Dashie: Twenty Percent Cooler

by Kieva Lynn


Seventeen

Standard Disclaimer: I do not own MLP, nor am I in any way affiliated with the author of the story this fic is based upon.

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Chapter Seventeen

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At one-thirty p.m. on the fourth day of their stay in Equestria, the group of five humans were gathered on the platform of Ponyville station, waiting for their train ride back to Canterlot. With them were four of the Bearers, Spike, and of course Lyra Heartstrings who at this point would probably need to be driven away from the humans with a stick when the time came to go their separate ways.

"So, what did you think of Equestria?" Lyra asked.

"I've liked it." Brian said, "Though it'll be nice to go home."

Solomon agreed. "I've got a wife and kids to get back to... Still not sure how I'm gonna explain where I've been."

"Oh that's easy! Just let me come along and you'll have proof!" Lyra suggested.

"Now Lyra we've already discussed this." Applejack said. "There's serious business to take care of... The Princesses decide who gets to go."

"At least I talked you into letting me come along to ask."

"Only 'cause you was more annoying than I've ever even seen Pinkie."

"It worked. I have no shame." Lyra grinned.

"Heads up, here comes the train." Thomas said. They group waited patiently as the passenger train slowed to a stop and a rush of disembarking passengers exited and flowed into town.

"Looks like we're clear." Rainbow said, "Let's go."

Distracted as they were by the process of boarding and locating their seats, no one in the group noticed as an orange and purple filly zipped out of a hiding spot and onto the baggage car. And neither the pegasus nor the group took notice of two more illicit riders who jumped aboard several seconds later when the baggage handling ponies' backs were turned again...

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Scootaloo examined the interior of the baggage car carefully. She hoped that she wasn't going to get herself trapped in here, though the lack of access from the passenger cars was probably a good thing; once they were underway there was no risk of being caught. Getting stuck though, that would be, as Sweetie's sister would say, the 'worst thing ever.'

"I really should have worked out the second half of this plan in advance." The filly thought to herself. “If I'm gonna be like Rainbow Dash and go to another world, I'll need to follow her to wherever this gate thing is."

Hearing voices just outside the car, Scootaloo ducked back behind a large crate. She needn't have bothered though, it was just a porter who slammed the doors shut without looking inside. "Next stop Canterlot!" Scootaloo cheered, "I did it!"

"Did what?" A voice asked. Scootaloo shrieked in shock, but moments later a flashlight clicked on, revealing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

"What the hay are you two doing here!?" Scootaloo demanded.

"Following you." Sweetie Belle answered honestly.

"You haven't talked to us since the other day." Apple Bloom said. " We were worried about you."

"Yeah! We wanted to talk to you about what you said, y'know, about your wings... And then we saw you hop the train and thought maybe you were trying for a hobo Cutie Mark so of course we had to join you!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Hobo Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked. "What would that even look like?"

"Probably a bag full of belongings on the end of a stick."

"Will you two focus?" Apple Bloom interrupted. "Scootaloo, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Rainbow Dash and the others are going back to the human's world. And I'm sneaking along somehow. Then I'll be an inter... Interduh... Int..." Scootaloo gave up on getting out the word 'interdimensional.' "I'll be like Dash and go to another world!"

"Not alone you won't." Apple Bloom said.

Sweetie Belle agreed. "Our sisters are going to this place! What if they need help?"

"Thanks guys." Scootaloo smiled.

Apple Bloom nodded, then got a serious expression on her face. "Now for you. Why didn't y'all tell us about your wings!?"

"I would have some day... It's just, well, it's embarrassing."

"How?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, I guess it would be hard for a non-pegasus to get it... But, Sweetie Belle, how would you feel if your horn was never going to work? Or you Apple Bloom, how would you feel if you found out you'd never be strong enough to buck a tree? That's what it' s like."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I'll be okay though. It's like Rainbow Dash told me, there's still some chance. And if not, well... I'll figure something out."

"Who knows?" Sweetie Belle said, "Maybe something on this other world will help you."

Scootaloo smiled. "Hey yeah, I hadn't thought about that..."

Together, three fillies shouted "Cutie Mark Crusaders! Brittle Wing Cure Finders! Yeaaa!!"

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As the group disembarked in Canterlot, they found Twilight waiting for them. "Welcome back!" She said, "How was Ponyville?"

"Eventful." Solomon answered, and everyone laughed.

"We'll fill you in on the way Twi." Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight nodded. "Okay then. Let's go, the gate's ready and the Princesses will be joining us within the hour." With Twilight leading the way, they walked off. Deep in discussion, no one took notice of the commotion that arose when the baggage car doors were opened...

Celestia and Luna were already waiting when they arrived at the gate facility. Cadance was present as well, and the elder alicorns were giving her some final tips. "Just remember, you're not so much moving the sun as rotating the planet." Celestia said.

