//------------------------------// // 35. Mystery Mint // Story: X Steps Through The Portal // by Tennis Match Fan //------------------------------// "Hey, Blueberry?" Mystery Mint asked after the two girls had shut their lockers. "I'm gonna look for that portal to the pony world. Can you cover for me?" "Oh, su- wait, what?" Blueberry's backpack nearly slipped out of her grasp. Thankfully, she managed to recover quickly from her double take. "You're looking for the portal to the pony world?" Blueberry repeated. Mystery smiled. "The one and only!" she confirmed. Blueberry arched an eyebrow as they walked out of CHS. "I never would've expected you to be the one wanting to go through," she commented. "I thought Lyra was the one who wanted to meet the friendly equines on the other side. Wait." Blueberry stopped walking to think. "I bet she already has." "You have any theories about where the portal would be?" Mystery asked her. "I was thinking maybe in a tree or something." "Maybe the statue?" Blueberry suggested, pointing out the marble statue in front of CHS. Mystery beamed. "That would make better sense than the bushes!" she answered, quickening her pace to get to the statue. "Is it the portal?" Blueberry asked when she arrived a couple seconds later. Mystery extended her arm to touch the surface. To both girls' amazement, her hand slipped through! "It is!" Mystery confirmed in amazement. "It's like your physic, Blueberry!" Blueberry smiled and rolled her eyes. "I doubt I am. Anyways, you wanted me to cover for you? What does that entail?" "Just keep teachers away from the portal!" Mystery explained. "Pretend you're a spy or something!" Blueberry nodded and slid her sunglasses down onto her nose. "Agent Cake is ready for buisness," she said in a fake-serious tone. "See ya later!" Mystery exclaimed. She waved one last time, then jumped into the portal. Blueberry stared at the spot where Mystery had just been. "Hold on, why can't I come too?" she commented. "Why did I agree to this?" Mystery shrieked as colors enveloped her. Yeah, it was cool, but she was more concerned with potentially dying! Mystery's arms were glued to her sides. She felt claustrophobic and a little nauseous. "Help meee-" Suddenly Mystery was out of the color vortex and standing on a crystal surface. "Sheesh!" she gasped out, looking around immediately. "Hello?" Mystery tried to take a step forward. Still disoriented and unused to hooves, she stumbled into the wall. Jeez, hooves are hard, she thought as she looked down at the new appendages. She was still the same pale blue (Blueberry insisted the correct shade was "cornflower") as she was in her own world. The tips of her magenta streaked hung at the edge of her vision as usual. I wonder... Mystery looked up. The walls were almost like mirrors, and she could see her full reflection. "I'm a unicorn!" she gasped in delight. A pale blue horn poked out of her thick mane. "That's so cool! I bet the pony version of me can play the guitar really well!" Mystery added as an afterthought. Mystery turned around, taking in the rest of her surroundings. There was a bookshelf on one side of the room- probably filled with interesting pony stories- and a mirror several feet away. I bet that's the portal, Mystery thought. She cautiously stuck a hoof onto the surface. It slipped right through. "Ow!" Blueberry exclaimed as something poked her in the back. "Wait, is that Mystery's hand?" I know how to get back, now, Mystery thought. "On to exploring!" In another moment, Mystery was stumbling over to the staircase on the other side of the room. There wasn't anything to do up here, anyways. "Hello?" she asked as she walked down the stairs. When nopony responded, Mystery concentrated on not slipping. Yay! she cheered silently after she successfully planted all four hooves firmly on the next floor. Wonder what's over there? She cocked her head curiously, looking down a hallway on her right. The corridor was made of crystal, like the rest of the place. Oh, look! Mystery marveled at a crystal vase underneath a window. Flowers of a grey shade sat inside it. "That's not very colorful," Mystery remarked, gently prodding a flower with a hoof. Suddenly, the grey flowers began to sparkle! Mystery blinked in surprise as one flower turned light blue, another turned magenta, and two more turned cerise. "These change according to ponies' colors!" Mystery realized. "This is such a cool place!" After lingering with the flowers a moment longer, she continued down the hall. It's weird I haven't met any ponies yet, she noticed as she took in the details of the corridor. This place is almost like a castle! Who wouldn't live here? As if on cue, a small purple dragon appeared around the corner. Mystery watched him, fascinated. His back was lined with green scales, and his eyes were a matching emerald green. "Hey!" The little dragon's sharp voice broke Mystery's spellbound trance. "Whoops! Sorry for staring," she apologized. "Well, I don't blame you. I'm the most handsome dragon there is!" the dragon made