Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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Creme Fraiche heaved a tired sigh as he set the last of the boxes down on the floor. He wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced around his new apartment. It was a rather small apartment, but perfect for one or two people. In the middle was the living room, which was also next to the kitchen area, where his shabby looking couch sat. There was also a bathroom, and a bedroom.

Not bad...not bad at all. Creme thought to himself, smiling a little. All he needed now was to empty out his boxes and start arranging. But after carrying all those boxes from downstairs, he was pretty beat. Creme dragged his feet towards his couch and flopped on top of it, a groan escaping his lips as he does so.

What a day... Although the place was a little over his budget, Creme was glad he was able to make the deal before someone else took it. It was close to his workplace, for one thing, and it was near a shopping mall. He wouldn't need to worry about going far to purchase what he required.

It seemed only yesterday he was frantically searching for a new place to stay. After receiving the sudden memo from his boss informing him about his transfer, Creme quickly went online to start looking for a new shelter for him to crash in. It was lucky he found his new place when he did. It might be troublesome if he did it at a much later date.

And I start work tomorrow... Creme thought, sighing. He forced himself up from the comforts of his couch and slowly walked to the bathroom.

Creme flipped on the light switch, watching the light bulb slowly flashing a few times before filling the bathroom with luminosity. There was a shower head on the wall next to him and a toilet on the other side. A sink was right in front of him, with a broken wall mirror right above it.

Should've check the place out first... Creme told himself mentally, approaching the broken mirror. There was shards of glass on the floor and in the sink. Creme was going to need to acquire a new one, and he knew just where to go.

* * * * * *

After disposing of the broken mirror and its offspring of glass. Creme left his apartment and headed for the shopping mall. The skies were already darkening, signalling the imminent approach of night. Creme didn't mind though, he loved taking walks around this time, it felt more peaceful and calming for him.

Creme was about to cross the road when he spotted an old lady carrying a huge cardboard box, which was obviously way to big and heavy for her. Creme was already tired from carrying his own boxes, and would love nothing more than to simply walk away and mind his own business, but the sound of something falling down stopped him from doing so.

Creme quickly rushed towards the old lady, who had slipped and fell on to the sidewalk, her box right next to her. He helped the old lady up, offering her a gentle smile.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked. The old lady smiled back at him, but said nothing. She was very tiny, and her hair was grey all over. The old lady also wore a very huge pair of glasses, compared to her own miniature eyes.

"Do you need help with that?" Creme continued, pointing a finger at the box on the ground. The old lady still remained silent, but nodded. Creme rolled back his sleeves and lifted the box---which was incredibly heavy--- off the sidewalk. He struggled to maintain his balance.

"Where to, ma'am?" he asked with difficulty. The tiny lady motioned for him to follow her, and headed in the opposite direction of the shopping mall.

This, might take a while. Creme thought, regretting his decision. But it didn't felt right to leave an old lady to carry such an insanely heavy box with its contents of who-knows-what.

As the queer-looking duo continued down the street, Creme noticed that they were heading towards a very shady looking alley. He ignored the thought, not wanting to jump to conclusions just yet. But it was rather unsettling. What if this old lady wasn't an old lady at all? She could be some sort of serial killer, using this only as a disguise to fool people like Creme. She would trick her potential victims into helping her, before leading them to their doom.

The sudden bump brought Creme back to his senses, he cocked his head sideways to find the old lady pointing at a red wooden door. There was a display window next to it, and it was filled with all sorts of things that looked antique, and strangely oriental. The sudden blinking light from above caught his attention. Creme squinted his eyes a little as the neon sign came to life.

Madam Choy's Antique Collection, the words shone dimly at Creme. An antique shop? he thought. There were sounds of a door being unlocked, and opening. Creme returned his attention to who he believed to be Madam Choy, and saw her motioning for him to enter her shop.

* * * * * *

Creme waved goodbye to Madam Choy and turned around, now carrying with him a nicely wrapped parcel which contained a mirror. After setting the heavy box down on the counter inside the antique shop, Madam Choy had motioned at him to stay, and she disappeared from view. Creme took the opportunity to look around the shop, it was better than just standing there.

The oriental-themed antique shop was a sight to behold, there was paper lanterns dangling from the ceiling, an enormous collection of fine china, and statuettes of a variety of different animals. From paper fans, to wooden combs, everything in the shop was mysterious.

Creme was carefully observing a jade carving when he felt a prod behind him. He swung around, startled, but relaxed a little when he saw Madam Choy. She was holding something properly wrapped in brown paper underneath her arm, which made Creme curious.

Madam Choy gave him a toothless grin, and handed him the parcel. The parcel was light, slim, and rectangular. Creme opened his mouth to ask what it was, but was interrupted by the little old lady, who handed him a piece of paper.

A gift, for your kind assistance. A mirror. said the writing on the paper. Creme raised one of his eyebrows.

A mirror? Why a mirror? he thought, taking a good look at the parcel. Judging from the size of it, it might actually fit on the bathroom wall. Creme opened his mouth again, he was humbled by the gift, and it was something he needed, but it didn't felt right to accept a gift from someone he just helped just because he wanted to.

"Thank you, Madam Choy, but I can't---" he didn't finish his sentence. Madam Choy was happily smiling at him, patiently waiting for him to continue. That smile she was portraying to him told Creme that it's probably best he don't refuse the gift. He might upset her, and it's important to never upset old people.

Creme sighed, but managed a smile. "Thank you."

* * * * * *

Creme carefully unwrapped the parcel, removing the strings and pieces of tape. He gently pulled the mirror out, fearing that he might break it, and studied the mirror slowly. It was a rather fancy looking mirror, its frames were gold plated, and has a dragon's head at the end of each corner. Despite coming from an antique shop, the mirror looked fairly new; The glass wasn't stained, and the frames were polished.

Creme flipped the mirror over, wanting to look behind it. There was nothing special about the mirror's behind, except there was something written along the side of the frame. Creme pulled the mirror closer to him, trying to make out the written text.

"bɘƚɔɘnnoɔ ɘd ƨyɒwlɒ lliw ɘw ƚɒʜƚ ɿɘdmɘmɘɿ ,bɘƚɒɿɒqɘƨ ʇi nɘvƎ .ɘd yɒm ƨ'blɿow ɿuo ,ƚnɘɿɘʇʇib woʜ ,ɿɒʇ woʜ ɿɘƚƚɒm on ,ɘm bnɒ uoy nɘɘwƚɘd noiƚɔɘnnoɔ ɒ ƨɒ ɘvɿɘƨ ƨiʜƚ yɒM" Creme read out loud, confused. What sort of language was this? Latin? He gave himself a shrug. Well, it was from an antique shop, anyway, it wouldn't be surprising to find stuff like that. He just hoped that it wasn't some sort of ancient spell, and he had accidentally casted it.

Brushing away the strange text from his mind, Creme entered the bathroom, with his new mirror in hand. He placed, and adjusted the mirror on the wall, making sure that it was carefully hooked on the wall, before removing his grip. He took a few steps back to admire his handiwork, wanting to take a good, clear look at his reflection at the same time.

Except... it wasn't his reflection at all.

"What. The. Fuck."

Rainbow Dash stretched her hooves and wings as she yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. Another busy day had went by for the weather team. There was a scheduled storm for Ponyville that afternoon, and Rainbow had spent the entire day directing and helping her team. It was hard work, but it was work for the captain of the weather team, and Rainbow made sure that she does it perfectly.

The sun was already beginning to set, no doubt Celestia would pass the torch to her younger sister not long after. Rainbow would normally remain at Ponyville, spending the rest of her free time with her best friends. But today's work had left her worn-out, and she would give anything to sleep in her fluffy cloud bed undisturbed back in Cloudsdale.

"Bye, Rainbow! Great job today!"

Rainbow waved a tired hoof to nopony in particular, another yawn escaping her lips. If only she didn't spent last night staying up so late, She might not be as tired as she is now, but she really wanted to finish reading her Daring Do book. What's done, is done.

Rainbow trotted towards her home, too lazy to fly. It wasn't far anyway, just a few clouds over. Her stomach grumbled loudly. Rainbow made a mental note to herself to remember to grab some chow later before going to bed.

Rainbow smiled a little as the familiar and welcoming sight of her cloud home came within eyeshot. She quicken her pace, the thought of her bed encouraging her to move faster. The skies were already darkening, and the outline of the moon can be seen clearly on the horizon.

Just a quick bite of sunflower sandwich... Rainbow thought to herself, pushing the front door open with her hoof. She headed straight for the kitchen, searching for the glorious food to fill her rumbling belly.

After devouring her meal, Rainbow slowly trotted upstairs. The sandwich, while lovely, had made her even sleepier, and she longed for her bed; however, She still needed to bathe and wash up. A mare needs to take proper care of her mane and fur, at least, that was what Rarity always told her.

The bathroom light lit up as Rainbow entered. She turned on the sink, and watched as the flowing water poured out from the tap. She splashed her face a couple of times, hoping that the cold water would keep her awake until she was done bathing. She grabbed a nearby hoof towel and wiped her face, enjoying the warm and fuzzy feeling of the cloth.

Rainbow returned the hoof towel back to its place, and stared at the bathroom mirror. She wanted to see what sort of damage the storm had done to her mane. Working in the weather team always meant that you will have messed up manes, especially during a storm. She wasn't squeamish about how terrible her mane looks, but she wanted to make sure it was in good condition, so that it was always cool, and awesome.

Rainbow blinked a few times, staring confusedly at her reflection, she looked... weird. Instead of seeing her rainbow-coloured mane, it was black, and short. Instead of her cerulean-coloured fur, it was light-brown.

Instead of seeing her reflection, it wasn't.

"What. The. Buck."

Who's The Weirdest Of Them All?

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The sudden ringing of the alarm clock woke Creme with a start. He threw his hand out onto the bedside table and flailed about, blindly searching for the vile timekeeper. After a few futile attempts to switch off his alarm clock, Creme grudgingly lifted his head from the comforts of his pillow. He then proceeded to properly turn off the clock with both hands.

Creme blinked a few times, as his vision was still blurry. When he was able to see, he sat up on his bed and stretched while a loud yawn escaped his lips. He glanced back at the clock to look at the time. It was 7:30 A.M. He needed to go to work, it was his first day anyway.

Here we go. Creme thought to himself, as he moved his legs from the warm bed down to the cold floor. He wanted nothing more than to stay at home and rest, but without a steady job, he will be broke in less than a week. Creme gave his butt a scratch---which was itching like crazy---while walking towards the bathroom. He needed a shower to wake himself up, unless he wanted to fall asleep on the floor.

Creme flipped the light switch on and entered the bathroom, heading towards the toilet. He was about to pull down his boxers when---

"Morning." said a scratchy, feminine voice from beside him.

Creme almost pissed himself right then and there. He let out a yelp and turned his head towards the source of the voice. His hands covered his private parts automatically, even though his boxers were still on. The sound of someone giggling reached Creme's ears. His eyes darted towards his bathroom mirror.

"S-s-sorry! Didn't mean to frighten y-you." said the scratchy voice again, which was also trying hard to stifle laughter.

Creme rolled his eyes and headed for the mirror. He placed both his hands on either side of the sink and glared at his bathroom mirror.

"Very funny, Rainbow Dash, you almost gave me a heart attack." Creme said to the mirror. He looked at the cerulean-coloured Pegasus with her rainbow-coloured mane. She had replaced Creme's reflection on the other side of the mirror. The Pegasus gave him a cheeky grin, giving Creme a wave with her hoof.

"Hey, it's not my fault you were not paying attention." she shrugged at Creme. "Aren't you an early bird?" she asked playfully.

"I would love nothing more than to continue sleeping. Money is something I currently have in short supply. My job is the only source of obtaining it." Creme replied, stifling a yawn. He glanced at Rainbow. "How come you're so energetic?"

"Ha! I always wake up before the sun even begins to rise! I need to keep my body in tip-top condition you know, so, morning exercises are a daily routine for me." Rainbow replied smugly.

"You do exercises before the sun is up?" Creme asked, turning on the tap. Rainbow nodded. "Wow."

"Don't any of you hoo-mans do exercises?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course we do, and it’s 'human'." Creme allowed the cool water to run through his fingertips before splashing the water on his face. "It's just that, I don't know anyone that does it as early as you."

"You hoo-mans are just lazy." Rainbow said.

"Maybe." Creme replied nonchalantly. He reached out for his toothbrush and gently squeezed out some toothpaste on top of it. He was about to start brushing when he noticed that Rainbow was still staring at him from the other side of the mirror. He rolled his eyes at her.

"You know, it's kinda hard for me to brush my teeth with somebody staring at me."

"Somepony, why do you say somebody? It sounds so...weird."

"Not any less weird than yours, I assure you. You think I sound weird? You're a talking pony. If anything's weird around here, it's you." Creme said, pointing his toothpaste encrusted toothbrush at her.

"Hey!"

Creme ignored her and brushed his teeth. It was a weird sensation, brushing your teeth in front of someone else. Well...in front of a pony. Rainbow Dash stared at Creme for a few more seconds before turning around and trotting away from view. Creme caught a brief glimpse of what seemed to be a bathroom covered in clouds (Or was it made of clouds?) before the scene vanished completely. He was staring back at his own reflection.

So the mirror returns back to normal when there is no one on the other side... Creme mused to himself. He spat the toothpaste out from his mouth. Good to know. But what about sound? Creme paused and gargled with water in his mouth, then spat out the liquid. He washed his mouth and face before calling out. "Rainbow Dash?" he called out, wondering if he would be getting any sort of response at all.

"Yeah?" came her reply, which sounded far.

Sound is not affected at all. Creme thought, making a mental note for himself. He turned around and headed for the toilet. He pulled down his boxers and was prepared to relieve himself when a sudden thought popped into his mind. Will she hear the sound of pee? Creme glanced at his mirror warily. Did he dare to take the risk? His bladder was about ready to explode. He needed to go. Bad.

Creme waited a few more seconds, before turning back to face the toilet. It's now or never. he told himself mentally, taking aim.

* * * * * *

Rainbow Dash tilted her head in the direction of her bathroom with an eyebrow raised and a daffodil sandwich in her mouth. She could've swore she heard Creme calling her name. Was she just imagining things? She shrugged and trotted back towards the bathroom, munching on her breakfast.

The events that took place yesterday night still freaked her out a little. But, strangely enough, things haven't take a turn for the worse...yet.

What. The. Buck.

Rainbow Dash stared at her...reflection. No...that...that thing in the mirror was clearly not her. Maybe she was just hallucinating, she was tired from work after all. But...even if this was a hallucination, why wasn't it a pony? What was she looking at anyway? The thing in the mirror looked like nothing she had ever seen in Equestria. What should she do?

I should find Twilight, she thought to herself, her eyes still glued to the bathroom mirror. She'll know what to do. Rainbow considered the thought for a moment. On one hoof, if she flew down to Twilight's library, she could probably get a solution or an answer for this particular...situation. But Twilight can take forever just for that, and Rainbow wasn't sure if she had the patience to wait. Patience wasn't exactly her strongest suit.

And, on the other hoof, she felt exhausted, and lazy. All Rainbow wanted was to go to bed and sleep like a log. Yeah...maybe she just needed sleep. She would wake up the next morning and find herself staring back at her own cool, and awesome reflection.

Yeah, Rainbow mused. Just need some sleep. She let out a yawn, and rubbed her eyes with her hoof. She reached out to turn on the tap when suddenly---

"Whoa."

Rainbow jumped at the sudden sound, her eyes widening with shock. "What the hay?" she cried out in surprise. Rainbow glanced around her surroundings, her wings outstretched. "Who goes there?" she asked cautiously.

"Hi there." It was coming from behind her. Rainbow swung around. She saw that the voice was actually coming from her...from her bathroom mirror. Her heart was racing, and a cold sweat had formed on the side of her face. She glared at the mirror.

"W-w-what a-are yo-you?" Rainbow stuttered, trying but failing to sound brave. The thing behind the mirror was staring at her, with what she thought was its eyebrow, raised.

"Is this some sort of new technology? Creating an alien world to which you can view and interact from a mirror? Interesting." Was it talking to her? Rainbow was wide awake now. Any thoughts of sleep had all departed from her mind. She suddenly felt scared, and Rainbow Dash rarely gets scared. Should she run? She could make a dash out the door and head straight for Ponyville, to her best friends. They can help her. They always did.

"I wonder if this is touchscreen? You there, err...pony. May I ask you something?" the thing spoke, and it sounded like it was asking her a question. Rainbow eyed the thing curiously, debating whether she should speak. She needed to calm down. Has she not seen and faced weirder things than this? Surely, something such as this shouldn't faze her as much. Rainbow took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"Who are you?" she asked, ignoring the question from the thing.

The thing gave her a confused look. "Are you an AI?" it asked.

"What's an AI?" Rainbow asked back. What was it talking about?

"Artificial intelligence."

Arty-what? Rainbow thought. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

The thing eyed Rainbow curiously, it looked like it was deep in thought. After a minute or so, it finally spoke.

"Are you real?" it asked slowly.

Rainbow stared at the thing. "Of course I'm real. I wouldn't be here talking to you if I wasn't, now would I?" She took a step closer towards the mirror, trying to take a good look at her inquisitor. "Are you real?" she asked.

The thing backed away from the mirror. A look of sudden realization and fear forming slowly on its face. "Holy Shit." it muttered.

"Hey! Watch the language pal!" Rainbow scolded. This thing may be weird, but that doesn't mean it could use the S word in front her so casually.

"Nononononononono, this can't be happening, this can't be real! I must be dreaming." The thing was pacing about, ruffling its...hair? Rainbow's eyeballs followed the thing's movement.

"This is not scientifically possible--" It stopped in its tracks and pointed at Rainbow. "--You are not scientifically possible! Is this mirror some sort of portal to another dimension? Another world? Nononononononono...that can't be true. This isn't real. None of this is real"

Rainbow couldn't keep herself quiet any longer. "Well, it sure seems real to me."

"No! I reject your reality and substitute my own!"

Rainbow giggled as she swallowed the last of her daffodil sandwich. The memory of yesterday night was still fresh in her mind. It took a few more minutes before Creme finally calmed down. After an awkward introduction, they spent the rest of the night talking. They spoke of and explained their separate worlds, and the differences between the two.

Apparently, Creme came from a world known as Earth, and it was populated by hoo-mans. Earth had its share of ponies, but they could not speak, nor could any of them fly or cast magic, which was shocking. An entire world where ponies couldn't talk? A world where weather wasn't controlled by a team of pegasi? A world where the sun rises and sets on its own? Everything about Earth was mysterious to Rainbow. And weird.

But Creme seemed like an okay sort. She was just as surprised as him at how easy it was to talk to each other. This, despite both of them coming from different worlds. It was still freaky, talking to an alien, but at least this alien was a good one.

Twilight. The sudden thought of her friend made Rainbow remember that she still needed to inform her about this. The egghead would definitely want to study this.

Rainbow approached her bathroom and trotted inside, making her way towards the mirror. She stood in front of the mirror and peered at it. One second, she was looking at her reflection, the next, she was staring at Creme, who had his back at her.

"Hey, Creme." she said, cocking her head to one side.

Creme jumped and shouted something that sounded like "Fuck!" and slipped on the floor. Rainbow would've burst out laughing, if she wasn't busy staring at something flopping between Creme's legs. Something that looks oddly like a---

She blushed.

This Little Piggy Went To Work

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Creme Fraiche closed and locked the door to his apartment with his backpack slung over his shoulder. The events of earlier were still replaying over and over in his mind.

Rainbow Dash saw my banana. Creme thought sheepishly, smacking himself on the forehead. It had only been one night since they made each other's acquaintance, and already things got off to a bizarre start.

Did she know what it was though? Do ponies from her world understand human anatomy? Well... judging from how Rainbow acted earlier upon seeing his thing... Even if she didn't know about human anatomy, it wasn't that difficult to discern.

Creme shook his head roughly from side to side. He needed to forget about the whole thing, he didn't want to spend the rest of the day thinking about yogurt guns.

Creme turned around and made his way down the stairs. There was an elevator he could have used, but there was a sign glued on to the elevator's door with 'Out of Order' written on it in red ink. He quickly but carefully made his way down, he was running late after all. After slipping on the toilet floor, he could've swore he broke something. Luckily, nothing was broken...except his pride. Creme sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

As Creme's foot crossed the last step from the stairs, the sound of heavy, thunderous footsteps came from above him. Before Creme could even turn to look up, someone suddenly rushed past him, bumping him hard on the shoulder.

"Hey!" Creme cried out, his hand reaching out and grabbing on to his assailant's arm. His supposed attacker let out a surprised "Whoa!" and braked, swiftly turning around to face Creme.

Creme glared angrily back at the person who bumped into him. It was extremely dangerous to run down the stairs at full speed. The person could've hurt both Creme and himself.

"Oh! I'm so, so sorry mister! I hope I didn't hurt you or anything!"

Mister? Creme blinked confusedly at the person. His expression soften as he got a better look at the stranger in front of him.

Herself. Creme thought. The person that had bumped into Creme wasn't actually a male like he previously thought. It was actually a young woman who had bluish-white skin. Her arctic-blue hair with persian-blue stripes was long and messy. She gave Creme the impression of someone who had woken up late. Very late.

She looked fairly cute though.

"B-b-baa---" Creme said stupidly, stunned.

"Baa? Baa baa? Like a sheep?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. "I'd like to play animal sounds with you, mister. But I really gotta run!" The young woman wiggled her arm free from Creme's grasp and dashed out the entrance, leaving Creme in her dust.

Creme just stood there, his mouth wide open, with his hand still in the air.

* * * * * *

Rainbow Dash opened the front door and grinned widely at the sight of Twilight Sparkle standing at her doorsteps.

"Hey, Twilight! Glad you could make it. I'm not bothering you from your royal duties, right?" She asked her friend, taking a step back to give room for Twilight to enter.

"No, not at all, Rainbow. I may be a Princess now, but that doesn't mean I can't make time for my friends." They both gave each other a friendly hug.

"Heh, how's the wings? Got used to them yet?" Rainbow asked, pointing at Twilight's wings with a hoof.

Twilight grinned sheepishly, folding her wings back. "It's still so weird to suddenly have a pair of wings. Magic? I can handle. But this?" Her wings flared out, smacking Rainbow in the face. "See what I mean?" she asked, smiling apologetically.

"Yeah, I could tell." Rainbow deadpanned, rubbing her muzzle. "At least you can walk on clouds now."

"Yes! It's really quite fascinating! I don't even need to cast any form of magic! I wonder if it's because of the sudden addition of wings." Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, and began mumbling to herself. Rainbow rolled her eyes, with a soft smile on her lips. Typical Twilight.

"Come on, Twilight." Rainbow prodded her friend in the side with her hoof, bringing Twilight back to her senses. "I'll show you the mirror."

"Ah, yes! The mirror! You said it showed you another world instead of your reflection?" Twilight asked eagerly, following behind Rainbow as she led the way upstairs. "What did you see? What was it like?"

Rainbow couldn't help but giggle at the bombardment of questions from Twilight. "Well, technically it shows a room...a...a bathroom." Rainbow felt the heat in her cheeks rising, remembering something.

"Rainbow? Are you okay? You look a little red."

"Wha-what? I'm fine! I feel great! How about you, Twilight?" Rainbow said quickly, flashing an awkward grin at Twilight.

Twilight eyed her friend suspiciously, "I feel fine." she replied slowly.

"Great! A-a-anyway, here it is!" Rainbow motioned at her bathroom mirror. "That's the mirror I was telling you about."

Twilight trotted past Rainbow and approached the mirror. "May I?" she asked. Before Rainbow could give her a response, she had already levitated the mirror with her magic. She brought it close to her face for inspection.

"Hmmm...interesting, very interesting...yes, yes...absolutely fascinating..." Twilight muttered softly to herself, turning the mirror around with her magic.

Rainbow said nothing, she knew better than to disturb Twilight when she was in her zone. All Rainbow needed to do now was wait. Patiently wait. She secretly hoped that she won't need to wait long.

"Where did you get this mirror from?" Twilight asked, her eyes still fixed on the mirror.

"I got it from a sale."

"A sale? In Ponyville?"

"Yeah, I can't believe that they were selling such a cool looking mirror for such a cheap price!"

Twilight studied the mirror. By Rainbow's definition of 'cool, She was probably talking about the four individual dragon's heads. Each affixed to of the mirror's corners.

"Who did you buy it from?"

Rainbow rubbed her chin, pondering. "To tell you the truth, I don't really remember."

Twilight turned around, "You don't remember?" she asked, to which Rainbow nodded.

"I was distracted by the coolness of the mirror."

Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow. Returning her attention to the mirror, she stared at the front side. Her own reflection stared back at her. "How does it work exactly?"

"Oh! Creme needs to be here for the mirror to actually work."

Twilight looked up at Rainbow "Creme?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Creme Fraiche, the hoo-man. He said something about how the mirror only shows the other world when we both are staring at the mirror at the same time."

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting, what else did this...err... Creme say?"

"He said that sound won't be affected even if we are not staring at each other."

"So that means his world and ours are constantly connected...through sound and sight." Twilight mumbled, nodding knowingly. "But how does it work? Why this mirror in particular? Who was the pony that sold it?" she scratched her head, her mind overflowing with questions. She remained silent for a while, deep in thought.

"Rainbow, can I borrow this mirror, by any chance?"

* * * * * *

Creme knocked on the manager's office door before entering. He was late by about 5 minutes. He prayed that his new manager wasn't someone who loathed tardiness.

"Good morning." Creme said as he peeked into the room, looking around. What he saw startled him. The office room, from top to bottom, was filled with odd and strange things. There were paintings of chocolate milkshakes hanging from the wall. A real, live beaver was sleeping on the desk in front of him. The room was also painted in the most uncanny combination of colours ever possible. Grey and bright yellow.

What the fuck? Creme entered the room and closed the door behind him. "Hello?" he called out.

"Hello!" said a voice from behind, making Creme jump. He spun around to find a tall and skinny man looking at him.

"Creme Fraiche?" the man asked, smiling at him. Creme nodded nervously. The man walked pass Creme and sat in a leather office chair behind the desk. The man looked like he was in his 50s. He had short white hair, with a mustache and goatee of the same colour. He was wearing a plaid suit that looked like it came from the 70s, with a matching bow-tie.

Just like the room, the man looked bizarre and very odd. They both stared at each other in silence.

"So, Creme! Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Holy Shrimp restaurant. The 8th---and newest---Holy Shrimp to be opened in this fine, fine country." The man clapped and rubbed his hands together and grinned at Creme. "My name is Ord." he added, standing up and extending his hand out at Creme.

Creme shook Ord's hand. "Thank you, Mr.Ord. It's a pleasure to be here."

"I believe your previous boss had told you the reason why you were transferred here?"

Creme shook his head. "Not really, no. I was just given a memo."

"Hmmm... I see, but you've managed to find a place to stay yes?"

"Yes, Mr.Ord. I was lucky enough to find a nice apartment nearby."

"Please! Just call me Ord. All this 'Mister' business makes me feel old." Ord stood up and headed towards Creme. He placed his hand over Creme's shoulder and dragged him out of the office. "Shall I give you the grand tour?"

* * * * * *

"As you can see, we are still lacking in chefs and waiters at the moment. Since I don't cook very well myself, I am unable to assist anyone in the kitchen. You, on the other hand, are experienced. You lead the entire kitchen staff at your previous Holy Shrimp, correct?"

"Yes, but it really wasn't anything that great. I just did what I was told to do." Creme said, feeling embarrassed.

"Nonsense. Why else would your boss send you here? He must have a lot of faith in you." Ord said, smiling. "I will be helping out at the front, while you will be aiding those in the kitchen."

Creme nodded. "How many kitchen staff are there at the moment?" he asked Ord.

"Including you, three. As for the servers, also three, which includes myself of course."

Creme opened his mouth again, ready to ask more questions when someone crashed into him, sending him flying towards the floor.

"Oooohhh..." he groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. "Did someone order the battering ram?" Creme opened his eyes and stared at the person who had crashed into him. She looked familiar.

"You!" Creme shouted upon recognizing the person, while pointing his finger at her. It was the same person that had bumped into him that morning. She was wearing a black and white waitress uniform. Her hair was now tied up in a ponytail. She blinked at Creme, rubbing her nose. She let out a yelp and pointed at Creme.

"Sheep man!" she shouted.

"Ah! I see you have already met one of our waitress." Ord said, offering his hands to both Creme and the waitress. "But it seems that introductions are still in order."

Ord pulled Creme up, and helped dust his back. He turned to face the waitress. "Come now, please introduce yourself to our newest chef!"

The waitress dusted herself off first, before smiling sweetly at Creme. She gave him a funny salute and grinned widely.

"Hi there! I'm Sonata Dusk!"

This Little Filly Stayed At Home

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"No, Twilight."

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash in disbelief. "Wha---Why?"

Rainbow trotted pass Twilight, grabbing her mirror from Twilight as she does so. "If I let you take this mirror, there is a chance you might blow it up." She placed the mirror back in its position.

Twilight gawked at her rainbow-maned friend. "I won't blow it up!" she retorted. "Since when have I ever blown things up?" Twilight asked.

"Enough to let me know to never ever lend you my stuff." Rainbow replied, turning around to push Twilight out of the bathroom with her head. "Come on now, out!"

"But, but, but the mirror!" Twilight cried, digging her hooves into the cloud floor beneath her. "There are secrets to be discovered! Questions that needs to be answered! Think of all the amazing knowledge I---I mean, we--- could attain!"

"Yay, big whoop." Rainbow deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, Twi. No means no."

"Nooooooo!" Twilight exclaimed dramatically, falling down on her knees and latching onto Rainbow's forelegs. "Please, Rainbow! I beg of you! Let me study this wonderful mirror! I promise I won't blow it up!" Twilight looked up sadly at Rainbow's face, her eyes tearing up.

Rainbow stopped pushing the lavender alicorn pony and sighed. "Okay, Twilight." she said weakly, pitying her friend.

Twilight's eyes immediately shone with delight. She squealed happily and hugged her pegasus friend. "Yes! Thank you so much, Rainbow!"

"On ONE condition." Rainbow said sternly, placing a hoof on Twilight's chest. "I'll lend you my mirror IF, and only if, Creme has no objections with it."

"No problem." Twilight said, grinning widely. "I'm positive that this, Creme, will understand the benefits of this study."

"Uh-huh." Rainbow wasn't entirely convinced about Twilight's 'study' "Just...be patient, and wait for my call." Rainbow said, secretly hoping to herself that she hasn't made a choice that she was going to regret.

"Creme?"

Creme looked behind him from the kitchen stove he was busy cleaning and spotted Mr. Ord approaching him, who was wiping his hands on a napkin.

"Are you almost done?" Mr. Ord enquired, standing behind him.

"Yeah, just gotta soak this rags in boiling water." Creme replied. "Do you need me for something?"

"I just want to say how grateful we are to have you here." Mr. Ord said, clapping Creme on the back. "It's really impressive how you managed to prepare all those orders even when understaffed."

"It was nothing, Ord." Creme said quietly, "I just cook what I was asked to cook."

"Oh, don't be so modest. We are all delighted to have such a talented chef such as you. The customers were all pleased with their food and I'm pleased with today's turnout. I continue to look forward to our days working together, Mr. Fraiche." Mr. Ord gave Creme another clap on the back before turning around to leave the kitchen.

He was just about to leave when Mr. Ord paused at the entrance. "There is...one thing that you can do for me, if you don't mind, of course." he asked, spinning around to look at Creme.

"I don't mind, Ord. What is it?"

"It's about, Sonata. You and her are living at the same apartment building, correct?"

Creme nodded, feeling a bit curious to Mr. Ord's sudden question.

"Would you kindly escort her home? As you had already seen for yourself, she can be a bit...careless. She always smiles and greets us with joy, but she tends to leave us feeling uneasy whenever she is left alone." Mr. Ord said, scratching his goatee.

Creme thought back to the day's events. Indeed, Sonata can be kinda of a klutz. She spilled way more drinks on customers than dishes served. And if she kept on crashing into Creme, he was going to get a serious concussion. Maybe fall into a coma.

But, despite everything. Sonata always had that bright smile on her face. A smile that was carefree, and innocent. A smile that was rather infectious as well, seeing that none of the customers---that got their drinks spilled on them---was complaining, or getting mad at Sonata. They simply smiled at her and told her not to worry about it. Must be part of her charm.

