//------------------------------//
// Act 6: Worry 
// Story: The Eight-Six Duo 
// by Fujimi200SX 
//------------------------------//

11:07AM, Canterlot. Twilight's room.

Takumi relished the feeling of the warm water running down his hair and around his coat. It wasn't the same as showering as a human, but that didn't matter because it felt so much better. Sure, it was hard to scrub in more places than one, but he managed.

The only complaint he was having so far is how heavy his body began feeling. That was a given, considering the amount of fur that was probably soaking up the water, but It was still annoying.

I wonder how hard it must be for Celestia to shower. He thought, smirking. Especially if she shower's even remotely long, with all the water she'd soak up, she'd weigh at least a hundred pounds heavier. Maybe more.

He put a bottle of soap on the edge of the tub before scrubbing his neck and face. He didn't even attempt to use magic to do this. It felt too good to do it by hand. Hoof.

A couple of minutes later, he sat down on his rump, letting the water soak his hair. He leaned far back against the Enameled Cast Iron, which diverted water to simply hit his chest. He sighed.

"Ok, I will admit." He quietly began. "This world isn't that bad. Being a pony that has both wings and a horn, and being able to do magical things like levitate objects and god knows what else, is extremely convenient."

His smile faltered.

"But I've got a legend to uphold back in Japan! How am I supposed to do that when I'm in a different world? Hell, universe!.. would... Ryosuke replace me?"

He rolled onto his side. His eyelids suddenly began to feel really heavy, and without warning, Takumi passed out. Likely due to him unknowingly supporting fifty extra pounds of water.





Waking up, Takumi found himself on the roof of a car. A lime green car. In a garage.

"What the?" Was his first reaction as he stood upright. He wasn't wet anymore, though he still smelled amazing.

Looking around, it seemed that he was in a single birth garage. Tools were hung on the walls, an oil barrel sat in the corner, and the front door was fully open, curving up to the ceiling.

Rubbing his eyes a bit, Takumi could see outside that he was at a gas station. One that had six pumps. It was probably the most generic thing ever, but Takumi couldn't help but wonder...

Why do I recognize this place? He thought.

Jumping off the car and onto the concrete floor, he walked forward and leaned out the door. But before he could get a good look, he glanced back at the car he had been on.



It was a lime green two-tone Nissan Silvia RPS13. One with a Japanese front plate, and a sticker on the forward right side of the hoof. It took Takumi a second to see what it said, but once he did, his eye's widened.

Akina SpeedStars

"This is Iketani's S13!" Takumi exclaimed. He looked outside as he realized why he recognized the building.

The building in question was known as the 'Esso Gas Station'. Takumi used to work here. It was located in the city of Shibukawa, just down the road from Mount Akina. It was a typical late 90s full-service gas station. Sporting a small space for the workers to have breaks, a single birth garage on the side, and towards the rear was a small car wash.

Takumi began panicking, as he was still in his Alicorn form. What if someone saw him? The logical thing they'd do would be to call emergency services, so that might give him time to escape, steal a car, do something, but still. He was an Alicorn in a world where such a being did not exist.

What if Iketani sees me? What'll he do? Takumi thought as he looked around. The garage had no doors besides the main door, so he couldn't escape to the backlot or anything. And he couldn't just run outside, fly outside even.

"-almost done installing the new spark plug wires." A familiar voice said, making Takumi freeze and look back outside. The voice hadn't said it in English, but rather Japanese.

"Mm. A full spark plug kit? That must have cost a lot." Yet another, slightly less familiar voice replied, also in Japanese.

Takumi was paralyzed as two men walked in. One was wearing a dark blue shirt with a small red bowtie, forest green jeans, and a baseball cap. He was in his early 20s. The other man was also in his early 20s and was wearing a white shirt and black jeans.

"Yeah, but ever since that guy at Suzuki said that I should take a look into replacing them, I always felt like I should. I got the money, so I decided 'hey, why not? I just got the money.' so yeah." The man in uniform explained.

The two walked in and towards a workbench, paying no mind whatsoever to Takumi. This was a bit weird considering he was standing directly in front of the S13, which should have been the first place Iketani look.

Iketani and Kenji... are they blind or can they not see me? Takumi wondered.

"By the way, thanks for helping out today. Boss and I would've never been able to manage all these customers." Iketani, the man in uniform, said as he walked back out to the front of the S13. Takumi dodged him, backing up and watching as Iketani opened the S13's hood.

"Honestly I should just apply here. I always hang out here after normal work anyways." Kenji said.

"Not a half-bad Idea. With Itsuki being an idiot and not showing up neither yesterday nor today, Boss might honestly cut him off." Iketani replied.

Oh god... Takumi thought. They don't even know that Itsuki is actually missing...

"Hey! Iketani! Kenji!" An older man yelled from outside.

"Speak the devil's name, and he appears." Iketani joked. "Yeah?" He asked as an older man walked in the front, wearing a similar Unifrom to Iketani.

