"Isn't this exciting?!"
It had been the umpteenth time Twilight had uttered that line on the way to Canterlot. Twilight was going back and forth between Danny's parents about the portal and a book from Earth she had picked up from Jazz. She had shown it to Rainbow Dash and now both of them were reading the stories. Twilight was already on the third book, and Rainbow Dash was nearing the end of the first. That book happened to be Harry Potter.
Rainbow Dash chuckled, delighted. "I know, right? This human book is awesome!"
"No, Rainbow Dash! With luck, we'll get to see a ghost portal come to life today! Isn't that exciting?"
"I'm finding this book to be more fascinating, honestly. I mean, it's totally gotta be Snape who's stealing the Sorcerer's Stone..."
Twilight began to giggle after she said that, and Rainbow pouted. "Twilight, shut up! SHUT UP I TELL YOU! Don't tell me what's going to happen! I KNOW it has to be Snape! He's so...so mean to Harry!"
"Of course, Rainbow."
"DON'T YOU DARE SPOIL ANYTHING FOR ME!"
Rarity was ignoring the others' conversation and was staring at her HAZMAT suit that the Fentons had assigned her. It was a plain gray with blue boots. She had recreated her diamond cutie mark on the flank with sapphires and applied diamonds around the goggles on the hood. Applejack was giving her an incredulous look. "Rarity, this ain't a fashion show. It's a science-y thing. You don't need to spice up your outfit. I mean, look at mine." Applejack pulled out a red and yellow jumpsuit. "It's perfectly fine. We're only wearing it in the lab anyhow."
"Yes, about that, Applejack...how would you feel if I applied some rubies or topazes for you on it?"
"No thanks." Applejack replied, rolling her eyes. Danny, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were huddled in the other portion of the train. Fluttershy was frightened.
"What if one of us gets hit by the portal blast? What if I get hit?"
"You're not gonna, Fluttershy," Tucker comforted.
"We'll all be outside the portal when they turn it on. You'll be safe." Sam affirmed. Pinkie was already bouncing up and down in her pink and white HAZMAT suit, hood and goggles pulled down already.
"It'll be fine, Fluttershy! Remember, Giggle at the Ghosties!" she said cheerfully. Jazz looked to her brother.
"How are they gonna turn the portal on, anyways, if the ON button's inside?" she asked. Danny smiled.
"Simple. They're going to chuck something at the button from far away. Probably a ball or something."
"Is that safe?"
"Safer than somepony going in and doing it themselves. I know this from experience." Danny replied idly. "By the way, thanks again, Sam!"
"Oh, shut up. I've said I'm sorry multiple times for asking you to go into the portal."
"No, seriously, thanks. I couldn't have done anything I've done with them without you."
"Aww..." Sam kissed him on the cheek. Danny's wings opened slightly and they both blushed. A second later, Twilight got their attention.
"We're here, ponies! Canterlot!"
The compartment door opened and they walked out (or flew) out of the train. It was a beautiful Saturday in Spring; the sun shined and the air had a slight scent of flowers. The town was hustling and bustling with everypony from all walks of life, workers, nobility, the wealthy, and shopkeepers, the shoppers, and the tourists. And then there was them, the heroes and in the Fentons' case, scientists. Guards at the front of the train depot bowed to Twilight Sparkle, making her blush. "It's alright, gentlecolts, you don't need to bow."
"As you wish, Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Danny whistled. "Oh, right! You're a princess now, right? 'Cause your brother married Princess Cadence last month. My family wasn't there, but we heard it was a wild couple of days."
"No kidding. How's the changelings attacking for you?" she responded. When the guards caught vantage point of Danny, they paused momentarily and nodded to him in a way that conveyed we know. The colt shuddered.
"So, uh, this isn't gonna be long, right?" he asked. Maddie gave him a quizzical look.
"What's wrong? It's a nice day out. Why do you want to go back all of a sudden?"
"It's not so much the day or the city, Mom," Danny replied. He grimaced every time a guard looked at him. "It's the fact that so many ponies know. They all seem to know...it feels like everypony knows. It's creepy. I feel exposed...naked, even."
"Newsflash, Danny," Rainbow Dash said, "ponies don't usually wear clothes, so you are kind of naked."
Danny blushed furiously and glared at her. "Gee, thanks for making me feel so much better. Anyhow, when you think about it, a much larger amount of civilians here know who I am. All of the guards, Twilight's brother and the princesses, Applejack's brother, sister, and...wait, does your grandma know, Applejack?"
"Nope." she responded. "Didn't tell more than I had to."
