//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Human Lifestyle... with Magic // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 1 ___________________________________________________________ For several long moments, both Twilight’s stared at each other in shock. Is was the smaller of the two, who broke it. “How is there another me?” she asked, pointing. “Did a Changeling somehow get here? Wait. Would their magic even work here in the first place...?” Her expression changed to confusion. “What’s with my voice? It sounds...” As Twilight spoke, she looked down at her hand, clearly noticing something was off. Glancing around, her frown turned into a slightly panicked look. “Wh-why are you all so big? Or, why am I so little?” “Uh...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, looking to the others who’d known the now petite princess. “Well...” Rarity said slowly, clearly having no clue how to respond to this bizarre situation. “You’re...” Sunset also was unsure how to react. “Wow, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie cheered, hurrying over and grabbing the little girls cheeks in her hands. “You look SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! When did you start practicing Age Spells?” “I haven’t... wait, why would you think I used...?” little Twilight trailed off as her eyes widened, it clicking in her mind. Looking down at herself, then at the others, she turned to the portal. “I... I don’t understand. Why’d the portal turn my into a foal?” “Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!” the taller Twilight said, holding up her hands. “Will someone please explain just what’s going on around here?” “Maybe if you go back through, things’ll go back to normal,” Pinkie Pie said simply to the smaller lavender girl. Said little girl looked up at Pinkie and nodded, before turning around and running to the portal... only to yelp in pain and tumble back when she hit solid rock. “WHAT?!” everyone save the taller Twilight cried, their eyes widening. However, it was Pinkie’s reaction that caused what likely would’ve become panic, to confusion. “Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no-no!” she cried, hurrying to the portal and putting her hands all over the rock face, her expression panicked. “It can’t be closed.” She turned to Twilight. “You made it so it’s always open, right?” Pinkie Pie blinked, before noticing Twilight was still lying on the ground, rubbing her head, which had a small cut on the forehead. The pink girl’s face blanched, before she hurried over to the younger girl and held her. “You okay, Twilight? How bad is it? Do you think pancakes are still tasty with chocolate and peanut butter?” That last question was enough to snap everyone out of their stupors, several of the girls moving over to where Pinkie and the younger Twilight were and Sunset to hurry over to the portal, putting her hand on it. “Sunset!” the yellow girl glanced back to see her glasses-wearing friend stomp up to her, a small glare on her face. “Would someone please explain what a younger version of myself, who isn’t wearing glasses is doing here?!” Sunset gave a nervous grin, before her brows furrowed and she turned to the portal, moving her hand slowly across it. “Okay, first off, it doesn’t feel like the portal is gone like when the magic from it go stolen.” The purple teenager winced a little at the reminder. “It... wait. This is like when the portal was normally closed, between the thirty moon cycle.” Sunset turned to the group of girls crowding around the small princess, though her eyes were on the pink girl. “Pinkie, did something happen in Equestria?” All eyes turned to her with confusion, save the ones belonging to the girl addressed. “Uh, Sunset,” Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow, “just how in the hay would Pinkie Pie know something about what happened in another world... even if it is Pinkie Pie?” Sunset folded her arms, giving the pink girl in question a very firm frown. “Because this isn’t our Pinkie Pie, are you?” she finished, directing it to the girl in question. All eyes now turned to the pink girl, who grinned nervously. “Uh, heh heh. Um, I can explain.” “You and this world’s Pinkie have been switching places?” little Twilight glared at her now older friend, who wilted a little. “How long has this been going on?!” Pinkie Pie leaned a little back, twiddling with her fingers. “Since... the first day you started avoiding the castle.” “Wait, so, let me get this straight,” Rainbow Dash said, holding up one hand, whilst holding her head with the other. “The Pinkie we’ve been with the entire Friendship Games was the one from Equestria, whilst our Pinkie was over there having fun as a pony?” “No... but we switched that evening after the games ended?” Pinkie shrugged, grinning sheepishly. Sunset facepalmed. “I don’t know why we’re really surprised by this point.” “Hold on,” Rarity said, a confused frown on her face. “Does that mean you were actually the one with Rainbow Dash when she went to Crystal Prep, or was that our Pinkie?” “Oh, no, that was your world’s Pinkie,” the pink girl’s chipper nature returned. “After she saw it, she told me