"The Administrator? Wh-what kind of situation?"
"We can't talk here Princess. We should talk in my world. Should be fine without minor difficulties (for now)."
Queen Twilight looked as though she were about to protest before the Archivist continued, "That means you too, bug queen."
The changeling gave the look of being caught off guard, "..... First off; Rude! Second off; Are you serious? I thought you were going to deny me coming with you."
Twilight the Archivist straightened out her glasses and let out a tired sigh, "Well as it turns out your Highness; I've already seen the alternative outcome if I were to tell you to go back home. You'll just go off to tell me how you are already involved in this matter, how you are concerned about Princess Rainbow's Twilight (being an alicorn and all) and that you demand to see the Administrator. Might as well let you tag along and experience the consequences later to hammer in home how some knowledge must be better off left unknown."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Both royal Twilights and Spike asked, worry evident in their tones.
"It will take too long to explain and we don't have much time in this pocket universe to go through it," the Archivist reasoned, pulling out a strange gizmo, "The Administrator's Boss' son and twelve of his friends booked this dimension for a party later, and while his son doesn't mind waiting, it would be rude to take up his time."
Before anyone else could retort, she pressed a button on her gizmo and a familiar flash of light enveloped them.
"Ladies, Spike, welcome to Ponyville."
"This... This is Ponyville?"
The Changeling Queen, the Princess and the Dragon stared with awestruck wonder at the sight. What should have been a bustling town was now a Metropolitan City with airships floating above them. Yet the city appeared liken to a giant forest; trees that towered high above were seen to have windows and doors within, indicating that they either built their city within the forest or that the forest consumed Ponyville. Canopies and large vines connected buildings together like bridges high above, Large creatures such as Hydras and Uras Majors were seen casually roaming with building material for engineers repairing damaged trees or renovating for new apartment buildings.
The city residents were of all walks of life; ponies, deer, dragons, griffins, changelings, yaks, hippogryphs, centaurs, minotaurs, kitsunes, satyrs, diamond dogs, and most shocking of all, humans. Or at the very least, humanoids.
"What happened here?" Twilight continued to gawk at the wonderous sight, "How did...? When did...?"
"How did all this happen?" the Archivist replied without turning to look at the bewildered trio, "It happened around five thousand years ago, when the Everfree Forest decided to swallow all of Ponyville and the surrounding areas. At first, we didn't know what to do but evacuate from the onslaught. However, it just kept growing. Expanding as far as the Frozen wastes to the coasts of Manehattan, enveloping the entire continent with forest. So as a solution, taking a page from the Golden Oak's Library (quite literally I might add) along with some tips from the Deer folk and the Fey Ponies, if we can't clear the forest, we'll build within it." She paused, letting the information sink it before adding with a smirk, "It is also fireproof."
"It's... It's beautiful," Queen Twilight's eyes gleamed in awe, "I've never seen a more beautiful sight than this."
"Enjoy it while you can ladies. I plan to keep our discussion short as soon as we head for Golden Oak Hall," the Archivist replied as she picked Spike up with her magic.
"Wait, what are you doing?" the young drake protested as he struggled against her levitation spell.
"Just let me have this moment," came her deadpan reply as she placed Spike on her back, "It's not everyday I get to have my adopted son to ride on my back again."
"Wait, SON?"
"More on that later, I think we've indulged enough fanservice for the world building," she said as she casually conjured a ruby with her magic and levitated it to Spike, "Come, we'll make for Golden Oak Hall. It would have been easier to go through the mirror portal, but I figured you'll enjoy the scenic route."
"Okay, now you are just showing off!"
"Queen Twilight?"
"Yes Princess Twilight?"
"Is that supposed to be the Golden Oak's Library?"
"This towering tree structure almost as large as Canterlot High from the human world? Yes, I should think so."
"........"
"Are you crying right now?"
"(Sniff) I... I've not seen this library for years. I'm just... It's just... It makes me all fuzzy inside to see the tree still exist in this world, now larger than before."
"... I see. I kind of know what you mean actually."
"Oy! Are you two going to bubbler out there all day? Get in! You're wasting daylight!"
"Welcome back Twilight!!"
"Hello girls. Pinkie, can you prepare coffee for our guests?"
"Sure thing, Twilight!"
"Fluttershy, Applejack, can you cancel all of today's appointments?"
"Again? Seriously Sugarcube, that's the fifth time this week!"