"Have either of you heard anything about Itsuki?" The man asked, leaning his shoulder against the edge of the wall.

"No. We haven't." Iketani replied. "Not since Sunday. Last I heard, he and Takumi were heading up to Akina.

"Well, I just got off the phone with his parents. Apparently, they haven't seen him since Sunday either."

"Seriously?"

"Mhm. His Eight-Five is still there, but his Eight-Six isn't. Hasn't been for a while."

"So... he's missing?" Kenji asked.

"That's the worst-case scenario. Let's just hope he took some trip somewhere and hasn't found the time to call."

"Oh... kay." Iketani trailed.

This is happening right now... Takumi realized as he watched the three talk. Of course it would be Yuichi to tell them.

"But..." The older man, Yuichi, continued. "We should let emergency services know. Just in case."

Takumi noticed Iketani grow worried.

"You say that like he is..." Iketani trailed off.

"I'm just being safe, alright." Yuichi quickly replied. "Again, that's the worst-case scenario that he's missing. I'll call Takumi. If he doesn't know, I'll call emergency services and tell them to look out for a Red and Black Levin."

That sentence sent Takumi into a panic. Yuichi was about to call him. Yuichi was about to try and call him. His phone wasn't with him! Or in Equestria! It was back at his father's shop on his nightstand!

This is happening right now.  Takumi thought. He didn't dare speak out loud, not wanting to provoke the two. He may have been invisible, but from the one article he read about invisibility, he knew he could most likely still talk and that they could still hear him. What maniac is making me watch this? Are they TRYING to make me freak out and grieve?.. What's gonna happen when they realize I'm missing?

Out of nowhere, he felt himself feel lightheaded. And try as he might to stay up and alert, the world around him got darker and darker, and soon he felt himself hitting the ground.

"Did you hear something?" He faintly heard Iketani ask.





"If my wings are broken and I need a quick ride somewhere, I will ALWAYS ask you." Rainbow Dash said as Itsuki's Red and Black Levin entered Canterlot.

"Why would you're wings break?" Itsuki asked as he decreased speed. "From how good at flying you sound, I can't see you crashing."

"Wellllll..." Rainbow Dash's face reddened. Itsuki snickered.

"Alright, Scootaloo. Tell me." He began, looking at the orange filly in the rearview mirror. "How often does Rainbow Dash crash?"

"A lot," Scootaloo replied. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened.

"A LOT you say?" Itsuki was intrigued. "I might need to pick a new teacher then."

"Waitwaitwaitwait a ne- a new teacher?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh yeah! I forgot to ask." Itsuki looked at her. "Mind teaching me how to fly?"

Both pegasi were surprised. "You want me to teach you how to fly?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I only gained wings yesterday. You think I'd know how to fly?"

"Of cour-... no. I guess you wouldn't. Sure, I can teach ya. I can teach ya to be almost as fast as me." Rainbow crossed her forehooves and look forward with pride.

"Almost?"

"Nobody is faster than me. And that is a fact." She boasted.

"She's right." Scootaloo reinforced.

Itsuki rolled his eyes. "But can you beat The White Ghost of Akina?" He asked slyly.

Rainbow was surprised. "The White Ghost of Akina?"

"Mhm. Fastest downhiller ever. Never beaten."

"Never beaten huh? And just who might this 'White Ghost' be?"

Itsuki could tell that Rainbow Dash was intrigued, but a bit of fear seemed to escape her. She must not be used to hearing of other ponies faster than her. He thought. "Well, he holds the fastest downhill time on Akina Pass. Totally unbeaten. Even the most talented and skilled haven't beaten him."

He could tell that both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were getting worried. Especially Rainbow Dash. Ohhhh they don't even know!

"Un...beatable?" Rainbow Dash tentatively said.

"Mhm. Unbeatable regardless of road or conditions, reserved but deranged to drive, the White Ghost of Akina Pass is the force to be reckoned with." Itsuki did his best to sound professional and condescending, finding it adorable to see such a brave mare with a reputation to uphold, seem genuinely scared about someone else who was much, much better than her.

"And wanna know how old he is?" He asked.

Rainbow buried her head in her hooves. "Oh sweet Celestia of course It's a stallion..." She looked back up, feeling hopeful as she knew what her guess was gonna be. "Is he some older stallion? Forties? I'd totally understand if it was somepony way older than me."

"Nineteen." Itsuki couldn't help but smile as both pegasi became defeated.

"Nine... teen?" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it. A stallion that was younger than her, was much faster and was unbeatable. How she had never heard of this mysterious pegasus she didn't know.

Where even is Mount Akina? She wondered. I've never heard of a mountain like that. What is- That train of thought came to a screeching halt as she realized that Itsuki was having her on. He was just talking about Mount Akina on the way here! 

"He's not a pegasus, is he," Rainbow asked flatly.

