//------------------------------// // Chapter 30 : Rise and Shine // Story: A Twilight Landing // by MerlosTheMad //------------------------------// Mary paced back and forth in almost a circle, every so often looking up, maybe to see if something had changed. Despite what seemed liked hours, she hadn’t been able to gain any control over the surroundings, or wake up. Meanwhile, Twilight watched from a short distance aways, sitting absently on the ground. She thought distractedly of how else perhaps they could pass the time. After all, a lot of time had passed already. They had spent most of it sharing their experiences, as well as their past woes, too. For the moment, she'd taken to making finger puppets in the flickering ambient light to keep herself entertained. She still couldn't quite figure out how Pinkie was so good at it, and that mare didn't even have hands. "Yeowch!" Twilight jumped and looked over in surprise at Mary, who had just finished pinching her shoulder. “Sorry, sorry, I had to surprise you,” Mary apologized. "I'd hoped that would wake us up, maybe..." She stared with a frown at Twilight's shoulder, as if it was the one at fault. Twilight heaved an exasperated breath and folded her arms securely over her front. "Well it didn't, and we're still stuck here." Mary looked up sadly, then nodded. She sat on the ground close by, moving slowly. Twilight relaxed, her frown sliding off. She shifted her stare out towards the black that made up most of the horizon. "We'll get out of here, wherever 'here' even is." Mary hummed acknowledgement, having been over the issue a few times already. They sat in silence for several more minutes. Every so often, one of them would sigh, or huff a breath out loudly. "I really hate the fur." Twilight raised her head up; if she'd had her old ears they would have raised as well. Mary swallowed visibly. "I mean, sleeping and waking up with it pointing in every direction? Wearing clothes over it? It's so uncomfortable." A weak chuckle escaped. "Uh, no offense. I mean, I'm trying to joke about it, but the words died... sorry." She leaned forward, shrinking in on herself a little. "Sorry," she repeated again. "I'm just... I'm still having trouble believing things." Twilight thought back to her memories, to what she had seen. She knew the feeling that Mary was talking about. Even ignoring the memories, she could relate, and felt at least partially sure of what the human sitting beside her must feel. "Hang in there, Mary. I know we've established the direness of our situation, but we have to keep our spirits up." Twilight hoped she sounded confident. She wanted to feel confident, too. But the former would have to suffice. Mary looked up and quirked an eyebrow. "Did you say something, Twilight?" Twilight's eyes widened. "Uuh... I— Oh my goodness." She watched, frozen and instantly worried a little as Mary began to get incredibly blurry. "What? Now what!?" She stood up and watched, confused, as Mary's blur vaguely did the same. A split moment later though, and Mary was gone. Twilight blinked, staring at nothing. "Mary?" She didn't get an answer from anywhere. "Oh come on!" Fists balled up at her sides, and her confusion flashed uncharacteristically into anger. "Mary? Luna? Anypony? Oh, I have had it! I’m tired of not knowing what’s happening!" She inhaled a deep breath, ready to scream. She had just the word for the moment, too, thanks to a friend. "Oh come on-!" Twilight opened her eyes in a flash, inhaling in surprise at suddenly being awake. She took in her surroundings immediately, or tried to. There was something that was holding her down, and she tried to think of what that something could be. Her head throbbed, as well. Struggling, Twilight managed to shrug off whatever was strangely wrapped around her shoulders, and sat up, trying to remember details from the last time she was awake. She only vaguely recalled having a long conversation with somepony, and something unsettling her. With a grunt she sat up more and held a hand to her head, the pounding lessening a bit. A helpful thought finally came, as well as a few other memories.   “Mary?” Twilight called out, and rubbed both of her eyes in order to see clearly. Incredibly tired, a yawn stretched her jaw the second after she spoke. It felt like she’d been out for ages; even her vision was blurry. The sound of three different, distinct snores all reached Twilight’s ears, which told her she wasn't the only one there. Searching around the room, she found the other occupants.  A little confused, Twilight blinked around herself at the crowded room, which included Jo at the bed’s side. She was touched to see that Jo was at the bedside; the other girl must have kept her company even while she was out. Are they all asleep? Twilight wondered. She was initially surprised, but on a moment’s reflection realized that it made sense. I guess I was in that… dream-thing, for a while, was what she decided. It seemed the dream-thing, or the dreamscape as Mary had said Luna called it, was now over. The event was apparently some form of Equestrian phenomena; one that Luna could use. The fact Mary could access it as well was even more odd, though. Twilight was certain she had never heard of it before. However, without a way to study or read up on things, worrying over the magical reaction and the subsequent event wasn’t immediately productive. Mary was lying up against Twilight’s side, forelegs half wrapped around her waist, but otherwise curled into a ball-like, fetal position. Only a moment ago—at least, it felt like a moment ago—she had been talking calmly, giving reassurances and lending an ear. The dream had gone on so long, that there had been time enough to tell one another all of their experiences over the last few months. The bits of information and details she had told Mary about her friends, her pitiful hopes to find a way home with science, as well as all of the harrowing tales