//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Prelude to Benny Hill Theme 
// Story: The Perfectly Normal Life of Megan Williams 
// by drunkenpandaren 
//------------------------------//

"Has anyone seen Pinkie and Megan in the last two hours?" asked Danny suddenly, looking up from his book. The house had been devoid of studying recently, and it had been quite a long time since Megan had said she was going out for a walk.

"Not for a while at least," said Molly. Danny grunted in response, getting up. "Are you going out to look for them?"

"Yeah, it's been a while. Normally, Megan would call if she was out this late with friends. Not that I'm worried or anything, but still." Shrugging on a light jacket, Danny headed out the door. "Watch the house, Molly."

"Not like I can do anything else!" called back Molly, thinking of her punishment for jumping off the roof with the Crusaders.

Turning down the road towards the middle of town, where the school was, Danny had to admit that it was unlike Megan to disappear like this. A part of him worried about her, but she was a tough girl.

Lost in his thoughts for a long moment, Danny nearly walked into Flash, who was coming up the street. "Sorry," the pair chorused. "Flash," greeted Danny.

"Danny," replied Flash. "Hey, have you seen Megan?"

"Megan? No, I was going to ask you the same thing. Why?"

Flash rubbed the back of his head as he sighed. "Well I was going to ask if she wanted to go get a shake or something, while we discussed the whole Fall Formal thing."

Danny snorted. "She's not running for the Princess title, you know."

"I know that, I just wanted to see if she wanted to go with me like we discussed. You know, since most girls avoid me since I was with Sunset," admitted Flash and Danny had to admit that while Flash could be a bit of a puppy when a girl paid attention to him, he had made a bit of a bad choice.

"Still thinking about Sunset?" asked Danny as the pair started walking, turning towards the nearby shop. "You know she was just trying to get more popular."

"I know," admitted Flash. "I feel bad for it, but I don't hold it against her. I mean, she's mean spirited and kind of nuts sometimes but..."

"You had fun," summed up Danny as he approached the door and reached out to take the handle, but a chill ran up his spine. "Whoa..."

"What?" asked Flash as he reached out the open the door but was stopped by Danny. "What's going on?"

"Don't you feel that?" said Danny, his voice going soft for a moment. "Don't you hear that?"

Flash strained his ears and the sound of muffled arguments could be heard. "Sounds like a fight is going to break out."

"No, I mean, that sound. The singing. I'm surprised you're not able to hear it; must be the insulation. Come on, I think we'll go across the street." With effort, Danny tore himself away from the door as he dragged a bewildered Flash away from the corner restaurant.

Minutes later, a trio of girls came out the door as a flood of arguments followed behind them. "I'm tired of fast food; I need a meal," whined one of them and the trio began to bicker out the door.

Across the way, the queasy expression of Danny was met by Flash setting down a ginger ale in front of him. "Drink," he said, "before you get sick on me."

"That only happened once in third grade," snorted Danny as he sipped, some of his color coming back to his face. "Thanks. I don't know what happened. For a moment, I felt really queasy, like there was rolling waves of nausea coming from that store."

"I've been in there dozens of times, though; never felt anything like that before..." Flash looked over across the street at the store, where people were leaving, giving angry looks at one another. "Huh... Check it out, everyone there is glaring at one another."

"Weird..." Danny looked over at the store as Flitter and Cloudchaser came out, yelling at each other. "Uh oh, trouble in sibling town."

"Should we stop them?" asked Flash, getting to his feet as Danny did so. "You know how sensitive Flitter is."

"Yeah."

As the pair bolted out the door, the twins were yelling at each other. Flitter was waving her arms and Cloudchaser's fists were balled. "And you never listen to what I say because I'm the 'baby' of the family. I was born barely a minute after you!"

"Oh, is that what its come down to? Seeing who gets away with who?" snapped her twin. "I wish you were never my sister!"

"You can't mean that, you... you...!" Flitter raised her hand to strike Cloudchaser but was held back by Danny. "Hey, lemme go!"

"Flitter calm down, and Cloudchaser, stop provoking her!" exclaimed Danny, getting smacked in the chin for his troubles.

"Just calm down, you two, you're acting like not yourselves!" Flash interposed himself between Flitter and Cloudchaser, arms spread. "Stop it, you're twins! Sisters! You haven't fought like this since fourth grade!"

"She brought up that I was complaining on Mystable about her!" snapped Cloudchaser. "Always about how I leave things laying around the house."

"Me? You were the one who keeps drinking all the soy in the house!" snarled Flitter, legs windmilling as she was held in Danny's grip. "Danny, lemme go, I'm going to teach her a lesson."