"Nope. He's an Alicorn."

Rainbow facehoofed as she realized which maniac Itsuki was talking about. "For Celestia's sa-You're talking about Takumi aren't you?!" She yelled. "Street Racing?"

Itsuki burst out laughing. "Ho-how did you NOT rea-he-healize who I was talking about?" The car began slowly drifting out of its lane.

"I was too focused on the-" Rainbow let out a long groan, as did Scootaloo. Scootaloo refocused on the buildings around her, snapping pictures with a camera.

"You two are adorable." He remarked, making them blush.

Rainbow's eyes widened suddenly. "ITSUKI! LOOK OUT!" She yelled.

"What? AH!" He yelled as he swerved right. An air horn sounded as he avoided a semi, fishtailing and nearly slamming into the back end of a sports car.

Itsuki quickly regained control and blushed as he noticed several ponies on the sidewalks give unapproving glares. He groaned a bit. If I had good tires, I could have avoided that just fine!

Looking around the place, Itsuki was quite surprised at the infrastructure. It was very different from the buildings of Shibukawa, and the cars were extremely different from what he was used to. Most of them at least. They were all American makes, and American makes and models were uncommon in Japan.

Suddenly, he realized something. "Hey uh... Rainbow Dash?"

"What?"

"Where the heck are we going? I just remembered we were meeting princesses, but where are we supposed to go?"

"The castle. Where else would we go?" Rainbow pointed. Itsuki looked over at where she was pointed.

His jaw dropped.

Rainbow found it quite cute at how the Alicorn was marveling at the sight. She looked down and noticed that his hooves had fallen off the steering wheel, so she quickly reached a hoof over to keep the car straight.

"That is..." Itsuki was lost. It had been quite some time since he was left totally speechless.

"It's awesome, Isn't it?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yeah... heh..." Itsuki closed his jaw and smirked. "It sure is."





Five minutes later.

Itsuki happily pulled into the private lot, and his face lit up the second he saw Takumi's Panda Trueno parked towards the corner.

"There it is!" He said. "Takumi's 86!"

"Nice." Rainbow Dash said. "Not my taste really, but It's nice."

"Mm. Oh, guess what?" Itsuki pulled into the spot next to Takumi's 86. shutting the engine off. "That car has a racing engine. A full 240HP!"

Rainbow seemed a bit unamused as she unbuckled. "240HP? That's good and all, but I don't think that's something to write home about." She said as she and Itsuki got out. Rainbow flipped her seat forward to let Scootaloo out.

"What!? How?" Itsuki asked.

"There are so many cares with more horsepower than that. R34 Skyline, literally any V8 muscle car, Viper-"

"Do any of those get their power from a four-cylinder?" Itsuki interrupted, getting defensive. "Do any of those cars get their power from a Naturally Aspirated 1.6 Liter engine that revs to 11000RPM?"

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were both surprised.

"That's... actually pretty good for what it is." Rainbow Dash admitted.

"Indeed it is, Rainbow Dash." A voice called out suddenly, startling the three. They all looked past Takumi's 86 and saw a dark blue Alicorn. She was a bit taller than them and maintained a regal stature as she walked towards them, stopping right behind Takumi's 86. "It is quite impressive that such an engine is fitted to a car like this." The Alicorn lightly rubbed a hoof against the Trueno's tailgate.

"Princess Luna!" Scootaloo squeed. She quickly remembered exactly who she was talking to, and bowed.

"No need to be so formal little filly." Luna waved for Scootaloo to rise. "Think of this as a visit." She turned to Rainbow Dash. "Now tell me, Miss Dash, why did you bring Scootaloo along?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. "Well, we kinda, sorta, didn't want to leave her. We were in the middle of a practice session when I had to leave. I didn't want to just leave her there, ya know?"

"I understand. Her parents do know, correct?"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Well, I'm kind of foalsitting while her parents are away, so, not... really?"

"Foalsitting?" Itsuki asked.

Luna looked at Itsuki and smiled. "You must be Itsuki Takeuchi."

"Uh... yeah! That's me."

"Mm. Well, Takumi let me know about you. Me, my sister, and Twilight will be delighted to have you here. As is with you, Rainbow Dash."

"Hey!" Scootaloo piped. "What about me?"

Luna giggled. "Yes Scootaloo, we will be delighted to have you too." She turned to Rainbow Dash. "Now, where are your friends?"

"Oh. Itsuki told me that Starlight and Trixie were getting them." Rainbow replied. "They should be up soon."

"Well, I see no reason why we should not head inside then." Luna turned. "Follow me." She said, and the four began slowly walking towards some stairs.

"So, where's Takumi?" Itsuki asked. "I've been kinda worried about him since he disappeared last night."

"He is taking a shower."

"Oh. That's..." Itsuki looked over at something that had caught his eye. "nice..."