"Would you kindly?"

Creme snapped out of his thoughts. Mr. Ord was patiently waiting for his answer. He nodded at Mr. Ord.

"Sure, I'll walk with her." he replied, wondering to himself how he got into this position.

Mr. Ord clapped his hands together and rubbed them happily, "Splendid! I'll ask her to wait for you at the exit." He took a few steps forward before looking back at Creme again. "And...don't be late, Creme. It is not wise to keep a lady waiting." he winked at Creme and left the kitchen.

Creme was then left standing in the kitchen alone, with the sound of boiling water behind him to keep him company.

* * * * * *

Mr. Ord waved goodbye to Sonata and entered his office. He was rather pleased with this office. After re-decorating the place to suit more to his taste, it felt more like home. His real home, that is.

He let out a sigh, and sat down on his leather chair. He gently stroked the sleeping beaver on his desk, who ignored him and resumed its snoozing.

"You're awfully lazy today, Mr. Beavington." he said to the beaver, smiling. "Does this world bore you that much?"

The beaver grunted in reply. Mr. Ord chuckled to himself, remembering on how he first met Mr. Beavington. He was rudely interrupted from the memory however, when he heard a loud buzzing coming from inside one of his desk drawers. He dug around each drawers until he found the culprit: A banana.

Mr. Ord held the banana next to his ear. "Hello?" he asked, speaking in to the banana.

"HOW DARE YOU MAKE US WAIT!" A loud voice boomed from the phone-banana. "WE ABHOR WAITING!"

"My deepest, profound apologies." he said lazily to the banana. "I was very busy with work you know."

"AND WHAT SORT OF WORK IS THAT?" shouted the loud voice, causing Mr. Ord to grimace and put some distance between his ear and the banana. "IT HAS BEEN 3 DAYS AND YOU HAD YET TO REPORT TO US!"

"Please, your highness, lower your voice. My cover will definitely be blown if you keep on shouting like that."

The banana said nothing for a while, and then "We are not used to speaking with such a tone. We are always accustomed to using the royal Canterlot voice."

"Old habits die hard. Trust me, I perfectly understand what you mean. But I would prefer if you spoke more like your sister. Surely, you can do that?" Mr. Ord asked. He stood up from his leather chair and walked about his office, stopping to stare blankly at one of his milkshake paintings.

The banana was quiet once more.

"I will try." the voice said with difficulty. "But I do not understand why I should speak to you like this."

"It's more civilised. And less painful." Mr. Ord said, rubbing his ear.

"Enough! Do you have anything to report regarding about your search for the artifacts?"

"Straight to business? No proper greeting? No questions on how I've been doing as of late? You wound me greatly." Mr. Ord said, sounding hurt.

"I have little interest in your well being, Discord." said the voice icily. "Do you have something for me or not?"

"My dear, princess. You must know that the old beard has his ways of hiding and disguising his precious treasures. Let us not forget that I am also searching for said artifacts in another world."

"No luck at all?" the voice asked. Mr. Ord caught a hint of disappointment from the tone.

"Don't be so glum my dear, Luna." He said softly. "I haven't given up on the search just yet. Wish me luck."

* * * * * *

Creme spotted Sonata waiting for him at the entrance of the restaurant. She had her back against the wall, and was staring rather intently at her shoes. She looked up as Creme got closer and a smile instantly spread across her face as she saw him. Creme couldn't help but smile back.

"Been waiting long?" Creme asked, standing beside her.

Sonata shook her head, her ponytail flailing behind her. "I just got here!" She skipped to the front of Creme. "Let's go!" she said cheerily, motioning for Creme to follow her.

Night was slowly approaching as the duo made their way down the street. Sonata was skipping happily, and Creme was walking silently. Cars passed by them, all heading towards the one destination: home. Sonata began humming a tuneless tune, waving at some of the cars that went by them.

Creme looked up to the sky as they walked, he wasn't sure what sort of topic he should bring up that would be suitable for chatting with a girl like Sonata. Creme wasn't even sure if Sonata was even one who liked to chat.

"Did Ord tell you why he wanted us to go home together?"

Creme tore his gaze away from the darkening sky to look at Sonata, who was staring at him. He opened his mouth to reply but closed it again immediately. He wondered if it was a good idea to tell her the real reason of Ord's intentions. Best keep it quiet.

"H-he...er...said that...it's best to have company when going back home, you know?" Creme said in an agitated tone, his eyes avoiding hers. He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hahahaha..." his laughter trailed off.

Sonata raised an eyebrow at him, but merely shrugged and continued to skip. "Okay!"

Creme glanced at Sonata. Was this going to be a regular routine for them? Was he going to be Sonata's escort home for the rest of his time working at Holy Shrimp? Not that it was a bad thing or anything. It was just something that Creme needed to get used to.

That, and the talking pony in my mirror. Creme thought. He had almost forgotten all about Rainbow Dash. After the morning's incident, he had completely blocked out the memory from his mind, since it would be extremely taxing for him to concentrate at work.

He had to do something about the mirror's position, however. It wasn't really a good idea to have it in the bathroom. For many reasons. Exposing oneself to a pony is one of them. He needed to re-decorate. And a new mirror.

They passed by the shopping mall, and Creme came to a sudden halt. Sonata stopped skipping and stared at Creme. "You okay?" she asked, cocking her head a little.

"Wha--Oh! I'm fine. It's just that...er..." Creme gazed at the large building in front of him.

It is not wise to keep a lady waiting. Ord's advice came running through his mind. He debated with himself whether or not he should just get a new mirror right now, or on another day. Both seemed to equal exactly in weight of consideration.

But he really needed to move his current one, to avoid any more...accidental exhibition of one's goods. He turned to face Sonata, who was busy balancing herself on the balls of her feet.

"Listen, Sonata. I know this is rather rude of me but..." he jabbed his thumb at the mall. "There is something I gotta get inside. Something that I really gotta get." Creme wasn't sure how to break it to her that she might need to go home without him. "So...er..." he hesitated, unsure if he should continue.

"Oh! Okay, no problem! You just go on ahead then! I can walk myself home." Sonata replied with a grin. She waved at him before turning around and skipping towards the direction of their apartment building.

Sorry, Ord. I promise I'll make it up to her. Creme apologized mentally. He spun around and made his way into the mall.

* * * * * *

Creme left the shopping mall with a smile on his face. He was feeling pleased with his new mirror. It was a much smaller one than the mysterious mirror he has back in his apartment, sure. But it was more than enough to suit his needs.

As he continued down the sidewalk, he took a good look around his surroundings. The night life here wasn't as bustling or exciting as he imagined it to be. It was just plain simple and quiet.

His mind began to wander, and his thoughts fell onto the mirror. How did Madam Choy knew he needed a mirror? Why give him such a mysterious mirror? Was their meeting a coincidence...or was it more? Creme made a mental note to himself to try and find Madam Choy's antique shop when he had the time.

The sound of loud laughter brought him back to reality. He spotted 2 guys in front of him with their backs facing him. They were wearing black leather jackets, and one of them seemed to be holding on to another person's arm.

"Come on little lady, join us! Have some fun with us won't ya?" Creme heard one of them speak.

"Yeah, a little fun wouldn't hurt now won't it?" said the one who was grabbing on to the arm.

"I would love to!" came a voice that instantly froze Creme in his place. "But, like I said, it's rather late now, and I was told to never go out with strangers."

"Ha! Ain't she a proper little lady!" laughed the first one. "We are going to have so much fun together."

"I think we should get to know each other better first!" Sonata cried, struggling to free herself. "And can you please let me go? You're hurting my arm."

"Don't you worry now, doll." said the second one, "Your arm will be the least of your worries once we're through with you."

Creme quickly ran towards Sonata, cursing to himself. How can he be so stupid as to let her go home alone?

"Sonata!" Creme shouted, pushing in between the two men and her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he faced the two men, shielding Sonata with his back.

"Hi, Creme!" Sonata said from behind, rubbing her freed arm. "They were just asking me to go have some fun with them!"

"Yeah, just a little fun, kid." said the man on Creme's right side. He was much larger than Creme. They both were. Creme gulped.

"Hahaha..." Creme laughed nervously. "I don't think that's a good idea. She barely knows any of you. So there really isn't any reason why she should go with you."

"Listen, kid." said the man menacingly, grabbing Creme by the shirt. "Get loss. Or I'll make you. This has nothing to do with you."

Creme stood his ground. There was no way he could take the both of them on. He needed a plan.

"NO, I CANNOT DO THAT!" he shouted loudly, causing the man to release him in surprise. "WE MUST NOT GO OUT WITH STRANGERS! ESPECIALLY IF IT'S STRANGERS!"

"Shut up! Are you asking for trouble?" the man on the left began cracking his knuckles together.

"OH NO GOOD SIR! I AM MERELY TELLING YOU THAT IT IS NOT WISE TO GO OUT WITH STRANGERS!"

"SHUT UP!" shouted the man on the right, grabbing Creme by the shirt again. Creme smiled slyly at the man. The shouting had caused a commotion, people were starting to look at them. Some had their smartphones pointed at them.

"Gotcha." Creme whispered, winking at the man.

Last thing Creme remembered seeing was a humongous fist flying towards his face.

This Little Piggy Had a Fist in The Face

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"Creme?"

Someone was lightly tapping Creme on the cheek. He let out a soft groan. His head was spinning, and there was a throbbing pain coming from his nose. He tried, but failed to open his eyes.

His body was lying on the ground, and his head was resting on top of something soft, and warm. He mumbled something incomprehensible. Even with his eyelids closed, there was some sort of light trying to shine its way through.

"Creme?"

There was that voice again, it sounded sweet, soft, and familiar, and it was echoing inside Creme's head. He felt more taps on his cheek. Creme sluggishly raised his hand and grabbed onto the hand tapping him on the cheek, ceasing its action.

"S...stop...stop it." he mumbled. He held onto the hand, and attempted to open his eyes again. His vision was blurry and disorientated, but he could tell that there was someone shining a light in his face. He blinked, trying to bring his view back to normal.

"Mr. Fraiche? Can you hear me?" a new voice had joined him. It was deeper, heavier, but alien to his ears.

"Mr. Fraiche? Can you understand me?" asked the alien again. Creme nodded in reply. What was happening? Why was his lying on the ground? Why does his nose hurt so much? The alien continued to speak.

"Good, now please stay still."

Creme nodded again, his vision starting to return to him. Turns out, the alien was in fact a paramedic. The paramedic flashed his light in both of Creme's eyes, and nodded to himself.

"The blow knocked you out cold, but there aren't any signs of concussion, so that's good." The paramedic said, putting on some blue gloves. "The only thing left now is to fix your broken nose, sir." The paramedic pulled out a small bottle that contain some unrecognisable liquid. "Are you ready?" he asked, pulling out a packet filled with cotton swabs with his other hand.

So that's why my nose is hurting like hell. Creme thought. He was slowly starting to remember what had happened. He remembered the two huge men. He remembered the shouting he and the other man had, and the flying cannon ball fist that came straight right after. But someone else was there, wasn't it? Someone Creme tried to protect...a girl...what was her name? Sunny? Sora? Sonar?

Sonata.

Creme sat up so fast his head banged the paramedic hard in the face, causing the paramedic to swear loudly.

"What the fuck, man? Have you gone mad? " He furiously asked Creme, massaging his forehead. "I told you to stay still!"

"Sonata." Creme said. The paramedic stared at him with an eyebrow raised.

"That blow to the face must have knocked out some of your senses too." he said, mixing a cotton swab with the bottle of strange liquid. "My name is Bob."

"Wha---no...no. There was...there was a girl with me. Her name...her name's Sonata. Is she here? Is she safe?" Creme asked, his words slurring a little.

"Ask her yourself, sir." Bob said, jabbing the cotton swab into Creme's left nostril, causing Creme to wince in pain. Bob motioned with his head to the person that was beside Creme.

The hand that Creme was holding onto began to gingerly rub the back of Creme's hand with its thumb. Creme tried to turn his head, but was stopped by Bob, who muttered something about disobedient patients. He waited for Bob to pull out the cotton swab, which was covered in blood, before turning.

Sonata was kneeling next to him, smiling weakly. She was unhurt, unshaken, but most importantly, safe. Creme looked down and realized the soft and warm thing he was resting on was in fact Sonata's lap.

"Hi." Sonata said, though the tone was much weaker when compared to her usual greetings. "You're finally awake."

"Are you alright, Sonata?" Creme asked.

"I-I'm fine." Sonata replied, looking down to the ground. "Are you alright?"

Bob rolled his eyes. "He will, once I'm down with fixing his nose, little lady." He grabbed Creme by the cheeks and turned his head to face the paramedic. "Now please, for the last time. Stay. Still." Bob then proceeded to jab another cotton swab into Creme's right nostril. He chuckled as Creme winced in pain.

Creme groaned as the paramedic pulled out the cotton swab from his nostril. "Can't you do that more gently?" he asked the paramedic.

"What, this little thing?" Bob waved the bloodied cotton swab in front of his face. "Something like this shouldn't be painful. Compared to that punch you took, I say this is something like an ant's bite."

Creme was starting to like the paramedic less and less now. Bob handed him a white cloth, while instructing him to blow his nose into it.

"We need to make sure there is no blood, mucus, or whatever that is still left in your nose." Creme blew his nose into the white cloth as hard as he can. Once he was finished, Bob told him to relax.

"Now, what I'm going to do next is to rearrange your nose bones. This, is probably going to hurt." Bob said, smiling mischievously.

I hate you, Bob. Creme thought, feeling vexed. He closed his eyes and waited as the paramedic placed his thumbs between the bridge of Creme's nose. Creme tighten his grip on Sonata's hand, preparing for the pain to come.

"Now, I'm going to count to 3, okay?" Bob said. "Here we go. 1..." He didn't count to 3.

Creme swore loudly as his nose was set back to its original position.

"Language, sir. We have a lady with us you know."

"Look who's talking."

"Hmph. Well, my job is done. You two love birds be safe now, okay?" Bob packed his stuff and left the both of them.

Sonata helped Creme to stand up. "Does your nose still hurt?" she asked, holding his arm to support him.

Creme gently tapped his nose. "Nope, its feeling better." He looked around his surroundings. There was a small crowd of people gathered around them. A police car can be seen next to an ambulance Bob had arrived in. Creme spotted a tall man---that he identified as Mr. Ord---talking to two police officers, who were both busy jotting down on their notepads. Creme watched as Bob headed over to one of the police officers. Bob spoke some inaudible words to one of the officers and pointed at Sonata and Creme.

"What happened after I was knocked out?" Creme asked, facing Sonata.

"They ran away." Sonata said. "Someone called for help after you were punched. They tried to grab me, but the crowd came to our rescue."

"Good people." Creme said, looking at the crowd. "How you holding up?"

Sonata said nothing, staring at the ground.

"Sonata?"

"I...I'm so sorry."

Creme was perplexed by the sudden apology. "Huh?"

"I-if I knew better, I would've went h-home straight away. But...but I thought they j-just wanted to...to talk." Sonata said, her voice shaking. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey..."

"I'm so stupid. I'm so, so stupid!" Sonata's grip tighten on Creme's arm. "When I told Mr. Ord what had happened, he scolded me. He told me that I could have been in terrible danger!"

"It's not your fault, Sonata." Creme said softly, placing his hand on Sonata's.

"It is!" Sonata exclaimed, pulling her hands away from Creme's arm, her eyes watering. "It's all my fault! I'm always so dense, so naive! That's why I'm always being tricked. That's why I'm always being led astray. T-that's...that's why they left me..." Tears slowly flowed down her cheeks.

"Sonata..." Creme had no clue what to say to her. He could only stare at her, as she continued to sob. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright. That everything was fine. But he couldn't. The words won't escape him. It was all stuck in his throat, unable to surface.

"T-they left m-me...they b-both left me..." Sonata said between sobs. "I'm so sorry."

It's my fault, Sonata. Creme thought to himself. I shouldn't have let you go back alone. He lifted his hands, reaching out towards Sonata's trembling body. I'm the one who's sorry.

"Creme! How are you feeling?" a voice called out. Creme's hands quickly returned to his side.

Creme looked up and saw Ord walking towards them, with a police officer closely following him. Sonata silently wiped away her tears.

"How'd you know we were here?" Creme asked.

"The police called me over." Ord said, glancing at Sonata. "Sonata gave them my number." He focused his eyes on Creme. "How's the nose?"

"Its much better now, thanks." Creme said, staring at the police officer. "What's going on?"

"There are a few things that this good officer wish to ask Sonata." Ord said, while the police officer behind him pulled out his notepad. "Sonata? If you don't mind."

Sonata nodded and followed the officer to one side, while Creme and Ord sat down on the side walk. Ord turned to look at him.

"I can't say that I'm disappointed in you, Creme." Ord said, his tone soft, but stiff. "But when you said that you would escort her home, I was under the impression that you will actually bring her all the way home."

"I'm sorry, Ord. What I did...it was a big mistake." Creme said, a deep sense of shame and guilt rising in his chest.

"Everyone make mistakes, Creme. What's important it's how often that mistake happens."

"It won't happen again. I promise."

"Action speaks louder than words, my boy."

"I know." Creme looked at Ord. "I know."

Ord let out a sigh, a weak smile forming on his lips. "All that matters now, is that the both of you are safe." he said, clapping Creme lightly on the back. "I'm just glad you were there to prevent this incident from spreading into something far worse."

"If I did what I promised to do, none of this shit would've happen." Creme muttered under his breath.

"True. That's why you must learn from your mistakes. Learn to change." Ord said. "Do not dwell on what you should have done. Instead, be grateful that you've managed to do anything at all."

Creme stayed silent. The crowd had already dispersed, and the ambulance had left. The only ones left was Creme, Ord, Sonata, and the two police officers.

"You will still need to buy a new mirror though." Ord said suddenly, pointing at something beside Creme.

Creme looked over at the direction Ord was pointing at and saw that the parcel that once contained his brand new mirror was now all crumpled and mashed, revealing shards of broken glass.

"Damn it."

"Was it urgent?" Ord asked.

"No...not exactly." Creme replied. "It just...makes me irritated."

"I see." They both glanced at Sonata, who was still being questioned by the police officer. "This might take a while."

Creme thought back to what had happened a few minutes ago, to when Sonata was crying. What did she mean by they have left her? Who was they? Was it a dark, and painful memory? Creme barely knew Sonata. But her sudden tears had filled him with a terrible sadness. A sadness that he could not yet understand, that he could not grasp.

Creme wanted to help her. To ease her pain. But what can he do? He was just a total stranger to her, just like how she was a stranger to him. It was none of his business. All he needed to do was to walk away, and bury the whole thing deep in his brain. Just let it disappear. Let it be forgotten, never to recalled ever again.

But he didn't want to.

"Ord, can I ask you something?"

Ord glanced at Creme. "What is it?"

"It's about Sonata." Creme said. "A moment before you approached us, she was saying something about people leaving her. That she was left behind."

Ord stared at the black sky and heaved a sigh. "I see...well, I don't think I'm the right person to tell you about this matter, Creme." he said. "In fact, I don't think I have the right to say anything about this at all."

"I...I understand." Creme said, disappointed.

"But I can tell you this. What happened to her in the past, left her with a huge scar. Both emotionally and mentally. If you were to meet the Sonata from the past. The difference would be like heaven and hell." Ord said, his voice somber.

"That is why we, at the Holy Shrimp, take great care of Sonata. Her heart has always been pure, and innocent. Yet, when that same heart is suddenly left and surrounded with dark and terrible things, it becomes tainted. That heart would then see the world differently. It becomes terrified. Uncontrollable. Unstable. That is what Sonata has been through in the past."

"It took me a long time, but I finally managed to break through the wall she has set up. Me and my colleagues at the Holy Shrimp supported her, helped her, and took care of her. But it wasn't easy. The state she was in when I first met her..." Ord's voice trailed off. He shook his head, and looked at Creme.

"Creme, you are now part of the family. I'm sorry that I could not tell you what her past was. But maybe, in time, she might tell you herself. All that I ask from you right now, is to not bother her with this. Some things are better left unspoken."

Creme nodded. "I understand, Ord."

Ord smiled at him. "Thank you, Creme. As I said, you are now part of the family. And you now know why I asked you to do this. Sonata is not completely hopeless, as a matter of fact, she is strong. But she still requires time. All that I ask from you, Creme. Is that you support and help her when we couldn't. Be her source of light, when ours couldn't reach her. Befriend her, and always remain so."

Creme glanced at Sonata, she was walking back towards them, albeit she still looked rather gloomy. He understood what he needed to do. Even if she was still a stranger to him. Given time, he was sure they could be good friends. Everyone needs a friend. Friends that can help you. Friends that can support you. Friends that can be there for you.

"I will."

This Little Filly Had None

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"Are you sure, Ord?" Creme asked, as the trio slowly approached the steps leading to the entrance of the apartment building. After the authorities left, Ord suggested that they all went for a nice cup of coffee. It had been an hour or so since then, and the short hand on Creme's analog watch stated that it was close to nine.

"Perfectly sure. I would hate to ask for you to come to work after going through such a harrowing evening." Ord replied, smiling at Creme.

"But I feel fine." Creme protested. He glanced at Sonata. "Besides, I don't think I'm the one who needs the day off tomorrow." he whispered to Ord. Sonata was very quiet during their little detour to the café Ord recommended, and remained so even at the café itself. She spoke very little, and when she did it was only when she was being talked to. Creme had tried as many topics as possible, hoping to get a conversation going. But he gave up, seeing how sad Sonata looked.

"Oh, don't be silly." Ord said, waving a hand at Creme. "I've already asked her to take the day off as well." Ord turned to look at Sonata. "Right, Sonata?" he asked.

Sonata nodded weakly, her expression still looking glum. Ord heaved a sigh, and lightly petted her on the head.

"Don't look so sad, Sonata. I'm sure that after a good night's sleep you'll be back to your cheery self again." Ord said, smiling at her. "And, Creme will make sure of that. Won't you, Creme?"

Creme stared at Ord with a blank expression on his face. Sonata glanced at him.

"Huh?"

"Since the both of you are taking a day off tomorrow." Ord said while tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I suggest the two of you go out and see the sights together. You're still new to this area aren't you not, Creme? Use that free time and go get accustomed to this place."

"But..."

"But nothing, Creme. The four of us at the restaurant will be perfectly fine. The both of you don't need to fuss and worry over us. Just go out tomorrow, and have fun." Ord clapped Creme on the shoulder. "Don't forget, you'll have a cute guide accompanying you." Ord added quietly and he gave Creme a wink.

Ord pulled out a silver pocket watch from his pocket. "Will you look at the time!" he exclaimed, after looking at the time. "I really must be going." he faced Sonata and Creme. "Well now. Tonight may have been rather...eventful. But I hope that the two of you will exercise more caution next time."

Creme nodded, remembering his promise to Ord. He just hoped he won't be making any more mistakes. He'll have to put in extra effort.

Sonata looked up at Ord. "You're leaving already?" she asked quickly, sounding sad.

Ord smiled and petted Sonata on the head again. "I'm afraid I must, Sonata. But you don't need to worry." Ord said as he nudged his head in the direction of Creme. "You'll have him with you." he whispered in her ear.

Sonata turned to look at Creme. Their eyes met as she regarded him for a second, as if evaluating him, before her lips formed a soft smile. She went to stand next to Creme, who had his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah." Sonata said to herself, smiling. Creme looked at her and then to Ord, feeling confused. Why were they both smiling? Should he smile too? No, smiling all of a sudden because others were smiling might label him as odd. He'll just stand here, continuing to look confused.

"Good night." Ord said. He waved at the two of them before spinning around and leaving in the opposite direction. They watched in silence as Ord slowly disappeared from their view. Creme continued to stare at the dimly lit street, thinking back on the things he had been through ever since arriving at this new place. Indeed, when Creme first arrived here, he wanted his days to be normal, quiet, and without problems.

He certainly didn't expect any of this to happen, though.

Only yesterday, he had met an old lady who had given him a mirror which somehow contained a talking pony from a different world. That alone was weird enough, crazy even. And just earlier this evening, he had received a powerful punch to the face---which resulted in him having a broken nose---from one of two goons that tried to abduct a girl who Creme is now required to befriend. That same girl has a dark past that Creme knew nothing about. A past that he is not allowed to know...yet.

Creme let out a tired sigh. All of this seemed to be some messed up writing for a story that never came to be. Probably for good reasons.

"Hey..." Sonata said, bringing Creme back to his senses. "Are you okay?"

Creme faced her. "I'm fine." They both entered the building and climbed the stairs. "How about you?" he asked her, as they made the slow climb up.

"I'm much better now." Sonata replied, smiling.

They said nothing for the rest of the way up. Only the sound of their footfalls could be heard, echoing softly throughout the building. When they reached Creme's floor, they both stood quietly at the deserted hallway, unsure what to say to the other. An awkward silence befell them.

Creme rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes looking in the direction of his apartment. "Well...here we are." he said, "This is my floor." he glanced at Sonata.

Sonata nodded. Her eyes not meeting Creme's. She wanted to say something to him, but wasn't sure how to convey it. All she could do was nod.

"Good night." Creme said, turning around and walking to his apartment door.

"Wait!"

Creme froze, he looked back at Sonata, who was tapping the tip of her fingers together nervously. Creme raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"T...Thank you." Sonata mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Sorry?"

"Thank you." she repeated, raising her voice a little louder. "For saving me."

Creme smiled. She must've been waiting for the right moment to tell him this. "It's was nothing. It was my fault to begin with anyway."

Sonata looked at Creme. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

"I was the one who left you alone in the first place didn't I?" Creme asked. "If I just went back home with you..." his voice trailed off.

Sonata raised her hands, frantically waving them at Creme. "Wha--no! It's not your f-fault! I was t-the one who insisted on going back alone." she said in a hurry, her cheeks turning red.

"Still, I feel guilty about the whole thing. I want to make this up to you." Creme said, "Since we both have the day off tomorrow. Why don't we go grab something to eat together, my treat."

Sonata lowered her hands. "You're treating? Really?"

Creme nodded. "Yup."

"And I get to choose whatever I want?" Sonata asked. Her eyes were suddenly shining.

Creme raised an eyebrow at her. "Err...yeah, of course." Somehow the mention of the word 'treat' triggered something within Sonata.

"YES!" Sonata shouted suddenly, springing into the air, her face filled with glee. She did a little dance after she landed and grinned at Creme. "I'll see you tomorrow then!"

Creme couldn't help but to grin as well. The sudden change in Sonata was surprising, but at least she wasn't as gloomy as before. "Yeah." he said.

Sonata waved at him happily and skipped up the stairs to her floor. Creme waited until she disappeared before turning around. He pulled out his apartment key and was about to put it in the door lock when he heard Sonata calling out to him.

"Creme?" her voice came from above him.

"Yeah?"

"I like tacos."

* * * * * *

"And there you have it. My first day at work." Creme said.

"Whoa. That is some really intense stuff. So you were completely knocked out?"

Creme nodded. "It wasn't exactly a playful punch you know." he said, gently rubbing his nose. "In case you've forgotten, my nose nearly shattered into a million pieces."

"What did it felt like?"

Creme rolled his eyes. "Like a fist to the face. What else does it feels like?"

Rainbow giggled at him. "I'm sorry." she apologized. "So that's why you're back so late. You were knocked out for that long huh?"

"Not that long. Me and a couple of friends went to grab something to drink after the whole thing."

"Looking like that?" Rainbow asked, pointing a hoof at him. "Wasn't anypony shocked by your appearance?"

"Well, the waiter almost fainted. And the other customers at the café thought I was being abused by Ord."

"Who?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Ord. My manager at the place I'm working at."

"His name sounds odd."

Creme laughed. "Yeah, it does."

Creme placed the mirror down on the table against the wall. Setting it so that Rainbow was able to see his entire apartment. Except for the bathroom, of course.

"So this is where you live?" she asked in wonder, staring around. "You sure have a bunch of weird stuff."

"You live on top of a cloud." Creme retorted. "You're the weird one."

"No I'm not!"

Creme laughed, standing aside so that Rainbow could get a better view of his place. "Still, I'm surprised that this mirror still works, even when I'm not standing directly in front of it."

"You probably just need to be very close to the mirror." Rainbow said. "Which it's cool. I wouldn't want to see your beaten face all the time."

"That's why I putting the mirror here. I'll probably move it again, though." Creme said. "At least now I won't need to see your face too." he joked. Moving the mirror out of the bathroom was a splendid idea, but he still needed to get a new mirror to replace it. Maybe tomorrow after grabbing a bite with Sonata.

"So this friend of yours...what's her name again?" Creme asked.

"Twilight Sparkle"

"Sparkle, right. You say she wants to conduct a study on me?"

"You and the mirror." Rainbow replied.

Creme nodded. "I see, and you wanted to see if I'm okay with it?"

"Well duh, It wouldn't feel right if you suddenly found yourself staring back at another pony who is not as cool as me."

"A fair point. I would miss not being able to see your face again."

Rainbow blushed a little. "R-right. So. Are you okay with it?"

Creme pondered for a moment, rubbing his chin. "I guess it's okay. What's the worst that could happen?"

"You have no idea, Creme." Rainbow said, shaking her head. "You have no idea."

"Is it that bad?" Creme asked.

"Horrible. But not to worry. I'll be here to make sure she doesn't blow things up."

"Err...blow things up?" Creme was starting to worry a little. This Twilight Sparkle was sounding more and more like a mad pony instead of a princess. "She won't be able to harm me...right? I mean, I am from a different world anyway."

"I dunno, Creme." Rainbow said, her voice low. "Twilight and her magic sometimes goes beyond what I would call normal. An egghead of her potential can be quite...scary."

Creme wiped away the cold sweat from his brow. "She must be quite the princess then." he said, his voice cracking.

"You will find out soon enough. The moment I tell her you're okay with this she will pop in here the very next second."

Creme paced around the room, deep in thought. He didn't really mind if someone wanted to study more about the mirror. Hell, he was interested in the mirror himself. He could use the expert opinion.

But this Twilight sounded dangerous. From what Rainbow had told him about her, she can be quite crazy at times. Very crazy. He felt an ominous feeling rising within him. Maybe he should back out of this one for the time being.

"M-maybe I should think about this longer." Creme said, "It's already getting late and I don't think I'm quite ready to present myself yet." he continued, and he stood in front of the mirror to look at Rainbow.

Rainbow stared at him. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Creme repeated. "What do you mean 'Uh-oh?'"

Rainbow smiled sheepishly at Creme. "I've already told her that you said okay."

"Wha-when did you do that?"

"When you were tel---" Rainbow didn't finish her sentence. She heard a knock coming from her front door. "Oh buck, she's already here!"

Creme took a step back from the mirror. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious! And so is she." Rainbow said before turning around. She trotted downstairs towards her front door. Rainbow opened the door slowly, taking a careful peek from behind it. She saw Twilight looking at her with a huge grin on her face. Twilight had her saddle bags filled with so much books and equipments that it almost looked like she was trying to move her entire laboratory to Rainbow's house.

"Hello, Rainbow!" Twilight said with a grin.

A grin that made Rainbow shiver.

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"Greetings!" Twilight said gleefully to Creme, as she and Rainbow entered the bathroom. She was flooded with euphoria as she set her saddle bags down on the puffy, fluffy floor underneath her hooves. Her horn was then surrounded by a light raspberry-coloured aura as she lifted her tools and books from her saddle bags with her magic.

Creme pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the mirror, staring curiously at the new pony that had entered the bathroom. She looked a lot different than Rainbow Dash. Besides from her light mulberry-coloured coat and her sapphire blue-coloured mane (With streaks of violet and rose.), she has wings too. But she also has a horn.

From what Rainbow had taught and told him about the land of Equestria and the friends she has there, Twilight Sparkle was once a unicorn. But after going through some sort of mysterious magical magic madness episode (Something about Twilight accidentally casting an ancient unfinished spell, but was then able to complete the spell and solve the problem.), she was then turned into an alicorn.

Alicorns, according to Rainbow Dash's knowledge, are ponies that has both the power of flight and magic. Being an alicorn also meant being royalty. Thus the name, Princess Twilight Sparkle. There are only 5 of them in the land of Equestria, and all of them are mares. The first one, Princess Celestia, was in charge of raising the sun, and is one of the rulers of Equestria. Princess Luna, the younger sister of Celestia, was in charge of raising the moon, and she too, ruled over Equestria alongside her older sister.

