As the rays of a new dawn bathed ponyville in their glory announcing the start of yet a new day, a certain pink pony can’t help but to bounce in excitement as she and her five friends finished their preparation into the voyage they were about to embark upon.
“For Celestia’s sake Pinkie can’t you at least try to contain your excitement for five seconds?” Applejack begged Pinkie as she once more was put in charge to keep the hyperactive pony on the ground. Sometimes literally.
“I’m sorry AJ, but I can’t help it, this is the first time we all going to meet Sunset Shimmer!” She loudly said while throwing confetti everywhere. “The first time I couldn’t because she was a meany-pants crown stealing pony but now she’s nice and good and according to Twilight she even have her own Pinkie Pie! Ooh, do you think she likes party too? I bet she does, What am
saying, of course she does, who doesn’t like parties?”
Applejack looked at her confused “You mean Sunset or the other Pinkie?”
“Sunset duh, there’s no way there’s a Pinkie that doesn’t like parties, it's basically our cannon”
“Your whut?”
“Nevermind that AJ, you know how Pinkie is, what’s important is how I’ll finally meet another me, and find out how I could actually beat me!” Rainbow Dash said in excitement. “That other me will certainly make any race 20% more awesome!”
“Not to mention all the fashion projects me and my other me can share into make, and finally be able to discover how to outdo myself!” Rarity said with a smile
“I just hope the other Fluttershy likes animals too” Fluttershy said in a whisper as she looked at the rest of her friends packing their saddlebags, and talk about what they were going to do once they reach the human world.
“Ok everypony settle down.” Twilight said as she and Starlight walk into the room with a smile, her saddleback already made out, as Spike was helping Starlight carrying some books. “Even though Starlight and I already test the spell and confirm its safety, its still a very delicate, very complex one, so we need to be careful and not move too much” Twilight tells the last part while looking at Pinkie who just gave her a salute in response and lay still resulting in her body floating in mid air.
Twilight and the rest look at her confused and she is about to voice her opinion in that when decided against it and then turn to Starlight.
“Is everything ready Starlight?”
“All done and ready when you are Twilight.” She said with a smile, lowering the book she was reading. “I really wish I could accompany you, but somepony must stay here in case some end of the world disaster happens in Equestria. Don’t worry if anything happen you will be the first to know”
Pinkie rush to her and gave her a hug “You are the best of bestest of friends Starlight! I promise I will bake you the best ‘thank you for letting us meet our doubles’ cake ever!”
Starlight squish at how strong her hug is but then giggle and pat her head “Thank you Pinkie.”
“And you have nothing to worry while you are gone Twilight, I can take care of your princess duties for you.” Spike tells Twilight who just smile and gave him a hug too.
“Thank you Spike, I knew I could count on you.”
Once they broke the hugs, Pinkie and Twilight went to the others while Starlight prepared the spell. “Ok everypony remember, when the portal opens, do not fight the flow, let it take you to your destination, I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.” Starlight instruct and once she gets the confirmation from everypony she casted a spell that hit the mirror and made its reflection swirl like a twister made of rainbow light before it faded to white and opened a portal that slowly started to suck everything that it's near it. When the suction reach the girls they all turned gray and their bodies started to disintegrate and go into the portal like they were made of sand.
Pinkie put her hoof on her mouth and close her eyes with a smile“Its tickles!” Pinkie said, stifling a laugh as she and her friends closed their eyes and let the portal absorb them, until they disappeared.
Sweating from the ordeal but smiling at the result Starlight started to close the portal while Spike cleaned some of the sweat with a handkerchief when suddenly Trixie entered the room, making a rather loud entrance using her magic and fireworks to aid her effort to make it flashy.
“STARLIGHT!”
The surprise was enough to make Starlight jump and push more power into the spell, which resulted the mirror breaking into thousands of pieces, making both her and Spike turn white from the shock of what just happened.
“The great and powerful Trixie has arrived for our weekly magic study session!” She said with her eyes close and lifting her front hooves in a dramatic fashion. But when she only heard silence, she opened her eyes to see both Spike and Starlight still frozen in place while looking at the broken mirror, which only confused her.