during our latest switch. Hope she’s having fun over there.” “Okay, explanation time for the only one of us who isn’t an Equestrian turned human or hasn’t dealt with magic until recently,” Sunset turned to their Twilight. “That little girl is a you from an alternate world known as Equestria, where the dominant species is mainly ponies, who somehow have a mirror version of themselves in this universe. She is yours. As to why she’s a child... I honestly haven’t got a clue.” She glanced to the little girl, who was frowning down at her hands. “And I get the feeling she doesn’t know either. Oh, and yeah, it would seem this Pinkie Pie,” she nodded a thumb at the pink girl, “is the Pinkie Pie from over there as well and have both apparently been switching places for some time now.” The taller Twilight blinked a few times, before her expression seemed thoughtful and nodded. “After everything else that’s happened, that seems like the most logic answer you could’ve given me.” “But, why did the portal close, and how come Twi’s a kid?” Rainbow asked, putting her hand on the statue. “Probably something caused the book to fall off the portal, causing it to close,” Pinkie shrugged. “And, with the way books were scattered around last time I was there, it’ll be a day maybe before Spike finds it among all the other books on the floor.” All eyes once more turned to Pinkie. “This is ridiculous,” the smaller Twilight said, smacking her face. “Well, I can always send a message to Spike via the journal,” Sunset said, shrugging. “Once he finds it, he’ll just have to put it back on the pedestal and the portal will be open again.” “Wait. I have to what now?” the purple dog asked. The younger Twilight’s eyes widened, but Sunset saw this one coming already. “No, Twilight. That’s the Spike from this world. As for how he can talk now, something happened with Fluttershy’s magic and now he talks.” She then turned to Spike. “And we were talking about the version of you that’s back in Equestria. He’s a baby dragon and Twilight’s assistant.” “Huh,” the child said, frowning in confusion. “So, now both Spikes talk here.” “Um... okay?” Spike nodded, though he was clearly very confused. “Am I the only one worried about a paradox right now?!” They all turned to see the older Twilight had backed away, looking at her younger self in worry. “Why?” AJ and RD asked at the same time. “Two of the same being from different plains of reality in the same reality?!” the speckled girl looked from one girl to the next. “Don’t you realize the damage that could do?” “Considering we’ve already had such a thing happening for four years without any problems, I doubt we need to worry,” Sunset said with folded arms. “Huh?” everyone was looking at her in confusion. Sunset pointed a thumb at herself. “Me. I came from Equestria, and I’ve been living in this world for the last four years straight.” “Right, I see where Sunset’s going with this,” the younger Twilight said, putting a hand to her chin. “Since she’s from Equestria, and all beings in our world have a counterpart here, it stands to reason that she does too.” “Which means, if a paradox was going to happen because the two of us are in the same universe, it would’ve happened already,” Sunset nodded, grinning. “Wait. Wouldn’t that have caused some confusion?” Rainbow asked. Sunset shrugged. “Hasn’t so far.” “There’s something not logical about that,” younger Twilight muttered. “So, until we can get Twi and Pinkie back and get our Pinkie, where’re they staying?” Rainbow asked. Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Eh. Other me’s family don’t seem to mind my living with them.” “Wait, they know?!” Sunset and the older Twilight cried. Pinkie waved a hand. “Pftt, duh. They knew it right from the start. But they know I’m just their daughter from another world and that their daughter from this world is safe in Equestria, so we good.” There was silence for several minutes. “I... how are we supposed to respond to that?” the older Twilight asked. “I... don’t know,” Sunset replied, before shaking herself. “And, as for where Twilight should live until this gets sorted out, I think she should live with Twilight.” “WHAT?” everyone cried, turning to the yellow girl as if she were insane. Sunset shrugged. “Well, think about it. If you were stuck in an alternate dimension where there’s a reflection of everypony you know, wouldn’t it be better you stayed with those familiar people?” “I... well...” Rarity trailed off, glancing from one Twilight to the other. “Ah... guess that makes sense,” Applejack said uncertainly. Sunset walked over to their Twilight and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll come over and explain everything as best I can to your parents. But, I do think it would be better. Sure, living with me would be living with a fellow Equestrian, but your family would make her feel more at home.” With everyone still trying to piece all that together in their minds, Sunset walked over to the younger Twilight and picked her up, before heading off towards their Twilight’s house, the lavender girl and her dog following after her, the former in a bit of a daze, whilst the other just wore a look of confusion.