The third alicorn, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Princess Cadance, is the ruler and guardian of a place called the Crystal Empire. Rainbow said that Princess Cadance has the power to spread love and reduce anger among ponies through her magic. She is also married to Twilight's older brother.

The fourth and newest alicorn to join the royal family was none other than Twilight Sparkle. She is the leader of the Elements of Harmony, and the possessor of the element of magic. (6 in total: Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Loyalty, and Magic) Rainbow Dash said she possesses the element of loyalty.

Rainbow had also told Creme that she and her friends are also tasked with being the protectors of Equestria. Their job was to ensure no harm would befall upon their homeland. She recounted the journeys and adventures they had and the foes they had encountered to Creme. Most of the stories, however, tended to be more focused on Rainbow Dash instead of her friends.

The last alicorn was a mystery, and still remained so. All Rainbow Dash could say was that the alicorn was believed to be the very first alicorn to have existed in Equestria. There wasn't much information about the mare, however. Even Celestia has little knowledge about the first alicorn. And she has already lived for more than a thousand years.

The ponies of Equestria called her Faust, the first queen and the first alicorn of the kingdom.

Creme blinked and allowed a yawn to escaped his lips. He had been watching Twilight moving about Rainbow's bathroom, who was still busy pulling out books from her bags, and was slowly starting to get sleepy. He wondered to himself how much longer all of this was going to take.

"Psst! Creme!" a soft voice whispered. Creme stifled another yawn and saw Rainbow's face slowly appearing in front of him, blocking Twilight from view.

"Yeah?" he asked drowsily.

Rainbow was about to open her mouth to speak but was suddenly interrupted by Twilight. "Alright! Everything is in place! Rainbow, if you don't mind, I would like to begin with my study."

Rainbow looked at Creme for a second longer before letting out a sigh and stepping away from the mirror, giving Creme the full view of the bathroom. Except it no longer looked like a bathroom. The entire place now looked more like a mix of cloud, bathroom, and library. There were papers, quills, and ink bottles on the floor. Stacks of books were all over the place, some of them open, some of them closed. There were also some equipments that were placed next to Twilight. Equipments that would be more fitting inside a laboratory instead of inside a bathroom.

Rainbow's jaw dropped at the sight of her bathroom. "Twilight, what did you do?" she asked in a shocked tone, as she stared around the room. She lifted a book that was near her with a hoof. "What's with all the books?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her, as if surprised by Rainbow's question. "I wanted to be sure that I have all the proper materials for this study. So, I brought every single book that has a possibility of supplying and providing information for me, with me."

"But what about all of that?"Rainbow asked, pointing at the equipment beside Twilight.

"Oh, these?" Twilight said as she lifted a roll of multi-coloured wires using her magic. "Just something that I might need."

"For what?" Rainbow cried, smacking her forehead.

Twilight smiled. "Oh, you know. Just in case." she said, her eyes twinkling.

Rainbow shook her head from side to side. "I don't like where this is going."

"Me too." Creme said nervously from behind his mirror. Looks like everything that Rainbow had told him about Twilight were true: She can be quite terrifying. Creme gulped, a feeling of fear slowly surfacing from his stomach.

"And you must be Creme Fraiche!" Twilight suddenly zoomed pass Rainbow and came face to face with Creme. Creme was grateful that the mirror was here, he wasn't sure what would happen if he were to actually meet the alicorn without the use of the mirror. "My name is Twilight Sparkle." The alicorn said.

"H-hello." Creme stuttered. "N-nice to m-meet you."

"Now, if you don't mind, Creme." Twilight said, pulling out a piece of paper with her hoof while summoning a quill and an ink bottle with her magic. "I would like to ask you some questions."

* * * * * *

"Fascinating!" Twilight exclaimed as she continued to write on her paper. "Humans are simply fascinating!" she pulled out a fresh piece of paper and resumed jotting.

Creme took a sip of water from his cup, his throat feeling a little dry. It was nearly approaching midnight and all the questions Twilight had been asking him for the past couple of hours was about his world and the inhabitants that live in it, nothing else.

"Science and technology is such a marvel in your world!" Twilight said, her eyes sparkling with joy. "All the feats and achievements your species has accomplished! All the discoveries made! All the knowledge acquired!" she sighed happily. "How I wish I could study more about your world!"

Creme smiled at her. She was not as terrifying and menacing as he thought her to be. She simply has a huge thirst for knowledge, and merely wishes to see it sated.

"Thank you very much, Creme!" Twilight said, stacking her mountain of papers neatly with her magic . "The fact that I am actually able to communicate with an entirely different species from another planet is simply astounding!" She skipped around the packed room. "This proves that there are other worlds out there! We now have strong evidence that we are indeed not alone in this universe!"

"That's great and all, Twilight but---" Rainbow yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. "---what does any of this got to do with the mirror?"

"Don't you understand, Rainbow?" Twilight teleported over to Rainbow and grabbed her by the face, pulling their muzzles close to each other. "This is the discovery of a life time! The answer that all of us have been searching for!"

"You mean you have been searching for, right?" Rainbow said, rolling her eyes at Twilight. "Look, I know you want to continue questioning Creme about his 'fascinating' world and all, but didn't you say you wanted to study the mirror?"

Twilight grinned sheepishly at Rainbow, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well...yes, but all of this is part of the study!" Twilight quickly grabbed her notes that were written down on the papers and showed them to Rainbow. "I need this information to help me understand the mirror much better!"

"No, you don't." Rainbow said, yawning. "None of the questions you were asking Creme had anything to do with the mirror at all. You just wanted the notes for yourself don't you?"

"Wha...? No! I would never do such a thing. I honestly believe that these notes would help me understand Creme bet--- eep!" Twilight quickly covered her mouth with a hoof. But the damage was done.

"AH-HA! I knew it!" Rainbow shouted, pointing a hoof at Twilight, a look of pride painted all over her face. "You were never interested in the mirror in the first place were you?"

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but no words escaped her. She kept quiet for a moment, before sighing in defeat. "No...I was actually more interested in Creme and his world instead of the mirror." She looked at Rainbow with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I was so caught up by the prospect of being able to learn about an alien species---"

Excuse me? Creme thought.

"---that I completely forgot about the reason you asked for my help in the first place." Twilight walked closer to Rainbow. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Rainbow grinned at her friend. "Of course I forgive you, silly. There was no real harm done anyway."

"Except reducing the amount of sleep I'll be getting tonight."

"Shut up, Creme!" Rainbow hissed. She looked back at Twilight. "All I'm trying to say here is, you might want to tell me about this first, next time. You know, that you wanted to study about Creme's world too. At least we'll be more prepared." and she gave Twilight a hug.

Was that really necessary? Creme thought, scratching his head.

"But Creme was right about one thing." Rainbow said, as she separated from Twilight. "We won't be getting enough sleep if this goes on."

Twilight stared at her notes and then to the mirror. "I suppose...we can continue tomorrow." Twilight said slowly. "And for real this time." she added, smiling at Rainbow.

Rainbow nodded lazily, her eyelids barely able to stay open. "Good! Now if you don't mind, this mare needs her beauty sleep." and with that said she trotted out of the bathroom.

Twilight giggled softly as her friend left the bathroom. She turned around and approached the mirror, where Creme was still waiting.

"So..I guess we're done for tonight?" he asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Creme."

"No harm done." Creme said, grinning. "There's really no need to apologize you know. If I were you, I'll be also quite interested in your world too."

Twilight smiled at Creme. "Haven't Rainbow told you about Equestria yet?" she asked.

"She did but...most of the information tend to change into stories of how awesome and cool she is." Creme said, and they both laughed.

"Rainbow can be like that sometimes." Twilight said, stifling a giggle. "If you want to, I can tell you all about our world. When we are not sleepy that is."

"Sounds like a plan." Creme said. "Are you going to be sleeping at her place tonight?"

Twilight yawned, and nodded. "Mmm hmm. But I'm gonna tidy up her bathroom first before going to bed. I already have you as the source for information anyway."

Creme chuckled. "Well then, I hope my knowledge will be enough to satisfy your needs, your highness." and he bowed his head a little.

Twilight giggled. "Why thank you, good sir. I'm positively sure you'll be all that I need."

After wishing Twilight goodnight. Creme went to take a quick shower. The cold water splashing all over his body made him wide awake, but he didn't mind it. He would fall asleep eventually. Once done with the shower he proceeded to brush his teeth.

First Rainbow Dash, and now Twilight Sparkle. Would he be meeting more of these talking ponies? What would happen then? Will Twilight be able to figure out the mysteries surrounding the mirror? Creme could only ask himself these questions, but none of them can be answered. Not yet.

As Creme laid down on his bed, waiting for the sleep to consume him, his thoughts slowly wandered towards Sonata, and his promise to treat her to lunch the following day.

Tacos huh? Creme thought. He grinned to himself and closed his eyes, allowing the Sandman to do his job.

* * * * * *

Twilight shoved the last of her books back into her saddle bags before staring around the bathroom. It was no longer surrounded with books and lab equipments. She smiled to herself and walked towards the mirror, wanting to give it a last look before going to bed.

Since Creme had already went to bed. Twilight could only see her reflection in the mirror. But the sounds of someone snoring can be faintly heard from the other side of the mirror. Twilight chuckled. Humans are indeed fascinating creatures. she thought to herself.

Twilight was about to turn around when something caught her eye. She crouched down on all fours, just below the mirror, and saw written words scribbled neatly on the underside of the mirror. She raised an eyebrow. How could she had miss this? She probably wasn't paying any real attention during her earlier inspection of the mirror.

Twilight turned her head to look behind her. She could make out Rainbow's loud snoring. Twilight focused her attention back on the mirror and carefully removed it from the wall with her magic. She set it laying down on the cloud floor, giving herself a better view of the words found on the mirror's underside:

BTSS .ɿɘdmɘmɘɿ ƨyɒwlɒ ,ƚɘǫɿoʇ ɿɘvɘИ .lɘɘƚƨ nɒʜƚ ɿɘǫnoɿƚƨ bnɒ ,boold nɒʜƚ ɿɘʞɔiʜƚ ƨi ɿɘʜƚɘǫoƚ ƨu ƨƚɔɘnnoɔ ƚɒʜƚ bnod ɘʜT .ƨƚɿɒɘʜ ƨ'ɿɘʜƚo ʜɔɒɘ ni ɘd ƨyɒwlɒ lliw ɘw ƚɒʜƚ ɿɘdmɘmɘЯ ,ɿɘʜƚɘǫoƚ ɿɘǫnol on ɘɿɒ ɘw nɘʜw nɘvƎ.

Twilight stared at the words, questions already bombarding her brain. What sort of language was this written in? Who was the one that wrote it? Who is BTSS?

Twilight was going to find out. One way or another.

* * * * * *

The knocking on Creme's front door woke him up. He was having a weird dream, something to do with talking horses that has magical powers. He sat up on his bed and stretched, yawning loudly.

The knocking continued, a little louder than before. Creme rubbed his eyes and stared at his clock. It was ten in the morning. He slowly and reluctantly got out of his bed, and headed for the door. He scratched his itchy butt before opening the door.

Sonata Dusk was standing in front of him, with a huge smile on her face. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and the scent of shampoo was already filling Creme's nostrils. They both stared at each other for a while. One smiling. One sleepy.

"Morning, sleepy head!" Sonata said cheerfully, giving him a funny salute. "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Sonata...it's...it's...ten in t-the---" Creme yawned. "---morning. Lunch is like...in about two hours."

"I know! But I thought I could maybe show you around the area first before grabbing lunch!"

Creme blinked slowly. He was still feeling a bit groggy. "Fine...just let me---" he yawned again. "---freshen myself up." he motioned for her to come in his apartment. "Come in...come in..."

Sonata skipped passed Creme and stared at the apartment. She placed her hands behind her back, and walked around the place, humming softly.

"Have a seat." Creme said, waving his hand at the couch. "Just give me a few minutes. I'll be right out." and he entered the bathroom.

Sonata sat down on the couch, and looked about. She spotted Creme's bedroom, where the door was left wide open, exposing the contents of the room to her eyes. She giggled to herself. Her eyes continued to wandered around the room when she spotted a mirror on top of a table. She raised an eyebrow and made her way towards the mirror.

Why would someone put a mirror here? she asked herself mentally. She approached the mirror and noticed 4 dragon's head on each of the mirrors corners. She touched one of the heads with her finger, getting a feel for the surface. She then stood herself in front of the mirror, wanting to have a look at her reflection.

Except that something else was already staring back at her.

The sudden loud scream almost made Creme slipped. He quickly covered himself with a towel and made a dash out the bathroom. As he opened the door, Sonata suddenly ran behind him, using Creme as a shield from the danger she was about to face. She poked her head out from behind Creme's shoulder and glared at the mirror on top of the table. Creme followed her glare and saw Rainbow Dash looking back at them.

"Oh, crap."

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Well, shit. Creme thought.

The situation Creme was currently in wasn't doing him any good. There he was, standing half naked, with only a towel to cover his man parts. Behind him was Sonata, who was already starting to hyperventilate. She was grabbing onto Creme's arm, her nails digging deep into Creme's flesh. Her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and shock.

"What is that?!" she cried, pointing from behind Creme's back with her finger. "WHAT IS THAT?!" she repeated louder, shaking Creme's arm. Creme quickly grabbed tightly onto his sole and only cover. He wasn't planning on putting his family jewels on display just yet. Creme glanced over at Rainbow, who was too busy laughing.

"Rainbow Dash!" Creme shouted. "Laughing is the last thing you should be doing right now!" he said with a huff.

Rainbow was unable to say anything to Creme. She was laughing so hard, she was already in tears.

"Rainbow Dash!" Creme shouted again, hoping to get the pegasus's attention. But once he saw that the pony was a lost cause, he quickly focused his attention back to Sonata, who was still spouting out questions and exclamations, most of them incoherent.

"Sonata!" Creme shouted. "Calm down! Please let me---"

"Whatisthatthing?!" Sonata cried, shaking Creme even harder on the arm. "Is that a monster?!"

That caught Rainbow's attention.

"Excuse me?!" Rainbow yelled in anger, glaring at Sonata. "Who're you calling a monster?"

"AHHHHHHH!!!" Sonata screamed, and she suddenly grabbed onto Creme, hugging him tightly, squeezing the air out of him.

"So...na...ta..." Creme managed to say, but with difficulty. For someone smaller than Creme, her strength can be quite surprising. He tapped Sonata on her hands, and even tried peeling them off him. But Sonata's grip was like iron, and it would take something more than just Creme's hands to get her off him. Like a crowbar, maybe.

"It spoke! The monster just spoke!" Sonata said, her voice quavering with fear. She suddenly pressed her entire body against Creme's back, causing Creme to immediately stand up straight. Even though he was running out of air from the hug of death by Sonata, Creme was still able to feel something soft, something firm pressing into his exposed back.

Soft! Creme thought between gasps of airs. Very, very soft! He tried once again to remove Sonata's hands from crushing him into paste, trying his best to ignore the sensual yet deadly feeling coming from behind. But the girl would not let go, let alone loosen her grip. Creme was already running out of ideas of how to escape. So was his oxygen.

"Creme! Are you okay?" Rainbow called out from beyond the mirror. Creme turned to look at her. Rainbow was staring back at them, no longer laughing. Her face was painted with worry.

Now you notice me? Creme thought. He shook his head at Rainbow and pointed at Sonata's hands. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He looked back at Rainbow with a pleading look. Hoping...praying...wishing, that Rainbow could somehow think of a way to rescue him.

Luckily, Rainbow was quick enough to understand the peril Creme was in.

"Hey! You're going to kill Creme if you don't let go!" Rainbow shouted. "Calm down and take a deep breath!"

For just a split second, Creme felt Sonata's grip loosen. But it came back almost immediately after that, tighter than before.

"Why is the monster talking to me, Creme?!" Sonata cried. "Does it want to eat me?!"

"I'M NOT A MONSTER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!" Rainbow suddenly bellowed, causing Sonata to release Creme in surprise. "I'M A BUCKING PONY!"

* * * * * *

"Awww...she's just so adowable!" Sonata said gleefully. "I wish I could pet her!"

Creme rolled his eyes while massaging his sides. Now that he was fully dressed, he and Sonata were seated next to each other facing the mirror. After Rainbow's sudden outburst, Sonata finally managed to calm down. And after a quick explanation was given to Sonata, all she did was giggle and she had asked Creme why he didn't said it sooner. The palm-mark on his forehead was still very red and visible.

"I'm not 'adowable'!" Rainbow retorted, though blushing a little around the cheeks. "I'm c-cool, a-and awesome!" Rainbow turned to face Creme. "I liked her more when she was busy crushing you."

"Haha." Creme deadpanned. After explaining what the mirror does, he introduced Sonata to Rainbow. The change in attitude from Sonata was so fast it was like meeting two different Sonatas. Her eyes had lighten up when she got the chance to properly look at Rainbow, squealing in delight as she does so.

"A pony!" She had said, spinning around and smiling at Creme like a kid's first time at the zoo. "A talking pony!" Creme couldn't help but to smile back at Sonata.

"So...she's a human like you too?" Rainbow asked.

Creme and Sonata nodded in unison. "She's a colleague of mine at work. We were supposed to go grab a bite together a moment ago but...stuff happened." Creme said, rubbing his stomach.

"Oh! I'm so, so sorry for what happened earlier, Creme." Sonata apologized, smiling sheepishly at him.

"It's okay, Sonata. No harm done." Creme turned to look at Rainbow. "Where's the princess?" he asked, feeling curious as to why Twilight had not appeared after all that yelling.

"Still asleep in my room, snoring louder than anypony I've ever seen." Rainbow replied, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. "After meeting you, she spent the remainder of the night reading about something. She was getting ready to sleep just before I got up."

"Does she always stay up late like that?"

"Only when something interesting catches her eye. Which in this case, is you." Rainbow said, winking at Creme.

The three of them spent the rest of the morning chatting, with most of the talking actually done by Sonata, who kept on asking question after question about Rainbow's world and the ponies that live there.

"Oooh, how I wish I could go visit Equestria!" Sonata said with a wishful look. "It must be wonderful to be a pony!"

"Yeah, ponies can be pretty cool." Rainbow said smugly. "But I'm still the best among all of them!" she boasted with pride.

"Even better than the rulers of Equestria?" Creme asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Rainbow let out an awkward laugh, and she blushed a little. "Well, not among all of them." she said shyly.

"I bet they all look as adorable as you though!" Sonata chirped, smiling at Rainbow.

"Stop calling me adorable!" Rainbow said with a huff. "That word makes me feel so uncool." she looked at Creme. "You think I'm cool right?"

"I think you're adorable." Creme teased, chuckling to himself as Rainbow turned red in the face.

"Stop it!"

* * * * * *

After saying their goodbyes to Rainbow, Creme and Sonata left the apartment building and started walking towards the nearest taco shop.

"Would you let me talk to her again next time?" Sonata asked, stepping ahead of Creme and turning to look back at him. "There are still so many things that I want to ask her!"

Creme gave Sonata a peculiar look, his hands in his pockets. "You know, you are taking this entire thing pretty easily. Even I flipped out when I first met Rainbow Dash." Creme said. "How can you take all of this so calmly?"

Sonata grinned at Creme. "Oh, you know. It's just been a while since I last met one."

"You've met talking ponies before?"

"A long, long time ago." Sonata said with a mysterious tone. "I don't like monsters though. Monsters are scary."

Creme opened his mouth, but closed it almost immediately. He was wondering if Sonata was pulling his leg about meeting talking ponies before. He considered the thought for a moment, but decided to let it slide. Maybe Sonata was just playing around.

"Yeah, monsters can be pretty scary." he said in agreement while nodding his head.

"Right? I get so scared from just thinking about them."

"But talking ponies don't scare you?"

Sonata shook her head, her ponytail wagging behind her with each shake. "I told you, I've met talking ponies before."

"Right, and I'm the king of tacos."

"For realsies?!" Sonata asked, suddenly stopping in her tracks and colliding head first with Creme's face. "Ooh, sorry! Are you okay?" she asked quickly, stepping back.

"I'm pine." Creme said, rubbing his reddening nose. "And no, of course I'm not the king of tacos."

"Oh..." Sonata said sadly, looking crestfallen. "I've always wanted to meet the king of tacos."

"Wha---why?" Creme asked, surprised.

"Just curious."

Creme gawked at Sonata. Is she serious? he asked himself mentally. She actually believes there is a king of tacos?

The duo resumed their walk. They were slowly approaching a taco shop, and Sonata started skipping the moment she saw the sign.

"That's the new taco shop that just opened here recently." she informed Creme, pointing at the sign. "I've always wanted to come here, but never really found the time to do so."

As they got closer and closer towards the taco shop, Creme stared at the sign: it has a huge golden crown with a throne in the middle, and sitting on the throne was a---

A taco. Creme thought. A taco sitting on a throne. he sighed to himself. What is this? A game of tacos? Creme squinted his eyes as he read the name of the shop.

"The Taco King!" Sonata squealed, jumping up and down. "This place is called the Taco King!" she grabbed hold of Creme's hand. "Come on! We might actually meet the king of tacos!" and she began dragging Creme towards the entrance.

"Sonata, I highly doubt that we wil---holy sh---" he was unable to finish, for he was suddenly interrupted by---

"GREETINGS, ROYAL SUBJECTS! I AM THE KING OF TACOS! AND I WELCOME YOU TO THE TACO KING!" A huge man wearing a taco-shaped crown was standing behind the entrance. The man was also wearing a red royal cape and was holding a long sceptre with a golden taco ornament at the tip.

"THE TACO KING IS REAL!" Sonata yelled, bouncing up and down happily. "He's real, Creme!"

"Indeed I am, my lady!" the huge man said, beckoning for Creme and Sonata to enter. "It is my duty as king to see that my subjects have the privilege to see me. My appearance here not only fills my subjects with feelings of hope, and passion. It also brings joy for the children."

This man must be fun at parties. Creme thought to himself.

Sonata was almost bursting with happiness. She let go of Creme's hand and instead hugged his arm from the side, still jumping.

"He's real! He's real! He's real!" Sonata squealed, pressing her chest against Creme's arm. Creme could feel the very same sensation he felt that morning. Except that it was closer now. Much closer. And since now that he was in a completely different situation, Creme was finding it difficult to not grin like an idiot.

I could stand here all day. Creme thought to himself blissfully, enjoying the movement of Sonata's chest moving up and down against his arm.

"Now come! Choose your taco!" the huge man suddenly shouted, pulling Creme by the shoulder and pulling him back to his senses. Creme cursed silently as Sonata released his arm and followed closely behind him as they approached the counter. Sonata began to hum her tuneless tune as they read the menu.

"Welcome to the Taco King. It is our sworn duty to provide you with the best tasting taco you've ever tasted." the server behind the counter deadpanned. "Can I take your order please?" The last word sounded forced.

Creme looked up at the server, who was a girl. She was chewing on a piece of gum, and seemed more interested with her fingernails instead of the customers. Great service. Creme thought sarcastically. He looked back at the menu.

"So, what you want, Sonata?" he asked. When he didn't receive a reply, he turned to look at her. "Sonata?"

Sonata was no longer humming. She was no longer smiling, and no longer skipping. Her eyes were wide and wet with tears, and her body was shaking as if a sudden chill had suddenly came over her. Creme stared at Sonata in shock. He opened his mouth, about to voice his concern, when Sonata suddenly spoke.

"A...Ar...Aria?" Sonata whispered, staring at the server in front of them, with tears streaming down her face.

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"A-Aria...is that...is that r-really you?" Sonata whispered, her voice barely audible. She dried her flowing tears with the back of her hand, her eyes never leaving the server in front of her.

Creme stared at Sonata, then to the person she called Aria. Was she a friend of Sonata's? Why did the mere sight of her cause Sonata to weep so much?

The server named Aria looked at the two people in front of her with a bored expression, still chewing on the piece of gum in her mouth. She stopped chewing, however, when she saw Sonata. Her facial features turned from that of boredom, to deep disgust and loathing.

"You." Aria hissed, glaring at Sonata with venom in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I...I..." Sonata stuttered, unable to form her sentence.

"I told you to never show your face to me ever again." Aria said, her voice cold. "Get out of my sight."

Sonata looked as if she was just stabbed in the heart. She bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the tears. But the action failed.

"I...I'm sorry. I'm so, s-so s-sorry." Sonata turned around and ran out the entrance with tears in her eyes, leaving Creme with a stunned looked on his face.

Creme turned to face Aria. He had no idea what had happened between the two of them, and he knew that going after Sonata was the first thing he should be doing right now. But there was something in his gut that was telling him that he needed to say something to the girl in front of him. He opened his mouth, ready to speak his mind, when---

"ARIA BLAZE!"

Creme's mouth shut itself back at the sudden voice that was yelling from behind him. A second later, the king of tacos passed by Creme. He was no longer wearing his crown, and his sceptre lay forgotten on the floor behind him. He approached the counter with rising fury.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" the king demanded, his voice trembling with anger. Several of the customers stopped eating and turned to stare at the sudden commotion that was slowly unfolding before their very eyes.

"I did nothing." Aria replied, her voice cool, and steady.

"A customer left with tears in her eyes!" the king yelled, showering the counter with spit. "We want our customers to leave with smiles, not tears!"

"Not my problem."

"Not---NOT YOUR PROBLEM?" the king took a deep breath. His eyes darted to Creme for a split second before returning to Aria. Whispers could be heard from the customers.

"I'll deal with you later." he said to Aria, his face red with anger. The king turned around and forced himself---with difficulty---to smile at Creme, who had remained silent during the whole time.

"I apologize for our horrible customer service, young sir." the king said as he glared back at Aria. "I'll make sure that the problem is dealt with." He placed his hand on Creme's shoulder. "Now...don't you have someone to chase after?"

Creme nodded. As he turned to leave, he took one last look at Aria. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was not the last time he'll be seeing her.

Just as Creme was about to set foot outside the Taco King, he heard someone calling out to him.

"Wait!"

Creme turned around just to see the king of tacos running up to him, bringing with him a yellow and green take-away bag. The king handed the bag over to Creme.

"It's dangerous to go alone. I've seen situations like this before. You'll need something to aid you in cheering the young lady up. Take this."

Creme accepted and opened the take-away bag---which had the shop's logo in front of it--- and found several similar-sized things wrapped in aluminium foil. It wasn't hard for Creme to guess the contents though.

"It's our best seller." The king said, grinning at Creme. "Guaranteed to bring a smile on anyone faces." the king spoke as if the taco was his beloved son. "Even those in tears." he added, winking at Creme.

"Thank you." Creme said, closing the bag. "I'm sure this will help."

"Now go!" the king boomed as he slapped Creme on the back. "There is a damsel that is waiting to be comforted."

"Twilight." said a fuzzy voice. It sounded far. Distant. Twilight mumbled to herself and covered her face with the pillow she was resting on. The pillow felt somewhat different to her. It felt foreign. Alien, in fact.

But Twilight didn't care. All she wanted now was peace and quiet. She was extremely tired, and wanted nothing more but to sleep for the rest of the day.

"Twilight."

There was that voice again. It no longer sounded fuzzy. It sounded familiar. VERY familiar.

Something poked Twilight on the belly. Softly. "Twilight, wake up."

"Mmm..." Twilight turned around, her eyes still shut. The poking continued, starting from her belly, and then slowly all over her body.

"Leavemealone..." Twilight mumbled faintly, lifting a foreleg and swiping lazily in the direction of whatever was poking her. Her hoof hit air, and softly landed back on the cloud bed she was sleeping on.

"All right, that does it." Twilight heard the voice say. She heard some hoofsteps moving around her, and suddenly she was shoved out from the comforts of the cloud bed, all the way down to the soft, fluffy floor beneath her.

The soft, but sudden fall to the ground woke Twilight with a start. She blinked several times, and rubbed her eyes, trying to bring her sight into focus. As her vision cleared, she was surprised to see that her home looked nothing like the library she lived in back in Ponyville. The room was completely white, and so, so incredibly fluffy.

For some unexplainable reason, Twilight was not feeling or showing the slightest signs of panic. Usually, when a pony (such as herself) wakes up and suddenly find themselves in a place that was unrecognisable, or different than the place that they are accustomed to, they will panic. Be scared. Be utterly confused.

Yet, Twilight was not feeling any of those. That must mean she does recognize the place. But she can't quite put her hoof on it.

"Wake up, egghead." Rainbow said from behind Twilight, making her jump.

"Spike?" Twilight asked stupidly, looking around her.

"No, you dummy. It's me, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow stepped out to stand in front of Twilight. She grinned at Twilight and playfully rubbed her mane with her hoof.

"Nice hair." Rainbow said, giggling.

Memories of last night began to flood Twilight's brain. The mirror. The new world. Creme. Twilight remembered where she was. She was currently at the house of the one and only, Rainbow Dash, all the way up in Cloudsdale. She came over last night to conduct a study on the sudden appearance of a mysterious creature. A human, to be exact.

"Helllloooo...Cloudsdale to Twilight Sparkle." Rainbow said, bringing her face close to Twilight's. "Are you there?"

Twilight gave her head a little shake. "Yes, I'm here, Rainbow." She looked at her rainbow-maned friend. "How long have I've been asleep?" she asked.

"Long enough." Rainbow replied, smiling.

Twilight stared out the window. The sun was shining brightly. It's rays filling the room with warmth and sunlight. She remembered going to sleep just as Rainbow was getting up. And, judging by the sun's height in the sky, the time was slowly approaching noon.

The horrendous growling that was coming from her stomach also told Twilight that she was hungry. Famished, as a matter of fact.

"Whoa, looks like someone needs their breakfast and lunch." Rainbow joked. "But that's gotta wait." Rainbow said as her expression became serious.

Twilight stared at her friend. Her ears at attention. "What happened?"

"We have a problem, Twilight." Rainbow said, pointing a hoof in the direction of her bathroom. "Something weird is going on with the mirror."

Where could she be?

Creme stopped to catch his breath. He had been running around, searching for Sonata. He had tried searching for her at the shopping mall, at the park, and even at the Holy Shrimp. But she was nowhere in sight. It was as if she has completely disappeared from the face of the earth.

It was a pointless search. Creme knew this all too well. He barely knows Sonata. How was he supposed to know where would Sonata be? He wasn't her best friend. He wasn't a close relative of hers. He was just an acquaintance. A colleague from work.

Creme cursed silently to himself, wishing that he had left sooner to catch up with her. It would take a huge amount of luck to be able to find her. He was new in town, while Sonata had already been here longer than him. Meaning, that she knew the town better than Creme did. She's probably hiding somewhere. Somewhere Creme wouldn't be able to find. Not by a long shot.

The tacos that was gifted to him was getting cold. But Sonata was far more important than cold tacos. Ord had agreed to help search for her. He even suggested a few locations for Creme to go search. But it was to no avail.

Sonata.

Creme turned around and jogged in the direction of his apartment. Maybe she went back home? It was the only place he haven't been to yet. It was worth a shot.

The questions that he had been asking himself ever since leaving the taco shop returned to bother him once again. Who was Aria? What sort of relationship Sonata had with her? Creme jogged a little faster, wanting to reach the apartment building sooner.

Was this related to the dark past Ord was telling him about? Was Aria, somehow, connected to all of this? Creme shook his head. Now isn't the time to be thinking about this questions. There was only one thing he needed to do right now. One thing he needed to focus on.

Creme ran up the stairs two steps at a time. If he was not mistaken, Sonata lived a floor above him. He could start from there. He pulled out his phone, and started searching for Ord's contact number. Maybe Ord knew what number her apartment was.

The sounds of someone crying caused Creme to come to a sudden halt. The source of the sobbing was coming from his floor.

Could it be?

Creme returned his phone to his pocket, and climbed up the stairs. He approached his floor, and turned around.

There, seated on the ground with her back against Creme's apartment door, was Sonata. She was hugging her knees, crying. The sound of her sobs filled the hallway.

Creme let out a sigh of relief. He slowly approached the crying girl, thinking hard on what he should say to comfort her. He wasn't the kind of guy who was good in comforting people. He found it difficult, and awkward, and sometimes annoying. All that he was able to do in situation like these was to offer a listening ear, and maybe a shoulder to cry on.

But words? That might be a little too advanced for him.

Sonata looked up as Creme got closer, her eyes red from all the crying.

