The Third Generation

by Candle Light

The Third Generation Chapter Eight

The green-coated earth pony walked onwards. On and on. She had been walking for days now. It was all she could do. She was tired and dehydrated, covered in sweat and almost delirious. What was her name again? That’s right: Minty.

All she could remember was that she had just woke up from a long afternoon nap, when suddenly her senses had blacked out for a moment, and then she was in a place filled with nothing but dried dirt and brownish rocks as far as eyes could see, feeling as though she had slept in for weeks. Thinking that maybe she was still dreaming, she started walking a random direction, but after hours of traversing this dead landscape, sweat soaking into her coat and legs slowly building up pain, she started to think that maybe it wasn’t a dream. She had done her best not to freak out, but as time went on, she found it harder to do. Eventually, she had found a decently tall rock, jumped onto it and screamed for help as loud as her lungs would allow. No response came, and she had fallen exhausted to the ground.

She had woken up a couple of hours later, or so it felt, and by then the sun had already gone down, replacing the scourging heat with bitter cold. Left with no other option, she kept walking, keeping a steady pace for several more hours. Her mind drew up all sorts of crazy theories: was this an illusion created by a unicorn, to teach her not to doze off in the middle of the day? Or had Rarity accidentally used her wand to teleport her away from Ponyville?

At some point or another, she actually started thinking that maybe her life in Ponyville had been a lie; that she had somehow woken up from an illusion. But she soon found herself laughing at the idea. Because if that was true, she would have to go completely insane. She didn’t want that.

She wandered all throughout the night, watching the landscape subtly change; the rocks would become bigger, or the ground would slope ever so slightly. She tried to convince herself that this was all just a dream after all, that she was just having trouble waking up. But try as she might, she could not awaken from this nightmare, so eventually she just stopped trying. The thought was the only thing that held back any sort of rational emotions; every time hunger would make its presence known, she would just laugh it away, thinking about the delicious meal she would have when she woke up.

But eventually, even that didn’t work, as she could not remember ever having gone so far without a meal before in her life. There was nothing there that remotely resembled food. Or water, for that matter, and her body was starting to pester her for it. As much as she tried to remind herself that none of this was real, she couldn’t help the panic from spreading inside; in an act of desperation, she started munching down some dried-up straws of grass – nothing more than weed – that was growing by a particularly big rock formation. It had to be the nastiest thing she had ever tasted, but her stomach was just happy for whatever meagre sustenance it could come by.

Her wandering continued… and continued… until night fell once more, and at this point, her throat was aching like she had swallowed a can of needles. She hadn’t had anything to drink in what, two days? And the dry air sure didn’t help. What she wouldn’t give for a cup of Sweet Berry’s Rainbow Berry Juice. Or water, or anything. She tried to keep her mind from her throat by gazing up at the stars: was it just her, or were they strangely different from how they were before? Well, of course it was just her, who else was with her in these deserted lands? No one at all, that’s who! And as soon as the thought hit her, she felt a twinge in her heart. She missed her friends. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Wysteria… where were they now? She allowed herself to drop a few tears; hoping beyond hope that she would wake up soon.

Morning came at last, and by now, Minty’s legs were aching furiously with every step, no energy left to even keep her eyes up. The truth dawned upon her with the sun. This wasn’t a dream. This was the cruel, harsh reality; a world she had been mercilessly thrown into without her consent. Regardless, she had to press on. She didn’t want her life to end this way, far apart from her friends, her home. Why did it have to end up like this? What did she do to deserve this?

Her whole self depleted, she fell to the dry ground, the last of her energy converting into a single tear as the images of her friends started to fade.

“So, are you here to take another jab at the mean old Trixie?”

“It’s not her fault, y’know!” the filly Rarity came to her defense. “She was really sad, and—”

“Whoa there, filly, hold your horses,” Applejack told the child. She and all her friends, including the lookalikes and another unicorn Trixie did not recognize, had come to meet her and Rarity as they appeared from the forest. “We actually wanna apologize for bein’ so darned nasty to y’all before.”

Before either of them could reply, the pink pony with the poofy mane rushed forward and hugged Trixie. “I’m so sorry! I knew it was gonna hurt you, but I had to make a choice between you and Rarity, and this was the only way I knew would save her! I’m so-so-so-so sorry that I said those things to you; you’re not a kidnapper, you’re—”

“Slow down a notch!” Trixie silenced her. This whole situation felt bizarre to her; the fact that ponies didn’t usually apologize to her notwithstanding, it sounded to her like this pink pony had staged the whole thing. She certainly didn’t appreciate being a pawn in some mind game, but how could she be mad when what Pinke had done had given her back a sliver of something she thought she had lost long ago. “I, uhh… it’s no big deal. It all turned out alright in the end. No hard feelings.”

“Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!” exclaimed the pink pony, tightening her hug. Trixie had been hugged more today than she could remember being hugged her whole life. Maybe she was too weirded out to push her away, or maybe she was starting to feel that it really wasn’t that bad. “I was so worried that you weren’t going to forgive me! Do you have any idea how horrible it is to have somepony hate you for the rest of your life? Well, me neither, but can you imagine?!”

