While the mane six vacationing in The Crystal Empire on "official business," a bright light shines through the empire and causes everyone's opposite sex self to appear within.
Princess Cadance invites Twilight and her friends, as well as Princess Luna to The Crystal Empire for a week long vacation and coming along with them, with Cadance's permission, are Fleur de Lis and Fancypants. However, the day after their arrival in the empire, opposite gendered versions of all of the current residents and visitors to The Crystal Empire suddenly appear. Now, the two universes' residents must work together to figure out who came to whose dimension, and get them home.
Meanwhile, at least one pony has decided that this would a good opportunity to play matchmaker for two dimensions while all this is sorted out.
It was around noon on a cool fall day when Twilight knocked on the door of the cottage at the edge of the Everfree Forest, and heard a voice that sounded not at all like the home's owner call out, “Coming!”
The door opened a second later, revealing a tall white unicorn with brilliant purple eyes and a long pink mane. Twilight, completely unsurprised, because Fleur was Fluttershy's marefriend and supposed to visit today, said, “Oh, hi Fleur. Is Fluttershy home?”
“Non. Family emergency or something up in Cloudsdale. She was gone when I left, though she did leave a note,” Fleur said, before floating over a white piece of paper to the alicorn princess, “So, what's going on?”
Twilight read through the very brief note then asked, “Did she leave anything else?”
“Just a feeding schedule for her animals. Also, you didn't answer my question.”
“Oh, well, I just got a letter from Princess Cadance inviting the six of us to spend all next week in The Crystal Empire, and I came by to see if Fluttershy wanted to come along.”
“Oh. Can I come?” Fleur asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
“Hmm...Tell you what, if Fluttershy and Princess Cadance say you can come and nopony else has any objections, you can come along,” Twilight said.
“I can live with that. I'll go ahead and talk to them when I get the chance.”
“Okay. By the way, Princess Cadance mentioned that Princess Luna will also be there just so you know.”
“Wonderful,” Fleur said, looking rather nervous as she took a quick peek at the feeding schedule.
“Don't worry, I think she's forgotten about the whole candy bowl incident from last year's Nightmare Night.”
“I hope so.”
“Anyway, when Fluttershy gets back, give this to her, please,” Twilight said, passing Fleur a letter.
“Of course.”
Around dinner, Fluttershy returned to her cottage and opened the front door, saying in a tone reserved for conversation and not announcing your return to a house full of animals, “I'm home.”
“Hi, Fluttershy,” Fleur called from the kitchen.
Fluttershy walked down to the kitchen, asking, “Hi, Fleur. Did you get my note?”
“Oui,” Fleur said before giving Fluttershy a quick peck on the lips. “By the way, what happened? Your note was rather vague.”
“Well, um, my grandfather was rushed to the hospital and my mom came down to get me to see him there. Apparently he was having massive chest pains, which she didn't tell me until after we left. As it turns out it was really bad acid reflux. The doctors told him no more alcohol or fizzy drinks ever again and it should clear up.”
“Well that's good to hear. Hopefully, that's all that's wrong,” Fleur said.
“I hope so, too.”
“Anyway, I was just making dinner. Do daffodil and tulip sandwiches sound good?”
“That sounds delicious.”
“And before I forget, Twilight came by earlier and said you and your friends had been invited to the Crystal Empire all next week. She also told me that I could come along if you and Cadance agreed and no one else had a problem with it.”
Before Fluttershy could respond, there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy said, “I'll get it.”
When she opened the front door, it was to find Rarity on the other side. “Hi Rarity.”
“Hi Fluttershy, I saw you coming home and thought I'd come by for a quick word.”
“Oh. What about?”
“Um, I'm sure Fleur mentioned that Princess Cadance invited us to the Crystal Empire next week?”
“Right before you knocked, actually,” Fleur said, having teleported from the kitchen to see who was at the door.
“Well, anyway, when I asked if Fancypants could come along, she said that, if Fancy and Princess Cadance agreed and no one else had any objections, he could come along, and I was just wondering if you would mind him coming.”
“Well, if he wants to, I don't mind. Also, uh, Fleur said pretty much the same thing about her coming with us,” Fluttershy said.
“You want to come with us to the Crystal Empire, Fleur?” Rarity asked.
“Absolument. Spending a week in the absolutely gorgeous Crystal Empire with my marefriend sounds like my idea of a great way to spend a week of my month long vacation, never mind the opportunity to stay in a castle suite...Assuming you don't have a problem with me coming?”
“One of my best clients and a dear friend wanting to come along on a vacation with me? How could I possibly say no?”
Fleur smiled and asked, “Well, if you don't mind, could you talk to the others about me coming along? I'm guessing you're going to want to ask them about your crush coming, anyway.”
“I don't have a crush on Fancypants!” Rarity declared loudly as her cheeks rapidly reddened.
Fleur, still smiling, just rolled her eyes and asked, “Anyway, will you ask them for me?”
“Sure. Just promise me you won't imply that I have a crush on Fancy while we're in earshot of him.”
Princess Twilight Sparkle and seven of her friends were moving from the Crystal Empire's train station to the Crystal Palace. The eight ponies had been invited by the ruler of the empire officially to inspect the preparations for the Equestria Games, but actually for a week long vacation and chance for Cadance to spend time with her sister in law and her friends.
Traveling with Twilight and her five closest Ponyville friends were two very interesting VIPs. The first was big name entrepreneur Fancypants, who had been invited by Rarity the second she had heard about the invite. The second was his roommate, and Fluttershy's marefriend, Fleur de Lis, who had practically invited herself when she heard they were going to the beautiful Crystal Empire (though she did ask for permission from Cadance and Fluttershy's friends to come with them).
At the moment, though, Fleur was less concerned with the beauty of the empire than with something behind her.
“Calm down, Fleur,” Twilight said, “I'm sure Princess Luna isn't angry at you for the candy bowl incident.”
“How do you know? Did you ask her?”
“No, but she had an opportunity to punish you on the train and she didn't do it then.”
“Well, maybe she's just waiting to pass judgment on me in a more official venue!” Fleur said, sounding just as nervous as before.
Rainbow Dash said, “Calm down. Luna's cool. She won't punish you over some silly mistake from six months ago, otherwise she would have sent me to jail the night I was pulling my thundercloud antics a year and a half ago.”
Fleur didn't respond, but her focus seemed to shift to what was in front of her rather than behind her. Applejack asked, “By the way, why didn't Spike come?”
“They're building a statue dedicated to his saving the Crystal Heart from King Sombra and Cadance wants to keep it a surprise. It's supposed to be ready by the start of the games,” Twilight said.
“Oh.”