"Cr-Creme." she said weakly, giving him a soft smile. But it was painfully obvious that the smile was forced.

Creme sat down beside her, his shoulder next to hers. They sat in silence, not a single word shared between the two of them. Only the occasional sniffling from Sonata broke the silence. Sonata wiped her tears away.

"Are you okay?" Creme asked, after a while. Of course she's not okay, you idiot.

"No." Sonata said softly, her voice a little hoarse.

Creme passed the take-away bag to Sonata.

"A gift from the taco king." he said, offering a smile.

Sonata opened the bag.

"It's their best seller." Sonata said, chuckling softly. "I've seen it on their ads before. You could tell by the way they wrapped this." She said as she pulled one out, and slowly began to unwrapped it.

Thank you, king of tacos. Creme thought to himself. He made a mental note to himself to go and properly thank the taco king later. He silently watched Sonata as she took a bite into the taco.

"Is it good?"

Sonata nodded, smiling. "It's delicious." She offered the taco to Creme. "Wanna try?"

Creme hesitated, but decided to take a bite at the taco. Sonata held on to the taco as Creme sunk his teeth into the half-eaten taco, pulling a chunk out with him as he withdrew.

The taco was delicious.

"Huh. I culd see why tis is heir best seller." Creme said, between each bite. He swallowed. "Very tasty."

"Mmmhmm." Sonata agreed, taking another bite.

Creme gazed softly at girl next to him. He wasn't sure if she was feeling any better right now. Or if she was okay at all. But he was afraid to ask. Sometimes, silence and ignorance is the best approach. Or so he thought.

"Creme..."

Sonata suddenly clung on to Creme, hugging him tightly around the middle, burying her face into Creme's chest. The almost finished taco was left on the ground, forgotten along with the take-away bag. But it was the tears that Creme noticed first.

Sonata cried once again. Her sobs louder this time, and full of pain and sadness. Creme was left stunned and shocked. What was he supposed to do?

"Creme..." Sonata said between sobs. "C-Creme..."

An uneasy feeling began to surround Creme. He was never good in times like these. He felt vulnerable, exposed. But at the same time, he knew that he needed to do something. He needed to take action. Something must be done. Anything.

"Creme...please..."

Creme looked down at Sonata as she looked up at him. Her tear-filled eyes was like miniature puddles of water. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, their gaze reflecting each other.

"Comfort me, Creme." Sonata whispered, her voice trembling.

Without a word, Creme hugged Sonata back. Giving as much comfort as he possibly could.

* * * * * *

After accompanying Sonata back to her room and saying goodbye, Creme gave Ord a call to inform him of the turn of events. Ord thanked Creme for his help, and was glad Creme was able to find her.

Creme stared at the forgotten take-away bag that was still on the ground in front of his door. He picked it up along with the unwrapped taco. He unlocked his door and entered his apartment, sighing as he shut the door behind him.

What a day.

He set the bag and taco down on the kitchen counter. Too lazy and too tired to do anything else, he sat down on his couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Hey."

The voice caught him by surprise. But it wasn't enough to take his eyes away from the ceiling.

"Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

"Yup." she answered. Her voice sounded strangely clearer. It even sounded closer.

"You sound...closer than usual." Creme wasn't lying. She did sounded closer. Almost as if...

Creme stood up and quickly stared in the direction of the mirror.

Standing before him, just in front of the mirror, was a cerulean-coloured pony with a rainbow-coloured mane. With wings too.

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"Hi." Rainbow casually said, waving a hoof at Creme.

Creme stared at Rainbow with his mouth wide open, shocked by the sudden appearance of the pegasus pony in his apartment.

Creme suddenly lost his function to form proper sentences properly. "When did you...how did you...wha?"

"I just got here, actually." Rainbow said, brushing her mane with a hoof. Specks of dust could be seen floating away from her mane. "Nice place you got here." she added, looking around.

Creme slapped himself hard on the cheek. The throbbing pain he felt from his cheek proved to him that he was indeed not dreaming. That means, what he was seeing in front of him right now was 100% real. He gulped.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Rainbow asked, bewildered by Creme suddenly slapping himself. "Why the heck did you do that for?"

Calm down. Creme told himself, wiping away the cold sweat that had formed around his forehead. No need to panic. It's just a pony.

A talking pony. In his home.

What the hell was going on? In just three days, his life had just kept on getting weirder and weirder with each passing minute. First, he was gifted a magical mirror from a mysterious old lady. Then, he soon discovered that there was an alien world behind the mirror, with talking ponies. Then, a pony that he just met two days ago, was suddenly in his home. In the flesh.

Thing could not get any worse than this.

Oh wait. Creme thought. It already did.

He felt a headache coming. Creme groaned and sat back down on the couch, unable to cope with Rainbow's sudden appearance. He covered his eyes with his palm and took a few deep breaths.

Rainbow stared at Creme with a confused look on her face for a few more seconds longer before walking over towards him. She sat down on the floor next to the couch, looking around her surroundings.

"You're oddly calm." Creme said, making an opening with his fingers so he could look at her.

Rainbow shrugged at him. "Meh, I've been through worse." she told Creme, looking back at him. Creme's legs caught her eye, and she stared at them intently. "Are these...your legs?" she asked, prodding his right leg softly with her hoof.

"Yes."

"You only have two of 'em?"

"Yes."

"They are so...strange looking."

"You're the strange---wait, stop!" Creme cried out suddenly, standing up. "This isn't the time to be having a normal conversation right now! How on earth did you get here?!" he questioned Rainbow.

"It's a long story."

"Time is on our side."

Rainbow sighed, and took a deep breath before continuing. "The mirror was acting weird. I got curious. I jumped right in. The end."

"What part of long do you not understand?"

"Aw, come on, Creme. Give me a break will ya? I really don't feel like telling the whole thing." Rainbow said. She turned around and looked at the mirror. "Maybe Twilight can fill you in." she continued, jabbing a hoof in the direction of the mirror.

"Urgh." Creme reluctantly rose from his couch and approached the mirror, with Rainbow following closely beside him. She wasn't really tall, her height only reaching somewhere around Creme's stomach.

Are ponies supposed to be that small? Creme pondered, staring at Rainbow. He shrugged the thought away, and looked at the mirror.

Twilight's face greeted him, but for only a second. Unlike Rainbow, who was calm and cool. Twilight was freaking out. She was frantically running around the bathroom, talking to herself. A mess of books, quills and papers can be seen spread out all over the bathroom.

Twilight was quickly reading through every book her magic can grab a hold of. When Rainbow suddenly went through the mirror, she thought she had lost her. All the books she has brought with her told her nothing about how to deal with magical portals. She has never ever seen a magical portal before. Well, except for the mirror, of course. But seeing one now was a little too late.

"Oh no! Why didn't I bring any books that has information about magical portals?" She asked herself, flinging a book behind her and bringing another one over with her magic. "Do I even have any books about magical portals? Ooo...I wish Spike was here right now." she said, feeling frustrated with herself.

Twilight took a quick glance at the mirror, only to find herself looking back. There was no alien world. No human. No Rainbow.

"Please be okay, Rainbow."

Creme realized that Twilight hadn't noticed him. She was so busy looking through her books she didn't even considered looking back at the mirror twice.

"She's been at it for a few minutes now." Rainbow said, chuckling to herself. "I was about to call out to her when you came in."

Creme rolled his eyes at Rainbow. He looked back at the mirror.

"Twilight!"

Twilight dropped the book she was reading. She quickly turned around and felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw Creme' face.

"Creme!" she exclaimed, galloping over to the mirror. "Is Rainbow there with you? Is she okay? Is she hurt?" she asked, looking worried, and scared.

"Hi, Twilight." Rainbow's face appeared beside Creme's. "Surprise!"

* * * * * *

Rainbow sat quietly on the floor, looking at the ground and drawing small circles with her hoof. Not a single word escaped her lips. Creme wanted to feel sorry for the cerulean pony, and maybe offer a few comforting words to her. But after seeing and hearing the scolding Rainbow received from Twilight, he thought it was best to stay out of it. At least for the moment.

"Good. Now that that's dealt with. Let's get back to more pressing matters."

Creme nodded. He wanted answers for his questions. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked. "At least. The full version of it."

Twilight rubbed her chin. "I was woken up by Rainbow. And she told me about the mirror acting weird."

"What kind of weird?"

"Very."

Creme raised an eyebrow at Twilight. "I thought you guys are all about weird."

"That's rude, Creme. But...yes. We have seen a great deal of strange occurrences here, in Equestria. Just not in things regarding about magical-portals-that-leads-to-an-entirely-different-world kind of weird!" Twilight exclaimed. "This is pretty new to me."

"Anyway, when we approached the mirror. Instead of seeing our faces being reflected in the mirror, a portal took its place."

"A portal?"

Twilight nodded. "It was rather perplexing. All the books I brought with me here had nothing on about alien portals. Here in Equestria, portals are rare but they do exists. Though I have never actually seen one before." she hovered over a few books with her magic, flipping through the pages of one of them.

"However, from what I've remembered," Twilight continued. "Portals functions as a gateway, brining one object or pony from one portal to the other. But they are all linked to the same world. Not other celestial bodies. Meaning, that the portals that can be found in Equestria, all leads back to Equestria, just in another different location from the first portal one steps in through."

"Yeah, I could see why that makes sense."

"I don't get it." Rainbow said quietly, still looking at the ground. Her ears were standing straight though. She was paying close attention to everything Twilight was saying.

"Shush, Rainbow." Twilight snapped.

"Sorry." Rainbow whispered.

"Ahem. I was very curious at first. How did this mirror suddenly became a portal to another world? All we knew from the start was that the mirror showed another world. But for it to suddenly change..." Twilight voice trailed off.

Twilight shook her head. "I was about to do a close examination of the mirror, to better understand the situation before taking any further steps of action. When Rainbow suddenly flew pass me, and dove straight into the mirror itself."

"Don't you have any understanding of the word 'Dangerous'?" Creme asked Rainbow.

"Hey, dangerous is my middle name."

"I'll say."

"You could've been seriously hurt, Rainbow!" Twilight cried. "I almost had a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Twilight." Rainbow apologized, looking down. "I just dunno what came over me. I had the sudden urge to do it, you know?"

"No, I don't." Twilight huffed. "You could've died." she said sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. "What if I lost you?"

"Now look what you did." Creme told Rainbow. "You made the princess cry."

Rainbow stood up, rushing over to the mirror. "Please don't cry, Twilight!" she begged. "Look, I'm perfectly fine, see?" Rainbow bumped her hoof on her chest. "Alive and kicking." she grinned at Twilight.

Twilight dried her tears. Smiling back. "Don't do that ever again."

"I pinkie promise." Rainbow said, doing some weird gestures that Creme couldn't understand.

"Pinkie promise?" he asked out loud.

They both ignored him.

"Tell you what, Twilight. I'll come back right now." Rainbow stood herself in front of the mirror. "I'll be back in ten seconds flat."

She placed her head against the mirror and pushed. Nothing happened.

"What the---wait, let me try again."

Rainbow pushed with all her might, trying to get her head to go through the mirror.

The mirror didn't budge. Neither did Rainbow. She took a few steps back and stared at Creme. Then to Twilight. An awkward silence slowly filled the apartment.

"Oh, buck."

* * * * * *

"Now, calm down, Rainbow. I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Calm down---CALM DOWN?!" Rainbow yelled. "I'm stuck here, Twilight!"

"Well, if you haven't went in to the mirror in the first place, none of this would had happened!" Twilight shouted back.

"Ladies, please! Calm yourselves."

Rainbow began pacing around the room frantically. "I'm stuck, I'm really stuck, I'm gonna be stuck here forever!"

"No you won't, Rainbow. We just have to figure out a way to solve this." Twilight told Rainbow.

"And how are you gonna solve this exactly? You said so yourself you know nothing about alien portals!"

"W-well I'm p-pretty sure I can find the answer in one of my books."

"Or never find one!" Rainbow wailed. "I'm doomed!"

"Stop being so pessimistic!"

Creme watched silently as the two ponies continued arguing, their argument getting more and more off topic. All this yelling and screaming was going to get attention. Unwanted attention. And if the knocks do come raining down on his door, he was almost absolutely sure that he would have a hard time explaining to the people and the authorities on why he had a pony in his apartment. A talking one, mind you.

Creme forced his concentration on any possible solutions that could help Rainbow get back to Equestria. What was Twilight saying about the mirror again? Something about a portal forming?

Of course. Creme thought to himself, slapping his forehead. How can he be so blind? The answer was right there in front of him the entire time.

"Everybody, please! Calm down for a second!" Creme exclaimed suddenly, interrupting both Rainbow and Twilight from their squabbling. He stood himself in the middle of the mirror and Rainbow, blocking either side from seeing each other. He looked back at Twilight, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"I think I've found a way on how to send Rainbow back." Creme told Twilight, much to her surprise.

* * * * * *

"You're joking."

"No I'm not."

"He isn't kidding, Rainbow."

"Are you serious? Are you both serious?"

Creme and Twilight nodded their heads together. "I believe this is the best option we have right now." Twilight said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "It all makes sense now. Why didn't I see it sooner?"

Rainbow groaned. "You want me to wait until the portal forms again?" she asked Twilight. "What if it never happens?"

"Then you will be stuck here forever." Creme said bluntly.

"That's not funny."

"Look, Rainbow. I know you're confused, and maybe a little scared. But we don't have any other choice. Waiting for the portal to reappear again is the only thing we could do right now."

Rainbow wanted to protest, but she knew Twilight was right. It was not like Rainbow had a better idea, anyway. And it kinda was her fault in the first place. Slowly, she nodded her head in defeat.

"Okay, Twilight. I'll wait."

"Thank you, Rainbow. In the meantime, Creme can take care of you."

Rainbow blushed a little. "I'm not a filly you know." she said, feeling embarrassed. "I can take care of myself."

"No, you're not a filly." Twilight said, smiling. "But you are currently staying at an alien world." she looked at Creme. "Creme, can I count on you to keep Rainbow safe? At least, until the portal comes back?"

Creme nodded. "And in the meantime, maybe you can find some other way to bring her back to your world."

"I'll try searching my library. But if things take a turn for the worse. I might need to consult my mentor."

After saying her goodbyes to Rainbow and Creme, Twilight packed her things and left the bathroom. The mirror showed Rainbow's bathroom for a few more seconds. Then, the image slowly turned to that of Rainbow and Creme, who were both staring at the mirror.

Rainbow sighed deeply, walking away from the mirror and sitting down on the floor next to the Creme's couch. "I can't believe this is happening."

"You think you're the only one having a hard time believing this?" Creme asked, sitting on the couch. "This is too much for me to handle right now."

"Well, you're the one who suggested waiting."

"It was the only clear solution."

They both sat in silence for a moment. Creme took out his phone to check the time. The time told him that it will be dinnertime in a few more hours. But Creme was getting very hungry, since the only bite of food he got was from the taco he shared with Sonata. He shifted his gaze to the kitchen counter, gazing hungrily at the take-away bag that the king had given him. The unfinished taco laid beside it.

Creme felt something poke him on the leg. He looked down and saw that Rainbow was the culprit. She was poking every inch of his right leg. Rainbow was probably fascinated by it. But it was pretty annoying.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just curious." she replied, looking up at him. "You humans are just so very, very weird."

"I could say the same to you."

"I mean what is this?" she asked, standing up and ignoring Creme's previous remark. She pointed at his hand. "What are those things that are poking out?"

Creme's eyes followed where her hoof was pointing at. "They are called fingers."

"Fingers?"

"Yes, fingers." Creme said, wiggling his fingers at Rainbow.

Rainbow grabbed on to his hand, examining it closely. There was a light, warm heat radiating out from Rainbow's hooves. Her hooves felt strangely soft against his hand, contrary to what he had believed. It was rather...well, weird. But not uncomfortable.

Creme was suddenly filled with the urge to pet her. He wanted to feel more of the softness and warmth. Not only the softness from her hooves, but also from her fur. She just looked so...so...pettable?

Rainbow was rather close to him, now that she was standing up. Her head was only a few inches away from him.

Maybe...maybe I could...

She was too interested in his hand, and wasn't paying attention to anything else.

Creme lifted his free hand and gently touched one of Rainbow's ear, getting an immediate shocked reaction from her.

"H-hey! What are you doing?" she asked defensively, letting go of Creme's hand, and backing off.

"S-sorry. I just...sorry." Creme mumbled. Feeling a little ashamed by his sudden action and desire.

Rainbow glared at him, but her expression slowly softens. "You could've just ask me, you know. If you wanted to touch me."

That sentence is so wrong in so many different levels. Creme told himself mentally. His breathing was suddenly rapid, and sharp. Was he getting...excited?

Rainbow gave Creme a confused look, but shrugged it off. She stepped closer towards him. "I suppose it's only fair. What with me suddenly touching you and you suddenly wanting to touch me."

Please stop saying touch. Creme thought, trying his best to steady his breathing.

"So..." Rainbow picked up his hand with her front hooves. "Do you want to?"

Creme gawked at Rainbow. He felt himself blush for some reason. Why was he getting so excited? All he wanted to do was to feel Rainbow's fur. Nothing else. He was just feeling...curious! Yes...curious.

Just curious.

Rainbow was still holding his hand. Creme gulped.

"Yes."

I Got These Feelings For Hooves (You)

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"Creme..." Her voice was like melting chocolate. Soft, creamy, and sweet.

Rainbow whispered his name seductively again. Her face was very close to his, and he could feel her warm breath blowing gently upon his neck.

"Y-Yes?" Creme stuttered, as beads of nervous sweat slid slowly down his face. He quickly glanced around him. They were both on his bed. Lying comfortably together. Except...he wasn't lying in bed with another person. It was with a pony.

As Creme continued to look around, Rainbow rested her head upon Creme's chest. Letting out a happy sigh as she does so.

Did...did we...? Creme questioned himself mentally. He quickly dug through his memories. Trying to find anything within his brain that could help him explain...this. Or at least remind him on how they got into this position in the first place.

Rainbow lifted her head and gently nibbled Creme on the ear.

"Look at me, Creme..." she spoke softly into his ear.

Creme gulped and turned to look at Rainbow. Their eyes met, and Rainbow giggled to herself, tenderly pawing a hoof on Creme's chest.

The pegasus lying together with Creme on his bed seemed...different. Apart from the fact that she is a talking pony. She was acting rather strange. Behaving rather...peculiar.

And why does she look so damn sexy?

"Touch me again, Creme..." Rainbow requested, staring deeply into his eyes. "I want you...to touch me..."

Creme obediently lifted his hand and began stroking Rainbow's mane. Feeling a bit confused by her sudden demand.

Rainbow closed her eyes, and smiled softly. Enjoying every repeated movement of Creme's hand. The gentle pressure of his hand moving back and forth her mane was stimulating. And she liked it...a lot.

"Creme..." she said, her eyes still closed. "Touch me lower."

Creme's eyes widened, but he said nothing. He proceeded to move his hand from Rainbow's mane down to her back, repeating the motion. Rainbow shifted from her spot, re-positioning herself so that now her entire body was resting on top of Creme's. Her breathing quickened. So did Creme's heartbeat.

"That...feels so...good..." Rainbow panted between each stroke. Rainbow opened her eyes and gaze alluringly at Creme.

"Lower." she breathed.

Creme's hand stopped at the single word. "L-Lower?" he asked. Rainbow nodded, and she prodded him with a hoof.

"Don't stop, Creme." Rainbow begged, nuzzling her face against Creme's chin. "Don't...stop...touching..."

"I-I can't c-continue, Rainbow." Creme said, removing his hand from Rainbow's back. "H-how much lower m-must I g-go?"

Rainbow pouted at him for a moment, and suddenly grabbed his hand with her hooves.

"Touch. Me. Now." she demanded.

"C-can't I just pet your m-mane?" he asked nervously.

"No." Rainbow replied, snuggling her face into Creme's palm. "Touch me lower." Rainbow rested her cheek against his palm, looking at him.

"H-how low must I g-go?"

At the question, Rainbow smiled at him. She pressed his hand against her neck and slowly guided it down...first passing her chest...and then her stomach...lower...and lower his hand went.

Until it came to a sudden stop.

"This low, Creme." Rainbow whispered, smiling.

RINGRINGRINGRINGRINGRINGRINGRINGRINGRING!!!

Creme let out a yelp of surprise, and fell from his bed, his head bumping hard on the floor. He swore loudly, not at all amused from being rudely awoken by the sudden ringing of his alarm clock.

Creme looked around. He was in his bedroom. Alone. There was no attractive pony lying on his bed. It was just him, and his still blaring alarm clock.

Was is all...just a dream? Creme thought to himself.

Creme struggled to stand back up, his head was still aching from the fall to the floor. He turned off the alarm clock, his ears still ringing. It was about time for him to leave for work. All he needed now was a shower. A cold shower.

Of all the things I could dream of... Creme wondered, scratching his chin. ...why does it had to be a pony?

Creme exited his room, and dragged his feet towards the direction of his bathroom when something colourful caught his eye. Creme brought himself to a stop, and he turned to stare at the multi-coloured mane, which belonged to a cerulean pegasus.

Rainbow Dash lay peacefully on Creme's couch, fast asleep, with a thin blanket draped over her body. Creme gazed at the sleeping pegasus for a moment, musing to himself. All previous thoughts of going to the bathroom slowly dissolved away from his mind.

Three days had passed since her arrival. The mirror still remained the same, without a hint or sign of a portal reopening. They were still able to communicate with Twilight, though.

Just how much longer must they wait? Will the portal even show itself again? Creme always asked himself these questions every time he sees Rainbow. It wasn't that he really mind having Rainbow staying with him. He just feels sorry for the little pony. Rainbow was stuck in an alien world. All alone, without her friends and family to be by her side. Creme can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through.

Rainbow doesn't show it, nor does she says it out loud. But Creme could tell that she was homesi---worldsick.

Twilight had come by Rainbow's house the day after the arrival and brought Rainbow's mirror with her to her library in Ponyville. Twilight told the both of them that it would be much safer to have the mirror with her. In case of any unexpected happenings or problems. That sort of thing. It would also be easier for everyone else to see Rainbow. And by everyone, she meant their best friends.

Rainbow didn't complain about having her mirror moved, and was rather happy to see the rest of her friends. Thanks to the move, this would also save her friends the hassle of going all the way up to Rainbow's home in the clouds. Not that they minded anyway.

Just last night, Creme had the opportunity to meet the rest of the elements of harmony. He met the glamorous Rarity, the hard-working Applejack, the timid Fluttershy, and the extremely hyperactive Pinkie Pie. Twilight had previously informed them regarding about the mirror: How it works, what it does, and so on.

They were introduced to Creme by Twilight and Rainbow. The remaining four greeted him warmly. (Except Fluttershy, who took longer because Creme was having a hard time hearing her name.) And they were all very nice to him, despite he being different from them. They questioned him about his world. Just like how Rainbow and Twilight did. Rarity bombarded him with questions about Earth's fashions. And Pinkie Pie won't stop asking him about random things. (Most of which, had nothing to do with Earth at all.)

The seven of them continued to chat throughout the night, discussing plans on how to manually activate the portal, of if it was even possible to do so. Creme really enjoyed their company, and was rather surprised by how serene he felt just by talking to them. They could've gone on much longer, but had to cut it short because Rainbow suddenly fell asleep on Creme's shoulder. Drooling all over his arm. The rest of the group agreed to continue their talk another time, and said their goodbyes.

And yet, I still cannot explain why I had a dream like that. Creme thought, letting out a sigh.

There was a soft knock on his front door, pulling Creme away from his mind, and bringing him back to the real world. He hurried over quietly to the door, not wanting to wake Rainbow up.

Sonata greeted him with the same, bright smile he had been seeing for the pass few days.

"Morning, Creme!" Sonata said, her volume low, but spirited. "Ready to go?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

Creme looked down. He was anything but ready.

"You might need to wait, Sonata." He told her. "Give me a few minutes." and he stepped back from the door to let Sonata enter.

"Is she still asleep?" Sonata asked, entering Creme's apartment.

"Yup. You can find her on the couch."

Sonata giggled happily and headed over towards the couch. Creme chuckled to himself. After telling Sonata of the sudden arrival of Rainbow, she had been visiting them every single time she had the chance. Mostly because, she wanted to play with Rainbow. At least her mood had greatly improved ever since from the encounter with Aria. Creme couldn't bear seeing Sonata being so gloomy all the time.

"Don't do anything to her, Sonata." Creme said, entering the bathroom. "She's still recovering from your last tickle attack, you know."

"No promises." Sonata said, with a mischievous smile on her lips.

* * * * * *

"I know I've told you this like a million times already. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT. Leave this place. Who knows what will happen if anyone sees you outside."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop reminding me, Creme. You almost sound like Twilight. Stop worrying so much. I'll stay right here." Rainbow said, waving a hoof at him. "I just wish I could stretch my wings, though."

Creme raised an eyebrow. "Your wings don't really take up that much space now, does it?" he asked, spreading his arms out in front of him. "Isn't this place spacious enough?"

"No, no. That's not what I meant---"

"She want's to fly." Sonata said, petting Rainbow on the head. ("Stop petting me!" Rainbow exclaimed.) "She want's to spread her wings and soar in the open sky."

Creme stared at Rainbow. "Is that what you meant?"

Rainbow nodded. "If I want to remain as the best flyer in all of Equestria, I'm going to need to do my training. Which means flying."

"Since when are you the best flyer in all of Equestria?"

"Since the day I was born, obviously." Rainbow said smugly.

"Uh-huh." Creme rolled his eyes at her. "Look, you know just as well as I do that I simply can't have you flying around in my world. You just have to bear with it."

"But for how much longer?!" Rainbow whined. "Being stuck here in this dump the entire time is driving me nuts!"

"What?" Creme asked, his voice low.

"I mean, look at this place! It's so small and hard to move around in. How can you stand living in a place like this?"

"What did you say?" Creme's hands started to shake.

"My place is way more cooler. It's huge, spacious, and comfortable. AND I get to go outside and fly whenever I feel like it. Do all humans live like this? What about your family? Is their house small like this t---?"

"ENOUGH!"

Rainbow and Sonata both jumped. They stared at Creme, their mouths opened wide in shock.

"I'm sorry if my home feels like a dump to you!" Creme snapped, his voice rising. He headed for the door. "For your information, I'm not exactly the richest person in town. I have to live with what I can get." Creme added angrily.

Rainbow ears drooped, and she suddenly regretted what she had said. "W-wait, no. I don't really mea---"

Creme opened the front door and turned to glare at Rainbow, his eyes filled with anger. "If you think my home is such a terrible place to live in. If you think that us humans lead such horrible lives. Then by all means, leave."

"No! I'm sor---"

Creme left his apartment and slammed the door behind him. A boiling rage forming within him. He hurried down the stairs, ignoring the voice calling behind him.

"Creme! Will you slow dow---Creme!"

My place, a dump? Creme thought angrily, moving faster than before. Who the hell she think she is?

"Creme! Wait for me will you?"

Creme bumped into someone at the foot of the stairs, but didn't stop to apologize. He exited the building.

Is that what she's been thinking the entire time? Creme clenched his fists. And to think...to think that I would---

"Creme!"

Someone grabbed Creme's arm, causing him to stop. He spun around and saw Sonata standing before him, looking at him with worried eyes.

Creme pulled his arm, releasing himself from Sonata's grip. He took a few steps back, eyes looking to the side, evading Sonata's stare.

"Creme...are you okay?"

"Smashing." Creme said sarcastically.

"Creme...look at me." Sonata step forward, bringing herself closer to him. "Why did you get mad all of a sudden?"

"It's nothing."

"That can't be nothing. I've never seen you like this before."

"That's because you don't know me very well."

"Then help me get to know you better! Just...just tell me what's wron---"

"You know nothing about me!" Creme shouted, turning to face Sonata, but he immediately regretted shouting at her after seeing her face. Sonata was staring at him with her eyes wide with shock, and fear. She was also trembling slightly.

Creme opened his mouth, wanting to apologize, but he merely turned around and ran. Leaving Sonata behind him.

Sonata watched on as Creme slowly got smaller and smaller in the distance. She was feeling confused, scared, and worried. Why was Creme so angry? Was it because of something Rainbow said? Sonata was lost, and she had no idea on what to do next. She quickly pulled out her phone, and dialled Ord's number.

Creme...what's going on? Sonata asked herself, as her call got connected.

But Are We All Lost Stars,

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"Creme." called the voice, startling him.

Creme looked up from his seat. Ord was standing next to him, his tall figure casting a shadow upon Creme. Ord smiled at Creme, and sat down in the empty chair beside him. The day was over, and it was almost time for the restaurant to close. The remaining staff continued to do their work: wiping the tables, taking out the trash and cleaning the kitchen.

Sonata gaze at the two people sitting near one of the already wiped tables. A look of concern furrowed her brow. Creme had pretty much ignored everyone in the restaurant today, even Sonata. He spoke only when spoken to, and replied to the questions with short answers. When pressed further on what was bothering him, Creme would simply remain silent and refused to speak unless the topic was changed.

What's wrong, Creme? Sonata thought, still gazing at Ord and Creme. Why are you acting like this?

Creme turned his head away as Ord sat down, not wanting to look at him. All he wanted was to be left alone, to ignore and be ignored. His morning anger was long gone after lunch, but something else had already taken angers place: regret.

Creme wasn't proud of his actions that morning. He lost his temper, and got mad at Rainbow. Even worse, he shouted at Sonata, who was only concern for him. He knows that Sonata was only worried, and that Rainbow was only joking around. And yet, those words that she said...the same words he had used back then. It brought back an old memory he hated. A memory he could never forget.

"Do you have a minute to talk?"

He ignored Ord, staring at the floor. He already knew what Ord wanted to ask, and what Ord wanted to tell him as well. But he didn't want to hear any of it. Not because he disliked it. It's because he doesn't deserve such kindness from Ord.

"Are you really going to continue ignoring me, Creme?" Ord asked softly.

No reply. That was expected, of course. After the phone call from Sonata, Ord had been trying all day to find out what's wrong with the young man. Ord took pride in his work at the Holy Shrimp, and he cares deeply for each of the staff under him. He treats all of them with respect, with kindness, and with care. If there was anything bothering them, or if they needed help, Ord would come to their aid in a heartbeat.

Right now in front of him, was a employee in need of help. Or at least, a listening ear. But if said employee refused to speak, however. Things might get more difficult to handle. Nothing Ord couldn't handle, though. He's been through worse.

"We both know that you can't ignore everyone forever, Creme. Can you at least listen to what I have to say?"

With reluctance, Creme turned to face Ord. He knew Ord was right. Sooner or later he will have to face the music.

"I won't ask why you are acting like this, Creme. Nor shall I ask the cause of it all. But you must understand that moods like this aren't really welcomed in the Holy Shrimp. I want everyone that comes here---even the staff---to arrive happy, and leave happy."

"I might be presumptuous, but I want you to know that if there is anything that you wish to share--- things that you normally can't say, or have trouble finding someone to actually talk with, I'm always here to listen, all right?"

Creme nodded slowly. Ord let out a sigh of relief. Finally, a real response.

"Sonata called me, you know? This morning."

Creme looked at Ord, a confused look on his face.

"She told me what happened. How you got mad at a friend for saying things about your home." Ord said. "Is that the reason why you lost your cool?"

"I thought you said you won't ask me anything about today?" Creme asked suddenly.

"And you can still choose to not answer any of my questions." Ord replied, smiling. "I am merely offering you the chance to tell me what's wrong. To also give ourselves the opportunity to help each other. That choice, however, is for you to decide."

Creme smiled at him. Maybe telling Ord about it might help ease himself a little. Maybe it could also help lift some of his burdens away. But Creme never really told anyone about his problems before. Not ever since back then. He always kept everything to himself, within himself. Creme believed that his burden was his to bear. For he was the cause of that one burden that was the heaviest, the one that he hated himself the most for it.

No... Creme's smile faded from his lips. He can't tell Ord about it. He can't tell anyone about any of it. My burden is mine to bear.

"Creme." Ord spoke suddenly, placing his hand on Creme's shoulder. "You might think that you can carry all the troubles yourself, that you don't need any help or any support from anyone. You are free to choose what you want to do. As you are free to believe what you believe. If you do not wish to tell me, then don't. I am not forcing you to tell me anything. Nor are you obligated to do so."