“Hello?” She said, landing on all fours, walking to them and poking Starlight’s side in hopes of getting a reaction.
“Did the great and powerful Trixie arrive at a bad time?”
Meanwhile in the tunnel between dimensions the main six lost conscience from the burst of magic as their bodies were flung into the unknown without any direction or guide until finding themselves someplace else.
When they wake up the girls soon discover themselves lying on a circular blue hairy carpet in the center of a lobby with rustic theme decorations, wooden sofas and couches carved in the shapes of logs and sticks, a stone chimney illuminated what otherwise would be a dark room and beyond the windows they could see an endless, colourful spiral made of rainbow light extending into the unknown.
" Twilight, where are we?" Fluttershy say in fear as she and the rest of her friends were inspecting the place, with Pinkie throwing confetti and planning a party.
"I don't know Fluttershy, I haven't see this place before." said Twilight.
"Looks like heaven's doors have opened!" A voice suddenly called out, and when the girls turned they saw a tall young man with spiked short white hair and dark skin, wearing a brown trench coat, brown pants, black combat boots with an iron base, a silver vest and black formal shirt, a red tie and white bicker globes, sitting in what appeared to be a receptionist desk on a platform slightly elevated to where the girls were, divided by a wide hallway and a wooden frame. He was currently reading a book by the title of 'H.P Lovecraft' on the cover while lazily sitting on a wooden chair with his feet on the table. Putting the book down, and jumping to the other side of the desk, the man look at the girls revealing his emerald eyes with a light glow.
"The elements of harmony, it's so nice to finally meet you all!" The man said in cheerful tone as he closed the book and put it in a pocket deep within his trench coat, before heading towards them. "I’ve been a big fan of your work for quite some time now." The girls in question got a bit uneasy with this strange individual and took a step back, minus Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie, the first two getting ready to pounce at any given moment, and the latter just waving at him.
"Oh I know, all of you must be having a ton of questions right about now, but before we continue there is one important thing that needs to be clear right here right now" He tells them in a really serious tone making all of them tense before became confused once he smile and start to quickly point at each of them "Is any of you hurt? Hmm, Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Rarity?" He stop at Fluttershy and his smile wide slightly in a humorous way "Fluttershy? Don't play tough with me sweetie, if you’re hurt tell me now."
Fluttershy can't help but to blush and hide her face in her mane from the compliment "I… I… I’m f… fine, thank you." She finally managed to stutter in a low whisper, making the man laugh.
"Ah Fluttershy, cute as ever." The man reply putting his hands on his hips and laughing making her epp again, before turning to the others "What about you?"
"We’re all fine, thanks." Twilight decided to answer for her friends who just nod and relax slightly. "But yes, we do have a couple of questions, mainly where are we?"
Rainbow Dash quickly fly until she was face to face with the mysterious human. "And who are you and how do you know us?" She asked in anger and pointed a hoof at the individual, who just continue to smile despite her glare.
"Yeah, I understand your anger." He held Rainbow’s hoof and put it down with a relaxed expression "If I were in your situation I would be on edge and full of questions as well." He turned around and start to walk deeper into the hallway. "To answer your questions is best if I just show you, follow me."
The girls looked at one another with some concern but eventually nodded and decided to follow him, while maintaining their guard. Once they caught up to him, the man started to explain, "To answer who, I'm what would you call an Inn keeper, my job is receive visitors like yours into this humble place and then guide them reach their destination, you can call me Beacon, or Beak for short."
"Nice to meet you Beak." Pinkie say with a big smile. "Do you love parties?"
The comment make Beacon laugh again and shake his head. "Yes Pinkie, I really love them, but unfortunately now it's not the time, specially since you all still want to know what this place is, correct?"
The others nod as they continued their march and see that the rustic theme of the place extended throughout the hallways that had doors with frames had a similar style the couches and sofas had.