"You and Takumi being here have caused quite the stir between me, my sister, and Princess Twilight. We have yet to inform Princess Cadance. Twilight especially-" Luna cut herself off as she looked back and noticed that Itsuki was gone.

"Uh..." Rainbow was confused as the three looked around. Luna walked back down the stairs past the two young pegasi, looking to the left and seeing Itsuki standing in front of a dark blue Nissan Skyline BNR33 GT-R. It perfectly matched Luna's coat. She smiled.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" She playfully asked as Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo stopped behind her.

"This GT-R! Come on! Dark Blue, super nice," Itsuki said as he walked around it. "The interior looks great. At least there are still good cars here in Equestria. I wonder which lucky guy got enough money to cash in on this baby... ohhh..."

Luna smirked. "That lucky 'guy' is actually a girl." She said. "And how they got enough money to 'cash in' on it is simple."

"What? What do you mean?" Itsuki looked at Luna from the other side of the car.

"Well, when you are regarded as royalty and have a sister with an entire money building, It is quite easy to obtain such funds."

Itsuki looked at Luna, then at the R33, then back at Luna. He stammered a bit, and this continued for about five seconds.

"Y-You-... This is YOURS!?" Itsuki finally yelled.

"It is." She smiled at the young Alicorn's enthusiasm.

"What is a PRINCESS doing with such a sweet set of wheels?!"

"I bought it about three years ago. I decided that having a better mode of transport besides chariot would have been helpful, so I settled for this. I bought it because it was practical and easy to drive."

"Did you now?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo had begun taking some pictures of the BNR33.

"But... It's a GT-R!" Itsuki said. "What do you mean practical?!"

"Well, this model, if you didn't know, was a slight fail with ponies. It had softer suspension and was longer than the previous R32. Which I guess hurt cornering. I don't see the issue. Corners just fine. And it provides a smooth ride. Not to mention that the all wheel drive makes it easy to accelerate."

Even Luna suddenly began wondering about how the hay she ended up getting an R33 Skyline GT-R of all things. She wasn't into street racing or general car racing in the slightest back then, so why did she get it? She could have gotten some other model. Like a minivan.

I guess I did like the look. And the engine tone is nice. The princess thought.

"Well-... still! A GT-R! How could this be practical?"

"It is practical for a single mare who rarely transports things herself."

That shut Itsuki right up. She was right. When you were single, you didn't exactly need a big car. And it wasn't like the R33 GTR wasn't unpractical. The trunk wasn't the smallest compartment ever, and the rear seats could easily hold things. The same could even be said for the smaller BNR32.

Itsuki found himself continuing to admire the car. Luna rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Let us get going.." She said.

"Alright," Itsuki replied, and the four began walking back up the stairs and through the doors.

"If you are so interested in my R33, you should see Twilight's car," Luna suggested.

"Twilight's car..." Itsuki knew who Twilight was, her friends had told him last night, but he didn't know her car. "What is her car?"

"A Civetta Bolide Twiline." Luna cooly enunciated the word 'Twiline'.

"Um... never heard of it."

"Do you know what a Countach is? Lamborghini?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Sure."

"Think of that."

Luna nodded. "Mhm. It is rather similar. It has a bright purple and pink paintjob, a rear spoiler, and my oh my does it look good. I almost envy her, as it was given to her upon her becoming a Princess."

Itsuki remembered the conversation between him and Starlight from yesterday. How she talked about the car's horsepower rating. He grimaced. "Oh. Yeah. I know what it is I guess. Starlight told me about it. Wait... if Twilight's here, then where's her car?"

"Routine Maintenance," Luna explained. "It is in a shop towards the other side of the castle." Now it was Luna grimacing as she lead them through the halls. You would think that mare would maintain it herself. Knowing her, she knows more about cars and their inner workings than I will over the next few months.

"Something wrong princess?" Rainbow Dash asked, trotting next to Luna.

"Nothing! I was just thinking about something."

"Oh. Alright. So what do you think Twilight is gonna do when we meet her?"

"Knowing her, probably unleash a barrage of questions." Luna joked.

The three girls laughed, but Itsuki was confused, and almost alarmed when he fully processed what Luna had said.

"Wait..." He began. "What is Twilight like?" He asked.

The three girls looked at each other, then at him, awkward looks appearing on their faces.

"Wellll..." They said in unison.





Takumi opened his eyes again, blinking a bit and gauging his surroundings. By the looks of it, he was in a Japanese bedroom. Typical late 90s upper-class kind of thing.

It wasn't the most unique thing in the world. Tan walls, two windows that made Takumi assume that this bedroom was on the corner of whatever house he had appeared in.

A single bed sat in a corner, while in another corner where the two windows met, sat a desk. The desk had typical late 90s technology on it. A white computer and large keyboard, plus a plant and some diagrams were strewn about the desk.

But what Takumi was more focused on, was the man sitting at the desk, clicking away at the computer. A simulation running on the screen. The man had dark blue hair, a black sweater, and jeans. He was in his mid-twenties. Takumi was speechless.

