Chapter 10
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Diamond Tiara pouted, her forehooves crossed as she listened to her father blabbing away with the farm mare.
This was such a waste of time. She’d had plans with Silver Spoon to go shopping and maybe tease some of the losers around town. Instead, she was stuck waiting for her father to finish his boring talk with the hillbilly, then her daddy was taking her to another boring meeting in some building for something she couldn’t care less about.
"Hey, AJ, Scoots an' Ah're gonna go slop the pigs," Diamond growled at the sound of the farming Blank Flank. She'd honestly hoped she wouldn't have to even be near her during this waste of time.
"Sure thing, Bloom," the older farmer said absentmindedly, not turning to look as the little filly stood in the doorway. "Jus' make sure they all eat the same amount. We don't need no fightin' among them."
The yellow filly nodded, then hurried off.
Well, at least she didn't stay long, Diamond thought to herself.
"AJ!"
She grit her teeth. Spoke to soon.
"Where do ya keep the corn seeds? Sweetie Belle an' Ah wanna do some plantin'."
"Left shelf in the shed, Bloom," the orange mare said, still paying more attention to Diamond's father.
The Blank Flank made to leave, but Diamond looked at her, frowning. "I thought you were going to do something with that Blank Flank Pegasus."
The yellow filly stopped just as she turned to leave, and gave Diamond a confused look. "No. Ah ain't doing anything with Scoots."
Tiara narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you are. You just came around a few seconds ago, interrupting my daddy's talk with your sister, telling her you'd be slopping hogs, or whatever."
Something seemed to flicker in the filly's expression, but she just shook her head. "Eenope. Ain't seen Scoots since a bit afore ya got here." And with that, the yellow filly hurried off.
Diamond Tiara cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Why would she say she was going to do something with one of her pathetic friends, then come back saying she was going to do something else with another and act like she didn't do the first thing?
Tiara suddenly smirked. Maybe that farm filly wasn't so dense after all. Maybe she left the Pegasus because she realize how pathetic she was.
She snickered at her own joke. Like that hay head would have any sense.
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Time wore on and Diamond was becoming gradually more bored by the second. As she heard the farm pony talking about some nonsense about tiling the fields, whatever that meant, Tiara realized she needed the loo.
“I need the bathroom,” she said bluntly, not caring that she interrupted the mare.
Filthy Rich gave her a slightly annoyed looked, but nodded to the mare.
“Second floor, second door fr’m the right,” she told Tiara, sounding like she was trying to remain polite, despite the filly's interruption.
The filly “hmffed” and walked up the stairs, following the directions given to her.
As she neard the bathroom, she saw the Blank Flank sister of the farmer, with her stupid bow and scowled. “Blank Flank,” she said as they passed each other.
“Tiara,” the other filly replied, with just as much disdain.
Tiara reached the door to the bathroom and tried to open it, only to find it locked.
“Hey!” she said loudly, pounding on the door. “I need to use the bathroom.”
“Alright, alright, hold yer horses!” the farm filly’s voice called from the other end.
Tiara scowled deeper. Typical. That filly was always making things harder for her. First she had to deal with her being confusion early in the day, then has to see her on the way to the bathroom and now she was using the bathroom, meaning Tiara... couldn’t...
Wait.
Her scowl turned into a confused frown. She’d passed the Blank Flank in the hall, hadn’t she? How could she have passed her in the hall leading away from the bathroom, then be in the bathroom when Tiara arrived?
The door opened and the farm filly looked at her with a confused expression. “What?”
Tiara looked behind her, then back to the filly standing in front of her. “Didn’t...” she pointed a hoof behind her. “Didn’t we just pass each other on my way to the bathroom?”
The other filly frowned, cocking her head to one side. “No. Frankly, Ah'd rather avoid ya like the plague.” She closed her eyes, her frown shifting a little. “Now, if ya’ll excuse me, Ah was jus' gettin' back to plantin’ with Sweetie Belle.”
