The Longest Journey: Equestrian Edition

by funkyferret


Chapter 2: Through the Looking Glass Part 1

April Rain sat on her bedroom floor and stared at the wall without really seeing it. A sigh rattled through her chest as she rose to her feet. She stumbled a little. Despite the heat, her body was numb. She tottered over to the closet but managed to ram her head into it as she misjudged the distance. Cursing under her breath, she rubbed her forehead and opened the closet. The meager contents spilled out onto the floor, shaken loose by her headbutt. "Damn," she muttered. "Damn, damn it all!" She shouted, pounding against the floorboards. She sat on her haunches and ran a hoof through her mane. 'Why did my life have to become so complicated?' she wondered.

April got to her feet and began gathering up her scattered belongings. Memories of last night continued to occupy her thoughts, along with a firm decision about what her plans for the day would be: finding Cortez. The old guy might like double talk and riddles, but right now he was the only hope she had for getting her life back together. As she reached down into the pile her hoof hit something hard that clanged metallically. April fished out the offending object to look at it. Cradled in her hooves was Constable Guybrush, a strange tin toy that was a cross between a monkey, a robot, a cop, and a one-pony band. When you wound him up, he would play his instruments and sing a cheery, annoying little tune. She blinked and smiled slightly at the old childhood plaything. As she went to put it back on the shelf, for some reason she stopped and instead slipped the toy into her pocket. Something had made her bring the little thing with her when she ran away from home. Right now she needed all the comfort she could get. She fished an outfit out of the pile and put it on before shoving the rest of the mess back into the closet, slamming the doors shut before it could all tumble out again. She just wasn't up to straightening them all out right now (not that she ever was, even on a good day). She left her apartment, taking only enough time to lock the door behind her.

April wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a banana from the basket of fruit sitting out on the counter. Since she was up later than normal today Fiona was not in the kitchen, the only sign of her presence being a pile of clean dishes sitting in the drying rack and a half finished pot of coffee on the kitchen table. April wandered over to the notice board hanging on the kitchen wall. She peeled the banana and chewed on it while she stared at the cork-board in an attempt to distract herself from her worries. There was the usual array of notes, advertisements, and schedules pinned to the board; it was after all where all the tenants and landladies put any information they found pertinent. Finishing her food, she was about to turn away when a little pink note caught her eye. She pulled it down and inspected it, squinting at Fiona's barely legible writing. "Found," she read the note aloud. "A gold bracelet under the common room sofa. If it's yours let me know. No false claims please! Fiona." April frowned. 'I did lose a gold bracelet a few weeks ago. I hope this is the one. I'll have to ask Fiona about it.' She slipped the note and the pushpin that came with it into her pocket and made her way out of the room.

April found Fiona lying on the common room sofa, staring into space. She had been uncharacteristically silent ever since April had told her about the event at the cafe when she returned home last night. The young mare walked up to her landlady and tried her hardest to smile. It only came out halfway, just like the one Fiona gave in return. "Hey Fiona."

"Hello, darling. It's good to see you finally up and about. I was worried about you. After last night I thought..." The older mare trailed off and the conversation ground to a halt. April shifted from foot to foot awkwardly while her landlady stared into space, mouth opening and closing as she tried to form words.

After a few seconds April pulled the pink note out of her pocket and held it out to Fiona. "I saw this note on the cork-board."

The other mare blinked. Her mouth clicked shut and she took the note from her tenant. She glanced at it and nodded.

"I think the bracelet might belong to me," April continued.

Fiona smiled and sat up straighter. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to describe it for me. It's standard procedure, darling." She seemed to be doing better with a more normal conversation.

April nodded. "Sure thing. It says 'Sweet 16'. My dad gave it to me. I think it was the only birthday of mine that he remembered, or at least acknowledged."

Fiona smiled sympathetically. She cleared her throat and rummaged around in her pockets as she spoke. "Yes, that's the one. I found it under the couch while I was cleaning." She smiled and pulled out a gold bracelet and offered it to April. "Here you are, Darling. It was really dusty, so I cleaned it up a bit."

"Thanks." April's grin was genuine as she slipped the polished band into her pocket. "It's not worth much but it's got some ... sentimental value for me."

"Well, it's certainly pretty."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is," April replied. She smiled ruefully. "My dad never gave me anything pretty, before or since." "He must have won a poker game or something that day." She sighed and looked at Fiona. The events of the past few days had left her feeling helpless and in need of someone to confide in. "You know what's strange? I don't hate him. He's a mule and he treated me like crap every single day of my life, but I don't hate him. I feel sorry for him."