that Mary had shared back with her, about police chases, animal control, and others. Twilight tried to focus back on the questions at hoof. Okay. Perhaps I can solve the puzzle of the how and why later. But what now? It was one more question on the pile, rather than a solution, along with several others that were recently acquired. At the very least she hoped it counted as moving in the right direction. Twilight let Mary be, and glanced at the other two people sharing the never-before-seen bedroom. Jo was sound asleep at the bedside, head lying on her arms and seated at a chair in an uncomfortable looking way. In the corner of the room, sitting in a recliner, was a really big red-headed human. Twilight vaguely recalled that the stranger was Mary’s husband. Despite the oddness of what she’d woken up to, she was relieved to arrive at the conclusion that she was awake, and if not back in Equestria, at least back in good company. What to do? Absently, she pried Mary’s limbs off her waist, gingerly letting them go so as not to wake her up. Other memories and thoughts quickly weighed down her relief at being awake. Namely, those concerning what she had learned. What a day. With a glance outside, Twilight lamented that the day hadn’t even started yet. I have so many questions now, but nopony to answer them. She laid a hand over her eyes, wondering how she should proceed. With one eye, Twilight peeked out and studied Mary. She was tired of the word ‘what’, and tried to think of something other than questions. I can’t help her or her family. Looking back, the strange pony hadn’t turned out to be her clue to get home after all, as she had hoped. No, Mary and her family had turned out to be unwitting bystanders that had gotten caught up in everything. At least, that’s what made the most sense to her.  Twilight furrowed her brow. In any case, each of Mary’s family gained a cutie mark... That is, with the exception of Mary. Even ignoring the oddness of everything else, that alone is very odd. She reflected that the cutie marks might not share quite the level of concern as changing into an Equestrian, and certainly not the fate of Equestria itself, but they were a concern nevertheless. It’s funny, in Equestria such an occasion as three family all earning cutie marks so close to one another would be celebrated… That brought Twilight to the last, and biggest bit of news. Her home, Equestria. She had learned that both she and Mary weren’t just victims of her own experiment gone wrong. Instead, her spell, or maybe her potion, had been tampered with, and had put her waaay off course on purpose. Rather than a fluke, there had been a reason for everything that had happened, after all. A really dark reason. Just thinking about this churns my stomach. Twilight winced, hoping the sick feeling was fleeting. If there’s any relief to be had from all of this, it’s that my potion research might not have been a total waste… With a wince, Twilight began to inch her way out from under the covers, then swung her legs out over her side of the bed. Yaaay, she thought, half-hearted, and pushed the other thoughts away. A little surprisingly to herself, she didn’t even want to think about them at the moment. Twilight moved quietly so as not to wake anyone else just yet. It seemed and felt like she had been out for some time, but not too long, so they might wake up easily. She considered whether to let everyone know she was alright in case they had worried, but decided to let them sleep for a bit. A distinct desire to just try and do some thinking without distractions, or perhaps even some not-thinking, was what won her over. Staring mostly at the floor, Twilight made her way through the stranger’s house. She wasn’t really sure of where she was going or what she was going to do, either. A plan. Twilight’s thoughts struggled to get themselves into rank and file to come up with something. I need a plan. But what? A hand pressed against her forehead as if pressure alone would create an idea, like heat and pressure created jewels on Earth. Such a silly method. Twilight considered what she had learned. She spoke to Luna, but hasn’t been able to in months. That news alone had been both immediately lifting to hear, that Luna had even been able to do such a thing, and despairing. What if the worst has happened? Could one dragon be able to threaten Equestria? The whole world? It would definitely be able to do some damage. Then again, it came from Tartarus… Twilight scowled briefly, recalling vividly the one sided conversation her past self had engaged in with a dragon… who was allegedly the cause of everything. There was maybe a chance it hadn’t been real, but in a way that made even less sense. Nevertheless, its threats were bad enough, but the way it had belittled her and her brain so much really irked her. She sighed, then got her pride in check and her thoughts back on track. I need to warn my friends and princesses. But... it’s been so long. Is it too late? Her shoulders slumped as she walked. I need to get home... Is it too late for that, too? I just can’t- Without warning, her wandering was cut short and she let out a sudden, strangled sound of surprise. Twilight found herself in a sort of dining room, and she shared it with others. There were two people seated at the table; a human filly, and a young human stallion. The girl was strangely wearing a thick winter cap, despite being indoors. A bit disconcertingly, she wore an intense look of awe and amazement. The boy looked more or less either asleep with his eyes open, or severely disinterested. His clothes were just as odd, being made up of a black t-shirt and black pants. Twilight stared. It took standing in the silence for a moment to do the trick, but eventually she waved slightly, and flickered a smile. “H-Hello,” she murmured to them. I almost forgot a family lived here. I guess these are Mary’s children? She tried to look friendly. The girl stared back, but blankly, almost making a contest of it, her eyes wide and mouth agape. The half raised spoon of cereal she was holding clinked comically into her cereal bowl on the table. A second passed, and then a stream of garbled chatter, almost words, sped its way out of the little girl’s mouth into the room. Twilight was caught entirely off guard. She vaguely made out that most of the words were happy over her being awake, real, alright, and a few other things she wasn’t terribly sure about. She was almost certain she caught Rainbow Dash’s name in there, too... “Don’t mind her.” The boy spoke up over the racket. He was peering through a curtain of stringy dark hair to either side of his eyes. “She’s just a huge fan of yours, assuming you’re really a pony underneath that… disguise. We couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone last night about that.”  