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// Portals and Time 
// Story: Portals: Paradox (Book 2 in the Portals Series) 
// by The Derpy Doctor 
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	Kevin stood outside the bounds of where Twilight had once stood. He knew not where the portal was nor if it would actually change anything. All he knew was that it would only work with him, because he was the only one that would likely change into a human if he went through the portal. The portal might change the time to the days that he could potentially change Fluttershy’s past. Kevin stepped into the rubbage of the building. No one behind him to observe besides Twilight. She had left the remainder of her friends to take care of themselves until she could return. She wanted to make sure that this experiment could and would take place correctly. Kevin parted the entrance before moving walking to the very edge. Kevin knew that the portal had some magical ability to change location every time somepony stepped through it, but what exactly could it do as far as time is concerned? we hadn’t tried that yet. This was the place he remembered teleporting into. He didn’t remember it very vividly. The best he figured was that it was here. He assumed the position.
He stood with his hooves at shoulder width before thinking about earth: his home. He didn’t have many ties there. So he thought about the only thing that he could think of that could count as any tie.
He thought about his parents. Although he might not remember them that well, he still knew that they were his best company. An only child, he was the only person that had to love them. The last thing he remembered of them was his ninth birthday. Soon after that, they 	passed away. Kevin ignored that and tried to focus on all of the good things that had happened while they were alive. Of course, after thinking 	about his dead parents, he arrived at the graveyard that they were buried in.
Kevin saw immediately a funeral. There was a live funeral several yard away. To make matters worse, he was a pony still. He had to get through the portal before they saw him. Quickly, he thought about Fluttershy. Filly Fluttershy. It was too late. someone looked at him and noticed every little thing about him. Kevin tried to focus more and more, but more and more people started noticing him. There were several looking at him, now. Kevin tried on more time to think about filly Fluttershy before once again disappearing into another world.
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Kevin came to his new surroundings. He was in a cloud home. There were only clouds around. Kevin thought he was in Cloudsdale several years ago, but he couldn’t be too certain. What if it wasn’t? he didn’t want to have to go back to the graveyard as a pony. The people at the funeral might hurt him like the one guy did with Twilight.
Kevin moved forward. He placed one hoof in front of the other; noticing that the ground was very bouncy. It was a cloud. The whole of the earth cluttered beneath his hooves in a cloud form. Kevin continued walking before being startled out of his mind by a sudden voice.
“Excuse me, caddet!” Came the voice of an obvious flying instructor. No wonder Fluttershy became so timid. That voice made Kevin want to jump behind a cloud and weep.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He came again. Kevin turned around to see the owner of such a tone.
“I was...”
“Not on my watch!” the grey pegasus with a dark brown mane interrupted, assuming Kevin was up to trouble.
“Come with me, I will take you to class,” The instructor called as he forced Kevin toward the cloud home.
Kevin thought to himself: Do I look like a filly? Before he could ask the question he looked down and noticed that asking such a question 	would get a very vain response.
He was a filly. His head was no more than a foot and a half away from the ground. He was half his normal height (in pony form).
Kevin continued to be shoved forth until he finally got to the flight school.
“Oh no,” Kevin thought, “He must think I’m part of the flight school”
Kevin turned as best he could to the instructor.
“There’s been a mistake!” He managed before the ignorant pegasus walked away ignoring him completely.
Kevin was in flight school. He could be bullied here just like Fluttershy.
Kevin walked around the small patch of cloud at his hooves. He thought about what he might do if the portal had simply made him a filly and didn’t do anything to adjust time. He might have to ask Twilight to change him back into a full-grown stallion. Kevin shook the thought out 	of his mind. He had to get out of here before that happened. Kevin looked for a way out.
The only thing in sight was clouds. There weren’t many of them, so escaping should be very easy. He charged the edge of the cloud he stood on before realising that he couldn’t yet fly as his other pony self. He was stuck on this end of the cloud until he could find another way. Now, Kevin tried the other side which was less difficult, it was separated by a small gap in the clouds that Kevin would have to jump if he were 	to make it.
Kevin reared himself to the edge. Even there he was about four feet from the impending edge of the cloud and wouldn’t get that much of a running start. With as short of a body as he had, the small portion of land he had to run on wasn’t helping the thought of jump.
“Say, this sure reminds me of something,” Kevin said as he began the first verse of an all too familiar song.
“It’s not very far, just move your little rump. You can make it if you try with a hop, skip and a jump.” He began as he jolted himself at the clift.
He failed and found himself slipping at the very edge of the mound by only two hooves. Soon, he would fall and there would be no one to even know him before he died without one witness.
However, he was not doomed. Very soon, somepony grabbed his hoof and brought him up.
Kevin wondered who the mysterious pony could be.
The question of ‘who’ being answered as his face came over the edge of the cloud layer.
It was Rainbow Dash.
Kevin rested his hooves on the soft ground.
“Thank you, Ra…” Kevin commented her name and then stopped himself: both from saying her name and from having a starstruck fan moment.
“Yeah, you’re welcome,” she acknowledged. Kevin walked towards her and tried to see the strange field. There were several little fillies trying to fly. Many of the fillies were successfully flying, but few were still “earth” bound. One pony had brown fur and flew like he had been flying for several months. Another had greyish blue fur and flew mildly less majestically. Each of them were part of a group of thirty or more. Kevin watched in awe as many of the fillies passed each other and gave some bad acknowledgement to those who were caught in their way.