Soon they passed the Crystal Heart and were making their way up the steps to the entrance to the surprisingly fortified Crystal Palace. A guard approached, and Twilight passed the invitations to him. After looking them over he opened the front doors for them to enter. Fancypants commented, “They're obviously serious about security.”
“Considering what happened at the royal wedding and with King Sombra, is it that surprising?” Rarity asked.
“No, I guess not.”
They walked through the entrance lounge to the throne room where Princess Cadance was waiting, a big grin forming on her face. Twilight rushed over, yelling “Cadance!” and the two did their secret hoofshake, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”
Despite their shock and amazement towards two royals acting in a distinctly unroyal manner, Fancypants and Fleur de Lis said nothing. When the two princesses finished their dance, Cadance turned to her other guests and, Rarity thought mostly for the benefit of Fancy and Fleur, said, “And hello to you, too. Welcome to the Crystal Empire.”
“Thank you for inviting us, princess,” Fancypants said, “it's an honor to meet a pony of your stature.”
“The pleasure's all mine. By the way, where's Princess Luna? She was supposed to arrive with you.”
“Still asleep on the train, last I heard. The guards told me they were having some trouble rousing her,” Twilight said.
“That sounds like Luna. She's always been a hard sleeper. I guess while we wait for her to arrive, my guard can show you to your rooms,” Cadance said.
Said guard, who had been standing to Cadance's left, nodded and motioned for the guests to follow him.
Not two minutes after they left the throne room, a dark blue blur burst out from the lobby and stopped in front of Cadance. The pink alicorn, apparently unfazed, said, “Hello, Auntie Luna. Nice to see you woke up before your train left.”
“Yes. My guards told me that I would have a five layer chocolate cake all to myself if I arrived in five minutes starting from when they woke me,” a still panting Luna said.
“And here I thought that trick only worked on Antie 'Tia,” Cadance said with a giggle.
Luna rolled her eyes, and asked, “So, why have you invited me to your fair empire?”
“Officially, you're here to inspect the preparations for the Equestria Games, but actually, you're here because I thought you could use a vacation, and I could use some advice, and you are the pony best qualified on the subject I want help with.”
“Which would be?”
“Well, as you know, the Crystal Empire disappeared for around 1100 years,” Cadance said.
“Of course, and what does this have to do with me?”
“Two things. The first is that the empire disappeared before your millennium on the moon so you're still considered a hero here in the Empire and not associated with Nightmare Moon. The second is that, out of any living being you are the most immediately familiar with the mindset of ponies from 1100 years ago.”
“Like the crystal ponies. I see now,” Luna said.
“Yes. You're the obvious choice in helping me shift their attitudes closer to those of modern times. So will you help me?”
At this point, Twilight returned to the throne room from her suite, only having heard Cadance's question and not the preceding conversation.
“I will help you on one condition.”
Twilight was concerned that Luna was about to request something unreasonable in return for helping against some dangerous foe, but resisted the urge to speak up as Cadance said, “I'm listening.”
“You must stop calling me auntie. It is quite embarrassing to be called that, especially in front the other guests you mentioned coming.”
“Done. Also, I will see to it that you have your promised cake tomorrow. And speaking of my other guests,” Cadance said, gesturing towards Twilight.
“Oh, hello Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, trying to put on her warmest smile
“Hi, Luna. Nice to see you're awake.”
Luna sighed and said, “I will be getting that all day, won't I?”
“Most likely.”
“Well, anyway, may I ask where the others are?”
“Unpacking in their rooms,” Twilight said as Rainbow Dash appeared.
“I see. While we're waiting, could you tell me about these two other guests Cadance mentioned? Fancypants and Fleur de Lis, I believe they were.”
“Of course, princess. What would you like to know about my dear friend, Fleur, and I?” Fancypants asked as he popped out from around the corner.
Over the next fifteen minutes, Fancy told Luna a number of details about himself and Fleur, while every other pony came back to the throne room.
Every other pony, that is, except one.
Shortly after finishing her conversation with Fancypants, Princess Luna asked, “So where is Fleur de Lis?”
“I think she's still in our room. She seemed scared of meeting you,” Fluttershy said.
“Why would she be scared of-oh, now I remember. I would like to speak with her, if I could be shown to her suite?”
“Of course. guard?” Cadance said.
“Please follow me, Princess.”
As Luna left, Cadance asked, “So why is Fleur scared of my aunt?”
Fluttershy was the first to respond, “She told me that last year, during Nightmare Night, she panicked when she saw Princess Luna approaching and tossed the candy bowl at her before running off. She thinks Princess Luna still wants to punish her for that.”
“Oh.”
Not three minutes later, Luna arrived just outside Fluttershy and Fleur's suite. The guard said, “This is her room, Princess. Yours is three doors down on the left. Please do not harm her while on Crystal Empire soil.”
“I do not intend to. I simply wish to speak with her.”
“If you say so.”
After the guard left, Luna knocked on the door. Receiving no response, she knocked again, saying, “If you are in there, Fleur de Lis, please let me in. I would like to speak with you.”
She heard the clopping of hooves near the door followed by the sound of a lock clicking and the door opening to reveal a tall white unicorn who said, “Please come in. I'll be right back. I just need to, uh...use the bathroom. Yeah,” before quickly trotting to to back of the suite and disappearing behind a nearby door.
Luna went inside and sat down at a small table, hoping Fleur wouldn't be long.
Five minutes later, Luna realized what Fleur was up to and decided to try to flush her out. She took intentionally heavy hoofsteps to the suite's front door, then open and shut it without leaving the room. A few seconds later the bathroom door opened, to reveal Fleur again, first peeking out then, when she saw Luna watching her, stepping out, obviously resigned to her fate as Luna sat back down at the suite's small table.
She sat down across from the night princess and waited for her to speak first, feeling like a filly whose mom had just found out she had destroyed a priceless family heirloom.
When she realized Fleur was waiting for her to speak, Luna asked, “So why have you been so desperate to avoid me?”
“Do you remember last year when a pony threw a candy bowl on your head and ran off in terror?”
“Yes. It was you who threw it as I recall.”
“How did-how did you know?” Fleur asked, her mouth hanging slightly agape.
“Because we spoke about it in your dream not three days ago, or have you already forgotten?”
“Wait, you were actually speaking to me in my dream? I thought it was just the jellied toast I snuck before bed acting up.”
“I was, yes, though only because I sensed you were having a nightmare and wished to help you resolve it,” Luna said.
Fleur visibly relaxed and asked, “So you were never angry at me for throwing a bowl at you?”
“Not at all. Your reaction to meeting me was nothing unusual, considering all the ponies who are afraid of me even now.”
Fleur said, “Oh. Anyway, sorry for putting you through all of this”
“It is fine. Regardless, I think the others are waiting for us in the throne room.”