Fiona wrinkled her brow. "Why?"

April gritted her teeth. "Because he doesn't know how to love. He can't love anybody or anything. He'll be miserable every second of every minute of every day until the day he dies!" By the end she was shouting making her flush with embarrassment over her outburst. She sighed. "God. I'm glad that life is behind me. I hope I never have to see him again." She frowned and stamped her hoof before straightening up to her full height. "No, that's not right. I've made a choice never to see him again. Ever," she stated firmly.

Fiona nodded. She sat up and rubbed the top of April's head affectionately.

April grinned and pulled herself out of reach. "I'll see you later, Fiona." She paused and looked back. "Have you seen Cortez today?"

Fiona shook her head. "No, darling. I don't think he's around."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"He could be anywhere." Fiona frowned. "Well..."

"Please, Fiona. It's important," April begged.

"He does enjoy going uptown to watch old movies in some revival cinema. But where it is, I wouldn't know," Fiona said.

"Who'd know?"

Fiona shifted uncomfortably. "Zack would know. He is, after all, the self-appointed film expert around here," she said with an apologetic grin.

April sighed and lay her head against the door frame. "Great. Zack. My very best friend in the whole wide world." She contemplated whether bashing her head against the wood repeatedly would get rid of her worries and save her all the trouble. She sighed. "Let's get this over with."


April stared at Zack's door as she tried to fight back her distaste and knock. 'I never imagined I'd be doing this...' She raised a hoof and knocked loudly.

The door popped open. Zack blinked at her in surprise before a smug grin spread across his face. "Well, well. What do you know? The princess comes knocking after all," he drawled, leaning against the door frame.

"Y-yes. I finally realized what I was missing out on," April said, doing her best to ignore the sour taste the words left in her mouth.

Zack puffed up his chest and snorted. "It's about time. So, you finally ready for a real stallion?"

'How can he manage to make that term sound so... dirty?' April gritted her teeth. "Just do me one favor first, okay?"

He snorted. "Give me a reason to, babe," he said flatly.

'Since I'm already going crazy, I guess I've got nothing to lose.' She smiled at him. It wasn't a nice smile. "A reason? You want a reason? Okay. What about a date."

He blinked, then grinned. He came closer to her, to the point where her eyes were watering from the overpowering stench of his cologne. "Yeah. Sound's good. Let's do it tonight." He ran a hoof down her side.

April shuddered. "S-sure. Tonight. I"ll meet you at the... Pavilion, was it?"

"So, are you going to put out?" Zack asked, patting her flank.

She pulled away. "What?" she asked, eye twitching.

He sighed. "If I'm going to use my VIP passes and my pills, babe... I gotta know if it'll be worth it or not. You on?" His tone was condescending as if he was explaining basic math to a slow child.

April's nervous tic had spread to her left ear. Her jaws were locked together. "We'll see, Zack," she ground out.

"Just don't do a Houdini and vanish on me, babe. If you're a no-show, and I wait around for you all night, I end up looking like an ass." He narrowed his eyes. "That wouldn't make me very happy."

"I'll be a good filly and show," April said in a sweet tone.

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Smart. So what do you want to know?"

"Do you know where I can find Cortez?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I knew there was something going on between you guys. So you have a thing for wrinkly old stallions?"

April frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not what you think," she said flatly.

He snorted and rolled his shoulders. "Whatever. Hey, like I give a shit. You're with me tonight, and by tomorrow morning I don't think you'll find that old creep so appealing anymore." He flicked his tail.

April took a deep breath and held it as she counted in her head, then let it out slowly. "So, where is Cortez?" she asked.

"When he's not outside reading or whatever the hell he does, he's usually at the Mercury Theater. They show movies on real celluloid stock, through a projector. You know, like in the middle ages."

"Where is the theater located?"

Zack shrugged. "I don't remember the street it's on—it's been ages since I was there last—but you'll find it if you head out the East Gateway from Metro Circle. It's close to the Radio Power building and there are tons of adult stores in the area." He grinned. "You should pick up something for us to watch tonight. Something really filthy." He licked his lips.

April shuddered. "Zack, I don't think-"

He snorted. "Hey, whatever. I was just kidding, yeah? Babe, you've got a major bug up your ass. Get a fucking sense of humor. Just be at the Pavilion by ten. I don't want to be waiting around for foals like you. I've got a million better things to do." Zack glared at her. "It wouldn't be a good idea for you to ditch me. Not a good idea at all," the stallion said coldly. He turned around and entered his apartment, closing the door in her face.