"Do you want me to include the planned meeting with Screwball and Mothball?"
"Oh right, it was today. Tell them I'll need a raincheck on their anniversary party plan meeting."
"Y'know Discord will be disappointed you cancelled his an' Flutter's daughter's anniversary plan with Chrysalis' son."
"Well you can tell them that we have important inter-dimensional business to attend to! Unless of course they'd like to take my job instead?"
"I"ll let them know Twilight. Just know that Dizzy and Screwy won't be happy about it."
"Hi Twilight! Hi Twilight! Hi Spike! Here're your coffees!" the pink mare handed over cups of freshly brewed beverages for the three visitors while they just stood there, jaws dropped, trying to process everything.
"Um... are you three alright?" Fluttershy asked in a concerned tone.
"Let them be Fluttershy," the Archivist waved off a hoof, "Give them time to process while the audience gets a laugh out of their predicament."
"The Usual Audience or our Audience?" Pinkie casually asked.
"The Usual," the unicorn deadpanned, "We don't have our own audience."
Pinkie shrugged, "Meh, a pity. We would have made for an interesting story."
As the pink mare hopped away, Twilight the Archivist took a sip from her coffee and began to count down, "And 3... 2... 1..."
On cue, (Princess) Twilight stomped a hoof catching everyone's attention, "Will somepony explain to me what the hay is happening here?!!"
"Explain what? Fluttershy's family or the casual breaking of the fourth wall?" the unicorn casually answered.
"Mother has a son and he's married to Fluttershy and Discord's daughter?!" Queen Twilight exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at Fluttershy who was seen blushing in the corner, "DO I EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED?"
Twilight ignored her changeling counterpart's reaction and interrogated the Archivist, "Never mind that! Did you just speak like Pinkie Pie there a second ago? And what do you mean by Fourth Wall?"
The Archivist gave the two of them a smug grin, "Right, you two never did crack *Pinkie Pie's Power, did you?" (*Try saying that eight times without stuttering.)
That now caught the attention of the Changeling, "Y-You mean... The same one that nearly drove me insane trying to figure out?"
"More like drove every version of us crazy trying to figure out," the unicorn took another sip of her coffee before she continued, "I am the only Twilight across the multiverse that managed to uncover how it all works. Drove me insane for a few months when I managed to tap into it, but thanks to a few pointers from Discord it made me ascend to a higher plain of existence. That's how I became this world's monitor actually."
"Ascend?! But... You're not even an alicorn!" Twilight at this point became hysterical, "How did you crack it?! What was it like?! Was that why you and the girls became immortal?! PLEASE, TELL ME!!!!!"
A door slamming open was heard upstairs as a set of hooves marched downward, "Will you stop that racket! Some of us are trying to get their beauty sleep here!!"
Spike perked up, "Rarity?"
What came down the stairs was not whom they were expecting. Standing by the flight of stairs was a rainbow-maned pegasus in a bathrobe, facial cream and curlers. "Seriously, would it kill you guys to keep it down? I have a photo shoot tonight for Rarity's new line up and I'd rather get as much sleep as possible."
"Rainbow, it's almost the middle of the day," Twilight the Archivist arched an eyebrow, "You overslept again last night, didn't you?"
"Well yeah. You would too if you were asked to be part of the Audio drama for the Daring Do series' Five thousandth anniversary! The Director kept us up all night trying to..." She stopped after she noticed the three new yet familiar faces, "Who're these Peeps? More parallel world travellers?"
"This is Queen Twilight from Equis 117 and Princess Twilight and her Spike from Equis Prime," the unicorn pointed out as she adjusted her glasses, "I'm having an emergency meeting with them to discuss their current situation."
"Oh great," Rainbow groaned, "That's like what, the fifth time this week?" Before any could retort, she zipped towards the group in question, leaving a puddle of facial cream where she was previously. She gave them an inquisitive look before giving a familiar smirk, "If Twilight trusts you, so will I." She extended a hoof, "Rainbow Dash; Element of Loyalty, Super Model and Voice-Actress."
"Super Model, really?" Twilight eyed the rainbow maned pegasus incredulously.
"I agree with Twilight," added Spike, "You've always wanted to be a Wonderbolt in our world. How're you so different in here?"
"Same in my world actually," add Queen Twilight, "No offense, but I can hardly see you as Model materieaaaaa..........."