"Indeed, 'tis much easier when seen in that light."

"I understand. And I thank you for trusting me with this responsibility."

"We know you'll do well Cadance." Celestia said with a warm smile.

Just then the doors opened and Twilight trotted in at the head of the group. "Cadance!"

"Twily!" The mares ran to each other and did the sunshine dance.

"Are you two ever going to get tired of that?" Spike asked with a roll of his eyes.

"No." Both said together.

"Ahem..." Luna cleared her throat to get attention. "Shall we begin?"

"Oh, of course." Twilight indicated the gate. "We've aimed the gate to deliver us just outside of Mister Dashell's home. It's in an isolated area, so there should we no danger of anyone seeing us. Once we arrive, we can begin our investigation."

"What about us?" Sara asked.

Celestia replied "If you are able to return to your normal lives, I will trust you to do so."

"Thank you princess. You can trust us, and even if you couldn't, well, who would believe us?"

"True enough." Solomon said. "Though I have a different problem. I've got a wife who is not going to let things go without an answer."

"We will take the risk of extending trust to her as well, if necessary. Are there any further questions before we go?" Celestia asked.

A thin whining sound drew Applejack's attention to Lyra. "Oh fer cryin' out loud..." The farmer said. "Princess, Lyra here'd like to come with us."

"Oh? And why is that Miss Heartstrings?"

"Because I've always believed in humans when everypony else made fun of me and now I've met some and there's a whole world full of them and it's like a dream come true!!"

Celestia smiled, ever so slightly. She was inclined to say no, but the puppy dog eyed look Lyra was giving her was one even she couldn't refuse. "Very well. But stay with the rest of us."

"Thank-you!" Lyra squeeed.

"Quite. Now, everypony, and everyone, on the platform. Quantum Tunnel, begin the sequence."

"Right away Princess." The scientist answered.

Everyone gathered together on the gate's sending platform, which was just large enough to hold them all. The gate ran through it's power-up routine, then activated, the humans and ponies vanishing in a swirl of bright white light.

Quantum Tunnel looked up from his control board to Cadance. He was about to report that the transit was a success, when with a loud clattering three small fillies leapt out of hiding, shouted "Cutie Mark Crusaders! Enter-Duh-Mention-All Explorers! Yeaaa!!!!" And vanished into the still active gate.

Princess and scientist looked at each other, the gate, and back to each other. "Oh dear..." Cadance whispered...

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Earth. It was late in the afternoon at Brian Dashell's home, a light breeze and the sound of birdsong the only disturbances on a quiet day. Then there was a sudden burst of prismatic light and the sounds of shouting as a large group of humans and ponies appeared out of nowhere. The shouting was caused by their appearance a few feet above ground, and the subsequent fall.

“Ugh... Everyone okay?” Brian asked as he got to his feet. There were scattered 'okays' as the rest of the group untangled themselves and got to their feet.

Well, most of the group. Rainbow Dash and the princesses were hovering in place where they had first appeared. “Why would we not be okay?” Rainbow joked, “Just flap your wings and you don't fall.”

“Very funny.” Twilight grumbled. Then she saw that Fluttershy had fallen too. “Um, Flutters, why...?”

“I forgot.”

“It seems no one is harmed.” Celestia said, “So we should get our bearings. Are we in the right place?”

Brian answered “Yes. That's my house on the hill over there.”

“Excellent. Twilight, are the recall pendants functional?”

Twilight lifted the pendants out of her saddlebags and checked them over. “They're all working.” She answered.

“Good, we should begin then.” Luna said. “Our first order of business-” She was interrupted by a new flash of light and screaming as a trio of fillies appeared and crashed to the ground.

“What the hell!?” Thomas exclaimed.

Applejack, Rarity, and Dash rushed to where the Crusaders had landed. “What the hay are you three doing here!?” Applejack demanded.

Rarity added “For that matter, how... Oh never mind, are you girls okay?”

“We could've thought this through better...” Apple Bloom admitted.

“Bucking right you could've!” Applejack said. She turned to the rest of the adults. “Twi! We need one of those recall-thingies.”

Luna shook her head. “Not so. We have only so many, and should retain them all in case of dire need. I fear the fillies are stuck here for now.”

As the girls cheered, the adults groaned.

“As my sister started to say, let us begin our work.” Celestia said. “We have much to do, and many questions to answer regarding Rainbow Dash's initial arrival here, the existence of a cartoon about our lives, and the change in the speed of time between worlds...”

And then everyone heard a voice. “I can answer all of those questions for you. I did it.” With a blinding flash, there appeared a new creature; an alicorn, but one larger and more regal than either of the sisters, with a prismatic crystaline mane and tail and a pure white coat that seemed to glow from within.

Everyone, human and pony alike, was struck silent by this vision, until Luna finally managed to speak a single word:

“...Mother...?”