Fleur nodded and walked towards the door, holding it open for the dark alicorn when she reached it.
Luna thanked her and stepped out, noting Fleur was walking behind her instead of beside her after shutting the door to the suite. When she slowed her pace to let Fleur catch up she heard the hoofsteps behind her slow as well.
She decided to ignore this, despite wanting to speak further with the supermodel, and instead focused on getting back to the throne room, where Twilight and her friends were waiting for them. Picking her pace back up, she made her way down the long hallway that would lead her back there.
Soon they reentered the throne room, finding everyone still waiting and chatting amongst themselves. When Cadance saw that the two missing ponies had returned, she said, “Now, while we're all here, I would like to say a few words and then you can return to your conversations. First, welcome to the 'official inspection' of preparations for the Equestria games. I hope you will enjoy your time here. If there is anything you need, feel free to let myself or one of my guards know and we will do our best to accommodate you. Thank you.”
When Cadance was done speaking everyone either returned to their conversations, or started new ones. Fleur, without anyone to talk to, now that Fancy was distracted with Rarity about some sort of business matter she knew nothing about and Luna had beat her to Fluttershy, taking away her three favorite conversation partners, elected to speak with Cadance herself.
She approached the pink princess and was about to thank her for letting her come as a conversation starter when Cadance spoke first. asking, “so, are you done hiding in terror from my aunt?”
“Oui-er yes. I feel a bit silly now, though I admit I'm still a bit nervous about her finding out about my relationship with Fluttershy.”
“First off, if you would prefer to speak Prench, all four of us alicorns are fluent in it.”
“You are?” Fleur asked, making a mental note to try conversing with Twilight in Prench at some point.
“Oui. Helps when we deal with diplomatic matters. So would you prefer to use it?”
“Non, because I don't feel like confusing the guards or my friends here.”
“As you wish. Also, Lulu already knows you two are romantically involved,” Cadance said.
“What? How?”
“Fancypants told her while we waited for you to come out. Did she say anything about it to you?”
“Non,” Fleur said.
“Then I wouldn't worry about it. Speaking of my aunt, look who's coming this way.”
Fleur turned her head, and saw both Princess Luna and Fluttershy making their way over. She internally cringed and awaited the inevitable.
When she reached the duo, Luna asked, “When you get the chance, Cadance, could you tell me privately who you sense is still nervous around me?”
“What for?”
“Simply so I know who I should try to reassure that I am not to be feared.”
“Well, why wait? I can tell you that Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis are both slightly scared of you, though Fleur much more so. Also Fancypants and Rarity are both less than comfortable in your presence, and I think that's it, unless you want to reassure some of my guards as well.”
“That is okay. I would rather focus on those four this week, starting with Fleur de Lis.”
Fleur did her best to remain calm as Luna turned to face her and asked, “So, may I ask why you are still afraid of me even after our conversation in your suite?”
“I'm not scared, just nervous about how you might react to learning that I am dating Fluttershy.”
“Is there any reason I should take issue with your romantic relationship with her?”
“Aside from the fact that many in the Canterlot nobility take issue with both of us being mares, or with the fact that I'm a unicorn and she's a pegasus, or with the fact that I, a top-tier supermodel, am dating a 'lowly animal caretaker', no, no reason at all,” Fleur said, fully aware Fluttershy was well within earshot, and hoping she didn't feel betrayed.
“All those reasons you have given me only serve to remind me why I dislike most the nobility. Always looking down on those who don't fit their narrow worldview.”
“So you don't have a problem with two mares of different races and social standing dating?”
“No, I do not. Also, if you have any other concerns about myself or my views, feel free to discuss them with me. I will do my best to ease those concerns,” Luna said, in her most reassuring tone.
“Okay. I'll do that if I need to.”
Luna then turned her attention to Fluttershy, who suddenly felt like melting into the ground. It was fine when they were having a casual conversation, though it became a bit uncomfortable when conversing about Fleur's fear of the princess. Now, though, with Princess Luna wanting to get much more personal, she was scared. When Luna asked, “May I ask why you are still scared of me as well, dear Fluttershy?” Cadance decided to interrupt.
“I think a less direct approach than outright asking why they're afraid of you might be more helpful. See how scared Fluttershy is?”
Luna looked more closely at Fluttershy, and saw how obviously nervous she was. She said, “Point well taken. I think I will, um...introduce myself to your other guests.”
“Probably a good idea.”
As Luna walked away, Fluttershy said, “thank you.”
“No problem. By the way, I'm curious about your relationship with Fleur.”
Fleur spoke up first, asking, “what do you want to know?”
“Well, what I'm most curious about is how a top tier supermodel and the beauty columnist for the Canterlot Times ended up with a 'lowly animal caretaker', as you put it,” Cadance said.
“Now I hear Canterlot insults coming from a princess. Merveilleux,” Fleur said with a roll of the eyes.
“Sorry, I didn't know how else to put it.”
“Fair enough. Anyway, to answer your question, blame Rarity. She was the one who set us up on a date in the first place, about a year ago.”
“What was the story behind that?” Cadance asked.
“Well, I had recently come out as bisexual to my closest friends, Fancypants and Rarity among them and, due to a misunderstanding, had given up on getting a date with Fancy himself.”
“A misunderstanding? Of what sort?”
“Nothing serious, I just thought he had started dating another mare that came around once a week in the evenings. Turned out she was just a business associate that happened to be a serious workaholic, which I only learned after I started dating Fluttershy. When I mentioned this to Rarity, she mentioned another friend of hers that she could set me up on a blind date with, a former model with a heart of gold. Now imagine my shock when I heard it was my favorite model from before I made it big,” Fleur said.
“And I assume she was already out as a lesbimare, or at least bi herself.”
“I came out as a fillyfooler to my friends about six months earlier, about a month after Rainbow Dash, and three months after Pinkie came out as bi,” Fluttershy said.
“And how did Rarity sell you on dating Fleur?”
“When were going on a short trip to Canterlot together, she said she had set me up on a date with one of her clients who happened to be a famous model, and that I would like her.”
“And your response to learning it was Fleur de Lis?” Cadance asked, sounding fascinated.
“I wasn't sure what to think. I had seen her in some magazines posing in ads for things like shampoo and makeup. I didn't know much about her beyond that. I was also just nervous about the date itself, especially since it was a blind date.”
“And after the first date it was off to the races?” Cadance asked.
“Eh, pas vraiment. I wasn't quite comfortable coming out as bisexual to the general populace yet, and because of my concern about that and other matters, managed to come off as cold and unfriendly, while Fluttershy was obviously well out of her comfort zone,” Fleur said.