"Well that is a bit tricky to answer, each Innkeeper, change its name, some call it 'the hotel' other 'the mirage house' a couple refer to this as the 'the endless tower'" He put his hand on his chin in thought while looking up, and once the girls did the same they were surprise rows upon rows of stairs going in different directions and extending to infinity where the roof wasn't even visible. "I recall that there was one that called it 'the super amazing, ultra fun infinite slide castle' He said before chuckling a bit and then turned to Pinkie. "You can see he was a particularly fan of Pinkie work, as for me, I decided to call it 'The Inn that never was'
He stop in front of a mirror and the girls see once more the void outside "A place located inside the portal you used"
"Wait you mean that we are inside the mirror?" Twilight ask in surprise.
"Mirrors, black holes, wormholes, spells, pretty much any method that transport you from point A to point B, this is what is in between those spaces" He tells with a smile. "Have you ever wonder what happens if in the middle of a teleportation the spell you used fail? Or if the portal you used don't leave you where you want to be but neither were you started? Well this is it, this is the place where you end up"
"So…we are in a space in between spaces…that is also connected to all means of teleportation or transport that involves magic?" Twilight ask trying to understand their situation.
Beacon only smile and lean slightly toward them "Confusing isn't it? And I haven't even mention the full extent of this place"
"There is more?" Twilight ask in surprise as he simple nod "Eeyup you see this place doesn't only involve your world and the human one that you were intended to go. It comprise the whole multiverse" Beacon tells as he walks and take them into a double set of doors made of marble that when opens show a desert marked full of products, cloths, weapons and even various sets of the elements of harmony, but aside from that, what impress the girls the most was that the market was in the open and there was a night sky showing two moons, one of which even have the princess Luna mark on it.
"This inn work as a sanctuary to all travellers that have lost their way or seek an escape from their original world. Here every entrance is connected and and all who are lost receive guidance to reach their ultimate destination, which is where I come in" Beacon explain as they pass through various stalls. "That is kind of my job, each time a new visitor comes here I must go receive them, attempt their wounds if injured and then send then to their merry way"
The girls looks around as they follow him, until Rarity notices a beautiful collar with a beautiful gem on it, in one of the stands that catch her attention and make her stop, and admire say rock.
"You can't have it" Beacon whisper in Rarity ear making her to immediately jump from the scare and land on her flank "Beacon! You almost gave me a heart attack!" She glares at him while holding her chest. The others girls just look in amazement for how quick he just appear next to Rarity. "I apologies miss Rarity" He gives her a small vow and then help her stand up by offering his hand, which she takes" Being here for so long tends to bored anyone, eventually you need to find ways to distract you" He say with a smile "And I'm also mean it miss, I'm sorry but you really can't take anything from here, that gem for example" He point to the collar
"Pretty, right? Well the Rarity from where it comes from also thought the same…right until it turn her into stone when she try it out" He tells with a smile
"Say what?" She asked in disbelieve as Beacon issue her to get back with the group "Some elements of other worlds left behind objects they don't want, lost or toss into portals, I collect and put them in here when it happens, otherwise this place would look more like a dumb" He tells with a smile "Just ignore everything here, ok?"
"Ah come on, you are pulling our legs" Dash say with a smile as she approach a stall with ribbons of first place and a photo of Rainbow Dash in the center of it. She goes to pick a ribbon but the moment her hoof touch one, its turns into solid gold.
"Aght!" She screams in terror and Beacon catch her before taking out a bottle from a pocket in his trench coat and coat her hoof in it. Soon the gold break and her hoof return to normal.
He let go of Dash who is now holding her hoof while her friends all approach her "Now you believed me?" Beacon ask crossing his arms. The elements nod in surprise and look at him "Good, then please stay close to me, we are almost there" He tells before resuming his march.
"Ah…mister Beacon, I'm sorry for asking but where are you talking us?" Fluttershy ask
"A place where you can come up with a solution to your problem in peace, like I told you, my job is to guide you in reaching your destination and that is exactly what I'm going to do"
"Aww…can't we at least have a little tour of this place first?" Pinkie whine "This inn looks incredible! I want to explore it"
Beacon suddenly stop and slowly turn to the girls with smile "Would you really like a guided tour?"
They all nod.
