gotten to the mine and found the Well of Souls enough times that I could probably do it BLIND, and without my gear. It was just that part where everypony started screaming and attacking me that made me think something was up.”

“There might be a slight hole in that,” pony Pete said, carefully stepping forward, “In our reality there was a Changeling attack a while back. Part of it involved collapsing a mine past the Everfree to divide the Elements and turn them against each other. It's possible that, even if this isn't the cave you're talking about, that the cave in buried this 'Well of Souls.'

The other Pete's face fell, “Shit. That could be a problem.” Anger suddenly filled his features and tone, “I don't have TIME to be cooling my god damn heels!”

“Why?”

“Why? Well, when I left, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were about to go hoof to hoof with Chrysalis herself. As much faith as I'd like to have in them, that bug dropped Celestia once. I've found that if I don't spend more than 24 hours in a world time barely advances in the next one, so it's possible for me to get back without too much time passing. If I get back and find that I'm too late though... or maybe it would be better if I didn't make it back at all.”

The royal sisters shot each other a look, then looked back to the human. It was obvious that this Pete was much less mature than the one they had in court now, and it was even reflected in his appearance. When they had found Pete, their Pete, a second time his aging was apparent, but this Pete seemed even younger than when they had met him the first time.

“I'll have the guard investigate the collapsed mine. Perhaps this 'Well of Souls' is still intact. In the mean time, I would like to know why you think it would be best for you to never find your world.” Celestia said, rising from the throne and heading down the steps, Luna beside her.

Pete gave a sour laugh, “It would take a lot of explaining. Some of it I don't feel like going over.”

“Your name is Pete D. Powell. You used to live in the United States of America, the state of North Dakota specifically. One day you came home to find your apartment filled with 8 magical beings from a children's cartoon show. After recovering from your initial shock, which caused you to lash out violently towards us and your species, you befriended us. That was until Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty was injured, at which point you made it your sole mission to send us home.” Celestia was now face to face with the completely aghast human.

“Okay,” he said slowly, “I'm guessing the same thing happened here? So what's the difference? Pardon, that is, every reality is separate because of some massive change that prevents it from being another. So what is it?”

“My sister,” Luna said, examining the human, “Brought humans here, and it didn't work out. You yourself noted that the general populace cried out in fear from your appearance. That is because these ponies have only known humans to be violent. So much so that my sister was on the brink of being deposed. She swore to never again let a human walk on Equestrian soil, yet now here you stand. I fear that the political ramifications of this far outweigh all others.”

“No way! Maybe some of them would have, but not Kyle and the others.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, “Kyle and the others?”

“Yeah, my Celestia did the same thing, except she sorta called me in before things got out of hand. I went and settled them down, and a few of them even decided to stay. They're living in Ponyville right now.”

The sisters looked at each other with surprise again. “Sort of called you?” Celestia asked.

“Well... I'm...” Human Pete began fumbling his claw arm around the air looking for the words, “Okay, I guess I can say it since this isn't the reality where it happened and is probably part of the huge difference. So, in my world I spent two years after you all left trying to be a normal human being. It worked, I had a couple of friends, new job, things were cool. Then I got hit by a truck and died.” The shock was palpable. “Yeah, so after that I floated for what felt like eons in some kind of purgatory Luna found me, because my Luna is like the keeper of souls or some shit like that, and broke some rules to give me my normal body, only in Equestria. It had only been two months so things weren't all that horrible yet.”

“I see,” Luna mumbled, taking her place next to Celestia again, “And, in this timeline, Rainbow Dash DIDN'T jump back through to your world?”

Pete actually stepped back in surprise, “No! Did she do that here?!”

“Yes, it was a very distressing five months. By the fourth month the humans attacked, and it took us that long to find them, that is our Pete and Rainbow Dash, in the human world. It wasn't until after things had settled that we went to get her,” Luna explained.

“And... what about the other me?”

“He stayed behind,” pony Pete said, stepping down the base level, “At least, that's what I was told.”