April sighed. She ran her hooves over her body, trying to get rid of the oily feeling that clung to her fur. 'I feel like I just sold my soul or something. Maybe I would have been better off knocking myself out with the wall after all.' Though all she really wanted was a long shower and a few hours to spend in the fetal position, April headed for the subway.


Wandering past various nightclubs and dodging around the druggies, April finally found herself in front of the Mercury Theater. It was very old fashioned looking, with a manual ticket window and even a neon marquee. The place looked the worse for wear, just like everything else in the area. The theater's columns were cracked, there was litter everywhere, and the sign would flicker periodically as sparks shot out of the nearby fuse-box. The only two souls in the area were a pair of stallions, a large one with a blank expression and a thin suspicious looking one wearing a trench coat.

April approached the larger stallion. He was sweeping the floor with an intense about of focus. His salt-and-pepper coat was caked with nearly as much dust as the sidewalk he was trying to clean. "Excuse me," she addressed him politely. He was even bigger up close.

The stallion spat out the broom he had clenched in his teeth and looked at her. "Yes'm?" he drawled. The marquee flickered overhead and went out. The stallion frowned. "Aw, jeez. Hold on there lady." He trotted over and gave one of the cracked columns a hard kick, making the entire structure shutter slightly. "Dang marquee! Light up!" As the vibrations from his blow reached the sign it shuddered back to life. The stallion nodded his head. "Good. Now stay that way, y'hear?" He grinned broadly before trotting back over to rejoin April.

"Do you work at the theater?" the mare asked after she had regained her composure. She groaned at the stupidity of her own question.

The stallion either didn't notice or just didn't care. He nodded again. "Yes'm. I'm Freddie. Freddie Melon. My Mama, Missus Dottie Melon, she owns the theater. Yup, I reckon she does, ah-huh." He nodded some more. "She owns it, and she be runnin' it by her own self, like a real pro-pri-e-tor. I reckon I help out some, of course. Ah-huh."

"What do you do, sir?" she asked.

"I'm the usher, and I also takes care of the sweepin' and the cleanin' up after the show." He puffed out his chest. "My Mama, Missus Dottie Melon, she say she reckon I'm a reg'lar Jack-of-all-the-trades. I tell you what, I think she's right about that 'un. Ah-huh."

"Is the theater open now?" April asked, looking towards the doors. They seemed to be roped off for some reason.

"No, I reckon it ain't lady," Freddie said firmly. "It don't open til this evenin'. Ain't nobody in there either. I reckon that wouldn't be legal." The stallion's eyes darted over towards the cloaked figure leaning on the lamppost nearby as he casually eavesdropped on their conversation. The other stallion sneered at Freddie.

April frowned. 'Did I get the wrong place? Maybe Cortez just isn't here yet.' She smiled at the large stallion. "Do you know someone named Cortez?" she asked.

To the mare's dismay, he shook his head. "No, can't say as I does, lady. Ain't never met him." He glanced at the other stallion again and then frowned at her. "Now, I reckon I'd like to get on with my sweepin', ah-huh."

April was starting to feel desperate. She grabbed him as he tried to turn away. "But I was supposed to meet him here. Are you sure you don't know him?"

He glared at her, making the mare back away immediately. "Look, lady. I reckon you should mind your own bee's knees and git. I tole you, I ain't seen Cortez today." He turned back to his work.

April sat down heavily. 'Was all this for nothing? I'm stuck in a date with the world's biggest asshole with nothing to show for it! I'm such a... wait a minute.' She blinked. "Wait, earlier you said you didn't know Cortez."

He wheeled around. "I-I reckon I don't know nobody by that name," he stuttered. Freddie growled at her. "I tell you what, I'd mighty appreciate it if you'd stop bothering me and let me git on with my work. You better let me get back to my sweepin' before my Mama, Missus Dottie Melon, get all p-i-s-t off!"

With the angry stallion towering over her, April could only nod mutely.

Freddie turned around, shaking his head. "Jesus, Mary and Baby Joseph—I reckon the whole dang world is wanting to find Cortez today. 'Least this un is purty," he muttered as he picked up his broom and resumed his work.