Twilight looked between the two children—the girl now busily taking deep, gulping breaths—and tried to work out what to respond with. “Oh. No, I really actually am Twilight, if that’s what you meant,” she started with. She was getting used to that introduction, and convincing people of her identity. Going on, her voice became even more of a mumble. “Though I don’t really look like myself at the moment… And I’m back to square one over what to do about it…” She suppressed another sigh. The girl spoke up next, talking over something the boy had tried to say. “Ohmygoshohmygosh. Uhm, Miss Sparkle? First off, I am such a huge fan. You are like, my idol.” Twilight blinked, and felt a slight heat of embarrassment build in her cheeks at hearing that. She had never been anypony’s idol before that she knew of. The little girl continued, still grinning ear to ear. “Second, was everything that your friend was saying true? Because she said you were here alone and you’re not really a princess and a bunch of other weird stuff about Equestria. And why is your hair black closer to your head? It’s pretty, but in the show it was just bluish with your stripes. And now that you’re awake, did you, uhm…” She trailed off slightly, wearing a concerned look. “That is, did you fix mom yet? Put her back to her old self again?” With both hands she reached up and began tugging down on the sides of the winter hat she was wearing. Twilight had raised her eyebrows incrementally with each question, then sunk her shoulders over question three; question four wilted her where she stood. I’m just going to disappoint this entire family after giving them all false hope, aren't I? Quickly, Twilight took a breath and tried to hide her trepidation from the innocent girl. “Yes, everything you heard was likely true, and I am the only one here that I know of.” She skipped question three altogether. “And n-no, I didn’t. Fix your mother, I mean. Actually… it’s a little complicated, but I can’t right now. I can do it, I’m pretty sure, but not right now. I’m not even sure when I can, either… Eventually I hope to try.” Twilight tried to give her most reassuring of smiles, but she could feel it was probably more of a creepy grin. Oh Celestia, I don’t even know what to do about my own problems, let alone helping them. It was a tough fight right at that moment just to keep her spirits up. “Oh… I see.” The little girl seemed to wilt as well at the news, and looked down to stare at the table. She looked up again a fraction of a second later, once again wearing a calm smile. “And what about your hair? Did you dye the roots so that you’d fit in on Earth better? Oh, wait, you’re shape changed! So you’ve probably made it that way on purpose, huh?” Twilight winced again at the hair question. Still, she managed to laugh nervously, and despite the assumption she had chosen to be human. She tried to settle the girl’s tirade with motions from her hands. Oh Celestia, I’m so not ready to explain things to someone else right now. Twilight floundered over how to proceed. Maybe she could change the subject, or go back and get Jo, or maybe apologize to the girl about her getting a cutie mark; she didn’t even know the girl’s name. “My hair…” Twilight started to answer, and looked around the room hoping to find words to use. She didn’t want to lie, not exactly, but just thinking about it wasn’t pleasant. She thought she hid her feelings on the subject well enough. “It’s simple, actually, I think. Humans grow darker hair, so when I became human, I started growing out a natural…” Twilight had to pause and suck in a shuddering breath before going on. “A natural, human hair color.” Bobby and Anna stared a moment in silence, Bobby munching quietly on whatever his breakfast was. “Ohhhh,” Anna finally intoned, and brightened. “Okay, neat! What about mom? When can you fix her? I wanna say there’s no hurry, but I think she reeeally wants to be normal again.” Twilight almost went into full blown despair at the more specific question, but was saved. The teenager spoke up, a hint of reassurance in his tone. “Ah, come on, Anna. You know you like mom more as a pony.” Anna looked over, making an affronted expression. “But she’s not happy, Bobby! Geez you’re dumb sometimes.” Twilight watched Bobby roll his eyes back to Anna, then continued eating the suddenly familiar strips of human food, that were on his plate. She fought back the slight wave of nausea she gained over the realization. “I’m just kidding,” Bobby responded dully. “Look, she’ll probably be back to her old self eventually, anyway. Fairytales always have happy endings. Right? Heh.” Anna frowned. “This isn’t a real fairytale…” She switched from annoyed to sad, then seemed to search around the table with a shifty look. “But yeah… you’re right. I’m sure that Mom’ll be fine. And the rest of us, too. Right, Twilight?” Twilight recognized the teenager’s voice now, attaching it to the name, but mostly put the revelation out of mind. The bit of indignation and irritation in her head from being insulted over the phone was outweighed