//------------------------------// // The Far, Far range // Story: Other worlds are strange // by OpenPage //------------------------------// Going over her notes for the fifth time that day Twilight Sparkle cackled, Her work finally coming together. Spike looked concerned by the cackling, unicorns usually weren’t suppose to cackle. Looking over the notes himself, he found that Twilight had found the answer to the research they had been doing for weeks. He went around the lab flicking switches and moving machines into their specific places. Spike wondered how he got dragged into doing science. Wanting nothing but ice cream and comics Spike hurried to get his job done. “So this is going to let you go to other worlds?” Spike said while working the machines around the lab. Twilight’s cackling puttered out as she walked around checking spikes progress. After the inspection, She walked towards the middle of the room and climbed onto a raised platform. It held wires scattered around with runic markings across the face. Allowing herself a moment, she stood there looking satisfied before answering spike. “In theory, yes I should be transported to another world for up to five hours, where i’ll be brought back onto the platform”  nodding with satisfaction she got into position to be sent off. “Spike, when I say go throw the lever ok?” Grunting in annoyance, he went to his assigned place and got ready to pull the large lever with an oversized red ball at the end. “Yes Twi, we’ve gone over this twelve times, can we just try this?” Happy that everything was coming along she yelled out “PULL THE LEVER SPIKE” Giving her a flat look Spike tossed the large lever. The room filled with lightning and crackling energy, the energy swirling and congealing around Twilight. Finally the energy flashed and when spike looked twilight had disappeared. “Huh…. I’m going to go get some ice cream”  Spike glanced at the room and rushed up the stairs after sugary treats. After a moment twilight’s eyes adjusted and she realized she wasn’t in her lab. Looking around she saw she was standing on a wooden deck with stairs. Behind her was a half circle house with a curious designs along it. She trotted down the stairs excited and giddy to be in a different reality. She saw a gate to her left that had plots of land with nothing in them. To her right looked like what seemed to be corral with walls made of light. For a moment Twilight was confused, Then realizing it must be a kind of pen like applejack had for the cows back home. “This place is fantastic!” pronking around Twilight laughed “I wonder what kind of life lives here?” Walking down the dirt path that led to a stone arch way, she came across a sight that left her befuddled. She saw creatures that defied most common sense. A small group of pink slimes bounced around smiling and bumping into each other. One landed next to a carrot and pulled it into its mouth. A small crunch and a tiny pink thing came out of its backside. “Oh they’re adorable!” she ran up and looked it over “I wonder what I could learn from you!” Twilight studied the slime intently. While studying it, the slime looked over at her smiling. Twilight smiled back and reached out hoping to feel the texture. The slimes face morphed into a frown and then the slime smacked into her face. Grunting and backing away she spit out slime that got in her mouth. “EW EW EW EW” she gagged rubbing her tongue to try and get the taste out of her mouth. Falling onto her haunches she groaned, why did it jump at her? She looked at the slime that seemed to be staring at her. Narrowing her eyes she glared at the slime daring it to try again. It jumped at her again, Twilight trying to grab it with her magic but it seem to just slip through her telekinesis. “AGH IT’S IN MY HAIR” Twilight screamed flailing as a bunch of slimes jumped on her. After a minute the slimes all hopped away leaving a slime covered Twilight. She laid there covered in the goop wondering how her life had come to this. Getting her hooves on the ground, it was time to slowly trot back towards the house. She had decided to wait out the time instead of take any more humiliation. Reaching the stairs, Twilight plodded up to the house and threw the door open. Entering the building she saw a small bed she could rest on. Climbing into the bed, Twilight laid down and began to contemplate life, and the multiverse. She thought about how she sent herself somewhere so strange and fascinating at the same time. It made her appreciate Equestria more than ever. Looking around she noticed a small handbook on the nightstand next to the bed, It read Slime ranching for dummies. With nothing better to do for the next four and a half hours, she read through the book. Twilight read quietly for ten minutes before she noticed something odd near the closet. Out of the corner of her eye she could see what looked to be a portable vacuum hanging on a hook. Sliding out of the bed and curiously examining the strange vacuum she noticed some writing on the back. The vacuum seemed to be called a vac-pack. Slime ranching made easy as written on the main backpack. She decided that she might as well try again and do something till she goes home. Twilight grabbed the pack in her magic and strapped it to her back. Making for the door she knew she couldn’t let something that small and harmless beat her. She had to fight back! She would come out of this above the slime’s, being a slime rancher before she went home. Spike sat on the couch in main library eating peppermint ice cream and reading a power ponies comic book. Flipping the page and eating a spoonful he could hear the machines in the basement activate again. Dropping the carton, he ran down the stairs hoping to make it before twilight saw he left. Getting to the bottom, he slid into the room to see twilight laying on her barrel all legs spread out. Burn marks scarred her coat and she looked green in the face. Spike could see pink goop covering her body from tail to muzzle. Walking over he saw twilight spit out some of the pink stuff, groan, and say two words. “Slime’s suck”