“Well, uh, yeah…” she replied vaguely. Trixie had an idea. The pink pony thankfully let go.

“And, uh, Cheerilee?” Rarity spoke up. “Will you forgive me for being such a, uh, handful?”

“Oh, Rarity,” her friend came up and hugged her. “You’re always a handful, but I still love you. Besides, you weren’t even yourself; your colors were gone and everything.” She turned to face the others, “Do you know what happened to her?”

“You said she had been ‘discorded’, did you not?” Trixie added, not even attempting to hide her concern. “She’s going to be alright, isn’t she?”

“There should be no more immediate danger to her well-being,” Luna told them. “What happened to her was… well, it is a long story. You remember Discord, do you not?”

“Actually, I do not,” Trixie admitted.

“Don’t you remember when all the roads turned into soap and clumps of earth started floating upside-down in mid-air?” asked Twilight.

“You mean to say that really happened? I-I thought it was just a dream?”

“More like a nightmare, created by the spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, Discord. The six of us barely managed to stop him, but not before draining us of all happiness and turning our negative emotions against us. That’s what happened to little Rarity; Discord left a piece of his magic inside a select few ponies from the village.”

“Inside Rarity?” Trixie repeated, looking at the filly worriedly. As crazy as it all seemed, it was starting to make sense. “So this is the other Ponyville she was talking about…”

“To put it simply,” Luna explained, “it is a village that has been hidden away from the rest of the world for a thousand years, locked in a time loop illusion spell created by Discord.”

“Time loop? Illusion?” she parroted. She was definitely in way over her head. “B-but why are there two Rainbow Dashes and…” she motioned toward the two identical pink ponies, then at the other, older Rarity.

“Trust me, darling, we’re doing everything we can to figure that out,” said the wingless Rainbow Dash.

“And maybe I can shed some light on the situation,” came a voice from behind Trixie, startling her. She turned around to see a giggling blue creature resembling a dragon. “Oh you are a delight, my dear.”

“Spike!” exclaimed little Rarity. “You’re Spike, aren’t you!”

“Indeed; we meet again, my dear,” he replied, petting her on the head. “I’m so glad you made it back to Ponyville in one piece! You had us quite worried, I’ll have you know.”

“I never would have made it without Trixie!” She put a leg around her neck, to which she did not resist. “But I gotta say, I’m still pretty confused. And a little scared, to be honest. I just can’t believe what I became. Everything was so dark and hopeless…”

“It’s alright my dear, what’s important is that you’re back to your old cheery self, among those who care about you,” said the earth dragon comfortingly.

“But what if it happens again? It still hasn’t completely gone away, y’know. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I can feel this ‘discord’ thingy is still in here somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much, my dear. In this little dream world that was our home for the past thousand years, there was very little in ways of fear and anxiety, so you’re still unfamiliar to the concept. It’s a part of life, but trust me when I say you’ll learn to handle it. Keeps your wits about you and you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah,” agreed the pink pony, the one with the poofy mane, “and if you ever feel sad or lonely, I’ll throw you the biggest Pinkie Style cheer-up party you’ve ever seen and get your smile right back on your face! It’s hard to stay sad with Pinkie Pie around, especially now that there’s two of me!” She pulled her lookalike to her side.

“So… you’re sure I’m not still being controlled by the chaos magic stuff?” Rarity ventured.

“You pushed it away by your own strength, remember?” reminded Spike. Wait a minute, Trixie realized, how would this guy know? “I mean sure, you had a little push from Pinkie Pie, but you were the one who found it in your heart to sympathize with your fellow pony when she needed it the most. As long as you never lose that kindness, and don’t give in to negative emotions, you have nothing to be afraid of.”

“I guess you’re right,” said the little pony. “Thanks guys. Actually, speaking of Pinkie Pie, why are there two of you? And two Rainbow Dashes! And why do we all look so different?”

“Like I was saying before I jumped out from nowhere,” said Spike, “I believe I’m ready to shed some light on things, including that little mystery. Remember how we talked about the six Castles of Legend, and the sleeping magic?”
“Of course we do,” said Twilight. “The Pinkie Squink activated the magic within Crystal Rainbow Castle, causing a chain reaction that woke up the magic in the other five castles across Equestria, which in turn released some sort of ancient seal.” Trixie got the feeling she was recapping this so that she would understand, which she appreciated.

“Precisely. And since waking one castle affected the others, it seems to me there’s a link between the six castles; and that, my friends, is the missing link we were looking for! It’s what connected Discord’s illusion to the real world, and if my guess-work is right, our world has been continuously influencing the illusion for all these years.”

“Okay, fair enough, but why,” the pegasus version of Rainbow Dash accepted. “But why us? There are hundreds upon hundreds of villages and towns in Equestria; how did our village end up with so many lookalikes?”

“I recognized quite a few familiar faces from Canterlot as well,” the grown-up Rarity told them.

“The key to that, my dear, is the power that Discord used to construct the spell,” said Spike. “Can you think of no common bond that both you and the villagers share?”