Creme said nothing. It felt like Ord had just read through his mind. He shook his head. There was no need to tell Ord anything. Ord said so himself. Why should he tell someone like Ord about his problems? Ord was just his manager. Nothing more. He did not want to be a bother to anyone.

Ord continued talking. "Telling others about your troubles, worries, or burdens doesn't mean that you are passing it to them. You are not hurting anyone by talking to them, you know. Talking, expressing, or even sharing about your problems to others, can greatly help you. You must never turn away someone who is willing to listen. Someone, who is willing to help. Because you don't need to go through all of this alone, Creme."

"My burden is mine to bear, Ord." Creme said, meeting eye to eye with Ord. "Not yours."

"And I can help you bear that burden, Creme Fraiche, for as long as it is yours to bear." Ord said, smiling warmly at Creme.

Creme stayed silent for while. Repeating the words in his head. Was his way of thinking been wrong all these years? Was everything that Ord said true? Or at least, helpful? He thought hard on the matter. A sudden thought of clarity hit him. He smiled weakly at Ord.

"Yes." Creme said softly, after a moment. "I lost my temper, and got mad because of what my friend said about my home. But not because she offended me in anyway. But it was because those words she used were the same ones I said to my father, a long time ago. Words, which I regretted saying until this day."

* * * * * *

"You don't need to tell them what you told me, Creme." Ord said, waving goodbye. "But the least you can do is apologize."

Creme nodded, waving back. "I know, Ord. And...thank you. For listening."

"Anytime." Ord winked at him. "I believe the young lady is waiting for you outside. I suggest you start with her."

Creme left Ord's office and headed for the exit. He took a deep breath as he passed through the kitchen. Everyone except Ord and Creme and Sonata has left. The only source of light remaining in the restaurant was coming from Ord's office and the kitchen. Ord was always the last one to leave the Holy Shrimp. Probably because he was the only one with the key.

Creme felt as if a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders. It wasn't completely gone. But it was definitely much more bearable. He wasn't expecting much at first, when he told Ord about his problems. He thought that nothing would change. That everything will still remain the same. His troubles. His problems. His burdens.

But it was nothing like that. Creme felt better. He felt happier than before. Was it because he told someone else about his problems? To be able to find someone to listen to him? It probably was, or he wouldn't be having this feeling right now.

Never turn away someone who is willing to listen. Creme repeated the words in his head. He will remember those words for the rest of his life.

He spotted her sitting on a chair, just after leaving the kitchen. Creme glanced at his watch and was surprised to find out that two hours had already passed since entering Ord's office. Has Sonata just been sitting there, waiting for him? Ord was right again, it seems.

As Creme approached her, Creme was immediately filled with nervousness. He hadn't forgotten how he yelled at Sonata, and he still felt bad for doing it. An apology just isn't going to be enough. Maybe he should treat her to something.

But how is he going to apologize? He can't just walk up and say "Hey...sorry." and just leave as if the entire thing had never happen. That was just plain...plain. Creme needed to give Sonata a proper apology.

"Sonata?"

Sonata said nothing. She just sat in her chair, her head facing downwards. Creme gulped. Was Sonata mad? Is she giving him the silent treatment? Well...it was probably what he deserved anyway, after what he did.

"Er...Sonata? A-are you mad?"

Silence. The situation was looking bad for Creme. Can't she at least acknowledge his existence? Give him some sort of indication that she was listening?

At least look at me... Creme thought. He sat down in the empty seat beside her, and sighed.

"Sonata, look. I...I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how I shouted at you this morning. It...it wasn't something I should had done. It wasn't right. You don't even know why I was acting like that. You were only worried for me, and I pushed you away."

Still nothing. Looks like Creme has messed up big time. Sonata is never going to speak to him again. Ever.

"Sonata...I...I'm ver---"

"Creme?"

The sudden flashing of lights blinded Creme for a second. He blocked the radiant glow with his hands, creating a shadow upon his face. He spotted Ord looking at him.

"O-Ord?"

Ord gave a curious look at Sonata and then at Creme. He suddenly snapped his fingers as if he had just figured out something.

"Am I interrupting something?" he playfully asked Creme. "Shall I leave the two of you alone?"

"Not helping, Ord." Creme mumbled from the corner of his mouth.

Ord looked at Sonata again, and chuckled.

"Haven't you notice that she's asleep?" Ord asked, pointing at Sonata with his thumb.

"Wh---what?" Creme got up and stood in a better position to look at Sonata.

There she was, fast asleep in her seat. Sonata must've dozed off while she was waiting for him. Due to the rather dim lightning, Creme wasn't able to see her face properly. (Not that he dared to look at her in the beginning, anyway.) Sonata's head was tilted slightly to one side, with both her eyes closed, accompanied by the sound of her gentle breathing.

Creme smiled. Such a peaceful looking face. he thought to himself. He watched her sleep for a few more seconds when---

"Don't do anything funny now, Creme. I'm still standing right here."

"I wasn't going to!" he retorted, glaring at Ord.

Ord chuckled at Creme's reaction. "Sometimes, I too, find her asleep in the chair. If I'm lucky, she will wake up the instant I shake her."

"What happens if you were unlucky?" Creme asked curiously.

"Oh, unlucky isn't really the word I would use for your case." Ord said with a mysterious smile.

* * * * * *

"Can't we just wake her up?"

"No. You saw it yourself, didn't you? She didn't even respond."

"Are you really serious about this?"

"Yes. And, I also find it adorable."

"Again. Not. Helping, Ord."

"She'll wake up halfway, trust me, Creme."

Creme stood up, trying his best to not lose his balance as he does so, since now he was carrying a passenger. Sonata was laying on his back, still fast asleep. After their failed attempts at waking Sonata up. Ord suggested that Creme gave Sonata a piggyback ride home. (To which Creme protested.)

"What if I reach her apartment and she still haven't woken up?" Creme asked Ord.

Ord shrugged at Creme, smiling. "I'm sure you do what's best."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Goodnight, Creme." and Ord went back inside the Holy Shrimp. Leaving Creme and the sleeping Sonata outside. Creme stared in disbelief as Ord disappeared from view. He let out a sigh. Creme double checked to see if Sonata was properly in place behind his back, before setting out for the trip back to their apartment.

The street lamps lighted the way for Creme. Acting as torches in a dark cave, showing him the way out. (In Creme's case, home.) The night cool breeze blew softly on his face. It was an evening like any other. Quiet, simple, and peaceful.

Creme thought of Rainbow Dash. How was he going to apologize to her? Creme never really had any experience in apologizing to ponies. Do ponies from Equestria act differently when being apologized to? Will Rainbow be mad at him? Or will she just seat on the couch, waiting for him to come home?

Will Rainbow even be at his home? What if she left? Creme shuddered at the thought. If anyone from earth saw a talking, flying pegasus on the loose, chaos will be sure to ensue. Creme walked faster, abandoning his previously slow pace. He didn't want any of that to happen. He wants Rainbow to be at his apartment.

But what if the portal suddenly started working again? What if, during the day, the magical portal reopened the way back to Equestria? Will Rainbow leave without saying goodbye? Would she even wait for him to come back so she can tell him goodbye?

"Damn it." Creme swore under his breath. "This is what you get for losing your temper. Isn't that right, Creme?" he asked himself.

Sonata's soft arms that was around Creme's shoulders suddenly wrapped itself tighter around him. Creme looked behind him.

"Sonata?" he asked tentatively.

"Rainbow's waiting." Sonata muttered drowsily, nudging her head softly against Creme's back. "I asked her to wait for you."

"You did?"

"Mmhmm." Sonata yawned. "You want to say sorry to her, don't you?"

"I...I do. Thank you, Sonata."

"Where's my apology?" she asked softly from behind him.

"I was giving it to you back at the restaurant. But you were fast asleep."

"I wasn't sleeping...." Sonata mumbled. "I just...dozed off..." her voice became inaudible.

"...Sonata?"

There was no reply. Sonata had went back to sleep. Creme smiled to himself. He looked above him, staring at the darkening sky. The stars and the moon were more visible now. The night sky was always Creme's favourite. An idea suddenly popped into his brain. He found the perfect way to apologize to Rainbow. All he need was som---

A snore escaped Sonata's lips. Making Creme chuckle.

"You're rather heavy, you know that?" he whispered, as he continued down the street, with a sleeping Sonata on his back.

Trying To Light Up The Dark?

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After what seemed like forever, Creme finally reached Sonata's apartment. Sonata was still fast asleep on his back, her snores getting noticeably louder with each passing minute; what started out as a funny thing quickly turned into an annoying one, not to mention that there was something damp that could be felt behind his neck, where Sonata was resting her head at.

"Sonata," Creme said, turning his head around to look at her. "wake up, we've reached your place."

Sonata mumbled something, but did not move. Creme gave his body a little shake, hoping to jiggle the sleeping girl awake. But his efforts were fruitless; Sonata was still in slumber-land. A sigh of defeat left Creme's lips. He thought of just leaving her here in front of the door. But that was a stupid idea. He gave another shake. Nope, still nothing.

"You sleep like the dead, Sonata." If it wasn't for her snoring, she might as well be.

Creme considered his options: he could either stand here and continue shaking until Sleeping Beauty opens her eyes, or bring her back to his apartment and think of another solution there. Standing here and shaking will only make him more tired than he already was; Sonata wasn't really as light as a feather. Due to the impending approach of fatigue and muscle cramps, Creme chose the latter.

He gave one final shake before turning around to make his way down towards his apartment floor. The trip down was uneventful. Only the sounds of Sonata's snoring can be heard in the quiet, empty hallway.

Reaching for the key in his pocket, Creme fished out his apartment key with some difficulty; one hand was busy supporting Sonata. As he tried to insert the key into the lock, the key slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor, earning a hushed curse from Creme.

"Just my luck." he mumbled, squatting down slowly to retrieve the fallen key. Grasping the key tightly in his hand, Creme stood back up and was ready to give the door another go when suddenly, his front entrance magically opened itself.

"C-Creme?" came a shaky voice from within his apartment. "Is that you?" A familiar pony's face revealed itself to Creme. It was Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash?" Creme asked, startled. "How did you...?" he shook his head, deciding to ask about the matter later. The sooner he got into his apartment, the better. "Never mind, can you step back a little? I got a sleeping princess on my back."

Rainbow nodded and took a few steps back, making room so that Creme could enter. He pushed the door shut with his foot and headed for the couch.

"Is that Sonata?" Rainbow asked, following behind him and staring at Sonata.

"Yup." Creme replied. He gently laid Sonata down on her back on the couch, making sure not to let her go until she was properly placed in what Creme believed to be a comfortable position. "She fell asleep on the way back from work."

"Oh." Rainbow gave Creme a glance, but quickly averted her eyes when he turned to look at her.

"So, how did you open the door?" Creme asked, glancing at Rainbow's hooves. "Isn't my world's doors a bit...complicated for you?"

Rainbow shook her head, staring at the couch. "I-It was no biggie, o-our doors back in Equestria are almost the s-same as the ones you have here." the slight tremble in her voice was obvious; she was probably still agitated by the morning's episode. Creme sighed. He owes Rainbow a huge apology.

"Rainbow Dash," he started, crouching down on one knee so that he was at eye level with her. "there's something I want to tell you."

Rainbow looked at him, her eyes slowly widened and her lips began to tremble. But before Creme could continue, she interrupted him. "W-Wait! B-Before you say anything else, p-please let me say something first."

"But, Rainbo---" Rainbow placed a hoof on Creme's lips.

"I'm sorry, Creme." Rainbow said, pulling her hoof away. "For what I said this morning." she looked away. "The things I said this morning was very rude. And I want you to know that I'm very, very sorry." she peeked at Creme, afraid to look at his expression. "And that if you want to chuck me out, I totally understand your decision for doing so."

"No, Rainbow Dash." Creme said. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

Rainbow stared at him. "W-what?"

"I want to apologize for my actions this morning." Creme sat on the floor. "I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. It was unfair, and very selfish of me."

"B-but..." Rainbow struggled with her words. "I was the one who was being unfair to you! My tongue just slipped, you know? I wasn't thinking of your feelings when I---" she gasped.

Rainbow stopped because Creme suddenly ran his hand through her mane, gently stroking the soft and multicoloured hair "I'm sorry." he said softly to Rainbow. "I'm very sorry."

"I...I'm sorry, too."

They both said nothing. At this point, Creme wasn't sure who was the one supposed to be apologizing. But it felt like their relationship was back to normal. Or at least, getting there. He continued stroking Rainbow's mane, enjoying the texture of her hair; there was a rather, calming sensation coming from the action. She didn't seem to mind him stroking her either. Rainbow had her eyes closed, and she was gently pushing her head against his hand. Creme let out a chuckle.

"What made you think I was going to chuck you out?" he asked her, pulling his hand back. For a brief second, he was pretty sure he saw Rainbow looking disappointed, but he didn't bother to figure out why.

"You did ask me to leave, you know." Rainbow said, looking at Creme. "And I almost did, but I couldn't just leave without saying sorry. So, I thought that if I stayed here, you might get rid of me yourself." Rainbow sat on her haunches. "But, at least that will give me a chance to tell you how sorry I was."

Creme sighed. "You do realize that if you did indeed leave this place, you'd cause even more trouble for me?"

Rainbow shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? You sounded pretty convincing when you asked me to leave."

"I didn't ask you to leave. I said you were welcomed to leave at any time."

"Oh."

They stayed silent for a while, and then suddenly broke into laughter. Sonata grumbled, having been rudely awoken by the sudden sounds of loud laughter, and shifted on the couch. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her eyelids.

"Where's the taco?" she asked sleepily. She was greeted by another round of laughter from Rainbow and Creme.

"There is no taco, Sonata." Creme chuckled, "But I'm glad you're finally back with us."

Sonata yawned. "Where am I?" she asked, looking around. "Is this...your apartment?"

"Yup."

"What...what am I doing here?"

"I tried to wake you up." Creme explained, standing up. "But all you did was snore and grunt." he headed for the fridge. "My arms were cramping up too. So, I thought I might as well let you rest at my place and figure out a way to wake you up from there." he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "Want some water?" he asked, giving the bottle a little jiggle.

Sonata nodded her head. "Yes please." she stood up from the couch and went over to Rainbow's side, sitting down beside the pony and giving her a friendly hug. "Hi, Rainbow." Sonata breathed, snuggling her head against Rainbow's soft and warm fur. "You're so soft..." Sonata closed her eyes.

"Let go of me, Sonata." Rainbow said, trying to remove herself from Sonata's hug. "Why do you always have to give me a hug whenever you see me?"

"Because you're so fluffy," Sonata mumbled, "and warm."

Rainbow rolled her eyes at Sonata. "Urgh."

"Just give it up." Creme said, carrying with him a glass of water. He handed Sonata the glass. "Here."

Sonata accepted the drink and finished the contents in two large gulps. "Have you apologize to Rainbow yet?" she asked Creme, handing him the empty glass. Rainbow took the opportunity to put as much distance between herself and Sonata.

"I did. Why else would we be laughing together?"

"Did he tell you he was sorry?" Sonata asked Rainbow, who was standing behind Creme. Rainbow nodded.

"So where's my apology?" Sonata pouted at Creme. "I'm one of the victims too, you know."

"You fell asleep, remember?"

"Well, I'm awake now."

Creme smiled. "Yes you are, and perfect timing too." he turned around to look at Rainbow. "I want to make it up to you for today. To the both of you." he glanced at Sonata.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't really have to, right?" she asked. "You already said you were sorry."

"But I want to." Creme said. "Just...go along on this with me, okay?"

Rainbow and Sonata stared at each other for a moment, both with looks of confusion painted on their faces. They nodded their heads. "Okay," Sonata said, returning to sit on the couch. "what's the plan then?"

Creme smirked at them. "First, we'll have to wait until three in the morning."

* * * * * *

"Remind me again why we have to climb all these stairs again?" Rainbow panted, wiping away the sweat on her face. "And why do I have to stay hidden under this blanket?"

Creme stopped to catch his breath. "Because, Rainbow Dash, we need to go all the way to the top of this building. And the elevator's broken."

"But why?"

"You'll see."

"I can't see with this blanket covering my whole body and face."

"The reason you're hidden underneath that is because we wouldn't want to cause a panic among the tenants."

"But wouldn't the blanket make people even more suspicious?" Sonata asked from the rear. "I mean, a blanket that moves and talks? Creepy."

"That's why we waited until three in the morning." Creme hissed. "To avoid any unwanted eyes." he resumed climbing the stairs. "Now come on. Just a few more floors to go."

"This better be a good make up plan." Rainbow groaned, following after Creme.

"It will, trust me."

A few more flights of stairs later, the trio reached the entrance to the roof of the apartment building. Creme placed his hand on the door handle and spun around. A huge grey blanket was following him, hiding Rainbow underneath it. He could hear her panting. Sonata was behind her. Compared to Rainbow, she didn't seem to be affected by the numbers of stairs they just climbed.

"We're here." Creme said, keeping his voice low. "Are you ready?"

They both nodded. Or, in Rainbow's case, the blanket went up and down a few times. "Finally." Rainbow mumbled.

Creme opened the door and stepped outside. The night sky was a sight to behold. Stars of different sizes and brightness twinkled in the black sky, like drops of white paint on a black canvas. Just above Creme, the Moon stared back at him, its craters clearly visible. The Moon illuminated the darkness, its natural light danced gently upon the buildings and lands beneath it.

"Oooh, it's so pretty!" Sonata cried, spinning around on the spot where she stood. "There are so many stars!"

"I---can't---see---anything!" Rainbow called out from under the blanket. "Somepony get this off me!"

Sonata giggled and help pulled the blanket away. As the blanket slipped off her face, Rainbow's eyes immediately widened at the sight before her.

"Whoa..." Rainbow took a step forward, gawking at sky above her. "This...this is..." words failed her.

"Cool isn't it?" Creme asked, standing next to her. "Our world's skies are much more different than Equestria's. The Moon isn't raised by a princess. And the stars are millions and millions of miles away. Each twinkling light you see before you right now is a star that is far, far away. But they all reside in the same galaxy, my home, The Milky Way."

Rainbow said nothing, she was too busy staring at the Moon and stars. Creme grinned.

"It's so beautiful." Rainbow whispered. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"That's because you've never been on Earth before, silly." Sonata said, skipping over towards them. "I've seen stars before, but never this many, or as bright."

"That's because our field of view is obstructed by artificial light. You need to be either in a secluded area, like the countryside, or, standing in a tall place to have a terrific view of the wonders above us. The timing of when you go see the stars is also important. That's why I chose three in the morning."

"So the Moon is not raised by Luna?" Rainbow asked, her eyes not leaving Earth's natural satellite.

"Nope. It orbits around us." Creme answered. "Give it a few more hours and you'll see it moving on its own, without the magic of a princess."

"And those stars, can't we reach them?" she pointed at one of the stars with her hoof.

"It will take you a few hundred years, Rainbow Dash."

"Wow." Rainbow stretched her wings. "I really wish I could take off right now. Earth's night sky seems so...awesome."

"That's the best part." Creme said, grinning. "You can."

Rainbow quickly looked at Creme, her eyes twinkling as bright as the stars above her head. "Really?" she asked excitedly. "You really mean it?"

Creme nodded. "Yup. Knock yourself out. Just be careful not to get hit by any aer---" Before Creme could finish his sentence, Rainbow took off into the sky, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

"---oplanes." Creme shook his head. He gazed at the soaring pegasus in the sky. "You really wanted to fly, didn't you?" he asked himself quietly. Even in the night sky, Creme could make out the blur which was Rainbow, flying higher and higher above him, and then suddenly falling back down only to rise again.

"Woohoo!" Rainbow yelled, enjoying the cool wind rushing against her. It was good to fly again. She did a few loops and turns in the dim, open sky. She flew through several clouds, amazed and surprised by its texture. She gazed at the Moon, wondering to herself if she could get close to it.

Rainbow halted in mid-air, and took a deep breath. The air was cool, and refreshing. She looked below at her, staring at the buildings and streets. Never before had she seen anything like this her entire life. Never before had she experienced flying in a sky such as Earth's. It was an alien yet wonderful feeling. A feeling that she enjoyed.

It was indeed good to fly again. Rainbow dived, shouting "YEEEAAAHHH!" as she went down.

"That pony is going to wake up everyone within five miles of us." Creme smacked his forehead.

"She's just really happy to be flying again." Sonata said, standing next to him. "It has been a while since she took to the sky."

"I know, I know. But still," Creme sat down. "she really needs to shout less."

Sonata tried to spot Rainbow. "This is really sweet of you, Creme." she said, giving up her search and joining Creme. "Brining us up here to watch the night sky."

"It's nothing. I'm just doing what I can to make it up to you two."

Sonata smiled. "You might have made it up for Rainbow." she looked at Creme. "But not me."

Creme chuckled. "I know, Sonata. I still owe you a proper apology, right?"

"Mmhmm." Sonata nodded. "And I'm still waiting for it."

Creme smiled. "I'm sorry, Sonata." he apologized. "For how I treated you this morning and during work as well." he looked at Sonata. "Will you forgive me?"

A giggle escaped her. "I've already did, Creme." she said softly.

The both of them continued to stare at the sky. Appreciating and enjoying the view. A few minutes later, Rainbow landed on the roof with a soft 'Thump!' beside them.

"That---was---awesome!" she exclaimed, trotting around the roof. "You have no idea how good it is to fly again."

"Must've been amazing." Creme guessed.

"You said it." Rainbow sat down on the other side of Creme. "The clouds in your world is so different than ours. I wasn't able to grab hold on any of them. And the Moon? It's just so cool!" Rainbow rattled on, describing in short details about her flight.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Rainbow Dash." Creme said, when she was done.

Rainbow glared at him. "You know you could just call me 'Rainbow', right?" she asked Creme. "Calling me by my full name all the time sounds so" --- she made a face ---"formal."

"I thought I was being polite."

"I don't hear you calling Twilight by her full name."

"I guess it depends on the pony in question."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rainbow asked, giving Creme a light push on the shoulder with her hoof.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out, Rainbow."

The three of them continued to chat, with most of the talking done by Creme, as he pointed out each star and constellation and telling them its names.

"You really know a lot about stars, don't you?" Sonata asked, after Creme pointed out the position of the Big Dipper.

"It's a hobby." Creme said. "My Dad and I used to stargaze a lot when I was younger. He'd teach me the names of the stars, and tell me stories of how people in the past used them for navigation and such."

"Do you still stargaze together?" Sonata asked.

"No."

Rainbow and Sonata both stared at Creme. He was looking at the ground, suddenly quiet.

"Creme?"

"We no longer stargaze together." Creme said, not looking up. "We no longer can."

The two of them silently watched Creme, neither of them sure of what to say to him. A minute passed before Rainbow decided to speak.

"Are...are you okay?" Rainbow asked. "Is everything alright?"

Creme sighed. "I'm fine. Just...just some bad memories."

"I'm sorry!" Sonata said. "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories for you!"

"It's not your fault, Sonata." Creme said, smiling weakly at her. "It's just..." his voice trailed off.

"Did something happened between you and your dad?" Rainbow asked, getting a disapproving look from Sonata, who was waving her hands frantically at Rainbow.

Creme said nothing. He wasn't sure if he should tell them about it. But he remembered what Ord had told him. Besides, he owes the two of them an explanation for his sudden lost of temper. He took a deep breath.

"Back when I was ten years old, my parents filed a divorce." he started, staring at the ground. "They got into this huge fight because my Mother went to find another lover. The day my Dad found out, he got really mad, and started shouting and yelling at her. Asking her why she betrayed him. Betrayed our family.

"My Mom told him that she no longer loved him, and wanted to find someone better. When the divorce was finalized, she just left us. Without a goodbye, without a single word. My Dad was devastated. Hurt. Betrayed. He took to drinking alcohol to free himself from the pain he felt. Life back then was difficult. It wasn't easy; I was still a little kid, oblivious to the happenings around me. Most of the time my Dad would come back drunk, and he would start crying for hours, calling out my Mother's name.

"As I grew older, money became a big issue. I needed to be fed, educated, and taken care of. But without a mom, My Dad needed to be both my father and my mother. He stopped drinking when I was thirteen years old, and took many jobs to provide income for the family. We were poor, and had to live in this small apartment. It was terrible, and I hated the place. But I hated my Dad more.

"You see, I blamed him for everything: My Mom leaving us, our poor living conditions, everything. At school, I was always bullied and made fun of by the other students. They called me names because my family was poor, and that I was motherless, left to be raised by a former drunk who can't even keep his job. I took out all my anger on my Dad.

"He never shouted at me, nor got mad at me. He would always listen patiently to my outbursts, and would always say that everything's going to be alright. That he would make everything better for the two of us. But I never believed him, for I was blinded by my own naivety. He was struggling so hard to keep our family surviving, and all I did was blame and shout at him. Such a stupid, stupid thing to do.

"Two years later, when I was fifteen. I could no longer take it. I wanted to run away, to be as far away as possible from that life of poverty. To be far away from my Dad. One night, I got into an argument with my Dad, with me doing most of the arguing. The last thing I said to him before running away was "I fucking hate you.". I just ran after that, not even bothering to close the door behind me.

"Running away was the single biggest mistake I've ever done in my entire life. I had no money, and no where to go. I had no friends or relatives. I only have my Dad. After a few hours of 'running away' I returned to the apartment. I was still mad at him, but I also needed a place to stay, at least till I had some money with me."

Creme looked up and gazed at sky. "When I got back...there were several police officers and paramedics. My apartment, my home, had been broken into. The place was a mess. But the one scene that shook me more than anything was the sight of blood. My Dad's blood. He had been assaulted by the robbers. He took a few stab wounds to the back, and suffered several heavy blows to the head.

"I cried. I watched the paramedics carry him away on a stretcher, and I followed them to the hospital. I waited at the emergency waiting room for several hours before I was allowed to see him. The doctors told me that it was a miracle my Dad survived the assault. But that was not the only news. My Dad had went into a coma."

Creme sniffed, but no tears came out. "For the past several years, even till now, my Dad is still in a coma. The doctors are unsure when he would wake up, or if he would wake up at all. And I've been waiting for him to wake up all these years. I want to tell him that I'm sorry. I want to tell him that I was a stupid, useless boy who couldn't appreciate what was in front of him. I want to tell him that I regretted all my past actions. I wanted to beg for his forgiveness, to ask from him for a second chance. I want to tell him that I love him. For he is the only Dad I would ever have for the rest of my life." Creme suddenly punched the ground with his knuckles as hard as he could.

"But now...I'm not even sure if I would ever get that chance." Creme whispered. "For all I know, I might never get the chance at all."

Creme was met with silence as he ended his story about his past. Sonata let out a whimper.

"I...I didn't realize---" she started.

"That I was such a horrible person?" Creme asked, raising his voice "That I was selfish, stupid and irresponsible?" Creme wondered why he was suddenly getting angry; he didn't get mad when he was telling Ord about it. But then again, he didn't tell Ord the entire story about his past. But what Ord told him was starting to feel more like a lie. Telling others didn't make Creme feel better; it only made him feel much worse.

"No! I---"

"That I was such an unappreciative little fuck? Tell me!" Creme shouted, not bothering to keep his voice low.

Sonata suddenly threw herself on Creme, hugging him tightly with both her hands. A pair of hooves hugged him from the other side. The act startled Creme.

"What are you---"

"Just shut up, Creme!" Rainbow said, tightening her grip around Creme. "And let Sonata finish!"

Creme obeyed her, and shut his mouth. He turned to look at Sonata.

"I...I didn't realized you had been through so much suffering." Sonata said, lifting her head up to look at him. "You must've been in pain for so long."

"I can't say I understand how you feel." Rainbow said, her voice soft. "But I want you to know that we're here for you."

Creme was speechless. Here he was, expecting them to tell him how disgusted they were by his past. But instead, they were hugging him, and offering their support. Support he never had before in the past. Support from friends he once dreamed of having when he was a teenager.

"I...Aren't you shocked by how I acted in the past? That past was a part of me! It's who I am!" Creme exclaimed. "It still is." he added quietly.

'Creme." Rainbow said. "I'm going to tell you this once. Cause it kinda sounds like something Twilight would say: Your past does not define you, cause your past is not today."

For the first time in forever, Creme cried.

Na Noitativni Ot Rehtona Dlrow

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A tired sigh escaped Ord's lips as he sat down on his leather chair. He had just spent the last few hours roaming the quiet town, hoping to catch any signs of Equestrian magic at work. But, just like the other nights that preceded this one, there wasn't a single trace. He was unable to detect any of it, and it left him feeling frustrated.

Ord scratched his beard, musing on his current predicament. He was almost certain the huge surge of magic he felt a few nights ago happened near the area. But, despite his best efforts, he was still unable to identify the exact location. But that burst of magical energy gave him hope, even if a little. It comforted him, and it put his mind at ease to know that at least he wasn't wrong about which town the artifact was in.

"But where is it?" Ord sighed, stretching his arms and cracking his fingers; he finds stretching and cracking his alien joints amusing. The human anatomy, though rather complicated at first, operates almost similarly to his own body back in Equestria (minus the wings, horns, claws and paws of course). But no amount of popping and cracking his human body parts can replace the one thing he truly yearned for: chaos magic.

Not that his magical powers were completely gone, no, but it was very limited. Back in the land of ponies, Ord was able to manipulate, create, and humiliate anything (or anypony) he wanted. It was (and still is) his favourite hobby and pastime; playing chaotic pranks and causing general mayhem were his forte. But being a being that has been (supposedly) reformed, he had to keep his chaotic and disorderly nature down to a minimum, unless he wanted the Elements, or the Royal Sisters breathing down his neck again.

Ord's powers were almost limitless over in Equestria, but it isn't as strong when on Earth. He was still able to do some magic, just not to his usual standards. And that annoyed him greatly. What's the point of having chaos magic, when you can't even use chaos magic at it's fullest potential?

Then again, he didn't really needed all that power anyway, not on Earth, at least. But he still misses the feeling of having chaotic energy overflowing within him. The sooner he finds that artifact, the sooner he can leave this world behind him. The thought of being able to return to his pranks and his Tuesday teas with Fluttershy encouraged him to try harder on his next search.

A loud, vibrating noise interrupted Ord's thoughts, rudely bringing him back down to Earth. He let out an irritated grunt and proceeded to pull open one of the drawers from his desk, picking up a yellow, banana phone from inside it.

"Tank you four crawling CFC, can I take your ordah, pwease?" he spoke in an accented voice, holding back a chuckle.

"I know it's you, Discord. Stop playing games with me." Luna replied in an unamused tone.

"Come now, Luna, you know how bored I am here. Least you could do is go along with it."

"I do not have the time, nor the patience for such trivialities, Discord." Luna said coldly, her tone unchanging.

"Then why are you calling me at this ungodly hour?" Ord asked, standing up from the comforts of his chair. "Is it because you miss me?"

"I-I most certainly do not!" Ord heard Luna say, her previously cold tone now stuttering. He could already imagine the Princess blushing. "D-Don't say such things to me so suddenly."

Ord chuckled. "Why? Isn't it true?" he continued to tease.

"N-No, i-it is not! I do not miss you at all!"

"Have you forgotten how we used to spend the time together, underneath your Moon?" Ord asked in a playful voice, "Oh, I remember it like it was only yesterday..."

"E-Enough! S-Stop this at once!"

Ord laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll stop, but that doesn't mean I won't do it again." he threatened teasingly.

He heard Luna clear her throat. "How fares your search for the artifact?" she asked as if nothing had happened.

"The magical energy that I felt a few days ago are slowly fading away. I fear that I'll soon be unable to locate it's source."

"Was it Equestrian?" Luna asked.

"I'm sure of it," Ord replied. "magic like that can only come from Equestria."

"Did it belong to my sister?"

"Hard to tell. Sunbutt's magic is usually more...flashy." Ord said. "You think she's here with the artifact?"

"It may be a possibility."

Ord sighed. "Three missing artifacts and a missing princess too? Just what has Equestria come to?"

Luna remained quiet over the phone, causing an awkward silence between them. Ord shook his head, regretting his previous statement. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "you're the one who is most troubled by all of this."

"I just wish I knew why she disappeared." Luna said softly. "I'm at a loss at what to do now."

Ord sat back down on his leather chair to ponder for a moment, when a sudden idea constructed itself within his brain. "I could offer you some advice on how to proceed with this." Ord offered. "If you're willing, that is."

