//------------------------------//
// Speak for Yourself 
// Story: Magical Curiosity 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

Twilight stumbled onto the stony pavement on her two hands and her two feet. With everyone looking down at her, she laughed nervously, and went back standing up.
The chill of night continued as a cold wind breezed by, crinkling the trees of some houses
With everyone still shocked as they looked on Twilight at awe, she eked out, “Um...sorry?”
Applejack put her hands on her hips, staring her down stern. “Who told you that sneakin’ around was a good idea?”
Words failed her as she spouted out “Um”’s and “Uh”’s, tapping the tips of her fingers.
Then, more flashes of light as Sunset and then Starlight walked out of the portal.
Fluttershy then hid half of herself behind Pinkie Pie. Pinkie herself was silent, speechless at Twilight with a wide open mouth. Rarity placed a hand on her cheek, as if pitying her poor friend. Rainbow Dash tried to keep her cool, but her furrowed brows spoke for themselves.
Luna raised her phone to her ear. “I shall talk to Celestia herself about this matter.”
“You don’t have to,” Sunset said, stretching out a hand. “We...we can handle this.”
Luna hesitated, glanced at her phone, then pocketed it. “I trust you, Sunset, since you are the magical expert—and,” looking at Starlight, “I’m assuming you are, too, considering you are also from her world. Nevertheless, Celestia will know about it by tomorrow morning.”
Sunset nodded in return, smiling a little.
Then, one more bright white flash, and Trixie fell on to the floor.
Sunset and Twilight bent down to bring her up, with Trixie slurring, “Ugh...w-was that a dr-dream? T-Tell Trixie that was a dream….”
“It wasn’t,” Twilight said, seeing Trixie’s eyes flicker back into activity. “I was there.”
Then, Trixie released herself from their grip, stood back up, and dusted herself off. “That wasn’t a dream?! Are you telling me Trixie didn’t sleep all of a sudden and that she really went to a magical pony world?!”
“Pretty much,” was Starlight’s answer for her.
Trixie looked surprised. “So...me floating stuff, my hooves and horn, my other self...they were all real?!”
“Real as you and me,” Sunset said, pointing at the magician and then herself. “I mean, you are talking to a unicorn.”
Trixie opened and closed her mouth, dumbfounded. “Well, I—Trixie knows you are a unicorn, but what Trixie has seen surpasses what could be possible in the mind of such a Great and Powerful magician...which should not be possible!” and stomped her boot down to the ground.
“But, you did go to Equestria,” Sunset said, “and, even better, you were able to use Equestrian magic. What can you say?”
Trixie raised her hand to protest, then stopped herself. She smirked. “Oh, Sunset!” She raised a fist. “With Trixie’s practice in the other world, she is one step closer to besting you at magic!”
Sunset laughed it off. “Eh, save it for later.”
Luna stepped in, cutting in between the two. “Trixie, follow my lead and I shall bring you home. You have been outside for far too long.”
Trixie then went to vice principal’s side and walked with her up the road, but she was able to shoot off a wave at Sunset and friends who waved back.
Then, Sunset sighed and looked at Twilight; everyone else was looking at her with troubled expressions. “Let’s get back to Pinkie’s first.”
Twilight then laughed nervously again, adjusting her ponytail. “Eh-heh….”



Back at Pinkie’s house, one could hear laughter again with a couple of simulated explosions here and there. Rainbow and Applejack were shouting at each other, battling for first place in a racing game as their luxury cars darted through a vista of forests and rural landscapes with the added thrill of the police trailing behind—which could explain the police sirens from the bedroom.
Rarity shouted, “Why must you be so loud?!”
On the other hand, Starlight exclaimed, “Can I join?! Three can play this, right?”
Inside the kitchen with the lights on, Twilight sat at the countertop with a forlorn look on her face, tipping a ballpen and playing around with it. She looked to her left and saw the night sky through the window; she also saw Wallflower still watering the plants with a hose.
Sunset closed the refrigerator, holding a bottle of orange juice. She poured down a glass for her and Twilight on the counter.
Then, Sunset sat down with her. She gave her an anxious stare. “What happened? Did you trip or someone pushed you on accident?”
Twilight tapped her fingers again. “No.”
Sunset arched a brow. “So, you went through the portal on purpose?”
Twilight looked at the window. Then, she nodded.
“How did you do that?” Sunset asked. “Everyone else was probably watching you, knowing your crazy curiosity for all things magic recently.”
Twilight gulped. “A police car came by and everyone got distracted. I took the opportunity to go through the portal myself.”
Sunset’s eyes went wide as she kept staring at Twilight. Sunset could see her close to breaking down if the moist on her eyes mentioned anything. “But, why?”