"Alright, so most of Applejack's immediate family, the two other Cutie Mark Crusaders, Derpy Hooves, the scientists working on the portal...I feel out in the open. In every city in Equestria, at least one pony knows who I am. Why did the princesses have to tell the guards?"
"It kind of spread after those two times...with the Ghost Zone and the whole Blueblood thing," Rarity said, "The princesses went all out and told the guards. But don't you worry. These guards are sworn to never reveal your secret. They're, um...what do you humans call it? Like priests? Priests, right. Anyhow, let's suppose you have to 'go ghost.' Ponies see a phantom pegasus flying around. The guards know not to attack him and don't make it much more than needed."
"See? It ain't so bad, Danny." Applejack comforted. Jazz smiled.
"It's kind of what happens when the rulers of the country know who you are. At least you're respected." she said. Danny groaned.
"I guess. So-"
"Doughtnut Joe's!" Jack said excitedly. He pointed to a doughnut shop across from them on the left side of the street they were on. Jack rushed to it and the rest followed. As soon as Jack came in, Joe looked up and grinned.
"Well, if it isn't my best customer! Jack Fenton, howya doing?" The two ponies approached and shared a hoof-bump. Joe looked to the others. "Oh, and your wife, Maddie. How're ya, Maddie?"
"I'm good, Joe. You?" Maddie asked cordially.
"Good. I see you brought six with you I recognize...and a few squirts I don't." he said. He looked to Danny, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. "Who're they?"
"Joe," Jack pulled over Danny and Jazz, "These are my two kids, Danny and Jazz. We're planning on finishing something with the scientists today, so I brought them to see."
"Pleasure to meet ya, kids," Joe shook hooves with them. "Hey, Jack, your son looks kind of like you. Smaller and more hair, but looks like you."
"I'm proud of that fact. And I have less hair? Pfft, thanks a lot, Joe." he said. The two laughed like old friends. Jack then turned to his daughter. "The other is my little sixteen year old princess."
"That so? Well, welcome to my doughnut shop, kids. Your dad and I get along real nice. I never thought I'd see a pony who loved my triple fudge doughnuts as much as I do. And who are these other two squirts?" he asked gruffly, kindly. Danny smiled.
"These are my two best friends, Tucker and Sam. Sam's my girlfriend." he said. The two waved politely.
"Pleasure to meet you two. There anything I can get for you?"
"Not right now," Jack said, "We'll be out in about two hours, though. We'll stop on the way back. Mind whipping up a few triple fudge doughnuts?"
"You got it. Anything else I can get for the kids, your wife, Twilight Sparkle and her friends?"
Pinkie Pie raised her hood from her jumpsuit. "Oh! Do you have pink sprinkle doughnuts?"
"Of course. I'll whip up a few of those, too. Anything else?"
Nopony said anything, and Joe nodded. "Alright. I'll make a few. Hey, Jack, next Sunday the Wonderbolts are coming to town again for a derby. You in for watching it with me? A few other friends are coming over."
"'Course I'll come. See ya, Joe."
"Take care of yourself, Jack." Joe said, wiping the counter down. They left, and Jazz smiled.
"I'm glad you made a new friend, Dad."
Jack shrugged. "Well, after the failure known as Vlad, it's nice to have a sincere friend. I wasn't actually expecting that, but after bonding over a mutual love of desserts, we've become friends. Better friend than Vlad after only a few months, even. As an added bonus, he doesn't come onto my wife or try to steal my kids."
Soon they reached the castle and the research facility. The group switched into their jumpsuits and walked inside. The lab was hustling and bustling with scientists prepping, making sure everything was ready for the portal. A few engineers were adding a few last touches to the magic lock. The scientists looked up at the ponies entering and didn't think much of it until they saw a certain white pegasus pony. They then began to gawk in awe and fascination. Danny groaned and looked down.
A hoof reached his shoulder, and for a second he thought it was his dad trying to be comforting, until a voice came that was not his father's. "Are you okay, kid?"
Danny looked up, and Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, was smiling at him kindly. Twilight grinned and walked up, and the two exchanged a hug. "BBBFF! It's so great to see you! How was the honeymoon?"
"It was great, Twiley! Nice to see my little sister again...I heard today was the last day this portal was being built, so I took some time to come say hi to you. And how are you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?"
"We're good, Shining Armor." Maddie said. Twilight's brother briefly greeted the others, introduced himself to Sam and Tucker and Jazz, and then looked to Danny.
"You must be Danny. Nice to meet you." he said, shaking hooves with him. "I noticed you looked a little glum. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Danny lied. Shining Armor grinned.
