09:35 AM
Rarity cleaned.
Rarity checked the foyer.
Rarity revisited the palace’s highest balcony to look over the town again.
Rarity—heard ponies screaming.
“”CHANGELING! Help!””
Rarity looked over the railing toward the noise.
“My goodness, what was that all about?”
Rarity saw what appeared to be three ponies in garish garb. “Hazmat suits? What is—? Applejack?!”
In the distance, watching the three hazmat ponies scamper away was a pony with a familiar color scheme and an unmistakable hat.
She watched as Applejack just seemed to stare for a bit until the ponies had run some distance from her, then turned around nervously as if expecting to be followed. Seemingly relieved that she wasn't, Applejack toward the palace.
“Applejack!” Rarity shouted and rushed inside and down the stairs toward the foyer. She was just close enough to hear when Applejack opened the door and entered.
“Hello?” Applejack called. “Anybody here? Anybody know what a changeling is? Some frightened ponies seem to think there are some in town or something. Ah’m guessing it weren’t a good thing.”
“Darling!” Rarity answered, still working her way down the stairs. “I’m here! I’m here!”
“Rarity?!” Applejack rushed forward to the stairs, meeting Rarity part way up. “You’re a sight for sore eyes!”
“And so are you! I’ve been so worried!”
Meeting together, Rarity reached a forehoof up and around Applejack’s withers to pull her into a hug. Applejack copied the motion.
And they both lost their balance on their remaining legs.
With each holding one foreleg in the air and their overall forward momentum, they crashed into each other.
Lips first.
“Mmmn?”
“Mmph!”
Off balance, surprised, and on a staircase, they toppled over.
After bouncing down a few steps, the two new ponies ended up in a situation similar to how they began their time as ponies, except this time Rarity was on top and both of them could see everything.
Also, neither of them had thought to end the kiss.
They stared at each other’s eyes, unchanged from their journey through the portal.
Until Rarity had to breathe.
With a loud gasp, Rarity pushed, lifting herself up off her longtime friend and stumbled to the side.
She heard Applejack behind her slowly get her four hooves under her and stand.
Blushing hard, Rarity cleared her throat and slowly turned to face her friend who glanced over with a matching blush before they both looked away again.
Silence.
A moment later, Applejack cleared her voice. “So, uh, Rares?”
“Yes, darl—uh, Applejack?”
“Ah think you just kissed a horse.”
Surprised, Rarity looked over and saw Applejack looking back at her. The blush was still quite potent, but it was paired with a rather jubilant smirk.
Rarity blinked. Blinked again, and let out a snicker. “I believe you did as well.”
Applejack let out a sputter that turned into a full blown guffaw which Rarity joined her in.
*** *** ***
10:00 AM
“And then ah ran into them ponies in the hazmat suits who ran off and came here and we ….”
“I'm quite aware of the rest, darling.”
Rarity and Applejack sat on a bench, looking out over the railing of the palace’s balcony recounting their experiences in the pony world while they searched for their friends from up high.
Applejack chuckled, “Ah believe that’s another thing”—she adopted a high class accent—“we shall not speak of?”
Chuckling along, Rarity replied in kind. “Darn-tootin’, y'all!”
After settling, Rarity continued, placing a foreleg over one of Applejack's. “But you're sure Fluttershy got away?"
"Not sure what was up with them animals but there was no sign of Fluttershy."
"That's a relief. Once we find at least one more of our friends, we should start searching for the missing two.
"Eeyup," said Applejack, moving to stand over the railing. "Can see most of the town from here. We're bound to see one of them soon."
"And you said Apple Bloom indicated Twi is in Canterlot?” Rarity followed Applejack to the railing.
“Yes’m.”
“Good. Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure if it was Canterlot or Manehattan and Canterlot is the closer of the two by far.” Rarity smiled a very satisfied grin. “And I know where in Canterlot too!”
“Where’s that?”
“Guess, guess!” Rarity's excitement eagerly escaped her in the form of tiny pronks as she hopped in place, her shoes clicking on the crystal floor.
“Er, the palace?”
“My shop! MY shop!”
“Didn’t you say your shop was here in town?”
“It is!" Rarity squealed. "That’s the amazing thing. I have Three shops! Three! One here, and the other two are in Canterlot and Manehattan! The big cities! And Manehattan! The center of sophistication, elegance, culture! It’s the fashion nexus. All the top designers are there!”
“That’s right swell. Ah’m happy for you, Rares. Sounds like quite an achievement.” Applejack looked around sheepishly. “Though, um …, Isn’t that pony Rarity’s achievement?”
“Oh, but that’s the beauty of it, Applejack! Our pony counterparts are older than us! They got their starts earlier. The achievements they have made are essentially in our future!”
“You sure?”