Kevin noticed one pony in particular that he admired. He noticed one with yellow fur and pink hair. Kevin knew this filly way too well and knew way too well what things were going to happen on a day like today.
Rainbow Dash rubbed her hoof on his face to get his attention.
“Hey!” He woke up, “Wake up! Are you okay?” Rainbow attempted.
“Sorry,” Kevin said as his eyes stopped their dilation, “Sorry, what’s um… What’s your name?”
“I’m Rainbow Dash, and You owe me your life! Sit Slave!” Rainbow demanded.
Kevin submitted. Although he knew he was not her slave, he knew better than to criticise Rainbow Dash.
That was when Rainbow Dash burst out laughing.
Kevin stared down on the filly: the filly that was currently quite literally rolling on the floor laughing.
When she finally got up, she told that she was joking.
“I’m always about a good prank,” She told pretending to punch him on the shoulder. Kevin nodded. “Right,” more thinking back on what 	he learned over the episodes than actually responding to the statement.
Rainbow dash spat on her hoof and then held it out for him to shake. “I really am Rainbow Dash, though, but you can call me Rainbow Dash.”
Kevin wasn’t planning on grabbing a spit-covered hoof any day. This was against basic rules of sanitary… stuff. Kevin prepared to spit on 	hi own hoof... He spat… Reached it out to the pegasus in front of him…
They shook. Before rainbow let him pull his hoof away, Rainbow Dash asked him: “And your name?”
Kevin forgot to respond. “Um… Kevin.” 
Rainbow Dash took her hoof away and squinted at him.
“Kevin?”
“Yeah” he answered.
“What kind of a name is Kevin?” She questioned.
In the deepest recesses of Kevin’s mind came the echoing painful practice that ponies don’t have actual names. Everypony’s name was an action a verb or some noun. His name was simply an old hebrew word for some adjective. Everyone’s name on earth was. Kevin got to the response.
“It’s um… Native Equestrian,” Said Kevin to the small idol (at least the very beginnings of an idol).
“Okay,” Said Rainbow Dash in a more “whatever you say” Tone.
Kevin again turned to the large group of pegasi making several laps around the cloud-court. “Who are they?” He asked only so that he could say that he knew their names later because somepony told him.
Rainbow then continued to tell him all of the names of the pegasi in the area (I’m not gonna tell you. You already know them).
Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off of the yellow pegasus. He knew that he was there for her, but all he could think about was his girl: 	Twilight. Trying to concentrate, Kevin flapped his wings in an attempt to fly.
The wings carried him no farther than he could through himself. He barely made it two feet. Rainbow Dash flew away tisking.
“If you can learn to fly by the time everypony knows your name, you might not be bullied for the whole rest of your time here,” she said judgingly.
Kevin knew this to be correct. Judging by Fluttershy’s every reaction to the very subject of flight camp.


It was lunch time. Kevin approached the cafeteria.
Fluttershy was in the corner. Nopony else sat there. That was the place Kevin had to be. He took his tray over to the opposite side of her. Fluttershy turned her head a few degrees away. She clearly did not want to make eye contact. Kevin couldn’t help it though. He stared into her shy eyes. The eyes began filling with tears as Kevin swam their essence. That was when Kevin saw the sudden moisturization forming in their corner.
“Pardon?” Kevin asked Fluttershy.
“Sorry,” Fluttershy sniffed. “I’ll just go somewhere else.”
“No,” Kevin begged, “Stay, this is your spot anyway.”
Fluttershy sat back down reluctantly. She brushed her mane over her eyes so as not to be seen: crying or otherwise.
Kevin brushed the mane to the side.
“Why do you hide yourself?” Kevin asked putting as friendly of a smile as possible.
“I…” was the only real word that came out before she continued to say needless gibberish in a silent voice.
Kevin sat closer to the edge of the table to listen. All he managed to hear was mixed in with the other sounds of the cafeteria.
“Hey!” Kevin startled her.
Fluttershy jumped.
“If you feel the need to isolate yourself from the other kids then you should stop right here,” The tone scratched into Fluttershy’s ears.
“I’m here regardless,” Kevin shared, “I won’t let them tease you.”
Fluttershy’s tears formed and eventually the first one made its way down her cheek. It wasn’t that Fluttershy didn’t like his words. She just wasn’t used to strangers telling her to look forward to something.
“My name’s Kevin,” said the colt, “What’s yours?”
Fluttershy rubbed her hoof and turned away from him.
“I… I’m um…” Her words again inaudible, Kevin got up and sat on the other side of the table beside her.
“That’s okay,” Kevin said, “You don’t have to tell me your name.” He continued to his plate and began eating the small vegetarian meal.
Fluttershy remained silent. Kevin started to wonder when Fluttershy would feel comfortable with eating her own food. Was she even hungry?
He reached his hoof over to her plate and picked up the main food item (an apple. go figure) and started bringing it to his plate before putting it right back down. She really wasn’t going to put up any sort of fight for anything. Kevin brought his plate over to hers.
“Fluttershy…” He began.