“The Elements of Harmony!” exclaimed Twilight. “I see now! The Time Capsule was created using the power of the Elements; if the sleeping magic seeped into the illusion, it must have merged with the magic from Elements and created a link to the actual Elements of Harmony!”

“Uhh, run that by me one more time,” said Applejack.

Spike crouched down and started drawing on the ground with his claw. “Here’s how it works: this big circle represents the Time Capsule, and these smaller circles represents the castle, and these lines represents the connection that the castles share. As you can see, one of them is within borders of the Time Capsule, which means there is a passageway where magic can travel freely to and from the outside world. Add to the equation the Elements of Harmony, which Discord used to bind the Capsule together; it makes sense that this magic would have merged with the sleeping magic connecting the castles, following it to the outside world to seek out,” Spike drew a square on the ground, then connected it with lines from each of the five castles outside the Capsule, “the real Elements of Harmony, and those connected to it.

“Why, you may ask? Who knows; the ways of the Elements of Harmony are a mystery to us all, but I think it might have been a counter-reaction to the six ponies that were tainted by Discord. In any case, there is no doubt in my mind this is why you bear such a striking resemblance to the citizens of Ponyville. For a thousand years, the illusion inside the Time Capsule has been ‘inspired’ by the outside world, reshaping the ponies to the image of those near the Elements of Harmony.”

“Now wait just a minute here,” the grown-up Rarity interjected. “It’s only been a little more than a year since we first came across the Elements, and I can only assume these ponies are more than one year old. Are you suggesting Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie only became Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie after we defeated Nightmare Moon?”

“I’m afraid that’s exactly what it means,” Spike confirmed.
“But darling!” said earth pony Rainbow Dash incredulously. “I’ve always been Rainbow Dash, and none other! I have memories of my mother brushing my rainbow mane when I was a child. They can’t be fake, can they?”

“Not to worry, I’m confident that the only parts of your memory that were changed were those concerning your looks and names,” Spike assured her. “There’s no reason to believe you weren’t always a pony with an astute sense of fashion, and that Pinkie Pie didn’t like to throw parties.”

“But what about that Kimono gal?” pointed Applejack. “Ya said it yerself, she looked like Twilight even a thousand years ago, before all this craziness.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “My gosh, you’re right! But how could that be? Could she be my distant ancestor...?”

“That, or the Elements have a different role in this altogether; everything I’ve said is pure speculation, after all. In any case, I think it would be best if we reported all this to Princess Celestia,” the dragon concluded. “By the way, has anypony seen the other villagers anywhere? The town seems sort of empty.”

“I received a message from my sister not too long ago,” Princess Luna told the group. “It would seem Spike has taken the village to go see Canterlot. Something about a ‘field trip’.”

“But I never… oh, you mean the little one,” the earth dragon realized.

“He was here?” said Fluttershy. “Then who is taking care of the animals? I hope he didn’t ask Granny Smith to do it again.”

“Why not?” said Applejack. “Granny always does a bang-up job takin’ care o’ critters.”

“You should have seen poor Angel last time. I’ve never seen him so spooked before.”

“I could take you to Canterlot right now if you wish,” offered the Princess. “Kenbroth is right, we need to report to my sister immediately. What of you, Trixie? Would you like to come along?”

Trixie was almost surprised they hadn’t forgotten she was still there. Before she could reply, the filly Rarity looked at her excitedly and said, “That sounds unicorn fun! Come on, Trixie!”

The magician thought about it for a short moment – it did sound like a nice change of pace – but she knew she couldn’t. “I’m sorry, Rarity, there’s just one small problem,” she turned her attention to Luna. “Princess Luna, Your Majesty, would it be too much to ask to send me back to Winecolt? I left my wagon there, and, well, I’m not much of a magician without it.”

“But of course not,” she agreed. “I must apologize for whisking you away without your consent.”

“Well, if you hadn’t, things may not have turned out so great,” Trixie replied awkwardly.

“You’re leaving already?” said Rarity, sadness in her voice. “B-but I’ve barely gotten to know you! Won’t you stay for a while?”

“Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll… I’ll be back.” She made the decision on the spot. “I’m just fetching my wagon; then, when the ponies of this town come back from their, uh, ‘field trip’, I’ll welcome them with the greatest performance of their lives! Then we’ll see who is the better magician, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Hay now, no need to go back to braggin’,” Applejack warned.

“No, really, her show was amazing!” Rarity vouched for her friend. “You should have seen it, it was like fly—”

“Thank you, dear.” Trixie put a hoof to her mouth. “No giving away trade secrets now. They’ll think better than to second-guess The Great and Powerful Trixie once they see with their own eyes what she’s truly capable of.”

“You know, Trixie, I’d love to see that,” Twilight replied, giving her a smile to let her know that she accepted the challenge.

“Are you ready to be off, then?”

“Just one moment.” Trixie turned to Rarity, and gave her a final, big hug. “See you soon.” She turned back to the Princess. “There, all set.”

From beyond the darkness, there was a voice. Yes, it was unmistakably a voice. What was it saying? Cus’? Cus’ what? But more importantly, the fact that she was hearing things meant that she was still alive. Probably.