“Yes! We’re still in school and there’s only so much we’re able to do right now as far as careers go! But our pony counterparts graduated years ago and have moved fully onto their adult lives. This dress I’m wearing now"—Rarity did a slow spin to show it off—"I found unfinished in pony Rarity’s inspiration room. It’s a design I’ve had in one of my own sketchbooks back home for some time now. We were working on the same dress! Their past successes are to be our future successes!”
Rarity danced her hooves with a little giggle. “I’m going to have shops in the two biggest cities; a name-brand that spreads across the nation!”
Applejack smiled for her friend and thought back to her experiences in town. “Seems pony AJ’s still on her farm with her family.”
“That’s wonderful, darling. That’s what you want. Stay close with your family, build up the farm."
"And pony Rarity still lives in Ponyville even with her nationwide success."
"Exactly right! We're not breaking up the group! I can’t wait to finally meet our pony selves in Canterlot. Talk about all the things they've experienced; the similarities, the differences.”
“Fer sure,” Applejack agreed. “And there’s some things ah’d like to talk about with mine.”
“So much so, darling.”
“Though,” Applejack scratched her chin in thought, “there’s two things ah ain’t getting here.”
“What are those?”
“First, you say our pony selves is older’n us, maybe 'cause time ain't the same in both worlds, but ah found Miss Cheerilee and she got near ornery when ah called her Miss because she said she’s the same age as pony Rarity. Was in her class and everything.”
“Oh. I see." Rarity tapped her chin with a shoed hoof. "That’s quite … interesting?”
“That’s what ah said! Also looked like pony Apple Bloom was a lot younger than pony Mac compared to their age difference in our world. Time seems all screwy here.”
“Yes, I must concede. Ages don’t appear to be consistent. You'd think everything would just be off by the same number of years. And your other question?”
“Apple Bloom said Twi and all our ponies were in Canterlot because Princess Celestia called them for something. Why would the ruler of a nation have another princess and her friends make a road trip to a clothing store? Wouldn’t it make more sense they’re at the city palace?”
Seeing the stars forming in Rarity’s eyes, Applejack added, “Even if your pony is a close friend and a great dress designer. If’n the big princess just wanted a dress, why’d she call all six of them and not just pony you?”
Rarity deflated and adopted a thoughtful expression. “Yes, that is odd.”
“Could it be possible that something big is going on and pony Rarity lied to her sis so she wouldn’t worry?”
“You think they could be on some sort of dangerous mission for the crown?”
“Ah’m betting that could be it.”
Rarity stood and joined Applejack looking out over the railing at the large castle city in the distance.
Suddenly she perked up, literally as Applejack noticed Rarity’s ears move from a droop to standing at full perkiness. “Or!” posited Rarity. “Or it’s a large, secret, order that needs many hands—er, hooves—on deck. Some kind of private meeting, or visiting dignitaries with high security, or preparation for awards! Our pony selves have saved this world many times and, unlike us, they get to let that be public record. Why, I bet they are renowned heroes nationwide!"
Rarity giggled. "I bet the Manehattan taxicabs fight over each other for the honor to ferry them around the city at a moment's notice!"
"Would ponies even have taxis?"
Rarity either ignored or just didn't notice the question. "I suspect Pony Rarity just wants to surprise precious Sweetie Belle. You should see her. She really is quite adorable as a pony.”
“Don’t ah know it!" cheered Applejack with a smile. "Pony Bloom’s bow is bigger than her whole head. Made me just want to cuddle her like a kitten.”
“Oh, I did! I scooped her Sweetie up in my magic and gave her such a hug!” Rarity gasped, turning away from the rail. “That’s right, I haven’t shown you the magic I’ve learned. Unicorn magic is wonderful! You said earth pony magic lets you feel nature?”
“Oh, it's amazing, Rares! Ah can tell what’s growing around me and how healthy everything is. It's like Ah become one with nature whenever ah touch it. Ah can even get a little bit of it way up here, now that ah know what to feel for. According to Apple Bloom, we can also make things grow faster and healthier, and we can get all the apples off a tree with just one kick! Maybe ah’ll try that with my geode on once we get back home.”
“That sounds like the perfect set of skills for farm life! Let me show you what a unicorn fashionista can do with her horn.”
Applejack watched Rarity’s horn and saddlebags light up in a blue color. One flap of the saddlebags opened and out came several items also in that blue glow: A sketchbook, pencil, pincushion with multiple sewing needles stuck in it, and a spool of thread. The other flap opened and out came Sunset’s journal that opened and flipped to Rarity’s conversation with Twily and Wallflower.
“See?” Rarity asked, pointing a hoof at the writing. “I can move things with my mind like Twily can back home, and it’s refined enough to write with. And over here ….” Rarity gestured to the thread and needles.
The spool unraveled and a thin thread traveled out toward the eye of a needle that had been pulled out of the pincushion. Rarity squealed slightly as the thread easily passed through the needle’s eye.