"No, you're not!" grit out Danny. "You two aren't acting like yourselves! What's wrong with you two?"

"Equestrian magic," said a voice from nearby as suddenly, the pair fell asleep, Cloudchaser collapsing into Flash's arms. Luna stepped out from the nearby alleyway, her hands humming with dark energy. "Those two were under a spell, one that creates strife and tension between ponies."

"Vice-Principal Luna?" asked Flash, looking at her hands. "What did you...?"

"We have merely put them to sleep, to ride out the waking nightmare they have been put under," explained Luna. "An examination, however, would be prudent. Subjects, mayhap you carry them to Canterlot High. There is much to discuss."

"Uh sure." Danny looked over at Flash, who shrugged. Carefully, the pair picked up the two and followed Luna along.

=====

Dinner at Twilight Sparkle's home was more or less a frugal thing. With everyone working hours that were incompatible with eating together, dinner was often sandwiches, which Twilight preferred. She could eat while she worked in her basement lab.

While Spike, the family dog, gnawed a bone, she was looking over the newest readings from her graphs. "Another spike in activity," she muttered to herself, tearing the strip off and pinning it next to another dozen which recorded similar readings. "This one is coming from downtown."

"Hey, little sis, what's up?" asked Shining, walking down the stairs. He took in her messy appearance and dress and sighed. "You went right back to the usual didn't you?"

"I don't have time to look fashionable, BBBFF," replied Twilight shortly. "And those contacts we got for me itch."

"Well, if that's your style, then I suppose it works." Picking up an apple from the nearby basket, he crunched into it with a large bite. "So what are you checking on now?"

"There was some kind of disturbance downtown big enough that my graphs registered it. Some kind of energy wavelength that I've recorded previously."

Shining nearly choked on his apple, as he forced it down. Grabbing a glass, he filled it with water from the nearby tap and took a cleansing gulp. "You sure you're not just hearing the local DJs again?"

"No, not this time. It matches the same energy reading I get every 30 days or so, which is weird. I've put it up against every known reading and I can't tell what's going on." Twilight frowned. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Well, when it does happen, we're usually breaking up an argument in a bar," replied Shining noncommittally. "Other than that, it's not really that much."

"Oh. Well, I have no desire to go to one of those, so I'll take you word for it." Her brother wouldn't lie, after all, not to her. "In any case, if you notice more disturbances, please let me know."

"Will do. So, anything new? Are you planning on doing that transfer to CHS any time soon?" asked Shining, taking another careful bite of his apple this time.

"I don't know," replied Twilight. "I would like to, but there's too many electives I want to follow in my own school. It would cause trouble transferring at this time of the year too."

"I suppose you're right," said Shining. "Still, it'd be nice to have my little sister in my alumnus."

"Believe me, it would make me happy too. But there's no room for it right now." Turning back to her instruments, Twilight adjusted her large horn-rims. "Besides, this new reading is interesting."

"Well, don't stay up too late, but you always do." Tossing his apple core into the nearby trash can, he rubbed Spike over the ears. "Come up for dinner once in a while."

=====

"I cannot believe you fast-talked Princess Celestia into giving us a chance to see Ponyville," said Megan, looking over at Trixie, who was carefully attempting to levitate a feather, her horn glowing. The trio were sitting in a train, en route to Ponyville, which would take a few hours of travel. "How?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is a woman of many talents," replied Trixie with a grin, but then turned her attention to her work. "Rrgh, move!"

"Many talents or many mustache talents?" inquired Pinkie, getting a look from the pair. "What?"

"Pinkie Pie you are so random," deadpanned Megan. "Seriously though, I can't believe we get to explore this place. She seemed like she didn't want us to go."

"Well, yeah. Who lets three unsupervised teenagers travel like this?" asked Pinkie. "Duh, she was worried for our safety."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not think that we are in any harm's way," retorted Trixie, getting the feather to flop over before rising a foot into the air. "Princess Celestia assured us that this trip would be safe. Trixie does not expect harm to come to our manes."

"Well, I suppose..." Megan looked out the window at the passing scenery before pulling out her cell phone. It had a full charge, but "no signal" read prominently on the front of her phone. "No reception here either, so Danny has no idea we left."

"Maybe we should have sent a message," mused Pinkie. "Well, too late now!"

As the trio chatted, a stallion at the front of the station looked up at them. His brow furrowed in confusion at the sight. "Pinkie Pie...? Huh, I didn't think she was traveling. Best say hello."

Walking over in his big sombrero and poncho, the three looked up. "Hello, stranger!" exclaimed Pinkie jovially.

"Hello there, Pinkie Pie," replied the stranger in a deep gravelly voice before he raised the brim of his hat. "What brings you out on this train today?"