Twilight took in a deep, damp breath. Chugged down half of her orange juice, slammed the glass on the surface. “I...” sighed. “E-Ever since you and my other self fought for the crown, or since you and your friends fought the sirens, I wanted to see what was going on, what this magic was. You know how I live: there’s something both useful and beautiful behind everything, and you can use that knowledge in a number of astounding ways, maybe even make something fruitful everyone will appreciate. But, this magic...” she raised a hand, only to let it drop, “after all this time, much of it still remains a mystery to me, and it’s tempting to go there and visit the source of all magic!” She took up her glass again. “I think, no, I know I shouldn’t be over-occupied about Equestria, but...maybe, it was a moment of weakness, and...and—“
Sunset patted her on the shoulder and sighed. “It’s OK, Twi. It’s OK.”
With Twilight muffling her sobs, rubbing the tears on her arm, lowered her head there.
A minute of her softly crying, a minute of Sunset almost hugging her.
Then, she let go, returning to her chair.
Twi lifted herself up, removed her glasses and wiped her eyes. “S-S-Sunset?”
She made a small smile, one of sympathy. “Of course, Twilight. I’ll forgive you.”
Twi smiled back, her cheeks wet.
“But, you did go through the portal without my permission,” Sunset said, sounding more bossy.
“Anything!” Twi said, nodding, half-pleading while holding both of her hands. “I’ll do anything! I was probably so dumb out there, jumping in without thinking!”
Sunset signaled her to stop with a raised hand. “Nothing too harsh.” Then, she looked up in thought. “Now, it has to be something that matches the crime so...what about cutting down on your caffeine starting today all the way ‘till Monday?”
“What?!” She raised her hands to her head, almost throwing her glasses off. “How am I gonna wake up on time? What if Celestia announces that we’ll start classes an hour earlier? She never announced anything yet and tomorrow’s Friday! What if there are pop quizzes and I’m still sleepy?!”
Sunset chuckled. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you can push past the pain.”
Twi frowned. “Ha-ha, Sunset. You think you can just call it ‘pain’ without knowing how unorganized your mind can be when you’re tired!”
Sunset smirked, teasing her with that look. “Better than being asleep at class, that’s for sure.”
“Ugh,” and she finished her orange juice.
Sunset looked at her own glass, saw that it was still full.
Twi considered the empty glass before her, trying to avoid Sunset with her eyes. “So, it might not seem the perfect time to talk about it but...E-Equestria….”
“Yes?” Sunset asked, perking up a bit. “You don’t have to go there for now. You can always ask me since I go there on a regular...uh, kind-of-regular basis.”
Twi smiled, looking back at her. “I-I know you’re concerned because it’s dangerous out there with dragons and griffons and whatever else is out there, but...what about a compromise?”
Sunset raised her brow. “What’s the compromise?”
She cleared her throat as if presenting something. “You accompany me to Equestria and give out a limited tour around Ponyville,” Twi suggested. “If that’s too dangerous, I could stay at the library inside the castle and read up on magic. I mean, hey, I’ve never seen a kite at night but I’m OK with reading about it, so...deal?” with a happy grin on her face.
Sunset tapped her chin. “Let’s see...on one side, you and your friends should come over in the near future, if only to visit the land where all this magic came from, and, hey, you all might learn a thing or two about friendship there!”
Twi held her hands together and grinned wider.
“But, on the other hand,” Sunset said, sounding less positive and then taking a sip of her orange juice, “you went through the portal without my permission or the Princess’s permission, you could’ve injured yourself or, worse, and you could’ve cursed yourself with some random spell or relic without meaning to.”
Twi rested her head on her palm, defeated. “So, no trips?
Sunset twirled her finger around. “There might be one within this week or next if you keep your promise of not fooling around.”
Twilight smiled, but then tempered herself. “I know there’s a catch. What’s the catch?”
Sunset rubbed her hands like an evil villain. “No caffeine until you get to Equestria.”
“What?!”
“Not even soda,” Sunset said, wagging her finger at her again.
“What about tea?!”
“You think I don’t know anything about tea?” Sunset said, crossing her arms. “Most teas are caffeinated.”
“Raw sugar?”
“Your parents are gonna get sick of you eating raw sugar everyday.”
Twi groaned and smacked her face on the counter.
Sunset laughed. “What else can I do? You have to face the music, after all, and it’s where it hurts the most; can’t let you go scot-free and not learn anything.”
“Ugh!” She rubbed her head, groaning more. “Not like this!”