“And yet you're together now...”
“Rarity and Fancypants, working together, managed to convince us to try again, and gave us both pointers on how to make things go more smoothly the second time around. After that, it was off to the races, as you put it,” Fleur said, before seeming to get lost in a trip down memory lane.
Cadance looked at her for a second, then turned to Fluttershy and saying, “Quite the catch Rarity got you there.”
“I know. She's amazing.”
Another hour of mingling passed before dinner was announced. Shining Armor, fresh off his training session for Crystal Empire royal guard, arrived at this point and everyone sat down at a very large dining table, with far more places than, Cadance, Shining, and their eight guests needed. When Rarity commented on this, Cadance said, “I'm thinking of holding my first banquet to coincide with the opening of the Equestria games. With all the diplomats coming here, I'll need all the seating I can get for one.”
“Of course.”
“By the way, I didn't get to thank you earlier for inviting us here for the week,” Fleur said.
“It's my pleasure. I'm a fan, you know,” Cadance said
“Of my modeling work?”
“Yes, and your beauty column in the Canterlot Times. I have a copy of the newspaper sent here by mail every day, and after I read all the important stuff, I turn right to it.”
“I'm flattered. Really. Having one of Equestria's most powerful ponies as a fan is high praise,” Fleur said, trying to control her excitement.
Rarity then asked, “So, Luna, what brings you to the empire?”
“Cadance thought I could use a vacation, since it has been nonstop work since I came back from the moon. Also, it deescalates my prank war with my sister, which was turning a bit destructive.”
“As in?”
“Well, before I left, my toilet was detonated by an over-energetic blast of magic as I was using it. The letter arrived as I was planning my revenge.”
“What were you planning?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“An over-energetic explosion in her bed, set to go off around midnight.”
“Wouldn't that hurt her?” Fancypants asked, shocked.
“No. Alicorns are extremely tough, physically. She would likely be a bit sore at worst.”
“Anyway, moving on,” Twilight said, “Fancy, Fleur, Luna, if you want to see the sights in the empire, I'm sure any one of us will be happy to give you a tour.”
“Including you, your highness?” Fancypants asked.
“Of course.”
This had the intended effect of starting a buzz around the table and derailing talk of Luna's prank war with Celestia which she was uncomfortable with discussing for reasons she couldn't explain. She returned to eating and chatting with her brother, already hearing the gears whirring in her friends' heads.
That night, as everyone was going to bed, the only two sharing a bedroom were conversing about their activities for the night. Fleur asked Fluttershy, “So, do you want to have sex?”
“Um...”
“It's just a simple question. Don't think I'm trying to pressure you. If you want to have sex, I'm all for it. If not, that's fine too. It's your call.”
“Um...I don't think I'm ready for that yet, but if you want you could, um...” Fluttershy said.
“Yes?”
“...Preen my wings for me?”
“Uh, sure, I guess. Just tell me what to do,” Fleur said, trying to make sense of the odd request.
Fluttershy spread her wings and turned her back to Fleur, saying, “Okay, start by...”
The next morning is when things got interesting. Save for Luna who had stayed up all night and would be up for a few hours more, everyone woke up around six, when the guards came through to let them know breakfast was in an hour. Fifteen minutes later, as they were starting their day, a blinding white light shone throughout the castle, as well as the whole empire.
When the light faded and everyone's vision began clearing, several loud screams could be heard echoing through the castle halls, and not all of them were familiar.
Nowhere in the guest hall was the screaming louder or more varied than Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis' room (though the screams coming from Rarity's did give them a run for their money in the loudness department). When the screams subsided two guards rushed in to find two unicorns taking defensive stances against each other, with angry glares on their faces, a pegasus cowering in one corner of the room and a third unicorn looking for a way out.
The guards tried to place the intruders under arrest, which didn't go as expected as they couldn't agree on who the intruders were. One guard tried to arrest Fluttershy and Fleur de Lis for trespassing by order of Prince Crescendo, and the other tried to arrest the stallion and mare that had appeared in the room in the name of Princess Cadance.
When the guards heard each other, the turned to face each other and the one who was trying to arrest the two ponies who had appeared in Fluttershy and Fleur's room asked in an angry tone, “What did you say?”
“I said I was arresting these two ponies in the name of our rightful ruler, Prince Crescendo, not this pretender to the throne you speak of.”
“Liar! Princess Cadance is the rightful ruler of the Crystal Empire, having taken the throne after the defeat of King Sombra almost a year ago! This 'Prince Crescendo' you speak of is the pretender to the throne!”
From here, things started going downhill. After several minutes of arguing, when it looked like the two guards were going to break out the hooficuffs or worse, a third guard burst in and said, “By order of Princess Cadance and Prince Crescendo, all guards in the castle are to report to the throne room immediately for a briefing on our situation. All guests of Princess Cadance and Prince Crescendo are to report to the dining room in one half hour.”
“What for?” The stallion who had appeared asked.
“For breakfast and to be briefed on the situation as we know it,” the guard said, “in the meantime. If you cannot tolerate each others' presence, we ask that you move to different rooms. Any crime committed, including assault and murder, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
As the three guards left the room, the four remaining ponies gave each other confused looks. As no one decided to leave, minimal movement occurred over the next few minutes, mostly consisting of Fluttershy moving to Fleur de Lis' side. Eventually, the silence was broken by the mare who had appeared in the room. “So, uh, nice weather we're having.”
“Yes, much cooler than Canterlot this time of year,” Fleur said looking over this strange pony, as the other pony did to her. The mare in question was a tall, white, blue maned pony with a build nearly identical to Fleur's, but a mane and tail that look like they were stolen from Fancypants and feminized to a great degree. The other interesting thing Fleur noticed was that this mare was apparently in the middle of putting on or taking off a tightly fitted tuxedo, with the bow tie hanging loosely around her neck, several buttons undone, and the collar in mild disarray.
“Honestly, I think it's too chilly,” The stallion said, causing everyone else to turn and look at him. He was a tall, handsome, if rather effeminate, unicorn stallion, with a white coat, moderately long pink mane and tail, striking purple eyes, and a rather healthy build.
Fleur thought, why do I think that I would look just like this stallion if I were male?
“What? I prefer warmer weather is all,” the stallion said, looking confused.
After a moment of awkward silence, the stallion spoke up again, saying “anyway, since we've decided we don't mind spending time in the same room as each other, why don't we introduce ourselves?”
“Good idea. You can go first,” Fleur said.
The stallion said, “as you wish. I am Ecusson, a resident of Canterlot here at the invitation of Prince Crescendo. And you are?”
“Fleur de Lis, also a resident of Canterlot, but here at the invitation of Princess Cadance.”