The pink filly shook her head and glared at the farmer. “Look, just let me through, would you? Forget what I said before. The fumes of your stinky farm must be affecting my brain.”
The filly scowled and pushed passed the Tiara wearing one, being sure to bump into her. “It only stinks cos yer here.”
Tiara stuck her tongue out at the filly as a final jab, before she went into the bathroom to finally relieve herself. Once she was done, she left the bathroom, then paused.
Why couldn’t she stop thinking about seeing that Blank Flank passing her twice? It just didn’t make sense. She knew she wasn’t imagining it. She had somehow passed the filly in the hall, yet that same one had been in the bathroom, the opposite direction that the one she’d passed was heading. It just didn’t add up.
She went downstairs and saw the farm filly drinking a glass of water in the living room.
She frowned. “I thought you said you were going back to planting in the mud?”
The filly just scowled as she finished her water. “Ah am not. Ah just wan’ed a glass o’ water afore Scoots an' Ah tend t' the sheep.” She put the glass down and walked passed her.
Tiara rolled her eyes and headed further into the house. Before stopping, frowning. Wait. Hadn't that Blank Flank told her she'd be planting with that unicorn Blank Flank, then just now said she wasn't and was helping the Pegasus one tend to the sheep?
Curious, and since continuing to listen to her father blabber on with the farm pony still wasn’t any more appealing than it had been hours ago, she decided to go outside and find out what was going on.
Going around the kitchen so she wouldn’t get roped into the adults’ boring conversation, she headed outside and looked around, trying to figure out where the Blank Flanks could've gone.
"Hey, Maribel says she wants a light trimming," she heard the Pegasus call from somewhere.
"Got it!" the farm filly's voice called back. "Big Mac keeps the wool cutters in the shed. Ah'll be right back."
Within moments the Blank Flank farmer was coming up the path from one of the fields, she passed by the rich filly without a second glance, heading into a rusted down shed Tiara wouldn't be caught dead walking into.
"Ah'll get the weed whackers," Tiara's head whipped in a direction opposite the shed, only for her eyes to widen as the same Blank Flank from before came running towards her, before turning into the shed.
"Okay. Where would AJ've put the weed whackers? Over there. Got it. And here're those wool cutters. Nice."
Tiara frowned at the wording used, before the filly ran back out of the shed, carrying two things that looked like a small rake with a maneuverable handles in her mouth.
"Whoa, hold on!" Tiara leaped in front of the filly, causing her to skid to a stop. "What the heck was that about?"
"Hwha' wash hwha' abou'?" the filly asked around the tools in her mouth.
"Didn't you just go in that shed to get some wool cutters or whatever for somepony called Maribel moments ago?"
The farm filly cocked an eyebrow. "Wh' wou' Ah do da' when Ah'm doin' gard'n'?"
"You tell me!" Tiara scowled.
The yellow pony shrugged, before pushing past her. "Shweediesh waidin' fer me."
And with that, the filly hurried off, leaving Diamond fuming.
"Okay. That should be all Ah need. Maribel's gonna be glad to be stylin' when it comes t' sheep."
Tiara's eyes bugged out and she whirled around to see the farm filly exiting the shed again, this time, carrying a pair of what looked like fancy, strong-looking scissors.
She looked from where she'd just seen her hurrying of to help that unicorn, then back to the one walking towards her direction from the shed.
She hurried forward, blocking her path again. "How did you do that?!" she demanded.
The farm filly just blinked, before lowering down what Tiara assumed were the wool cutters, and gave her an odd look. "Uh, how do Ah do what?"
"You just left that shed with some weird rake things moments ago," Tiara shouted, pointing in the direction she'd seen her go. "You were going to help that unicorn friend of yours, even though you said before you're helping your loser for a Pegasus friend."
The yellow pony furrowed her brow. "Ah am helpin' Scoots. An' she ain't a loser!"
