//------------------------------// // 8. Amethyst Star // Story: X Steps Through The Portal // by Tennis Match Fan //------------------------------// Amethyst Star stooped down and adjusted her purple sandals. "Hurry up, Amethyst!" Twinkleshine stamped her foot impatiently. "You know how fun this dance is!" "I also know it's important your footwear is tied so you don't trip and sprain your ankle," Amethyst replied with a smile. Twinkleshine pretended to look annoyed, but failed. "Seriously, we should hurry up. We're only a few houses away!" Twinkleshine pointed to a house up ahead. It belonged to Rising Star, a DJ from another high school across town. Even though Amethyst was a CHS student, Rising Star had invited her, as well as some other students from CHS. "Okay, let's run!" Amethyst suggested playfully. "Sounds good to me!" Twinkleshine agreed. They both began to run to the party. Twinkleshine took the lead, but Amethyst was only a few steps behind her. "It looks amazing!" Twinkleshine exclaimed when they arrived at Rising Star's house. Although the main party was inside, lots of guests were outside, laughing and talking. Two boys passed a football to each other. Girls were climbing a tree in the yard. "I can't believe Rising put this all together," Amethyst marveled as they walked inside. "I can," Twinkleshine answered, pushing past the crowds and leading Amethyst to the refreshment table. "When you've known him for second grade, you know how epic his parties can be. "Here." She tossed Amethyst a can of Coca Cola. "I'm off the find some friends. The dance floor is that way-" she pointed to a room "-if you're interested," she finished. Twinkleshine disappeared into the crowd. Amethyst took a sip of her drink. "I did come here to dance!" She told herself. Setting down the can, Amethyst squeezed through the crowds to the dance floor, where Rising Star was being his own DJ. Remixes of popular tunes blared out of the speakers. The multicolored lights overhead reminded Amethyst of the Fall Formal. "Hey Amy!" A guy from her school, Thunderbass, yelled over the music. "Nice to see you here!" Amethyst grinned. "Thanks!" She yelled. Rising Star turned the music down as he spoke into a microphone. Amethyst turned to watch him. "Thanks for coming, all!" He exclaimed. "You know I love having these parties!" Amethyst cheered with the crowd. "This next song," he continued, punching a button or something on his turntables, "is one of my own! I hope you enjoy dancing to it!" Rising Star turned up the volume again. Amethyst loved to dance, but she was a little shy. At first, she only tapped her feet to the rythm. As the song progressed, however, she got into it. Amethyst was dancing with her heart and soul. Boy, did she love it! For the next couple hours, Amethyst danced to song after song. However, she couldn't keep it up forever. I'll just take a little dance break, Amethyst thought. She left the room, grabbed her Coco Cola, and headed out into the cool night air. "Hey, Cloud Kicker!" She exclaimed, noticing that older girl. They had been best friends in middle school. Cloud Kicker looked away from the girls she had been talking with. When she saw Amethyst, she smiled. "Well, if it isn't my old buddy, Amethyst!" She exclaimed, holding up her hand for a high five. Amethyst obliged. "This party beats all," Amethyst commented. "It sure does," Cloud Kicker agreed. A green girl behind her coughed purposefully. "Oh, yeah. Hold on, Merry May," Cloud Kicker answered. To Amethyst, she said, "Listen, we'll be able to talk later. I'm in the middle of a very important discussion with my friends. Once I'm done, we can talk to our hearts' content!" "I understand," Amethyst replied honestly. "I'll see you then!" "Yeah," Cloud Kicker agreed before turning back of her friends. "Now, about the legalization..." Amethyst drifted over to the tree some girls had been hanging on earlier. She stared up at the glittering stars as she sipped her soda. Suddenly, something rustled above her. Amethyst looked up into the leaves of the tree. "Oh!" She exclaimed as a blue jay flew out of it. "I didn't know blue lived around here." It there was one thing Amethyst enjoyed besides dancing, it was animals. She watched, fascinated, as the blue jay circled around her, then flew across the street. I feel like it's calling me, Amethyst thought. She placed her can of Coca Cola on the ground before she crossed the street, following the blue jay. Amethyst hadn't noticed it before, but now she did. Rising Star's house was directly