I had seen the map before, it isn’t exactly new to me. We have been instructed to places far and wide, by the map of friendship.
I had seen Princess Twilight Sparkle off to the other side of the gate before. Twilight used the gate, on several occasions; in order to see her friends, at the Canterlot High. We even managed to initiate the gate, between seasons.
Why does the gate only go to the one place?
Starswirl the Bearded was responsible for the Tree of harmony, but he was also responsible for the gate to Canterlot high.
“Is there a connection?” I pondered.
Of course, why had Twilight Sparkle never asked this question? Or, had she simply kept it to herself? She could have asked Princess Celestion. Would she track down Starswirl himself, in order to question him? For a long while, Starswirl the bearded had been a larger idol to her; than even Princess Celestia herself. Even despite everything that has happened.
With the connection made; how do I use it and what do I intend to make out of it?
The map generally work on its own and guide us towards where it needs us to be. Hinting towards who needs to be where; nothing more. It doesn’t really bother giving us any details.
Originally, the gate only opened once every thirty moons. Now we could open it any time we want. It was Sunset Shimmer’s journal, that was the key to the gate. If it had been intentional, or if it was just incidental luck the magic managed to open the gate for us. Who is to say?
It is a dead issue now.
I had just bounced from the map in the throne room, to the gate in what I guess we could as well just call the gate room. There is no point in making up silly names for the room. It is just holding the gate, nothing more.
The gate is not active right now. All of a sudden, I feel a strange shiver and my cutie mark starts to glow. I have a mission, by the looks of it.
Once I have bounced back to the map, the three balloons are indeed floating over the map. Though I am a bit puzzled. The mark is hovering over the castle. The map can never pin-point down a location close enough to give the location within a building. The castle just is not large enough, for the map to give that exact coordinates.
“Why does the map want me to go to the castle?” I exclaim; “I am already here, but who needs my help?” I ponder.
The map did not answer, it never did. Never a verbal response, but it did react on us and what we said or thought.
I am no Unicorn and I have no horn. I know it. Yet, right now the bangs curl up into what could have passed for a horn. Any pony who did not know or recognized me, may have been mistaking me for a Unicorn right now. I have magic, just like every other pony.
Maybe I am more magically gifted or inclined, than the average Pony and Earthpony in particular.
“Oh, this is what it feels like; to be a Unicorn and cast a spell!” I exclaim, as I see the glow from what is to pass for a horn in my forehead.
While the map is still quite, I hear a strange murmur
As a thought strike me, I place my right fore hoof on the top of the map. I feel a jolt followed by a strange tingling sensation. Once I place both my fore hooves on the map, I manage to enlarge the image, in order to see more details on a larger and clearer picture. Little by little, I am zooming in. Once I had zoomed in enough, I see my mark moving between the map and the gate. Just that the make is not exactly moving between the locations, it is on both places at once.
I pull back, tap the map to reset the map and bounce to the gate.
The outer edge of the portal is pink, while the center clearly is a light blue.
A shiver is running down the length of my spine. The realization of exactly what it is, I am seeing. It isn’t so much that the gate is open, exactly as I enter the room; it is what I imagine, the colour of the gate is indicating.
“I am not going to become Rainbow Dash!” I reassure myself, pronouncing the name of my friend perfectly.
I may call her Dashie, every day, but right now it felt right to pronounce her full name, correctly.
“I hope I face Twilight Sparkle, when I return!” I ponder, knowing how some other Ponies would freak out.
Fluttershy would be hysteric for less.
Of course, all things considered and with the hopes that I could actually turn back to my old, regular self later.
I step up to the gate, stopping just a few feet from the event-horizon. The word is slippery as it is uncomfortable with coming out of my mouth. It is, as if it had been a conscious being; as if it is aware of where it is and who is pronouning it.
Doesn’t it like me? Is it the connection, to what I have before me?
I place my right fore hoof on the surface and feels the surface of the pond, almost as if I had been trying to break through the surface of the water of the mirror pond. That memory stings and burns as if I had been stung by a Bee. Or maybe it is more like a large and very aggressive Hornet?
“At least, it is not a horny Hornet!” I ponder, giggling.
I am still, frozen in place, for the few countless instants between the moments. Then I continue to step through. I do not stop, I do not slow down or even hesitate.
I did never break the stride, as I trotted through the gate. Nothing happened and nothing changed. I am still pinkie Pie, or should I refer to myself as Bubble berries now as I am a stallion now. My muzzle had changed and my voice is a male, deep rumble. My hooves changed and my eyes changed. Other than that, there is no outwards sign of what transpired here in the gate room.
I hear steps and a purple unicorn enters the room.
“Hi, Pinkie!” she greets me, before she had the time to stop herself or notice the changes.
Her eyes grow wide, then she calms down and giggles hysterically and grin widely at me.
“I thought it was you, I just had never expected any pony else trying to tamper with these things. Not after my attempt!” she points out.
“My name is Bubble Berries!” I explain.
“Bubble Berries?” she inquires.
“Just like you, Pinkie Pie is a Mare; but if you look closer, you would notice that I am a Stallion. Otherwise, I am still her and all she was and still is!” I explain.
“Oh, yeah; now as you pointed it out, I can see the differences!” she responds, as she is examining me.
Now I chuckle at the silly in the situation. What else could I do?