There was a short pause from Luna. "I am willing to accept your offer." she said slowly. "Tell me."

"Does Equestria's newest princess know about this?"

"I have yet to inform Twilight Sparkle." Luna said. "Why do you ask me this?"

"Because, Luna," Ord said, cracking his fingers. "We're going to need help."

* * * * * *

Ord made sure the doors leading into the Holy Shrimp restaurant were properly locked before turning around and heading down the street. His talk with Luna went on longer than expected. But then again, that was to be expected --- after what he proposed to her. He just hoped that Luna will be able to do as he had asked.

All he needed to do now was to wait for the response.

Ord glanced at the Moon above him. The dusky grey orb was much larger than the one Luna raised each night in Equestria. It was beautiful, enchanting, and mesmerizing; he liked it. Just by gazing at it, Ord felt much more at peace, it calmed him, and help cleared his mind. He would give anything to be able to stare at Earth's Moon each night. Even in Equestria.

He blinked, and stopped in his path, narrowing his eyes. There was something...off about the Moon; he could make out a small silhouette standi---no---hovering in front of the Moon. Ord squinted his eyes, trying to get a clearer view at the hovering silhouette. If his powers were strong enough, he'll probably conjure up a single seat helicopter and fly straight towards it.

But it wasn't. All he could do at the moment was squint.

He continued to move again, walking in the direction of the Moon. The dark silhouette looked oddly familiar; it was shaped like an equine, like a pony, perhaps? But it was hovering... a pegasus, maybe?

Ord suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes blinking. A pegasus on Earth? he asked himself, dropping his gaze. Impossible. He must miss Fluttershy more than he thought if he was starting to see flying ponies in Earth's night sky.

I'm getting old. he thought to himself, giving his eyes a rub before staring back at the Moon once again.

The figure was gone.

"Twilight."

Twilight blinked and slowly opened her eyes. Celestia's Sun was hanging high in the sky; the birds were no longer chirping, and the sky was bright. She must've overslept again. She shut her eyes once more and rolled around in her bed; she didn't care if it was already noon; she wanted to continue sleeping.

"Twilight."

Was that somepony calling her name? Twilight pulled her pillow over her head, covering her ears and face. Maybe she's just imagining it.

"TWILIGHT!"

"ARGH!" Twilight yelped, jumping almost a foot into the air before falling back down on to her bed. She sat up quickly and looked around her bedroom. Everything looked almost the same like it did yesterday: the library wasn't on fire, her pet owl, Owlowiscious, was comfortably asleep on his perch, her books were all neatly organized and kept, and her number one assistant was missing from his bas---

Wait, where was the dragon?

"Spike?" Twilight called out, getting off her bed, glancing around. "Spike, where are you?"

'I'm right here, Twilight." the baby dragon called out, waving a claw in front of her face, "You're finally awake." he added, rolling his eyes at her.

"Did you hear that shouting?" Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. "Somepony was calling my name!"

"I was the one who shouted, Twilight." Spike said in a grumpy voice. "I've been trying to wake you up for almost fifteen minutes now."

Twilight blinked at the purple and green baby dragon. "Was the shouting really necessary?" she asked, glancing back at her bed. "I thought the entire library was on fire or something."

"I tried poking you, but you gave me a kick in the gut." Spike said, rubbing his stomach. "You sure sleep like a log, Twilight."

Twilight gave Spike a sheepish grin. "I'm so sorry, Spike. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"It's cool. I'm used to it anyway."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? she thought to herself. She was about to question Spike when he suddenly shoved a rolled up letter into her face.

"What's this?" she asked, grabbing the letter with her hoof, an eyebrow raised.

"Just an urgent letter from Princess Luna." Spike said nonchalantly, returning to his basket.

Twilight almost flipped out of her mind.

"WHAT?!" she shouted, dropping the letter. "WHEN DID YOU GET THIS?"

Spike winced at Twilight sudden outburst. "T-This morning?" he said with a shaky tone.

Twilight said something that made Spike's eyes grow wide with a mixture of shock, amazement, and fear. Even Owlowiscious looked disturbed by his master's vocabulary. Spike took a step back, trembling with fear.

"T-Twilight?" Spike took another step back, "A-are you okay?" he asked, grabbing a nearby book, ready to use it as protection if need be.

Twilight spun around and glared at Spike with fury burning in her eyes. "Am I okay?" she asked, her voice shaking with rage, "AM I OKAY?"

"I-I guess not." Spike whispered, using the book as a shield. "I-I'm sorry, Twilight. I should have woken you up the instant I got the letter. But you were sleeping so peacefully; I didn't want to disturb you." he explained, peeking at Twilight from behind his papery shield. "Please don't kick me out." he pleaded tearfully.

Twilight's furious glare at the baby dragon soften, and she let out a sigh. Closing her eyes, Twilight took a deep breath, pulling her left foreleg close towards her chest, before exhaling and spreading her foreleg out in front of her; the breathing technique taught to her by Cadance was extremely useful for times like these.

"I'm not going to kick you out, Spike." Twilight said, her volume returning to normal standards. "But I am rather upset."

Spike lowered the book, but his grip remained tight --- he might need it again for what he was about to tell her next. "T-There is something else, a-actually." he mumbled.

Twilight unrolled the letter with her magic. "In a moment, Spike." she told him, peering at the letter. "Let me read this first."

Spike lifted a claw at her and opened his mouth, but he lowered it after giving a second thought. "O-Okay." he muttered.

Twilight gave him a nod, and read the letter out loud so the both of them could hear:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,
We require your presence here, at Canterlot Castle. A dire matter has befallen us, and we will need all the assistance we could acquire. We shall elucidate on the matter further once you have approach us. Time is an asset we do not possess, please be swift in your journey here. We shall await your arrival.
Luna.

Twilight reread the letter. Presence at Canterlot Castle? A dire matter has befallen Luna? Just what was going on? Twilight levitated the letter over to her bed and placed it on her pillow. She needed to leave at once. Whatever the matter was, she needed to be there as soon as possible.

But why wasn't Celestia the one to contact her? Why Luna? Twilight shook her head; she was already late. It wasn't the time to be asking herself questions that will eventually lead to more unanswerable questions. \

She glanced at Spike. "Looks like I'll be headed over to Canterlot, Spike." she told him, her horn glowing. "Can you help me pack the essentials?" she asked, pointing her hoof over at her saddlebags. "I'll grab the rest."

Spike stayed still. "A-actually, T-Twilight." he began, fidgeting his claws. "You don't really need to go there anymore."

Twilight glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow, "Don't be silly. Didn't you hear what the letter say? Luna needs me at Canterlot Castle."

Spike shook his head, eyes staring at the wooden floor. "W-Well, you see... Princess Luna is actually..." his voice trailed off.

"Is what, Spike?"

"I believe the dragon wishes to tell you that I am already here." said a sudden voice that came from behind Twilight, causing her to jump and dropping the books she was levitating with her magic. She spun around and came face to face with none other than Princess Luna herself. Spike dropped the book he was holding and gave a deep bow.

Twilight's eyes widened at the sight of Luna who was standing in front her. Her jaw dropped.

"Princess Luna?" she called out.

Luna nodded her head. "Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. I hope my sudden appearance didn't startled you." she said, her tone soft, but firm. "But when I realized that you had yet to sent me a reply, I decided to visit you myself." she gave Twilight a soft smile. "Though, I must admit. I was confounded when I heard your rather...colourful vocabulary."

Twilight covered her muzzle with both her hooves, her face reddening. "You...you heard all of that?"

Luna nodded. "I believe some of them was learnt from Tia?" she inquired, putting her hoof under her chin, pondering. "She used to use that one particular line all the time when we were younger..."

"A-Anyway!" Twilight interrupted, waving her hooves frantically in the air. "N-now that you're here, can you tell me why you needed me at Canterlot?" she asked quickly, steering the topic of her swearing out of the way. "Has something happened? Where's Celestia?"

Luna's smile faded from her face, and her expression suddenly turned sad and disheartening. "Something dreadful has happened, Twilight Sparkle. And I fear that this matter not only affects us, but the whole kingdom as well."

Twilight stared at Luna, a mix of curiosity and concern in her eyes. "What happened?"

Luna gazed at Twilight. "It's Tia, Twilight." she whispered softly. "She's missing."

Waking up is the second hardest thing in the morning.

Or, in Creme's case, noon. He sat up and stretched his arms, releasing a yawn. It was a good thing the Holy Shrimp doesn't start early on weekends; after what happened several hours ago, he was sure to be late due to sleeping at such a crazy hour. He flumped back down on his bed, enjoying the soft, bouncy feeling of his mattress.

Shutting his eyes, he allowed his mind to wander back on the events of a few hours ago. He had forgotten when was the last time he actually cried like that. But he felt much more at ease after that. Rainbow and Sonata had stayed with him till he stopped shedding tears (Sonata cried along with him), and they accompanied him back to his apartment, where they all ended up sharing the same bed.

Wait, did he remembered that part correctly? Sharing the same bed? No...that can't be right. There was no way they would be asleep on the same bed together; Creme would've taken the couch and given up his bed to them. After all, he was a gentleman (Or so he thought).

Then why was he on the bed?

Someone's hands slid in between Creme's arm, hugging him tightly. A bead of sweat began to form upon his forehead. He swallowed down his nervousness and slowly turned his head to the right. Who he saw made his heart raced, sweated his forehead, and widened his eyes; the sight of the sleeping person lying next to him startled him: Sonata.

Creme covered his mouth with his unhugged hand to stop himself from shouting. He lowered his hand slowly and stared at the sleeping girl, thinking of all sorts of scenarios that led to this current situation. How did he ended up in bed with Sonata? Creme quickly glanced down --- wanting to make sure nothing bad has happened; he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that he was still fully clothed.

Sonata shifted, bringing her body closer to Creme's; the delicate bump of soft fun bags touching him caused him to stiffen, freezing him in place. He dared not to move. One, because he was afraid too. Two, because he actually kinda l---

"Don't leave me." Sonata mumbled sleepily, resting her head against Creme's shoulder. "Don't go...please."

Creme glanced at her. Did she wake up? He wondered if he should say something to her in response.

"Sonata, I---" he began.

"Adagio...Aria...please stay..." Sonata continued mumbling, rubbing her cheek softly against Creme's arm. "I don't want to be alone."

Creme recognized but only one name: Aria. Was Sonata dreaming about her friends?

A sudden loud snore caught Creme by surprise. It was from his left side. Leaving Sonata and her dreams behind him, Creme looked over to his left, where he was greeted by another loud snore. Very loud, mind you.

The pegasus, Rainbow, was also fast asleep beside him, with her back facing him. Creme couldn't help but chuckle quietly; for a pony, Rainbow sure can snore --- sounding almost like a tractor.

Rainbow suddenly turned around, bringing her face close to Creme's. So close, in fact, their lips were merely inches away from each other.

Creme remained still. He never had the chance to look at Rainbow's face up close before (at least, not this close). But since the opportunity had presented itself before him, he found himself staring at her: from her soft, rainbow-coloured mane, to her flopped down ears, her adorable nose, down to her tantalizing lips.

Tantalizing lips? Creme turned and stared at the ceiling, TANTALIZING LIPS? He must be crazy, thinking about Rainbow's lips like that. A pony's lips. An animal's lips.

Creme shook his head. No... Rainbow wasn't just some random wild animal like the ones found on Earth. Rainbow has just as much personality as the other sleeping person beside Creme. Rainbow was sentient, just like him. She understands pain, sorrow, and fear. She feels happiness, joy, and delight. She's almost human --- but in a pony's body.

A pony she may be, but she's a pony that Creme can happily call his friend. And he was glad that he was able to.

But that still doesn't explain the tantalizing part, though.

Creme sighed. Despite the oddly, comforting feeling of being surrounded by two females, Creme wanted to get out of the bed; the longer he remained on it, the more complications and confusion there will be further down the road. But how was he going to get up without awakening either one of them? He dropped his gaze from the spinning fan above him, shifting his sights to his bedroom door.

The answer, it seemed, was standing right in front of him. Literally.

"Am I interrupting something nice, Creme?" Ord asked, giving him a cheeky grin.

Beyond Earth

View Online

"I...I can explain."

"Really? Because I do believe that what I'm seeing in front of me right now has done all the explaining that needs to be done." Ord smiled. "I see before me a young man in bed with a pegasus and a young girl." Ord sighed, slowly shaking his head, acting disappointed. "I won't question your taste in women, Creme. But two at the same time? You're a confident little guy, aren't you?"

"You don't understand, Ord." Creme whispered, trying to free his arm from Sonata's grasp. "A lot of things happened last night." Creme wasn't confident with his excuse though. He was positive something did happen. But exactly what happened, however, that, he was unsure of.

"You don't say." Ord said, cracking a smile. "I must say, I am very curious to find out as to what could have possibly happened last ni---"

Rainbow suddenly let out a snore, making Creme's body stiffen up. He slowly turned his head to his left, his heart pounding so fast and with such ferocity he was sure it would awaken the entire apartment building. His eyes widened with fear as Rainbow slowly raised her head, blinking drowsily at him. Creme's heart immediately raced a million miles per second, sending streams of nervousness and panic signals to his brain.

He closed his eyes, expecting for the worst to happen.

But it didn't come. Rainbow only mumbled something unintelligible. After a few seconds, she closed back her eyes and went back to sleep. Hugging on to Creme's other arm in the process.

A sigh of relief escaped Creme's lips. He was almost certain he was going to be goner. But it seems like Lady Luck still has him in her sights. Ord laughed.

"Too close for comfort?" Ord joked. "Anyway, were any of these...events accompanied by the presence of alcohol, hmm?" Ord questioned, crossing his arms together. "Or dare I say...drugs?" he added dramatically, while raising an accusing eyebrow at Creme.

"No!" Creme glanced at the two sleeping beauties on both sides of his bed, secretly hoping to himself that his voice did not wake them. It didn't. They remained fast asleep, snoring peacefully while hugging on to Creme's arms, oblivious to the scene unfolding in the bedroom.

"What made you think that any of that were involved?" Creme asked, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper. "I don't do drugs!"

"But you do drink, do you not?"

"I do...but that's not the point!" Creme raised his head, struggling to get a better look at the man standing in his bedroom. Ord was questioning him like a mother would to a son. If Creme were in Ord's position, he too, would find that the situation was indeed...questionable; He was in bed with a pegasus. That alone could raise enough questions to fill an empty belly. "Just...let me get out of here first and I'll explain everything to you."

Ord let out a soft chuckle. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay there and enjoy the rest of your day in bed?" he asked, giving Creme a mocking smile. "I wouldn't want to bother you and your...company."

"No." Creme said, getting annoyed by Ord's unhelpfulness. Can Ord not see what Creme was going through at the moment? A little help would be nice, you know. he thought bitterly, letting his head fall back on to his pillow. He sighed. "Any ideas?"

"Just slide your arms out, or pull them out." Ord said, as if it was the most obvious thing to do. "I'm pretty sure that would work."

"Not helping, Ord."

"No, no, really. Just slide them out." Ord said, moving his own arms. "You forget that Sonata is a very, very deep sleeper; even an earthquake would be unable to wake her from her slumber."

Creme glanced at Sonata. Her face was mere inches away from his lips, but she did looked like she was in a deep sleep. He quickly --- but gently --- slid his arm out from Sonata's grasp, his fingers accidentally brushing against her soft melons as his arm secured freedom. A jolt of excitement and panic coursed through his veins as his arm came free. Panic because he was afraid Sonata might wake up. Excited because his fingers---

Creme quickly shook his head, removing any thoughts about melons and sleeping girls. He needed to focus on more important things; his other arm. One down, one more to go. He glanced over at Ord, who was clapping his hands together silently in mock praise. Creme rolled his eyes at him.

"Well done, my boy!" Ord said, giving Creme the thumbs up. "At this rate, you'd probably be out of that bed by midnight." he added sarcastically.

"I'm trying my best, Ord!" Creme whispered, his teeth bared. He pointed at Rainbow with his head. "What about---"

"Rainbow Dash?" Ord snickered. "That pegasus sleeps like the dead; you don't need to worry about her waking up from anything."

"Right." Creme nodded, returning his focus to his next objective. Just as he was about to slide his arm out from Rainbow's hug, a sudden realization struck him. A realization that should have struck him from the moment he saw Ord standing in his bedroom.

"Wait..." he said, turning to stare at Ord, frowning. "Just how on earth did you get into my apartment? And how did you know her name was Rainbow Dash?"

* * * * * *

The sound of voices woke Sonata up.

She blinked. Slowly rubbing her eyes as she sat up in the bed, yawning loudly. As her blurred vision slowly came into focus, Sonata noticed that something was amiss. She stared at the bed she was in for a few moments, wondering to herself as to why the bed felt so different from the one she was used to. There was also a much...different scent coming from the bed.

Sonata picked up the pillow lying next to her. It was white, and soft to the touch. Completely different to the ones she has in her apartment. She brought the pillow close to her chest and gave it a tight hug, sniffing down on it as she does so. The scent --- a mixture of cheap laundry detergent and lemons --- strangely reminded her of Creme.

She let go of the pillow, watching it flop back on to the bed. How did she ended up here? Sonata pondered, looking around. Did something happen last night? Why couldn't she remember anything?

The room she was in was, without a doubt, Creme's --- she recognized the bag that was resting against the side of the wall; Creme carried the bag with him every time he goes to work. But why Creme's bedroom? Why wasn't she in her own apartment? Her own bed?

Picking up the pillow again, Sonata placed her face against the soft, fluffy pillow and took a deep breath. Somehow, being here, inside Creme's bedroom, didn't felt bad or uncomfortable at all. She felt safe. Secured. Protected. It was definitely much better than being all alone in her own room. At least she has company here.

Sonata closed her eyes, and hugged the pillow. Embracing the warm, fluffy feeling that spread throughout her face. Whatever might have happened last night was no longer on her mind; she wasn't really bothered by the whole thing, anyway. All she wanted to do now, was to continue hugging the pillow, breathing in the soft scent of Cr---

"What are you doing?"

Sonata let out a yelp. Dropping Creme's pillow faster than a hot potato. She did not realize that she was not alone in the bedroom.

"R-Rainbow?" Sonata stuttered, her cheeks warming up. The pegasus nodded her head slowly, giving Sonata a weird look.

"Were you...were you smelling Creme's pillow?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-no."

* * * * * *

"To be honest, I am quite surprised by how well you are taking this, Creme." Ord said, taking a small sip from his coffee. "Most humans would probably be going crazy this far into our conversation."

Creme glanced at Ord, placing down his own cup of coffee on the small round kitchen table. "Let's just say I had some...prior experience, when it comes to dealing with magical artifacts and beings." he said, jabbing a thumb at the magical mirror behind him. "But trust me, I'm still shocked by the whole thing."

"And all of this happened when?"

"A few days ago. Right after I got the mirror."

"That would explain the magical surge I felt back then." Ord said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "And she has been stuck here ever since?"

"Ever since she went through the portal." Creme nodded. "We've been waiting to see if the portal would open up again."

"Interesting. If it weren't for Rainbow Dash's curiosity and adventurous spirit; I might have never found out about this mirror you have."

"And I might never know that you are in fact, the spirit of chaos and disharmony."

"Those are tales from days long past, Creme." Ord said, with a wave of his hand. "I'm reformed now, didn't Dashie tell you? Or did she forget all about that?"

"Oh, she did tell me about that." Creme said. "She's still not convinced though." he added, turning around to look at his bedroom door. Ord --- or Discord, which was his real name back in Equestria --- had told Creme the reason why he was on Earth; to search for any signs of magical activities occurring on Earth. Discord was also looking for Princess Celestia, who had gone missing for a period of time. And three magical artifacts, that went missing around the same time Celestia disappeared.

"So, does this discovery help your search in anyway?" Creme asked.

"Not exactly." Ord said, shaking his head. "Although this mirror does indeed, contain equestrian magic, I can't say for sure if it's one of the missing artifacts." he glanced at the mirror. "I'll need Luna's help on this."

"Anything I can do to help?" Creme offered. "I mean, I'm kinda involved in this too, aren't I?"

"That you are, my dear boy." Ord said. "That you are." he stood up, stretching his body. "I'll need you to help me find that little old lady." he said, looking around. "She might have some important information I could use."

"What about Rainbow?"

"Her? She can go back to Equestria with me. Though the trip might be a bit...tight" Ord shuddered. "Banana portals aren't exactly the best way to travel around different worlds." he said. "And I'll be bringing your mirror with me, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Than I suggest you wake the two ladies up." Ord suggested, sitting back down and picking up his cup. "For there will be a ton of explaining that needs to be done. And questions to answer. Demanding questions, maybe. But questions nonetheless." Ord gave Creme a smile. "I have no doubt that Sonata will be excited to return to Equestria too."

"What are you talking about?" Creme asked, confused. "Sonata has never been to Equestria before."

Ord shook his head. "No, Creme. She has." Ord said mysteriously. "But we'll leave that part for another time. You best pack some of your things too."

Creme raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because Equestria, my boy!" Ord cried, waving his arms about like a maniac. "You're coming with us."

One Small Step For Man

View Online

"How's she holding up, Spike?"

Spike the baby dragon gave his neck a little rub, glancing behind his shoulder, staring at the flight of stairs that led to Twilight's room. After a moment, he simply sighed and shook his head. "She's been in there for almost half a day now." he said. "She won't let me in, and she won't even speak to me." Spike let out another sad sigh. "I don't even know what to do --- and I'm supposed to be her number one assistant!"

"Are you guys the only ones home?"

"We are now." Spike said, picking up a pink feather duster from the ground. "Rarity and the others did dropped by to visit, though." he started dusting the nearest bookshelf behind him. "They wanted to cheer her up; to find out what's bothering her and all." Spike said. "But..." his voice trailed off.

"No luck, huh?"

Spike nodded. "They asked me a whole bunch of questions too." he said, his tiny body shuddering. "I wanted to tell them the truth. B-but Princess Luna made me s-swear to not say anything to anypony." Spike's voice quavered a little. "It w-was really, really hard to lie to them directly; I-I'm pretty sure Applejack knew I was lying."

"Just...hang in there, buddy. Everything's gonna be alright."

"How can you be sure?" Spike asked, fighting back his tears. "What's going on, Creme?" the baby dragon demanded, turning around, his eyes moist with worry and concern for his long-time best friend and guardian. "I don't know what else Princess Luna said to Twilight, but... whatever it is, it's bumming her out...big time." he said, letting go of the feather duster, which landed on the wooden floor with a soft clack. "Heck, it's bumming me out too." Spike added, his expression sad.

"Look, Spike---"

"Well, isn't it obvious why the princess is acting so mopey?" Discord interrupted, staring over Creme's shoulder. "Not only did her mentor suddenly disappeared without a trace or clue. Dear little Twilight must also had found out that she is completely powerless to do anything about it." he chuckled. "That feeling of being totally useless must be eating her up." he added darkly, grinning widely to himself. "And here we have a young dragon who is also incapable of doing anything to help ease the pain in his guardian's heart --- a trait you two seem to share quite well."

Spike's eyes started tearing up. He tried his best to hold back his oncoming river of tears, not wanting to be seen crying in front of others. But, soon enough, they began to flow down his scaly cheeks. A quiet sob came out from Spike's shaking lips.

Rainbow flapped her wings to boost herself high enough to give Discord a stern and sharp slap on the shoulder with her hoof. "Hey! Don't talk about them like that you jerk!" she huffed, staring menacingly at him, shaking an angry hoof. "You're hurting his feelings!"

"I speak only the truth, honey." Discord said, shrugging at the cerulean pegasus. "The sooner the both of them accepts this, the better."

"Why can't you say something else? You don't have to be so mean!"

"That is not being mean, Rainbow. I merely stated a fact. A fact that those two currently in Ponyville are having a hard time understanding."

"You're not helping, Ord!" Creme whispered harshly, giving Discord a disapproving look. "Did you really have to go and say that to Spike?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed, crossing her hooves together, flapping her wings to keep herself above the ground. "And I'm warning you, Discord... you say something hurtful like that about Twilight or Spike again...you're gonna regret it, mister."

Discord held up both his hands in mock surrender, taking a step back. "Alright, fine. I'll keep my mouth shut. But the two of you know that I am right; all this moping and crying about won't help solve the problem we are facing."

Creme ignored him. "Just...let us deal with this, alright?" Discord gave him a small shrug and went to sit down on the couch, crossing his legs together. Rainbow blew a raspberry at him.

Creme and Rainbow turned their heads back to look at the mirror. "Listen, Spike." Creme started. "Ignore what Ord just said. But, in a way, he's right; you're worrying too much on how helpless you are. Instead of thinking so negatively, you should focus on what you can do to help."

"Yeah, Spike." Rainbow said, pressing her face against Creme's cheek to get a better look at the dragon through the mirror. "Don't let this kinda thing bring you down. You're better than this! Heck, you'd been through way more tougher situations than this you know."

Creme quickly pulled his face away from the sudden close contact with the cerulean pegasus's soft fur, his cheeks running red with the warm flow of blood. Not that he disapproves of the brief connection between skin and fur; on the contrary, Rainbow's fur felt very nice. There were just more...important matters to tend to, at the moment.

Discord laughed loudly, causing Creme and Rainbow to turn around. "Tougher situations?" he said, repeating Rainbow's words. "Did any of them include the sudden disappearance of a princess --- an esteemed ruler of Equestria?" he asked, shaking his leg. "Or missing magical artifacts that could bring, oh, I don't know, untold devastation and destruction if said items were to fall into the wrong hooves?" He gave them an unamused look. "I highly doubt it." he rolled his eyes at them, tutting.

"Shuush!" Rainbow shushed at Discord. "I thought I told you to be quiet! And yes, they did involve missing princesses --- more than once!"

"Come on, Ord. Give us a break." Creme said, rubbing his cheek. "Go grab a drink or something."

"Fine, fine. Shutting up for real now." Discord stood up and went to Creme's refrigerator, opening the door and taking a peek inside. "I just don't see the point in cheering up the dragon." he mumbled grumpily to himself. "You're out of butter, by the way." he added, pointing at the refrigerator with his finger while looking at Creme. "And tacos."

"I'll be sure to remember to get that when I'm out shopping next time." Creme said. "But the tacos are a gift."

"You should have just kicked him out of your apartment." Rainbow grumbled softly, "I don't trust Discord. I don't like Discord. And of all the places to bump into him, it just had to be here --- on an entirely different world." She gave Discord an angry glare, who was too busy rummaging through the refrigerator to notice. "I still can't believe all of this is happening." she added, with a heavy sigh. "Celestia's gone missing; that...guy is actually Discord; and now Twilight is busy sulking in her room."

"At least now you have a way back to your world." Creme offered, wanting to add something positive. "It ain't all that bad; I'll say we're making progress."

"No. But it still sucks having to go back with his help." Rainbow glanced at Creme's magical mirror; Spike's sobs were less audible now, and the small reptilian was shaking a lot less than before. "Why would Luna want to keep this entire thing a secret? Shouldn't she be sending the whole frigging army to search for Celestia or something?"

Creme shrugged. He has little knowledge about how the royal hierarchy in Equestria deal with their problems --- especially ones that are considered a state of emergency. "Won't Ord know more about this? I mean, he is here on Luna's request."

"I don't want to ask him." Rainbow huffed. "I'll ask Luna directly when I'm back in Ponyville. And find out why she asked for his help instead of us Elements."

"But before that..." Creme glanced at Spike. "Spike?" he asked, stepping closer towards his end of the mirror. "Spike? Sorry about that sudden interruption. Are you feeling a bit better now?"

"Yeah, come on, Spike! Chin up! Everything's gonna be awesome again once I'm back." Rainbow said, puffing her chest out. "But 'till then, you're gonna help take care of Twilight for me." she added, smiling. "She needs you, Spike."

Spike slowly lifted his head to look at the two looking back at him from Rainbow's mirror, which was currently propped on top on one of the few tables in the library. He had thought about what they said and his friends were right; crying won't help with anything. There's just no point brooding over something which was clearly beyond his abilities at the moment. Twilight will call for Spike when she is ready, and when she needs him.

Besides, he is Twilight's number one assistant! There are plenty of other things which he can do to help: cleaning the library, dusting the bookshelves, cooking tonight's dinner --- all of it might sound dull, boring even. But these are things which only he can do. Things which only a number one assistant can do!

Spike gave himself a reassuring nod. Yes...he's not helpless at all. He gave his two friends a smile, wiping away the last of his salty tears with a claw. "Y-you're right, guys. I can't just stand here all day crying. I gotta do what I can for Twilight!" he said, his chest filled with determination and optimism.

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow cheered, punching a hoof in the air. "For Twilight! Now go do...whatever that is you're planning to do!" Creme chuckled at Rainbow, shaking his head. Spike soon followed after, feeling a whole lot better than before. They started to laugh.

"W-What? What did I say?" Rainbow asked, as Creme and Spike laughed on. Discord turned to look at the source of the laughter, pulling out a small jar of pickles from the refrigerator. A small smile slowly spread across his lips.

* * * * * *

"So, what do we do now?"

"Well, now that the little dragon is obviously feeling much better, it is clear we can leave dear Twilight under his claws worry-free. My job however, is far from being over."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember that banana portal I was telling you about? It's not really a banana --- if you haven't figured it out yet. But it does need power, however, magical equestrian power, mind you. If my portal doesn't get the power it needs, I will be unable to activate it and undoubtedly making it useless to us all."

"How does it work, exactly?"

"The same way you humans charge your electronic devices. Once a certain amount of energy is stored into the banana, I can activate it so that the portal to Equestria will open. Though, it would be much easier to show, instead of telling you."

"So, what, you're just gonna charge it up with blasts of magic?"

"I can't blast magic here, Rainbow Dash. The magic I can do here on Earth are very limited."

"Then you're probably going to need another method to get the portal working; by using another source of equestrian magic to charge it, perhaps?"

"Correct, Creme. And, fortunately for us all, I've manage to find said source --- one that does not requires me blasting away at the portal with my magic."

"But..."

"But it will take time to fully charge the portal --- it has certainly been a while since I last charged it, anyway. But it definitely will be much faster than freely blasting away my magic at it."

"You're not going to drop that are you?"

"I don't intend to, my little Dashie."

"How long?"

"We can leave for Equestria by tomorrow night, at best."

"Tomorrow night?! That's just way too long! I need to get back to Ponyville like, right now!"

"Well, Crashie, if you haven't jumped into that mirror's portal in the first place, none of this would had happened to you."

"What did you just call me?"

Creme shook his head and stood up from his chair, leaving Discord and Rainbow to continue bickering on their own. He approached his mirror, staring into it. As usual, the mirror showed no reflection of himself; no black hair, no light-brown skin...nothing. Just an empty library which belonged to Twilight Sparkle, the newest Princess of Equestria. And Spike.

Spike had just left a few minutes ago to grab some things, mentioning something about cooking baby carrot soup. The library now stood empty; there were several books spread over certain areas on the floor, and the feather duster Spike was using a while ago lay forgotten on top of a particularly huge book.

Creme could not see the entire library, however. The angle in which Rainbow's mirror was placed over at Equestria only allowed Creme to see a small portion of the library's interior; he could not see the front entrance, nor the small kitchen Spike told him about, which was behind another door, for example. He could see Twilight walking down the flight of stairs, though.

Twilight walking down the flight of stairs. Creme stared stupidly at the princess for a moment before it hit him.

"Twilight?"

"S-Spike?" he heard her called out. "Is that you?"

"No, it's me, Creme." Creme waved at the mirror, wondering if Twilight could see him. "Look at the mirror!"

"W-What?" Twilight spun around, trying to locate Creme's voice. She let out a surprised "Oh!" when she spotted him, and quickly trotted over. "Creme?" she asked as she got closer, squinting her eyes at him.

"Hey, princess." Creme replied, offering a warm smile. "How you feeling?"

Twilight didn't immediately respond. She remained quiet for a spell, staring at her hooves on the ground. "I'm...good, Creme." she finally said, smiling back, though not as warm. "I'm good." she repeated, sitting down on her rear end. Her ears drooped, and a sad sigh left her lips. "I'm good." she muttered softly.

"You don't look good to me, princess." Creme said, frowning. "Spike just left to get some carrots, in case you're wondering."

"C-carrots?"

"Baby carrots, I think." Creme scratched his cheek with a finger, thinking of a way to cheer Twilight up. "He thought you might be hungry, once you decide to leave your room."