The group looked at the blue unicorn for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

“So, who are you? I mean, if they're up and telling you about humans and all that you must be kind of important, and, no offense, but I didn't see anypony close to you when I was guard training.”

“I am... Luna's student, in the same manner that Twilight is Celestia's. My name,” he continued, interrupting the human, “I find to be of little value any more. Such things come with the knowledge I have obtained.”

The human Pete squinted at his pony counterpart, “I really don't like you. You've got this really pompous air.”

The pony smiled faintly, “And you are like looking into a mirror, showing me all the foolishness of my youth. All that fire, piss, and vinegar, all misdirected. … and I'm barely 33.”

The human gritted his teeth, “You're starting to really get on my nerves.”

The pony only smiled back, his expression one of complete calm, “Yes, I suppose I would. ...Princesses, if you'll excuse me I have more important things to look into than this rabble rouser.”

“Yes, I'm sure your research is beckoning to you. Continue on, Captain,” Luna dismissed the pony with a nod, the others far too appalled by the performance to think clearly.

“Captain?” human Pete asked, shooting Luna a look once the pony in question had left.

“Yes,” she replied, “On top of being my student and conducting his own extensive research, he also functions as the captain of my guard.”

Pete rested his claw on the hilt of his sword, “Really? Is he any good?”

“His qualifications are above bar. He scored at least above the average in training, and has, by himself, defeated countless Changelings, braved the Everfree alone, and is currently perfecting dark arts even I have trouble with. Though that last one may be more due to his talent than anything.”

“Dark magic is his talent? Isn't that a little, I dunno, worrisome?”

“Yeah,” Dash yelled across the room, “And we should listen to the guy with the evil murder hand.”

Once more his face fell, “Yeah, guess I shouldn't be the one to talk.”

Midnight, Canterlot Royal Library

Pete had become most comfortable in the library since arriving in Equestria. It was one of the few places that his new pony form had no effect on him. It was increasingly easy to lose himself in tome after tome of knowledge, and his brain's new form helped tremendously. The silence that pervaded the area and the usual lack of activity made it the perfect place to relax. It was his intimate knowledge of the library that allowed him to feel the human's presence long before he became visible by candle light. The dark clothed man quietly pulled a chair out to the left of the unicorn and sat down. Across the table was Rainbow Dash, the cyan pegasus sound asleep, her face in a pillow on the table, and a blanket draped over her back.

“I never really got to see her sleep,” human Pete whispered, “She looks so adorable.”

Luna's student looked over, “I almost wouldn't have thought it possible that 'adorable' was in your vocabulary. You really are missing out though, I've found that watching her sleep fills me with unspeakable joy.”

“Yeah, I'm starting to find out that I've missed a lot,” Pete said sourly.

“And just what does that mean?”

He looked the pony in the eyes, “What does it matter to you?”

“You seem to have taken what I said earlier to heart a bit too fast. I know it will sound very 'pompous' to you, but I've reached a point in my life where I don't let the little things get to me. I have too many precious moments, both behind me and in front of me, to focus on the negative. I do my best to help everyone, regardless of race, gender, intelligence, or personal feelings. That said, I personally don't have bad feelings towards you. You remind me of myself when I was making hasty decisions, long before I mellowed and realized what was really important.”

“...you're right. That did sound really pompous. ...Okay, so I've been bumping around these different realities for about a week now.”

The pony nodded, his attention solely on the human.

“Right, so at first there's the usual weirdness, genders flipped, the ponies are dragons instead of ponies, humans instead of ponies, except they have wings and horns still. Then suddenly I'm in a semi normal Equestria, except there's a guy. Red hair, goatee I think, not sure I was far away and it was close to sun down. Anyway, I'm hiding in the bushes outside Ponyville when I see him, and I'm freaking out a little. I haven't had any contact with this world, one of the few that I just breezed through. Then, suddenly, Rainbow Dash darts out of the sky and kisses him, and they both look really happy, and it's great. Then Twilight shows up and she kisses the guy too, and they're all happy, like IMPOSSIBLE happy. The kind where I'm not sure I've ever been that happy, or if being that happy is even theoretically possible.