The blue maned mare spoke next, saying, “My name is Regal Splendor, and I am Ecusson's lover and roommate in Canterlot, as well as a successful businessmare.”
All eyes then turned to Fluttershy, ho meekly said in a voice just above a whisper, “I'm Fluttershy.”
“What was that?” Regal Splendor asked.
Fleur spoke for her, “She said she's Fluttershy. She's an animal caretaker in Ponyville, and my marefriend of almost a year.”
Regal, as Fluttershy had taken to thinking of her, raised an eyebrow at this last statement, asking, “So, how many ponies know about your relationship?”
“It's not widely known but it is public knowledge. All of our friends here, as well as Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, know all about it, and don't care. Also, it was a mutual friend of ours who set us up in the first place,” Fleur said, sounding rather annoyed.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to imply...”
“Don't worry about it. Anyway, what can you tell me about this Prince Crescendo?”
Meanwhile, in the royal bedchambers, Cadance and Crescendo were busy trying to figure out who had arrived in whose castle, having just cleared out everyone who had burst in to report an “invasion” of “pretenders.” Their spouses, Shining Armor and Shimmering Shield respectively, had already left to brief the guards on the situation as known.
They had already come to the conclusion that the only items that had gone on the trip were those that were being worn, based on the fact that there wasn't twice as many beds or wall hangings as before. With that knowledge in hoof, they decided to check both closets for the one item that could only belong to one pony: a wedding dress. Depending on whose closet it was in, that pony would be the one whose universe the other had arrived in.
Cadance quickly started sorting through what was either her or Crescendo's closet while her counterpart did the same with Shining or Shimmering's. Due to the sheer amount of stuff in both closets, though, it took a few minutes before Cadance said, “I found it!”
Crescendo turned around, a slightly defeated look on his face, as Cadance removed it from the box it was in and held it for him to see. He said, “Well, with that established, now what?”
“Hmm...Well, I think we should start by figuring out the extent of the damage.”
“By which you mean determine how far out from the castle the interdimensional teleportation occurred?”
“Exactly. Also, I think we should have princess Luna and um...your version of Princess Luna-”
“Prince Nocturnus.”
“-Thank you. Prince Nocturnus fly out for Canterlot and speak with Princess Celestia about what could have caused this and how we can fix it,” Cadance said.
Crescendo asked, “Why don't we just ask Luna and Nocturnus if they have any ideas on fixing it first?”
“Good point. Let's do that now.”
It was a fairly short walk through the surprisingly empty hallways to reach the room Luna had been given. When they arrived, Cadance remarked, “it's awfully quiet in there.”
“I know what you mean. I expected more of use of the royal Canterlot voice.”
Crescendo knocked on the door, and was soon greeted by a rather annoyed looking Princess Luna who said, “If you are here about the sudden appearance of a male version of myself, then I must inform you I am well aware of his existence.”
“Actually, we're here because we thought you might be able to help us figure out how to get him and everyone else who appeared in the castle back to their own dimension.”
“I see,” Luna said, as a burly dark blue alicorn stallion wearing what looked to be a partial set of armor, presumably Prince Nocturnus, appeared next to her. As her expression softened, she said, “Well, I am not as well versed in interdimensional issues as my sister is. You would be better off asking her.”
“Well, in that case, could you head back to Canterlot and speak with her? I'm afraid I'll be needed here if the empire's population has doubled.”
“Do you not have the magical fire mail system set up?” Luna asked.
“Eh...I may have run out of the required reagents for maintaining it last week, and forgot to ask for more, which may also be why you received your letter through the regular mail.”
Luna facehoofed, as did Prince Nocturnus, who said, “Let me guess, you ran out of reagents too, Crescendo.”
“Um...yes. I meant to ask for more, but I've been so busy that I forgot.”
Another pair of frustrated sighs later, Nocturnus said, “In that case, we will fly out to Canterlot and speak with Princess Luna's sister this evening. We will also bring back the reagents you need for the mail system. In the meantime, you should learn the full extent of this issue and take steps to keep chaos from descending on the empire when the citizenry learns what has happened.”
“That's the plan,” Cadance said.
“Also, you may wish to check up on Rarity. I heard loud screaming from her room shortly after the light faded,” Luna said.
“Of course. We'll talk more later.”
Luna nodded and shut the door again. The two pink royals went to Rarity's room, right next door to Princess Luna's, and found her and her apparent male self awkwardly trying to ignore each other, as they did what looked to be sketching on opposite sides of the room. The two royals watched for a moment before Cadance loudly cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both ponies. Upon seeing them, Rarity said, “Oh, hello Princess and um...prince.”
“We just came in to see if everything was okay. Princess Luna said she heard screaming,” Cadance said.
“We're fine. I just got scared when this stallion appeared in my room,” Rarity said.
“Yes, we're fine, thanks to the timely appearance of the guards. By the way, since when are there two of you, Prince Crescendo?” The stallion asked.
“Since that flash of light erupted throughout the castle. And it's not just two of me, but two of every pony in the castle, as near as anypony can tell. Including you, Elusive.”
The stallion opened his mouth, then shut it again. Rarity filled the silence by asking, “So, wait, he's...me?”
“As near as we can tell, yes,” Cadance said, “Just as Prince Crescendo is me from another dimension. Anyway, if things are under control here, there are things we need to do. We'll offer a more complete explanation at breakfast.”
“Okay. How long until breakfast?”
“About twenty minutes,” Cadance said.
Twenty minutes later, Twenty ponies were gathered around the large table in the castle's dining hall, which still had seating for ten more. Cadance had expected to see the two groups seating themselves amongst those they knew before the incident, but Pinkie and her opposite sex counterpart ensured that wasn't going to to happen, as said counterpart sat himself between Fleur and Twilight, who had been the first to seat themselves, and Pinkie sat next to the blue maned mare from Fluttershy and Fleur's room. From there, and with some encouragement from both of the non-royal pink ponies, seating was largely first come first served, aside from ponies in relationships sitting together, and Rarity talking her way into a seat next to Fancypants.
After everyone was seated, the food was served. The meal was less extravagant than yesterday's dinner, partly because it was breakfast and partly because they were feeding twice the ponies. Twilight, who was eating a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal, and sitting next to a very purple stallion, asked, “So, Cadance, what's going on? Why are there suddenly ten more ponies here, who seem to think Prince Crescendo is the rightful ruler of The Crystal Empire?”
“I was about to explain that actually. Or at least what we know, which, unfortunately, is very little.” Cadance went on to explain the sequence of events that had led up to breakfast, putting special emphasis on who had arrived where and what evidence there was for this revelation.