"H-he did?"

Creme nodded. "He was worried sick about you, you know? We all were." he spun his head around, wanting to call out to Rainbow. But she and Discord were so absorbed with their argument that he decided against it. "I guess Princess Luna told you everything?"

"She...she did, yes."

Creme opened his mouth; he wanted to ask her a ton of questions --- many of which, belonged to Rainbow --- but after seeing her so sad like that, he couldn't bring himself to do it. What the poor mare needed now, more than anything, was a friend. A friend to cheer her up, to be precise. To be there for her. He just wished he could be there in person.

"Look, Twilight. I'm sorry to hear about the princ---"

A sudden BOOM, like the sound of crackling thunder, caught Creme by surprise, causing him to fall over. His eyes grew wide as his mirror suddenly floated into the air, its entirety covered in a rich golden-coloured aura, trembling violently. So violent, he thought the mirror might explode into a million tiny bits at any given moment.

"WHAT IN DISCORD'S NAME IS GOING ON?!" Discord shouted, his voice barely recognizable amidst the continuous booming noise. The ground beneath them also started to shake, throwing them off their balance. It felt like as if an earthquake was happening within the apartment. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, YOU DORK!" Creme heard Rainbow yelling. "CREME?"

Creme wanted to shout back, but his voice was stuck deep in his throat. He tried to push himself back up, but the aggressive shaking made the effort futile. The loud booming noise did not stop, making his ears ring. He looked at the mirror, now hovering freely high above his head. It was no longer trembling, but the aura that surrounds it remained.

What the fuck is going on? Creme thought, looking on with shock and panic as the mirror suddenly grew ten times its original size, huge enough to swallow him whole.

And it did just that. The last thing Creme saw before the huge mirror fell on him was Twilight's face staring back at him. Her facial expressions identical to his.

* * * * * *

Sonata hummed happily as she carried her takeaway tacos up the stairs leading to Creme's apartment. Discord had asked her to go and grab some food for the entire party, and specifically reminded her to make sure that two of those food were stuffed with vegetables, without the presence of meat.

Her stomach let loose a raw growl; she was very hungry, and could've eaten ahead. But Sonata wanted to enjoy the tacos with her friends. Friends that she enjoys hanging out with. And it just so happens that they were waiting for her in Creme's apartment. She grinned cheerfully, hastening her skips, wanting to reach back to her hungry friends as soon as possible.

As Sonata arrived at Creme's front door, she fished out the key he had passed her from her skirt's pocket. Still humming, she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Hey guys! I'm baaacc---" she stopped in mid-sentence, staring in disbelief at the scene before her eyes.

The apartment was in a mess: spilled drinks littered the floor with its liquidy contents, fallen furniture surrounded the place like a heavily hit battlefield. Sonata spotted Discord and Rainbow lying on the floor, groaning painfully as they got back up. Something must've happened while she was gone. Something big.

"What'd I miss?"

One Giant Pain For Creme

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A tired but satisfied sigh left Rarity's lips as she applied the finishing touches to her latest design: a long lovely sea-green silk gown with emeralds and tourmalines laced together within the fabric itself; it was a simple process, one that she had done many times before. Yet Rarity couldn't help but feel a small tinge of pride and satisfaction bubbling from within her, complementing her for a job well done.

Of course, all that sewing and rearranging had stiffen up most of Rarity's body. Standing still for nearly half a day could really take it's toll upon a pony's body. What she needed now more than ever was a nice slow massage. Rarity could already picture herself trotting down to the Ponyville Day Spa, where Lotus Blossom and Aloe would welcome her with open hooves, whispering the latest gossip in her ear and recommending their latest services and products. Maybe she could get a hooficure while she's at it...

Rarity shook her head to no one in particular and continued on with her work. A massage and hooficure does sound tempting, indeed so. But Rarity wasn't the type of pony who would just drop what she was doing halfway. Rarity was first and foremost a fashion designer and a professional seamstress. And a professional never stops until their work is done for the day.

But her shoulders were getting a little stiffer than usual. Rarity paused for a moment, leaving her needle and gems floating in the air, pondering quietly to herself. Maybe she'd go after once she's done with this last part... the rest can be done tomorrow. It was not as if the gown was meant for a paying customer anyway.

Rarity giggled softly, amused by her choice of favouring pleasure over fashion. But what is life supposed to mean if you can't even pamper yourself every once in a while? There won't be any real harm done, anyway. Well, except that it would be a crime to not finish the gown and have it displayed on the same day it was completed. What if there was somepony in dire need of a new outfit? Rarity couldn't possibly let that potential somepony down now can she?

Another sigh. She'll have to leave the spa behind her for the time being. Far behind the back of her mind, locked and buried. It was not as if the Ponyville Day Spa would just suddenly sprout legs and run off into the horizon now, right?

Pushing up her slipping red reading glasses with her hoof, Rarity the Professional resumed her work. She needed to focus, to get her head in the game. Summoning her strength, her attention went straight back to her gown, pushing away all the distractions and pleasurable thoughts far, far behind. She would not be distracted again. She will not allow it.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

The knocks on the door made Rarity jump a foot in the air, causing her to lose her concentration and sending her tools crashing down to the floor. Glancing at her front door, she wondered to herself as to who might the sudden visitor be. Could it be the potential somepony she was thinking about just mere seconds ago?

Gathering her fallen things, Rarity called out towards the entrance "I shall be there in a moment!" If this visitor was indeed the somepony she was expecting to be, she would need to clear the room at once; she can't possibly greet anypony without accidentally revealing to them her latest design. Her gown needs to be hidden. Quickly.

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* The knocks came again, much louder than before.

"In a minute!" Rarity's voice shrilled, stuffing her needles and gems into a nearby trunk. All that was left to hide was the nearly finished gown.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* Whoever was outside the door was clearly very impatient.

"Are they trying to knock down my front door? Honestly!" Rarity huffed, removing her reading glasses and placing them on top of her trunk. Annoyed, she trotted to the front door and opened it with a flick of her magic horn.

"Now listen here, whoever you might be, I understand that you are in need of a finely made dress, but surely there is no need for such rudeness!" Rarity said, glaring at--- "Spike?" she took a few steps back, surprised by her visitor. "Whatever is it that you're doing here?" she asked him, immediately dropping her previously irritated tone.

Spike the baby dragon gave Rarity a small wave with his claw, his cheeks glowing a bright red colour, with a small brown bag hanging over his shoulder. "H-Hi Rarity." he stuttered, nervously glancing at the beautiful unicorn standing before him. "S-Sorry if I was being rude." he apologized, scratching the back of his neck. "It's just that...I wasn't s-sure if you were home and... I t-thought you might have not heard me knocking so I---"

Rarity waved the apology away with her hoof "Now, now, never you mind that, darling." she said sweetly, rubbing the top of Spike's head lovingly. "I was simply taken aback, that's all." She was indeed surprised. Spike does visit at times, yes (if not, often). And she enjoys having the little dragon over, either simply to have a cup of tea together, or having him help with the fabrics. But rarely at this time of day. This was usually the time Spike leaves. Not coming over. Unless...

Rarity continued rubbing Spike's head absent-mindedly. Buried deep within her own thoughts and assumptions. Spike stole a glance at her. His cheeks still burning with an unmistakable passion for the lovely mare.

It was a wonderful feeling, Spike thought to himself, that gentle touch of her hoof on top of his head. It was like cuddling with a very comfy pillow, or a fluffy teddy bear. Only much more warmer, sweeter. Spike always liked it when Rarity does it. But today, unfortunately for him, today he must cut short this brief moment of affection Rarity was supplying him with, for there are more pressing matters at claw.

Spike reluctantly cleared his throat as loudly as he could. For he knew how out of it Rarity could be when she was busy thinking or concentrating to hard on something. "Urm...Rarity?" he called out, moving his head away from her caress.

Rarity blinked and gave Spike a glance. "Oh!" she exclaimed all of a sudden. "I'm terribly sorry, darling." she said, giving herself a little shake. "I seem to have gone off for a moment there." Rarity stepped back from the doorway and offered a welcoming hoof to Spike. "Do come in, my dear Spike." she beckoned at him, smiling. "And do tell me how I can be of assistance."

Spike nodded his head, but remained where he stood. "Actually, Rarity. I can't stay long." he said, though he wished to himself that he could. "I have other places to go, and Twilight needs me back at the library as soon as I'm done."

"Twilight?" Rarity raised a questioning eyebrow. "You mean she's finally left her room?" she asked.

"Yeah." Spike nodded happily. "And a good thing too."

A wave of desired relief washed over Rarity. She and her other friends (minus Rainbow Dash) had been trying to persuade the newly appointed princess to step out from her room ever since morning. It was useless of course, Twilight was almost as stubborn as they all were. None of them had any idea what was going on and were close on the verge of breaking down Twilight's door when they decided against it.

"That is wonderful news, Spike." Rarity said, smiling to herself. "But what was it that was bothering our dear friend?" she asked, cocking her head to one side with curiosity. "And why is she sending you on errands all of a sudden?"

Spike lifted a finger in the air. "Er...well..." He shut his mouth, contemplating his next words. He gave his finger a little wiggle around as if it was a metronome, perhaps to help set a rhythm for his next sentence. "Y-you see..." It didn't help. Spike wasn't sure on how to properly explain the goings-on at the library.

"What is it, darling?" Rarity gently pressed. Although her tone was soft and sweet as freshly made honey, Spike knew that her curiosity was piqued. If he didn't provide a satisfying enough answer for his long-time crush, well... he chose to rather not think about it.

"I...I can't really explain it, Rarity." Spike said, silently hoping that she did not catch the hint of stuttering from his lips. "It will be much easier for you if you just went to the library and see for yourself."

"Why?" Rarity questioned. "What happened at the library? Is everything okay?" A worried frown came across her face. "Did something bad happen?"

"Everything's fine, Rarity!" Spike said quickly, raising both his claws. "Everything is a-okay! Is just that...well...er..." he sighed. He won't be getting anywhere at the rate he was going. He pulled out a piece of paper from the bag he was carrying and handed it to Rarity. "Look, Twilight asked me to give you this." he said, giving the paper a little shake. "Just...just read it, and bring it over to the library as soon as you can."

Rarity gave Spike a questioning look, but took the paper anyway with the use of her magic. She hovered the piece of paper in front of her face, reading the contents with a raised eyebrow. The paper contained no messages, just several lines of different measurements and sizes, along with a choice of what kind of fabric to use.

One read was enough to tell her that these were not mindless numbers, hastily scrawled on a random piece of paper by a crazed pony. On the contrary, these numbers made perfect sense to her; these were measurements for several pieces of clothing. Whoever had wrote this clearly needed something sewn by her.

Rarity gave the paper another look; the numbers were bothering her. Of all the clothing she has made and sold throughout her career, these ones in particular were rather...peculiar. She bit her lip, frowning a little.

"Er...is something wrong?" Spike asked, closing his bag.

Rarity shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong, Spike. Is just that...these numbers seems a little...big for your average pony."

"I-I guess you c-could say that." Spike nodded. "Anyway look, I-I gotta get going." he turned around and jogged off. "Just drop by the library once you're done!"

Rarity dropped the paper Spike had given her. "But, Spike!" she called out, raising a hoof. "Just what is going on?"

"Twilight will explain everything to you! See you at the library!" and with that being said, Spike disappeared from view, leaving behind him a small trail of dust.

Confused and curious more than she was a few minutes ago, Rarity once again lifted the paper and gave it one last read. It was certainly a rather odd request, but... she sewn even worse. But as to why Twilight would need such garments... she couldn't say. Reaching the bottom of the page, Rarity noticed that there was a little note written at the bottom of the paper.

P.S. These are meant to be worn by a male. Please do not add anything that might make it stand-out. Simple is key.

* * * * * *

"You bucked his what?"

No reply came from Twilight's lips. Instead she gave Applejack a sheepish smile, while rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. Twilight turned to look at Creme who was seated in a chair behind her, reading a large brown book on the history of Equestria and the many kingdoms that once, and still, resided in it; a personal favourite of hers. But, then again, almost every book in the library was her personal favourite to begin with.

"I didn't d-do it on purpose, Applejack" Twilight said, facing her orange-coloured friend. "I was just...just...well...surprised by it, that's all." she stared at the wooden floor underneath her and lightly kicked at it, causing small trails of dust to dance in the air --- Twilight quickly made a mental note to ask Spike to properly clean the place once everything was over. "Won't you react the same way as I did?"

Applejack quickly pretended to rearranged her stetson hat on her head, her cheeks already warming up. "M-m-me? I-I'm not so sure h-how I would react, Twilight." she pulled her hat a little lower, attempting but failing to cover her already glowing face. "I-I-I mean, I'd be surprised too, I reckon. But to actually b-buck at it?" Applejack's eyes widened at the last word. "Twilight, Sugarcube, you do know that that part is really...uh...sensitive, don't cha?"

Twilight buried her face behind her hooves, wanting to erase from her memory the horrible ordeal she has been through just moments ago. "What else was I suppose to do?" she cried. "When I opened my eyes it was suddenly right there in front of me!" Twilight shuddered at the thought of it. "It...it was so close to my muzzle. I think I almost k-k-k-kis---"

"You both do realize that I can hear you, right?" Creme said with a shake of his head, shutting the book Twilight had borrowed him. "My sudden appearance here didn't exactly made me deaf." He placed the book on the small wooden table next to him; the sheer size of the book itself almost had nothing to do with the title written across the front cover. In words of gold: "Equestria: A Brief History" have a whopping five thousand pages, and none of those pages had any pictures in them! Creme stopped reading after page three though, and skimmed through the rest of it.

The two young mares jumped at the sound of Creme's voice. They both gave him embarrassed smiles and chuckles. "Sorry, Creme." Twilight finally said, walking over towards him, closely followed by Applejack. "And I'm really, really sorry I-I bucked y-your---"

Creme held his hand up, silently telling Twilight to stop. "I'll live, Twilight." he said, putting his hand back down. "Everything seems to still be in working order...for now." he added solemnly, staring down.

"It's still there right?" Applejack asked softly, glancing over from behind Twilight's shoulder. "Your...you know."

"They're not squished, if that's what you're asking." Creme said with a sigh. "If they were, I assure you, Applejack, I'll be screaming in agony."

Applejack and Twilight both winced at the thought of it being squished into a pasty mess. "I'm really sorry, Creme." Twilight apologized for what must be the hundredth time. "I know it must be in a lot of pain---"

"Can we please talk about something else besides my crown jewels?" Creme interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief at their reactions. "It's fine, believe me. I'd show you, but that will just make everything weird, and I might actually lose one of them for real." he covered his face with his hands, remembering what happened just moments ago.

When the mirror suddenly fell on top of him, Creme found himself hurtling into a weird vortex, as if he was being sucked in by a very large and powerful vacuum cleaner. He spun and turned, he flipped and flapped, he raised and fell, he almost puked too, while inside the seemingly never-ending vortex.

But then, all of a sudden, the spinning and turning stopped. He no longer flipped and flapped. He stopped rising and falling every few seconds. Everything just came to a sudden stop, like a clock giving its last tick just before the battery died.

When Creme opened his eyes, he quickly came to the realization that he was no longer on Earth, his home. Everything that surrounded him all appeared to be much smaller compared to what he was used to: the chairs, the tables, even the bookshelves were smaller. Creme also felt a weird sensation stirring inside his chest. The feeling was strangely and annoyingly cheerful and peaceful at the same time, like he was a painter in his element, painting happy little trees and clouds all around his canvas, unbothered or distracted by any of his surroundings.

But what really caught Creme off guard was the butt in front of him (at least, he believed it to be one). He was on a wooden floor laying on his back and the fluffy purple butt was rested on top of his chest, rising and falling in unison to his own breathing. It did not move, just spread out in front of him, mere inches away from his face. He cautiously raised his hands and gently gave the butt a little poke on one side with his finger.

"Mmhhmm" came a groggily sounding voice further down below him. The voice sounded familiar somehow, he was almost certain about it. The answer was just there, laying in front of him, beyond the purple pear-shaped butt. Curious, and of course, intrigued by the familiar sounding voice, Creme gave the butt another poke, this time a bit harder than the last one.

"Mmhhmm!" the voice sounded more annoyed now, probably upset by the sudden poking harassment from Creme. He paused, with his finger still raised, debating on whether or not he should continue his attack. Perhaps it was not a good idea. Poking random purple butts will never be a good idea.

Whomever the owner of the butt is, Creme will have to find that out once he was in a much better position. He wanted to sit up, but it will prove to be a rather difficult task what with the butt on his body. He needed to get it off him, and the only way to do that was to grab that butt and push it aside.

Creme heard a soft mumbling in front of him, he couldn't make out what the voice was saying. Cocking his head to one side, Creme wanted to see if it was possible to catch a glimpse as to who was the one mumbling. It was there and at that moment did Creme found out that he was clothless. Naked. Exposed.

A sudden panic began to take over his mind and body. He had arrived in an unknown place completely bare, with another equally naked butt lying on top of him. There was nothing on him to help cover his manly body and manly bushes (except, the butt). It was like that one movie he watched a long, long time ago, except that it had something to do with robots and the end of the world, not fluffy purple butts.

And it was at that exact moment, in his state of panic, did he felt it. A soft wind, blowing gently against his Excalibur. The wind came in short intervals, warm and light. It would have been a very comfortable feeling, if it were not for the fact that Creme's entire body immediately stiffen up. He became as solid as stone. Rigid. Unmoving. Both his body and his Ultimate Dragon. Creme cursed silently at himself.

Creme was by no means an idiot; putting two and two together, he clearly saw and understood the situation he was in inside his mind's eye. It was clear as crystal: He was naked. There was someone or something lying on top of him, possibly as naked as he was. He needed to get out of this mess and find something to cover his body, or else.

Nodding his head, Creme mentally prepared himself for the objective ahead. But then, just as he was about to raise his hands, he felt something move, just above his groin. It rubbed and nudged against him, furry and soft. Like having a cat rubbing itself against your legs. Except, in Creme's case, it was near his more sensitive areas.

"W-wha...What?" a voice asked. More warm breaths flowed on to his Holy Stick, sending shivers all over Creme's naked body. "What happened?" hearing the voice speak made something clicked within Creme's brain. He now knew who's butt it was.

It was Twilight.

A mental battle instantly took place inside Creme's think tank. There were two opposite factions: the first faction --- The Stone --- wanted to stay still, and see how things would go from there. The other, --- The Cave --- wished to open their mouths and speak, to clear the air. The battle lasted almost two seconds.

Seeing no other proper way out of the situation, Creme cleared his throat as loudly he could. "Hi Twilight."

What followed after he spoke was the worst pain he could never ever imagine in his entire life. It was a pain so intense, so excruciatingly agonizing. He swore it was something he'd never wish upon his own enemies. Creme couldn't even begin to describe the pain he felt in words. For there were no words that could be used to explain it. It was something one would need to experience it themselves to fully understand, to fully capture what he was going through.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself still lying naked on the wooden floor, except that there was a rather small looking blanket over him, covering his midsection all the way down to his knees. The blanket was thick and blue, with silver-coloured moons and yellow stars printed all over.

There was also an icepack. Placed in a certain place for obvious reasons.

Bringing himself back to the present, Creme tighten the blanket surrounding his waist, afraid that it might suddenly drop, causing him to be exposed yet again to not one, but two unlucky mares. The silence inside Twilight's library was unsettling. He could feel the two pair of eyes staring at him, well, not him to be exact. He cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I hope Spike already gave Rarity the measurements for a new set of clothes." he spoke, glancing at Twilight. "You really think she'd know what to do?"

Twilight nodded her head, timidly. "Rarity is the best at what she does. She's made more dresses and suits than anypony I could think of." Creme noticed her eyes darting back and forth from the blanket to his face. "I'm sure this won't be a challenge for her." Applejack nodded her head in agreement beside Twilight.

"But she hasn't really---" Creme scratched his chin. "---sewn any clothing for humans now before, has she?"

"Er...no." Twilight grinned sheepishly. "But if there's anyone that could sew a dress for a---"

"Shirt."

"---er...right! Of course." ---Twilight quickly cleared her throat--- "If there's anyone that could sew a shirt for a human, I'm positively sure that pony would be Rarity!"

"You have nothing to worry about there, Creme." Applejack said, smiling. "Why, I'm sure Rarity's already on her way now, shirt in hoof!"

"Let's hope she remember's the pants too." Creme mumbled quietly.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing, nothing. When did you even get those measurements, Twilight?" Creme asked, looking around for a measuring tape. "I don't recall you ever doing it."

Twilight blushed at the question. "H-huh? Well! I...er...I-I-I did it w-when you were...when you were..." her face slowly turned to stare at the ground, softly tapping her hooves against it. Applejack raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Ah." came the response from Creme, understanding what Twilight meant. "I see."

"I-I didn't do anything weird! I swear!" Twilight bursted out, stepping forward. "I mean, I did get curious for a moment---it was my first time seeing a complete anatomy of an entirely different species. Especially one that came from another plan---" she stopped mid-sentence, a gasp escaping her mouth. She quickly and violently shook her head, and continued as if nothing weird was said. "B-but I assure you, nothing happened!"

"That's...reassuring."

Twilight slapped her face with a hoof. She should have just said nothing happened. But it was not the truth; After landing the blow on Creme's nether regions, she tried her best to calm herself down. But it prove to be impossible, since Creme was howling in pain and yelling out words she could make no sense of. By the time she did managed to compose herself, however, Creme had already fainted.

It was there did she got a good full look at Creme's body. From the black hair to the pink lips. From the long fingers to the funny looking toes. From the swollen pe---

Twilight shook her head, her cheeks burning, and quickly went upstairs to find something to cover the human with. She grabbed her blanket and flung it over Creme's body. Her blanket was too small to cover Creme entirely. So, Twilight made due and carefully covered the more...indecent areas of Creme's body.

By the time Creme woke up, she had already sent Spike with a letter to Rarity, containing the necessary numbers for some suitable apparel. At least, she hoped it was. All Twilight knew about human clothing was the number of times she saw Creme wearing them back when he was still on Earth.

And now here he was. A human in Equestria. Twilight wasn't sure what she should do. She hoped to see Rainbow come back by today, if not tomorrow. And she had a faint feeling that Creme might be coming along, but certainly not like this! She glanced towards the mirror she had taken from Rainbow's home. The glass was cracked, but the frame remained the same. She could not tell if the mirror was broken, or if it could be activated ever again. She'd need to study it later.

Creme turned to look at what Twilight was looking at. He sighed. "Do you think it's broken?" he asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I...I'm not sure. I can't really tell until I've studied it further, but..."

"It looks pretty busted up to me." Applejack said, looking at the mirror. "Do you think Rainbow will be able to communicate with us?"

"No idea." Creme said, shifting in his seat. It was rather uncomfortable to be seated in such a small chair. Maybe he should just sit on the floor. "The mirror is not even showing anything from my world."

"Then how is Rainbow gonna get back to Ponyville?"

"Discord mentioned something about using his portal to bring us here." Creme said. "According to him, it will take some time to fully charge it before being able to use it."

"It's a magical portal which he will summon?" Twilight asked. "Or is it some sort of device which contains the properties of teleportation? How did he manage to get his claws on something like that? Wouldn't this portal bend and unwind the very fabrics of space and time?" she continued to asked questions, more to herself instead to Creme and Applejack.

"Whoa there, Sugarcube." Applejack said, giving Twilight a little shake on the shoulder. "One question at a time."

A quiet knock on Twilight's front door caused all three of them to turned their heads. No one made a move to open the door. Twilight threw several nervous glances at Creme and to Applejack. Who could it be? If it was Spike he would have just opened the door like nobody's business.

"It's probably Rarity." Applejack said, moving towards the door.

Twilight grabbed her friend. "What if it isn't?"

"Should I...hide or something?"

"What are you so worried about?" Applejack asked, gently pulling herself away from Twilight's grasp.

"What if somepony else sees Creme?"

"So what if they did? It ain't the end of the world."

"I could just hide...somewhere --- anywhere, you know."

The knock came again, louder, but still gentle. Followed by a sing-song voice.

"Oh, Twilight!" came the unmistakable voice of Rarity, calling from behind the door. "I brought what you asked for!" A soft rustling noise could be heard. "I've only made the shirt, however! I do hope that is alright."

No pants. Creme slapped his forehead.

Well This Is Just Weird, No?

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"Isn't it marvellous?"

Creme stared at the thing he was holding in his hands with a raised eyebrow. He bit his lip as he turned it around, wanting to get a better look at the rest of it. When Twilight told him that Rarity was the best at what she did he believed her without question. He shot a quick glance at the white coloured unicorn, who was busy distracting herself by playing with her indigo coloured mane. But now that he has the chance to actually look at the piece of... clothing with his own two eyes, he was beginning to have second thoughts about Rarity's skills.

"I truly have outdone myself once again!"

That's one way of putting it.

"I must say --- for my very first piece of clothing for a human --- I believe I did a very good --- no, excellent job on it!"

As he studied the piece of... clothing, Creme's raised eyebrow slowly dropped back into place, which was then slowly replaced with an unamused frown.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Creme looked up from the thing he was holding in his hands. Rarity was looking at him with a smug look on her face; no doubt the fashionista unicorn was swelling with immeasurable pride at her latest creation. The frown held its place on Creme's face, however, without so much as even twitching or budging.

"I hope you don't mind the simplicity of it." Rarity continued without waiting for him to reply. Creme's eyes returned to the creation which would soon be his means of covering his body, well, half of his body anyway. 'Simplicity' was one word he would not use to describe this thing; he could think of all the worst clothing designs he'd seen back on Earth, but none of that will be able to compare with what his holding at the moment.

This is far from just being 'simple'.

"I assure you, dear, that I only use the most suitable of materials and fabrics for all my designs --- this one included as well." Rarity said, gesturing at the supposed... clothing with her hoof. "Why don't you put it on and see if it fits?" Rarity urged, flashing a smile so bright at Creme he quickly covered his eyes with his hand.

He sighed. No matter what he thought of it, he couldn't just say no and reject Rarity's hard-work straight to her face. Besides, complaining and whining about it won't do him much good; Rarity was generous enough to make this for him without any prior warning beforehand and without charging him a single dollar --- or whatever currency that the ponies use around this strange new world.

Well, he wasn't quite sure for that last part, though, but he's still holding on to the hope that it might be true. Not to mention that Creme was undoubtedly completely cashless right now; he arrived here in the land of Equestria without anything except the hair on his head and the pubes on his---

In other words, last thing Creme wanted right now was being in debt with someone he'd only until recently talked with through a magical mirror. He wasn't sure exactly how much this creation might cost him, but he just can't imagine himself being stuck sewing dresses and bonnets for the rest of life until his debt was paid in full.

"Go on." Rarity pushed, taking several steps closer towards him. "There's no need to worry if you do find it uncomfortable --- not that you will, but I can easily make adjustments right away!" her horn illuminated a light blue glow and --- from out of nowhere --- she levitated out a small sewing kit which was also covered in the same glow as her horn; unicorn magic in action.

Creme's knowledge and understanding about the different types of ponies in Equestria was still pretty elementary. But he believes that he knows enough to not make a fool of himself in front of anyone. He had seen Twilight use her 'horn magic' --- as Creme called it --- plenty of times during the chats they had back when the mirror was still... well, just a normal see-through-another-world type mirror. But nevertheless, seeing horn magic directly in front of him was still amazing.

"I've made sure to pack all the necessary things just in case some last minute changes are needed." Rarity said, opening the sewing kit with her magic and browsing through its contents. "It is important to always be prepared in case of emergencies, am I right?" she brushed and shook her mane back, which sparkled and glowed like the women in those exaggerated shampoo commercials they showed on television back on Earth. Creme's mind wandered off for a moment as he pondered what sort of shampoo brand the ponies of Equestria were using.

Who goes around carrying a sewing kit with them anyway? Creme thought. He smacked himself on the forehead a few seconds later.

The look on Creme's face and the sudden smack to the head must had been alarming, for Twilight trotted over to him, tilting her head to one side with a concerned look on her face. "Is everything okay?" she asked, but not loud enough for Rarity to hear --- who wouldn't be able to anyway. For the unicorn had turned around and was now busy showing off the different type of threads she brought with her to Applejack. "You should really put that on." Twilight added, her cheeks pink.

Creme glanced at the royalty standing next to him. "Princess," he started, leaning in closer towards her. "I have worn my fair share of shirts back in my world, and let me tell you one thing." his eyes darted over to Rarity, who was slowly closing in on a hastily retreating Applejack, and refocused them back on to Twilight. "This. Is. No. Shirt."

"What? What do you mean?" Twilight questioned, lowering her volume to the same level as Creme's and staring at Rarity's latest work. "Of course it's a shirt. What else would it be?"

"I'm positively sure this ain't no shirt." Creme poked at the soft fabric with a finger. "Are you sure you got my measurements right, Princess?" he asked, pointing at his half-naked body, which made Twilight blush for a split second. "'Cause I'm pretty sure these aren't the correct measurements." he continued, ignoring her reaction.

Twilight cleared her throat. "O-Of course I d-did!" she defended. "I made sure to measure every single part of your anatomy with the correct tools and methods."

Creme raised an eyebrow. "Every single part?" he gave her a bemused look, wondering if she understood what he meant by that sentence.

"With pinpoint accuracy and precise precision." Twilight said with a proud nod of her head. "I may not be the best in creating new fashion designs or setting the latest trend. But I am quite confident when it comes to taking simple measurements, Creme."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that." Creme agreed half-heartedly. "So you're telling me that you even took measurements for my...er, heat-seeking moisture missile?"

Twilight stared at him. "What's a heat-seeking moisture missile?" she asked innocently. Creme knew he shouldn't be asking about this right now and he knew that there were other important matters to focus on. But he just has to know if the princess really did what he think she did. He was also rather curious as to what was the precise measurement for his throbbing python of love. Not desperately, but still...just a little curious.

He sighed, and pointed at his obscured purple-helmeted warrior of love; sending the message to Twilight as clear as an open cloudless sky.

Twilight's face immediately heated up to a million degrees. Her face was so hot, steam could be seen rising from her reddening face. She let out a loud yelp and fell on her butt. She pushed herself back with her hooves, putting as much space between the two of them. Creme couldn't help but to chuckle at the alicorn's reaction.

Rarity and Applejack both turned their heads to look at Twilight. "Everything okay over there?" Applejack asked, staring at them with her eyebrow raised.

"Oh, just a bug." Creme quickly replied in Twilight's stead, trying his best to stop chuckling. "Everything's fine!"

"Is everything all right, darling?" Rarity asked, her question directed at Twilight.

The princess replied with a flurry of quick nods. "A-All right? Everything is all right, all right?" she blurted out while getting herself back up. "It was j-just a b-bug, you know! Those pesky little things sure can give you a scare!" she let out a laugh that sounded like nothing but pure awkwardness. "D-Don't worry about me, I'm absolutely one-hundred percent all right!"

Rarity and Applejack didn't seemed to be convinced, but they said nothing else and went back to what they were doing.

Twilight face was still flushed a deep red when she went back up to Creme, who shook his head, laughing silently.

"It was just a question you know."

Twilight shot him an adorable glare. The kind of glare which was impossible to be taken seriously by anyone. "You don't go around asking anypony if they measured your...your..." she pointed a shaky hoof at Creme's crotch.

"Single barrelled pump action bollock?" Creme suggested, wanting to help her find the least direct way of saying the actual name for it.

"Anyway!" Twilight exclaimed, shaking her head. "S-S-So what if I did?" she demanded, eyeing Creme in the eye. "It was... it was right there! and looking at it just made me...made me..."

"Interested?" Creme said with a sly smirk.

"Curious!" Twilight nearly shouted, the red in her cheeks spreading. "Stop making unnecessary suggestion on what I really want to say!" she sighed and took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "If you must know, I did it all in the name of scientific study." she said with a steady voice, although her face looked nothing like it. "Y-you are the first human I have ever seen, and I wanted to gather as much data as I possibly can on and about your species."

"Hey, I don't really mind you studying my human body and everything." Creme said with a shrug. "But I just don't see how my baloney pony has anything to do with it. I mean, it can't be that different when compared to the ones available here."

"T-They are different!" Twilight argued, frowning a little. "The shape, the size! Even the process of it changing from limp to full erec--- w-wait! That's not what I'm trying to sa--- I mean, erm... e-enough!" Twilight cried, shutting her ears with her hooves. "Why are there so many names for something like that?"