Knock Knock Knock

The man looked over at the door.

"I'm coming in." Said someone in Japanese. A second later, the door opened. Another man, also in his mid-twenties though a bit younger, walked in and shut the door behind him. He had blonde hair and was rather muscular. He had a yellow sweater and jeans on.

"Ah, Keisuke. Good to see you." The man at the computer greeted. "Have you gotten ahold of Takumi yet?"

"No. I haven't." The Blonde, Keisuke, replied. "I called his father. Apparently, Takumi's phone is dead. And apparently he hasn't seen the kid since Sunday."

Takumi's heart deflated as he saw the worry in the man's eyes. The man at the computer.

"Hm... I see..." The man said.

"Ugh. Don't tell him I said this, but it really pisses me off when does bullcrap like this." Keisuke sat down on the bed. Now Takumi was standing in between the two men, listening to the conversation like a fly on the wall.

So, they can't see me either... Takumi thought.

"I can kind of say the same." The man replied. "It gets a bit annoying with how spacey he can be, but that's just the way he is. We can't change that."

"Still. You'd think he would be a bit more considerate about we're supposed to, oh, you know. Deal with Purple Shadow in Ibaraki before the Wonderbolts do? Also, what the heck kind of name is the Wonderbolts anyways? Sounds like the name some kid would use."

The man sighed. "Yes, it is odd for him to just... disappear. A call before doing so would have been nice. But I'm certain that there is a reason why he disappeared in such a hurry. Perhaps a friend of his in Tokyo got in a wreck. Remember Akio? The driver of that S30Z? With what Takumi has told me about him, that kid tears down the expressways so fast, it would be a nightmare to crash."

"Yeah. But I'm pretty sure Takumi would have called by now. Anyways, what are we gonna do? Am I just gonna run the downhill?"

Takumi was worried. Is Ryosuke gonna replace me? Even if It's just temporary? I'm your downhill ace, Ryosuke!

"Hm... I dunno. It just wouldn't feel right to do that. Sure. We could put Kenta or maybe even call up Aisuke and put either of them on Downhill Duty for the time being. But that would bring a bit of disrespect to Takumi, don't you think?"

Keisuke groaned. "I know. Which is why he should get the hell off his ass and call us."

"Again, I'm sure there is a reason as to why he's gone." 'Ryosuke' reassured. "I think I'll call the SpeedStars. They are the closest team to him, it would make sense that they knew where he went. In fact, didn't you meet a couple of the SpeedStars working at a gas station? Back in our days as the RedSuns?"

"Yeah, I did. It's right on the same road as Akina. Can't miss it."

"Mm. I might head out there then."

"You do that. Anyways, I gotta go. My Boxing matches await." Keisuke got up and headed for the door.

"Alright. Hey, ask your buddies if they've seen a white and black 86 with the words 'Fujiwara Tofu Shop' on the side." Ryosuke said as Keisuke opened the door.

"I will. See ya later bro." Keisuke replied before shutting the door.

There was a moment of silence, with Ryosuke staring back at the computer screen. About thirty seconds later, Takumi and Ryosuke heard the muffled sound of a rotary engine starting up in the garage, along with the sound of the garage door opening.

Ryosuke sighed as the rotary engine grew further and further away, quickly fading into nothingness.

"How am I gonna tell him..." Ryosuke slowly said before tapping away at his computer.

Tell him what? Takumi wondered. About me? Does he already know I'm missing?

Ryosuke stopped typing suddenly and just stared at his computer screen. After a few seconds, he grabbed a paper with a drawing on it.

"So many things are happening right now..." Ryosuke began, swiveling the chair away from the desk, almost facing Takumi. "Takumi has gone off without saying anything, the Wonderbolts are still a threat, It's nearing winter..." He stopped, sighing.

The Wonderbolts... Takumi thought.

"And I've been having these dreams..." Ryosuke finally finished as he stared at the paper.

Sighing, Ryosuke put the sheet of paper back on the desk and got up, and without saying anything, he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Now it was just Takumi in there. He had a couple of options. Try to get out, or maybe wait for Ryosuke to get back and try to talk to him. But there was something bothering him, something that made him walk towards the desk. He used his forehooves to thrust himself upwards a little, then put his forehooves on the edge of the desk. If he was standing up, he would be as tall as he was normally. He figured that much out.

Takumi looked down at the desktop, at the picture Ryosuke was holding. It was... odd. To say the least. It was a sketch of a pegasus. A well done one at that. The pony was drawn just standing there in a normal position, with a slight frown on Its face. It was eerily similar to how the ponies of Equestria looked.

It had dark blue eyes, dark blue mane, and tail, a horn on its forehead, and nothing on its flank. Takumi noticed that its eyes were oddly narrow, and it had... admittedly cute little fangs in Its mouth. He didn't know if the uncolored coat was to signify that this pony was white, or if Ryosuke hadn't colored it in yet. A small black circular shadow sat below the pony's hooves.