a thousand fold by more pressing matters. The lack of forming an outward reprimand for Bobby led Twilight to really realize just how numb she felt, overall. There was so much she had learned the prior night. So much that she would have to do in order to overcome the challenges now laid out in full. She had been sent to Earth, not by her own hoof, but because it was a place she supposedly couldn’t return from. What does that vision mean for me overall? Twilight furrowed her brow, a pained look blossoming from the experience. Just the urgency that I return, I guess. Maybe? If I was sent here so I couldn’t return, maybe I can’t? What did that dragon mean that I could never return? Was she only referring to me no longer being a pony? Or… could she have meant Earth’s lack of magic? Twilight stopped to consider if it had been a female dragon. She wasn’t the expert on the species. Obviously the crystals retained their magic… wherever they came from, so perhaps the former is more likely- “Twilight!” Anna called out loudly. She was standing out of her seat and waving a hand in the air. “Hey! I asked, ‘are you alright?’” Startled, Twilight looked up at the sudden increase of the room’s volume. “Oh! Sorry, sorry.” She hadn’t even realized she had been addressed repeatedly. “I… have a lot on my mind.” She laid a hand on the side of her head, frowning. Anna looked concerned, glancing between Bobby and Twilight. “Is there anything we can do to help? Or my mom or dad? Actually, are they even awake? Mom’s awake now too, isn’t she?” Twilight gave the girl a comforting smirk, and wondered absently if she were about the age of a certain group of fillies from back home. The accidentally summoned memory of home and ponies she might never see again made her answer hastily. “I-It’s okay, you don’t need to do anything, heh.” Twilight scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “And I think your mom is just still asleep… Normal sleep now, that is.” Anna piped up again, quickly answering. “Still asleep? Uggh, they would sleep in on Christmas… Those butts…” Twilight raised an eyebrow, and almost smiled. Anna went on, speaking faster as she went. “Oh well! So, are you reaaally sure you don’t need us to do anything to help? If not, we should go get my folks up and open presents! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry I don’t have anything to give you, Twilight. Oh! I bet if we hurry to the store I can get something." Soon, her words became even more of a jumbled mess. "DotheyhaveSantainEquestria? IknowyouhaveHearth’sWarming, but-” Twilight realized she’d have to stop the little girl now if there was any hope of responding to anything she said. “Eh heh, easy,” she broke in. “I can only respond to one thing at a time. Even if I have been practicing with Pinkie Pie.” As if by a switch Anna quieted, wide eyed. Twilight cleared her throat absently, only having understood the first question, and sort of avoided eye contact. “As for help… I don’t know if there even is anypony, or anyone that can help me now.” The room was quiet for several seconds. “Wait. What do you mean?” Anna finally asked. Her voice was still full of a healthy dose of charm and excitement, with just a hint of something resembling doubt. Twilight frowned, brow furrowing, then shook her head. It was her concern alone she concluded, not that of a little girl’s. “I-It’s nothing, uhm, Anna. Getting things fixed or finding help is just complicated and I just need to go somewhere quiet to think by myself.” Anna and Bobby traded looks with each other, until Bobby shrugged and pointed behind himself with a thumb. “Pool table room’s that way, in the basement. There’s a couch; it’s quiet. Might be cold.” Twilight let out a tense breath, thankful to get away just like that. Nodding, she began heading that way. “Thank you,” she said simply, not wanting to trouble the innocent family more than she already had. However, taking everyone in the room by surprise, Anna cartwheeled over the table and landed right in the center of the floor in front of Twilight. She stared up wide-eyed at Twilight, before bursting into speech. “Wait! What’s wrong? Is this because you can’t fix my mom? Was she mad? She’ll get over it, Twilight! She just has a… temper, sometimes.” Anna wore a pleading look as she spoke. “Uhm.” Twilight blinked, but recovered quickly from the surprise of the little girl’s dexterity. She recalled the bit about the family’s cutie marks. “Oh, no, we talked about everything concerning one another and are both well informed on… well, everything. I just- I’m not sure if… if...” Twilight inhaled a somber breath. “It’s a little complicated, Anna, but everything will be fine.” Anna raised an eyebrow. “Everything will be fine?” she asked, skepticism rife in her tone. “Twiliiight, what’s even wrong? Come on, when a grown up says ‘everything will be fine’ I get worried because something isn’t fine, but they don’t want to tell me about it!” Twilight half listened to what Anna was saying, her mind truly was somewhere other than the room which they were presently standing in. The truth was she felt the closest to just giving up that she ever had. “I’m sorry...” Twilight began to edge around Anna. “At the moment I… I guess I just want to think and rest.” She really did feel exhausted, somehow, as if she hadn’t slept in days. “There might not even be a way that I can return home, you see, and… I have a lot to consider if I’m going to be staying on Earth for so long…” Anna slid back in front of Twilight, not letting her escape so easily. “‘Think about’? ‘Staying’? Wait a second! You can’t tell me that you’re thinking about giving up on… whatever’s going on!?” The speed at which she spoke increased. “Also, I don’t mind you staying! You can totally stay in my room if you want! But I understand why that sucks... Anyway, you can’t give up! Okay, so you aren’t a princess-” Twilight almost complimented her perceptiveness, but