"Well, I could name a few more if you are interested---"

"No! Can we please just talk about the shirt?" Twilight pleaded, looking at Creme with moist in her eyes.

"Yeah, about that." Creme placed the piece of clothing on the floor and spread it open. "You should take a look at this."

Twilight approached him slowly, as if afraid he might start dishing out different ways to call a meter long king kong dong. "What is it?"

"This shirt only has one hole" Creme said, showing her the aforementioned hole. "As you can clearly see, there is just no way my head is going to fit through that hole, Princess." The both of them stared back at the sad little hole which was in middle of the entire 'shirt' Rarity had made him. Twilight rubbed her eyes with her hoof, a wave of disbelief rushing all over her as she stared at the shirt before her.

"But... but I am sure I gave her the correct measurements according to your build." she said, glancing up at Creme, a hint of panic in her face. "Unless there was some sort of a mix-up in the delivery from Spike, but that can't be right."

"This shirt is the one that ain't right." Creme picked the piece of clothing up and let out a tired sigh. He wondered if Rarity had made some sort of mistake when sewing the... shirt. But he was quite sure Rarity could tell that his head was much larger than the one on the... shirt. So why would she create something that has only one hole in it? And in the middle of the entire...shirt for that matter.

Now that he thought about it, and after a more closer inspection. The hole in the middle kinda looked as if it was the right size for his...

Oh, no.

"Twilight..." he said slowly, turning around to face her. "Did you by any chance also gave her the measurements of my---"

Twilight let out a loud groan, letting herself fall to the floor in shame.

"Oh, by the way, dear." Rarity said, turning around. "I've wanted to ask you this since my arrival, but... urm, not that I question how you humans dress and all but, is the Earth's term of 'shirt' that different from what we call here?" Rarity asked. "I know there are still several other pieces in the set which have yet to be completed but, I must say, I find that particular piece over there to be rather odd."

Creme shook his head dejectedly. "You and me both, sister." he muttered softly. Creme now fully understood why this... shirt turned out so weird looking and brain-shattering. It wasn't because Rarity made a mistake. And it definitely wasn't because she couldn't get the job done.

What he has with him at that moment wasn't exactly a shirt, but what one would call a crudely made underwear by pony hooves. Underwear that has only one entrance. An entrance that only his mayonnaise gun could fit through.

Of all the things she could have made first. She just had to go with the weirdest one.

"May I know just how exactly are you going to put it on?" Rarity asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Twilight let out a embarrassed whimper, hiding her face behind a huge book.

Time To Unleash The Banana

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"Urgh."

There it was again. The groan. The groan that he's been hearing for the past hour.

"Urgh!"

He tried his best to stay cool. To stay chilled. But he knew he was only lying to himself. His twitching right eye was proof of that. It wasn't twitching because of some stupid dust particle that got stuck on his eyeball, no. His eye was twitching all because of one pony.

"Urrgghh!"

The sound of impatient hooves pacing back and forth behind him was beginning to irritate him, too. He could tell that his veins were just about ready to explode, all of them fuelled by the constant groans. He wanted to say something to her, to express his own displeasure. To let out his own version of frustration.

"Urrrrgghhhhh!"

But he didn't. Discord shook his head and chose to pay the groan and pacing no mind. There were more important things that required his attention at the moment. He could deal with the groaning Pegasus later.

He was just about to resume to what he was doing when---

“How much longer is this gonna take, Discord?” Rainbow whined from behind him.

Discord sighed loudly, scratching his bearded chin, and reluctantly turned himself around to give the inquisitive Pegasus an annoyed look. She has been pestering him for the past hour now, bombarding him with an onslaught of waves after waves of questions and sending a never-ending carnage of groans into his back.

Her personal favourite though, was, without a doubt, the how-much-longer-is-this-gonna-take question. That took the cake. That bit the bullet. That made the call.

“Patience, my dear Dashie. Like I said, this sort of thing takes time.” Discord replied for what must be the hundredth time. “Did I not already tell you that this portal needs time to charge?”He asked, pointing at a small metallic silver-coloured box beside him. “And stop with all the questions, Dash. I find it already difficult enough to concentrate on this without your constant questioning distracting me.”

Rainbow groaned in frustration, throwing her hooves into the air. “All this waiting is killing me!”She exclaimed loudly, hovering in mid-air. “First the mirror gets all cracked up and it’s not even showing us anything anymore. Second, we can’t even find out what has happen to Crème.” She lowered herself back on to the ground, folding her wings. “What if something bad happened to him?”

“I’m sure the lad is doing just fine.” Discord said, turning back around to face the device in front of him. “Though, I do hope he did not end up somewhere…unpleasant.” He said with a grimace. “Imagine him appearing right in the middle of a hydra’s nest.” Discord shivered at the thought. “Nasty little things, those Hydras.” He continued, ignoring Rainbow’s shocked expression. “Well, it’s not like they pose a problem for yours truly, I mean, what with me being the Lord of Chaos and all that. But for a human being like Crème…” He let his voice trail off, unconsciously creating an invisible cloud of dread, which found its way to Rainbow Dash.

“Urgh, stop it! You’re making me sick.” Rainbow said, her face painted with disgust. “Just get that portal up and running already!” She nagged, turning around and trotting to the other end of the apartment.

“What do you think I have been doing for the past hour? Painting my toenails?” Discord rolled his eyes and resumed doing what he has been doing before being so rudely interrupted by Rainbow.

A soft sigh leaked out of his lips as he stared at the small dimly glowing box which sat comfortably on what had been the coffee table; the sudden eruption that took place within Crème’s apartment almost a day ago had left the entire place in a huge mess: fallen furniture, shattered glass and an overturned couch to name a few.

But the real shocker was the broken mirror. The magical broken mirror. None of them were expecting something of that magnitude to happen so suddenly out of the blue. The booming noises, the intense shaking, and that glowing aura which covered the entire mirror. Let’s not forget the part where Crème suddenly got swallowed up by said mirror, sending him to (hopefully) Equestria.

Discord always thought that he had seen it all. He is Discord after all; he can conjure up all sorts of bizarre and unexplainable things, manipulate reality and twist it into something disturbing and chaotic. He has even travelled to worlds and universes no one in Equestria has ever been to (except maybe the royal sisters and that bearded wizened old pony).

Of course, loud booming mirrors which can grow up to ten times their original size was nothing new to Discord --- he himself had made even weirder things to grow ten times their original size, like a bed or a random squirrel or a slice of chocolate cake.

And yet here he was, seated on a chair with missing legs inside Crème’s apartment, digging through his brain to figure out exactly what had occurred yesterday. From what he gathered, he knew it was some form of teleportation, and he was positive that he had seen that sort of magic before; it was an ancient spell of a certain age --- a rather crude one, however --- he was sure of it, one that was surprisingly powerful and that can only be fully activated after a number of strict conditions has been met.

But what bothered him was how he failed to notice such a thing before; he even remembered giving the mirror a good once over before it all happened --- examining every nook and cranny his human eyes allowed him. A cast spell would always leave some form of remnant energy --- energy or essence that cannot be seen with just the naked eye. That energy would be something more spiritual like; it can be sensed and felt if one concentrated hard enough, or if one has the natural born talent to harness and wield magic. Pretty much like dust; you can't always see it but, if you try hard enough, you'll find that it is all around you. Sometimes all the way to your eyeballs.

Discord began humming a tuneless tune, gently prodding the glowing box with his finger, his thoughts still anchored on yesterday’s events. He could not understand why he did not manage to sense the spell even after examining the mirror thoroughly. Usually, the stronger the spell, the more noticeable its energy will be. This spell, however, this ancient spell gave out nothing; not even a tiny drop of its energy can be felt within the air.

It almost seemed like it was hidden on purpose. Probably covered by another spell he failed to notice as well. But that only deepens the mystery on who was behind it all. Then again, he wasn't sure if there was a second spell involved in the mix.

Whoever cast it was undoubtedly skilled. Insanely skilled. Discord hated the idea of discovering the existence of the spell only after it was fully activated. He finds it insulting to acknowledge the fact that somepony out there was actually capable of casting a spell even the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony himself could not perceive.

Now that Discord thought more about it, something else about this spell disturbed him. A spell of this level requires a lot of magic power. Not only just to cast it, but to also sustain it. A simple and quick teleportation spell doesn’t need a high dose of magic to cast, since it will only last about a second.

But for a spell that only fully activates once its set conditions are met… that spell will definitely need a stream of magic continuously charging it to keep itself from disappearing --- either from a powerful magic user or from a magical source; an item or a piece of land imbued with magical properties for instance.

Now if he was in Equestria he wouldn’t even give the spell a second thought, where magic was abundant and common and can be found almost anywhere. But he’s on Earth right now. Magic isn’t everywhere around here. It’s uncommon. It’s almost non-existent. He couldn’t even find enough magical sources to charge his one banana. One banana!

So who or what was responsible for juicing the spell? What kept the spell going? How long had the spell been going? Why was there a spell on the mirror in the first place? Why does pizza taste good even when it’s bad? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Why would a woodchuck chuck wood?

Discord stopped humming, his face turning into a frown. He glanced over to the broken mirror, which rested silently on Crème’s couch. The entire glass was covered in cracks and missing pieces; communication with the other side was no longer possible. Staring deeply into it does nothing too, except presenting you with a full view of your cracked reflection.

If only---

A series of soft knocks on the door brought Discord back to his senses. He stood up, dusted himself off, and calmly walked towards the front door. He carefully opened the door until there was only but a crack and asked in the most casual, sing-song voice ever:

“~Who is it?”

* * * * * *

Stupid useless banana. How much longer is that thing gonna charge anyway? It's been sitting there for almost a day already!

As Discord was making his way towards the door Rainbow quickly entered Crème’s bedroom, wanting to hide herself before the front door opens. And with good reason; she wasn’t exactly sure how other humans might react if they see her. But that doesn’t mean she was going to stay there in the open and find out.

I hope Crème is okay. That bit about him ending up in a Hydra's nest isn't really all that nice to think about right now.

So, with her head poking out from the bedroom, Rainbow watched in silence as Discord spoke to whoever it was behind the door. She still finds it weird to see Discord in his human form --- not that she prefers the original look, but still… pretty weird. Compared to his real face and body, the human version of Discord was at least...well, tolerable to look at.

I wonder how I'll look as a human...

Rainbow never would’ve guess that there would be another being from Equestria here on Earth all this time. And of all the beings that could’ve popped up on Earth, it just had to be Discord, who just happens to have all the necessary things needed to travel to Earth to and fro.

If she knew about this way earlier, she might already be back home right about now, zipping around the open cloudless sky, hanging out with her friends or maybe doing cool stuff like reminding everypony just how awesome she is.

And yes, even if that means getting help from the Lord of Chaos and Disharmony himself; the enemy, the antagonist, the villain, the bad guy, and all those other words used to describe a bad guy.

Well... the ‘former’ and supposedly ‘reformed’ enemy, anyway. And even though she still has her trust issues with Discord, Rainbow would still demand for his aid without even hesitating for a single second; even she knows when she is in need of assistance. Besides, the winged pony misses her friends dearly. She wanted nothing more than to be able to take a nice, casual flight around Ponyville. To do things like waving to her friends, showing off her skills, getting an apple to eat, showing off her skills---

Rainbow shook her head. There was a time and place for all those sort of thoughts. For now, she just has to patiently wait until Discord's banana portal is ready for action.

Fortunately, Rainbow is a very patient pony.

Urgh! I can't stand this waiting anymore!

Very patient.

Who's at the door anyway? What's taking him so long?

Rainbow took another quick peek from within Crème’s bedroom, her curiosity already getting the best of her as to who their visitor was. Her eyes quickly darted to where Discord stood, wanting to get a glimpse for herself; Discord was taking a step back and opening the door wide, granting their visitor access to Crème’s apartment.

One look at the visitor was enough to make Rainbow sigh loudly. Shaking her head, she stepped out from her hiding spot to greet their new arrival, Sonata. Who was carrying a medium-sized brown paper bag with one hand and waving in Rainbow's direction with the other. A half-eaten wheat tortilla with who-knows-what filling was dangling from her mouth. When she spoke, it was next to incomprehensible, but still understandable to a certain degree.

"Fy, Vainfow!"

* * * * * *

Sonata was shocked when she came back to find Crème’s apartment in a chaotic state.

All she did was go out and grab lunch for the gang and then, all of a sudden, boom! Something big went down while she was gone. Not only was the place in a ruined mess. Crème had also disappeared, having being sent away to a place she could only hope was Equestria.

It's already been a day since Crème’s teleportation to Equestria. But they still don't have any clue or information on whether or not Crème was safe and sound. Normally, they could just communicate with the other world by using the magical mirror. But the mirror was all battered up, and nothing magical has been happening to it since.

Discord, being a magical creature from Equestria himself, said that the only way to find out was to go to Equestria themselves. Where, hopefully, they will be able to find a still living and breathing Crème.

Of course, the only option to go there was with the use of Discord's personal teleporter device: a banana, of all the things it could have taken its shape upon. Which was currently resting on its side next to a small glowing box; The Beautiful Banana Charger, Sonata called it, for the light emanating from the silver box was mesmerising; though a little dim and not as bright as the light-bulb inside Crème’s bathroom, the gentle golden glow was pleasant to look at.

Discord, on the other hand, preferred the term: A Magical Cube Thingy Which Can Send Us Home --- also known as a MCTWCSUH. Which sounds like an old man sneezing with his dentures flying out.

Silly name. The Beautiful Banana Charger sounds way better. She likes calling it the BBC. She loves that BBC. What with its mysterious yet intriguing design and also its warm and ever peaceful glow. She wondered just where on Earth did Discord get it? For it did not look like something one would just find anywhere on the street.

When she told Discord about calling it the BBC, she couldn't understand why he kept on shaking his head in a sad and pitying manner. What's wrong with calling it BBC? What's wrong with BBC?

Just like yesterday, Sonata had just came back from grabbing some food for Rainbow and Discord. She was the obvious choice for the job, because Rainbow mustn't be seen and Discord was busy with getting the banana charged. And, just like yesterday, she went and got the one food she believes will help raise the spirits of everyone: tacos.

Having already started with her own, Sonata happily handed the brown paper bag to Rainbow, who grabbed it with her mouth.

"Thanks." Rainbow muttered through a mouthful of brown paper. Sonata gave her a quick nod in response before munching away greedily on her remaining taco.

"Try not to get any of your saliva on my piece, will you?" Discord said, closing the door behind him and patting Sonata on the head. "And thank you, Sonata." he said, giving her a small smile. "I hope all that running around isn't tiring you out."

She swallowed the last remaining bit of wheat tortilla before speaking. "Not at all, Mr.Ord! I always like grabbing food." It was true. She considers it to be one of her favourite pastimes.

"Please, Sonata. Just call me Discord." Discord said, passing her and walking over to Rainbow, who was having difficulty pulling out her share from the brown paper bag with her hooves.

"Come here you little taco!" Rainbow said, thrusting her hoof into the brown paper bag. "Come to papa!"

"Problem?" Discord asked, with a hint of a smirk forming on his lips.

"What problem?" Rainbow asked stubbornly, her face scrunching up. "I don't have a problem." She glared at him. "Do you have a problem?"

"Not really, but I think---"

Sonata ignored the duo's squabbling and bounced her way over to the kitchen sink. As she rinsed the sticky gravy on her hands away with the cool flow of water, she gazed around the once comfy looking apartment; gone were the neatly placed furniture that once decorated the small living room. Gone were the legs on that chair she grew fond of for its soft and fluffy cushioning. Gone was Crème, who got swallowed up by a mirror that went cuckoo all of a sudden.

Gone was Crème. Gone. Gone. Gone.

Sonata sighed. Truth be told, she was feeling a little down due to Crème's absence, and also maybe feeling a tad envious, despite not wanting to admit it herself, for Crème has gone (though perhaps, unwillingly) to a place filled with magical creatures --- creatures that could talk just like humans do on Earth! And they can cast magic! Real magic!

She closed her eyes, letting herself be whisked away into her daydream. She could see it clearly --- the Kingdom of Equestria! A magical, yet mysterious land filled with all sorts of things little boys and girls once dreamt of. For Sonata, that world was now just a portal away, and all that stands between her and Equestria was the slowly charging banana.

Sonata simply couldn't wait to go there. She could already see herself running up to every single adorable pony she finds there and giving them a huge, warm hug. Discord told her that the ponies of Equestria simply love cuddles, even if the gesture came from a complete total stranger! He also encouraged her to give them a firm slap on the flank, saying something about how it would make them like her more.

Although she plans on actually doing it, Sonata still finds the whole idea of accepting sudden love hugs and firm slaps from complete strangers to be a little weird, but who cares really? Being able to hug magic-casting talking ponies was always a dream Sonata wanted to accomplish. But there was still that part about smacking their flank...

Sonata sighed again. Shaking her head and reeling herself back to reality. All that daydreaming did nothing except making her more impatient that she already was.

If only the charging wasn't taking so lon---

*DING* *DING* *DING*

"Well what do you know?" came Discord's voice, his tone surprised. "The charging is finally complete."

Rainbow dropped the taco she was holding in her hooves with a soft *SPLAT!* Her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"You mean...?"

Discord nodded his head, a big smile plastered onto his face. "Yup. Time to pack up gang! It's time to go home."

Rats Lriws the Breaded

View Online

"How do I look?"

Twilight studied Creme as he stepped out from the bathroom. He was no longer clothed in just her blanket. He'd cast it aside since he had no use for it anymore; though the blanket served as the only means of covering his nude body, Creme was glad to finally be rid of it. He had been wearing it for an entire day and all the way through the night. If he had a choice, he would choose to go full naked rather than using Twilight's blanket. But the circumstances would not agree to such choices.

"You look...nice?" said Twilight uncertainly. Her voice sounded a bit off, as if she did not knew how to give someone a compliment.

Creme nodded his head in agreement, unaware of the change in Twilight's voice. He gave himself a once-over, taking in his new threads. "Nice is right." he said. He was dressed in a black short sleeved shirt with white buttons, paired with a pair of straight dark blue jeans. His feet remained bare, as there were no socks made. The entire set was very comfortable and warm, despite having being made by a magical talking pony.

"Nice?" Rarity gasped from behind Twilight, flicking her purple mane back with her hoof. "Nice? Nice is just an understatement, my dear. You look absolutely marvellous in it!" she said to Creme, eyeing him from top to bottom with a satisfied smile. "And, I must say --- now that you are properly clothed --- I find you rather...fetching." she batted her eyelashes at him.

Creme wasn't sure what she meant by that. He wasn't even sure how he should respond. He chose to ignore that last part.

Creme cleared his throat. "R-really?" he asked, trying his best to keep his eyes on hers. It wasn't as if Creme disagreed with what Rarity said; the clothes looked great, and very skillfully done even from such short notice; after realising her mistake, Twilight quickly gave Rarity urgent but hushed instructions on what was actually needed. The following day, Rarity came back with an air of fabulousness about her (as she always did) and handed Creme the clothes which he now was currently wearing.

"Why, but of course!" said Rarity excitedly. "Don't forget that it was I, Rarity! That made this for you." There was a strong hint of pride in her tone as she continued. "I would have had it done for you yesterday but I simply cannot cause such injustice! Designing and creating only works best went you are in the zone. My work. My talent, simply isn't something that you can just rush through it. For when it comes to fashion, I make the best, and only the best for all my clients, Creme. Even for never seen before creatures such as yourself."

She paused for a moment to take a breath. Creme was beginning to understand what Rainbow meant when she said that Rarity was "A pony that eats fashion for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Rarity whipped her mane back and opened her mouth to continue. "Believe it or not, there was this one time where---"

Twilight had the feeling that her friend Rarity was complimenting more on the clothing and the one who created it instead of the one wearing it. She glanced at Creme and gave him an apologetic look as Rarity went on and on, as if trying to tell him: "She tends to get like this every so often."

Creme shrugged in return. "Yes, I can see that." He wondered if he should say something.

Rarity was still talking. "--- from a big dragon! Now, don't get me wrong, dear. It's not like making these were challenging or anything. I mean, I do get strange requests from peculiar clients every now and then. But they were always ponies. Well, except maybe for that one time where---"

Applejack interrupted her. "We get it, Rarity." she said with a roll of her eyes. "There is not one pony that can come anywhere close when it comes to your fancy dress-making skills." Creme and Twilight chuckled.

Rarity gave her a frown. She wasn't pleased by the sudden interruption, especially when she was just about to tell them about that one time in Manehattan --- it was one of her personal favourites, and she was eager to share it with everyone. She wrinkled her snout. "All I'm trying to say here, Applejack, is that our unexpected guest here looks incredibly dashing in his newly sewn clothes."

"Uh-huh. Sure you were." said Applejack. She placed her hoof on Rarity's shoulder. "And I think Creme looks great, too. But right now I'm sure there are more important things to discuss besides how fancy looking his clothes are."

"Applejack's right." said Twilight. "I'm grateful for what you did for us in such short notice, Rarity. But right now, we have matters that needs to be attended to immediately."

Rarity sighed. "I understand, Twilight. I apologise for getting carried away." She turned around to look at Creme. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, dear."

Creme shook his head. "No need to apologise, Rarity." he said, giving her a smile. "You've been a big help. If it weren't for you, I might still be wearing Twilight's blanket." He looked at his attire once more. "At least now we can have a decent conversation without me having to pull the blanket back up every five seconds."

"It has been my pleasure, Creme." said Rarity. "Doing something special like this every once in a while isn't such a bad thing. It gives me the chance to test my skills, and the experience from it will help expand my repertoire in the fashion industry."

Something that Rarity said reminded Creme of something he'd been meaning to ask since yesterday.

"Oh! Speaking of which, I know I don't really have anything on me right now, but I still wish to repay you somehow for what you did for me." At first, he wanted to offer her hard cash, but seeing that he'd arrived in Equestria butt naked, it wasn't really an option (it also wasn't an option because he wasn't quite sure what the exchange rate was in Equestria, if they had any). "And it might take me a little while to get the bits but, how much do I owe you?"

Rainbow had told him all about the currency used in Equestria. He would have offered that too, but that was out of the question as well. It wasn't as if he teleported to Equestria with a huge sack of bits rammed deep between his butt cheeks.

"Don't be ridiculous. You don't owe me anything, darling." said Rarity, waving away his question with her hoof. "Besides, I had a lot of fun making these. Just think of it as a welcome gift from me to you."

"But I can't just take it for free, Rarity." said Creme. He appreciated the generous gesture from her. But it did not felt right with him. "Let me pay you, please. I say you more than deserved it."

Her face frowned a little, and her voice sounded a little irritated when she next spoke. "Nonsense, Creme. I did not do this for the sole purpose of money, you know." she replied stubbornly. "Being generous is just part of what makes me, me."

Creme sighed. He had the feeling that he was going to lose this battle. But he wasn't about to give in without a fight. "Would you at least let me do something for you, then?" he asked, hoping. He can't really explain it, but he was confident that he could be of some use to the ponies here. He is a human after all. They should have their uses. "Anything at all?"

Rarity tutted. "Listen, dear. While I do appreciate your eagerness to repay me. I can assure you that I really don't need any sort of---"

Rarity stopped halfway through her sentence with her mouth still opened as if something just went down her throat. She placed a hoof on her lips and stayed quiet for a moment before suddenly giving Creme a smile. A rather mischievous smile. One that can make one question one's motives.

She cleared her throat before continuing. "Well... if you are so keen on helping me, I'm quite sure I can think of something that will be... beneficial for the both of us."

The sudden change of heart and the way she said it made Creme wonder if he should've just shut up.

* * * * * *

"I'm sure you're very well aware about this, Creme. But Rarity is the Element of Generosity. You do realise she did it as a favour and never intended for you to pay her, right?"

Creme scratched the back of his head. "I know that. But the whole thing just doesn't sit well with me, you know?" He watched as Twilight closed her front door; Rarity and Applejack had left to gather the rest of the Elements (minus Rainbow Dash).

"Why's that?"

He pondered on the question for a while, wanting to choose his words. "I guess I just don't like being in other people's debt." he said with a shrug. "It's not that I am not thankful for what she did for me, no. It's just that... I rather not be left with the feeling I owe her something."

Twilight frowned. "You don't owe her anything, Creme." Twilight said with a disapproving look. "She's one of my best friends; she'd never ever do anything like that."

"I'm not saying her heart isn't in the right place." said Creme. "I'm just saying I've been in situations where being in someone's debt can really fuc--- it can really mess up your life, okay?"

Twilight stared at him. There was a deep bitterness in his words, and he sounded hurt. She quickly opened her mouth to apologise. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that---"

Creme chuckled softly at her, cutting her off with a wave of his hand. "Just forget it, Princess. Besides, Rarity already said she'd think of something, right?" He stretched his arms, his fingers almost touching the ceiling. "If I can't pay her in bits at least I'd be able to repay her in manual labour or something like that." he looked at Twilight, who still looked apologetic. "I said forget it, Twilight."

"But, Creme. I didn't mean t---"

"You didn't do anything, Princess." Creme sighed. It was obvious she was still bothered by what he said a moment ago. "Look, this is just one of my life's principles. Even if that principle was formed from bad experiences." He gave her a sad smile. "Don't worry about it."

Twilight stayed silent. She opened her mouth, wanting to offer him words of comfort. But she couldn't. She wasn't sure if her next words would be enough to cheer him up. Her ears drooped down and she stared mutely at the floor underneath her hooves.

"Anyway..." Creme started, wanting to change the subject and the mood. "Talk about an entrance, eh? Who would've thunk the mirror would just swallow me up all of a sudden."

Twilight looked up. "It was rather surprising." she agreed. "But what perplexes me even more is how did it happened."

Creme raised any eyebrow. "What do you mean how?"

"Well, I did some research last night while you were sleeping." said Twilight.

"That would explain the huge amount of books I found on the floor this morning."

Twilight gave him a sheepish grin. "Yes, sorry about that. I thought Spike would've cleared it all up by then---"

"He left quite early this morning." said Creme, remembering the morning's event. He was rudely shaken awake by the young dragon. Before he could even say anything to him, Spike had disappeared out the front door. "I think he mentioned something about needing to grab something important."

"He did? No wonder I couldn't find him. He never said anything to me." Twilight glanced at her front door, as if expecting her number one assistant to burst through the door at that exact moment. She shook her head. "Anyway, I went through every single book I have regarding about magical spells and portals."

"Spells?"

"Yes." Twilight said knowingly. "Portals don't just randomly appear out of nowhere. They are created through magic. Through magical spells."

Her horn glowed as she pulled out a thick book with a green cover from one of the many shelves around her. Creme managed to read the book's gold-coloured title: A Unicorn's Guide To Magic (Discover and Learn about the Amazing World of Magic with this Useful Guide!) by Feather Quill before Twilight opened the book and flipped through it's pages.

"Portals can never form on its own. That's impossible. It needs to be cast, or summoned, whichever term you prefer." She continued flipping through the pages with the use of her magic before finally stopping on one particular page. "Ah, here it is." she said, turning the book around and passing it to Creme. "Read this passage."

Cream accepted the book from Twilight and read the part she had pointed out:

Magic, until this day, is a topic that still remains a mystery to us all. Not one pony has been able to fully grasp and understand this supernatural force that surrounds our world. It is something delicate, yet powerful at the same time. It can be wielded and used to bring peace and prosperity. But it also can be abused, and used to spread chaos and destruction.
Even with the shared and combined knowledge of countless scholars around the world, we are still nowhere near close to discovering Magic's deepest secrets; on how Magic truly works, how it came to be, and how much of a significance does it play in our world.
Perhaps the only pony that ever came close to understanding Magic was none other than Star Swirl the Bearded, Father of the Amniomorphic Spell, Creator of more than Two-Hundred Spells, The Three Greatest Conjurer of the Pre-Classical Era, Grand Adviser for the Two Royal Sisters and author of A History of Magic: A Brief Introductory to the World of Magic.
Star Swirl the Bearded is famous for his many accomplishments and contributions to the world of Magic. Scrolls and books written about him tells us about the many deeds he had done and the discoveries he had made throughout his time. Perhaps one of his greatest discoveries and controversies ever to be recorded was the discovery of time travel. In one of his many biographies, he stated that "Time travelling is nearly identical to teleportation in many ways. Both share the same requirements: They both are and acts as a portal. They both require a point to travel to--- the only difference was that one needed a location, while the other needed both a location and time. They both can only be cast, for it is impossible for it to exist without a main source of power constantly pouring into it. Magic is the only form of power we know, therefore it is needed to sustain it, to ensure that it remains in place without disappearing. In other words, it can never exist naturally, only created."
In the biography, Star Swirl the Bearded also mentioned discovering the existence of time travel through an accident while creating a new spell for mass teleportation. But through that accident, he discovered and created an entirely new spell. One that could allow ponies to travel through time. Unfortunately, before he could bring forth this discovery to the Kingdom, he vanished without a trace one night, and was never heard or seen ever again. Bringing whatever knowledge he had about the spell with him for the rest of time.
But this discovery also sparked a heated discussion which lasted until this day. Many have discussed on whether or not his claims on time travel was creditable and many more called him a liar, saying that he was making an attempt to gain even more fame. There are others who believe his discovery to be true, and that proof of his past accomplishments was more than enough to hold his claims about time travel. But until the day another pony is able to re-create the very spell Star Swirl the Bearded created through an accident, we may never know if this discovery is true.

"Finished yet?" Twilight asked impatiently.

Creme looked up from the book and returned it to her. "Okay, so you established that portals can only be created by someone through the use of a spell. But I still don't get what you're trying to tell me."

Twilight huffed at him, returning the book back to its rightful place. "Don't you see? Star Swirl discovered the existence of time travel during the pre-classical era!"

"I'm guessing that era was a very long time ago?"

"Very long time ago. And no pony has been able to re-create that spell ever since! Which could only mean one thing."

It hit him. "This spell is ancient as all hell!"

"Not exactly the words I would have used to describe it but, yes! The spell on this mirror must have been cast during Star Swirl's time!"

"But that still doesn't make any sense." said Creme, frowning. "Didn't Star Circle or whatever his name---"

"Star Swirl."

"Right, Start Whirl. Didn't he only discovered time travel? Your book mentioned nothing about him discovering a spell that allowed him to travel to different worlds."

"Time does not necessarily mean time, Creme!" Twilight said excitedly, clapping her hooves together. "Think about it; you came from another world, a world that could very well exists in a different galaxy, or in an entirely different universe!"

Creme was starting to understand what Twilight was getting at, but he was sceptical. "Multiple universes? Come on, Twilight. You can't be serious."

Twilight stared at Creme as if he had just slapped her. "Right now, you are standing in a world where ponies can fly, talk and cast magic. How can you not believe in multiple universes?"

She does have a point, there. Creme thought to himself. He scratched his chin, contemplating on what Twilight said. "So if I did came from another universe, that would also mean---"

"That you came from a different time!" Twilight interrupted. "Not time, time. But look, I came to the conclusion that it is possible for multiple universes to exist. And if each of these different universes work the same way as yours and mine does, that would mean their entirety of space, time, matter, energy, and the physical laws and constants that describe them could be different, too!"

Creme's eye widened. What Twilight said made little sense to him. Yet, at the same time, he understood everything. Just because a different universe does exists does not mean that that universe will have the same properties like the universe he came from.

The realisation came to him with the speed and force of a baseball thrown by a professional pitcher to the batter's nuts. "Wait... wouldn't that mean Star Pearl didn't discovered time travel at all?"

Twilight beamed at him. "Yes. I believe Star Swirl may had discovered cross-dimensional travel. In other words---"

"He discovered the Multiverse."

Fauna of Mirrors

by Eggtaro

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Who's The Weirdest Of Them All?

This Little Piggy Went To Work

This Little Filly Stayed At Home

This Little Piggy Had a Fist in The Face

This Little Filly Had None

And This Little Sweetie Cried Whee Whee Whee At The Taco Shop

Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?

So Darling, Darling Stand By Me

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

I Got These Feelings For Hooves (You)

But Are We All Lost Stars,

Trying To Light Up The Dark?

Na Noitativni Ot Rehtona Dlrow

Beyond Earth

One Small Step For Man

One Giant Pain For Creme

Well This Is Just Weird, No?

Time To Unleash The Banana

Rats Lriws the Breaded