By midnight, everyone was asleep in Pinkie’s bedroom; the lights were off, casting everything under a dark blue, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon. The walls were decorated with balloons from all over town and hanging pictures of sunny days. Lying on a shelf was a plushie for sleeping and a box of jewelry not for sleeping. Fittingly, Rarity was sleeping closest to such precious valuables, sleeping right under the shelf with her sleeping bag. Everyone else had their sleeping bags, too, with matching colors and pillows. Though Pinkie and Applejack snored the loudest, everyone was sound asleep.
Everyone except for Twilight.
She sat up on the bed, the only one not resting in a sleeping bag. She looked out the window and saw the moon and the stars once again.
Then, she tip-toed her way out of the room, careful to not to step on someone lest they know what feet would taste like if they were snoring.
She gently closed the door, put on a warm jacket over her pajama shirt, went through the halls, and traveled down the stairs, relaxing herself as she walked more normally without the need to be careful around anyone. She went through the kitchen, into the living room, put on some flip-flops, and opened the front door.
Outside, she saw the same night scene before her, although the moon was a bit higher. Where Wallflower had been, she was gone, though the plants looked a bit better thanks to her work.
Twi sat down on the grass, looking up at the moon. “I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but—“
Door creaking.
She shuddered and looked behind her.
“Oh!” Starlight said, waving at her with her black vest over her pajamas. “Just you, huh?”
Twi smiled as Starlight closed the door. “Yeah, just me.”
Starlight smiled back as she walked to her side and sat down.
Both of them sat on the grass, seeing the neighbors’ houses and their trimmed front yards.
“I can’t sleep,” Twi confessed, breaking the silence.
“Why?” Starlight asked. “Because I can’t sleep, too. I had a blast with Fast Tires 3! I have no idea how a car works or what gas is made of here, but it’s like an action movie where you’re the actor doing all those crazy moves and tricks!”
Twi nodded, understanding her. “Yeah. I’ve played some of that as well.”
Starlight raised her brow. “Wait. You play video games and get high grades at school?”
Twi laughed. “Not as much as Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie do, but they’re fun. In fact, studies show that if you play games that require fast reflexes and quick thinking, you’ll actually strengthen your brain!”
“Huh.” Starlight pondered on that statement. “When I came here, I’ve seen people staring mindlessly at the screen, and I thought, ‘What are they doing, just watching what comes up and pressing buttons at the right time?’”
Twi gave her a smiling shake of the head. “That’s what I first thought, too, but then, when you dive into them, you realize there’s a whole world of complexity underneath!”
Starlight wondered about that for a moment. “OK, that’s understandable. Just...I didn’t expect you to play video games.”
“Heh, now you know.”
And both of them laughed under the night.
Then, Starlight sighed. “So, what’s keeping you up?
Twi looked up at the sky, seeing the moon and the stars again as they glittered. “A lot of things, really.”
Starlight smirked. “Gone through the portal, huh?”
Twi tried to smirk back, but it came off feeling guilty. “Yeah, not my best moment.”
She smiled. “Let me guess: You can’t sleep because you’ve been thinking about Equestria and your time there as a pony. Am I right?”
Twi nodded. “Yeah. That’s it.”
Starlight kept up the smile as she leaned closer. “I can see why. You’ve had magic before, but you only use it when you need to or when it makes your life better. I see you levitate a few out-of-reach pencils from time to time, but never to the extent of an actual unicorn. Or alicorn.”
Another nervous laugh came from Twilight. “That feeling, though, when you have the full power of magic unlocked...and it’s right here.” She pointed to her forehead which lacked a horn. “I felt it. If only I knew how to really use it, then I would do more than just float stuff around.”
Starlight chuckled. “Yeah, that does sound fun and exciting, isn’t it? For me, it’s mundane because magic is so common, no one notices because everyone else uses it one way or another. But, when you gain a power only few others in this world could ever possess...” Starlight bobbed her head around, “I see where you’re getting at.”
Twi placed a hand on her head. “I’ve learned to embrace the magic some time ago, and...maybe I’m embracing it too much.”
“What do you mean?” Starlight asked, taken aback. “Do you mean, not controlling your magic powers?”
Twi looked back up to the dark sky. “Maybe, maybe not. I know how to keep my own magical powers in check and make sure our geodes don’t go all cuckoo, but that’s because my magic’s tied to the others, and I don’t want to hurt or embarrass them.” She breathed in a sigh. “What happens if I go out there? If my magic goes...um, independent? That I can use it whenever I want, even train myself in the art of spellcasting and...maybe make something that will help the world by combining science and magic?”
“You do know magic is a science in our world,” Starlight said in a sober way. “It’s not like those fairytale books where magic just is. There’s a whole hierarchy of complicated rules and systems for magic with types, sub-types and—“ noticed Twi smiling wider “—I’m just fanning the flame of your curiosity, amn’t I?”