April glanced over at the conspicuous individual watching her nearby. He was wearing a trench-coat and a fedora and was smoking a stubby cigar. 'So, I'm not the only one looking for Cortez. Does that mean this guy is too? If i'm going to sneak into the theater, I'm going to have to get these two to go somewhere else. I'll start with our mysterious stranger.' She trotted over to the thin stallion and gave him a friendly smile. "Hi there. Having fun?"

He glared at her, spitting the remains of his cigar into the gutter. The blue roan had a flat, husky, slightly condescending tone when he spoke. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk to strangers?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you doing? Get lost." He made a shooing motion at her with his fore-hooves as he leaned back against the post.

April ignored his not-so-subtle hint. "Are you on the job?"

He glared at her. "On the job? What do you mean, 'on the job'?"

She winked at him conspiratorially. "You know, an assignment. Stakeout. Undercover operation."

He stared at her blankly. "You watch too many cop shows lady."

"Don't you get tired of hanging around here all day long?" she asked pleasantly.

"No, ma'am," he said flatly.

"So you're completely fine. There's nothing you want," April stated.

"Nothing at all," he said.

"Not even a bite to eat?"

"Just had a full lunch but thanks for asking, ma'am," the stallion said with a sneer.

"So you just had lunch?"

"That's right. At Kool Kow."

She fluttered her lashed at him and smiled. "Sounds nice. What did you have?"

"A Triple Whammy Kow Patty with a side order of Greaseonions, a large Bingo cola with no ice, and a double order of Cheesum's Fried Taters," he recited.

April blinked. 'That's a lot of calories.' "And you don't feel the urge to..."

"No. My bowels are genetically enhanced and require only perfunctory attention."

'Okay, didn't need to hear that.' April tried her best to not look disgusted. "So, it filled you up good? You don't have the munchies?" she asked sweetly.

He tilted his head and frowned. "Well, now that you mention it, I have a craving for sweets. I didn't have time for my usual Kool Kow Strawberry Pie with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a scoop of ice cream." The roan blinked. "Wait a second. What am I telling you all this for? Who the hell are you anyway?"

'Bingo.' She smiled and dug in her pocket for the laxative candies she had gotten from the Fringe. "Would you like a candy?"

He blinked at her offering, then snatched it away from her. "Yeah! That'd hit the spot."

"You're welcome." April backed up and watched as he crunched his way through the candy.

He managed to swallow the first two, but paused with the third in his mouth. An odd expression crossed his face. "What the hell? I feel kinda—oh Christ!" He convulsed and the candy shot out of his mouth... and hit Freddie Melon squarely in the back of the head.

The large stallion turned around, rubbing his head. Hey, what..." he grumbled. He looked around, but the only one nearby was the cloaked pony by the lamp post. He glared at the other stallion. "What the hell do think you're doing? Did you just throw a rock at my head?" He stomped towards the not-a-cop, who was clutching his gut and moaning. "Now I tell you what, you shouldn't have done that. I reckon that that was a BIG mistake." He whacked the thin stallion over the head with his broom.

April watched as the large stallion chased the smaller one down the street with his broom. 'I feel kind of bad. I didn't think he'd react that badly. Well, one down and one to go.'

Her contemplation was short lived as Freddie came trotting back, chortling loudly. He noticed her and headed over to meet her. "Hee-hee, you shoulda seen him run, lady. I reckon I ain't seen nobody run that fast. And he had his tail wrapped between his legs like a dog. He even lost his stupid old hat in the gutter." The large stallion was having trouble keeping his balance with all the giggling. "Hee-hee. I ain't seen anything that funny in a while." Still chuckling, Freddie returned to sweeping.

Looking towards the thin stallion's former post, April found that Freddie had spoken the truth: the not-a-cop's hat was lying forgotten in the gutter. As she picked it up, she heard a loud buzzing, sizzling noise nearby. Glancing at the lamp post, she realized it's base was actually a fuse box. A wire was hanging out of the box. With a sharp tug, she pulled it loose and the sign went dark.

Freddie looked up from his work. "Dang marquee! Light up!" he shouted as he kicked the column. The sign remained off. He kicked it again, this time hard enough to shake some dust from the building. There was no response. He sighed. "Hell. It gone dead on me now. I reckon it's time to fix that sign up proper, ah-huh. I just need a ladder and some tools from the basement." Muttering to himself, the stallion trotted past April and shoved open a section of fencing next to the theater. Quietly, the mare followed him into the alley behind it.