I didn't know Ryosuke was a doodler. He thought. Huh. A horn and wing. Alicorn.

Suddenly, he noticed something very off about the wings. They weren't like his, or Itsuki's, or really any pegasus he had seen thus far. They looked like... bat wings.

Bat wings? Why would a pony have bat wings? What even is this? He wondered. And why does it look like a sketch of an actual pony in Equestria?

Takumi's eyes widened.

"Unless..." He said out loud on accident.





"Unless what?" A female voice said suddenly. The voice was muffled and rather distorted, but Takumi could barely make it out as he felt himself waking up.

"Huh? Wha-?" Takumi barely said.

Suddenly, his face was hit by a huge stream of water, which instinctively caused him to open his eyes, which were also hit. You can imagine his pain.

"AH!" Takumi yelled, covering his face as the same female voice began laughing.

When the water was directed off his face, he looked up and saw Luna.

"Wake up sleepyhead!" She joked. "How are you even sleeping in the shower?"

"Uh- Luna!" Takumi jumped up, his face turning red. "What are you doing in here?!"

"I wanted to see if you were alright. You have been in the shower for quite some time you know." Luna turned the water off and levitated a towel for him to grab and drape over himself.

"I..." Takumi trailed off as he realized that he was sleeping. But if he was sleeping, what kinds of dreams were those?

"Something the matter?" Luna asked as she walked out of the bathroom and around the door to give Takumi a bit of privacy while he dried off.

"Well, first off, how come Twilight didn't come for me?" Takumi asked as he dried himself. This was extremely hard because, fun fact, when you are practically a towel yourself, you tend to soak up a lot of water. "Isn't this her room?"

"Well, she is talking with Itsuki. I swear Itsuki is Rainbow Dash's male counterpart. They have the sa-"

"Wait, Itsuki's here?" Takumi cut Luna off.

"Yes. He has been for a while now."

"How long have I been out?!"

"I do not know. Itsuki arrived half an hour after you left us, and he's been here for at least an hour and a half now, so... I guess you've been out for at least an hour."

There was a moment of silence.

Piff "Dangit" Came Takumi's muffled voice.

Luna bit her lip and cringed assuming he had just faceplanted into the towel.

A minute later, Takumi, now wearing his white sweater, walked out. He was still wet in several areas.

"I give up."

Luna giggled. "We will see if there is a sunlit spot in the royal dining room. At least you are not dripping wet."

"Yeah, I'll need to get used to this."

"You will with time. As with all things. Anyways, my sister and Twilight are waiting." Luna walked out of Twilight's room. Takumi followed. "Twilight and her friends are there as well."

"You mean the mares I saw at that table early this morning in-... Twilight's Castle?" If you can call it a castle. The thing looks like a dumb kid's toy.

"If you mean the Element bearers, along with Trixie and Starlight, then yes." Both Alicorns were now in a hallway, with Takumi following Luna.

"Element Bearers?"

"Right, you have not heard of them. I'll explain later." Luna sighed. "By the way, Itsuki should really take care of his Street Racing habit."

"Oh, he told you?"

"Yes. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were around, so I couldn't reveal that..." Luna looked around to make sure no guards were near. There were none. "...that I do the same."

"Alright."

"But he liked to talk about it as we made our way towards the dining room. A little surprising considering he was talking to a princess who, for all he knew, could have been very against such form of motorsport."

"Well from where we're from, you can talk about street racing all you want and not many will do much. They might give a glare but that's it. He's used to that kind of thing."

"Mm. Perhaps. I did tell him that if he wanted to talk about racing, he will have to pretend to be talking about circuit racing. Because Princess Twilight isn't exactly the kind of pony who is lax about the law. As is my sister. In fact, my sister is highly against driving in general."

Takumi was a bit surprised. Why would someone be completely against driving? "Why?"

Luna sighed. "I can only assume It's because of her age. She has been around since well before the advent of even Steam Engines. I think she dislikes it because Equestria was transformed rather... severely, with the advent of so many roads being paved."

Takumi looked forward. "Alright... so she prefers not having people get around easily? Er, ponies?"

"It is not that. I just... don't know really. But enough of my sister's insecurities. How are you taking to pony life so far?"

"Uh-..." Takumi didn't speak for a moment as the two walked down some stairs, a couple of guards bowing in respect to the night princess.

"That's a stallion, right?" Takumi barely heard one say.

"Looks like it. I think Luna got herself a special somepony." Another replied jokingly, causing Takumi's face to turn red.

Luna looked at Takumi, immediately seeing his red face. "What?" She asked.

"One of those guards just said something about you getting a Special Somepony." Takumi kept his voice a bit quiet. "I've never heard that term before, but I'm not stupid."

Luna looked back at the guards, who looked to be quietly talking. She smirked. "They are just not used to me walking with anypony that isn't my sister or another form of royalty."