remained quiet, still wanting to escape. Anna continued, barely pausing for breath. “But so what!? You defeated Discord and Nightmare Moon! You got Applejack to accept help! Pinkie Pie to- uhm… You… you…” She paused, stuck in thought. “There’s too many to list! And according to Jo, there are more that we didn’t even get to see!” Bobby added his two cents abruptly. “Yeah, you gotta chin up and get back in the saddle.” He began snickering while picking at his plate, his sister shooting his back a glare. Twilight looked at the very passionate little girl in awe for a few quiet seconds, before responding quietly. “I’m not giving up, uhm, Anna… but, the two big things you mentioned, defeating Nightmare Moon and Discord. I couldn’t have done that without the help of others, without the help of my friends. I don’t have their help right now… I don’t even have my magic-” Twilight scrunched her eyes shut for a brief second after she slipped the news, and opened them again to see Anna staring at her in shock. “I don’t have any of my magic, at all,” she repeated. “And every cursory study of known science on your world suggests there is no feasible method by which I could get home… Just like they said… And to make matters worse, your mother’s connection with Equestria must have ended, because she can no longer reach Princess Luna! I’m on my own… unless Princess Celestia can save me...” Twilight let the rest remain unspoken. At hearing the stone cracking news once again aloud, in full truth, she regretted letting it slip out. It wasn’t pleasant to hear. The words left the room quiet. “Damn.” Bobby let his fork clink onto his plate, and leaned back. “So you can’t fix Mary without magic, huh?” Anna gritted her teeth. “Bobby, Mom hates it when you call her by her name. Or swear...” Twilight flinched at the question, and was grateful for the interruption that ensured she wouldn’t have to explain further. Not waiting for whatever may come, she took a deep breath and walked past Anna. A sharp tug on her shirt halted her retreat, and Twilight stopped to turn around. “Anna,” she began to plead. “Hang on!” The girl, only just old enough to have her cutie mark were she a pony, had an intense look directed her way. “The Twilight Sparkle I know still wouldn’t give up! Er, well, you said you weren’t exactly giving up exactly…” A frustrated look of concentration flashed over Anna’s face. “But, just because she doesn’t have any magic, or even because her friends aren’t with her, the Twilight I know wouldn’t act like there’s no hope! She’d rise to the challenge! She’d get excited by whatever it was and call for Spike to get her books and- I mean, Spike isn’t here either, but...” Bobby filled the awkward pause. “Smooth,” he intoned. “Grr…” Anna continued, looking more determined. ”But you- I mean, she’s done all kinds of awesome things by herself! You’re really her! The Twilight Sparkle. I’m sure of it, and you’re the smartest, coolest, and most awesome unicorn ever!” She grabbed Twilight’s arms and shook them roughly. “I don’t care what you look like. You can do anything, or almost anything, and you’re not alone. We’ll all totally help you!” “I…” Twilight looked down sadly at Anna, who wasn’t even aware of the dangers that could be threatening Equestria. It was hard to say whether her not knowing made her words seem stronger or weaker. After all, the cartoon character that Anna knew of was just that, a cartoon character, not the real thing. Twilight swallowed, trying to think of how to respond. “Hey, Twilight,” someone announced. “She’s right, you know.” Jo stepped in, drawing attention towards herself. “I mean, I don’t know what you’ve got in mind, but spoilers, if anyone can do it, Twilight, it’s you.” She smirked, and crossed her arms where she was at the other end of the room. Twilight shuffled her feet, unsure exactly how to respond to the sentiments. “I can’t really do the impossible, everyone. Which I highly suspect my goal may very well be…” She sighed. Jo strode over, not giving the Equestrian an inch. “Twilight, I have confidence in you. I’m not a ‘magic’ or a tech or an anything expert by any means, but impossible or not, we can’t just sit back and wait.” Twilight smiled unintentionally. She also noted that the other girl had said “we”, and not “you”. Jo went on. “Not if what Mary said about a dragon swearing vengeance or whatever and being responsible for what happened to you is true.” “A dragon!?” Anna and Bobby both exclaimed, though in widely differing tones. Twilight slapped a hand over her face, then whispered at Jo. “I wasn’t going to tell them that!” She briefly reflected how much she had let slip already, and whether or not it mattered. Surely the kids were good at keeping secrets considering the state of their mother? “Oh,” Jo murmured, and gave the two youths a serious look. “Forget I said that.” “As if!” Anna returned, excited. She quieted, but was visibly eager to ask questions now. To this end, she went to Bobby and began pestering him in whispers. “Oh wow, what if they need my help to-” Bobby groaned and slowly raised his hands over his ears. Jo addressed Twilight again, frowning seriously. “Anyway, what’s the plan? We need to leave back for home straight away I’m assuming, right? Mary said there wasn’t anything keeping us here if… well, you know.” Twilight ahemmed, thinking idly about the facts surrounding Mary. “Well, sort of…” She prodded two of the points of her fingers together distractedly. “I mean, I was just going to go sit in the house’s basement  for a while and gather my thoughts, maybe…” Her eye shifted back and forth over the floor. Jo waited for more. When none came, she decided she had the situation figured out. “Ahuh.” Surprising herself, she gave her most confident and reassuring of looks to Twilight. “Well, instead of that, how about we figure out our next step? Like I was saying. I have confidence in you, for what it’s worth.” She held a hand