Freddie opened the emergency exit door with a set of keys he pulled out. April hid behind a large pile of trash in the alley until the door slammed shut and the lock clunked into place. She sighed and relief and peered around the trash pile. Her heart nearly stopped when she noticed the shadow of an armed individual behind her. Wheeling around to face him she found... a huge pile of garbage bags casting a shadow on the alley wall. She facehoofed, groaning at her own stupidity. She blinked. 'Wait. If it's good enough to fool me, with a few adjustments I could...' April smiled and pulled out the fedora. She carefully climbed to the top of the garbage pile and set it in place. Turning around, she surveyed her work. The shadow now looked like a thin, fedora-wearing, gun-wielding pony. It still needed a few things. She pulled out Constable Guybrush and put him behind the trash heap. It was all set.

Now all she needed was a way to get Freddie to rush out and leave the door open. With a grin, April started a small fire in the trashcan next to the emergency exit—right under the smoke detector. She wound up Constable Guybrush and hid in the shadows next to the door. The next few moments were pure poetry.

The smoke alarm went off.

Freddie came dashing out. He glanced at the pile of burning rubbish. "Hell's blazes! We got ourselves a fire!" He slammed the lid onto the can, snuffing out the flames.

Constable Guybrush started his song. "Hey, you!"

The stallion blinked and swiveled his ears around. "Now, where's that voice coming from? Show yourself now, ya hear?" He turned around and noticed the shadow. Freddie froze.

"Yeah, you! Freeze!" Constable Guybrush commanded.

The stallion stood very still. "All right there, mister! Just don't fire that gun now y'hear? I'm sorry I chased ya earlier."

"Spread your legs!" Constable Guybrush yelled.

Freddie complied.

"Now do the monkey! Dance! Ooh-ohh, ahh-ahh, ook!" Constable Guybrush began to play his instruments.

The stallion nodded. "Freddie'll do the monkey for ya, right now, if that's what you want, ah-huh. He'll do the monkey until you ask him to stop, I reckon, ah-huh! Huh!"

April slipped into the theater, trying not to laugh at the tiny voice as it continued to shout "Do the monkey! Dance! Ooh-ohh, ahh-ahh, ook!" and the large, sweating stallion who followed his instructions carefully.


April Rain skirted her way in between the rows of red seats towards the only occupied one in the room. Cortez sat, watching the old black-and-white film intently. She slipped into the seat next to him, and he turned to her with a smile.

April sighed. "You have no idea what I went through to find you. First-"

"Do you like movies?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Sure, who doesn't—wait a second, I was trying to tell you that-"

"I don't much like modern movies. They're either too loud and expensive, or too obscure and self-indulgent. But old movies—really old movies—have a charm and simplicity that appeals to me."

"Listen, please don't interrupt me again. It's starting to piss me off," April growled.

"But I have never interrupted you! Unless I have something important to say, of course. But go ahead. What did you want to talk about?"

"Why did you make me search all over the city for you?"

Cortez arched an eyebrow. "Search for me? I've been here for hours, señorita. I haven't moved. The question ought to be: what made you go out of your way to find me?"

April rubbed at the back of her head. "So... what's so appealing about old movies?" she asked after an uncomfortable silence.

Cortez chuckled. "Now you are changing the subject. That's more my style, isn't it?"

"You can be annoyingly smug at times, did you know that?" April grumbled.

He nodded. "Oh course. I apologize for being so hard to locate today. I had to... lay low for a few hours."

Something clicked in April's head. "Is that why there was a cop staking this place out?"

"Ah! So it was a good thing I didn't stick my head out the door to look for you then, sí?"

"He's gone now. Are you in some kind of trouble with the police? Wait, don't tell me. Immigration, right?"

Cortez shook his head. "No, señorita. Not the police. There are bigger players than the police."

April shivered. "I don't want to know. I'm not getting mixed up with the mob or gangs or anything like that," she said flatly.

The stallion chuckled. "There is not much you want to be mixed up in at all, is there?"

She sighed. "My life's complicated enough as it is, Cortez. I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"Answers. You want—you need—answers."

April snorted. "You keep telling me that, but you never give me any answers," she said. Though she tried to remain calm, her anger managed to color the neutral tone she was trying to use. "You only give me more questions. Who's out to get you? What's going on with me? How come you know so much about me?"

He looked at her, and she found herself shifting uncomfortably again. "I plan to answer all of your questions today, April. By the time you go to sleep, your world will have changed. Nothing will ever be the same."

April, doing her best to keep herself together, went on the offensive. "You're just being cryptic again. It's like soap opera sex. Lots of boring dialogue and when they finally do go to bed everything's dark and covered by blankets."