Tiara narrowed her eyes. "Then how come you just left with those rakes to help that unicorn instead? And how did you even get back into the shed without passing me?!"
She cocked her head. "Ah didn't. Ya saw me go by, Ah know cos Ah saw the look ya gave me." With that, she picked up her wool cutters and hurried off, leaving Tiara fuming to the point she wanted to scream.
What the hay was going on?! How come she was seeing the filly once, then seeing her again?!
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Tiara growled. She'd had it up to here with whatever little trick those Blank Flank Crusaders were playing on her. For a whole hour she'd been going back and forth, trying to figure it out. Whenever she went to where the sheep were, she saw the yellow filly helping that flightless Pegasus.
But then, she hurried to catch the unicorn on her own and tease her about being left behind, only to find the yellow filly was somehow there too, and both kept acting like they hadn't been doing the thing they clearly had been.
It was driving her crazy.
As she slumped on the farm house porch, wondering if it was worth it to go back inside and listen to her dad, she saw the Blank Flank farmer and the Pegasus coming up the path, before turning towards the barn.
"That was fun," the farmer was saying as they passed Diamond, not even acknowledging her. "Though Ah honestly thought we'd get Cutie Marks in hair stylin' or sumthin'."
The Pegasus shrugged. "Meh. I'd rather not have one in that. Kinda sorry we didn't help Sweetie with planting though."
"Ya'll would'a wanted a plantin' Cutie Mark more than a hair stylin' one?" the farmer joked.
The Pegasus laughed. "Good point. Well, let's get inta the barn to meet up with Sweetie."
Tiara rolled her eyes as the two losers headed into the barn, closing the door behind them.
Several minutes passed by, before she heard voices coming from closer to the house.
"Man, that felt good," the farm filly's voice said, causing Tiara to sit up straight.
Moments later, Tiara's eyes widened as the farm filly and her unicorn friend came from around the house, both covered in light layers of dirt.
"You liked getting dirty?" the unicorn, in Tiara's personal opinion, reasonably asked.
The farmer nodded. "Been a while since Ah got down'n dirty like that. Helped me more than ya can know."
Tiara watched open mouthed as the two walked right passed her, headed for the barn and went inside, the door closing behind them.
For several moments she stood there, mouth agape, before her eyes narrowed. Alright. Enough was enough. She was going to find out now, whilst those three losers were all gathered together in the barn, just what in Celestia's name they'd been doing all day!
She knew something was up and with her tiara as her witness; she was going to find out and expose whatever little secret those Blank Flanks were hiding.
She barreled across the yard, her destination set. The barn looked as lame and poor-pony-owned as ever. Sure, it looked kind of new, but that had to be a trick. This farm was a waste of space. Why her daddy didn’t just buy the place and tear it down for something useful, like a fast food joint, instead of being a business partner to them, she’d never understand.
She was steps away from the barn, when the door suddenly opened and the farm filly stepped out. They both stopped, looking at each other.
The other filly gave a bored looked. “Oh, hey, Tiara. What do you want?”
“Where’s that other you?” she demanded, pointing at the yellow one. “I saw her go in there after you and those losers you call friends. Where is she? That's the only explanation I can think of! Where's the other you?!”
The filly just gave a smirk. “Other me? Why, Ah don’t know what ya mean, Diamond Tiara. There’s only one o' me? How could there be two?”
Tiara scowled, jabbing a hoof at her. “Don’t lie to me, Blank Flank! I saw her go into the barn after you and that worthless excuse for a Pegasus! She went in with that useless unicorn.”
The filly's eyes narrowed slightly, before she just shrugged. “There ain’t another me in there, if that’s what yer ’mplyin,’. But, if ya’ll wanna go in, be mah guest. Ah’m just goin’ ta get sumthin’ an’ then Ah’ll be right back.”
She walked passed, looking smug about something.
Tiara just scowled until the filly had gone back inside. Then, she turned her attention to the barn.