Plus, her throat wasn’t hurting anymore. At some point, water had been poured into it, and her body was slowly regaining its functions. “—no, she must’ve caught the Clover Virus,” someone said. “Never seen it turn anypony’s mane pink, though.”

“Or this shade of green.”

Green? Did they say green? Just hearing the word sent calm through her heart. Maybe if she opened her eyes, she would find herself on a large, lovely green grass field. These calming thoughts in mind, she opened her weary eyes.

She didn’t see a field of grass. Instead, she saw another pony looking down on her. A sight that was just as relieving. The stranger’s face reacted when it saw her eyes open. “Hey, she’s coming to!” The voice was funny, she thought; kinda dark, and it sure didn’t sound like any pony from Ponyville. “Are you alright, Applejack?”

“Apple…?” Minty murmured, slowly processing the words. Was she talking about her? “I could sure go for some apples right now…”

“You got it, cus’!” replied the pony, disappearing out of sight, only to return ten seconds later with an apple in mouth, dropping it on Minty. She took a bite… then swallowed it whole. As though reading her thoughts, the strangers returned with a few more apples, which she ate passionately. She had never tasted apples so good in her life. They were so good, they brought tears to her eyes. How wonderful to be alive!

“Slow down there, darling,” said another voice from somewhere. Darling? Rainbow Dash?! She tried to get up… but was halted by stabs of pain. “See, you’re still in pretty bad shape. Don’t worry, hun, you just rest in the cart for awhile.”

Well, she certainly wasn’t in any position to argue, so she didn’t resist as she was lifted up and carried between two ponies’ back and dropped on something wooden. A minute of shuffling later, the wooden cart started moving, but she could sense someone staying by her side.

If nothing else, she knew she was safe and sound at last. Enough to allow herself to fall back into sleep.

She woke up a time later, the sun having reached its zenith. She mustered the strength to sit up straight, but her heart sank just a bit when she realized she was still in the same desert. She was sitting on a cart, dragged along by dark-brown pony, and next to it was another cart drawn by a light-green one.

“Applejack!” someone called, walking up to her next to the moving cart. It was a light-yellow pony with golden hair, wearing a hat and a leather jacket. “I’m so glad you’re alright! Don’t worry, the effects of the Clover Virus will wear off soon.”

Clover? Effect? But first things first. “Who, me? But my name’s not Applejack. I mean, I know an Applejack, but she sure isn’t me. I’m Minty. Who are you?”

The mysterious pony only looked at her wonderingly, before suddenly jumping onto the cart – to which the puller yelled ‘careful!’ – and started taking a closer look at her face. She was scrutinized from all angles, after which the stranger straightened herself… or was it really a ‘her’? Maybe this pony was male, like Spike. “Well Ah’ll be danged. You sure could’ve fooled me; aside from the colors and all, you’re the splitting image of my cousin Applejack. Though now that I look closer at ya, your freckles’re kinda small compared to hers. Could you be some kind of distant relative to the Apple Family?”

“B-but I don’t know any Apple Family,” replied Minty, growing more confused by the minute. “I’m from Ponyville, you see; one minute I was taking a nap, and the next I was all alone in the middle of the…” but then the memories of her deathly walk halted her words, giving her pause. “I… I don’t know who you are, but you… you saved my life! I thought I was done for…”

“I’d say,” agreed the stranger. “Thank Celestia we found you when we did! You were nothin’ but a dried-up husk of a pony; a few more hours and you would have been beyond saving. I’m Braeburn, by the way, and these are my friends Brittle and Coffee Pot.”

“Howdy!” greeted the dark-brown pony, her voice reminding her of Rainbow Dash. The other, coated in a dark color of green – to which Minty couldn’t help but smile; there weren’t that many green ponies in her village – greeted in kind, in a much darker voice, in a darker voice still than the stranger beside her.

“Nice to meetcha,” Minty responded to the gesture. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me. Who are you people, anyway? Do you happen to know the way to Ponyville? Do you have anymore of those delicious apples?”

“There’s a bag right next to you,” said Braeburn. “Just don’t eat too much; that’s gotta last a few more days.”

“Oh, shufr,” replied Minty, her face already stuffed with two apples at once.

“This here is the northern Equestrian wastelands,” Braeburn explained. “Not much here ‘cept rocks and weeds, and the occasional jackal. Be thankful ya didn’t run into one o’ those. And just about a day’s journey to the south you’ll find our pride and joy, the fruits of us settler ponies’ labor, the town of Aaaaapplooza!” The golden-maned pony made a dramatic gesture with front-hooves in the air.

“You always have to do that?” remarked Coffee Pot.

“Nothin’ wrong with bein’ proud o’ your home. Well, Miss Minty, if you wanna go back to Ponyville, all you need to do is hop on the train, and it’ll take you right back there in a matter of days. What boggles my mind, though, is how you could possibly be from Ponyville if ya haven’t even heard of the Apple Family.”

“Maybe you’re confusing it with a village with the same name?” suggested Minty.

“Not likely; there’s only one Ponyville here in Equestria as far as Ah know. Then again, it’s no more unlikely than finding the spitting image of Applejack starved half to death in the middle of nowhere.”