All three were silenced with one flick of Rainbow's mane as her curlers were tossed out, revealing a long, gorgeous, silky-smooth mane that flowed down her head. She gave another flick of her mane further emphasising the beauty that rivalled even Rarity, slowing down time around the awed observers. As her mane settled, Rainbow gave them a sultry smirk that screamed "I am still awesome"; giving the two royal Twilights and Spike deep blushes and a skipped heartbeat.
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Rainbow teased with a grin, "I may have retired as a Wonderbolt after my first husband died, but that doesn't mean I can't knock you out in more ways than one. And no matter what I do, I am and will always be awesome. After all, they don't call me The Colour Goddess for nothing."
And with that, she finished off with a wink as she made her way to the window; causing Spike to faint with a nosebleed, Twilight gobsmacked as though her soul left her body, and Queen Twilight closing her eyes while repeating a mantra, "I'm a married mare!" to herself.
"Rainbow, I would appreciate it that you don't break our guests," the Archivist calmly reprimanded, making her way towards the fainted drake, "It's bad enough that they are being influenced by everything they see and hear here."
"Chillax Twilight," replied Rainbow as she opened the window and pulled out a bucket of cabbages, "It's not like the Rules of Compensation will affect them here. This is a Terminal World after all." She then turned out the window and called out, "Tank! Breakfast!" before tossing a cabbage out the window. A loud crunching noise was heard outside, giving Rainbow a gentle smile, "Keep that smile on your face, big guy."
Shaking Spike awake, Twilight the Archivist addressed the trio, "Don't think too hard about Rainbow's shift of jobs. She's felt a loss of purpose since the death of Soarin thousands of years ago. It took retirement from the Wonderbolts, twenty years and a lot of convincing from her grandfoals and Rarity to move on. At least she took immortality better than Applejack."
"W-What happened to Applejack?" asked Twilight.
"Doing better now, but when her whole family passed away she couldn't help but feel guilt. She never even remarried after the death of Blueblood."
"She married Blueblood?!" Queen Twilight gasped, "She's married to that dunce? That poor excuse of a stallion?"
"Oy! 'Ah heard that!" Applejack walked in, nibbling on a piece of pear of all things, "'Ah ain't havin' none of that smack talk on mah hubby, y'all got that?! Sure he wasn't exactly the brightest apple in the tree but he was mah sweet bluey. Made me the happiest mare, this side of Equestria. Gave me mah sweet Golden Gala..." she stopped almost choking out on a pear, only to be seen sobbing after she cleared out her throat. "Mah baby... Mah Bluey... Granny Smith... Big Macintosh... Ma and Pa... Apple Bloom... Why'd y'all leave me?..."
Without missing a beat (or expression), Twilight the Archivist gave her grieving friend a hug, "There there. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I forgot how sensitive an issue it still is for you."
"(Sniff) Stupid Twilight."
"I know, I'm stupid for reminding you."
"Idiot!"
"I know, let it out."
"Insensitive jerk!"
"(Sigh) I can't fault you there."
"Horse Zombie!"
"Okay, maybe you're going too far there."
"Anon obsessed, dolt!"
"Hey! You promised me never to say that name!!"
Noticing the guilty looks from the three of them, Pinkie approached them with a gentle, comforting smile, "Don't feel too bad. It's not the first this happened and it won't be the last. All six of us just have different means of coping with immortality. Twilight shuts herself off of most emotions and buries herself with her job and hobby. Dashy always wants to try out new things (although she keeps coming back to modelling at the request of Rarity). Applejack, while she still mourns for Bluey and Gala, she spoils rotten her grandfoals and their grandfoals and so on. I just do the best that could keeping everyone happy, planning out parties for every new face that comes along (speaking of which, I know you don't have much time to stay but I'd really like to throw you three a party). Rarity constantly opens up charity organisations for orphanages and prosthetic limbs (if you ask me, I think it's mostly because of Sweetie Bell's condition). The only one who hasn't really changed from all this is surprisingly Fluttershy, mostly due to being married to Discord and raising two immortal ponies."
Queen Twilight finished her coffee and turned towards Pinkie, trying to read her expression. "You know, now that I think about it, you seem less hyper than my world's Pinkie. I would have thought you of all ponies would never change, no matter which world."