out. “What do you say? In this together?” “Oooh my gooosh,” Anna was suddenly between Twilight and Jo, and almost made them both jump in surprise. “This is so exciting!” Twilight glanced between Anna, who was beaming up at her, and then back to Jo. Eventually, she settled on smiling, returning the simple, but very welcome expressions. “Thanks, guys. Anna, Jo… Uhm, and even your brother, actually.” The teenager made a surprised face, along with Anna and Jo. “Him?” Anna asked, incredulous. “Why him?” Bobby raised an eyebrow from the table, and added, “Yeah, why me?” “Because,” Twilight started. “Without you, I might not have found your family. Even if you were doing the wrong thing.” She smiled cheerfully, eyes shut in confidence. Bobby replied, and maybe a bit too quickly. “So, you’re saying that I can do whatever I want as long as it works out in the end?” He put on a huge grin once finished, not at all hiding anything on his mind. Twilight opened her eyes and gaped. “W-What? No, I meant that-” “Psch, relax, I’m just screwing around with your pony philosophy.” Bobby waved a dismissive hand. Anna took a step towards him, practically growling. “Dangit, Bobby! Go away!” Her brother shrugged in answer, doing a bad job of hiding his amusement. Jo stared a moment at the two kids, then huffed a breath. “So Twilight, you’re good now?” Twilight nodded, smiling a little. “I think so… thanks again, everyone.” Jo smirked, but Anna… looked as if she were about to burst into a fireworks display, her excitement barely contained. In the meantime, Jo patted Twilight on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s what friends are for,” she responded, then quickly backed up and clapped her hands together. “Right, now that we’ve gotten the fuzzy-feel-good scene out of the way-” Bobby interrupted. “Thank God.” He had retreated from the table and all the way to the nearest exit. “Just yell if you need the help of someone intelligent. I’ll be playing video games or doing something that, unlike being around this pony talk, doesn’t rot brain cells.” “No one cares about your dumb games!” Anna yelled after her brother. “Video games?” Twilight turned, blinking, at the mention of something familiar. Jo deadpanned momentarily, then continued over Bobby and Anna’s continued insults, grunting. “Twilight, focus. What’s next? Did your sleep-walkabout reveal any hidden magical key to solving all of this? Like… I dunno, maybe we hold onto your crystals, join hands, sing, and somehow send you home? Well, the one crystal you brought, anyway?” When Twilight gave Jo a slightly bemused look over the phrasing, the other girl shied back slightly. “What?” Jo frowned and looked away. “I dunno anything about this stuff… I just want to help. You know?” “Fair enough.” Twilight grinned. “Honestly, I don’t think things are going to be quite that easy… I mean, not to say that suggestion wouldn’t work, but for now I don’t think our situation has changed inherently-” She touched a hand to her side, then realized she didn’t have her coat with its pockets on any longer. “Wait a moment.” Twilight stood stock-still. Eventually, she began patting around her clothes frantically, as if searching for something she had lost. “Uh oh.” Jo and Anna looked at her with confused expressions. Finally, Twilight asked the question on her mind out loud. “Has anyone seen my crystal? Uhm, you have it, right Jo?” Her hands clung to the insides of her out-turned pants pockets. Jo’s eyes widened in surprise. “I thought you had it,” she replied back, and held her hands up in the air. “I haven’t seen it since-” “O-Oh, uhm,” Anna timidly spoke up. Twilight and Jo looked over, finding the little girl nervously shifting about. “I have it, actually,” Anna went on. “I found it outside in the snow after… everything happened, aaand everyone was so busy that I sort of just held onto it. I promise that it’s safe and sound in my room, Twilight. And I wasn’t taking it or anything.” She grinned up, looking ashamed, as though she had done something unforgivable. Not waiting a moment, Twilight smiled back. More than anything she felt relieved at the news. “I didn’t think that at all, Anna. Don’t worry, it’s just, uhm, I don’t know much about the crystal, and it might be… reeeally important. I also think it may have been responsible for the reaction I had with your mom.” She wasn’t sure what else could have caused it, after all. Tests would be needed, certainly. The idea of tests cheered her up a bit more. “If it can induce a kind of spontaneous magic burst like that…” Twilight trailed off, thinking of the implications the random, magical occurrence, then continued. “Well, what I do know is that it’s quite powerful, which means it might be dangerous.” Jo frowned, giving the other girl a worried look. Twilight tried to give her a reassuring one back. “Possibly, might be dangerous, anyway. Heh.” Jo didn’t look convinced. But, Anna oohed in interest. After a brief pause, she spoke up timidly again, almost hesitating. “Okay, so, you said you can’t fix mom, and you have no magic right now… Then how are you human? Because you aren’t a pony right now, but my dad’s deputy said that you were only in disguise. But it isn’t on purpose? I’m confused...” That much was apparent judging by the intense look of concentration she wore. Twilight rubbed a hand behind her head while chuckling. “Well, to be honest, I’ve been stuck as a human for a while… But not by design. I’m stuck like your mom is. We’ve also determined with a reasonable margin of error that the two events are likely connected...” Anna gasped slightly, then calmed down immediately, then asked, “So, I’m guessing the crystals couldn’t, saaaay, turn someone into a pony, then?” Twilight’s eyes widened, before quickly transforming into an amused look. “Could they- Haha, of course not, Anna.