“It’s so much easier than with hands! The magic grips every part of the thread I want so I can squeeze the end and make sure it doesn’t split going through the eye. No need to wet or twist it. And even better! Watch!”
A second needle came free of the pincushion and was just as easily threaded by the same strand as the first. “I could sew two dresses at once like this!”
“Could’ya really?” asked Applejack, somewhat in awe of the display.
Two more needles came out of the pincushion and the thread flew through both their eyes. “FOUR!” Rarity giggled, lifting the four needles strung together with the thread and moving independently with her mind. “Four dresses at once!”
“But how do you watch four dresses at once? Don’t you have to look to see what you’re sewing?”
Rarity stopped and turned to look at Applejack, her expression deflating a bit. She looked back to the needles to see that they had drifted while she was looking away. “Hmm.”
“Heh, sorry, Rares. Didn’t mean to bring you down a peg.”
Rarity sighed and rolled up the spool, placing the needles back in their cushion and all items back in the saddlebags. “Quite alright, darling. I suppose it was a bit silly. After all, we’re only going to be in this world a few hours more. Though, it might be fun to come over from time to time and offer pony Rarity a hand—er horn—if she gets any particularly large orders.”
Applejack perked her head up. “That's right. We make friends with our ponies today and we, and they, could be visiting back and forth anytime." She then noticed something odd. "So why’s the bag still glowing like your horn?”
Rarity looked down at the saddlebags and sighed before tweaking her horn with a hoof and a slight, resulting flinch. “I have yet to figure out how to let go of things.”
Applejack laughed then took off her hat, by simply touching a hoof to it, and waved it around showing that it was stuck fast to her hoof, despite any arguments from a little thing called physics. “Ah suppose we all have a lot to learn about being magical ponies.”
She then passed the hat from one hoof to the other and back again a few times.
Rarity watched in fascination at the sticky display just as an explosion of sound and rainbow light spread out over the whole town in a thick ring.
“THIS IS AWESOME!” cried a bluish blur that might have been a pegasus pony of some kind, though it was moving much too fast to tell.
Applejack and Rarity stared after, whatever it was, for a better look but could only see the rainbow trail it left in its wake.
They turned to face each other.
“Rainbow Dash?”
“Rainbow Dash!”
*** *** ***
10:10 AM
Rainbow Dash (because why wouldn’t she be the cause of that explosion?) made several laps around, over, and through the town. The initial, circular explosion of light had dissipated into the distance, but the rainbow trail behind her was still bright and clear.
The rainbow trail was, thankfully, also dissipating behind the object that might have been Rainbow Dash, seemingly at a constant rate. The faster the object went, the longer the trail became. This kept the trail from completely covering up the whole town, but still seemed like a giant, 3D game of “Snake.”
In another repeat of their first minutes in the world of ponies, Rarity and Applejack kept calling out every time the blurred speck that may or may not have been their blue pegasus friend passed near the palace.
Several times the speck traveled out of sight and they wondered if the show was over, only for it to return shortly later.
Several times the blurred creature passed overhead, leaving the rainbow trail almost close enough to touch, though neither pony on the balcony decided it wise to make such an attempt.
Several times the creature's wild path careened into various objects such as hay bales, gardens, carts and wagons, doors and windows, and at least one more random sofa.
When the display had first started, Rainbow Dash had been shouting in jubilation with excited phrases such as, “AWESOME!” “YEAHHH HOOOOO!” “BEST STUNT EVER!” “OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!” or, “IT’S LIKE I’M TOTALLY FARTING A GIANT RAINBOW!”
However, once she began to wobble and crash into things, the shouting changed to a somewhat less pleased tone with not so positive phrases such as, “MY BAD!” “TOTALLY DIDN’T SEE THAT!” “OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY—WHAT WAS THAT?!” “OH CRAP! LOOK OUT! MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!” or, “HOW DO I STOP THIS CRAZY THING?!”
After several minutes, which left considerable damage around town and more than a few uprooted trees from the Everfree forest, the object passed out of sight and there was one final crash leaving only silence in its wake.
Until three ponies in hazmat suits were seen screaming and galloping away from the terminal event.
Stunned, Rarity and Applejack slowly turned to face each other, each managing to blink an ounce of realization into the other before gasping and raging for the stairs to the main foyer.
“”RAINBOW DASH!””
They were half way across the foyer when the front doors slammed open and a normally unassuming, yellow pegasus pony stumbled in. Leaves, berries, mushrooms, dirt, and other small forest-based paraphernalia clung to her coat while twigs, tree bark, and other larger forest-based paraphernalia seemed trapped in her mane and tail.
“”Fluttershy?!”” Applejack and Rarity yelled.
Fluttershy looked at the pair, took a deep breath, and yelled back.
“WE ARE SO BUCKING SCREWED!”