across from Canterlot High. Following the blue jay across the street, she was now on school grounds. Amethyst hurried after the mysterious bird as it flew gracefully through the night air. "Wait for me!" She called to it. The blue jay seemed to hear her, and it stopped flying to land on the horse statue in front of the school. Amethyst caught up easily. "What do you want to tell me, little birwooooah!" Amethyst suddenly stumbled, tripping over her sandals. She was thrust forward. The grey marble statue rushed to meet her. The last thing Amethyst heard before tumbling in was the blue jay's twitter. "Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" She cried in alarm. Her arms felt like they were welded to her sides. Amethyst spun in circles like a shark preparing to devour its prey. Or a toilet bowl, but Amethyst didn't want to think about that. Amethyst suddenly became aware of a splitting headache forming just behind her forehead. "Ugh," she groaned, forgetting everything in the moment except for the headache. Amethyst's vision blurred... ...then it suddenly cleared as she tumbled out of the void she had been in. As she spiraled out, Amethyst saw she was in a crystal room with a bookshelf in a corner. That was before she flew straight into the wall. "Ow," Amethyst muttered. "I'm definitely not at Rising Star's party anymore. Or CHS, for that matter." Amethyst stared at her reflection in the crystal wall. "Am I a... pony?" She asked in stunned disbelief. There was a horn on top of her head. She was a unicorn! Amethyst's eyes grew wide. "That's why my head hurt through the portal!" She realized. "Oh, I have to try to lift something!" Amethyst gazed around the room. The only thing that was really liftable was a book. "Well, you start small, right?" She murmured. Amethyst stared at a book on the lowest shelf. She gazed at it intently. Um, levicorpus? Amethyst Star thought, completely ripping off Harry Trotter. Mobiliarbus? Wingardium leviousa? "Jeez, Amethyst," she murmured. "That's all fantasy. This is fiction. Now, what would make a book move? Maybe if I just..." Amethyst stared at the book in full concentration, only thinking about it being levitated up and over to her. Amethyst felt a sudden magic surround her horn. The book was lifted off the shelf! Although she wanted to dance in joyful celebration, Amethyst kept still, afraid she would brake the spell. Her book floated over to her. Amethyst finally released her mental hold, and it dropped to the floor in front of her. "Yes!" She exclaimed picking up the book excitedly. "Now, what's this thing called? "'Magic for Advanced Users?!'" Amethyst read in disbelief, the irony hitting her like a wave at the beach. Amethyst tossed the book aside. "What else should I do here?" Amethyst murmured. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. "That Twilight Sparkle- she danced like a pony at the Fall Formal!" A grin formed on Amethyst's face. "I can totally do pony moves!" Amethyst cycled through her mental database of songs. "Oh! Shake Your Tail!" She decided. "Perfect!" Amethyst imagined that Rising Star was playing the song right then. She closed her eyes and tapped her back hooves to the opening rhythm. When she got to the bridge, Amethyst started branching out. She began to sway with the beat (which was inside her head and not weird at all) and moving her hooves. "Shake your tail 'cause we're here to have a party tonight!" Amethyst sang softly, literally shaking her tail! Halfway through her mini dance party, Amethyst realized she was being totally weird and abruptly stopped dancing. "I should probably get back," she reasoned. A conspiratorial grin appeared on her face. "But before I go..." Amethyst walked over to a wall and licked it. "Just had to see if it was rock candy!" She exclaimed lightly before walking back into the portal. Back on the other side, Amethyst discovered she had skinned her leg. "Aw man," she groaned, grabbing the portal for support. The blue jay, who had apparently been there the entire time, tweeted. Amethyst grinned at it. "Thanks for showing me that. Although I was being creepy- wait, you weren't there. I don't have to tell you anything!" The blue jay flapped its wings. "Alright, alright! Let's get back to the party!" Amethyst agreed. Limping slightly, she and her blue jay friend walked back across the street. "Hey Amethyst!" Cloud Kicker waved at her. "Over here!" "Let's keep this one to ourselves," Amethyst told the blue jay. "Coming!" She called to Cloud Kicker, then ran to join her friend.