“ She pressed on, stifling her laughter. “They definitely shouldn’t be able to turn anything into a pony or something like that. I think they would have by now if they could. Boy, wouldn’t Alice just love-” Jo’s eyes widened in horror at the notion, and she interrupted Twilight. “They better not be able to.” She took a step towards her friend. “Twilight, if helping you ever does that to me, well, I’m asking for it by exposing myself to your weirdness. But promise me that won’t happen.” Twilight quirked an eyebrow, then laughed a little harder. Humans have quite the imagination. “Oh, relax, Jo! As near as I’ve been able to tell, they’re just like ‘batteries’. Either the Equestrian version, or like your own, though obviously they work on completely different physics and rules.” Jo relaxed slightly at the sentiment. Twilight cleared her throat, readying to continue. “They all seem to have a great deal of stored magic, but without something to direct it, like say a unicorn’s horn?” She poked her forehead for effect, smirking. “It’s all inert. Magic doesn’t just do things. It’s a science, a delicate science that needs cause to have any effect.” “Well, if you’re sure,” Jo mumbled. Anna also nodded, then looked at the floor and remained quiet. She seemed to be satisfied with her answer, at least. Twilight noticed and went on, feeling sort of on a roll. “But, assuming I had access to my magic, I would in theory be quite able to cast a spell to undo what happened to Anna’s mother, or even turn myself back into a unicorn.” Taking the room by surprise once again, Anna exploded, yelling, “Really!?” Twilight blinked, almost knocked over by the force of the girl’s excitement. Then the obvious reason dawned on her; that her race was thought of as cute by humans, and that ponies were in general very popular with human girls. She was used to getting the reaction from a certain other friend of hers. Twilight put on a sheepish look. “Uh… Hey! Anna, could you please go get the crystal for me?” She laughed a little nervously. “It’s important that I keep that safe and get it back right away.” Anna seemed to calm down right away. “Oh, uhm… okay! I… I’ll be right back with it.” Twilight bent over, hands on knees and waved as Anna tore out of the room quite quickly. It was now pretty quiet and decidedly less energetic with the lack of Anna’s or her brother’s presence. Twilight faced Jo and breathed out a sigh of relief straight away. “So, Mrs. Mary and Mr. Stan are awake?” “...You mean Mr. and Mrs. Morris?” Jo nodded, then looked off to the side. “I think they’re having a private kind of talk right now… but yeah.” Twilight nodded as well. “Okay. We’ll make sure everyone’s caught up. Judging from what Mary told me while we were gone, her husband will have questions.” Jo recalled the scene she’d left behind. “You can say that again…” “But for now, other than the new information we’ve learned, not much has changed, really.” Twilight nodded once to herself. “Getting back to Equestria is just all the more urgent, and right now I have only one lead toward that end.” “Right. Okay… so you are ruling out waiting for help.” That much seemed obvious. Jo had been pretty sure Twilight would have a plan already, and was happy to see she didn’t disappoint. Twilight went on slowly. “Yeah…” Inwardly, she dearly hoped her mentor had already dealt with the threat. “What I have in mind is a far more scientific route to pursue.” Jo raised an eyebrow in return, but Twilight was already on the move. There would be a lot to do, and she only had a hunch on where to start. “I’ll need your computer in order to get ahold of Lex and-.” Jo’s expression shifted and she interrupted Twilight as soon as she realized what was being said. “Wait a second. You mean your plan is getting help from... them?” Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow. “Lex, Carl and the others? Of course. Who else?” Jo groaned, and placed a hand over her face slowly. “Yes, those guys. Your nerds.” She exhaled somberly. “Why does it have to be them? Does it have to be them?” Twilight responded amidst a yawn. “Eeyup!” “They wouldn’t even give you the time of the day after they sent back your crystals!” Twilight crossed her arms. “Jo, you’re exaggerating. They’re still perfectly agreeable.” Her finger tapped repeatedly on her elbow. “As knowledgeable about computers and digital games as you are, I’m not sure why you don’t get along better. You’re pretty similar to them in many respects.” Jo was about to explain that in no uncertain ways did she have anything in common with Twilight’s ‘physics’ buddies, but was beaten to it. “I got it!” Anna chimed, and raced into the room. “Safe and sound.” In her hands, was a dimly glowing crystal, nestled in a ball of what appeared to be a bunched towel. Twilight smiled in relief. “Thank goodness, and thank you, Anna.” She took the offering straight away, and gave it a look over. Oddly, it was wrapped quite tightly in both a towel and a sheet. “Huh, why did you cover it?” She rotated the crystal around once she’d unwrapped it sufficiently; it looked normal. Anna was quiet a moment before answering. “Oh, weeell, you said it was dangerous… So I thought, maybe it’s radioactive and could make me a zombie or something…?” She gave the taller person a sheepish look. Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. “You thought- Why is it that everyone always thinks of those things? Zombies aren’t real! I used to have to tell Spike that all the time, too, and it’s a silly notion at the best of those times.” Jo snorted. “Not real like brightly colored little horses aren’t real?” Twilight shot a friendly glare at Jo. “That’s beside the point,” she retorted. “And horses are a myth where I come from, I’ll have you know.” Jo shrugged, smirking proudly. “That just supports the kid’s case that zombies are real, Twilight.” “Yeah!