Cortez chuckled at her analogy, but sobered quickly. "You want the full monty, then? Come outside with me. No more talk. I will show the truth." He got to his feet and headed for the exit.

April followed numbly behind, awash with feelings of curiosity and pure terror.


April Rain shivered even though the alley they were standing in was quite warm. Briefly she wondered where Freddie had gone, but her main focus was on the stoic stallion standing in front of her.

"This is probably as good a place as any," Cortez said. "At least, there is no one around to see except the rats."

April swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat. "To see what?"

"Stand back, señorita," he said calmly.

"W-what for? What are you doing?" she demanded.

He smiled at her, but his eyes were sad. "Why, Alice," he said, "I'm sending you through the looking-glass." He sat down and raised his forelegs towards the wall. Gritting his teeth, he made a pulling motion, as if through sheer force of will he could somehow move the wall without touching it.

The wall moved.

April gasped, heart beating wildly as a strange doorway grew out of the wall like an enormous tree knot. It was blue and white, shiny like a seashell, marked with strange lines and a pale blue glow skittering across its surface. The portal opened like a flower unfurling its petals, Its center a mass of pure white light.

"What... what is that? Please tell me it's a hologram," April whispered.

"It's a mirror. To reflect your dreams," Cortez replied.

She squinted at it. "But I don't see anything. Just... light."

"You have to step through," he said. Despite the absurdity of his statement, the stallion did not look like he was joking.

April backed away slowly, shaking her head. "Step through that? Oh no. I don't think so."

He gave her that 'look' again, and she froze. "This is the moment of decision, April. All time, past and present, revolves around this moment. The destiny of the worlds is in your hooves. But you must make this choice on your own. La vida es corta... you must decide how to live it best."

April shook like she had just completed a five mile run. Her decision to run away from home, her decision to live in Newport, her choice to become an art major—up until now the had seemed like monumental choices that affected her future. Standing in the alley, she could see they were nothing in comparison to what she faced now. She looked at the portal. The emotional part of her wanted to run away, to flee for home and hide under her bed until everything was back to normal. Her logical mind told her that things would only get worse if she turned away; for herself, and for her friends. For a long moment she stood there as the two sides went to war with each other.

Cortez seemed to have sense enough not to interrupt her. He stood with his eyes shut as if in meditation.

Finally, April came to a decision.

"All right, I'll do it," she said.

Cortez opened his eyes and gestured towards the portal. "Vamos. Enter the light."

"Don't say that. It sounds too ominous," she pleaded. Her knees knocked together as she tottered closer to the portal. Despite her hesitant steps, she found herself all too quickly standing in front of portal, just a hoof's breathe away from its open 'petals'. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Just... tell me what's going to happen," she whispered. Her voice was like a small foal's, pleading to her father to chase away her bad dreams and hold her until her fears ceased.

"You are about to take the first step in the longest journey of your life," Cortez said. Then he smiled at her; it felt so warm and reassuring. "Don't worry. I'll be waiting, right here."

April turned back to the sighed. "I must be insane to be doing this."

She heard him chuckle behind her. "Yes. That's pretty much a given," he said. As she lifted a hoof to place it on the white, pulsing surface, he interrupted her. "Oh, I almost forgot. When you are ready to come back, pay a visit to a friend of mine. Her name is Heartstrings. Lyra Heartstrings."

April nodded and stepped into the portal. The surface under her feet was soft and compressed a little as she walked. She moved towards the light, looking around and the pulsing blue surface around her. She reached out to touch it. The surface pulsed, and the portal swung shut behind her. Now she could only go forward. There was a strange pulsing sound, keeping time with the beating of her own heart. The colors began to shift. She watched as the movement of her legs left a trail of ghostly limbs behind her, echoes of where she had stood moments before. She reached out towards the light, and it curled around her body like a cat wanting to be petted. The world turned white. She continued to move despite her blindness.

Suddenly, gravity shifted. She found herself falling out of the other end of the portal to land on her belly on the hard stone floor below it. Her vision swam and her ears rang. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear them. She blinked. A set of hooves had appeared in front of her. She raised her head and met the eyes of the other being. Though she struggled, April found herself sliding into unconsciousness. Her last coherent thought was a sort of detached puzzlement over her watcher's mane. It was a bright cobalt blue.

April Rain smiled. 'Emma thought a pink mane was absurd; just wait until I tell her about this...'