“Maybe it’s got something to do with the castle,” suggested the puller pony. “Y’know, since they both appeared out of nowhere…”

“Castle?” repeated Minty. “We have a castle in Ponyville!”

“Well then that’s definitely not the same Ponyville,” concluded Braeburn. “Quite a head-scratcher, this.”

“You got that right,” Minty could only agree. “So, what’s this castle about?”

“It’s the place we’re off to have a look at right now,” explained Braeburn. “A couple of nights ago, there was a flash of light that lit up all the prairies, and the very next day, we get a letter from the Princess herself, telling us there’s a castle in the middle o’ nowhere that we need to check out. Dunno what she expects us to find, but who are we to say no to the Princess?”

It didn’t take a genius for Minty to understand that this castle was her best bet. If it turned out that it was responsible for bringing her here, it might be able to bring her home! What if it was actually the Ponyville castle, that had somehow up and moved, dragging Minty along? “Could I come with you, please?”

“That’s the plan! We’re not about to leave you hangin’ out in the wilderness, and we’re too far along to go back and drop you off. Don’t worry, we’ll take care o’ ya.”

“I’m sure you’re pretty darned tired of seeing nothing but rock and dirt,” said Coffee Pot, “but just bear with it for a little longer. In the meantime, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?”

“Me?” said Minty, not expecting this turnabout. “Well, uh… my name is Minty – but I guess I already said that, heh – and, uh, I really like green things. And socks! Can’t go wrong with socks!”

“Socks, huh,” said Braeburn, looking amused. “Never worn a sock since the day Ah was born, mahself, but Ah hear they were quite popular back in Ponyville.”

“You should try it! They’re so warm and comfy, especially if you wanna snuggle up in bed, or by the fireplace… ooh, I wish I had a pair or two right now!”

“Do you make socks, then?”

“Of course I do, but they never turn out as good as when my friend Rainbow Dash makes them.”

“Did you say Rainbow Dash?” said Braeburn, eyes widened in surprise. “Could… could you describe this fellow?”

“Sure, she’s blue, got a rainbow mane and tail…”

“…and a heck of a good flyer, right?”

“Well, she’s no pegasus, but she’s a really good runner, if that’s what you mean. She also makes dresses, and never misses a chance to put up rainbows everywhere. Why, do you know her?”

“I know a Rainbow Dash, but Ah don’t reckon it’s her,” told Braeburn. “That’s another strange coincidence, though.” He looked thoughtful for awhile, then walked over to the other cart, rummaged around in their packing, and put something in his mouth. “Good thing Ah forgot to put this away.” He dropped the item on the cart next to Minty. A photograph. “Did she look anything like the one on the far left?”

“Uh… not really,” said Minty. “No offense, but no pony I know looks anything like you guys.”

“What’re you talkin’ about? The one in the hat looks just like you, don’t she?”

But she didn’t. At least not to Minty’s eyes. But if these ponies recognized her as the pony on the picture, then…! “D-do you have a mirror I can use?”

“One sec.” Braeburn went back to the luggage on the other cart, grabbing a mirror with his mouth – why not just use your hoof? – and showed it to Minty. Her heart skipped several beats as she saw a complete stranger looking back at her. She leaned closer to the mirror, scrutinizing her features, then looked back on the photo, comparing the two. Her eyes turned to saucers as she realized they did look very much alike.

“Well, uh, this is… weird,” she said to herself, trying again not to freak out. She laughed to herself a bit as an attempt to ease the absurdity. “Oh well, a-at least I’m still green; that’s a plus, right?”

“No kiddin’, else I couldn’t tell you apart,” agreed Braeburn. “Ah’m more than convinced there’s something fishy goin’ on ‘round these parts. Minty, would you mind telling me more about that Ponyville o’ yours?”

“Woooow,” gasped Apple Bloom, marveling at the fancily decorated buildings of surrounding the group. It was only the second time she had been to Canterlot; the closeness of the houses, the crowd of ponies, the rich clothes everypony was wearing… didn’t appeal to Apple Bloom one bit, but it was a cool to look at.

The same had to be true from their point of view, she figured; a crowd of over a hundred ponies marching through the streets of Canterlot, a baby dragon riding on a pony’s back speaking through a megaphone over the crowd. “As you can see, the closer we get to the castle, the fancier the establishments become, and the snobbier the ponies— eh,” Dr. Hoofenstein looked back and gave him a stern look, “I mean, the prettier they get, yeah. To the right, we have one of the most expensive hotels in all of Canterlot, and possibly all of Equestria.”

“Excuse me, but what’s a hotel?” called somepony from the crowd. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes; hadn’t their parents taught them anything?

“A hotel is a place where you can stay for the night if you don’t have anywhere else to go, as long as you have the bits to pay for it,” explained Spike. “Sometimes ponies use if for other reasons as well, if you catch my drift.”

“I hardly think that’s important right now, Spike,” the Doctor remarked disapprovingly.

“What? Don’t you rent a room sometimes to get some quality time to practice your singing?”

“Not in the middle of the night, when I’m trying to use it for sleeping.”