- hey, I’m not a kid. I turned ten last month! And also.” She began to let out a high pitched squeal of delight. “Aaah, this is so cool! And I wanna meet Spike so bad!” Twilight had been about to argue over the idea of resurrected dead tissue, but thought better of it. “Heh, I’m sure Spike would very much like to meet you and other humans too, Anna.” She gave the excitement filled human filly a bright look. Anna’s eyes widened. “No way,” she answered flatly. Twilight smirked over the idea of her assistant hearing about humans. Spike being introduced to their tech, however, such as TV, produced a worried feeling. Twilight coughed. “No, I’m pretty sure he’d be captivated… for better or for worse.” She looked over the top of her crystal at Jo. “Ahem, I’ll drop the zombie issue, for now. But only because we have far more pressing matters to attend to.” Jo nodded in understanding, still looking supportive. Anna waved an arm up in the air, standing up straighter. “Oh oh! Hey, wait! Come on, please don’t leave me out of this! I want to help! Don’t I get to help for keeping the mcguffin safe? Like, we need to get your magic back! Can we fix that by being your friends!? You know… because friendship is magic?” Twilight and Jo traded widely differing looks. Jo spoke first. “Well that hasn’t worked so far. Heh. But maybe that’s just because I’m a terrible friend?” Twilight scoffed. “Jo, that’s not true. You’ve been a great friend. And Anna, I don’t think it would be that easy… I wish it was, though. I-” An idea came to her, that might just speed things along. “But, I think I could use your help.” Anna wilted a bit at first, then regained her air of excitement. “You do!? Awesome! Uhm, how?” “I’d like to know, too.” Jo raised an eyebrow over at Twilight. She still wondered what the other girl had in mind, exactly, if her sketchy online friends were involved. Twilight explained. “I actually need a favor. And you’re right, you did keep… keep the, uh- What did you call the crystal?” Her face scrunched up, trying to recall the word that had been used. Anna shrugged. “Mcguffin. It’s what grandpa calls important magic stuff in movies.” Twilight nodded slowly in mild understanding. Right. The culture humans have in regards to entertainment is… very rich. Yup, going with that; very, very rich. She moved on with a purpose swiftly. “Anna,” Twilight addressed, her tone smooth. “Is there a computer in your home with an internet connection? And would it be okay if I used it?” Right away, Anna ooohed. “Sure! I mean, I’m not allowed on there, but I’ll go get mom to-” She thought about that idea for a moment, then began again. “I’ll go get dad to set it up for you. I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.” Not waiting for a reply, she raced off straight away. “Excellent, thank you!” Twilight felt glad that things seemed to be progressing. I hope Lex will be around. Perhaps not if this Christmas holiday is as prevalent as Hearth’s Warming… But I still need to- Something made her jump, and she turned to find Jo tapping her arm. “Hm?” Jo wore an expectant look. “So what are you going to say to them? And I thought they wouldn’t let you into their little science club?” Twilight hid her exasperation. Even ignoring what Alice may or may not have heard, her internet colleagues had resources and connections where she had none. It was a great deal more difficult acquiring either of those on Earth. Twilight recalled exactly what Alice had told the both of them about. Behind closed doors, her friends had, apparently, discussed some rather suspicious ‘goings on’. Namely, secret-type sounding projects, and an undisclosed use for the crystals. But nothing came of it. The borrowed crystals were recently returned, along with scientific findings and some notes. Besides that, Lex and the others still spoke to Twilight casually, but wouldn’t explain, and determining who knew what was impossible. Overall, most seemed to be acting aloof. Either way, it wasn’t satisfactory progress. Twilight began to try and explain calmly. “It’s not a science club.” Perhaps she wasn’t certain of that, but she went on anyway. “I suspect that they may be intent on protecting against espionage if they’re a group conducting serious research. And I understand you don’t particularly trust them back, but now more than ever I definitely need their help.” She paused. “Anyway I’m not sure what I’ll say yet, but...” She trailed off since Jo looked intent on responding. “Alright, so they’re your best bet and you gotta convince them of that...” Jo shrugged. “You should maybe postpone talking to them face to face though, and-” Twilight groaned and turned about to start pacing, unable to understand how anypony or anyone could be so stubborn. “Jo, it can’t wait, if I can communicate the gravity of the situation, maybe I can get cooperation to-” Jo waved her hands in a calming gesture. “Whoa, easy, Twilight. That’s not what I meant.” Twilight stopped her back and forth walk. Jo went on. “What I mean is, you’ve got a wicked bad case of bedhead.” She pointed up towards Twilight’s left ear. “You might want to take care of that, it’s pretty wild, even if you don’t talk to Bert and Ernie by video.” Twilight resisted asking about the strange names, and held a hand up to her head. She realized she could feel a good deal of her hair jutting out to one side of her head. “Oh,” she responded, and laughed weakly. “Well, maybe this can wait a little bit, then…” The sound of Anna’s voice calling from the next room over grabbed Twilight’s and Jo’s attentions. “Dad said it’s fine, Twilight! Computer’s all yours!” Twilight’s eyes lit up by a couple lumens, despite the tiredness that she felt behind them. “Then again, there is no time for action like the present! Come on, Jo.” She smirked confidently as she strode on past. “Besides, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about scientists from Earth or Equestria, it’s that they’re much more credible if their hair is crazy.” Jo stared after Twilight, eagerness following the other girl like coattails. “Sigh,” Jo muttered aloud to herself. “Well, let’s see what plan A is, then…”