“Nice try, Blank Flank,” she muttered, her expression set. “But I know something’s going on and when I find out, you are so busted.”
She pushed open the barn door and walked inside. At once she was hit by the strong smell of dung and had to cover her nose.
How could they stand to live in this stench? They had to have been pigs in another life, surely. There was no other way they couldn’t have a problem with this smell.
At that moment she saw a pair of hooves descending a ladder that led to the upper level of the barn. The hooves were yellow and the tail that followed was red.
“Ah-ha!” Tiara shouted, causing the filly to jump. “I knew something was going on!”
The filly just looked at her with annoyance. “And just hwhat is that?” she asked as the unicorn and Pegasus hurried down to help their friend up.
Tiara walked up to her, getting face to face. “There’s two of you!”
The fillies just looked at each other, then giggled, the farmer saying, “Two o’ me? Now, that’s just cooky talk, Tiara. Are ya’ll feelin’ alright?”
She glowered. “I know what I saw! I saw you come in here with that Pegasus," she point to the pony in question, "Then I saw you coming back again with her," she indicated to the unicorn. "And just now, I just spoke to you as you left the barn to go get something. Then I come in here and your still here! Admit it, there’s two of you, Blank Flank.”
“Now, that’s just silly.”
Tiara froze. That had been the filly’s voice... but her mouth hadn’t moved. She slowly turned her head around, swearing she could hear a creaking sound as she did so. Standing in the doorway of the barn... was the same filly standing in front of her.
Her head darted between each of them, focusing on one for a second, then back to the other.
“What’s the matter, Tiara?” the one at the door asked, stepping in.
“Yeah,” the one in front of her said, causing her to step back in fright. “Ya’ll look like ya’ve seen a ghost.”
“B-but—” she stammered, her eyes flicking back and forth. “Y-you— an-and her— but, you’re both—”
"Tiara?" the unicorn asked, cocking her head. "What's wrong?"
"Don't you see them?!" Tiara cried, pointing from one yellow filly to the other. "There are two Apple Blooms!"
The Pegasus just cocked an eyebrow. "Um, Tiara, I can only see one Apple Bloom here. What about you, Sweetie Belle?"
"Yeah," the unicorn nodded, still giving Tiara a confused look. "There's only one Apple Bloom in this barn, Diamond Tiara."
“What’s wrong, Tiara?” both yellow fillies asked in unison. “Do ya’ll need some help?”
Tiara screamed, darting out the barn as fast as her hooves would take her, flew across the yard, burst inside and skidded to a stop in the kitchen. Both adult ponies sitting at the table looked to her in shock as she stood there, panting, her mane disheveled, her eyes wide.
“Two— barn— same time— Blank Flanks—” she tried to speak, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the world went black.
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We're rolling around on the floor, laughing like crazy.
“D-did— did ya see her face?” Apple Bloom cackles as she holds her stomach. “That was totally priceless!”
“Ah know, right?” I manage through my own laughter. I look up to the loft of the barn. “D-did— Do you two get everythin’?”
Sweetie Belle struggles to get up through her fits of giggles, whilst Scootaloo continues rolling on the floor in laughter. The unciorn lights her horn, before bringing down a camera that had been stratigically placed and set on a timer.
“Yeah, we did!” Scootaloo barely managed, whilst Sweetie grinned at me. “Check ’em out!”
We do and we doubled over with more laughter. The photos of Tiara’s expression when she saw the two of us are too hilarious. I haven’t had a good laugh like this in ages. It feels good.
When we finally manage to calm down, still giggling a little, we head back out the barn, the photos in Scootaloo’s saddlebags.
However, our good moods stop the moment we go inside. Applejack is standing in the middle of the hall, a firm frown on her face.
We all gulp.
“Uh, hey, sis,” Apple Bloom says weakly, giving a nervous smile. “What’s up?”
Applejack’s frown somehow grows deeper and we all flinch. “Diamond Tiara came in some time ago, babblin’ sumthin’ about two o’ sumthin and then Blank Flanks, afore she fainted in the middle of the floor.”