"Like who? Is it just you princesses?"

Luna looked forward. "No, there are other forms. For instance, Prince Blueblood and Prince Shining Armor."

"Oh. Well, at least me and Itsuki aren't the only... soon-to-be princes... what are they like?"

"Well, let me think. Blueblood lives here and Canterlot. You can hold a conversation with him, but he's a bit on the, should I say... 'Stuck-Up' side of things."

"All... right."

"Even his taste in cars is stuck up. At the moment, I think he's going through a small... 'retro' phase. The car he's been using for the past couple of weeks now is, oh what was it... a Mercedes E-Class W210. Silver."

Takumi's eyes widened with horror. "With circular headlights?"

"Mhm. It's a rather interesting choice of a luxury car, to say the least."

"Yeah... that is interesting." Takumi took a deep breath in, then out. "What about Shining Armor? Is that literally his name?"

"It is. Why?"

"Because it just sounds odd is all. Is he a knight?"

"He's a Captain. Trains the Crystal Empire Guard. He is a Prince because he is Princess Cadance's husband."

"Oh."

"However, you and I should be a bit cautious around him. The same should be said for Itsuki."

"Why?"

"Because he's the Captain of the Crystal Empire Guard? And his main choice of transportation is a police car."

Takumi's eyes widened a bit. "Oh."

Luna smirked. "I always found that rather interesting between him and Cadance. He drives a big cruiser, while Cadance drives a Miura. But I digress. Shining Armor is a firm yet kind pony. I am sure that as long as you don't reveal your street racing habit, you two should get along together."

Luna stopped in front of a door, which Takumi did not realize was there, so he walked straight into it.

"Ow!" Takumi yelped, rubbing his muzzle. "You could have said something."

Luna was a bit confused. "It is a... big door? Why would I need to alert to a door like this?"

"Because-" Takumi sighed. "Whatever. Why are we here?"

"This is the dining room. Care to open the door? Or-" Luna cut herself off and didn't speak afterward.

"Or... what?"

"Nothing." She replied. I will ask him tonight. It would be unwise to start talking about the subject in daylight hours. "Ahem, shall we head in? I am sure they're waiting."

Takumi just sighed. "Sure," He said, pushing the door open.

As Takumi expected, the dining room was simple. A large tall room with plenty of tall windows on one wall to let natural light in. A long table sat in the front, where Takumi recognized... well, pretty much every mare he had seen last night, plus Twilight and Celestia. But before he could observe further...

"Takumiii!" Yelled an all-too-familiar voice.

Takumi rolled his eyes as he saw Itsuki jump up out of his seat and run over.

"Hey Itsuki." He greeted.

"Takumi you JERK!" Itsuki suddenly slammed his right forehoof straight into Takumi's left cheek, causing everyone to recoil in surprise.

"OW! Dude!? What was that for?!" Takumi asked, rubbing his cheek.

"What the hell were you thinking last night?!" Itsuki asked. "Leaving us without saying ONE WORD! Where the hell did you go anyways?"

"Calm the heck down Itsuki. I just went to Akina is all." 

"You went to Akina? How?!"

"Er, the Canterlot Turnpike."

Itsuki groaned. "Well, next time let us know that you're leaving."

"I woke up to an alarm I never set. I decided to head to the Turnpike because I wanted to be in a familiar place."

"Whatever."

Luna cleared her throat. "Shall we sit down and chat?" She asked.

"Sure," Takumi replied.

The three Alicorns walked over and sat down at the table. Twilight's friends were all visibly excited that there were two new Alicorns in Equestria. Itsuki and Takumi sat down towards the end of the table, next to each other. Luna sat next to Celestia.

Takumi couldn't help but notice a small Orange Pegasus Filly with Bright Purple Hair sitting next to Rainbow Dash. She was the only filly there. Why is there a filly here? Takumi wondered. Is she Rainbow Dash's Daughter or Little Sister or something?

"Now," Celestia said. "You were saying, Itsuki?"

"Anyways, me and Iketani are best buds." Itsuki suddenly began. "Me and Takumi are closer, we've known each other since middle school, but yeah. He's nice. Along with Kenji."

Takumi sighed. Itsuki must be talking about the guys back in Japan. He thought. He was on the left of Itsuki, more towards the end of the table, sunlight enveloping most of him. To be honest, he was surprised nobody was saying anything about how wet he was.

He noticed that he was sitting next to Starlight and a... rather pissed-off-looking Trixie.

"What's up with her?" He quietly asked Starlight, pointing to Trixie who just sat with her head resting on her forehoof.

Starlight sighed. "Long story short, Pinkie Pie was driving behind Trixie in her van as we went up the turnpike. Pinkie tried to pass us, but then a truck was approaching in the opposite direction. Pinkie supposedly forgot that Trixie's Pessima was there, and ended up pitting us sideways into the truck."