"Oh, not much, just taking a short trip," said Pinkie. She tilted her head. "So, whatcha doing here?"

"My cheesy sense went off, told me I had to say hello." Removing his hat, he grinned. "And say hello to my friend from Ponyville!" He finished in a much lighter voice.

Trixie blinked at the sight of the familiar curls and exclaimed, "Cheese?"

"The one and only! Cheese Sandwich! It's been such a long time, Pinkie Pie!" exclaimed Cheese with a grin, sitting himself down next to Pinkie. "And in such friendly company too."

"Oooooh, you must know my native self," said Pinkie and Megan hissed, "Pinkie!"

"Wait, other self? Magic portal?"

"Uh-huh."

"Other world?"

"Yeppers!"

"Humans on the other side?"

"Yes indeedily!"

"Convoluted plot to steal Twilight Sparkle's crown in a few days from a jilted former student of Celestia's?"

"Probably?" finished Pinkie. "But let's not give away the plot of the movie."

"Gotcha." Turning towards the two bewildered mares, he stuck out his hooves. "Any friend of Pinkie's in any world is a friend of mine. Cheese Sandwich, the second best party planner of Equestria!"

The pair shook. "Megan," said Megan. "Megan Williams."

"Trixie, the Great and Powerful. So Mr. Sandwich, how did you meet Pinkie Pie?" asked Trixie cautiously.

"Funny thing. I was journeying across the land when my cheese sense went off. Then I realized a huge super duper mega party was happening over in Ponyville. So me and Boneless went over there and threw a huge party, though not without some complications." He grinned ruefully. "I left Boneless with Pinkie Pie, and here's Boneless 2!"

And he picked up a rubber chicken out of his cloak and set it on his head. "He and I have been all over the country."

"Sounds like quite the nomadic life," said Megan. "Well Mr. Sandwich, you're welcome to share bench space with us until we reach Ponyville."

"I'm actually getting off in Vanhoover, but if it's all the same to you, I'll stay a while and listen," laughed Cheese. "Let me tell you about some of the things Pinkie Pie has done here..."


=====

"Everything seems to be all right now," said the Doctor as he monitored the pair in the school infirmary. "Your skill with magic is first rate, although the physics of it is still baffling."

"We have been known to meddle with dreams," admitted Luna as she sat down with a chilled water bottle. "These children were under the influence of Siren magic. A type of seapony, but much more hostile."

"Sirens, huh? You'd think that they'd be legendary. What's a sea creature doing here?" asked Danny.

"They were banished here, over a thousand years ago by Star Swirl the Bearded. When my sister said that there were portals to another world, we had not assumed that this one would be the same world in which Star Swirl had sent his enemies." Luna frowned. "There is much that we have yet to realize, and too much has been lost. Time does not align between our worlds; it has been troubling to say the least."

"So let me get this straight: there's an actual PORTAL between worlds, and no one has ever seen it active before," said Flash. He sighed and rubbed his head. "You'd think someone would notice it after a while."

"The portal does not open until after thirty moons. Which in our world means thirty days, but here, it could be shorter." Standing up, Luna brushed past the pair. "We must go. Our sister awaits."

"Yes, go on. We can handle it from here." The Doctor nodded at Danny and Flash. "Go on, you two, they are in good hands."

"This portal," said Danny as he followed behind Luna. "Do you think someone went through it recently? Like, from our world?"

"It's possible," replied Flash in a low tone. "Why?"

"I think Megan must have gone through. That would explain why I can't reach her on her cell phone." 

Exiting the school, Luna checked the stars for one last moment before slipping through the statue's base. The pair regarded it for a long moment before Flash pushed Danny forward. "Go on. It looks safe."

"Me? Aren't you coming?" asked Danny.

Flash snorted. "Me? Go with you? I'd love to, but someone has to tell Molly you've gone gallivanting to another world. And you didn't bring your cell phone with you."

Patting himself down, Danny grunted. "You're right. Well, go tell Molly. I'll be back soon."

"Take care, bro." The pair fist-bumped before Danny leaped through the portal as well.

=====

Danny landed on all fours, and took a moment to orient himself as Luna stared at him. "Thou should not be here," she said with a frown. "Return to your world, human!"

"Danny," corrected Danny. "And not until I find my sister."

"Hmm... well you are devout to your kin. Very well, to the throne room we shall go." Heading down the hall, Luna threw the doors open. "Inform Cadance and Shining Armor that we have yet another visitor."

"Yes, Princess," said the first, saluting before he dashed away, leaving the second to stand there.

"And you watch over the mirror, let no one pass," said Luna finally. "We have had enough visitors for one day."