“She fainted?” Scootaloo asks, then pumps a hoof. “Sweet. Didn’t even plan that. Wish we'd gotten a photo o' that too.”
Applejack raises an eyebrow, just as I jab the Pegasus in the gut, hissing, “Shush!”
Applejack then turns her gaze to me and I can’t help but wilt under it. “Applebuck?”
I gulp. “Ye-yes?” Okay, why do Ah feel so scared all of a sudden? Has being this size for so long really made me so easy to intimidate?
Applejack cocks her head. “Just why are ya’ll wearin’ one o’ mah sister’s bows?”
We all freeze. In the excitement of a prank well done, I’d completely forgotten to take off the bow. And with Tiara mentioning two of something and Blank Flanks, plus the fact that wearing the bow makes Apple Bloom and I look exactly alike...
I gulp. “Ah... We, er...”
Applejack cocks an eyebrow in a way that makes me feel very uncomfortable. It's like she's looking right into me.
“Okay, we did it!” Sweetie Belle cries, her voice squeaking with panic. “We played a trick on Diamond Tiara, making her think there were two Apple Blooms by having Bucky wear a bow.”
The rest of us face-hoof. Of course. Of all ponies in the show, Sweetie was most likely to cave under pressure and that's just what happened.
Applejack’s glare intensifies and we all lower our heads and ears. “Ah am very disappointed in you four, especially you, Applebuck. This ain’t yer world an’ you go and play a mean-spirited prank like that?”
I look up, my confidence returning in an instant as she defends Tiara. “Applejack, ya’ll don’t know just how horrible Diamond Tiara is. She’s been torturing Apple Bloom and the others fer ages.”
Applejack just raises an eyebrow. “So ya’ll’re sayin’ two wrongs make a right?”
“Ah...” I look away. “Well, no, Ah wouldn’t say that, exactly...”
She shakes her head. “Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Ah’ll be lettin’ yer parents know ’bout this, got it?”
The unicorn and Pegasus hang their heads, nodding.
“An’ as fer you two,” she rounds on us, making us flinch, “Yer both grounded. Up to Apple Bloom’s room, now!”
“But, AJ—” we both say.
“No,” she cuts us off, pointing a hoof upstairs. “Room, now!”
We hang our heads and go up to Apple Bloom’s room, myself kicking the door closed with a hind leg.
We sit in the middle of the room silently, listening to the muffled sounds of Applejack still telling the other two off and warning them that their families would learn about what we’d done and that we were expected to apologize to Diamond Tiara the next time we saw her, which if I was lucky, wouldn’t be ever again.
I take off the bow I’d been wearing and hand it to Apple Bloom. She takes it, nodding.
Now, I'm sure you're wondering how Applejack can ground me when I'm over twenty-years-old.
Well, seeing as I'm smaller than her. Plus, she's giving me a place to stay, instead of just leaving me with somepony else until we can figure out how to send me back, and... well, even if I don't agree with it, I'm still just a guest in this house and I have to follow the rules, even if I don't want to.
After a few more moments of silence, Apple Bloom speaks up. “That was a pretty good prank, ya know.”
I nod, not looking up. “Too bad we got caught. Ya think AJ took the pictures?”
Apple Bloom shakes her head. “Dunno. Hope not." She looks at me, a small smile crossing her face. “Ya know, knowing Tiara, she’ll probably believe you or Ah was a Changeling, or that the whole farm is.”
I chuckle at that. “Bet she’ll demand that Twilight use that spell.”
We both giggle.
“Boy, will her face go red when it don’t work,” Apple Bloom gets up and walks over to her bed, getting up on it and lying down. “Whatcha think mah sister’s gonna do?”
I shake my head. “Dunno. Probably sumthin’ like no supper, or no dessert t'night.”
Apple Bloom sighs. “Ya’ll don’t know mah sister, Bucky. We’ll probably be given some gross job ta do.”