“Suddenly I feel like I'm intruding on something huge, so I tear outta there like a bat outta hell- er, Tartarus, and make for the mine. I find the Well of Souls and hop in. Next world is semi normal, except there's two humans this time, and things are all a little crazy. They had to be the most AWESOME guys I'd ever met, no kidding. One of them had this knife and was just brutal when we had to fight our way to The Well. His friend though, he was married to Rainbow Dash. Second time I'd seen that human cross Rainbow type of relationship, and she was just so fucking happy with this dude.

“Now, here I am, and there's you two. You and her, and I can see it from here, she's happy. I've heard stories all day from a few folks, and I doubt she came in here to sleep on the table because it's good for her neck, or whatever. A-and it's got me thinking that... maybe I'm not the guy for her. Maybe, I'm just deluding myself, and it hurts, but something tells me that it's right. That I'm going to end up hurting her, or worse.”

“I see... has it occurred to you that maybe this 'something' telling you to break things off with your Rainbow is that claw? Or rather, whatever the root of it is?”

“No, this is like, a gut feeling. It's something inside of me, not my mind. I just don't think I can make her as happy as I've seen you three. That is, you, and those other two humans.”

“Pete,” it felt weird saying his own name, “You can not measure these parallel versions of Rainbow Dash, and her relationships, with your own. Even if you could, don't you think it's her choice who makes her happy? If being with you makes her happy, and vice versa, why have these doubts? Simply do your best, and if that's not enough then try harder until SHE quits on you.”

Human Pete looked down, anger and sadness on his face, “You wouldn't understand, even if I told you. Thanks for the advice though.”

He tried to stop his other self, but couldn't find the words. It was true that he had no idea what the human had gone through. Though he felt that he would understand, if only the other would open up. Ultimately nothing could be said and, rather than stay and brood in the library, Pete decided to turn in early. His sleep was mostly restless, as was common for those on the Lunar Guard, and not even Rainbow's presence could calm him.

The next day dawned clear and cold, a sign of the rapidly approaching winter months. Around noon a soldier arrived and informed the Princesses that there was, in fact, a tunnel in the mine that led to some kind of stone gateway filled with magic. Twilight became ecstatic, the thought of studying a lost artifact was a rare opportunity. Her dream was quickly shut down by the interdimensional traveler when he informed her that the only way to ensure he didn't end up coming back was to wreck the portal on entry. The lavender unicorn was about to protest, rather vehemently, until Celestia interceded and accepted the plan. As far as the co-monarch of Equestria was concerned, this human was one Pete too many.

“Facing darkness is not something to be done with a heavy heart,” pony Pete called after his other self, “Do not make any hasty decisions until you have had time to examine these events with a clear, peaceful mind. I guarantee you'll find that things are not nearly as bad as you perceive them to be.”

The human Pete simply waved without turning around as he walked out of the audience chamber. Unlike previous worlds he had visited he had not made friends with the ponies. They had had their own Pete, and he wasn't about to try and take his place. It helped this goal that there was no threat to himself as he made his way to the interdimensional portal. No Changelings, no Diamond Dogs, no ancient dragon pact, nothing. He was simply able to walk in and vanish.

Things were not so simple for the ponified Pete. Having seen what he had once been, and what he could have become, the unicorn was slightly distressed. Not over his own life, there was no reason for an existential crisis because he knew the two were very different individuals, even if they shared the same back story and name. Rather he was concerned with his counterpart's future. The worry he had displayed the night before was genuine, and some how failed to realize that was what made him a good person. Ones ability to see their own flaws and make appropriate changes to compensate was his, and by probable extension, their strongest asset. Yet the human refused to make changes, forcing himself to see others as shimmering examples of perfection he could never achieve. Like they both had back when they lived in the human world.

“Always comparing to others, but never looking out for your own interests,” the unicorn muttered, turning away from the door and heading back to his studies, “I only hope that one day you see how foolish you were.”

Author's Note

And now the gods shall allow me the respite that I've been denied this night, I pray. (Insomnia sucks!)