"Aw, c'mon. Us guards, especially the captain of the guard, are like, um...what do you humans call it again?"
"Like priests?" Sam suggested. "You're the second pony today to use that expression."
"Right, we're like priests, whatever those are. Anyways, I won't say anything to anypony. Except for all of Canterlot...hah, just kidding. What's up?" he asked. Danny sighed, embarrassed.
"I'm just bugged. I mean, where I come from, almost nopony knows who, or what, I am. Here, all the guards, all the scientists, the princesses...they all know. It's living with a terribly kept secret. Also, just they way they all...they all stare at me, like they're waiting to see me do something weird. I don't like it. When I came in, all the scientists began to stare at me like I grew two heads or something."
Shining Armor nodded. "I'll have a word with my guards and make sure that stops." He looked to the scientists, who were still staring at Danny. He scowled and they went back to their business. He smiled again at the young pegasus. "I hope that helps. Let me know if you still have problems. You guys better get back to your portal finishing. Oh, and Danny..." The boy paused as the rest retreated to the portal. Danny looked to Twilight's brother shyly. Shining Armor continued to smile. "Don't let anypony bother you. You're a good kid, and a good superhero, I might add. Sometimes ponies are going to give you weird looks if they're one of those in the know, but don't let it bug you. Also, while you're down there, be careful in that portal. You've been hit once by it, and I don't want to hear you or anypony being zapped by it. The thing makes me nervous. Soon as I heard what the first one did to you, I've been iffy on it."
"Join the club," Danny said, "but, y'know. I'll see you later, Shining Armor."
"See ya, Danny." the captain said. Danny caught up with the ponies. They were looking at the portal in curiosity. Maddie smiled.
"You guys can come in if you want, just stay away from the walls. The portal won't be turning on yet."
They walked in and looked around. Danny did not follow them in. "Already had my fun with one of these, thanks." he said. Everypony looked around the portal in awe, with all the brand new, sparkling pieces of technology and lights running through the portal.
The group examined the portal for a bit longer. "How much longer will it take to finish the magic portal lock?" Twilight called to the workers.
"An hour," one of the engineers replied, "and then after that we need to log your hoof prints and then everything will be ready to go."
The ponies began to exit the portal. Rainbow Dash was the only one left inside. She was a little bit distracted by some of the glowing mechanisms in the portal. Outside, the others were walking to another part of the lab, when an earth pony was hauling a long piece of metal to one of the workers. A pony walking to one of the other computers bumped into the one hauling the metal and he stumbled. The metal fell out of his hooves and fell into the portal.
It scraped up against the ON button on the side. Rainbow Dash's eyes bulged and she flew out at top speed, barely escaping the portal's charge-up. Everypony stopped and stared in horror as the portal came to life. The green exploded and green smoke began to flow through the room. Shining Armor and other guards rushed in, alarmed. They stared in shock as the portal began to live prematurely and soon turned into a swirling mass of green.
Rainbow Dash was screaming. "AHH! I'VE BEEN IN A PORTAL ACCIDENT! I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO RADIATION! I CAN FEEL MY BODY CHANGING, MY DNA CHANGING! I'M BECOMING HALF GHOST!" She ran up and stared up at Danny. "Danny, please...be gentle. Am I...Rainbow Phantom?" she asked, horrified. Danny stared at her.
"You're fine, Rainbow Dash. You got out of the portal just in time. You're not half ghost. Nopony was blasted by the portal."
Rainbow Dash paused. She chuckled awkwardly. "Uh...I knew that. Right. Of course I'm still fully pegasus. Phew."
"Still not good," Sam said, "The portal's on and the lock isn't in place. Ghosts can get in!"
"We can finish the portal," one of the workers said, "But it'll take longer now that the portal is on, and it's also more dangerous. It'll take a few days for it to be finished now."
Shining Armor frowned. "Just what I was afraid of. I'll put my guards on high alert. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, do you have an anti-ghost weapons perhaps we could borrow?"
Maddie nodded. "We'll distribute some Fenton thermoses and make a few more. I'll also see how many ghost guns we have."
Danny shook his head. "I have a better idea." He closed his eyes and went ghost. His green eyes opened and flashed. "I'll make a run to Clockwork. Maybe he'll let us go back in time and prevent this from ever happening!"
"Right," Jack said, not sounding convinced, "Son, I doubt he'll say yes. If he says no, please go home and retrieve weapons from the vault."
"We'll come with," Twilight said, "I did always want to meet this Master of Time you've talked about."