“I said I was sorry! Anyway, just up ahead are the stairs that leads into Canterlot Castle, where Princesses Celestia and Luna lives, and they’ve given us special permission to go have a look inside.”

This made Apple Bloom’s whole face shine up, grinning wildly to her friends. “Wow, Ah never thought Ah’d ever get to see the Castle from the inside!”

“Just make sure to stay with the group,” the doctor reminded the crowd, as though he could read Apple Bloom’s mind. “This is the political center of Equestria, where all the important decisions on ruling the country are being made. If you wander off into the wrong room where they just happen to be having an important meeting, it would be within their full right to throw you in prison for espionage.”

The group ascended a set of long, chalk white stairs leading up to the impressive set of doors that separated the castle court yard from the town below. Two unicorn guards were standing by the gate, and as the crowd approached, they nodded to each other and lit their horns, to which the doors responded by opening themselves up.

“There she is,” breathed Braeburn, gazing upon the towering structure looming ever closer as they rode on. “Sure never seen anything like that ‘round these parts before.”

Minty was stunned, to say the least. Unlike the castle in Ponyville or Unicornia, this seemed to be made entirely out of or crystal of some sort, casting a light reddish shadow in its wake.

“Hey, isn’t this where we found those ruins a while back,” Brittle, the green one, asked Coffee Pot. “I recognize these cliffs. Those were nothing but dusty old foundations, though.”

“Ah’m startin’ to doubt we were the right choice for this,” said Braeburn. “Ah can sense the magic from all the way here; wouldn’t it’ve been better to sent some magic scholar or some such?”

“I can feel it too,” Minty told them. “Feels like there’s something warm inside my chest.”

“Actually, all Ah’m feeling is a slight tingle in my skin,” said Braeburn. “Guess that seals it; there’s somethin’ between you and this castle alright.”

The group of four approached the crystal castle. It had to be about twice the size of the Crystal Rainbow Castle of Unicornia, not to mention a lot more, uh, crystally, though it looked rather similar in design. It had a slight orange glow to, and it looked really out-of-place in this desolate landscape. She was starting to wonder if it was really there, and not just an illusion caused by a sun-stroke.

But the thought was abandoned as they came close enough to touch it. She put a hoof to the wall, and suddenly a ticklish sensation erupted in her leg, the warm feeling in her chest growing to an almost painful degree. She pulled it away, and the feeling diminished. Braeburn seemed to be fine though, as he was pressing both hooves into the crystal wall, then his ear. “By Celestia, this is downright eerie. It’s like Ah can here a sorta hymn comin’ from inside.”

Not daring to press her face onto the magic wall to confirm it, Minty instead asked, “Who’s Celestia? You mentioned that name before.”

“You don’t know about the Princess?” asked Braeburn, giving her a look of disbelief. “You know, ruler of Equestria, she who raises the sun everyday?”

Minty blinked. “Wait, is this a pony we’re talking about?”

“Sure is, but she and her sister are a bit special; they’re neither unicorn nor pegasi, or Earth Ponies like us, they’re all of ‘em. Rules the country with a benevolent hoof from high in the castle of Canterlot, the Capital of Equestria.”

“I, uh, see,” said Minty. There was no doubt in her mind: this was definitely not her world. Not only did none of these ponies seem to know anything about the Breezies – and they seemed downright perplexed at the mention of Christmas – but a pegasus-unicorn that moves the sun? “So… I guess we’re supposed to enter this thing?”

“As soon as we figure out how to do that,” replied Coffee Pot. The group rounded the structure, taking in its grandeur. Eventually, they came across something that broke the monotonous shade of orange: a set of doors marked by lines of what looked like ruby to her eyes. The four of them exchanged looks, and nodded to each other. Braeburn put his hooves on the doors and pushed. They opened seemingly effortlessly.

The group was met by a large circular chamber, much like the ones found in both of the castles Minty was familiar with, only bigger. And very empty. On the far side of the room was something that looked like a throne, and on either side were spiral stair cases, one leading up and one down. The warmth in her chest didn’t seem quite as pressing in here; instead, she felt as though someone – or something – was watching her. Could this castle be a portal that connected her own world to Equestria?

“Yup, I can definitely hear music coming from the walls,” commented Brittle. There was a slow, calm disembodied melody echoing through the chamber, and as eerie as it was, Minty found it rather soothing. “What do you say; should we go up or down first.”

“Always better to start from the top,” reasoned Braeburn. “Gotta be something here that’ll tell us what the hay this is all about.”

“Hay, girls,” whispered Apple Bloom to the crusaders. Their guides had taken the crowd around the castle ground, the University, the royal flower gardens, and were now inside the castle proper, walking around these insanely awesome corridors, new statues and window paintings to see around every corner. But Apple Bloom had an idea how to make it even more awesome. “The next chance we get, let’s split from the group.”

“What?!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, though not loud enough to draw Spike’s attention. “But didn’t you hear what they said? If they catch us, we could go to prison!”

“Only if we walk in on something important,” Apple Bloom reminded. “We’ll make sure to stay away if we hear voices. Come on, this might be our only chance to explore the actual Castle!”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Scootaloo whispered back. “We’ll be back in the group before they even realize we’re gone. We might even get sneaking Cutie Marks!”