As Danny followed behind, he caught a glimpse of his features. Tanned fur with a shock of curled red hair. He still retained a taller build than his sister, which wasn't saying much, but he didn't look like he was out of place in that world. He was, of course a pony, but it was a moot point.

The pair reached the throne room in minutes and Luna opened the doors. "We have accomplished our mission," announced Luna grandly as Celestia looked up from where she was conversing with Cadance. "Though not without another visitor. Sister, praytell what happened to his kin?"

"I let them go to Ponyville for a day," said Celestia, much to Danny's dismay. "We could not keep them locked up here in the Crystal Empire."

"'Tis a foalish decision sister," replied Luna. "The rest of the Elements of Harmony reside there! The double chaos Pinkie Pie will bring...!"

"They didn't give Auntie much choice; Trixie sort of fast-talked her into it." Cadance looked at Celestia, who managed to look ashamed of herself.

"If anything, they were getting restless, and a little trip would be good for them." Shining Armor looked over at Danny. "You're Megan's brother, aren't you?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" asked Danny.

"Same eyes," replied Shining Armor. "You can stay here or catch the late train out to Ponyville."

"Well... if it's all the same to you, I'll wait. Flash should be here soon with Molly."

"Heaven stars above, Danny, Molly AND Megan. 'Tis like the old legends all over again," exclaimed Luna, throwing up her wings in frustration.

"Wait, what?" asked Danny.

"In our world, we have a legend of three humans who helped found pony society," explained Celestia. "Though part of that is, of course, my own doing."

As all eyes went on her, the sun princess continued, "Long ago, Star Swirl the Bearded and I made a magic portal, which could enter many worlds..."

===

Elsewhere, in a place called Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle was running the last checks on her list. "Are you certain we've got everything, Spike?" she asked frantically.

"Quadruple checked off, Twilight. Come on, relax! There's still four days till the Princess Summit. You're getting worked up over nothing." Spike folded his arms. "Why don't we go get a nice pizza with extra rubies?"

"You're right," conceded Twilight finally. "I've made the list and checked it over enough times. Everything is prepared, nothing can go wrong with this."

"That's the spirit. I'm sure everything will be fine, you'll see! What could possibly go wrong?"

No truer words could have been said however as a trio of ponies got off the train, all of them looking around with wonder in their expressions. "Wowie, look at this place!" exclaimed Pinkie, taking in the scenery. "It's kind of like where I used to live!"

"You mean Rockville?" asked Megan, looking about at the various ponies getting off the train and those meeting them. "I guess it really is kind of like that, but with thatched roofs intermixed with the rest of the architecture."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not impressed," replied Trixie, although inside she was charmed by its appearance. "But it is nice."

"So who are we supposed to meet up with anyhow?" asked Megan. "I know Princess Celestia gave us a couple of days to look around before we returned home."

"I think she would be the most obvious person," said Pinkie, pointing at a wall-eyed mare who held up a sign, upside down, that said "Welcome Wagon!"

"Muffins," chorused the trio in bland shock. The pegasus waved at the trio and she floated up to them.

"Hey all, welcome to Ponyville!" exclaimed the muffin-head as she shook hooves with the trio. "Two Pinkie Pies and two Trixies, although one isn't here. And you?"

"Megan," replied Megan, shaking hooves just as energetically. "So, this place is really something. We're not staying too long, but there should be enough things to see."

"Yeah, this place is pretty neat," said Muffins with a grin. "I guess since you three are students, we should show you the schoolhouse."

"Aw really? I wanted to see Sugarcube Corner first. I heard it was made out of candy," said Pinkie, a little dejected.

"We can see that next," said Trixie. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would also love to see the library. Princess Celestia said her former student stays there."

"Well let's split up then. If that's fine, right, Muffins?" said Megan. "Sugarcube Corner and the library are over there. But I'm going to need help finding the school."

"Oh sure, that's no problem. We'll hit those places on the way," said Muffins. "Come on!"

=====

"So let me get this straight: my brother and possibly my sister are in magical ponyland, and you came back to tell me?" said Molly as Flash had arrived and explained what had happened.

"That's about the long and short of it," replied Flash. "You coming or not?"

"Are you kidding? I won't miss this for the world. Lemme get my coat."

Arriving at the school minutes later, Flash gestured towards the portal at the base of the statue. "There. That's the portal."

"Swanky," remarked Molly. "Come on Flash, we may as well go through together."

"Well, all right. What's the worst that could happen?"

As the pair pushed through the base in a flash of light, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. "Huh... so... the portal is open now..."

Sunset Shimmer grinned wickedly. "Perfect."