Pinkie's smile turned melancholic, "Time and immortality does things to you in ways you could not possibly imagine, Queeny. And from my experience, not every world shares that sentiment. I am lucky enough to avoid the fate of breaking my nature of being a fun-loving, Party-planning mare. Just ask Princess Twilight," she pointed at the alicorn, "She would tell you that a few of the worlds she's been in, I was nothing short of a monster."
Twilight's ears perked up at that, "Wait, what? I have?"
"Oh, don't you know already? Like the world of..." Pinkie suddenly stopped herself from saying anymore as her eyes widened in horror, "Oh wait, you haven't seen those worlds yet." The party mare slapped her cheeks with her forehooves and shook herself off before returning with a wry smile, "I said too much, please ignore that rambling earlier."
"Um, Twilight? Where's Rarity?"
Twilight the Archivist stared at Spike with her usual blank expression. She stared at the young drake for a while, trying to read his expression. Finally, she adjusted her glasses and answered, "I believe she's in her workshop again, so she couldn't come here today. I think Sweetie Bell damaged her leg again."
"Wait, Sweetie Bell's alive?"
"By alive, if you mean still functioning then yes, she is still alive." she bluntly answered, "Why do you ask?"
Spike hesitated before he finally managed to ask with a blush on his face, "I just wanted to know, did we...? Is Rarity and I...? Have we...?"
The Archivist sighed as she took off her glasses, lowered herself to his level and looked at the young drake in the eye. "No Spike. You and Rarity are not a couple in this world," she replied bluntly, however there was a tone of concern in her voice.
Spike lowered his head as his expression morphed into a disheartened expression, causing the immortal to wince. "Spike, listen to me," she raised his chin up with a hoof and formed a gentle smile, "You and your Rarity are not mine or of this world. I have seen countless worlds where the two of you became the greatest of couples. But you must also understand that sometimes things don't go according to how we planned them to be. In fact, my Spike grew out his infatuation of Rarity and instead found happiness with the most wonderful creature he's ever met. And together, they grew in love, married, and raised eight lovely children and twelve grandchildren til the end of his days."
"Wait, did you say EIGHT?!"
The Archivist's smile turned mischievous as she leaned in closer to whisper into Spike's ears, "Now that I think about it, your wife often told me how..."
"GRANNY TWILY!!! I've got you your letter!!"
Everyone was startled as the door slammed open revealing a teenage drake, grinning from ear to ear. She flew right next to Spike and the immortal unicorn as she pulled out a letter. "It was delivered straight from Toonworld, Granny! They said it was urgent."
"Gleaming Gem, I thought I told you to knock!" Twilight the Archivist crossed her forehooves and glared at her disapprovingly.
"Sorry Granny, I guess I was just too excited to see you," Gleaming Gem smiled nervously, rubbing the feathers on her head with a claw, "Dad was wondering if the family reunion is taking place with the anniversary."
"Of course it is. Why do you think I arranged the two events on the one day?"
"I'll let him know then as soon as I finish these deliveries." Gleaming Gem gave a salute before making her way out the door.
"Wait a minute," the unicorn stopped her, "Are you forgetting something?"
"Hmm...? Oh right, Hi granddad from another world!" she waved at Spike who was too shocked to respond.
"Aaaaand?" Twilight asked expectantly.
"Hmmm... Oh right!!" the young drake swooped in to give the unicorn a nuzzling hug, "Love you, Granny!"
The Archivist returned the gesture, "Love you too." And with that, Gleaming Gem rushed out the window, leaving a trail of feathers behind.
"Twilight."
"Yes Spike?"
"Did I just see feathers all over her instead of scales?"
"Yes, you did. Got it from her Grandmother in her father's side of the family. Your wife to be exact."
"Who did I marry in this world?"
"Oh, it was a griffin who worked for the Ponyville Postal service. Cute as a button, loves to hug everyone, and has the most infectious smile on her face. Why?"
One could see the numbers running through Spike's head as he processed this information. It finally dawned on him who it might have been as the image of a certain grey griffin who happens to also be an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader came to mind. "You have got to be kidding me!!" he screamed with a blush.
"So great archivist, when are we going to discuss why you called us here?"
The unicorn took a sip from her coffee as she read the received letter. Her eyes looked up to see the Changeling Queen standing directly in front of her. Her eyes turned to her right to see Twilight staring at her with the same anticipating expression. "Ladies, Spike, I believe it's time... Girls, open the Study room. We'll be needing the mirror portal."