When she finished, Prince Crescendo said, “There are still several unanswered questions, of course, including how this happened and how we're going to get back. However, we do know that we are perfectly safe within each others' vicinity. There have been no negative reactions beyond screams and annoyed squabbles. Do try to keep it that way, please. In the meantime, Prince Nocturnus and Princess Luna will travel to Canterlot to speak with Prince.. er Princess Celestia about how to get us home, and we will be determining how far out the flash of light that brought us here reached and how many of us were brought here. Also, none of you are to leave the Empire without permission from Cadance or myself. Am I clear?”
Getting affirmative answers from around the table, Crescendo nodded and ate another bite of his cereal. As Cadance said, “I hope we can fix this quickly.”
“So do I,” Shimmering Shield said darkly, “so do I.”
An hour or so after lunch, and a few hours after confirming that the entire crystal Empire's population had doubled, Fleur, heading to the castle gardens to see Fluttershy, stumbled upon Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, and their opposite sex selves sitting at a table which was covered with papers and figures. When they all turned to look at her after she sneezed, she said, “Oh sorry. I was told this was the quickest way to the gardens.”
“Don't worry about it. And yes, this is the quickest way to the gardens. Just go out the far door and the first door on your left will take you out to them,” Cadance said.
“Merci. By the way, is all this necessary to solve the empire's little problem?”
“Actually, this is everything we need for a game of Castles and Centaurs. Since no one here knows anything about dimension magic, we're a little stuck on the issue of how to get everyone back to our dimension until Luna and Nocturnus go get Celestia, so we're just passing the time right now,” Shimmering Shield said.
“Ah, so no crisis management or anything like that?” Fleur asked.
“No, we told the guards to keep order, arrest lawbreakers, and explain that we're working on getting everything back to normal as quickly as possible. That, reorganizing the guards' schedules so there's enough free beds, and managing ponies' positions here in the castle is all that's really needed on our part for the moment. If other issues arise, we will, of course, respond to them, bit for now, we have nothing to do, assuming no other crises come up.”
“Ah. By the way, why do we have to stay inside the empire's borders until the crisis is resolved?”
“We don't know the long term effects of allowing those from other dimensions spend time in our own for extended periods so we're trying to keep everyone corralled until we can get them home to keep anyone from getting stuck here. Also, it's a simple way to show that we're taking the issue seriously.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I'll leave you to it, then,” Fleur said, as she opened the door to the next hallway and wondered why they were so open with her about their reasoning for doing this.
When she reached the garden she saw three figures sitting near the fountain in the garden's center, one somewhat larger than the other two. She made her way over, assuming Fancypants had taken the opportunity to relax a bit.
However, when she got close enough, she realized that it wasn’t Fancypants, but Regal Splendor sitting by the fountain. Fluttershy and her opposite sex self, whose name Fleur didn't know yet, were sitting nearby, playing with a few squirrels. She loudly cleared her throat, and got all three ponies' attention.
Regal spoke before anyone else could, saying, “Oh, Fleur. I was hoping to speak with you. There's been something I've been wondering about.”
“I'm listening,” Fleur said.
“Well, the Prince and Princess said that opposite sex copies of everyone appeared here, yes?”
“Yes...”
“Well, if we're copies of each other, then why is is Ecusson is my coltfriend, while you, his apparent opposite sex version, are Fluttershy's marefriend?” Regal asked.
“Uh, are you sure I'm the one you wanted to ask about this? I don't know anything about other dimensions or anything related to them.”
“Neither do I. I mostly asked you because you're the most notable difference between our two dimensions, outside of gender. Also, as far as I know, my sweet Eccy is completely straight.”
“Well, I admit I wanted to go out with Fancy, who already knew of my bisexuality, but a minor misunderstanding on my part put a lid on that. I ended up with Fluttershy instead, after Rarity set us up on a date. So maybe Eccy is just hiding his bisexuality?” Fleur suggested
“...Maybe. By the way, do you ever wish you ended up with Fancypants?”
“Sometimes I wonder what could have been between us, but I think being with Fluttershy broadened my horizons far more than being with Fancy ever could, and she is just so wonderful to be with. Really, I wouldn't give her up for anything.”
“...Then, should I be concerned that Eccy and Butterscotch are such close friends?” Regal asked.
“Why are you asking me? I may be a different version of him, but that doesn't mean I know what he's thinking.”
“Er...good point.”
Fleur nodded, and went over to her marefriend, deciding she had had had enough of Regal for the moment.
The squirrels Fluttershy and her opposite sex self had been playing with had wandered off, apparently too tired to keep playing, and there weren't any other animals in sight at the moment. Before they could decide what to do next, Fleur made her presence known a second time, this time by verbally greeting her marefriend then giving her a quick peck on the lips.
“Hi, Fleur. What did Regal want to talk about?” Fluttershy asked.
“She was wondering how it was that you and I are together, since my opposite sex self is with her. Before you ask, I don't know. Anyway, I can see your enjoying some time with yourself.”
Even with Fleur's silly grin, it took Fluttershy a second to figure out what she meant. When she did, she said, “Oh, yes. It's wonderful to be able to spend time with somepony who knows as much about animals and is as passionate about them as me.”
“You know I'm working on that,” Fleur said, feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy.
“I know, but in the meantime...”
“Yes, yes. Anyway, to step away from my being a work in progress, there is something I've been wondering about since last night.”
“Yes?” Fluttershy asked.
“First, let me apologize if this isn't the sort of thing you discuss in polite company, but is there some sort of special significance behind you asking me to preen your wings? Or were you just nervous for some other reason?”
Before Fluttershy could respond, Butterscotch, in a moment of boldness, said, “When a pegasus asks you to preen their wings, their saying they trust you deeply. They're essentially saying, 'I trust you enough that I'm going to entrust you with helping keep the things that make me a pegasus in order without damaging them.'”
“Yes, what Butterscotch said,” Fluttershy said.
“Wow, suddenly I feel honored,” Fleur said, not sure how to react, and making a mental note to ask Rainbow about this later. “Um...anyway, do you want to go into town? We can see those sheep you told me about seeing the first time you were here, and do some shopping.”
“Sure. Do you want to come, Butterscotch?” Fluttershy asked, turning to face the other yellow pegasus.
“Um...no, thank you. I think I'll spend some more time here in the garden,” Butterscotch said.
“Oh, okay. I'll see you later, then.”
“Keep this up, Flutters, and I might stop thinking you're a lesbimare,” Fleur said with a wink.
Fluttershy ignored her mischievous prodding, and started walking out of the garden, wondering if there were now twice as many sheep as before in the market.
Meanwhile, entering the garden was a pair of blue pegasi having a loud conversation As they drew closer, Regal Splendor could start making out what they were saying.