"Oh... sheesh. What was her car? I've never heard of a Pessima."

"Just a burnt orange station wagon. Something similar to your car I guess. Slightly compact and boxy."

"Oh. Is everyone ok?"

"Mostly. The Pessima was totaled, and Fluttershy's front right hoof broke since she was sitting in the rear right of the wagon. Which was pretty much where the semi hit."

Takumi looked around. "Uh, who's Fluttershy again?"

Starlight pointed. "The yellow pegasus over there. Pink hair."

Takumi looked over at the pegasus. She was sitting next to Twilight on the opposite end of the table with a cast on her right forehoof. "That must have hurt."

"Mm. We had to kind of pile into the back of Pinkie's van. We kind of forced Pinkie out of the van and into Rarity's car. I drove us up. Because after her forgetting about an entire car, none of us wanted her driving."

"I hope she loses her license," Trixie grumbled as she shot Pinkie a death stare, who was sitting a few spots away on the opposite side of the table. She looked rather downcast.

"Hm." Takumi looked outside. It was cloudy out and likely chilly.

vrrOOooommm

An engine rung in his ears. A Rotary engine, no doubt.

Suddenly, the dining room was gone. Replaced with a dark road, and two cars in front. And two men. Ryosuke and Keisuke Takahashi.

"Keisuke, I'm sorry. He's gone." Ryosuke said, leaning against his FC.

"He can't be gone. Our Ace? Just, missing?" Keisuke was towards Ryosuke's left, clearly distressed.

"I'm sorry." Ryosuke sighed. "I'm shutting down Project D. If Takumi doesn't want to help realize our dreams, then there is no point for the team."

"NO!" Takumi yelled.

He was suddenly snapped back into reality. Everyone was staring at him. He just looked down at the table.

"Is something the matter, Takumi?" Celestia asked.

That wasn't real. I know that. Takumi thought. Without me, Ryosuke will disband the team. I don't want him to shut down Project D!

"Takumi, Jesus. What's wrong?" Itsuki asked, giving him a light punch.

"Uh-..." Takumi needed to find a subject to talk about, something that wasn't about that horrendous hallucination. "Nothing, just... thought I saw something. Uh... Itsuki?" Takumi looked at Itsuki.

"Yeah?"

"This is a question for everyone I guess, but... do you think that our world, is just a dream?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Luna asked.

"I mean, what if we were always ponies?" Takumi began. "What if our world was just one long dream? What if our world... isn't real?"

"It is." Celestia immediately replied.

Takumi and Itsuki looked at her. "It is?" Takumi asked.

"We already have a human world. In fact, there is a portal that goes straight to it. Twilight can attest to that. And before you ask, no. It is not your world."

Takumi's hopes had risen and fallen throughout that sentence. "Alright..." He slowly said.

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"I was just wondering. I may be used to living as a pony, but I just..." Takumi sighed. He had no idea where to go with this. "I want to know why it was me and Itsuki who were sent here."

"Mm. Yes, that is odd." Celestia replied. "We were actually waiting on you to arrive so we could talk about that."

"Oh. Sorry."

"For what?"

"For keeping you guys waiting. I passed out in the shower."

"Oh. Well, you're here now, so now we can start. What happened right before you two got here?"

Takumi and Itsuki looked at each other. "Uh..." They let out.

"Were either of you sent to a sort of dreamscape?" Celestia asked. "Light blue, full of fog, anything of the sort?"

"Um, no. I wasn't. Itsuki?" Takumi replied.

"Mm-Mm. Nope." Itsuki said.

"How very odd... what did you two do right before you became Alicorns?"

"Battled Nightmare Moon and Heartbreaker down Mount Akina Pass." Takumi blurted out without thinking. The look that appeared on Luna's face told him he probably shouldn't have said that.

"You did WHAT?!" Twilight and Celestia yelled at once.

Takumi sighed. "We're gonna have to explain this whole thing, aren't we..." He said, looking down.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Not quite. I know a spell that can let all of us fall into an almost sleep-like state-" Celestia's horn lit up yellow, and drapes were put over all the windows, along with the doors locking. The room would have been plunged into darkness had it not been for the three chandeliers around. "-and see through one's memories. It is illegal to do such a thing, that is unless the one whose memory is being purged agrees."

"That sounds... exploitable," Takumi remarked.

"It would be if it didn't quickly sap you of energy as it would do for any common unicorn. Of course, I'm used to this sort of thing, so I can do it easily."

"Couldn't we be attacked while doing this?" Itsuki asked.

"If the magic senses that our bodies are in danger, we will be disconnected from the dreamstate, and back here immediately."

"Oh. Alright. I'll do it if-"

"We'll do it if it saves us having to explain the whole thing." Takumi interrupted.

"I take it the rest of you would want to partake in this?" Celestia assumed.

A collection of yes's filled the room from everypony present.

"Then let's start, shall we?"

Celestia's horn lit up, and suddenly everything went black.