Twi then caught herself and scratched the back of her head. “Heh, sorry! Couldn’t help myself!”
Starlight replied with scratching her own head. “Yeah, magic’s like that. There are some parts we can’t explain for now like...well, a lot of the things in the forest at my backyard, but that’s because there aren’t enough brave explorers to try.”
Twi nodded.
“So...anything else?” Starlight said. “I know you gotta sleep early, but—“ checked the watch on her wrist “—wow, you better go to sleep!”
“I’ll be fine,” Twi replied with a brush of her hand. “It’s not going to be that bad.”
“Aren’t you gonna avoid all sorts of caffeine and sugar for some time?” Starlight asked.
Twi glared at her. “Don’t remind me!”
Starlight grinned, putting both her hands up in self-defense. “Alright, no biggie! Just asking.”
Then, Twi’s glare gave way to a profound frown, looking down on the road before her. She curled up her knees, holding them with her arms. “You saw me meet my Princess self back there, didn’t you?”
Starlight nodded. “You both looked very similar! Trim your mane and take off your glasses, and I can’t tell who’s who!”
Twi laughed at that, then her laugh trailed off to a small, sarcastic chuckle. “When we first met some time ago, it was her going to us. It lasted for...what, five to ten minutes?” She turned her head back up. “It was fun and weird...but still fun to meet my other self in a place you’re familiar in. But to go to her place and see her where she belongs…” then forced a cough
Starlight reached in her vest for some pills, but then gave up.
“Remember when I asked you about how old she was compared to me?” Twi then asked.
Starlight nodded. “Uh-huh. What about it?”
Twi sighed, deeper this time. “Was...was I just following her the whole time?”
Starlight cocked her head to the side. “Uh, no? You followed her for less than a day, if tonight counts for anything.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Twi said, looking back on the grass around her. “Just think about it: In two separate worlds, one with magic and one without, there are two beings who have the same skin and coat color, who have the same hair colors down to the stripes, who have the same voice and the same name, and even our personalities aren’t all that different. Her parents are Twilight Velvet and Night Light, my parents are Twilight Velvet and Night Light—not to mention we both have a Big Brother Best Friend Forever in Shining Armor, and we both used to have a babysitter called Cadance—and those last two? They’re in a romantic relationship in both worlds!” She stopped, breathing slowly and controlling her stress. “I remember Sunset telling me how Twilight came to be where she is now...how she moved away from snobby Canterlot to a cozier place in Ponyville where she found her closest friends.” She took in a deep breath. “That’s the same thing that happened to me!” Pointed both hands at herself. “I went away from snobby Crystal Prep to a cozier place in Canterlot High where I found my closest friends!” Her speech was slowly wavering. “And the worst part? I’m always one step behind my other self with all those things. I was even born later than her! She’s probably past college age at this point, and...and, here I am!” her voice choking.
Starlight looked terrified, surprised at first. Then, she inched closer to her and wrapped an arm around her. “Your friends also have their other selves and, from what I can tell, they’re younger than their pony selves and they seem fine with it.”
Twi rubbed her dry eyes, removing her glasses. “I know, but...I don’t want to think about it, but I have to think about it because I’m not satisfied with an unanswered question!”
Starlight rubbed her chin. “So, the reason why you want to go to Equestria is to ask your other self why your lives are so alike?”
Twi shook her head. “Not the only one, but...” nodding again “but it’s one...and the magic, too...and what they could teach me about friendship, too, since I know that friendship is literally magic over there, and how bright it is over there….”
Starlight smiled. “Well, I haven’t seen my other self here, so I don’t know what to tell you, really. But, hey, you’re here, you’re alive, and you got great friends. Sure, your life’s like a copycat of some Princess in a magical world—so what?” She released her arm from Twilight. “Everything else about you is different...like how you’re good at video games,” and she winked.
Twi looked at her, awestruck by what was just said.
“You’re pretty similar, yeah, but you have the rest of your life to control and make your own. The Twilight I know has tons of responsibilities as a Princess and she doesn’t have access to those computing thingamajigs, but you have different responsibilities and you are smart with those screens and keyboards and mice, all those wires and blinking lights and...other techy stuff I don’t understand.” Starlight blushed in embarrasment.
Twi leaned her head back in laughter. “Yeah. I guess I do have that!”
Starlight looked at her watch. “Anyway, time to hit the hay!”
Twi snickered as she stood up, pulling Starlight as well. “You’re not sleeping on hay next time, right?”
“I heard it’s just an expression here,” Starlight replied as they walked to the front door, “but back home? Hay beds aren’t as bad as you think.”
And they chatted with each other while they closed the door behind them, leaving the night sky above their roof.
Now, no one was outside, though Pinkie’s and Applejack’s loud snoring could still be heard.