“-way you could ever be faster than me!” Rainbow Blitz stated.
“Yeah? Prove it!” His female counterpart said.
“Gladly! How?”
“I challenge you to a race. From here to the edge of the Crystal Empire and back!”
How did they get all the way out here, arguing about who's the fastest and only now decide on a race? Regal wondered.
“You're on! But we need someone to keep time,” Rainbow Blitz said, before looking around. Regal noticed he spent a rather long time looking at Butterscotch.
Honestly curious about how this would turn out, and not sure if Butterscotch had a bias that would affect the outcome, she said, “If I may offer my services, I think I can accurately time you two.”
“I didn't know you had a talent for timing, Regal,” Rainbow Blitz said.
“I don't, but I do know a simple spell that I can cast on a pair of flagstones. Whichever one is touched first will glow green and the one touched second will glow red, because I'm assuming you two will have a close finish. Fair?”
“Sounds fair to me. Which two?”
“These two,” Regal said, pointing to the two next to her. “Also, I would advise stopping short of the edge. I think Shimmering Shield put up a shield to let her know if someone tried to leave.”
“We're not going to touch the shield, don't worry.” Rainbow Dash said, “but how do we know you're going to be honest?”
“Simple. Rainbow Blitz and I aren't friends, so I can't really be biased in his favor. Also, I'm honestly curious as to how this will shake out.”
“If you say so. Anyway, on three we take off and you cast the spell.”
“Okay. Move to your positions.” After they did, Regal said, “Okay, one, two, three!”
Butterscotch, who had been watching from nearby, asked, “You're not cheating for Rainbow Blitz, are you?”
“Not at all. Don't worry. I simply wish to sate my curiosity as to which is faster.”
In Rarity's world, things were going swimmingly...ish. She and Elusive had decided to collaborate on one interdimensional dress while things were being figured out, and since they were opposite sex versions of the same pony, this looked like it would work out perfectly...Except they couldn't agree on some of the details, specifically hemline, and color. They were close, but couldn't come up with a compromise.
“I really think we should go with the cinnamon and a floor length hem,” Rarity argued.
“No, I'm telling you an ankle length hem in cherry would look much better.”
What sounded like two explosions in rapid succession prevented further arguing. Rarity asked, “What was that?”
Elusive said, “I'm going to guess that Rainbow Blitz and Rainbow Dash have decided to race, and those are sonic rainbooms since I doubt there's anything else that could cause large airborne explosions,” Elusive said, pointing out the nearby window.
“That makes sense, I guess.”
A tall, pink maned unicorn stallion walked in after Rarity said this, saying, “I did see them bickering a few minutes ago over something, so it seems likely.”
“Oh, Ecusson. I'm glad you're here. Can I borrow you for a second?” Elusive asked.
“That depends. Will Regal approve of whatever your borrowing me for?” Ecusson asked.
“Don't worry. We just need an opinion. Which do you think looks better, this dress in cinnamon with a floor length hem, or this one in cherry with an ankle length hem?”
“I'd say the cherry one, though I think it would look better with a floor length hem, rather than ankle length.”
The two dressmakers looked at each other, then seemed to consider it. After a moment Rarity said, “Yes, I think that would work just fine.”
Elusive said, “Yes, I agree.”
“So, who'll be modeling it when you finish it?” Ecusson asked.
“I was thinking Fleur. She always looked good in red. Maybe, Regal Splendor could model it with her, since they look like they have about the same build,” Rarity said.
“Actually, that would be perfect,” Elusive said.
“Well, if you want to suggest it to her, be my guest,” Ecusson said.
Fancypants was bored. He had planned to enjoy himself by watching the jousting tournament they were planning on having during their stay, but those had been canceled due to recent events, and although there was talk of bringing them back the next day with a revised structure, that didn't help him now.
At the moment he was browsing the Crystal Empire's library in an attempt to learn more about the history of the place. Or read lurid tales from another time. He hadn't decided yet.
After a few minutes of searching through one of of the massive bookshelves, he found a book called “The History of the Crystal Empire from the crowning of Queen Amore to the rise of King Sombra”. Making a mental note to ask what the other universe's version of Queen Amore was named and wondering how this book survived King Sombra's reign, he went to the front desk and asked to check it out.
“Certainly. Just return it in one week's time. And do not damage it. This is the only known copy to escape destruction by King Sombra.”
“Don't worry. I take very good care of my books,” Fancypants said as he placed it in his saddle bag. He then made his way outside and quickly bumped in to two of his friends.
“Hello, Fleur, Fluttershy,” he said.
“Hi, Fancy. What are you up to?” Fluttershy asked.
“Honestly, not much. I planned to go to the jousting tournament before they canceled it due to all this business about dimensional travelers and now I'm just trying to pass the time. You?”
“We were going down to the market to see if we could do some shopping, then see about stopping at the petting zoo since Fluttershy wants to spend some time with the sheep there,” Fleur said. “Would you like to join us?”
“Well, I have nothing else going on...sure, why not?” Fancypants said.
Fleur and Fluttershy both smiled as they quickly started trotting to the market, with Fancy following not far behind, surprised at their speed.
A short time later, Fleur asked Fancy, “So, I know Rarity is one of your best friends, Fancy, but I'm curious, what do you really think of her?”
“What do you mean? She's a dear friend of mine, nothing more.”
“I see, never mind.”
Fancypants looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing.
Luna and Nocturnus left the Crystal Empire for Canterlot by air shortly after dinner and returned with Celestia in tow shortly after midnight. Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor were awake and ready to receive her, as were Dusk Shine, Crescendo, and Shimmering Shield. Cadance said, “Thank you for coming so quickly, Celestia, and my apologies for sending your sister to get you.”
“That's okay. Anyway, I have the reagents for the mail system here,” Celestia said, passing several bags to her niece.
“Thanks. I'll try to remember to order more next time I'm running low.”
Celestia nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, “So, do we know why the population of the empire suddenly doubled?”
“No. All we know is shortly before breakfast this morning, a strange light was reported as appearing in the throne room then extending throughout the empire, transporting opposite sex versions of every pony present here from another dimension before disappearing. If you have any theories as to what it was, I would love to hear them,” Shining Armor said.
“Unfortunately, I do not. However, I believe I do have a way to get them home. It will take several days and the help of all of you and several of your guests, however. Specifically the unicorns.”
“We'll be happy to help. Just tell us what to do,” Twilight said.
“Okay. There is a spell that I can teach you that will open up a portal to our visitors' home dimension, but in order for it to take all of all the ponies present here home, we will need to be able to keep it open for several hours at least, which will require a vast amount of magical power,” Celestia explained.
“More than even you can put out, princess?”