"Wonderful! I always love to show around the place, ok follow me" Beacon take them to a double set of doors and when they cross they see a huge clean kitchen full equiped and with a big and golden apple tree in the center of the room, making Applejack and Pinkie Pie gasp from happiness, Applejack can't barely contain her emotion when she see the tree producing not only rainbow apples but also golden ones.
"This is the kitchen, fully equip, the best of technology making dishes and of course…" he goes to a drawer and from it he takes out a big red book with the symbol of Applejack on the cover and the symbol of Pinkie Pie on the back "…The homey touch, girls, meet 'THE cooking book''" He kneels and open it, Applejack and Pinkie immediately dash forward to get a closer look at it "When an Applejack or a Pinkie Pie wish to cook something they are more than free to come here, and let their imagination go wild, a lot of dishes and recipes have being born in this room and when it happens they recorded in this book"
"Wow" Pinkie and Applejack say and try to touch but Beacon close the book and put it on a podium before taking them into their next destination.
"Next the spa/ training room" He tells as the girls see a room with a jacuzzi, massage table, a sauna room on the back, relaxing tunes, mud bath, and all sort of lotions and creams on stands. As well as treadmills, weights, giant fans to test wind resistance, punching bags, and other equipments to exercise. Rarity gives a squeak of delight like a filly in heart warming eve. "I'm in heaven"
"This is so awesome!" Rainbow Dash can barely contain herself
"Je no dough, specially since it was constructed using specific instructions from various Rarities and Rainbow Dash's, here you can melt your tension away or sharp your muscles for incoming battle, cardio, weight, body building, hoofcure, horncure, skin treatment and magic relaxers, this place will get you ready for anything, even tailycure?"
"Tailycure?" Rarity ask confused at that and Beacon only smile "Would you like to know how many Rarity are or have become dragons?" He ask with a smirk. Rarity just look at him with a mild surprise before they resume their tour.
"Overhere we have the gardens for when the elements bring their pets…" Fluttershy gasp in happiness when she look throw a window into a well light, well keep garden with lots of trees waterfalls, berries and extended land for animals to run and play "…currently empty"
"Aw" Fluttershy look down in disappointment
"But it's probably for the best" Beacon voice suddenly turn sober "There are few reason why anyone brings their pets when teleport, and almost none of them are really happy reasons"
The halls is left silent with such revelation, none of the girls knew how to respond at that, and Fluttershy didn't want to think of the implications of what he means, despite having a lot of sense.
"Well lets not think to much on that" He guides them to a fully equip nursery, with all the elements one would be expect on a hospital "Thank the gods there hasn't been an incident in a really long time but if hurt this place can deal with any kind of wound, illness and even curses, don't laugh, it happens" Beacon tells with a nod as they reach a modern elevator with glass doors on it, which they used to go up.
"Now we go into the deeper part of the hotel please remain closer to me" The elevator stop and they see a long hallway without a roof showing a nice morning sun bathing on it. At each side of the walls they see wooden doors extending into infinity. "There is no used on counting floors so we inn keepers have a more simpler way to divide the building, basically there are three sections you need to recall, the number in which one ends and the other begins are usually very blurry and can change but the first three floors always remain the same so we can start with them" He get serious and approach the girls once more.
"And I advice you know, if you wish to explore remain in only those three floors, anything above them is risking your life…" He gets even closer "…in ways you can't even imagine"
"U…understood" Twilight answer for her friends a bit uncomfortable by the proximity while the others only nod rapidly.