We sit, waiting for the orange mare to come up. For hours we wait, wondering when she’ll come up. We wait and wait, but she never comes up.
However, neither of us wanted to get into any more trouble, so we didn’t leave the room, even as the day slowly moved along.
By the time our stomachs are rumbling, we risk leaving. But, as soon as we open the door, we find two sandwiches, two apples and two glasses of water sitting outside the door.
We don’t need telling to know what to do. We take the plates inside the room and eat our lunch. Or rather, Apple Bloom ate. I don't want to, not after being punished for doing something to help out three of the nicest fillies in Equestria.
As Apple Bloom eats, we start talking. Apple Bloom asks me about my life on Earth, so I tell her. About how I’d spent the first twenty-three years of my life, right up to when I woke up as here.
She becomes very interested when I tell her how hard it had been for me to cope with being her. I tell her about how I had started to struggle, dealing with everything that had been happening and then, on top of that, finding myself here in Equestria and the fears that put in me, being separated from my family, not knowing when I’d get home...
As I tell her how broken-hearted I’d been this morning when I woke to find this all hadn’t been a dream, we hear a knock on the door.
We both look to it as the door opens, revealing Applejack. Her expression from before isn’t there anymore. Instead it has become one of slight worry.
Apple Bloom looks a little confused by this, but I glare. Whatever she has to say, it better be an apology for punishing us. If not, I know about a certain paper that would give her reason to back me up with doing what I did to Tiara.
She flinches at my glare, then walks in and I notice she's holding a scroll, one I recognize as being from Twilight, her Cutie Mark being the torn seal. Applejack hands the scroll to me.
I scowl. "What?"
She blinks, a little surprised by my reaction, then glances to the scroll. "Ya'll should read this."
I bat her hoof holding the scroll away and glare right into her eyes. She recoils, clearly not have been expecting it.
I'm fuming, mad beyond mad. I'd found something I could do, something that made me useful while I'm stuck in this world and what had I gotten in return? Scolding and punishment, when the one who really deserves punishment is probably being cooed at and pampered more than her snobby self usually is even as we speak.
"Why?"
Applejack cocks an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Why what?"
I turn away, snorting. "Why do you always side with Tiara over family?"
She blinks, her eyes wide, as are Apple Bloom's though with a different look in them.
I look back to the older mare, snorting once more. "Ah told ya'll the truth. Right away, first thing Ah said t' you was the truth, AJ. Yet, ya'll wouldn' even listen ta me when it came ta our prank on Tiara." I narrow my eyes. "Are ya'll so determined to keep business with Filthy Rich that ya'd ignore the truth, even when it's strain' ya right in the face!?"
Her eyes go wide. "Ah'd never— Why would ya—? How can ya'll say that, Applebuck?"
I point a hoof at the other filly in the room. "Cos ya'll never seem ta take yer own sister seriously 'bout all Tiara puts her through." I snort. 'n fact, the only time Ah think ya'll had any understandin' 'bout it was that day Rich made Tiara dance with the others with Granny fer the Zap Apples after she insulted Granny at Family Appreciation Day."
Applejack's eyes widen and she looks to her sister, wearing an expression that begs her to tell her that isn't the case.
Bloom looks away, her face sad. "Well... she's kinda right, sis. Ya never really, Ah mean really listen ta me when Ah talk 'bout it. Ya just brush it off as me being a silly filly."
You can hear the hurt in Apple Bloom's voice at that fact that she was not only saying this, but that it was true and that hurt only makes me angrier.
Applejack looks heartbroken as she stares at her sister. However, I don't give her time to dwell on that, coughing to get her attention.
She looks to me, still wearing that expression, to see me holding out a hoof. Now that I'd gotten that out of my system, I want to find out what Twilight had sent,
She holds out the scrolls to me and I snatch them away, giving her a look that says, while I was done ragging on her right now, I wasn't done yet.
