//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Secret of the Pies // by Player 4 //------------------------------// The ponies reach to the other side of the sea of blue, and the portal spits them out... literally spits. It doesn't slide them onto the ground, but throws them in the air. Which they didn't expect. "Ouch. I think we need to practice our landings.", Pinkie says after she smacks into a hard surface. This hard surface Pinkie speaks of, her and Maud's landing point, is solid ground covered in grass; nowhere near removed from what they're used to. But little did they know, they had gotten lucky in that regard. As soon as they stir from the portal dizziness and look up... it would be an understatement to say they cannot believe their eyes. Their minds take well over a literal minute to register the nature of this sight and the real reality of it. What stands before them is an endless sea of blue, with a barrage ponies rowing boats across it, and buildings whose first floor windows are only half visible, their front doors useless. At a further glance reveals grocery store ponies struggling to keep their food dry thanks to boat-generated waves shoving splashes at their stands, and the customers on those bloats floating away while trying to hand the cashier the money. It looks like something you'd see in a horror sci-fi movie. "Goodness! What in the universe is this place? Living here doesn't look fun at all!", Pinkie exclaims in sympathetic sadness for the town's residents. For Maud's part, what came to her notice is that it looked... a lot like Ponyville! A very flooded Ponyville, of course, but the building architecture is definitely identical, just for one thing! The ponies come in a much smaller color range, displaying mostly shades of blue, brown, and gray, and even the more colorful ones look much more washed out, but they appeared to be the same species. "This seems to be a different universe; a universe where Ponyville has been utterly washed out. Both literally and metaphorically.", Maud says. "...Yeah.", Pinkie says, continuing her mood. As Pinkie vocalizes her mix of shock and sympathy, a town local happens to overhear her while rowing close to the elevated island of ground Pinkie and Maud are remaining dry on, and here comes possibly an explanation. "Yeah is right. I can't believe this had to happen to us.", a gray stallion with a black mane says, rowing his boat. "Well... what did happen?", Pinkie asks. The local had a mountain of things to be confused about; he had zero idea who these two mares in front of him were or how they could be of no knowledge about the atrocity that has plagued his world, but he cuts them a piece of slack and just answers the question. "So you see... this world got hit hard by climate change.", he says. "The star this planet orbits around kept getting hotter and hotter... to the point that the sea levels rose. A lot. We could not find a way to stop them, and before we knew it, we now live in a permanent flood." Permanent flood. If that wasn't ever horror movie material. And it's right here, in front of Pinkie and Maud's actual eyes. "All of what you're seeing here; we've had better days. There used to be a visible ground right below us... that we walked on. You didn't have to enter a building by climbing into a window. You didn't have to worry about your freshly-baked bread getting soaked." "I advise any creature still having access to the ground... please, do not take it for granted. You won't know what you've lost until you've already lost it. I would know." Hearing this story, Pinkie was close to adding more fluid to the flood with tears. The pain in this stallion's voice... unbearable. His world really has been ruined. All because of a natural astronomical phenomenon. They had this happen to them by sheer unluckiness of being placed in the orbit of the wrong star, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. Three pieces of dumb bad luck. There's a multitude of things Pinkie wants to do for this world. She wants to tag along with this hurt stallion on his boat and try to happy-talk to him some. She's Pinkie, after all; a big, long mission to help the residents of the flooded world find happiness in their situation is calling out to her. But she can't jump in... she's already on another big mission. (sigh) As if this whole saga in Pinkie's life wasn't sad enough. "I appreciate your sympathy for me.", the stallion says. "I am assuming you two are not from here?" "We aren't.", Maud says. "In fact, my sense is telling me this is an alternate universe from where we come from. Our city looks just like here, except not flooded and with much more color." Suddenly, after Maud simply offers her observations, it's like the stallion's mood flips all the way on its head. "Wait... what? An alternate universe? My word, ladies, that's something I've been studying and looking for my whole life! I am the head of a science