"Good!" Beacon turn to his cheerful self and then return to the tour "In that case, fist your eyes on the first section, level E, everything is nice and calm danger is present of course but nothing bad can happen here, and if happen it's nothing too serious" He then point to the doors "Each doors connect to portals to other dimensions, as the other floors we are going to visit, if somepony try to purposely exit his or her world without a destination it will appear throw one of those doors"
The elevator starts again and when it stops they see a peculiar image of a beach with a setting sun and one white wall extending to infinity also presenting doors made of marble on it, like they were just painting in. "Then we have section T, danger is more present and risk can appear but they are covered in shadows and can be detected before somepony gets hurt, a lot of heroes and adventures have come from this section, but do not get confused, often times adventure and terror can be considered synonymous"
The elevator went up one last time and Beacon stop it when they reach a very compress hallway made completely out of old and broken wood, spider weeds, were spread everywhere, broken glass cover the floor and all the doors on it where twisted, broke and in some cases burn, and almost to fall by the slightest of touch, the only source of lights where a couple of lightbulbs that were flickering and for the looks of things ready to burn out. "Here we are on the final section" Beacon tells them with a sigh and sadness "Section M, the most dangerous of all the floors, the riches can be big, but the risks to take consequence to face are pretty much real, and extremely graphic. Girls you are free to go whenever you want but if you want to ignore my warnings and go beyond the 3rd floor, I beg of you. Avoid this hallway at all cost" He tells them almost begging all of them to avoid such a sad and intimidating place.
Without saying another word Beacon start the elevator and soon they return to the first floor where they continue their trip throw out the hallways.
“Over here”
As they walk Fluttershy gets intrigue by a corner complete dark in the far corner of an adjacent hallway, there was doors mirrors or any kind of decoration it was just a hallway made of rocks.
“Ah Mr. Beacon what is over there?” She ask with some mild curiosity making the human to stop and slowly look at the hallway that she was looking.
“The dark corner" Beacon sigh and look down "The only place that remains a mystery to me and all the INN keeper before me" He looks up and notices it fade just as soon as it appear "The moving hallway that never stays in one floor for too long, not even I know what lays inside there, but according to a warning my predecesor left me, that corner has being know for stripping this place from their INN keeper, it apparently is the most sinister and most dangerous place that exist in all know and unknown universe ” He then looks back at the main six “I don't think its necessary for me to say but none of you should ever go near it. Under any circumstance” He tells and the place is left in complete silence before he turns around. Guide them into a double set of doors with a frame of Twilight old treehouse carve on it. “Ah and here we are our final destination. The library”
Twilight immediately got excited when she heard that, as she look how Beacon open the doors. On the other side lies a enormous two floors library with an eternal night showing throw out the windows, fill with rows upon rows of book shelf, clean and beautiful crafted desk and chairs to sit on and in the center of all a giant mirror identical to the one Twilight used to travel through portals but this one reaching the ceiling and was wide enough to fit the entire group, plus five or six ponies at the same time without any problem.
“All manners of theories, magic hypotheses and their respective solutions written down by all the previous Twilight all cosily gather in this library ready to be used and test to bring all of you back home”
Twilight gallop inside but Beacon grab her tail to stop her “Not so fast miss Sparkle” He guides them to the rest of the group. “This is officially the end of the tour and as such I will leave you alone to explore the place and think of a plan to return home but before that” He extend his arms and smile at them “A goodbye group hug?” He offer and Pinkie nod before taking all her friends and bringing all of them into a group hug with Beacon.
“Ah that never gets old” Beacon tells ending the hug and start to walk away “Now if any of you get lost or need me for anything just used the whistle around your necks”
“Whistle?” Dash look confused as her friends until they look down and see the indeed all of them were wearing a collar with a whistle on it. “Enjoy your stay here girls, this is one in a lifetime chance, experience it” He wave goodbye before disappearing in one of the hallways.
The girls watch in the direction Beacon just left until Applejack call to their attention, and start to move to the library.
“Let’s go everypony, the sooner we discover how to return to our world the sooner we can rest easy”
They all nod and start to follow her example minus Fluttershy who continue to look at the hallway.
“You coming Fluttershy?” Applejack call for her.
“Oh?…oh yes…yes sorry I just got distracted…never mind I probably just imagine it” She tells with a smile as she enters the room while Applejack close the door, not noticing that Beacon was leaning on the edge of the hallway holding some hair of six different colors in his right hand.
Enjoy your stay little ponies
He put the hairs on a jar with some transparent liquid inside, that turn green the moment he stir it with the hair on it.
By tomorrow morning you all will forget this ever happen.
Nodding in satisfaction, Beacon walk away from the library and let the main six continue their research and strategy to return home.