The group stopped before a large framed painting on the wall. “And this, fillies and gentlecolts,” Dr. Hoofenstein spoke, “is a depiction of one of our time’s greatest magician, Star Swirl the Bearded. This stallion was responsible for some of the most complex, as well as some of the most iconic, magic spells that we…” As the doctor rambled, Apple Bloom backed away from the crowd, making sure that all eyes were on the painting; given how long they had stopped to explain all the flowers in the gardens, they would be here forever. More than enough time for the Crusaders to go crusading. Scootaloo followed her without a sound, and although Sweetie Belle looked reluctant at first, she eventually followed suit.

Apple Bloom’s heart pumped wildly as they successfully rounded the corner and sneaked away into an unfamiliar corridor. They kept a quick pace, not daring to make a sound that would alert the group, until they came into a hallway with a spiral stair case leading both up and down. Paintings and colored windows adorned the way up, whereas the way down seemed utterly devoid of those. “We did it, girls! Now, let’s hurry up and see everything we can before anypony finds us.”

“I’m still not sure about this,” Sweetie Belle voiced her concerns. “I mean, exploring didn’t give us our cutie marks before…”

“But this is a castle!” countered Scootaloo. “Complete with the danger of being caught. How cool would it be to get a ninja Cutie Mark?!”

“Quick, which way do we go?” asked Apple Bloom, weighing the options in her mind. Up looked like it would probably take them to the more important parts of the castle, but down had a mysterious feel to it; this was still ground level, so it would probably take them to a cellar or something.

“I say down,” voted Sweetie Belle. “Seems less likely that anypony would be down there.”

“No, up!” Scootaloo counter-voted. “That’s where all the cool stuff is; we’ll have to sneak past guards and stuff!”

“That’s exactly the point! I don’t know about you, but I don’t wanna risk of getting caught and end up in prison.”

“Fine, you go back to the group; Apple Bloom and I will—” but she was distracted by a clip-clop sound coming from above. Ponies were coming down the stairs! Apple Bloom was starting to sweat; this cut off one of their options, leaving them with two choices: go back, or go down.

“Come on,” she whispered, motioning towards the stairs spiraling downwards. No pony argued as they ran down with her, hoping that their hoof-steps wouldn’t catch the guards’ attention.

As they descended, the windows and paintings were first replaced with pure white walls, then solid rock. This was definitely a cellar of some sort, thought Apple Bloom, probably where they stored royal food and things. Over the rail, they could see the abyss continue down for at least ten more stories, the lower part lit up by a glow of some sort. “I don’t know about you,” said Sweetie Belle, “but I’m starting to think this is pretty creepy.”

“You’re the one who wanted to come down here,” Scootaloo reminded. “But now I’m glad you did; this place just screams dark secrets.”

Eventually the fillies reached the bottom floor, where they realized that the glow had come from fireflies, illuminating the rock with a yellow glow. They filled a tunnel right ahead, one that led to some much brighter light source. They followed it; the passageway was easily big enough to fit three ponies standing on each other’s back, but the cave-like atmosphere made it feel somewhat claustrophobic.

On the other side, in a small open chamber, was the most beautifully ornate door that Apple Bloom had ever seen, giving off an almost blinding shine. It looked as though it was made of diamond or something, adorned with different kinds of jewels and golden shapes. It didn’t look like it belonged on the rocky surface of the cave. “What’n the world is this supposed to be?” asked Apple Bloom out loud.

“A secret door to a room full of treasure?” suggested Scootaloo.

“If it’s supposed to be secret, why is there an open stair case leading down here?” pointed Sweetie Belle.

“Well, what else could it be? Maybe we were in a secluded part of the castle to begin with. Come on, let’s see what’s inside!”

Apple Bloom certainly didn’t have any objections; the door looked heavy, so she pushed on it with all her might… which was more than enough to force it open with a bang, toppling her into the chamber beyond from the momentum.

Two things registered in her brain at once: the chamber was big and circular, consisting of nothing but crystal that gave off a yellow sheen – just like the fireflies – and there was somepony standing there right by the door.

“Oh!” the Princess Celestia let out in surprise. “Why hello there, my little ponies!”

“A-a-ah,” stammered Apple Bloom, mouth agape. They were sooo busted. “Uh, h-hi, Princess.”

“What are you doing here?!” asked Scootaloo, her face equally spooked.

“I might ask you the same question,” Celestia told them gently. Apple Bloom found her smile rather unnerving. Was she going to yell at them or not? “But I suppose you asked first. This here is a chamber that magically appeared right after the party we held in the other Pinkie Pie’s honor. Remember how she collapsed in the middle of it? She was conjuring a spell, which accidentally awoke a magic power that has been asleep here in Canterlot, and other magical castles like it, for eons.”

“For how-long-now?” asked Scootaloo.

“A very long time; thousands of years, if fact,” the Princess clarified. “Now, what are you three doing down here?”

There it was, the moment to come clean. Sweetie Belle spilled her guts before Apple Bloom could. “We’re so sorry, Princess; we snuck away from the group to explore the castle on our own! I tried to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen,” Scootaloo gave her a push, “uh, I mean… we’ll return to the group right away, so please don’t send us to prison!”