“Yes, much more, which is why I will teach you this spell. When my own power falters, I need you to be able to take over for me in maintaining the portal, and when each of you falters, the next one must be able to take over in his or her stead until the last pony from the other dimension have returned home. Cadance, how many unicorns are staying in the castle as your guests?”
“Between both dimensions, and counting Twilight and Dusk Shine, um...eight,” Cadance said.
“That should be enough to give us some breathing room if all six of you are willing to help,” Celestia said.
The six other alicorns, as well as Shining Armor and Shimmering Shield all gave affirmative responses. Celestia then said, “Okay, we will begin preparations in the morning. For now, I would like to rest.”
“Of course. Let me show you to your suite.”
The next morning, all of Cadance's and Crescendo's guests were told what would be happening over breakfast. The unicorns were then asked if they would be willing to help, and all gave affirmative responses. This was followed by Elusive saying, “Before I forget, I just wanted to thank you, Princess Cadance, for finding all of us suites to stay in until we can get home.”
“You're quite welcome, and please, call me Cadance.”
Celestia, sitting near the head of the table, said, “anyway, I will teach Luna, Cadance, Twilight, Nocturnus, Crescendo, and Dusk the spell after breakfast, and they will teach it to all of you over the next few days. The spell should only take an hour to learn at most.”
“Why can't you teach it to all of us at once?” Fleur asked.
“Well, I could, but the nature of the spell makes small group teaching easier. Also, I need to return to Canterlot in a few hours to make arrangements for a longer absence, and can't afford any delays. I will return however, when it is time to open the portal.”
The rest of breakfast was occupied by other questions about the portal, like if there were any dangers in opening it (not if everyone was careful) and what it would feel like to go through it (no straight answer given).
After breakfast, as the seven alicorns went to a side room, Fleur asked Rainbow Dash, “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, what's up?”
“I was just wondering if there was any special significance behind a pegasus asking somepony to preen their wings?”
“Lemme guess. Fluttershy asked you to preen her wings last night, you said no, and now you think she's mad at you,” Rainbow said.
“No, no. She asked me two nights ago, and I agreed to do it. I simply wondered why she was so nervous about asking me.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Yes. She said it was a sign of deep trust. A sign that she trusts me enough to trust me with helping her with the thing that makes her a pegasus, if I recall,” Fleur said.
“That's pretty much what it is, actually. It's a pegasus' way of saying they feel close to and very trusting of you. Even the sluttiest pegasi, who will sleep with anyone who asks, usually only has two or three ponies they trust to preen their wings. I only trust three, personally, and you're not one of them. No offense.”
“None taken. Anyway, it's not a sign of love or anything like that?”
“Not really, no. For example, Fluttershy and me aren't lovers, yet we preen each others wings,” Rainbow said.
“I see. Thanks for explaining it.”
“By the way, do unicorns do anything similar for your horns?”
“Not really. Personally, even as beauty-conscious as I am and protective of our horns as unicorns in general are, all I do is wipe it down with washcloth in the shower every night. It doesn't need any more than that,” Fleur said.
“Really?”
“Oui, why? What were you expecting?”
“I dunno. I guess I thought it would be more complicated than that,” Rainbow said.
Fleur simply rolled her eyes and turned to walk off, when Rainbow asked, “By the way, do you intend to help out with the whole 'portal to the other ponies' home dimension' thing?”
“Of course. The princesses need the help of several unicorns, so why wouldn't I offer my assistance?”
“Just curious, is all.”
Celestia returned to Canterlot a few hours later, having trained the six alicorns in the spell they would be using and, word was, another spell that would help them tune it to the proper frequency. The alicorns weren't speaking about the spell, only saying that the unicorns would be trained in its use the next day. Twilight, looking for an excuse not to talk about the spell, asked Rainbow Dash, “so, who won your little race, yesterday?”
“You heard about that?”
“Yep. Regal Splendor told me, but she didn't say who won.”
“Well, actually, we don't know because her spell, which was supposed to show who won, apparently didn't work or something,” Rainbow Dash said.
“That's odd. If it's the spell I'm thinking of, it should have been relatively simple and foolproof. Maybe there's some sort of dimensional differences causing an issue?”
“Maybe. Anyway, we're planning on trying again in a few days, if you want to help.”
“I'd be happy to. Just let me know when you intend to go again,” Twilight said.
“Alright, thanks!”
Shortly before lunch, Cadance and Shining Armor were discussing security with their guard captain, Stone Wall, after a few unnamed guards started showing some erratic behavior. Shining asked, “Do you think it has something to do with the cross-dimensional travel or the presence of ponies from the other dimension?”
“Maybe. There's no way to be sure unless we can identify them, and that's proving difficult, due to the illusion spells on their armor and the fact that they're appearing well away from any set patrol routes. Even then, it likely won't be possible to confirm the issue with 100% certainty.”
“Understood. Please begin investigating the guards' behavior regardless, and ask my counterpart for permission to investigate her guards. If she declines, let me know, and I will speak with her,” Shining Armor said.
“And if she wants a joint investigation?” Stone Wall asked.
“If she wants a joint investigation, I see no reason to say no,” Cadance said. “Any other questions?”
“No ma'am. I will speak with her right away.”
“Thank you.” As Stone Wall left, Cadance turned to her husband and asked, “Do you think he'll find anything?”
“Maybe. Either way, you have to admit that we've been getting too many reports to ignore.”
“True.” They walked out on to the nearby balcony, overlooking the empire, and Cadance said, “regardless, I hope this is solved quickly.”
“It will be, I'm sure of it.”
Around the same time, Fleur, Fluttershy, Butterscotch and Rainbow Blitz, were, at Rainbow Blitz's suggestion, taking a walk around the Crystal Empire together. At the moment, they weren't saying anything, partly because they wanted to take in the sights and partly because they weren't sure what to talk about.
After a while, Blitz broke the silence, asking, “So, how long have you two been together?”
“About a year now,” Fluttershy said.
“And a wonderful year it's been,” Fleur said with a smile, turning to look at their two male companions. “What about you two? Do you have a very special somepony?”
“No,” They answered simultaneously.
“That's too bad. Well, do you have your eye on somepony?”
“Um, yes, but I've been too scared ask them out,” Butterscotch said, and Fleur noticed him taking a small but obvious glance at Rainbow Blitz.
It was all Fleur could do to hide her reaction to this little glance and keep walking. She thought If that glance means what I think it means...Oh this could be such fun!
Rainbow Blitz said, “Yeah, I also have my eye on somepony, but I haven't found the right time to say something,” while also taking a brief but noticeable glance at Butterscotch.
Fleur, calming herself down a bit, nodded and looked back to where she was walking, forming a plan even as she chatted with her companions.