group that dedicates to looking for alternate universes, as well as other strange, not-yet-proven galactic phenomena. We check for seemingly impossible things that might actually be possible." "Based on many, upon many things, such as occasional appearances of unusually-colored stars, mysterious magic popping up, and random bursts of happiness here on this world, I've always been highly inclined to believe that somewhere out there, there is at least one Equestria more prosperous than this." "Wait... this is Equestria?", Pinkie says. "That's what we call it here!", the stallion responds. "And I don't see any way you two are not the same species as me." "I would agree with that.", Maud says. "We look very much alike." "Do you two, by any chance, also come from an "Equestria?", the stallion asks. "We do!", Pinkie says. "Only... our Equestria is a lot more happy." The stallion pumps up his hooves in a victory. "Ooh, yes! I think I have proof of my suspicions!", he says. "Would you two mind coming to my building so we can perform assessments on you and hopefully prove that alternate Equestrias exist?" And here's where the sisters must break their own hearts. Pinkie sure wouldn't mind being the subject of an experiment. Maud is a slightly different story, but that's not really important right now, as, relevant to what we previously discussed, they have different business to take care of. "Well, we would, but... we're actually here because we were directed here by a mysterious voice that's telling us to pick up these notes and go through the portal it says.", Pinkie says. "We came here from a 'temple of portals.'", Maud says. "So yes, I can say that alternate universes definitely exist." "But, yep, like my sister said, we're on an adventure of our own. I'm sorry." The stallion, shocked by disappointment, wanted to try and convince Pinkie and Maud to wander off from their adventure and go with him, but ultimately, he doesn't have the heart. He's gone through too much pain to risk putting others through it. "Oh... okay. You do that.", he says. "But,", he starts to sense victory again, "would you mind coming back here when you get the chance? I mean, now that you've told me about this 'temple of portals', you must be able to come back, right?" "Oh, absolutely we'll come back! It hurts to leave you guys; I want to help so bad!", Pinkie exclaims, struggling to keep herself from leaping over to the local's boat. Maud smiles. "We know that the portals in the temple are permanent, so yes, we will come back. We will do all we can to help you in this drenched world." "Oh, thank you so much!", the stallion says. "Man, a day like this doesn't come often, and it sure feels good in this world when you do finally hit the occasional burst of happiness!" Pinkie lets out a squee at this. That's what she loves to hear! "Before you go, can I get your names?", the stallion asks, bringing out a note and pen. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and this is my sister Maud Pie.", Pinkie says. "Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie... there we go.", the stallion says, storing the paper and pen into his boat. "Good thing the note didn't get splashed this time." "Oh yeah, and I should give you my name too. I'm known as 'Galaxy Glitch.' Referring to how I look for glitches in and around galaxies." "Well, I'll see you around. I will be waiting, and I hope the rest of this world can be improved by whatever you two have to offer. You seem like sweet little ponies who have goals to make others happy; that's just what we need here." Even completely outside of her native universe, Pinkie's element never ceased to have effect. "Good luck on your adventure!", Galaxy Glitch says, rowing away. Now it's time for Pinkie and Maud to get back to business. "Whew! That was sure an experience, wasn't it?", Pinkie says. "Totally. I have to try and keep the other stuff out, or else I'll pass out from emotional overload.", Maud says. Pinkie both giggles and starts to feel even more emotion; more of a relic from what she believes she is seeing from last night with the cuddles. Maud made a joke?! That sounds unpossible! "Anyway though", she finally moves back to the track with, "There's a note hanging on this tree. It must be Step 2." Maud picks off the note from the tree; indeed it is. Step 2 After you release a note from its base, the portal you came from will reappear in 15 seconds. Go back through, and once you return to the temple, go through the red portal that is number 145, found on the second floor of the back room. No more than a split-second after the sisters finish reading that, the ocean-blue portal spawned out right in front of them, exactly as they remembered it. It hurt to leave the dystopian waterworld that desperately needs help, but Pinkie and Maud are dealing with their own emotional baggage, and that was where they were at first, so they jump backwards-bound into the blue.