“No?” said Celestia, in a gut-wrenching tone that suggested that was exactly what she planned to do. “Very well, then. I am just going to have to punish you myself. You’re going to have to stay here and by my assistants as I look around this chamber. You are not allowed to go back to the group until I am done with you.”

She gave them a playful smile, and Apple Bloom took the hint. “Yes ma’am! I mean, uh, Your Highness!”

The orange crystal castle was a sight to behold indeed; from the highest towers to the lowest cellar, the mysterious warm feeling inside persisted throughout. It kind of looked to Minty as though someone had actually lived here before, as they found both what looked like a kitchen and a bath, but there were no furniture to speak of. And as pretty as the castle was, who would want to live in a house made entirely out of crystal?

The band of four was approaching the last door, the final place where they hadn’t looked, in the deepest part of the castle. Being underground, there weren’t as much light here, but the walls themselves were enough to illuminate their path with a faint orange glow. Braeburn scanned the door; just like leading into the castle, it was lined with ruby, as well as an insignia of sorts, put together with different kinds of jewels. “Well, it sure looks important enough. How’re you holdin’ up, Minty?”

“Really warm,” reported the green earth pony. “It’s like I feel a heat wave from this door, but from inside of me, and… i-it’s really hard to explain.”

“Maybe you ought to stay out here then,” suggested Coffee Pot.

“Maybe,” agreed Minty. “But what if there’s something important in there? I can’t turn my back now; I promise I’ll get out if it gets too painful.”

“Alright then,” said Braeburn, pushing the door open. Minty braced herself and walked into the magnificent chamber beyond. “Well?”

“Actually… I actually feel it less in here,” said Minty. “Well, I feel it, but it’s not so much heat anymore as a slight tingle. Kinda tickles,” she added, letting out a snort.

“Weird,” said Braeburn. “Doesn’t look like there’s much at all in here. Let’s spread out and look.”

“Look, I think I found something!”

“What?” asked Scootaloo, coming over to Apple Bloom’s side, as did Sweetie Belle and the Princess. “Looks like a plain old pillar to me.”

“No, there’s definitely something here,” insisted Apple Bloom. “Can’t you feel it? Like there’s something prickly in the legs when you put your hoof on it.”

Scootaloo did just that. “I can’t feel anything.”

“Earth ponies tend to be more sensitive to magic than pegasi, or even unicorns,” explained Princess Celestia. “Good job, Apple Bloom. Let me try something; step back for a moment.” She let her horn touch the pillar, setting it aglow with magic. Then, a sudden flash erupted from the pillar, startling the Crusader. “There, just as I thought.”

Apple Bloom and the others approached it again, and saw the figure of somepony seemingly stuck inside. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“Applejack?!” exclaimed the small yellow pony that had suddenly appeared inside one of the pillars. “Whu… what is… what’re you doin’ in there? And why are you green?”

Minty stared curiously at the filly; it looked as though the pillar had become a window to another, identical room, only yellow instead of orange. Two other fillies stood beside her, and behind them – she realized with a start – stood a much larger pony than she had ever seen. A pearl white pony with a long slender horn and a pair of wings. The majestic figure addressed the child. “No, this isn’t Applejack. You’re Minty, I presume?”

“Y-yes!” she breathed, her heart beating faster, barely noticing Braeburn and his friends coming up beside her. “A-are you Celestia? Were you the one that brought me here?”

“I am indeed Princess Celestia,” she told her. “But I certainly had nothing to do with bringing you to Equestria. I assume Braeburn is with you.”

“Yes ma’am,” announced Minty’s savior. “She was on death’s doorstep when we found here. Been out walking through the desert without drinkin’ or eatin’ for days, she had.”

The Princess looked rather struck by the story. “My word! I’m so sorry, Minty.”

“I-It’s okay now,” she replied. That experience hardly even seemed real anymore.

“She doesn’t seem to know anythin’ ‘bout Equestria, but she says she’s from a town called Ponyville, but not our Ponyville from the sound of it. Since she showed up out o’ nowhere just like the castle, we figured there’d be some sorta connection.”

“Oh, I get it!” the yellow filly shone up in realization. “You’re the Applejack lookalike from the other Ponyville.”

Minty couldn’t help but burst out smiling. “Is there a Pinkie Pie in it? Or a Rainbow Dash?”

“Yes, your town and all of your friends are safe and sound,” Celestia told her. It sent a jolt of immense relief through Minty’s body. “Well, almost all of them; it’s actually a long—”

The Princess was cut off by a sudden, soul-shattering roar that seemed to be coming from both sides of the pillar. The Princess looked around in fright; even as the noise subsided, there were still tremors around them, almost to a rhythmic beat. “Oh no…!” Celestia let out, panic spreading in her face. “It can’t be…! Stay where you are, children! Whatever you do, don’t leave this room until I say it’s safe!” And with that, she sprinted away from the magic window, out the chamber and disappeared in a flash, leaving Minty any everyone else with a thousand questions.

Special thanks to Tess Tesseract for help with editing.