pumped his arm the way Teddy and Curly Winds did when they showed off their muscles. Mystery giggled. "I'm Mystery Mint," she introduced herself, walking over. "What's your name?" "Spike!" the dragon, Spike, answered promptly. "Oh yeah, that reminds me! What are you doing here? Twilight isn't supposed to have any visitors today!" "You're her dog, aren't you?" Mystery realized. "No, I'm a dragon-" Spike's eyes widened. "Wait, how do you know about that?" Mystery gulped. "Well, I'm actually from that world," she explained. "I'm a student at Canterlot High." "Twilight isn't gonna like that," Spike remarked. "She doesn't want anybody coming through the portal. Beats me why she keeps it open, then." He shrugged. "Are- are you gonna tell her?" Mystery asked. "Heck no!" Spike exclaimed. "I wouldn't get any visitors like you!" Mystery giggled. "Do you get a lot of visitors?" "You're the first," Spike admitted. "Hey, why don't you come to the kitchen? We can talk there, and I make awesome cakes!" Blueberry's gonna yell at me when I finally get back, Mystery thought sheepishly as she followed Spike back to the kitchen. "Lucky you, I just made some cupcakes!" Spike exclaimed. "She's off on errands in town, I thought I'd surprise her when she gets back!" "But won't she notice if you give me a cupcake?" Mystery queried as they entered the kitchen. "Nah, don't worry about it!" Spike waved a claw. "She's got plenty! Anyways, pick any!" "Thanks, Spike!" Mystery exclaimed, looking over the selection. Finally settling on a yellow one with pink and green icing, she realized she couldn't pick it up. "Uh, Spike?" she asked. "How do I use my horn?" Spike, who had already helped himself to a cupcake, shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Mystery. If you notice, I don't have one of the those." Mystery nodded and stared at her cupcake. I bet I could do it if I tried, she thought, concentrating on the cupcake. Mystery felt a flowing sensation as she wished for the cupcake to get in her magical field. Unsure how she did it, the cupcake was enveloped in a cerise glow. The confection rose to her mouth, ready to be eaten. "I got it!" Mystery exclaimed in delight. "Good job!" Spike clapped. "Now eat and tell me what you think!" Mystery beamed and took a bite. "Banana?!" "Twilight's favorite fruit!" Spike added. "You like?" "Ya!" Mystery replied through a mouthful of cupcake. "Just wadn't 'spectin' banana!" When the cupcake had been eaten, Mystery wiped some crumbs off her mouth. "So, what do you do?" Spike asked. "I'm a guitarist," Mystery replied. "My best friend, Cherry Crash, she and I have a band. We're called the Strike Hearts! I sing and play guitar!" "Hey, you're like Rainbow Dash!" Spike noted cheerfully. "Before Twilight came to the Battle of the Bands, she was the main singer and guitarist for the Rainbooms!" "I remember!" Mystery beamed. "So, how about you? What do you do?" "I'm Twilight's number one assistant!" Spike answered proudly. "I clean, cook, and all sorts of stuff!" "You're really helpful!" Mystery complimented him. Spike grinned. "Thanks. It just comes naturally. Hey, do you know Vinyl Scratch?" "Vinyl? Yeah," Mystery responded. "She has her headphones on 24/7, so she barely talks!" "She makes the best music in Ponyville!" Spike exclaimed. "I own her mixtapes, and the covers are autographed!" "Is Ponyville where you live?" "Yeah. I guess Canterlot High is in Canterlot?" "Kinda. It's in the suburbs of Canterlot City," Mystery told Spike, biting into another cupcake. Cupcake. "Dang it!" Mystery groaned. "Blueberry is probably so steamed right now!" "Who's Blueberry?" asked Spike, coming around the counter. "She's a friend at school, and I left her in front of the portal for no good reason except for a half-baked plan to sneak over here!" "Do you have to go, Mystery?" Spike asked, pretending to be mopey. "This was fun!" "It was fun!" Mystery agreed. "Next time Twilight has to come save CHS from evil shadow people, stop by the Rockers' table at lunch!" Spike gave her a thumbs up. "You betcha!" he promised. "Now, go save your friendship!" "I will!" Mystery struck a heroic pose before galloping back to the portal. Meanwhile... "I can't hold them off much longer!" Blueberry shouted to a very beat up Normal Norman. "They're just to strong!" "Oh no!" Norman cried. He stumbled, and Blueberry caught him. "Call for backup!" he shouted into a princess walkie talkie. "Roger that!" Nolan North's voice crackled a response. "General Blueberry!" Aqua Blossom yelled. "We've run out of pie!" "Find cake instead!" Blueberry responded. "We must protect the portal at all costs!" "Die teachers!" Rose Heart shrieked, tossing a cake into Mr. Doodle Donkey's face. "What the heck?" Mystery asked. She had just arrived in the middle of a Fashionista vs. Teachers war. "Thank goodness you're here!" Blueberry told her. "Is the portal secure?" "Backup's here!" Nolan interrupted, returning to the fray with Eco Kids at his side. "... Never trust Blueberry on guard duty again," Mystery stated, one eye twitching.