I take a deep breath, open the scroll and read.
Applejack,
This letter is about the young filly now in your care.
It would seem that my hunch about her reason for looking and sounding just like your sister has been confirmed. After what she said about the timeframe, I did some research and it would seem it was due to the moment when Tirek and I were fighting and our magical blasts collided.
His magic at the time was a combination of all five of your magical energies, along with Discord’s Chaos Magic, as well as the countless ponies from Canterlot, Hoofington and Appleloosa that he drained.
When it and my magic, which was the combined power of mine, Cadance, Celestia and Luna’s magic, collided with the intensity they did, the explosion managed to pierce through the walls of reality into Sam’s own world and he was unfortunate enough to be the one near where the magic seeped into his world through the weakened wall.
As to why he transformed into a duplicate of Apple Bloom, I’m still unsure. It was most likely just a random draw of which pony he was turned into and your sister happened to be the one.
I have confirmed through tests that Sam is now physically identical to Apple Bloom in every way. Her DNA and magical aura match Apple Bloom’s completely.
I sent a letter to the princess to see if she could help, maybe send Sam back. However, mere minutes after sending that letter I got a reply, not from Celestia, but Luna. I have attached a copy of the letter.
If you can, please let Sam read this herself. I think it would be better that way.
I am sorry about this, Sam. I know you want to go home, but I’m afraid it may not be for a while. Until then, I am placing you in Applejack’s care. Trust me; you couldn’t be in better hooves.
Twilight.
I don’t like where this was going. Why would Luna answer a letter sent to Celestia? And why does Twilight feel she has to apologize to me?
I shift the paper, finding the second letter and start reading.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I am afraid my sister cannot answer your letter right now. Though she is not in any danger, she appeared this morning in the castle grounds, completely exhausted of her magical energy and unconscious.
Her physicians have confirmed that she had been using some incredibly powerful magic and will not regain her full strength for several weeks, two months at the most. The only thing I can compare it to is world crossing, which, as you know, is dangerous magic to mess with.
While you were able to return to the alternate world through the mirror using those devices, that is different from what my sister appears to have done. You were merely manipulating the mirror’s magical energies to reopen the portal. That was a stable way to cross dimensions.
What my sister did, is far more dangerous and much more taxing on the body and inner magic. She literally crossed the dimensions with no real protection.
I did not know why she would have done this until your letter arrived. If this filly that looks like Apple Bloom is indeed from another world, my sister might have had a role to play in her being here. However, I would like to believe, if that is true, there was a good reason, though there is every chance my sister was trying to keep the filly in her own world, but failed to do so.
While I do believe my sister did not knowingly take a filly from her world and family, it makes me no less aggravated that my sister may have brought a being from another universe into our own. That filly should be with her own family, whether they be human or not and not have to suffer waiting until my sister’s recovery to return to her home.
And yes, I am sorry to say that, until my sister has recovered enough to at least give me the frequency of this filly’s homeworld, she must remain in our own.
As such, until such a time as my sister is able to resume her duties, I will be taking over the rising and lowering of the sun, while continuing my own duties of raising and lowering the moon.
As you mentioned the filly is currently staying with Applejack, I will entrust you to place her legally in the farmer’s care until such a time as she can be returned to the world from whence she came.
And young Sam, I know Twilight well enough to know that you are reading this due to her sending a copy of my letter to Applejack, who will have let you read it yourself, instead of reading it out to you.
Please know that I am truly sorry for the trouble we have caused you and that I will do everything in my power to ensure your safe return to your own world.
Luna.
I blink, staring at the words. I... I'm stuck here until Celestia gets better? She might have been the reason I’m here? Why? Why would she take me away from my home, my family? Why would she do something so cruel?
Tears slide down my muzzle, landing on the scroll, staining the ink.
I feel a pair of hooves, one pair small, the other larger, pull me close. I push the larger ones away, I don't want Applejack to hold me right now and I quietly cry into the other pair instead.